7 Great Italian Restaurants in Jacksonville
We've scanned Metro Jacksonville's forums for recommendations. Here's seven of the best Italian restaurants that Jacksonville has to offer. If you think we're missing few, let us know and we'll add them to the list!
Enza's Italian Restaurant
Mike and Enza Huff opened Enza’s Italian Restaurant in 2004. Enza had been born in Sicily and migrated to America at the age of 10. Her family owned an Italian bakery that she began helping in at the age of 14. Mike was born and raised in an Italian neighborhood in New Jersey, leaving a career in the cosmetics industry to eventually become a chef and work alongside his wife.
The restaurant itself is located at Mandarin Landing, 10601 San Jose Boulevard. It is a relaxing atmosphere with white table cloths, a family feel, and huge portions. They offer banquet services as well as cooking classes! Their menu has all the classic Italian dishes, and they hand-make all of their mozzarella, pesto, dressings, and some sauces-- most notably, their parmesan cream sauce.
For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://enzas.net/
Joseph's Pizza
Joseph's Pizza began as a family legacy from the Italian kitchens of San Francisco. This is where Joseph himself, the founder of the business, grew up. His biggest thrills in life were the kitchen and the dinner table. He decided to spend his life dedicated to both. The business has been around for over 50 years, and though he has since passed, the authentic, family made recipes are carried on at the restaurant today, by none other than Joseph’s two daughters.
The restaurant has two locations: The original in Panama Park, at 7316 North Main Street; and in Atlantic Beach, at 30 Ocean Boulevard. Joseph’s offers catering services and a vast menu with many Italian favorites. They also have hand-rolled breads and crusts, homemade dressing and sauces, homemade sausages and meatballs, homemade minestrone soup, and homemade cannoli.
For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://www.josephspizza.com/
La Cena Ristorante
La Cena Ristorante photographs courtesy of Steve M at zomato.com
La Cena is a fine-dining restaurant and wine bar in the heart of downtown Jax. Their menu and wine selection is extensive. They offer Private Party services and are open every day of the week! What’s notable is that they have all the traditional Italian dishes, and a chef who will make you something special, should you have any sort of dietary restriction. They also make their pasta and sauces fresh daily.
La Cena Ristorante photographs courtesy of Steve M at zomato.com
La Cena Ristorante is located at 211 North Laura Street. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://plus.google.com/114450802202036045799/about?gl=us&hl=en
Mamma Lucia Restaurant
Mamma Lucia photograph courtesy of SRQwanderer (June 2015) at TripAdvisor.com
Reservations are highly recommended at this eatery. Mama Lucia opened up in 2006; a family operated restaurant run by the Battaglia family. Claudio and Lucia Battaglia own the place, and pride themselves on giving their customers a true Italian experience.
They offer a big menu, and even bigger portions of authentic Italian food. They hand-make their sauces and their pastas.
Mamma Lucia photograph courtesy of SRQwanderer (June 2015) at TripAdvisor.com
The restaurant is located at 11380 Beach Boulevard. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://www.mammaluciajax.com/
Santioni's Italian Restaurant
Santioni’s is located in Fleming Island, and has been around since 1986. Bruno Santioni not only owns and operates the restaurant, but he is also a frequent performer there, as they do live music on the weekends. They also have complimentary wine they serve with entrees ordered before 6 PM. This is an authentic Italian restaurant, with crisp white linens on the tables like you’d expect.
They have absolutely all the Italian food you can think of, and each entrée comes with a soup or salad. They also provide each table with fresh made garlic knots. They home-make a pork meat sauce, their breads, their dressings, and their cannoli filling. Santioni’s also offers catering services and a drive-thru window for fast take out!
Santioni’s is located at 3535 US-17. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://www.santionisitalianrestaurant.com/
Sorrento Italian Restaurant
This photo of Sorrento Italian Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Sorrento has been in Jacksonville for quite some time—a family-run Italian restaurant established in 1986. They are a classic Italian restaurant, specializing in all the favorites. Their entrees come with side salad and house-made dressing, and a small plate of spaghetti, with your choice of a red or white house-made sauce. Sorrento’s also provides homemade, fresh bread to their customers’ tables.
This photo of Sorrento Italian Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Sorrento Italian Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Sorrento Italian Restaurant photographs courtesy of TripAdvisor.com
Sorrento Italian Restaurant is located at 6943 St. Augustine Road. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://plus.google.com/108095411384238920392/about?gl=us&hl=en
Taverna San Marco
Taverna opened in 2009. Sam Efron and his wife, Kiley, both had built a name for themselves in the culinary world before deciding to open up Taverna. Sam currently works as the executive chef, while Kiley acts as Wine Director.
They offer a fresh, large selection of Italian dishes. Their menus change with the seasons, and they house-make all of their pastas, mozzarella, lamb sausages, and broths. They also offer curated wine and hand crafted cocktails. They serve dinner, lunch, and brunch, and private dining is available.
Taverna is located in historic San Marco Square at 1986 San Marco Boulevard. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://taverna.restaurant/
Article by Kristen Pickrell
Mike and Enza Huff opened Enza’s Italian Restaurant in 2004. Enza had been born in Sicily and migrated to America at the age of 10. Her family owned an Italian bakery that she began helping in at the age of 14. Mike was born and raised in an Italian neighborhood in New Jersey, leaving a career in the cosmetics industry to eventually become a chef and work alongside his wife.
The restaurant itself is located at Mandarin Landing, 10601 San Jose Boulevard. It is a relaxing atmosphere with white table cloths, a family feel, and huge portions. They offer banquet services as well as cooking classes! Their menu has all the classic Italian dishes, and they hand-make all of their mozzarella, pesto, dressings, and some sauces-- most notably, their parmesan cream sauce.
For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://enzas.net/
Joseph's Pizza
Joseph's Pizza began as a family legacy from the Italian kitchens of San Francisco. This is where Joseph himself, the founder of the business, grew up. His biggest thrills in life were the kitchen and the dinner table. He decided to spend his life dedicated to both. The business has been around for over 50 years, and though he has since passed, the authentic, family made recipes are carried on at the restaurant today, by none other than Joseph’s two daughters.
The restaurant has two locations: The original in Panama Park, at 7316 North Main Street; and in Atlantic Beach, at 30 Ocean Boulevard. Joseph’s offers catering services and a vast menu with many Italian favorites. They also have hand-rolled breads and crusts, homemade dressing and sauces, homemade sausages and meatballs, homemade minestrone soup, and homemade cannoli.
For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://www.josephspizza.com/
La Cena Ristorante
La Cena Ristorante photographs courtesy of Steve M at zomato.com
La Cena is a fine-dining restaurant and wine bar in the heart of downtown Jax. Their menu and wine selection is extensive. They offer Private Party services and are open every day of the week! What’s notable is that they have all the traditional Italian dishes, and a chef who will make you something special, should you have any sort of dietary restriction. They also make their pasta and sauces fresh daily.
La Cena Ristorante photographs courtesy of Steve M at zomato.com
La Cena Ristorante is located at 211 North Laura Street. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://plus.google.com/114450802202036045799/about?gl=us&hl=en
Mamma Lucia Restaurant
Mamma Lucia photograph courtesy of SRQwanderer (June 2015) at TripAdvisor.com
Reservations are highly recommended at this eatery. Mama Lucia opened up in 2006; a family operated restaurant run by the Battaglia family. Claudio and Lucia Battaglia own the place, and pride themselves on giving their customers a true Italian experience.
They offer a big menu, and even bigger portions of authentic Italian food. They hand-make their sauces and their pastas.
Mamma Lucia photograph courtesy of SRQwanderer (June 2015) at TripAdvisor.com
The restaurant is located at 11380 Beach Boulevard. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://www.mammaluciajax.com/
Santioni's Italian Restaurant
Santioni’s is located in Fleming Island, and has been around since 1986. Bruno Santioni not only owns and operates the restaurant, but he is also a frequent performer there, as they do live music on the weekends. They also have complimentary wine they serve with entrees ordered before 6 PM. This is an authentic Italian restaurant, with crisp white linens on the tables like you’d expect.
They have absolutely all the Italian food you can think of, and each entrée comes with a soup or salad. They also provide each table with fresh made garlic knots. They home-make a pork meat sauce, their breads, their dressings, and their cannoli filling. Santioni’s also offers catering services and a drive-thru window for fast take out!
Santioni’s is located at 3535 US-17. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://www.santionisitalianrestaurant.com/
Sorrento Italian Restaurant
This photo of Sorrento Italian Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Sorrento has been in Jacksonville for quite some time—a family-run Italian restaurant established in 1986. They are a classic Italian restaurant, specializing in all the favorites. Their entrees come with side salad and house-made dressing, and a small plate of spaghetti, with your choice of a red or white house-made sauce. Sorrento’s also provides homemade, fresh bread to their customers’ tables.
This photo of Sorrento Italian Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Sorrento Italian Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Sorrento Italian Restaurant photographs courtesy of TripAdvisor.com
Sorrento Italian Restaurant is located at 6943 St. Augustine Road. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://plus.google.com/108095411384238920392/about?gl=us&hl=en
Taverna San Marco
Taverna opened in 2009. Sam Efron and his wife, Kiley, both had built a name for themselves in the culinary world before deciding to open up Taverna. Sam currently works as the executive chef, while Kiley acts as Wine Director.
They offer a fresh, large selection of Italian dishes. Their menus change with the seasons, and they house-make all of their pastas, mozzarella, lamb sausages, and broths. They also offer curated wine and hand crafted cocktails. They serve dinner, lunch, and brunch, and private dining is available.
Taverna is located in historic San Marco Square at 1986 San Marco Boulevard. For information, hours, and a look at their menu, visit: https://taverna.restaurant/
Article by Kristen Pickrell