My wife and I went to eat at Taco Lu's but there are no tacos on earth worth waiting one hour to be seated so we went to Parson's. Â I have been here once before and even though 12 years have passed since my last visit, this restaurant continues to put out average food not worth making a special trip for. Â We arrived a little before 7pm on a Friday night and there was one or two parties waiting to be seated.. Â The front desk was not manned and we waited. Â Someone finally came and took the names of all who were waiting and then disappeared. Â It took them over 10 minutes to return and seat everyone. Â Five minutes after we were seated, a hostess called our names from the hostess stand. Â Not a good start. Â My wife and I ordered an appetizer and a drink. Â My wife requested a glass of milk and was asked if she wanted it over ice. Â She politely said no and was then presented with a glass of milk served over ice. Â The wait staff is harried, they wear dirty t-shirts and did not show a lot of friendliness. Â I felt bad for our waitress who looked as though she had way too many tables to handle at one time. Â They brought our stuffed mushroom appetizer which, I must say, was excellent. Â I got excited for the meal. Â While eating our appetizer, the waitress came by and asked if we would mind waiting for dinner because they were out of clean dishes. Â That was a first for me. Â Finally the food came. Â My wife ordered the clam chowder which was not very thick (the way I like it) but she said it was quite good. Â She also took my sides (applesauce and onion rings). Â The applesauce was much better according to my wife. Â I, on the other hand, ordered the seafood scampi over rice. Â It was pretty tasteless. Â They must have forgotten to add both butter and garlic. Â It was as if I were eating plain rice. Â The shrimp was overcooked and dry. Â When dinner was done, the waitress asked if we enjoyed dinner and I told her that my wife's was fine but mine was not. Â She asked if I wanted a replacement dinner but since I ate most of it, I declined. Â Kudos to the waitress who came back at took my scampi off the bill. Â She said that she appreciated the fact that neither my wife nor I complained about the wait and were extremely understanding about their short-staffing. Â I may go back for that reason but is that really a good reason to travel to eat mediocre food? Â I could not recommend Parson's as a good alternative if you have other options.
Review Source:I was craving some lump crab meat and seafood in a casual setting-- and Parsons was perfect! The outside looks a little weathered, but the inside is clean and cozy. Â It's a great spot for families and couples looking for a good seafood dinner.
We got crabmeat cocktail ($6.95) as an appetizer. It was generous and tasted fresh. It came with those cheap soup crackers in plastic wrappers..
I got a dreamboat ($12.95 for dinner), which is sauteed shrimps and mushrooms on top of crabmeat (yes, I was craving crabmeat!). Â I thought the mushrooms were a little too greasy, but otherwise, it was delicious! The side of onion rings and cole slaw also hit the spot. The portion was generous too. My boyfriend got salmon parmesean, also good though heavy.
The service was efficient and quick. No complaints there. Overall, I thought it was a satisfying meal and would come back.
How many times have I driven by this divey seafood shack? No, it's not in the best neighborhood, and no, people are rarely singing it's praises, but it has been in business since 1966, and it does have pretty good Yelp reviews, so I decided to give it a whirl.
I must confess, the original plan was to eat at TacoLu's new, bigger location in the former Homestead restaurant, but we just could NOT wait an hour and a half for food that I've have three thousand times. Since I'm moving away from the beach (to Riverside!) in a couple weeks, I decided I should make use of my time and try the last of the Jax Beach mystery restaurants. We pulled into Parson's and found two other cars in the parking lot. Not a good sign. The inside was similarly deserted, but I was determined to give it a go.
We plopped down at a table and the only waitress on, Deborah, came over and delivered our menus and took our drink orders. After perusing our options, we decided that The Mariner's Platter for two was a no-brainer. Fish, oysters, shrimp, scallops, clam strips and deviled crab come broiled, fried, or blackened (we went broiled) with your choice of FOUR sides. That's crazy talk. When all four platters of food came out stacked, we realized two things: this seafood was legit and we had ordered WAY too much of it.
The scallops and grouper were deliciously fresh and flaky, not fishy at all. The shrimp were flavorful and the oysters tasted freshly shucked. For our sides we did a baked potato, broccoli, rice, and fried okra - all good. I've always wanted to find a place like this in Jacksonville, and I've never been directed to the right place. Beachside Seafood and Sliders are both good, but I like the divey, boat-like feel of Parson's and the generous helping of well-priced fare. It reminds me of all the old-school seafood joints back home on the Gulf Coast.
This meal was solid, not five stars, but I'd happily come back. Other than the restaurant itself being a ghost town, I think this a solid little spot in Jacksonville Beach. I'm not sure how they stay open, but I'm glad they do!
Parsons ain't pretty inside or out, even if it photographs well. Â It's also on a residential street, apparently, and it took a great effort from my GPS to find it. Â But, oh mama, once I got there and got some food on the table...
Absolutely wonderful seafood at super-reasonable prices. Â Very nice staff, and certainly if you like to tuck into some quantity, they can accommodate you. Â But the food, ah the food...
Yum.
This place looks like a little hole in the wall restaurant but the food made up for the lack of atmosphere. Â So far this is the best seafood we have eaten in Jacksonville Beach. Â The portions are huge and the prices are very affordable. Â We are actually going to eat there again before we leave. Â The only downside is no alcohol but the good excellent food makes up for it.
Review Source:Okay, my mother swears by the fried oysters at this less than hole in the wall location. Well first, I am not a fan of the fried oyster (although I am a fan of them raw) and secondly, I will only go there after I have had a tetnus shot and have a serious amount of hand sterilizer on hand.
It is a typical fried seafood location, like thousands in Florida. If you like fried oysters, you may love this spot. If not, you might try so revere else.
This is one of those places that I seek out in other towns because it reminds me of home. It seemed like the kind ofplace that could be a neighborhood seafood joint, in say, bucktown. I was pleased with everything until I made one fatal mistake: I ordered seafood that wasn't locally caught. since then, my rule has been to only eat seafood caught nearby. That evening, I ordered Tuna. I asked for it to still be cold in the centerl. When I recieved it, it was cooked completely all the way through. It tasted like tuna from the MRE style pouch.
Nevertheless, my fiance's meal was good I seem to recall (it was over a year ago), and everything else was fine, so if you are in the jacksonville area looking for a place to eat that isn't joe's crab crack, I suggest this place. Just order something local.
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