Singleton's Seafood Shack

4728 Ocean St, Jacksonville, FL 32233

Hours

Open Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Closed Tuesday

(904) 246-4442

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About

North of Jacksonville, where the St. James River meets the Atlantic, is the Village of Mayport. Here, you'll discover a no-frills fish camp, Singleton's Seafood Shack, revered as one of the top-rated Jacksonville restaurants.

This iconic restaurant opened in 1969 by happenstance. Captain Ray Singleton and his wife, Miss Ann, had built a successful shrimping and charter fishing service in the area. After a charter trip in '69, Miss Ann decided to cook the seafood caught by the guests. Her meal was a hit, and without knowing it, the couple was in the restaurant business.

To this day, fishermen dock at Singleton's, unload their catch, and the restaurant cooks it. Talk about ocean-to-table efficiency! For these reasons, Singleton's offers the freshest seafood.

Like the shack, the menu is simple, with seafood as the main attraction. Yes, Singleton's offers some land-lovers fare, but most guests come for fresh fish, shrimp, and oysters.

The eatery is near landmarks like Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, which makes scheduling sightseeing with a fish camp-style meal easy.

Singleton's Seafood Shack is a journey to a simpler time, where the pace of life slows, and the highlight of your day is savoring fresh food with friends and family.

Vibe

As you drive through the sleepy fishing village of Mayport, you'll spot Singleton's Seafood Shack's pastel orange wooden sign. Pulling into the parking lot, you realize that the restaurant is a shack, not a contemporary setting decorated to look shabby.

Inside, the rustic but authentic atmosphere continues. You'll find sanded, varnished planks for tables resembling an old-school galley and a small bar with seating for a handful of customers. Nautical memorabilia and pictures of boats and fishermen dot the wall.

But the coveted dining spot is out back on the county's largest water deck. Diners will have unobstructed views of the St. James River and breathtaking sunsets. Plenty of picnic tables with umbrellas make the deck a relaxing place to dine after a day of fun in the sun at Atlantic Beach.

While Singleton's is not dilapidated, its pastel orange facade, rustic interior, and vast waterside deck prove it is a Real McCoy fish camp.

Singleton's Seafood Shack: Menu & Drinks

We'll skip over the land-lover options and jump to the main attraction: the off-the-boat fresh seafood!

Dive into your seafood dining with starters like Bang Bang Shrimp, Buffalo Fried Shrimp, or Shrimpwreck Shrimp. Each offers unique spices and flavors that pair well with a cold beer or cocktail.

When it's time for dinner, the options range from assorted shrimp dishes to fresh catch of the day, scallops, and crab. All dinners include hush puppies and two of the following: cole slaw, French fries, baked potato, black beans and rice, cheese grits, or veggie of the day.

The combo dinners offer some tasty choices like the Steam Pot for Two. This combo is cooked low-country style and features generous portions of steamed crab legs, shrimp, clams, crawfish, sausage, corn, and potatoes.

A feature at Singleton's that you won't find at many other seafood restaurants is that they will prepare your catch for dinner. This is ideal for those who chartered Historic Coast Outfitters and want to taste their catch once back to shore.

Lunchtime offers fantastic deals with the Weekly Lunch Specials from 11 AM until 4 PM. The Catch of the Day Sandwich is a budget-friendly meal with French fries, cole slaw, or black beans and rice. For an additional cost, you can substitute a salad or have the fish grilled or blackened.

The drinks at Singleton's will appeal to many. They have a beer and wine list and a full bar with signature cocktails.

When you want food from one of the top-rated Jacksonville restaurants, you can't beat a visit to Singleton's Seafood Shack. With its "shabby-shack" vibe, boat-to-table seafood, waterside deck, and even model boat museum, you're in for a marvelous dining experience on your First Coast getaway.

Local Tips

Arrive early to avoid long wait times on weekends.
Ask about the daily special fresh catches.
Explore the quaint model boat museum.
Live music is often on the rear deck.

Location

4728 Ocean St, Jacksonville, FL 32233

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a recommended one-day itinerary in Jacksonville Beaches?

Start the day off along 3rd St. at Jax Beach Brunch Haus for everything from basic breakfast favorites to hearty brunch options and tasty brunch-tails that go way beyond mere mimosas. From JBBH it’s a short hop over to the Jacksonville Beach Golf Course for those looking to spend a day on the greens.

On the north side of 3rd St., step into Maple Street Biscuit Co. for coffee and their self-proclaimed biscuits that wow. After breakfast, walk to Jacksonville Beach’s extended pier. Enjoy a stroll out over the Atlantic Ocean, or watch anglers casting their fishing lines. This is a great way to enjoy fishing in the area, especially if you don’t have enough time to go out on a boat. If surfing is more your style, be sure to hit the waves. Atlantic Beach to the north is more apt for novice surfers, while swells near the Jacksonville Beach Pier can be more challenging as this is the area’s high-tide break.

For lunch, savor the region’s fresh seafood as restaurants in Jacksonville and across the First Coast proudly serve fresh Mayport shrimp. Take in the view at Dockside Seafood restaurant to satisfy your shrimp cravings. Or, try Palm Valley Fish Camp in Ponte Vedra south of Jacksonville Beach after visiting the famed TPC Sawgrass golf course.

Many people who visit Jacksonville Beach are simply asking, where can I go to relax? Consider Neptune Beach to the north, a less crowded beach with calmer waves and plenty of space to spread out. A stroll through Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is also a calm way to spend the day. If visiting downtown Jacksonville, the Riverwalk along St. John’s River provides ample walking space and benches to relax on while enjoying the view.

Wrap up the evening in Jacksonville Beach with the warm and elegant setting of Eleven South. This award-winning restaurant provides an exquisite fine dining experience to top off your day. For more casual fare, stop by TacoLu for fresh baja tacos and tequila with the essence of Florida.

Why is Jacksonville known as the First Coast?

People often refer to this part of northern Florida hugging the Atlantic Ocean as the “First Coast” (sometimes called the “Historic Coast”). Today, the First Coast moniker has come to represent it as the first coast in Florida that tourists visit when traveling southbound along the Atlantic seaboard. The name initially represented this area as the first part of Florida colonized by Europeans in the 16th century. Both the French and the Spanish settled into this part of northern Florida on lands of the Mocama and the Timucua. Further down the coast, St. Augustine was Florida’s first European settlement.

What are the biggest main events around Jacksonville Beach?

Jacksonville Beach welcomes visitors throughout the year to enjoy its wonderful weather and prime events. Each March, The Players Championship attracts golf aficionados from across the globe to our beckoning beaches.TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra has been home to The Players Championship of the PGA Tour since 1982.

If pigskin is more your style, Jacksonville is home to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, so it’s easy to catch a game in season. Another highlight, though up in the sky over Jacksonville’s Naval Air Station, is the NAS Jax Air Show. Birthplace of the Blue Angels, the NAS Jax Air Show generally takes place mid-October each year (check the event site for upcoming dates and program changes).

Back on land, or rather in the waves, the Super Girl Surf Pro also hits Jacksonville Beach in the fall. Held at the Jacksonville Beach Pier, this is the world’s largest women’s surf, lifestyle, and music festival.

When your vacation plans include an adventure to Jacksonville Beach, you can be certain there’ll be plenty to see and do!