Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille

Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille sits at the very end of South Palafox Street on Palafox Pier, overlooking the Palafox Pier Marina and Pensacola Bay. With covered patio seating and indoor tables facing the water, it has become a go-to spot in downtown Pensacola for watching the sun go down over the bay.

The restaurant is owned by David Hambrick. Beyond the view, Jaco’s has made local art part of its identity. Starting in 2014, it began hosting Pensacola State College’s annual sunset photography exhibit, alongside rotating monthly exhibits by different artists and two months each year set aside for PSC student photographers. The restaurant has also contributed to scholarships for the college’s photography program.

The menu leans on seafood with a mix of steaks, pastas and flatbreads. Dinner entrees include Bayfront Crab Cakes (two jumbo lump crab cakes, baked or Southern fried, with Old Bay aioli), Seared Salmon with lemon dill veloute, Scallop Risotto with pesto and asparagus, and Seafood Acadian, which combines shrimp, mahi-mahi, andouille and crawfish etouffee with house-made hushpuppies. An herb-crusted fresh catch and a center-cut filet round out the mains. Flatbreads such as the Island Style (shrimp, crab, pancetta and mango salsa) and Wild Mushroom (goat cheese, caramelized onions and truffle oil) work well for sharing at the bar.

Other dinner options include Ahi Tuna with tempura vegetables and wasabi mashed potatoes, and Chicken Scallopini with pancetta, mushrooms and a lemon beurre blanc. A cocktail list and desserts are also offered, and the bar is a comfortable place to linger over a drink as boats come and go in the marina.

Jaco’s serves lunch and dinner daily plus Sunday brunch. The restaurant’s posted hours are 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, with brunch running from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There is a full bar, a children’s menu and takeout, and Visit Pensacola notes that leashed pets are welcome. Reservations can be made by phone. Hours can change seasonally, so check hours before you go.

Plan to arrive before sunset on clear evenings, when patio tables are in demand. Palafox Pier is at the southern end of the Palafox Street restaurant and shopping district, so a walk up Palafox toward Plaza Ferdinand VII and the Saenger Theatre makes an easy before or after dinner stroll. Blue Wahoos Stadium and Community Maritime Park are a short walk west along the waterfront.