New Restaurants Bring Big Flavor to Downtown Pensacola
From local seafood and Southern fare to a variety of global flavors, downtown Pensacola boasts a vibrant and diverse culinary scene, offering a range of dining experiences from casual eateries to upscale restaurants.
Over the past year, more than a dozen new restaurants opened their doors in the downtown area, bringing a fresh new mix of dining destinations for local foodies to enjoy—and there’s more to come! Here’s a look at some of the tasty new restaurants that have recently opened or are set to open in downtown Pensacola in the coming months. Bon Appétit!
J’S BAKERY & CAFE
Pensacola staple, J’s Bakery & Catering, is expanding its footprint with a sweet new location that’s set to make its debut in downtown Pensacola in the coming month. From its made-from-scratch cookies and decadent pastries to its fresh-baked pies and custom cakes, J’s has been delighting Pensacola with its timeless treats for more than 75 years.
Last year, J’s Owner, Ryan Thomas, purchased the new J’s storefront located at 1124 W. Garden St. The building also houses Captain Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant and Emerald Coast Bread Company with the new quaint J’s storefront in the back portion of the building.
A bright mural featuring bold, old-school typography spells out some of the bakery’s most iconic treats—such as cookies, cakes and petit fours— pointing the way to the back entrance where the garage-style door leads into the sweet new storefront.
Much like the original J’s, the new location will boast an inviting momand-pop vibe—something the bakery has been famous for since 1946. From the made-from-scratch donuts and petit fours to the signature smiley face sugar cookies, all treats will be crafted in-house using traditional recipes.
J’s Bakery is also in discussion with Emerald Coast Bread Company to sell their artisan breads from their storefront. While both businesses will operate from the same building, separate baking spaces were created to ensure that Emerald Coast Bread Company maintains its kosher certification.
Once the new location is up and running, the bakery also plans to incorporate a few new menu items, such as rotating flavors of cinnamon rolls and more breakfast-friendly pastries to cater to downtown’s early morning crowd.
As of now, Thomas plans for the new location to be open Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 6 pm. Real-time updates and information on the exact opening date and hours of operation will be posted on J’s Bakery’s Facebook and Instagram @Jsbakeryandcafe, and on their website at jsbakeryandcatering.com.
THE RESERVOIR
What was once the neighborhood’s historical Malamo Brothers corner grocery store at 524 N. Hayne St. has been transformed into a multi-faceted eatery and event space—The Reservoir. The cafe quietly opened its doors in March for its soft-opening phase, bringing fresh new breakfast and lunch options to the bustling downtown neighborhood.
The project was spearheaded by Reservoir Owner and Operator and Pensacola City Council Member, Casey Jones, who completely reimagined the former Malamo Brothers corner store, which once served as a lively community hub.
Now open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Saturday brunch, the Reservoir menu features a variety of tasty southern-inspired cuisines, locally roasted coffee, draft beer, cocktails and hand-selected wines. The menu caters to a wide range of price points, with all items made from scratch using highquality ingredients.
Jones designed the cafe to exude a warm and welcoming vibe, with the intent to establish an additional space for the neighborhood to gather alongside the bustling Blake Doyle Skatepark and From the Ground Up Community Garden.
While the Reservoir started out serving breakfast and lunch, the cafe has expanded its hours and is now open for dinner and Saturday brunch. The menu caters to a wide range of price points, with lunch and dinner options that include everything from sandwiches, salads and burgers to tasty sharables like Pimento Poppers, Hayne Street Brussels and their signature garlic herb duck fat fries.
The breakfast menu boasts hearty favorites like the Conecuh Wrecka—the Reservoir’s spin on homestyle biscuits and gravy with smoked Conecuh sausage smothered in rich sausage gravy served on a made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuit.
The Reservoir also offers a variety of specialty beverages, such as handcrafted coffee, tea and locally made Big Jerk sodas.
If you’re looking to quench your thirst with a tasty cocktail, beer or some wine, you’re in luck! The Reservoir also recently rolled out its new happy hour, with $2 off select beer and wines from 4 to 6 pm Monday through Thursday. You can also enjoy bottomless mimosas and chef specials during brunch, which is now offered on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm.
Whether you stop in for a quick lunch with friends, brunch with the family or a romantic date night, the Reservoir offers a warm and inviting atmosphere with tasty menu options that are sure to please any palate.
The cafe offers both indoor and outdoor seating, along with live music and entertainment hosted at various times throughout the week. The Reservoir is open Tuesday through Saturday, with breakfast and lunch served from 8 am to 2 pm, and dinner from 4 to 8 pm. The new brunch menu is available on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm.
To view the full menu and for online orders, visit reservoirpensacola.com. For announcements, weekly specials and more, follow the Reservoir – Pensacola on Facebook and @reservoir_pensacola on Instagram.
THE DROP IN
Two locals are resurrecting one of Pensacola’s beloved, and possibly most missed products—Damian’s Frozen Lemonade. That’s right, the tasty, sweet, frozen lemonade drink is making a return!
Local co-owners Rick Emmons and Joe Jacobs, the son of Damian’s founder Tony Jacobs, are reviving the original family recipe to bring the frozen lemonade back to Pensacola at their new business, The Drop In.
It’s been more than two decades since anyone has been able to taste the original Damian’s, but thanks to the creative vision of two long-time friends, the iconic frozen treat is making a sweet return just in time for summer!
Located at 23 W. Cervantes St. in downtown Pensacola, The Drop In will officially open its doors the first week of May, bringing tasty new eats and frozen treats to the downtown area.
The Drop In will serve a variety of custom hot sandwiches, hand-cut fries, other casual food items and, of course, Damian’s Frozen Lemonade. So, if you’ve been waiting to get your Damian’s fix, the wait it almost over!
Since coming up with the concept for reviving the iconic family drink recipe, co-owners Emmons and Jacobs have been busy at work refurbishing the former gas station, both inside and out. The Drop In will offer indoor and outdoor seating, along with a food truck in the back, where sandwiches and other food items will be prepared. Batches of Damian’s Frozen Lemonade will be made from scratch inside the new storefront.
The Drop In is located at 23 W. Cervantes St. in downtown Pensacola. For updates on other upcoming preview events, including hours of operation and opening day announcements, follow The Drop In on Facebook and @thedropinpensacola on Instagram.
GREAT HARVEST BREAD COMPANY
Studer Properties recently announced that The Savoy Place apartment building at 501 W. Wright St. will welcome Great Harvest Bread Company (GHBC) as its first ground-level tenant, which is planned to open this coming July.
The GHBC Bakery Cafe will be the first retail tenant to make its debut in the Savoy Place building, which plans to open its lower level to the public this summer, filling the ground floor with a vibrant mix of retailers that will bring additional shopping and dining options to Pensacola’s historic BelmontDeVilliers neighborhood.
GHBC will serve breakfast, lunch and a variety of coffee beverages with anticipated operating hours from 7 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday. GHBC is widely known for its made-from-scratch bread and fresh food, with each cafe location milling its own wheat into fresh flour onsite daily to preserve the bread’s nutritional value and bring out its flavors.
The apartment building opened in Belmont-DeVilliers back in 2020, with the first floor intended to serve as a marketplace and community hub. Developing the lower level for retail had always been part of Studer Properties’ plans, but the pandemic and rising construction costs made it difficult to lock in retailers.
While each local bakery and cafe creates its own menu, options typically include an assortment of hot and cold sandwiches (including vegetarian options), salads, soups, grain bowls, sweet treats, breakfast sandwiches, biscuits, buns, coffee and espresso-based drinks and more.
While GHBC will open in July as the first stage of Savoy Place’s retail space, more retail tenants are expected to make their debut in the coming year. To learn more about GHBC, including upcoming menu options, visit greatharvestpensacola.com. For now, you can follow Great Harvest Pensacola on Facebook for updates on their progress up to opening day.
LITTLE TIDES OYSTER BAR
The former Gaby’s Taqueria at 104 E. Gregory Street, which permanently closed its doors last December, is being transformed into Little Tides Oyster Bar, an all-new concept driven by Artisan Restaurant Group.
Set to open this summer, the new eatery will feature a vibe that blends sophistication with the relaxed charm of Pensacola’s waterfront culture to create a welcoming space for everything from casual happy hours with friends to special occasions.
Since the debut of the new concept, the restaurant group has been giving the community a taste of what’s to come through a series of small events, starting with a Little Tides crawfish boil hosted in February. Louisiana native and Southern chef, Jean-Paul Bourgeois, kicked off the inaugural crawfish boil by cooking up his signature spicy crawfish with all the fixings.
The development team has been busy at work renovating the new space for its big debut on opening day. Some of the new additions to the space will include a full-service bar large enough for 15 to 20 people and additional dining areas with full-shade coverage that can accommodate around 100 seated guests.
While the menu is still being developed, it’s guaranteed to satisfy anyone seeking a fresh taste of the Gulf. The menu will highlight a daily catch from local purveyors and regionally harvested oysters. In addition to fresh Gulf seafood, the menu will also feature a complete wine list and a variety of tasty craft cocktails using seasonal ingredients and house-squeezed juices.
For updates on their progress to opening day, including hours of operation and upcoming crawfish boils, follow @littletidesoyster on Instagram.