Riverside Avondale Night Trolley Neighborhood Guide: Beer Tour

(Image courtesy of Riverside Avondale Night Trolley)

The Riverside Avondale neighborhood is an ideal place for a beer tour of Jacksonville, and the Riverside Avondale Night Trolley makes it easy and convenient to hit all the best spots in the area. Running the first Friday and Saturday of the month from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., let the trolley be your designated driver for the evening.

Start your night at European Street Cafe on Park Street for their famous 2 for 1 happy hour from 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. A casual atmosphere and congenial environment make this a popular spot, and within five minutes of sitting at the bar you’ll feel like family. If the weather is in your favor, grab a seat on the front patio. European Street has a wide variety of beers on draft, including local options. Don’t miss their Pilsner Urquell fount, there are only a handful of these in the country!

Take the trolley from the corner of Park and King towards the King Street Entertainment District. Once there, pull the cord for a stop and head into Kickbacks Gastropub. This beer spot and late night eatery has one of the most impressive draft menus, with 180 beers to choose from. Grab a snack off the vintage menu (think SpaghettiO’s or English Muffin pizzas) or pick a couple of appetizers, like the piergies, to share. 

After you’ve had a few pints, take the trolley to Intuition Ale Works. This brewery, the 2nd one in Jacksonville, is getting ready to expand into Downtown. Grab a couple of beer flights to sample the expansive variety of brews that Intuition makes. (Learn more about Intuition Ale Works in our guide for Out of Town Visitors.)

Next, take the trolley right around the corner to Bold City Brewery. This family run brewery was the first in Jacksonville, and they set the bar high. The taproom is one of the best in town, with an intimate section where you can play board games with friends, and the warehouse area where you’ll hear live music some weekends. Bold City Brewery’s beer is a fantastic representation of Jacksonville, high quality and zero pretension, made by people passionate about their craft. The Duke’s Brown Ale pairs well with anything, and you’ll consistently see it at every style of restaurant in town. Continue your journey by taking the trolley to Five Points.

Your next stop, Root Down, has a speakeasy feel on the outside with no signage, but inside you’ll find a sleek, modern bar with classic movies like Scarface projected on the wall. Order a beer cocktail and enjoy the breeze on the back patio. The mixologists here are quite inventive, so don’t miss out on one of their beer (or wine or bubbles) cocktails. Personal favorites include the Wolfgansta, with cocchi torino, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white; and the Witches Get Stitches, with caraway, dolin blanc, lemon juice, citrus syrup, celery bitters, and local ginger beer.