Mochi Frozen Yogurt in Jacksonville Town Center

Mochi Frozen Yogurt in Jacksonville Florida

St. Johns Town Center Mochi Frozen Yogurt

I’m not writing a full review of Mochi Frozen Yogurt in Jacksonville Town Center this anytime soon, so here is a quick recap:

Mochi FROYO (frozen yogurt)

You go there, Mochi Frozen Yogurt in St. Johns Town Center give you a sample cup and you try lots of different flavors of frozen yogurt for free and it’s non-fat.

lychee
raspberry
original
coconut
vanilla
green tea etc…

Then you pour yourself a cup of Mochi frozen yogurt and cover it with your favorite toppings and then they weight it.

I had 2 cups. Yes, I went back for seconds. I couldn’t gauge how much to pour and it is THAT good.

$3.15 – original flavor frozen yogurt with sliced almonds, mangos, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and original flavor mochi (Japanese rice paper)

$2.88 – raspberry flavor frozen yogurt with waffle cone chips, rice krispie treats, captain crunch, almonds, strawberries and more original mochi (also available in green tea flavor and strawberry)

Mochi itself is delicious (like a gummy candy but better) and if you haven’t tried it, you should! They will let you sample a piece before you cover your yogurt in it and pay for it. The yogurt is top-notch, creamy and not watery and the staff is super-pleasant.

is home to a new frozen yogurt shop. Mochi in St. Johns Town Center’s yogurt is 100 percent fat- and cholesterol-free. Mochi has eight different flavors, which vary every week.

The frozen yogurt is self-serve with bar toppings that range from fresh fruit to candy to cereal. Toppings will also change regularly. Because it is self-serve, payment is based on weight, so a regular serving runs about $3 to $4.

Mochi is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., even on Sundays, and is located at 1860 Big Island Drive in the Town Center near Toys R Us and Best Buy.

Sushi House 2 at Jacksonville Town Center next to Firehouse Subs

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant in Jacksonville Town Center

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at Jacksonville Town Center
10206 River Coast Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32246

Tel: (904) 997-6528
Fax: (904) 997-6529

One of our favorite restaurants to visit on a regular basis is Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, at Jacksonville Town Center.  As mentioned in this previous article, we’ve been to many Japanese steakhouses around Jacksonville and Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at Jacksonville Town Center is the best one in the group.

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at Jacksonville Town Center uses incredibly high quality filets and grills them to tender perfection each time we visit.  The shrimp, chicken, rice, and vegetables at Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at Jacksonville Town Center are also delicious.

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at Jacksonville Town Center offers a large assortment of sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi.  This article will focus on three of their very best sushi rolls.  The first two, bamboo and Tokyo, are our staple rolls that are consistently delicious.  However, we struggled for some time to find a third that was equally enjoyable.  We’re happy to say that the lobster sushi roll filled the void in the third spot.

Bento Pan-Asian Cuisine and Sushi at Jacksonville Town Center

St. Johns Town Center Bento Sushi

Well, found out it was a sushi joint in Jacksonville Town Center I immediately went to check Bento Cafe Pan Asian and Sushi out. Was I ever pleased. Bento is awesome!

I love that Bento Sushi Cafe Jacksonville offer Noodle Bowls. Do you know how long I have been waiting for Jacksonville to open a place that serves Noodle Bowls? Probably not, but it has been a while.

While the Shrimp Udon Noodle Soup Bowl is great,  Bento Sushi Cafe Jacksonville offers a lot of other great menu items to choose from. The Bento Boxes at Bento Sushi Cafe Jacksonville are very popular and include your choice of meat and preparation that is served with noodles, rice, ginger salad and Asian green beans.
And lets not forget the Sushi at Bento Sushi Cafe Jacksonville. The sushi is ah-may-zing. Every day Bento Sushi Cafe Jacksonville has a special roll that they prepare and I suggest taking them up on it. MMMM.

If you are at the Jacksonville Town Center doing some shopping this is a great place to hit up for lunch or dinner. Or, if you just want some good Pan Asian cuisine, its worth the trip even without the shopping!

What exactly is Pan-Asian cuisine? Well, quite simply, it’s a variety of dishes from Asian countries, i.e. Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Indian, just to name a few. You may see pad Thai, bulgogi (Korean bbq), Indian curry dishes, sushi, tempura, and endless options in places such as Bento.  These type of restaurants are quite popular in Japan, Taiwan, and throughout major cities in Europe.  And now we have this in Jacksonville.  FINALLY.

The Hunan (snap peas, carrots, sliced bamboo shoots,and  in a spicy garlic sauce) chicken bento box ($7.50, tofu bento boxes are the same price) that comes with white rice, noodles, ginger salad, and a side of broccoli.  Any beef bento box is $8.25; $8.50 with shrimp.  The Thai coconut yellow curry chicken bento box.  Spicy cream chicken noodle bowl ($7.25) batter-fried served with a spicy creamy sauce over mini-Udon noodles; The chicken teriyaki noodle bowl ($7.25) and the fried pork dumplings ($4.25 for 5).  Our total bill for my family of 4 is about $28.

Overall, Bento provides a great inexpensive Asian meal in a fun, friendly, and modern atmosphere, and service is very quick.  Our meals came very quickly to our tables and with this much variety, you could come all year long and never have the same meal twice.  Next up is their sushi, then the tempura, then the ice cream….so little time, so much Asian food to eat.

Bento Menu in Jacksonville

Sushi and Pan-Asian Menu from Bento Cafe in Jacksonville Florida

Golf Galaxy Closing in Jacksonville Town Center :(

Golf Store Jacksonville

Everything at the Golf Galaxy golf store in Jacksonville Town Center is at 20% off as of Saturday, but I’m sure that is soon to change. I’ll be keeping an eye out at Golf Galaxy golf store in Jacksonville Town Center for when things hit the 40-70% off stage.

Yet another victim of the drain circling economy, Golf Galaxy golf store in Jacksonville Town Center is closing it’s doors. I swung by Golf Galaxy golf store in Jacksonville Town Center Friday night as I am in the market for a golf bag and the store was full of Jacksonville golfers looking for a bargain on Adidias Golf Apparel, Nike Golf Apparel, Callaway Golf Apparel, sand wedges, drivers, putters, you name it.

There were specifically good deals on hybrids by Taylor Made and Callaway at the golf store called Golf Galaxy in Jacksonville Town Center.

I feel really bad for the employees at Golf Galaxy golf store in Jacksonville Town Center who seemed broadsided by the news. I would like to buy some stock in the company closing these stores out. They seem to do a good job, unfortunately.

Jacksonville Golf Galaxy Sale this weekend at Town Center!

Jacksonville Town Center Golf Galaxy Sale

Golf Galaxy is having a sale this weekend. I will be by to check it out personally, so I’ll let you all know if Golf Galxy in Town Center is for real, or if they are offering 10% off of Top Flites or something like that.

Pollo Tropical coming to Jacksonville Town Center!

jacksonville pollo tropical coming soon!

Do you like cuban food food? Do you like cuban food fast?! Does Citrus-marinated grilled chicken sandwiches, salads and plantains, sound good? Then you are in luck as Pollo Tropical is coming to Jacksonville! If you have been to Miami for any length of time you have seen them all over the place down there. Pollo Tropical is sort of the McDonald’s to the Miami community.

Nestled between the new CVS at the Jacksonville Town Center and the Costco which has been there for awhile, Pollo Tropical is sitting on a prime piece of real estate. The restaurant chain with 120 locations is a way of life for many South Floridians will be joining to offer fare from around the world.

They join Jacksonville Town Center restaurants Panda Express, BlackFinn, Whisky River, Mochi, Bento Cafe, Chipolte, and the Original Pancake House in the Front half of the Jacksonville Town Center.

Its Cuban-inspired fare features grilled chicken and pork ribs  roasted pork, and a variety of sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and platters. Family meals include complete with two or more sides.

• Yuca with Garlic Sauce
• Yellow Rice with Vegetables
• Balsamic Tomatoes
• Black Beans
• Kernel Corn
• White Rice
• Brown Rice
• Caesar Salad
• Mac and Chees
• Coleslaw
• Curly Fries
• Red Beans
• Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Pollo Tropical was founded in Miami in 1988 by brothers Larry and Stuart Harris. They also run over 150 Taco Cabana restaurants in  Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

Yobe | Jacksonville Town Center | Self Serve Yogaberry

Yobe, Yogaberry Self Serve at St. John's Town Center Jacksonville

You may be asking where did Yogaberry in Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center go? I love yogaberry and was very sad to see that they had closed their doors at Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center. All the low fat deliciousness with the fresh fruit really made sense for something my kids will eat, and at least be a little bit healthy.

Yogaberry’s latest endeavor Yobe at Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center, is just like Yogaberry but is self serve, much like the competeing Mochi frozen yougurt store about one quarter a mile away in Jacksonville’s St. John’s Town Center. I believe the options for dessert in Jacksonville town center are only going to get more competitive which always means better and cheaper!

Frozen Yogurt fight at Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center!

Paying for your frozen yogurt by the ounce, you can add diced fruit including strawberry my favorite, chopped candy like Reece cups, crushed granola, and lots and lots of big nuts.

Yobe also offers waffle cones for an old fashioned walk through the Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center harkening back to old Americana where the ice cream was high carb, and there weren’t more automobiles than people.

Unlike the malt shops and ice cream parlors of yesteryear, Yobe’s decor is all white and very chic. Think about what a frozen yogurt place would look like if it were run by the Apple Store at Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center.

Yogaberry has locations throughout the city including Ponte Vedra Yogaberry, Mandarin Yogaberry, and Jacksonville Beach Yogaberry at 311 North 3rd Street.

River City Marketplace and Jacksonville Town Center hurting Callahan and Hilliard local businesses

Between the recession and a Jacksonville metropolitan area that creeps ever northward, times have been tough for businesses in Callahan, the Nassau County town about 12 miles north of Jacksonville.

Encroaching urban development over the last 10 years wasn’t bad for business – it brought a mini-boom of new houses in and near the community of just over 1,000. But when the housing bubble burst, construction activity and jobs vanished.

Meanwhile, the retail growth that the boom brought – most notably the addition of the River City Marketplace on Jacksonville’s Northside – gave residents more reasons to leave Callahan to eat and shop.

“Anytime big businesses come in near town, it hurts our small business owners,” said Patsy Quaile, ambassador for the Greater Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, which represents the western half of Nassau County.

The competition is a big problem for the town, which has a hardware store, a grocery store, one drug store and another being built, a few dollar stores and a clustering of fast-food restaurants near its core, but little else in the way of recognizable chain stores. The bulk of the rest are small businesses, and the most successful restaurants are eateries that residents habitually frequent.

The economic downturn accelerated the rate at which local small businesses have died off, said Callahan Mayor Shirley Graham.

In the past year, 13 businesses have left town or closed, she said. Gone are two garden centers, a bakery, two submarine sandwich shops, a seafood deli, a movie rental store, a nail salon, a hair salon, a credit union and an Italian restaurant.

A western-wear clothing shop – Callie Kays General Store and Outfitters from Hilliard – recently closed when the owners decided Callahan couldn’t support it.

“The recession has finally hit us,” Graham said. “Since 1985, when I moved to Callahan, I have never seen it this bad.”

Aside from a Walgreens under construction across the town’s main intersection from an existing CVS pharmacy, the most visible new construction has been strip mall buildings. Callahan resident Andy Burns is one member of a partnership that owns two of them. He said business is good: occupancy is nearly at 100 percent in both.

But much of that is due to in-town relocations, not new growth. A barbecue restaurant, a doctor’s office, a restaurant specializing in chicken wings and the town library all have moved from older locations to newer digs in the strip malls.

Burns noted that the proximity of River City Marketplace is especially vexing to local restaurants whose menus tend toward the pricey side – that mall’s chain restaurants such as Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Sticky Fingers probably contributed to the closing of Ricco’s Italian restaurant.

“If people have the money to spend on a nice dinner, they are going to drive into Jacksonville,” he said.

Additionally, membership in the Greater Nassau County Chamber of Commerce has turned down recently, Quaile said.

“People are barely making it,” she said. “They can’t afford to pay the membership fee.”

But there are bright spots that indicate to Quaile that Callahan will see a resurgence when the recession lifts. Traffic on U.S. 1 and Florida A1A/U.S. 301 appears to be increasing steadily, bringing more travelers through town and more opportunity for local businesses, she said.

And although the town is losing businesses, new ones continue to arrive despite the economic climate – and several seem to be doing well, she said.

“We’re going to make it,” she said. “They [local businesses] are struggling – everybody is- but they’re still open.”

josh.gore@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4699

kevin.turner@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4609

http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-08-14/story/squeezed-callahan-recession-and-northside-shopping-center-hit-rural

Half Off Whisky River Jacksonville Town Center Coupon

Jacksonville Town Center Whiskey River

4850 Big Island Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32246
(904) 645-5571

Get Half off Whisky River in Jacksonville Town Center, click below!

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Take two ounces of ROCK AND ROLL, an ounce of COUNTRY, add a splash of SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY, mix and serve…

At Whisky River, our unique blend of unpretentious charm, feel-good music and enticing food has made us the South’s favorite spot to unwind. Owned by NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Whisky River has cemented itself as nightlife royalty in a short period of time. From students to professionals, fun-seekers of all ages can find a reason to enjoy Whisky River. Maybe it’s our enticing menu filled with your favorite burgers, wings, pizzas, sandwiches and more. Perhaps live music and hand-crafted cocktails are more your speed. Whisky River delivers the best live performances by today’s chart-topping artists, plus world-class DJs spinning your favorite rock, country and all around fun music seven nights a week! And with celebrity guests dropping in from time-to-time, you never know who you will run into at Whisky River.

Located in the Plaza at St. Johns Town Center, Jacksonville’s preeminent dining and entertainment venue, Whisky River is open seven days a week for lunch, dinner, after-work drinks, evening entertainment and late-night snacks – our menu is served from 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. daily.

No matter your reason for visiting, we are confident our lively atmosphere is so contagious, you will be coming back for more! Whisky River – where the First Coast comes for fun!