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    JR's Old Packinghouse Cafe

    4.0 (205 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    JR's Old Packinghouse Cafe Photos

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    JR'S OLD PACKINGHOUSE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Live music

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    Here to see an old friend play!
    Candace M.

    We went here to see the band play last Sunday, I was excited when I saw the menu online, had no idea on a Sunday during the day they basically have burgers, hot dogs & chicken tenders, the only thing I can think of is they don't have a "regular" chef on Sundays? Glad we went for the band but wouldn't recommend to go on a Sunday during the day.

    Garlic parm wings
    Bambi B.

    We came here to see the band that was playing. The place was packed. It was super loud but fit the vibe. The decor is eclectic and fun. The vibe is fun. We only had the wings and soup. Soup was good wings were not. Did hear other people say how good the burgers were. The service was great. We would comeback here but try some different food.

    Ropa Vieja
    Amy M.

    This is a quaint place, off the beaten path, and definitely worth the trip. We are visiting on vacation and have family that lives locally, so they took us here. We sat outside on their covered patio. They had live music inside. My husband had the Cuban sandwich, which was delicious. Apparently the bread used for a Cuban is called Midnight Bread and is made with lard. It really was the perfect bread for a Cuban, but it seemed odd to me that the pickle was on the side. Either way, it was delicious and there was still a pickle! I had the ropa Vieja and it was delicious. I'm not one for rice and beans, which seemed pretty plain to me, but the beef was delicious. I guess I'm also not one for tostones. I've never had a good one. They're always bland, just plain fried starch, kinda dry, sometimes chewy. Meh. There was only one served with this dish like a garnish. If you like them, maybe use it to scoop up the beef, rice, and/or beans. The beer was cheap and the service was excellent. I'd definitely come back and recommend visiting. We came for dinner, had two entrees and two beers and our bill was less than $50! There is a brewery across the street that our local family also loves, so maybe give that a visit after dinner at JR's.

    Cuban Sandwich OPC Style
    Nina H.

    I loved the charm of this place. It's a small restaurant that makes you feel like your in a home (it might be in an old house?). We found a table that seated 6 people - there are only a few tables that do. The walls have all sorts of eclectic items on the wall. Specials for the day were posted near the door. Sadly, the jambalaya they had that day was all sold out. Instead I opted in for the Ropa Vieja and it was delicious! It was a hearty serving that came with rice, beans, plantains, and bread. The dish was absolutely flavorful and exactly what I was in search of. Others at the table had cubans and the basa (grouper like) sandwich. Everyone seemed pleased with the dish, except the cuban seemed to be missing mustard/mayo. Also to note, the restaurant has daily/lunch specials that are worth looking up. If I recall correctly, music is played several times per week if not everyday. It was a fun place to take visitors and I'll definitely be bring more guests.

    Cuban Sandwich OPC Style
    gary s.

    Went there after my grandson's basketball game last night. We had four adults and 3 grandchildren. My son used to live a mile from here and used to come here quite a bit. We all used to love the Ropa Nachos. We'll we had 2 orders last night and they have really gone down hill. Half the size with hardly any meat or cheese. Of course the price was higher which is fine but half the portion at the same price,REALLY! The burgers were still good and the best things were the chicken fingers. Music is still way to loud and the singer wasn't terrible, service was good .

    Ropa burrito
    Andrew T.

    Stopped by for lunch after some fun with the kiddo. Nice local spot with some old Florida feels. Food portions were huge and very tasty. Prices very reasonable. They have live music most days also.

    Placemat

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    11 days ago

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    Photo of Tina S.
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    9 months ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Tina!

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    1 year ago

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    JR G.

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    1 year ago

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    JR G.

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    7 months ago

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    JR G.

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    5 months ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Jeff! We look forward to your next visit!

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    2 months ago

    Food and services! Really nice people all staff friendly! Interesting place to meet for Dinner and late lunch! I will give 5 Star

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Gene!

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    8 months ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you Sherri! We appreciate your continued support!

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    1 year ago

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    JR G.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Carmen! Look forward to seeing you again!

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you so much Nina! Looking forward to next time!

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    4 years ago

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    JR G.

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Andrew!

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    1 year ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Orlando!

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    7 months ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Thomas!

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    1 year ago

    Taco salad special was delicious. Picadillo, black beans, huge shell. Would eat again

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Andrea!

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    1 year ago

    I ordered a cheese burger with bacon. It was worth it... I haven't been there in a long time but it was worth it

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Lisa!

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    1 year ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Carolyn!

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    9 months ago

    Just the basic but sometime that what you need. Service and food was good for our lunch stop.

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    JR G.

    Thank you for the review, Gregory.

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Matt! We look forward to next time!

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

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    4 years ago

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    JR G.

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    3 years ago

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    JR G.

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

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    4 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you Tom!

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    3 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you so much Cynthia! Well written review and glad you found us!

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    2 years ago

    Delicious food as always especially the pork stuffed baked potatoes. Service w a smile and good music too

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Jacqueline!

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you so much, Kathie!

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Darlene!

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    2 years ago

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    JR G.

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    3 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Brent!

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    3 years ago

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    JR G.

    Thank you John for being a loyal customer. We appreciate you.

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    3 years ago

    Love this place! The service is always great & the food is fantastic! Music is good too!

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    JR G.

    Thank you, Stephen!

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - JR's Old Packinghouse Cafe

    Review Highlights - JR's Old Packinghouse Cafe

    jR's Old Packinghouse is a decades old mainstay with a "old Florida" feel in Sarasota, Florida.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Cuba 1958

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    Happy hour at its finest. Stopped in on a Friday afternoon for happy hour. What a delight. The food…read moreand service is amazing. Not only are they attentive, the owner came and checked on us twice. The drinks were delicious and made fresh right in front of us and not premade. The appetizers were authentic and delicious. One of my new favorite spots!

    Will return. Many…read moreblack and white photos on the walls are beautiful and interesting. Girls in the bathroom walls are provocatively enchanting. 1958 was the last year that the Cubans existed as a whole on the island. Since then, one million plus hit the roads around the world for a new home. This owner came to US. The stems look nice but are rather thick. Good service with delicious food: Empanada with spinach & cheese Marquitas con Guacamole Croquetas de la Casa Cod sandwich Guajiro - pork All three are great, except the sandwich is tasteless. No hooks under the bar counter. The only handicap is the regular high ceiling. The two men band plays before we left for our opera. Next time Will return. Many black and white photos on the walls are beautiful and interesting. Girls in the bathroom walls are provocatively enchanting. 1958 was the last year that the Cubans existed as a whole on the island. Since then, one million plus hit the roads around the world for a new home. This owner came to US. The stems look nice but are rather thick. Good service with delicious food: Empanada with spinach & cheese Marquitas con Guacamole Croquetas de la Casa Cod sandwich Guajiro - pork All three are great, except the sandwich is tasteless. Using cigar box for bill is cool: The Library in St. Pete uses book No hooks under the bar counter. The only handicap is the regular high ceiling. The two men band plays before we left for our opera. Next time

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    Columbia Restaurant

    Columbia Restaurant

    3.7
    (2k reviews)
    7.8 mi
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    A great place when in Sarasota to visit. Sit outside or on the indoor patio and watch the world go…read moreby. It's a bit pricey, but the food is solid and it's a good experience. The sangria is great and some dishes are tasty! We did the Chicken & Rice along with the Roasted Pork Shoulder. Overall it's a strong must do when in Sarasota.

    Locals were trying to tell me this place is overhyped but I think it's hyped for a good reason…read more The food here was SO good. As a Cuban from the Miami area, this is good Cuban food. And the portions are HUGE. We had a reservation which was well used as it was pretty packed. We sat inside. It was pretty warm inside, though, from the heat so just be prepared for that. We got a pitcher of sangria and they make it right beside the table. It was SO good. Wow. Each person got about 1/4 a loaf of warm bread. They did say it was cuban bread but it wasn't really. But hey the bread was good. We got their famous salad to try (one side order for 2 people to split and one person got it as their entree) and it was very good. They also make that table side. For our meals, we got the lechón, salad, and fish. The portions were HUGE. So much pork. It came with great tasing yucca, beans, and plantains too. For desert, we got the guava pastry and the natilla. The guava pastry was actually kind of amazing. Warm and so so good. The natilla was good but it was closer to a crème brûlée. It was still good, though. I'm excited to go to another (closer) location of theirs again. It was really such good food. We were also able to take our leftovers with us since they gave us so much food. The lechón plate is definitely splittable.

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    Table side prepared Sangria!
    Table side prepared Sangria!
    Churro dessert
    Churro dessert
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    The Cottage

    The Cottage

    4.4
    (1.2k reviews)
    7.8 mi
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    After a relaxing day at Siesta Key beach, we stopped at The Cottage for lunch. I cannot say enough…read moregreat things about this restaurant. It's got a relaxing beach vibe with outside seating and a nice patio in the back with enough shade. I could tell that they host nightly entertainment here with a small stage. For lunch, I ordered the lobster maki roll. I'm not a big sushi fan, but I was intrigued. This lobster roll was one of the best sushi rolls I've had in a long time. Also ordered include the blackened grouper sandwich, billionaire burger, and tempura shrimp appetizer. Our group loved every entree. The cocktails were also refreshing. I really loved my jalapeño watermelon margarita. Our server was wonderful - very friendly and quick service. Definitely an enjoyable lunch or dinner spot!

    We booked this place via OpenTable since it received great reviews. We ended up parking next door…read moresince parking was a bit hard to navigate. The parking place had ample parking where you needed a mobile app to pay for your parking. There was a larger souvenir store there if you needed to kill time before your seating. Once it was our time for our dinner reservations, we were greeted and seated at our table. Our waitress was a bit sarcastic or had a witty comments that didn't sit well with my kids. When ordering our foods, the kids asked what type of drinks they had since it was not listed on the menu. She said Coke but didn't elaborate that they had Coke products. Since she said Coke so fast our daughter didn't hear the response and asked her the question again where she just said that's a great question and ignored her and moved on. Food wise - we had the Peruvian ceviche, Peruvian chicken, I think I had a special grouper dish. The food was good. We were able to eat everything and the kids enjoyed their kids burger meals. Outside of the waitress comments, the place placed nice modern music to listen to and had the basketballs games playing on the tv at the bar.

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    Patio salad with shrimp
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    The best lobster bisque I've ever had

    JR's Old Packinghouse Cafe - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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