Jaco's Bayfront Bar & Grille

Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille is a waterfront restaurant and bar at the end of South Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola, overlooking Palafox Pier Marina and the bay. They serve lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch with fresh, coastal-inspired fare. The setting is known for its bay sunset views. To be clear about geography: this is downtown, not the beach — it’s the bottom of Pensacola’s main street, where the shops and bars run out and the marina begins, and it’s a drive of a half hour or more from Perdido Key and longer from Orange Beach.

What it is

A sit-down bar and grill with a cocktail list and a dessert menu, positioned so the marina is the view. Downtown Pensacola has plenty of places to eat; what it doesn’t have many of is water-view tables, and that’s the slot Jaco’s fills. Sunday brunch is the meal that pulls people in from the beach communities, since the drive is easier on a Sunday morning than a Saturday night.

When to go

Sunset, obviously — the bay light show is the point, and a table near the rail an hour before dark is the move. Lunch is the low-key version, useful if you’ve come downtown for the shops or the museums and want to end at the water. Reservations are by phone; check their site for the current menus and hours.

Getting there

From Perdido Key, it’s the back way through the west side of Pensacola to downtown, then south on Palafox until the street ends at the pier. Expect to hunt for downtown parking rather than pull into a big lot, and make it part of a day in town rather than a dinner run. The rest of the Pensacola side is on the Pensacola Beach page, and the eat and drink guide covers what’s closer to home.