Jack Flats - Smooth Sailing

A picky eater with lots of allergies and her family visit Jack Flats.

Lis in front of Jack Flats restaurant — **May 28, 2024**
h **ttps://jackflats.com/**
**Tuesday 6:00pm**

A Day at Sea

Lis in snorkeling gear sitting in shallow ocean

My family loves visiting the National Parks. There are three in Florida – the Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas. Two of them are a little tricky to get to, but we managed to fully tour all three in just four days. We zipped through the Everglades on an airboat spotting baby alligators along the way. chartered a boat to sail us over the coral reef to Boca Chita Key, and ferried over to Dry Tortugas where we toured the fort and went snorkeling. Despite my irrational fear of water (Dan will argue that my fear is completely rational), I kept my cool on each boat and even donned snorkeling gear. And while I didn’t fully put my head underwater, I did spy a fish or two. My family was immensely impressed I got in the water at all. I was happily treading water until I looked down and saw an eel at my feet. Screaming, Dan swam to my rescue. He helped me back to the beach when I realized the “eel” was actually the belt of my floatation device that had become unknotted. I laid on the beach embarrassed while Dan and the kids swam deeper than I dared to observe colorful coral and schools of fish. The thought of accidentally touching fire coral or being attacked by the barracuda that the rest of my family talked about during the boat ride back to shore, I knew I had been better off on the beach.

Land Ho

Finally, after a full day of sailing, snorkeling, and exploring the Dry Tortugas, we sank into our seats at Jack Flats. Hungry, tired, and a little queasy, it was difficult to take notes about this Duval Street eatery. The restaurant was long and narrow with dim lighting, similar to a galley. A bar stretched the length of the long wall. High top tables with comfortable booths lined the opposite side. A sports bar vibe, but without all the noise. Quiet and dark – it was hard not to fall asleep. We barely spoke as we perused the menu and then waited for our meals to arrive. I’m surprised we all stayed awake to eat and didn’t fall asleep in our victuals.