Spring Training Food: Last stop Dune Dogs, while Checking out Restaurants in Our Book

By Rob Rains and Sally Tippett Rains

When we wrote our new book “All Roads Lead to St. Louis; A Guide to the Cardinals Minor League Teams” we gave recommendations of places we have been and that we like– but we also included places suggested to us by others who know the area well.

Our purpose in writing the book was to encourage our readers to take trips with your family and go see the minor leagues. For those who don’t live in St. Louis we hope you’ll go to St. Louis for a Cardinals game and of course we always encourage people to come to Spring Training. What we didn’t realize is how much we would learn from other people’s suggestions. There are a lot of places we haven’t gone to but hope to explore– and many places we love to return to.

We plan to eat our way through Jupiter and the Palm Beaches and report back to you. Check out this article periodically as we will be adding to it.

Dune Dogs Cafe

775 FL A1A Alt, Jupiter, FL 33477

Rob got the crab cakes with waffle fries and baked beans.

Sally got the fried clams. Fried clams are always compared to “the ones at Howard Johnson’s” and these were pretty good. They had a lighter breading.

The slaw is good, not too creamy. Dune Dogs is a great relaxed atmosphere– don’t go there if the weather is bad as most seats are outside. They are covered but no doors or windows. There is a bar and picnic tables. It appears that it is a hot spot for locals who come in in shorts and flip flops.

The picnic tables make it a good place to bring the family.

The atmosphere is relaxed, but it does get crowded, so be sure to get there early or know you will have a wait. Definitely worth going to– nice beachy place. Good pic, Mike Trim, WPTV West Palm Beach morning anchor.

Duffy’s Sports Grill

11588 US-1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 . (US-1 and PGA Blvd.)

There are other locations, that’s just our favorite.

This Sunday is a double header: It’s Selection Sunday, the day they announce the NCAA brackets and it’s St. Patrick’s Day. Have we got a place for you to go if you are in Florida for Cardinals Spring Training.

We have been coming to Duffy’s for eight years and that is exactly how long their general manager Adnane Chalf has been working there.

Adnane is the hardest working man we know as the place is always hopping but he manages to do his best to get people seated as quick as possible.

Duffy’s Sports Grill is a great place to go because it is one of the best “sports bars” with the TVs all over the place, but also one of the best “restaurants” because the food is great. The bright green, lighted decor is far from the dingy sports bars sports fans usually hang out in. Typical sports bars tend to have the same food and when we travel we like to find places that have healthy choices if we choose it that day.

The video shows one of their rooms and this is the other one. Both have ample televisions and all you have to do is ask your server and they are very accommodating.

We also like Duffy’s because the corporate management is very generous. Each year John Smith helps sponsor our Baseball Bash where we raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Palm Beach and Rainbows for Kids in St. Louis. Last year, the Duffy’s Foundation headed by Geri Emmett who started it in honor of her late husband Paul Emmett who founded the Duffy’s chain, donated about $200,000. It has three main charities: the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Special Olympics and the area chapter of the Girl Scouts, which all have touched their family in some way.

Find a location of Duffy’s and check them out.

(Note: They are not affiliated with the restaurants in St, Louis with a similar name–although we have suggested to John Smith to expand to St. Louis in wishful thinking. We get that question a lot so wanted to clarify.)

Jetty’s

1075 N Hwy A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477

Jetty’s is a popular, busy, family-friendly restaurant with views of the lighthouse & a menu of just-caught seafood. They have good fresh seafood but also steaks, but the best part of it is the relaxing atmosphere eating outside on the deck.

It’s a pretty pricey menu with most items in the $30, but from 4:30-5:30 they have a $19.95 Early Bird Special. There are all sorts of combination plates, the popular conch fritters and surf and turf.

The outside seating is great with the view–day and night. The only thing about Jettys is they don’t open until 4:30. They are not open for lunch.

We checked Jetty’s out just as it was opening so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Here is Rob’s short video tour

Dive Bar

318 South, US-1, Jupiter, FL 33477

The Dive Bar is a seafood restaurant which is one you should not miss. In this case “dive” refers to scuba divers and the restaurant has fish tanks and aquariums inside. There is a huge bar with blue ocean-like lighting. It was recommended by Liz Oliver, the General Manager of the Homewood Suites and is a favorite of hers.

It is famous for its raw bar, sushi and seafood– all served with a great view. Whether you are inside enjoying the indoor decor or seated outside under an umbrella table in the marina setting you can’t beat the atmosphere of the Dive Bar.

Disregard the audio, not sure why it is so low, but you will be able to see the restaurant as Rob takes you on a short tour of the Dive Bar.

The Hurricane

4550 Donald Ross Rd, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

We put the Hurricane in our book because we like it and it’s an easy walk from the Homewood Suites Hotel– our headquarters hotel for Spring Training.

Here is Rob to give us a mini-tour:

Rob got the Beachside Chicken, a jumbo chicken breast grilled and topped with sautéed onions, peppers, bacon, melted cheddar and jack cheeses, drizzled with Honey Lime sauce. He said the chicken was great.

Sally got Grilled Shrimp with garlic broccoli and fries as the side dishes. The shrimp was perfectly seasoned with our smokey Mesquite rub and they offered a drizzled “Garlic Parm” sauce which she declined. There was more than one person could eat and the shrimp was delicious. If you don’t normally eat a lot of fried foods but want to splurge a little– these were the fries to have. They were good old fashioned fries- not a lot of seasoning and just the right size.

We like the wooden booths inside and there was no wait on Friday night when we went.

Jumby Bay Island Grill

1203 Town Center Dr #101, Jupiter, FL 33458

We got there about 6 on a Wednesday night and there was no wait and a pleasant crowd, most sitting outside..

Rob gives video tour of Jumby Bay:

Rob got the Caribbean Crab Cake Dinner that featured three lump crab cakes topped with pineapple mango salsa served with seasoned fries. Rob loved the crab cakes.

Sally got the Peanut Island Salad which was grilled chicken over spring greens and chopped bacon topped with peanuts and shoestring potatoes & a spicy peanut dressing. She is a low-carb person so she took the shoestring potatoes on the side and didn’t end up eating them. The peanut dressing was delicious.