I was a bit concerned when I first learned of The Lemon Bar, self proclaimed as the “World Famous Lemon Bar”. Sure as heck doesn’t sound like a classic beach bar, by any stretch. And what of these lemons; am I in for some sort of citrus barrage?
The Full Truth
Fear not, my fellow beach bar bums, it seems the bar is simply located on Lemon Street. Much better start than I was expecting.
The bar actually sits at the end of Lemon Street, adjacent to the public beach access. It’s in the backyard of The Seahorse Inn; both the bar and Inn are longtime Neptune Beach establishments. It’s exclusively open air, with a portion that has overhead cover. There are no enclosed spaces, so it’s absolutely ideal on a warm summer day. If you come here on a cold, windy day (as I did), prepare to be a bit uncomfortable.
The bar itself is bordered by the hotel, the hotel pool, and the beach entrance – but the entire east side of the bar faces the Atlantic. The only “problem” is that the bar is very much ground level, so there are dunes and sea oats that obscure most of the actual view of the ocean. I can see glimpses of it, and there are palms and a very nice beach view, but it’s certainly not the beautiful vista we strive for BUT…it’s a bar on the beach, no doubt about it.
The menu is pretty typical for a well-established beach bar. There are beachy cocktails (Ocean Cucumber, Mango with the Devil) and the obligatory sammiches and tacos.
The bar area is a bit of a challenge. The bar top is a bit high (or the stools are a bit low) and I felt like a small child at a tall table. There are very few spots at the bar that actually face the ocean, the majority of seating is at right angle to it or seated facing opposite. That’s ok though, because the sand and the water are literally only steps away.
Beach Bar Bum’s Prime Seat:
Proper beach bar bums will bypass the bar seating and snag one of the tables on the patio, of which there are plenty. The BBB preferred spot is to grab a high top at the SE corner of the patio, which gives you a bit of distance from the live music stage and also affords the best glimpses of the ocean.