Café Eleven is the best small music venue in the beaches area, a 300-capacity room in Atlantic Beach that books a mix of touring indie and folk acts, local bands, and the occasional major name doing an intimate show. The room has good acoustics, decent beer, and a sightline from virtually every point that makes it easy to see the stage.
The café functions as a restaurant and coffee shop during the day and transforms into a music venue in the evenings. Check the schedule before visiting — it books up quickly for popular shows. The Atlantic Beach location is quiet and residential, which makes the venue a pleasant counterpoint to the louder, more crowded bars along the Jacksonville Beach strip.