Reviewed by: Liv George
Books, brews + bites: Exploring the historic Jacksonville square
Reading time: 4 minutes
Jacksonville is one of the oldest cities in Alabama but in the past two decades, the city has experienced tremendous growth.
Whether it’s new restaurants + shops or old landmarks + buildings, the downtown Jacksonville Historic District has plenty of places to explore.
Keep reading to see where we stopped during our football gameday visit + check out a list of other places you can find near the Public Square.
Redbird Coffeehouse
After finding a parking spot in the Jacksonville Public Square, I quickly spotted a coffee shop to get my afternoon energy boost.
- Redbird Coffeehouse
- Location: 5 Public Square E, Jacksonville, AL 36265
- Hours: 8AM-6PM, Monday-Friday | 8AM-2PM, Saturday | Closed Sundays
- Our order: A simple cold brew with a splash of oat milk
- Facebook | Instagram | Website
The Redbird Coffeehouse uses suggested pricing which means you can pay more or less than the price listed on the menu.
If you cannot afford a cup of coffee that day, they will give you a drink for free. If you pay over the suggested price, the extra money goes into a community fund used to help others get their favorite cafe treats.
Recollected Books
With my brew in hand, I took a short walk over to a used bookstore before rain started coming down and there was plenty of shelves to explore while I waited out the storm. I also got to meet Theodora, the store owner’s cat that sat at the front desk.
The store opened back in 1995 and while books are certainly the main draw, you can learn a lot in the store without even opening a book. There’s plenty of memorabilia, maps, flags + more on the walls and shelves of the store.
- Recollected Books
- Location: 107 Ladiga St SE, Jacksonville, AL 36265
- Hours: 12-5PM, Thursday-Saturday
Mad Hatter Cupcakes
With the coffee still in hand, I was craving something sweet before heading to campus. And sure enough, the Square had a great option for me.
The menu is constantly changing with different styles and flavors of cupcakes introduced weekly. You can walk out with a single cupcake or a full box to share with friends.
- Mad Hatter Cupcakes
- Location: 16 Public Square W Suite 1, Jacksonville, AL 36265
- Hours:
- Our order: We got the recommended Rocky Cocky, which is a red velvet cupcake with Oreo cream cheese icing. It was great! (And will return to the menu during JSU’s homecoming week.)
- Facebook | Instagram | Website
Exploring Jacksonville
Whether you’re in town for a campus visit, a football game or just taking another day trip to explore our state, there’s plenty to do in Jacksonville. Other spots to stop in in the Public Square include:
- Apothecary Draft House
- Heirloom Taco
- KT Pho Asian restaurant
- The Moon gift shop
- Quality Shoppe bridal store
We got to make a trip of our own before checking out the renovated AmFirst Stadium as Jacksonville State hosted Coastal Carolina for its football season opener. The Gamecocks lost that game but fans came out in full force for the big night in a national spotlight.
Tailgating at Jacksonville State University (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz) 
AmFirst Stadium at Jacksonville State (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz) 
Jacksonville State Marching Southerners (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz) 
Jacksonville State Marching Southerners (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz) 
Jacksonville State Marching Southerners (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz) 
AmFirst Stadium at Jacksonville State (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz) 
Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
Have you taken a trip Jacksonville recently? Tell us about your favorite place to visit by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
