Atlantic Beach does evenings differently. Nobody is in a hurry, half the town arrives on a bike or barefoot, and the best plans are the loose ones. If you are visiting, or you just moved here and want to do it like a local, here is a simple shape for a great night.
Start on the sand about an hour before sunset. The crowds from the afternoon have thinned out, the light goes gold, and the water usually settles. Walk north and the beach gets quieter with every block.
When you get hungry, you do not have to get back in a car. We are three blocks from the ocean on Sailfish Drive East, in the middle of a neighborhood, which is exactly how we like it. Come as you are: salty hair and flip flops are basically the dress code. Grab a stool, check the chalkboard for the day's catch, and order a cold one while you decide.
If it is your first time, the blackened fish tacos and the fried shrimp are the crowd favorites, and the Strawberry Longboard is how locals end the night. If you are the type who asks what the kitchen would order, it is the fresh catch, whatever it is that day.
After dinner, the walk back to the beach for the last of the light is the whole point. That is the evening. No tickets, no valet, no plan. That is Atlantic Beach.