JACKSONVILLE – With construction underway on the multi-faceted Shipyards development, the Khan Family announced today that Asado Life, a live-fire culinary experience, will join the project in the Shipyards' marina support building. The full-service restaurant is targeting an August 2026 opening.
Asado Life focuses on communal fire-grilling, or asado, and exceptional cuisine highlighting scratch-made ingredients and traditional Argentinian-inspired cooking methods of chef's cuts, sausages, fresh catches and grilled vegetables. The concept will serve as a waterfront destination dining experience with a la carte menus and unique private events which will draw residents and visitors to Downtown Jacksonville.
"I am proud to welcome Asado Life, a restaurant centered around celebrating the centuries-old Argentine tradition of open-flame cooking, to the Shipyards Development. Fire has been rooted in mankind's origins since the beginning of time, and I am eager for guests to enter this vibrant space designed to spark memorable connections while dining along the St. Johns River," said Iguana Investments' CEO and Chief Design Officer Shanna Khan.
The restaurant's culinary team will be led by Executive Chef Matthew Brown and serve lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. It will accommodate approximately 140 guests with options for inside and outdoor patio seating overlooking the St. Johns River.
This is the second location for Asado Life; its original counterpart in St. Augustine will remain open. The Jacksonville restaurant will offer a more modern, metropolitan vibe to the coastal St. Augustine interior, but the menu and attention to detail will remain the same.
"We are excited to bring our devotion to creating unique and memorable dining experiences to Jacksonville, where Asado Life will introduce our signature live-fire cuisine to the heart of the city's sports and entertainment district," said Nick Carrera, owner of Asado Life. "Just as in St. Augustine, we look forward to welcoming guests around the fire to share the food, the atmosphere, and the sense of community that define who we are."
Asado Life plans to lean into its proximity to EverBank Stadium, Daily's Place and other venues in the Sports & Entertainment Complex by hosting special tailgating events for gamedays and concerts.
Colliers Urban Division served as the leasing representative on behalf of Iguana Investments.
The long-anticipated Jacksonville Shipyards project will encompass the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Jacksonville with 170 hotel rooms and 26 residences; a six-story Class-A office building, housing Jaguars' front office headquarters; five public-facing restaurants; Riverwalk; pier; a marina support building; and 78-boat slip public marina.
