You see Skyway Jack’s before crossing southward over the Sunshine Skyway. You see Humpty Dumpty sitting on the wall, the plaster pig grazing under the sign, and the giant rooster sentried beside the entrance. All of which tells you: here be good breakfast. Located at 2795 34th St S, Skyway Jack’s is a classic diner—no-frills, no-nonsense, greasy-spoon comfort food.

Having breakfast here feels like a homecoming. As an Eckerd College alumnus, Skyway Jack’s has nursed me after many-a-long nights during undergrad. Reportedly, that hasn’t changed. Students still flock here in the morning. They bring their parents, too, who are often alumni of the college themselves. This is true of most customers—they came as children, now they bring their children. Thankfully, I’m not here to nurse anything but my hunger and a conversation with the new owner, Darren Forte.

New owner continues the legacy of Skyway Jack’s

Darren took over the restaurant in August 2022 after he retired. And he loves retirement, he says. I’d love to retire in Skyway Jack’s, too. Especially with this menu. I had intended to order something I normally would not but defer to my favorite: eggs Benedict. And Skyway Jack’s serves a Bennie I cannot refuse, “the whistle stop”: 2 poached eggs over fried green-tomatoes and English muffin covered in creamy hollandaise. The egg oozes. The hollandaise slays. The fried green-tomato crunches under my sawing knife. And under no circumstance do I stop for a whistle.

Curious about their offerings? See the full Skyway Jacks menu here.

A pancake paradise in St. Petersburg

The breakfast hot spot whips up various pancake specials: cinnamon roll, Boston cream, banana bread, and carrot cake pancakes. While I indulge, a chef brings Darren a pretzel croissant to taste-test, which will soon launch on the menu.

I’m not allowed to try…the croissants are still in the development-phase. But I’ll be back when they’re available. In the meantime, I leave satiated, and with a souvenir: a T-shirt quoting the one start Yelp review for “not cutting the toast diagonally”. You can buy your own regular shirt for $27.99, or the dry-fit shirt for $39.99.

Follow Skyway Jack’s on Facebook to learn more about the restaurant.

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