The call: Go to Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille — its waterfront patio at 997 S. Palafox St. is far enough south of the Gallery Night core that you can have dinner outside without being in the middle of the street festival.

Real-time local factors

• It’s Gallery Night tonight, Friday, September 18, so Palafox around the main downtown blocks will be unusually busy.
• Jaco’s is on the bay at the south end of Palafox; expect downtown traffic getting there, but not the art-vendor/food-truck experience you’re trying to avoid.
• Outdoor seating is the point here; ask for the bayfront patio when you arrive.
• Parking and a current table wait weren’t posted; call the restaurant before leaving to confirm patio availability.

Runners-up

• The Burrow — go here instead if you want a more neighborhood-feeling outdoor dinner and are happy to be just outside downtown.
• Union Public House, 309 S. Reus St. — better if you want a relaxed patio and pub-style food rather than waterfront seafood.
• The Garden — choose it only if you do want an outdoor food-hall atmosphere; it will feel much more connected to downtown’s Gallery Night energy.

What flips this — if Jaco’s patio is on a long wait, head to The Burrow rather than trying to park deeper in the Gallery Night zone.

👉 Do you want seafood/cocktails, or a more casual burger-and-beer kind of dinner?