Short answer: The quickest way to get lunch near Durbin Park that still tastes fresh is to order ahead. Choose a made-to-order kitchen and pick up the food when it is ready. Wraps, tacos and sandwiches travel well and are easy to eat at a desk. For a lighter meal, choose grilled protein, a salad or a lettuce wrap.
A made-to-order lunch is a meal the kitchen cooks after you order it, instead of one prepared earlier and held warm until someone buys it.
Key takeaways
- Order ahead: A pickup order placed before you leave work cuts the wait, not the freshness.
- Do the break math: A 30-minute break with a 10-minute drive each way leaves about 10 minutes to eat.
- Go grilled for lighter: Grilled chicken, salads and lettuce-wrapped burgers keep a midday meal light.
- Plan team lunches early: Office and team catering needs at least 48 hours’ notice.
How do you get a fast lunch that is still fresh?
Order ahead for pickup and arrive close to the ready time. You skip the counter wait, and the kitchen still cooks your food after the order comes in.
Time is the real limit at lunch. Federal law does not require lunch breaks, and meal periods typically last at least 30 minutes (Source: U.S. Department of Labor). Many workers get exactly that half hour.
Here is the math. The Pavilion at Durbin Park is about 10 minutes from County Road 210, depending on traffic. Two drives take about 20 minutes, leaving about 10 to eat, so order online before you leave.
Is made-to-order better than fast food for lunch?
Usually, yes. Made-to-order food is cooked for you and can be adjusted, while typical fast food is built for speed first.
Restaurants in a chain with 20 or more locations must post calories on menus, and must state that 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary (Source: FDA menu labeling).
A smaller independent kitchen may not fall under that rule. There, your best tool is how you order: ask how a dish is cooked, and choose grilled or blackened over fried. Ordering ahead also closes most of the speed gap, because the cooking happens while you drive. Read more on why fresh, made-to-order food beats fast food.
What are the best lunch orders for a quick midday meal?
The best lunch orders are filling, easy to eat one-handed, and still good after a short drive.
| Lunch order | Menu example | Easy to eat on the go? | Lighter way to order it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrap | Chicken Wrap or Veggie Wrap | Yes, one hand is enough | Grilled chicken, or the Veggie Wrap |
| Tacos | Chicken, Shrimp or Fish Tacos, with one side | Mostly, keep napkins close | Grilled or blackened, not fried |
| Sandwich | Yardbird, Fish Sandwich or Quig’s Reuben | Yes | Fish Sandwich with a Green Salad side |
| Burger | Quig’s Classic, Baby Bella or Snake Bite | Yes, with napkins | Any burger as a lettuce wrap |
| Salad | Mixed Green, Caesar or Tropical Salad | Best at a desk or table | Add chicken or shrimp for protein |
Sandwiches are the classic lunch for a reason. In USDA’s 2009 to 2010 survey data, 47% of adults ate a sandwich on a given day, and nearly one-half of all sandwiches were eaten at lunch (Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service). The survey counted cheeseburgers as sandwiches too, so a burger lunch is right in the mainstream.
Want something heavier? See our fried chicken guide and our burger story.
What are the lighter or healthier lunch options?
Choose grilled or blackened protein over fried, build lunch around a salad, or swap the bun for lettuce.
- Grilled or blackened: The Chicken Wrap and the Chicken, Shrimp and Fish Tacos all come fried, grilled or blackened.
- Salads with protein: The Tropical Salad adds mango, strawberries and coconut lime dressing, with chicken or shrimp.
- Lettuce wrap: Any burger can be made as a lettuce wrap, with the same 100% Angus beef.
Seafood is another easy win. The FDA advises adults to eat at least 8 ounces of seafood a week, and it lists shrimp among its “Best Choices” (Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Advice about Eating Fish). Grilled Shrimp Tacos count toward that goal.
Where can you get lunch near Durbin Park in St. Johns?
Head to County Road 210. Quig’s Meats & Eats is at 100 Gateway Circle, Saint Johns, FL 32259, about 10 minutes from the Pavilion at Durbin Park.
We measured these drive times with a routing service. All depend on traffic.
| Starting point | Distance | One-way drive | Round trip | Best fit for a 30-minute break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beachwalk | About 3 miles | Under 10 minutes | Under 20 minutes | Pickup or quick dine-in |
| Twin Creeks | About 4 miles | Under 10 minutes | Under 20 minutes | Pickup or quick dine-in |
| Pavilion at Durbin Park | About 4.7 miles | About 10 minutes | About 20 minutes | Order ahead, then pickup |
| Nocatee Town Center | About 7 miles | About 14 minutes | About 28 minutes | Delivery, or a longer break |
Eat after you park, not while you drive. The CDC lists eating while driving as a form of distracted driving, alongside texting and talking on a cell phone (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
If your crew wants wings instead, see our roundup of the best wings near Durbin Park.
How do you order an office or team lunch near Durbin Park?
Request a catering quote at least 48 hours ahead, share your head count and any allergies, and match tray sizes to the group.
Request a quote on the We Cater page or call 904-784-7844. Tray sizes include:
- Tender trays (fried or grilled): small serves 3 to 5, medium 10 to 15, large 20 to 30.
- Wing and shrimp trays: 40, 60 or 80 pieces.
- Tenders with Fries meals: individually packaged, for 5 to 10 people.
Ask about allergies when you collect the head count. The FDA recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame (Source: FDA, Food Allergies: What You Need to Know). A shrimp tray is shellfish and the Elvis burger uses peanut butter spread, so flag allergies in the quote request.
Feeding a school group or sports team? See school and team catering. Quig’s is an approved vendor for St. Johns County schools.
How does Quig’s make lunch near Durbin Park easy?
Quig’s Meats & Eats is a family-owned kitchen on County Road 210 that has fed St. Johns since 2023. Nothing waits under a heat lamp for the lunch rush; each order starts cooking when it comes in. That is why ordering ahead pays off.
The kitchen is open every day from 11am to 9pm, so an early or late lunch both work. You can dine in, order online for pickup, or get delivery through a third-party platform. Burgers use 100% Angus beef, and wings come in nine sauces, from the house Q-Sauce to Burnout XXXX.
Here is why family-owned restaurants stand out, and you can learn more on the Quig’s homepage.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good quick lunch near Durbin Park?
A good quick lunch is one you can order ahead and eat without a fork. A Chicken Wrap, two tacos or a Yardbird sandwich all fit that bill. Quig’s Meats & Eats on County Road 210 is about 10 minutes from the Pavilion at Durbin Park, depending on traffic. Every order is made fresh, so placing a pickup order before you leave work cuts your wait. With a full hour, dine in instead and add a side like onion straws or macaroni salad.
Can I order lunch ahead for pickup?
Yes. Quig’s takes online orders for pickup, which is the fastest way to fit a fresh lunch into a short break. Order from your desk or phone, then drive over while the kitchen cooks. On a 30-minute break, the round trip from the Pavilion at Durbin Park takes about 20 minutes, depending on traffic, so ordering ahead is what leaves you time to eat. Delivery through a third-party platform is another option when you cannot leave the office at all.
What is a lighter lunch option at a burger restaurant?
The easiest lighter option is to order your burger as a lettuce wrap. You keep the 100% Angus beef patty and the toppings but skip the bun. Grilled or blackened chicken in a wrap or tacos is another good choice, since it skips the fryer. Salads work well too, and the Tropical Salad with chicken or shrimp is bright and filling. For a side, swap fries for a Green Salad, Grilled Veggie or Mango Wasabi Slaw. Shrimp Tacos also help you reach the FDA’s weekly seafood goal for adults.
How much notice do I need for an office lunch order?
Plan on at least 48 hours. Every catering order at Quig’s needs at least 48 hours’ notice, so a Friday team lunch should be requested by Wednesday. Start on the We Cater page, which is a quote request form, or call 904-784-7844. Share your head count and any allergies so the trays match the group. Tender trays come in three sizes, from a small that serves 3 to 5 up to a large that serves 20 to 30. For smaller groups, individually packaged Tenders with Fries meals work for 5 to 10 people.
A fresh lunch near Durbin Park does not have to eat up your whole break. Order ahead and pick something portable. When you are ready, see the menu and place a pickup order, or find more local food ideas on the Quig’s blog.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor: Breaks and Meal Periods
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Menu Labeling Requirements
- USDA Agricultural Research Service: Sandwich Consumption by Adults in the U.S. (Dietary Data Brief No. 14)
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Advice about Eating Fish
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Distracted Driving
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Food Allergies: What You Need to Know
Hungry yet?
Order online for pickup, dine in, or call 904-784-7844. Open 7 days a week, 11am to 9pm.