Are you looking for a set of the best restaurants in Florida you must try? We have you covered with some of the best food in Florida! We’ve chosen among the better Florida restaurants across the state from the southernmost tip in Key West and southern hotspots of Miami to St. Augustine and Jacksonville on the Atlantic Coast, Tampa and Sarasota on the Gulf, to inland central Florida like Gainesville and Orlando. Continuing on the panhandle with Panama City Beach!
We even have the perfect Florida Road Trip to hit all the destinations and try our some new restaurants in Florida! We’ve chosen the variety of restaurant and cuisine styles from food trucks to high end dining with Cuban, Italian, Seafood, Asian and French inspirations. Chefs at these restaurants use their culture, background, and unique flavor profiles to make delicious recipes.
Here are the best places to eat in the Florida Keys – you definitely won’t go hungry!
1. Alabama Jack’s, Key Largo
Don’t look at the ‘shabby shack’ exterior and dismiss it – Alabama Jack’s beach bar is an area favourite! Sitting along Card Sound Road since 1950s, Alabama Jack’s one and only thing from this alternate route from Key Largo to Key West. Coined one of Florida’s best fish shacks, the open-air structure was built over water, just large enough for an impromptu dance floor. It’s famous for its conch fritters! Catering to the casual and relaxed vibe of the area, expect steamed shrimps alongside burgers and fish sandwiches. There’s plenty of beer to clean down the comfort food too. Visit this website to get more insight restaurants in downtown Sarasota
2. Snappers, Key Largo
Like its name suggests, Snappers in Key Largo is all about fresh sea catches. Founded in 1989, it’s an old-school restaurant and bar with indoor seating and a patio deck. Why visit? Every Sunday is celebrated with a brunch featuring live jazz. What really like about the menu is the sheer variety!
Sample their smoked fish spread and Applewood-smoked bacon wrapped scallops to get started on with; their mains include grilled filets, lobster tails and specialty tacos. You can even bring your own catch and have it prepped in many ways – beer battered, char-grilled, sautéed and baked.
3. No Name Pub, Big Pine Key
For a pub with no name, it sure has a big reputation. Off-the-track, eccentric and literally packed with money, this funky bait-and-tackle shop turned eatery is an excellent story. The coolest thing about it is how every visitor contributes $1 to the inside! Literally every surface is covered with dollar bills – imagine a dollar bill ceiling, every piece carrying messages, names and doodles. As the prices are a tad high because of its everyday menu, the portions don’t disappoint. The pizzas, nachos and seafood plates attract families, as the stacked BBQ Pork Sandwich lure in hungry tourists.
4. Barnacle Barney’s, Marathon
Tucked away behind a resort is Barnacle Barney’s, which really expresses itself as a tiki bar and grill! Waterside, featuring hammocks, tiki torches, palm trees and other island feels; you don’t want to lose out on its ambiance. Best yet, the view is amazing – catch the Gulf of Mexico over the docks! The menu serves your typical American pub and diner food. Expect standard breakfast sets, burgers, roll ups and a standout: its mahi mahi. The new fish fry is all-you-can-eat on Friday nights.
5. Island Fish Company, Marathon
Another Key West best is the waterside Island Fish Company, featuring the classic tiki bar and fresh seafood combo. Visit for the spectacular ocean views and their extended outdoor seating! There are benches right against a small pier. Attached is a surprise shop with original artwork and the restaurant’s individual merch.
Happy Hour will net you frozen cocktails and beer on tap everyday but their breakfast treats you to homemade buttermilk pancakes, made-to-order sandwiches, poached egg benedicts and other comfort goods. Lunch and dinner is seafood based; think raw bar, crab claws, seafood tower, fish dips and Caribbean specials.
6. Hogfish Bar and Grill, Key West
Hogfish Grill is hands down one of the better restaurants in Key West! Locals love the old Key West flavor of the locally owned shop – no hype, just panoramic waterfront views, outdoor dining, strong drinks and fresh seafood. It’s parked literally on the docks. It’s filled with character.
The chef’s tips blend seafood and Mexican goodies; mixed ceviche, cheese-heaped nachos, conch and grouper, crab cakes and battered wings. Obviously, you have to try their residence specialty – fried hogfish served on fresh Cuban bread. To find out more, visit downtown Sarasota restaurants
7. BO’s, Key West
BO’s Fish Wagon looks like a shack that had fallen apart… because it had. True to the owner’s “no rules, just food” philosophy, the meals truck-turned-eatery had survived several hurricanes and whimsical patch ups. Visitors come for budget eats and informal dress; they stay for its character and flavour.
Locals have long declared the menu to boast the best fish sandwiches and conch fritters in Key West. Expect junk food alongside its most well-known item. It’s cash only so line your pockets with change!
8. Mattheessen’s Candy Kitchen, Key West
On the other hand, Mattheessen’s Candy Kitchen is a bright pop store. Originally a small kiosk named after their daughter, the Mattheessen’s family business later became a fudge and cookie store. Now the menu has expanded to include: ice cream, cookies, fudge and key lime pie.
We loved their refreshing key lime pie dipped in chocolate! The ice cream selection is also superb, which range from classic flavors to Cuban coffee, Kahlua almond fudge and Turtle Crunch. Definitely grab their marble slab fudge slices too – they’re extremely creamy.