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Fresh Gulf seafood is plentiful—raw bars serving oysters, clams, and mussels are everywhere. Tampa's many Cuban and Spanish restaurants serve paella with seafood and chicken, boliche criollo (sausage-stuffed eye-round roast) with black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredded flank steak in tomato sauce), and other treats. Tarpon Sp
Fresh Gulf seafood is plentiful—raw bars serving oysters, clams, and mussels are everywhere. Tampa's many Cuban and Spanish restaurants serve paella with seafood and chicken, boliche criollo (sausage-stuffed eye-round roast) with black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredd
Fresh Gulf seafood is plentiful—raw bars serving oysters, clams, and mussels are everywhere. Tampa's many Cuban and Span
Fresh Gulf seafood is plentiful—raw bars serving oysters, clams, and mussels are everywhere. Tampa's many Cuban and Spanish restaurants serve paella with seafood and chicken, boliche criollo (sausage-stuffed eye-round roast) with black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredded flank steak in tomato sauce), and other treats. Tarpon Springs adds classic Greek specialties. In Sarasota the emphasis is on ritzier dining, though many restaurants offer extra-cheap early-bird menus.
Chicago may be the first place you think of when you hear the words "deep-dish pizza," which is why this local chain's high-quality pies might surprise (and please) you. The menu at this family-friendly spot is pretty simple: choose either a Chicago- or New York–style crust, and select your toppings. The Cappy features a blend of pepperoni, ham, onions, green pepper, sausage, and mushrooms. You can also go with a calzone. There's no hostess here, so put your name on the (usually long) list you see when you first walk in. If it's not too packed, try to get garden seating. The feel inside is very nostalgic—vintage signs and an old toy train set adorn the walls. You'll find a lengthy list of craft brews, and the kids might enjoy an IBC root beer. This location is cash-only, but there is an ATM on-site.
Four reasons to go: the fried grouper sandwich, the clam "chowda," anything else seafood—including the shrimp po' boy and oyster sandwich—and the beef burgers. It's very popular among locals—just check out the packed parking lot at lunch and dinner. New England–style seafood is a house specialty, including whole-belly clams and lobster, but the grouper and mahimahi are fresh from local waters.
2315 N. Sunshine Path, Crystal River, Florida, 34428, USA
Quebec native Mike "Frenchy" Preston runs several eateries in the area, including the fabulous Rockaway Grill. Visitors and locals alike keep coming back for the grouper sandwiches, which are moist and not battered beyond recognition. (It's also real grouper, something that's not a given these days.) Frenchy also gets a big thumbs-up for the she-crab soup, and, on the march-to-a-different-drummer front, the grouper egg rolls. In mild weather, eat on the deck, and stay for sunset if you can.
Especially popular for breakfast (served all day), this unassuming landmark squats on the beach and serves cheap sit-down eats—mostly sandwiches, but also (after 4 pm) a wide array of seafood entrées ranging from lobster mac-and-cheese to grilled or blackened mahimahi. Many items have a Greek tinge to them.
900 Gulf Dr. N, Bradenton Beach, Florida, 34217, USA
Few barbecue joints can boast the staying power of this family-owned and -operated pit stop, which debuted in South Tampa in 1978 and moved to Seffner in recent years. Day and night, it has a steady stream of hungry patrons keen on digging into tender pork spareribs that are dry-rubbed and tanned overnight, smoked for a couple of hours, and bathed in one of a selection of sauces. Kojak's also has a nice array of sandwiches, including chopped barbecued chicken and country-style sausage.
Look for the red wiener-mobile parked on the north side of the highway near Busch Gardens to find this 1950s-style diner that specializes in dogs and fries—perfect bites after a long day of riding roller coasters. Venture inside to find walls dotted with photos from fans and a hot-diggity menu that's heaven for tube-steak fans, with traditional dogs as well as those with a bit more pizzazz. Consider trying the Reuben-style bowwow on a poppy-seed bun or the Mighty Mel, a quarter-pounder decked out with relish, mustard, and pickles. Herbivores, fear not: there's a vegan option on the menu, and it's mighty tasty. To avoid lunch crowds, arrive before 11:30 or after 1:30. Ready for a beer? With a decent list of domestic and import beers, they've got you covered.
Long heralded as one of the best spots for watching sunsets, this place also gets high marks for its fresh seafood. Seared tuna, gator bites, and wasabi scallops are among the more intriguing appetizers on the menu, which also has an assortment of bowls, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps; entrées range from coconut shrimp or grilled salmon with a mango salsa to St. Louis–style barbecue ribs or marinated skirt steak. The restaurant is casual but not too casual, with a bit of a Tommy Bahama feel, so you may want to ditch the beach attire. Be advised that it gets pretty packed around sunset, when a live band plays island music and the margaritas flow.
18 Bay Esplanade, Clearwater Beach, Florida, 33767, USA
Although the fish served at this upbeat restaurant at the RumFish Beach Resort by TradeWinds is deserving of much attention, the ones swimming in the 33,500-gallon aquarium lining the restaurant's back wall are the real draw. The menu consists primarily of local seafood prepared with a Caribbean touch. All three meals are served here. At dinner you'll find grilled jerk swordfish, pan-seared grouper piccata, and Gulf shrimp with stone-ground grits. The massive fish tank's construction was featured on an episode of the reality show Tanked, and it is home to a broad range of residents of the Gulf of Mexico, including a nurse shark, several grouper, and a bright green moray eel, who periodically comes out from beneath its rock. For $25 you can swim in the aquarium during the restaurant's off-hours, and even take a behind-the-scenes tour. If you're eager to catch a game, you'll want to head to the bar, which has multiple TV screens and a decent bar menu.
A short trip west of Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Refuge, this tiny eatery is housed in the Olde Mill House Printing Museum. It's open only for lunch, but it's well worth making room in your itinerary for a visit here. The restaurant is known for its Cuban sandwiches and occasional blues shows. You can sit at a table within the museum itself or one of the tables in the very casual main dining room. Another option is to get your lunch to go and picnic at nearby Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Park.
10466 W. Yulee Dr., Homosassa Springs, Florida, 34448, USA
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