Good Food on the Road
When you're traveling, what you eat and where you eat can capture local flavors, richly seasoned by the community and its surroundings.
Road trip food doesn’t have to be the best meal you ever ate, but those dishes will become an indelible part of your memories when you look back on your travel tales in years to come. It could be peel-and-eat shrimp, right off the docks. Maybe it’s smoky BBQ, served with mac-and-cheese in a dining room adjoining a gas station. Or a bag of peaches, from a roadside stand, still warm from the sun.
For me, a great road trip should have a theme. This can be food-related (a fried chicken hunt through the South was memorable), nature-based, cultural, historical, architectural or a combination of all three. College towns are usually lively and worth a stop. I’ve learned to make activities part of every trip – nature hikes, ghost tours, ferry rides. Culinary adventures are a must, like touring an oyster farm in Virginia or exploring unexpected delights like Orlando’s Little Vietnam. And I always visit local farmers markets.
Even after driving through 49 states (still can’t drive to Hawai’i) and three Canadian provinces over the past 40+ years, usually with dogs in tow, I’m still discovering wonderful new spots to explore along the roads. It’ll be hard to top seeing a bear hauling roadkill up the hill on a drive through the Yukon, but every road trip has great moments. I hope these rules and ideas will help you plan your best trip through Florida and beyond.
Rules of the Road
No chain restaurants! This means Cracker Barrel, McDonald’s, Starbucks, all the rest. That’s the rule.
Bring a road map. This antiquated guide will show you scenic routes (love those dotted lines), state parks and historic sites that might not show up on your GPS.
Get off the interstates, if only for a few miles. Look for country roads that will take you scenically to your destination.
Know your capacity for driving, especially if you’re going long distances. Leave plenty of time to stretch your legs.
Stay at unique lodgings. Look for restored hotels, cabins, mom and pop motels, ideally walkable to restaurants and shops. Once you get our of your car for the day, you don’t want to drive anywhere else.
Stop at visitors centers. They’re filled with good information and friendly, knowledgeable people. Talk to them.
Pay attention to meal time. Many small towns close up early, so plan on a late lunch or early dinner.
Indulge your curiosity. See something interesting – a historical marker, a farmstand, a tiny museum, a corny hyper-local attraction? Stop instead of passing it by.
Traveling with your dog? Well-behaved dogs are definite friend-makers, but you will have to plan where to eat and stay. If you’re visiting sites where you can’t take your pets, look for doggie daycare places nearby. Bringfido.com is an excellent source of information.
Get good tires!
Our rules for this story: We looked for places to find good food less than 10 minutes from Florida’s major highway exits. Check hours and days of operation before you go – many small and rural places are not open every day.
OJ at Florida Welcome Centers
Get a free cup of Florida citrus juice when you cross the state line. Since 1949, official welcome centers at state lines along major highways have served visitors Florida’s official state beverage, along with providing maps and information.
I-10 east – 16 miles west of Pensacola
I-75 south – 4 miles north of Jennings
I-95 south – 7 miles north of Yulee
This map shows the following places where you can find good food on the road in Florida.
I-95: JACKSONVILLE TO DELRAY BEACH
Chowder Ted’s, Jacksonville
I-295 (East Beltway), exit 41
5215 Heckscher Dr.
Chowder Ted's
Commercial fishing and shrimping have long made up a large part of Jacksonville’s economy. At Chowder Ted’s, you’ll get a taste of an authentic Florida fish camp. It’s not fancy. Look for a bland concrete building with a typical fish camp interior, with indoor and outdoor seating outside overlooking the marsh and parking lot.
WHAT TO ORDER: Seafood chowder, of course: Minorcan, a bit spicy, served in a pot with garlic bread. Also good: Mayport shrimp, Royal Red shrimp, an excellent smoked fish spread and fresh fish sandwich.
MORE INFO: Open Tues.-Sat. 11am-8pm.
Dreamette, San Marco, Jacksonville
I-95, exit 348 (also see location off I-10)
1905 Hendricks Ave.
Dreamette, San Marco
Since 1948, they’ve been serving classic soft-serve cones, as good as you remember.
WHAT TO ORDER: Creamy chocolate, strawberry and vanilla (and vegan vanilla) soft-serve cones, dipped in chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch and other flavors. There are milkshakes, banana splits and sundaes, too.
MORE INFO: Cash only. Open daily 11:30am-8:30pm.
Riverpark Terrace, New Smyrna Beach
I-95, exit 249
302 S. Riverside Dr.
Riverpark Terrace
Behind the white picket fence, this homey cottage and tropical garden serves American cuisine with lots of fresh vegetables and locally sourced ingredients.
WHAT TO ORDER: Buttermilk-fried green tomatoes, Southern chicken bowl with cavatappi and aged white cheddar chipotle sauce.
MORE INFO: Open Tues.-Sun. for lunch (Tues.-Sat.), brunch (Sun.), dinner – check for hours. Reservations recommended.
Dixie Crossroads, Titusville
I-95, exit 220
1475 Garden St.
Dixie Crossroads
In 1983, founder Rodney Thompson figured out a way to open the hard-shelled shrimp that fishermen, looking for easy-to-peel shrimp, were throwing back in the ocean. He put butter on them, slid them under the broiler, and the rest is rock shrimp history.
WHAT TO ORDER: Rock shrimp, which taste like sweet little lobsters, but you won’t go wrong with any of their local seafood, including boat run shrimp, royal red shrimp, catfish, mullet and bay scallops. The sweet corn fritters are special.
MORE INFO: Wander around the koi pond patio. Don’t forget to check out the regal bathrooms. If you’re in a hurry, call ahead and pick up from their take-out window. Open daily 11am-9pm.
12a Buoy, Fort Pierce
I-95, exit 131, E. Orange Ave.
22 Fisherman’s Wharf
12aBuoy
Just right for a leisurely al fresco meal a block from the water, heavy on the seafood and local produce.
WHAT TO ORDER: Shrimp, oysters, catch of the day, and refreshing dishes like grilled watermelon salad and gazpacho.
OVERSEAS HIGHWAY: KEY WEST TO FLORIDA CITY
Square Grouper Bar and Grill, Cudjoe Key
22658 Overseas Highway, MM 22.5, oceanside
Square Grouper Bar and Grill
Local, environmentally friendly and fun, Square Grouper features fresh, local seafood (shockingly not always found in the Keys) and tropical produce when available from nearby Grimal Grove.
WHAT TO ORDER: Coconut shrimp with spicy mango sauce, their local fish sandwich, and sweet, crunchy sweet potato fries. And don’t forget key lime pie!
MORE INFO: Open for lunch and dinner. There’s another location in the Islamorada marina (MM 80.5, bayside). Both locations feature lounges with raw bars.
MEAT Eatery & Tap Room, Islamorada
88005 Overseas Highway, MM 88, oceanside
MEAT Eatery & Tap Room
Not in the mood for seafood? Chef George Patti’s Keys outpost (he has another location in Boca Raton) serves burgers, wings, pulled pork and milkshakes for grownups.
WHAT TO ORDER: The inside-out Juicy Lucy burger, with pimento cheese and bacon; duck fat French fries; Guinness milkshakes.
MORE INFO: Open seven days. This restaurant is in a nondescript strip mall that’s easy to miss.
Harriette’s Restaurant, Key Largo
95710 Overseas Hwy., MM 95.8, bayside
Harriette's Restaurant
Since 1982, this local favorite has been serving home-cooking – eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, omelettes, soups, burgers and sandwiches – for breakfast and lunch.
WHAT TO ORDER: They’re known for their muffins, including key lime, bacon maple, corn, dulce de leche, guava cream cheese, lychee pineapple and mango
MORE INFO: Open seven days except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Robert Is Here
19200 SW 344 St., Florida City
Robert Is Here
Just west of the southernmost terminus of Florida’s Turnpike and US One, this venerable produce stand is now the go-to place for tropical fruits and smoothies, guacamole, honey, hot sauce and more.
WHAT TO ORDER: Headed to the Keys or Everglades National Park? Pick up sandwiches, snacks and their signature smoothies that include key lime, guava, passion fruit and seasonal flavors like canistel, jackfruit, mamey sapote and black sapote.
MORE INFO: Open seven days. They also ship tropical fruits in season as well as chutneys, jams, jellies, pickles, relishes and other Florida products.
I-75: MICANOPY TO NAPLES
Pearl Country Store and Barbecue, Micanopy
I-75, exit 374, County Rd. 234
106 NE US Hwy. 441
Pearl Country Store and Barbecue
The country convenience store and cafe has it all – Big Jim’s BBQ and breakfast, books and maps about Old Florida, local jams, jellies and produce. And you can gas up, too.
WHAT TO ORDER: Ribs, pulled pork, brisket, collard greens and other Southern comfort food, and an excellent breakfast sandwich.
MORE INFO: Look for the Marathon station. Open daily 6am-7pm.
Mosswood Farm Store and Bakehouse, Micanopy
I-75, exit 374, County Rd. 234
703 Cholokka Blvd.
Mosswood Farm Store
Earth-friendly general store in a 1910 Cracker-style house with an espresso bar and wood-fired brick oven, locally made jams, jellies honey and pickles, and books about permaculture and gardening.
WHAT TO ORDER: Guava pastries, sourdough bread, brownies and veggie samosas.
MORE INFO: Open Thurs.-Sun.
Armature Works, Tampa
I-275, exit 44
1910 N. Ola Ave.
Armature Works
This former TECO streetcar warehouse is now a mixed-use space on the Hillsborough River with restaurants, bars and event spaces. Heights Public Market is the food hall; there’s also full-service dining.
WHAT TO ORDER: Lots of food-hall choices: pizza, BBQ, all-day breakfast, Mediterranean fare, ice cream, sushi, tacos, plant-based fare.
MORE INFO: Open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Yoder’s Amish Village, Sarasota
I-75, exit 207
3434 Bahia Vista St.
Yoder's Restaurant
Family owned since 1975, this Amish restaurant is all about from-scratch home cooking, plus a produce market and gift shop.
WHAT TO ORDER: Crispy golden fried chicken with mashed potatoes, and homemade pie, of course: strawberry rhubarb, shoofly, homemade butterscotch are only a few of the many choices.
MORE INFO: Open Mon.-Sat. for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Snook Haven, Venice
I-75, exit 191
5000 E. Venice Ave.
Snook Haven
Off the Interstate, turn onto a dirt road to get to this jungle oasis on the Myakka River, originally a Prohibition-era smugglers den that was also the set for Tarzan’s Revenge.
WHAT TO ORDER: BBQ and smoked meats – and if you’re ever going to order gator bites, this is the place.
MORE INFO: Open Tues.-Sun. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent year-round.
Peace River Seafood, Punta Gorda
I-75, exit 164
5337 Duncan Rd.
Peace River Seafood
Dine on fresh seafood in an old cracker wood house with a large deck shaded by trees covered in Spanish moss.
WHAT TO ORDER: Blue crabs, fried mullet – best in summer – and Horseshoe Beach clams.
MORE INFO: Tues.-Sat. Pick up some smoked fish dip to go.
Jimmy P’s Burgers, Naples
I-75, exit 111
1201 Piper Blvd.
Jimmy P's Burgers
Sometimes you just crave a great burger on a road trip. Jimmy P’s is there or you. Jim Pepper has been a butcher for almost 40 years, serving fine meats.
WHAT TO ORDER: Wagyu beef burgers and all-beef hot dogs, plus a side of beer-battered onion rings.
MORE INFO: Open daily. Jimmy has two other restaurants, the Bistro in Bonita Springs and the upscale Jimmy P’s Charred on Tamiami Trail North.
I-4: TAMPA TO ORLANDO
Brocato’s Sandwich Shop, Tampa
I-4, exit 3
5021 E. Columbus Dr.
Brocato's Sandwich Shop
This longtime favorite sandwich shop – open since 1948 – is known for 15-inch subs and that Tampa specialty, devil crab – a croqueta made with blue crab, onions, pepper and spices.
WHAT TO ORDER: Devil crab, which also appears in their special Cuban sandwiches.
MORE INFO: Closed Sundays
Little Vietnam, Orlando
I-4, exit 84B
Mills 50 District (Mills Ave. and Colonial Dr.)
In the 1970s, Vietnamese immigrants started arriving here. Today, this is one of the oldest Vietnamese communities in the United States, a district known for Vietnamese restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and shops along with Thai, Korean, Cantonese, Laotian and Japanese food, too. You can find chicken bao at King Bao, Laotian fried squid on a stick at Sticky Rice, and sushi boxes at Japango. And this culinary community is getting recognition: Z Asian was named Bib Gourmand in the inaugural Michelin Florida awards.
WHAT TO ORDER: So many choices! Sage Squire, who lives in Orlando, shares her recommendations. “Saigon Market has the best Vietnamese baked goods and prepared to-go food (pickled vegetables, chè, summer rolls, sugarcane juice), and char siu and roast duck on weekends only. Tien Hung Market is another great supermarket with great prepared foods, a grocery and jewelry store and home to Bánh Mì Boy. Ánh Hong and Pho Hòa have the best pho and bún bò hue. Paris Bánh Mì has my favorite bánh mì and homemade jerky – grilled pork bánh mì with extra jalapeños and pickled vegetables is my go-to order. Veggie Garden has the best, and possibly the only, vegan Vietnamese options. Just note: not everything is vegan, so you have to ask. Little Vietnam is also surrounded by tons of other Asian restaurants and lots of bubble tea shops. My current personal fave is Möge Tee – try the Mango Pomelo Cheese Foam Fruit Tea!”
MORE INFO: Most restaurants are open daily.
FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE
Yalaha Bakery, Yalaha
Florida’s Turnpike, exit 296
8210 County Rd. 48
Yalaha Bakery
A fine German bakery and deli in the middle of Florida. For over 25 years Yalaha has been baking breads, strudel and pies, and there’s a deli menu. There’s a biergarten out back with music on weekends if you’re in the mood for grilled bratwurst.
WHAT TO ORDER: Hearty German breakfast, with Leberkaesse or sausages. Pretzels and pretzel rolls, German rye bread, pastries.
MORE INFO: Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Yellow Dog Eats, Gotha
Florida’s Turnpike, exit 265
1236 Hempel Ave.
Yellow Dog Eats
In tiny Gotha, this delightfully funky restaurant amid all the Orlando development in a 1910 wood building was once a boarding house and general store. Their dog-friendly patio is shaded by huge oaks, and there’s lots of fun dog memorabilia – is it any wonder I love to stop here?
WHAT TO ORDER: Pulled pork sandwich, vegetarian jerk tacos and nachos.
MORE INFO: Open daily. There’s also a location in New Smyrna Beach 11 minutes from I-95.
I-10: JACKSONVILLE TO PENSACOLA
Dreamette, Jacksonville
I-10, exit 359 (also see location off I-95)
3646 Post St.
Dreamette Jacksonville
The original soft-serve ice cream stand, open since 1948.
WHAT TO ORDER: Creamy chocolate, strawberry and vanilla (and vegan vanilla) soft-serve cones, dipped in chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch and other flavors. There are milkshakes, banana splits and sundaes, too. Pup cones, too!
MORE INFO: Cash only. Open daily 11:30am-8:30pm.
Backwoods Crossing, Tallahassee
I-10, exit 209A
6725 Mahan Dr.
Backwoods Crossing
Two brothers serve up their own homegrown produce, eggs and other locally sourced ingredients, making this farm-to-table spot a tasty and healthy stop.
WHAT TO ORDER: Blue crab corn bisque, country catfish over stone-ground cheddar grits, slow-smoked pork loin.
MORE INFO: Open Mon.-Sat. for lunch and dinner. After dinner, stroll through their gardens.
H and M Hot Dog Stand, DeFuniak Springs
I-10, exit 85
43 S. 9th St.
H and M Hot Dog Stand
In charming historic DeFuniak Springs, this tiny red-and-white building houses the state’s oldest hot dog stand, established in 1947. Take a stroll a block away and see the town’s almost perfectly circular spring-fed lake.
WHAT TO ORDER: Hot dogs – chili cheese dogs, also burgers, BLTs and patty melts.
MORE INFO: Closed on Sunday.
Jerry’s Drive-in, Pensacola
I-10 to I-110, exit 8A
2815 E. Cervantes St.
Jerry's Drive-in
Jerry’s, a beloved Pensacola institution, claims the invention of the bacon cheeseburger, and serves up reasonably priced diner fare. It’s no longer a drive-in, so you can sit at the counter and check out the posters and bumper stickers, or call ahead and pick up at the window.
WHAT TO ORDER: Bacon cheeseburger, chicken livers and gizzards, mullet dinner. Sides include fried pickles, crackers and pimento cheese spread, fried okra and pork rinds.
MORE INFO: Open Tues.-Sat. 11am-9:30pm. Cash only.
Want to Know More?
These resources provide up-to-date information on local food scenes throughout Florida.
Burger Beast
Well-known South Florida food blogger Sef Gonzalez reports on comfort food spots throughout Florida and the United States.
Tasty Chomps (Orlando)
Author and blogger Ricky Ly covers the food scene in Orlando and beyond.
Edible Communities
Check with our sister publications!
