From alien tacos to submarine dining rooms, these 17 Florida restaurants are weird, wild — and totally worth the drive.
Wade Tatangelo
,
Amber Olesen
,
Diana Biederman
,
Jim Ross
,
Alan Festo
,
Robyn George
,
Helena Perray
,
Laurie K. Blandford
,
Kyla A Sanford
,
Julie Garisto
,
Kendall Little
,
Teresa Stepzinski
,
Sara-Megan Walsh
,
Brittany Misencik
,
Lucia Viti
USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
What are the best restaurants in Florida? Here’s 15 of our favorites.
Discover the best restaurants in Florida as recommended by the USA TODAY Florida Network’s food journalists for 2024.
Forget the chains during your next road trip. Florida is home to some of the finest restaurants in the country — and also some of the funkiest, funniest, and flat-out most unforgettable.
We’re talking alien-themed taco joints, Christmas-forever seafood shacks, and burger spots where the décor (and the portions) are larger than life.
These aren’t just places to eat — they’re hidden gems beloved by locals, often tucked off the beaten path and just waiting to be discovered.
Whether you’re craving a massive grilled cheese, swamp-side frog legs, or just a good laugh with your lunch, these 17 wonderfully wacky restaurants are absolutely worth the road trip.
Fuel up, hit the highway — and prepare to eat your way through the weirdest corners of the Sunshine State.
Alien Taco & Tequila Bar | Jacksonville
Details: 7643 Gate Parkway #105, Jacksonville; 904-650-6509; alientaco.net
A father and son have launched a first-of-its-kind Jacksonville restaurant promising “out of this world” Mexicali cuisine and a galactic-class tequila bar amid interstellar ambiance. Alien Taco offers inspired tacos and entrees plus at least 50 brands of tequila served amid fanciful decor depicting big-eyed extraterrestrials in all shapes, sizes and walks of life.
Brightly colored portraits of a space alien running for a touchdown at a Jaguars football game, playing at TPC Sawgrass, or fishing with one of the city’s bridges in the background hang on the walls and look down from the ceiling. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in their “Titanic” movie roles also are featured. Handcrafted and rising from floor to ceiling, the dining room centerpiece is a hieroglyphic wall with intricate carvings of extraterrestrials and spaceships reminiscent of ancient Mayan and Aztec mysteries focusing on visitors from outer space. — Teresa Stepzinski, The Florida Times-Union
Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack | Tallahassee
Details: 325 N Bronough St., Tallahassee; 850-222-1075; birdsoystershack.com
On Bronough Street, you’ll find the “classiest oyster shack” Tallahassee has to offer. Under one roof, it’s packed like any other shack you’d find filled to the brim and while things can get quite cozy as crowds fill in, that doesn’t stop anybody from filling the dining room and outdoor decks. From movie posters, to flags lining the ceilings and a nearly three feet tall Star Wars Stormtrooper dangling above, this no-frills establishment decor is full of character.
The wacky spot’s decor is just as fun as their weekly lineup of events. While slurping on salty sea delicacies you can enjoy watching patrons compete at trivia night on Tuesday or karaoke night on Thursdays. If you’re not here for all the vibes, then perhaps you’re there for the food. This local joint is known to throw down a thick, juicy burger customized to your liking as well as seafood baskets, sandwiches and hot dogs. — Kyla Sanford, Tallahassee Democrat
The Bubble Room | Captiva
Details: 15001 Captiva Drive, Captiva; 239-472-5558; find The Bubble Room Restaurant on Facebook
Where to begin when describing this weirdly wonderful Captiva classic? We could start with the year-round Christmas decorations and lights that adorn room after room of the three-story building. Then there’s the old Hollywood memorabilia — dozens and dozens of black and white photos, movie posters, mannequins and more. And let’s not forget the 3,000-plus antique toys here, there, and everywhere. Throw in a tunnel of love, Nemo room and a picture-perfect gorilla cage, and you get the picture.
This 46-year-old lunch and dinner gem, beloved for its towering and colorful signature layer cakes, was closed nearly three years after being hit hard by Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It reopened July 14, just in time for you to check it out for the first or 100th time. — Robyn George, The News-Press
Cocoa Beach Fish Camp Grill | Cocoa Beach
Details: 5602 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach; 321-613-4020; cbfishcampgrill.com
A short walk from the iconic Cocoa Beach pier, you will find an airboat poised by the entrance of Cocoa Beach Fish Camp Grill, setting the tone for what is to come. The quirky interior showcases mounted wildlife, nautical sails and an assortment of boat relics scattered throughout. Even the bar looks like a boat, adding a playful touch to the offbeat atmosphere.
The menu leans into its swampy roots with dishes like fried crawfish, gumbo, gator bites and swamp hoppers – er, frog legs. One standout is the beer can chicken: a whole bird roasted upright on a can of PBR. Dig into the hearty fare, wash it down with a moonshine cocktail and tip your hat to the legendary Florida Man.— Amber Olesen, FLORIDA TODAY
The Crooked Bass Grill & Tavern | Babson Park
Details: 1010 N. Scenic Highway, Babson Park, 863-589-5887; crookedbass.com
Take a drive along Polk’s Ridge Scenic Highway to discover the rich, Florida character of The Crooked Bass Grill & Tavern. Visitors are greeted by a life-size cow statue, named “Cow-loosa,” once made for a Gasparilla float that’s since gotten a pair of skis, “to better blend in.” The cow shares a name with a tipsy mermaid fishing on the wall. She didn’t catch the fish on the “Wall of Bass,”each one gifted to owners Tim and Tammy Bracewell by patrons – along with a taxidermized gator, with tags still attached.
What keeps diners coming back to this seafood restaurant is the from scratch home-cooked, Southern-style food. It’s been highlighted for its seafood pizza, featuring tender meat from fresh crab legs, shrimp and a creamy Alfredo sauce. Don’t miss its .50 Cal-iber double cheeseburger, stacking two half-pound beef patties and named after the late Hillsborough Sheriff Cal Henderson. — Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger
Elbow Room | Pensacola
Details: 2213 W. Cervantes St., Pensacola; 850-434-0300; Facebook.com/ElbowRoomPensacola
Elbow Room’s founder, Navy veteran Jim Flynn, discovered a bar in Paris, France, that captivated him with its dark walls and neon red lights — a look that largely inspired what Pensacola’s Elbow Room is today. Red spray paint remains under the lampshades, a sign that the lightbulbs were the intended target. Over 60 years later, the spot has remained a locals’ hotspot for pizza, soups, and sandwiches.
The Elbow Room’s “house rules,” printed on the menu, were inspired mainly by Flynn, with “rules” ranging from using a coaster to “watch your mouth.” The Elbow Room is still considered “old-school,” from the vintage “Star Trek” and Schlitz Beer signage to the since-retired no-TV rule — but the biggest thing the new owners never wanted to change was the old-school manners and respect. — Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal
El Segundo | West Palm Beach
Details: 3950 Georgia Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-469-8597, find elsegundowpb on Facebook
This new Mexicanesque restaurant with a vintage West Coast vibe is nestled into The Peach, an artists’ collective which possibly explains its eclectic décor that mixes graffiti a la New York City’s late 1970s subway cars, surf boards and odd tableaux in the ceiling corners. This table-service eatery features “cowboy cooking” that’s prepared in its food truck behind the bar.
Tacos are the star, including brisket burnt ends, Cali-style fish, King Trumpet mushrooms and a playful “El Big Mac” taco that swaps the tortilla for a crisped and smashed hamburger bun. Pair it all with a $5 “Classico” margarita made with fresh lime, Cointreau, agave and Hornitos blanco tequila. The open-air patio is peppered with Magritte-like colorful umbrellas strewn above as if they were floating. — Diana Biederman, The Palm Beach Post
El Weirdo | Panama City
Details: 24 Oak Ave., Panama City; 850-842-7685; elweirdodowntown.com
Any restaurant that calls itself “El Weirdo” is a lock to make a list like this one. Panama City’s new mayor co-owns this dining spot, which prides itself on serving “good tacos for weird people.” Local artists provide an eclectic and colorful mix of work to satisfy the eye. Meanwhile, the kitchen pushes out street tacos and “magical Wizard Fries,” and the bar provides its own beer, plus IPAs and margaritas and cocktails. Good eats and good drinks? If that’s weird, then weird is the way to go. — Panama City News Herald
Harry and the Natives | Hobe Sound
Details: 11910 S.E. Federal Highway, Hobe Sound; 772-546-3061; harryandthenatives.com
Harry and the Natives, an open-air Old Florida restaurant on the corner of U.S. 1 and Bridge Road in Hobe Sound, originally began as The Cypress Cabins and Restaurant in 1941. It became a popular spot with locals and soldiers training at nearby Camp Murphy in what today is Jonathan Dickinson State Park. After several changes in ownership and at least one name change, Harry MacArthur, son of one of the longtime owners, returned in 1989.
As a child, MacArthur helped his family by running glasses of water to customers’ tables, sometimes after taking sips of water to ensure there would be less spillage. He later became a skilled chef, working in restaurants in Switzerland, Hawaii and Los Angeles before returning home. With its thatched roof, decrepit gas pumps, ornamental figurines and sign warning against snowmobiling, Harry and the Natives is hard to miss when passing through Hobe Sound. — Laurie K. Blandford, TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers
Jaws Jumbo Burgers | Ocala
Details: 3131 SW College Road (State Road 200), Ocala; 352-304-5080; cash only; jawsjumboburgers.net
There’s no shark threat in inland Marion County. But if you like the movie “Jaws” you will love Jaws Jumbo Burgers in Ocala. This quirky restaurant is full of shark-related items and memorabilia from the famous summer of 1975 movie. Also, “you have to have jaws like a shark” to eat the giant sandwiches that emerge from the kitchen, co-owner Yolanda Gaddis told the Ocala Star-Banner last year. The Megalodon burger, for example, features three 5-ounce patties, double bacon and cheese. Be warned: You’re gonna need a bigger bib.— Andy Fillmore and Jim Ross, Ocala Star-Banner
Lenny’s Restaurant | Clearwater
Details: 21220 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater,727-799-0402, eatatlennys.com
A Clearwater breakfast and lunch institution, Lenny’s has maintained the same fun and bustling atmosphere for 30 years. It’s part classic diner, part New York-style deli (if run by a Borscht Belt comedian) with soupçons of tacky Florida roadside attraction.
You have to visit more than once to notice all the stuff inside. Philadelphia Phillies memorabilia reminds us that Clearwater is the team’s spring training home. Tchotchkes and tacky Florida souvenirs are floor to ceiling. Look up, and you can read signs on the ceiling offering sage advice, chock-full of sassy humor. On one of our last visits, a giant, strung spider rigged to the restroom door popped up whenever someone walked in, calling public attention to a private moment.
Lenny’s expansive menu is a blissful mix of New York deli-style fare, from blintzes to knishes to bagels and lox and breakfast items. Specialty plates come with a basket filled with mini-Danishes. Servers, several who’ve worked there for decades, are quick, friendly and to the point. “A balanced diet is a Lenny’s Danish in each hand,” one of the ceiling tiles reminds us. — Julie Garisto, Daily Commercial
Linger Lodge | Bradenton
Details: 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton; 941-755-2757; lingerlodge.com/restaurant-home
Established in 1945 along the Braden River in east Bradenton, Linger Lodge is best known for its wild walls of taxidermy — snakes, fish, deer — you name it. Outside, two covered and screened decks overlook the pristine river, where you might spot a live critter or two between bites — including, yes, gators!
You’ll also find them on the menu, alongside other deep Southern delights like frog legs, smoked meats, fried chicken, burgers, and Gulf seafood such as grouper and shrimp. And don’t miss the towering Bloody Marys — garnished with everything from fruit and veggies to meat and seafood. It’s basically a buffet in a glass, with a kick — to help you brave the awesomely eccentric surroundings. — Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sarbez! | St. Augustine
Details: 115 Anastasia Blvd. St. Augustine; 904-342-0632; https://www.sarbezstaug.com/food
Sarbez! St. Augustine offers an eclectic array of grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, fried pickles, hummus, Mozzarella and pesto bread sticks, avocado toast and 11 slices of bacon with caramel sauce along with craft beers, wines, sodas, coffee and juices. Greasy, gooey, chin dribbling delicious grilled cheese sandwiches tout snappy names like “This Is Why I’m Hot,” “Isaac Broccoli,” “Tommy Pickles” and the “Minorcan Melt.”
These are matched only by the menu’s build your own offering that includes choosing between four types of bread, eight sauces, six cheeses, seven proteins and 13 toppings. The family friendly (although kids must leave by 8 p.m.) restaurant and bar ― open for lunch and dinner ― offers free arcade games and live music events. Sarbez!’s hosting directions are explicit: no rude or creepy people, no snakes, no robots and don’t even think about writing on the walls. — Lucia Viti, The St. Augustine Record
Satchel’s Pizza | Gainesville
Details: 1800 NE 23rd Ave., Gainesville; 352-335-7272; satchelpizza.com
Would you like some pizza? Would you like it in a van? How about in a greenhouse? Perhaps on the playground and get a tan? You can eat it in all these places and more at Satchel’s Pizza – where the atmosphere is as memorable as the food. A Gainesville landmark since 2003, this pizzeria also features a toy store, bar and live music venue.
Those who stop by to eat can select from more than 30 pizza toppings, including such oddities as carrots, zucchini and broccoli. The menu also includes calzones, its famed “Satch Salad,” desserts and homemade sodas. Still questioning a visit? Taste of Home, a national food-focused magazine, named Satchel’s the No. 1 pizza joint in Florida in November 2023. — Alan Festo, The Gainesville Sun
Swamp House Riverfront Grill
Details: 488 W. High Banks Road, DeBary; 386-668-8891, swamphousegrill.com
Florida kitsch at its finest, the Swamp House is an Everglades-meets-riverfront wonderland where gator jaws double as décor, ceiling beams cradle faux reptiles and tiki textures meet taxidermy in the best possible way. Nestled along the St. Johns River with pontoon parking and sunset-soaked views, this DeBary gem is part gator gauntlet, part down-home seafood joint — a place everyone, local or visitor, should try at least once for that full-on Florida experience.
Sip on a Swamp Water cocktail down at the outdoor tiki bar, where you might even catch a glimpse of live gators poking through the water, or dive into a basket of steak tacos under the watchful eye of mounted lizards, coiled snakes and a ceiling-hung gator. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a meal with a splash of swampy spectacle, this is your place. — Helena Perray, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
Twisted Sheep | Naples
Details: 3802 Tamiami Trail E, Naples; 239-919-3287; twistedsheepfl.com
Where else in Naples can you get whole chicken tenders, waffles fries, or even an entire burger on top of your pizza?
Nestled into a strip mall in East Naples, Twisted Sheep offers wacky-yet-wonderful specialty menu items such as a buffalo chicken pie topped with whole tenders and a completely Chick-Fil-A-inspired pizza drizzled in “counterfeit chicken sauce.” Though the restaurant is known for pizza, don’t forget to try its candied bacon bruschetta appetizer. You can’t go wrong with Twisted Sheep burgers either. If you’re looking for a twist, try the pizza burger which is made up of a hand-patted Kobe burger, mozzarella, pepperoni, marinara, garlic aioli, and arugula.
The atmosphere of the pizza joint matches its deliciously weird menu, with colorful graffiti-inspired art you can buy straight off the wall. ― Kendall Little, Naples Daily News
Yalaha Bakery
Details: 8210 County Road 48, Yalaha, 352-324-3366, yalahabakery.com
A wunderbar bakery-deli-restaurant-gourmet shop, Yalaha Bakery is located a few miles from Leesburg and Tavares. Whether you’re ordering at the bakery or dining on the patio, you’ll feel like you stepped off a rural Florida byway into a quaint German hillside village, where brightly colorful accents, crests and artwork capture medieval country living and Bavarian royalty.
The European eatery has flourished under the ownership of Anne Marie Klumb. Not only can you find homemade, hearty, fresh-baked breads and pastries at Yalaha Bakery, but you can also order authentic bauernwurst with German potato salad or hunter schnitzel with spaetzle and red cabbage. Born in Colombia with German heritage, Klumb’s worldly awareness has infused an international sensibility, broadening the offerings and appeal of the establishment. Some have even helicoptered in for her authentic goodies.
Warning: Yalaha Bakery is located along a curve, and you may miss it if you don’t slow down, but thankfully, the bright yellow festhaus will shout at you to make a U-turn if you do. Nestled amid the undulating hills of Lake County, Yalaha Bakery’s villagers, picnicking in the pastoral scene depicted on their patio mural, blend right in with the idyllic ambiance of the area. — Julie Garisto, Daily Commercial
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.