Five must-try new restaurants in West Palm from juicy BBQ to tasty tacos

Laura Lordi, Liz Balmaseda and Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·5 min read

The dining landscape is ever evolving in Palm Beach County. That's especially true for West Palm Beach. The largest city in the county has welcomed a diverse mix of restaurants this year.

Here's a look at five of the newest restaurants in West Palm Beach and a few that are on the way.

Off Tha Bone BBQ

Daniel Spann, the West Palm Beach pitmaster known for the juicy pork spare ribs he once sold from a roadside barbecue stand, recently opened his second brick-and-mortar, Southern-style barbecue restaurant, Off Tha Bone BBQ on Haverhill Road.

Menu highlights: Off Tha Bone’s most popular items are the pork ribs served with hot, buttered toast and sauce. Meats are served in sandwiches, by the pound and as part of combo meals. Southern side dishes — which include collard greens, corn bread, pigeon peas and rice, Sunday yams and macaroni and cheese — turn the smoky meats into a soul-food feast.

The signature dish at Off Tha Bone BBQ in West Palm Beach: the spare ribs.
The signature dish at Off Tha Bone BBQ in West Palm Beach: the spare ribs.

Off Tha Bone BBQ: 4065 Haverhill Rd., Suite B1, West Palm Beach, 561-284-6246, FallOffThaBone.com

Best new BBQ restaurants: Five places for smoky meats, local vibes in Palm Beach County

Isla & Co.

The Kangaroo Tucker at Isla & Co. features pieces of skewered and marinated kangaroo tenderloin that is then grilled.
The Kangaroo Tucker at Isla & Co. features pieces of skewered and marinated kangaroo tenderloin that is then grilled.

Open since January in the Warehouse District, Isla & Co. has an interesting Australian concept, with brunch, lunch and dinner menus featuring inspired dishes. One unique menu item: Kangaroo.

The meat that's enjoyed in Australia for its rich flavor profile, similar to bison, venison or lean beef, is featured in Isla & Co.'s Kangaroo Tucker. For the dish, the restaurant grills pieces of skewered kangaroo tenderloin that's marinated in tamarind, coriander, shallots, garlic and lemon juice. It is served on a bed of herbed tahini (with cilantro, Thai basil, and mint), marinated cucumbers and pickled onions, all topped with crispy lentils.

But don't miss Isla's crispy halloumi starter, a shareable dish that's savory, zippy and a little sweet.

Other menu items range from burgers and fish and chips to spicy shrimp vodka rigatoni and lamb ragu.

Isla & Co.: 1401 Clare Ave., West Palm Beach (There are also locations in Brooklyn, New York, Fairfield, Conn., Dallas and Atlanta); isla-co.com

More on Isla & Co.: New West Palm restaurant near downtown offers unique menu, open for brunch, lunch, dinner

Tropical BBQ Market

Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach, recently welcomed Tropical BBQ Market, the only real-deal barbecue restaurant downtown. The new counter-service spot, led by nationally acclaimed chef/pitmaster Rick Mace and restaurateur Jason Lakow, is the much anticipated spinoff of their Tropical Smokehouse, one of the West Palm's destination-barbecue restaurants. The new concept moved into the space formerly occupied by Aioli Bakery’s downtown café.

Like the Smokehouse, Tropical BBQ Market spotlights Florida and Caribbean barbecue and flavors.

Menu highlights: Jamaican-inspired chicken curry; brisket, egg and cheese sandwiches, egg and cheese rotis.

Tropical BBQ Market: 206 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-800-2124, EatTropical.com

More on Tropical Market: New barbecue restaurant by acclaimed chef debuts in downtown West Palm Beach

Zipitios

Nearly eight years after their Mesoamerican tacos sparked a cult following at the “Tacos and Hip Hop” street parties in downtown West Palm Beach, Ricky and Niria Perez realized their brick-and-mortar dream.  On Cinco de Mayo, the Perezes celebrated the grand opening of their new Zipitios restaurant. The Perezes opened the casual, counter-service spot in late April at the edge of the FEC railway tracks, just west of South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach.

The debut follows Zipitios’ five years at the Grandview Public Market, where the Perezes were among the West Palm Beach food hall’s original vendors. Menu highlights: Chile-infused chicken tinga tacos and oversized Salvadoran pupusas — thick tortillas stuffed with cheese or shredded chicken or confit pork, refried beans and cheese.

Zipitios: 2676 Florida Ave. (at Belvedere Rd.), West Palm Beach, @Zipitios on Instagram; Zipitios website.

More on Zipitios: New taco restaurant pays homage to Mexican, Salvadoran roots in West Palm Beach

Cornucopia Gourmet Deli

Nearly five years after opening Mestizos Peruvian Cuisine in the Northwood section of West Palm Beach, owners Pedro and Mily Rivera branched out with a second restaurant: Cornucopia. Open for breakfast and lunch, Cornucopia offers a variety.

For breakfast, check out breakfast sandwiches, egg bites (think mini-quiche without the crust), avocado toast and smoothies. Lunch? Try one of their sandwiches such as pesto chicken or the Cubano. They have salads too, including Waldorf, Cobb, chicken Caesar and more.

Cornucopia: 521 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach; cornucopiawpb.com; instagram.com/cornucopiawpb; 561-557-6112

More on Cornucopia: Owners of popular Peruvian restaurant open second spot in West Palm Beach's Northwood

Coming soon to West Palm Beach

Ana's Killer Empanadas

Ana's Killer Empanadas is almost here and ready to rock this culinary destination on the Dixie Corridor with golden pockets filled with pure heaven.

Helmed by food industry veterans John and Ana Brice, the restaurant is slated to late September or early October and will feature dozens of flaky empanadas. There will be classics like the Argentinian-style beef, the pollo "gordito" (chubby chicken) and vegan veggie.

Ana's Killer Empanadas: 3244 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach

More on Ana's: The next restaurant coming to the Dixie Corridor is all about "killer" empanadas

Hungry for more restaurant news?

Here's how to stay up-to-date with your local dining scene: follow our food & dining writer, Liz Balmaseda on Twitter @LizBalmaseda, Instagram at @silkpalm or sign up for our free weekly foodie newsletter, At the Table.

Pixie on Dixie

West Palm Beach’s trendy South of Southern neighborhood is about to greet a restaurant that’s new yet familiar. The casual, healthy-foods restaurant takes over the space that most recently housed The SoSo café. Owners of the local Field of Greens restaurants plan to open a spinoff called Pixie on Dixie — Pixies for short — in the South Dixie Highway space.

Menu highlights include: SoSo's herb-marinated chicken sandwich with piquillo pepper aioli, crispy avocado, lettuce and tomato. The daily menu also includes the SoSo Mediterranean bowl, which combines arugula, crispy quinoa, feta, cucumber, red onion, olives and tomatoes in a lemon-oregano vinaigrette. Sunday brunch, Pixies will offer a tostada plate — Mexican chorizo, refried pinto beans, pico de gallo and avocado topped with sunny-side eggs and served with queso fresco and ranchero sauce.

Pixie on Dixie: 4802 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: New restaurants West Palm Beach: BBQ; brunch; tacos, Mexican food