Lunching in Cocoa Village? These 10 places have you covered, inside and out

Lyn Dowling
·5 min read

While the calendar hints at fall, the thermometer firmly stakes its claim on summer.

Diners visiting Cocoa Village for lunch are almost ready to enjoy dining al fresco, though it's nice to have the option to escape to more climate controlled environs should the heat or an afternoon shower make the great outdoors unbearable.

When it comes to the mid-day repast, it's good to have options. While some places have delightful dining rooms or rustic outdoor patios, not every place has both.

Luckily, Cocoa Village does have its share of good indoor-outdoor lunch spots, and 10 of the best are:

Café Margaux

220 Brevard Ave., 321-639-8343, margaux.com

Wood-fired pizzas, like this one with spinach and sausage, are favorites at Ossorio Bakery & Cafe in Cocoa Village.
Wood-fired pizzas, like this one with spinach and sausage, are favorites at Ossorio Bakery & Cafe in Cocoa Village.

Higher-end stalwart Café Margaux — it’s been there 32 years — offers a lunch menu very much in line with its dinner fare, and table service in the leafy Bellair Courtyard is available, as it is in those elegant dining rooms. You can get a venison burger there ($23) or seared scallops with cognac lobster cream and toasted Fontinella ($24). Looking for something to start the day? Margaux has a triple crème brie and bacon omelet ($16). And oh, those wines!

Cypress Table

307 Delannoy Ave., 321-307-2412, cypresstable.com.

Cypress Table in Cocoa Village has a compact dining space inside and a cute, hidden patio out back.
Cypress Table in Cocoa Village has a compact dining space inside and a cute, hidden patio out back.

Yes, you see a lot about brick-walled Cypress Table, and for good reason. Cocoa’s Little Restaurant That Could offers the likes of One Bad Dude ($15.50), house-made brisket with mac and cheese wrapped in a big tortilla; and the Belgian Boar ($15): smoky pork, Florida honey hot sauce, aioli and sharp cheddar pressed on a waffle. And let's not forget the ever-changing list of doughnuts. Get lunch and sit indoors or out back on the shady patio.

More about Cypress Table: For fast-casual dining, this Cocoa Village cafe is tops in Brevard

Keep It Local Brevard Wine Bar & Eatery

902 Florida Ave., 321-615-0059, keepitlocalbrevard.com

Is it a wine bar? A kava bar? A cafe? Keep It Local has a little bit of everything to offer, from light bites and a robust wine list to kava and . Sip a glass of rosé and share a charcuterie board ($25-$35) with friends and enjoy the lush, tropical courtyard, one of Cocoa Village's hidden gems. Or opt for inside, which feels as cozy and comforting as coming home. While Keep It Local is open Wednesday through Sunday, it's only open for lunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Milpa Tacos y Tortillas

207 Brevard Ave., 321-631-1133, milpataco.com

If you want real, good Mexican-style fare, Milpa Tacos y Tortillas is your place. It's tough to resist the Arrachera Taco ($4.95), with it's skirt steak, ember-roasted onions and molcajete salsa. And oh, those Aguachile Oysters (market price)! You'll hardly recognize the former home of the Black Tulip.

Murdock's Bistro & Char Bar

600 Brevard Ave., 321-806-3352, murdocksinthevillage.com

Murdock's in Cocoa Village has outdoor seating in the front and on a covered patio in the back.
Murdock's in Cocoa Village has outdoor seating in the front and on a covered patio in the back.

Murdock’s offers tree-shaded, pet-friendly seating out front and a covered porch in the back, plus plenty of indoor seating in a rustic, eclectic setting. Enjoy its root beer Buffalo and other wings ($15.50) and its long list of entrees, salads and sandwiches.

Ossorio Bakery and Café

316 Brevard Ave., 321-639-2423, ossorio.com.

Wood-fired pizzas, like this one with spinach and sausage, are favorites at Ossorio Bakery & Cafe in Cocoa Village.
Wood-fired pizzas, like this one with spinach and sausage, are favorites at Ossorio Bakery & Cafe in Cocoa Village.

Cheerful, open, Ossorio is nothing short of a landmark in Cocoa Village, long the place to meet for indoor or outdoor fast casual dining. If you want to meet someone with a dog, sidewalk Ossorio is your place, but it also makes its mark with “fire-roasted” sandwiches on house-made flatbread. Cha-Cha’s Chicken ($11.50) features sliced white meat with a hint of ginger, melted cheese, thinly sliced plum tomatoes, spring greens, with red onions and vinaigrette, served with a side of Ossorio’s signature roasted sweet potatoes. Asparagus pizza ($11.95) has roasted asparagus, plum tomatoes with a blend of goat and cream cheese, as well as mozzarella. Stay for dessert: There are homemade ice creams and pastries and a long list of specialty beverages.

Pub Americana

401 Delannoy Ave., 321-877-3546, pubamericana.com.

Pub Americana in Cocoa Village added extra outdoor seating during the pandemic. Now now it has become a leafy little patio where diners can munch salads, pasta dishes, pizzas and “shareables."
Pub Americana in Cocoa Village added extra outdoor seating during the pandemic. Now now it has become a leafy little patio where diners can munch salads, pasta dishes, pizzas and “shareables."

During the Covid emergency, the undaunted managers of longtime village eatery Pub Americana extended its sidewalk table-service presence, and after all was said and done, kept it. It now has a leafy little patio where diners can munch salads, pasta dishes, pizzas and “shareables,” but Pub Americana is beloved by locals for its long list of half-pound burgers that include a banh mi ($15.95); and the Cowboy Bison ($21.95), which has smoked bacon, onion straws, cheddar and arugula dressed with smoked barbeque berry sauce.

Ryan's Pizza & Pub

4 Harrison St, 321-634-5555, ryanspizzaandpub.com

Grab a seat at the bar, or score a table along the railing on the second-floor rooftop deck at Ryan's Village Pizza & Pub in Cocoa Village.
Grab a seat at the bar, or score a table along the railing on the second-floor rooftop deck at Ryan's Village Pizza & Pub in Cocoa Village.

If pizza or lounge fare is what you’re after, there’s Ryan’s Pizza and Pub, with its Irish Nachos ($13.99) and beer-battered fish and chips ($14.99), along with giant pizzas, calzones and Stromboli. Its rooftop deck offers the Village's best views of the Indian River Lagoon.

Time Out Sports Bar Plus

607 Florida Ave., 321-504-0823, timeoutplussportsbar.com.

Time Out Sports Bar Plus sustained storm damage to it's outdoor dining area in 2022. Now the spacious patio has been refreshed and reopened.
Time Out Sports Bar Plus sustained storm damage to it's outdoor dining area in 2022. Now the spacious patio has been refreshed and reopened.

Closed for renovations earlier this year, Time Out’s changes include people, starting with innovative front-of-the-house manager Darci Kropp. The Reuben ($18) remains massive, a half-pound of pastrami with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and thousand-island dressing. Newcomers have been added across the menu, in appetizers, flatbread pizzas, “Greener Side” salads, entrees, wings, additional specialty sandwiches, burgers, wraps and wings. So yes, “bar” may be a misnomer here; the menu is extensive, indoors and on the covered patio.

Tin Whiskey Southern Kitchen & Still

3 Forrest Ave., 321-633-0600, tinwhiskey.com

Tin Whiskey Southern Kitchen & Still opened in Cocoa Village in January 2022.
Tin Whiskey Southern Kitchen & Still opened in Cocoa Village in January 2022.

When Tin Whiskey opened in early 2022, lunch wasn't on the menu. Owner Stevie Whittaker wanted to get her staff used to the new surroundings. A few months ago, Tin Whiskey started opening at noon, which means diners can enjoy gooey lobster mac & cheese ($13.99 or $16.99), a ginormous pretzel ($10.99) or a char-grilled Caesar salad ($13.99) for lunch or for dinner. There's frequently music on the spacious front patio, and there's plenty of air-conditioned comfort inside.

Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. Join the conversation at facebook.com/groups/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: These 10 Cocoa Village restaurants offer outdoor and indoor seating