More than 25 new restaurants have opened on the Space Coast since this spring

Suzy Fleming Leonard, Florida Today
Updated ·6 min read

The last time we listed new restaurants that have opened this year was back in March. At that point, more than 20 spots had opened on the Space Coast, and it's clear 2023 hasn't finished giving us places to add to the must-try list.

Since April, we've seen more than 25 restaurants and bars open, ranging from casual, counter-service barbecue joints and Mexican cantinas to health food havens and hibachi takeout.

The first 2023 list: Hungry for something new? 20-plus restaurants have opened in Brevard so far this year

So if you're looking for your new favorite hangout, check out this list. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks are served:

Aha by Ember & Oak, 712 E. New Haven Ave., downtown Melbourne, facebook.com/AhaByEmberAndOak. The stationary food truck in the courtyard next to high-end steakhouse Ember & Oak lets the E&O chefs get creative with burgers, tacos and other dishes. It opened in May.

The Mc’Ember at Aha by Ember & Oak in downtown Melbourne is an upscale take on the McDonald's Big Mac.
The Mc’Ember at Aha by Ember & Oak in downtown Melbourne is an upscale take on the McDonald's Big Mac.

More about Aha: Playing with their food: Chefs at high-end Melbourne steakhouse plan fun new casual eatery

Agave D’Oro Mexican Bar and Grill, 3955 W. New Haven Ave., West Melbourne, 321-327-3501. The Mexican restaurant opened in early August in the building formerly occupied by Bennigan's.

BB Rad's Coastal BBQ, 1817 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, 321-567-4677, bbrads.com. The counter-service restaurant that serves Texas-style barbecue with a coastal twist opened June 17.

A brisket platter at BB Rad's Coastal BBQ in Titusville includes cornbread and two sides, in this case, sweet potato casserole and and mac and cheese.
A brisket platter at BB Rad's Coastal BBQ in Titusville includes cornbread and two sides, in this case, sweet potato casserole and and mac and cheese.

More on BB Rad's: New restaurant alert: Titusville barbecue joint adds coastal flair to smoked meats

Banh Mi Saigon Baguette, 765 N. Wickham Road Unit 107 & 108, Melbourne, 321-421-7705, banhmisaigonbaguette1.com. The Vietnamese restaurant, offering banh mi sandwiches, pho, burgers and French croissants, opened in June.

Bro Juicy Seafood & Bar, 3826 Murrell Road, Rockledge, brojuicyseafood.com. The seafood restaurant offering boiled shrimp and crab, oysters and fried shrimp baskets opened in July.

Cadillac Cove, 1462 State Road A1A, Satellite Beach, 321-421-7080, facebook.com/CadillacCove1. The restaurant and entertainment venue formerly known as Whiskey Beach celebrated its grand opening as Cadillac Cove on July 28 after several weeks of soft opening.

Cocina Cafe, 1150 Malabar Road Unit 101, Palm Bay, 321-327-2707, cocinacafefl.com. Fans of the Cocina Cafe hot bars filled with tasty Latin and Caribbean fare in Thrifty Specialty Produce and Meats markets across Brevard now can visit the stand-alone restaurant, which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as catering.

More on Cocina Cafe: Thrifty grocery owners to open Palm Bay restaurant featuring Latin, Caribbean flavors

El Coqui Sports Bar & Grill, 411 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, 321-483-4485, elcoquissportbar.godaddysites.com. The sports bar with Puerto Rican flair opened in early August. The original El Coqui is in Kissimmee.

Dixie Belle's Grill And Bar, 2700 Harbortown Drive, Merritt Island, 321-338-7400, on Facebook, The restaurant, which also has a location in Orlando, opened in the Harbortown Marina on May 15 serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Enjoy a harbor view and delicious sweet potato biscuits at Dixie Bell Grill and Bar on Merritt Island.
Enjoy a harbor view and delicious sweet potato biscuits at Dixie Bell Grill and Bar on Merritt Island.

Flying Burro, 1180 S. Babcock St., Melbourne, 321-914-3075, on Facebook. The fast-casual Mexican restaurant opened in March.

Garden Party, 2153 U.S. 1, Rockledge, 321-209-2240, gardenpartyfl.com. The cafe with a plant-based menu of sandwiches, baked goods and cold-pressed juice opened this spring at Rockledge Gardens

Genna Pizza Express, 7954 N. Wickham Road, Suite 117, Suntree, 321-462-4020, gennapizzaexpress.com. A little sister of Genna Pizza Co., a New York-style pizza parlor a few miles south in Melbourne, Genna Pizza Express opened in early August with an assortment of pizzas, heroes and salads.

Gelati di Roma, 229 W. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach, 786-491-6868, facebook.com/gelati.diroma. The Italian artisan ice cream shop opened in March.

Grumpy's Biscuits, 1540 Highland Ave., Melbourne, 321-345-0894, grumpysbiscuits.com. Grumpy's owner got the recipe for his giant buttermilk biscuits from his grandmother. The food truck is open most mornings in front of the Eau Gallie Arts District building where Grumpy's soon will become a brick-and-mortar cafe.

Hibachi Buffet, 735 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, 321-349-0358, hibachibuffetfl.com. The restaurant with an extensive buffet of Chinese, Japanese and sushi dishes, as well as a hibachi grill, opened this summer.

Indian River Bar & Grill, 5370 N. U.S. 1, Cocoa, 321-305-5440, indianriverbarandgrill.com. The waterfront restaurant, formerly home to Old Florida Grill & Oyster Bar, celebrated its grand opening May 17.

The Mad Utter, 2153 U.S. 1, Rockledge, facebook.com/TheMadUtter. The downtown Titusville ice cream shop opened a satellite location at Rockledge Gardens, offering ice cream, coffee and liege waffles.

Downtown Tituaville ice cream shop the Mad Utter now has a satellite location at Rockledge Gardens.
Downtown Tituaville ice cream shop the Mad Utter now has a satellite location at Rockledge Gardens.

Marina Bay Boutique, 217 King St., Cocoa Village, 321-482-4912, facebook.com/marinabayboutiquecocoa. The Cocoa Village boutique with clothing, jewelry and accessories added food to its menu in May with the Seafoam Cafe, offering a selection of sandwiches, salads, tacos and flatbreads.

Marmalade's Restaurant, 1256 U.S. 1, Rockledge. 321-631-9806. Formerly TJ's, the breakfast and lunch restaurant changed names and began getting a makeover in July.

Master Homemade Donuts, 1907 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, 207-331-6832, masterhomemadedonuts.com. The doughnut shop opened next to the Mobil gas station in April with a variety of doughnuts, including mochi doughnuts.

Osuki Sushi, 924 E. New Heaven Ave., Melbourne. 321- 802-3228, osuki888.com. The Japanese restaurant with all-you-can-eat sushi opened in late July in downtown Melbourne in what was formerly a German beer garden.

Pockets & Putters, 575 Barton Blvd., Rockledge, 321-305-5182, facebook.com/pocketsandputters. The entertainment venue that features multiple pool tables and a golf simulator opened in March. Beer and wine are served.

Rich Island, 2137 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, 321-305-5804, facebook.com/RichIslandRestaurant. The casual restaurant opened this spring with rave reviews for its creative burgers.

Route 66 Nutrition, 729 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, 321-403-3448. The health food restaurant with a retro vibe opened in July.

Salty Bagel and Grill, 7640 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, 321-622-4123, saltybagel.co. The beachside bagel shop with restaurants in Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach opened a third location in Melbourne's Suntree area on May.

Shoyu Hibachi Express & Poke Bowl, 2005 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, 321-613-3216, shoyucocoabeach.com. The take-out hibachi and poke bowl restaurant opened in April.

More on Whisk & Grind: Restaurant review: Is this Merritt Island breakfast spot as good as people say? Yes, it is

Whisk & Grind, 410 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, 321-785-3033, whiskandgrind.com. The breakfast and lunch spot that opened to rave reviews last year on Merritt Island opened a second location May 20 in Cocoa Beach. Whisk & Grind also features a drive-through Peet's Coffee Bar.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Find a new favorite among 25-plus new restaurants in Brevard