Perdido Key restaurant ranks in Southern Living's top 15 best Florida seafood dives
Escambia County’s fresh-catch fish fanatics may recognize a familiar local spot that secured a space on Southern Living’s list of 15 best seafood dives in Florida.
The Point Restaurant in Perdido Key earned a spot on the list, as did two eateries in Destin in nearby Okaloosa County.
This was no easy feat, as competition for best fresh seafood throughout the Sunshine State is fierce. These dives don't offer up a white tablecloth fine-dining experience but they do serve up delicious product that's right off the fishing rod.
“We've rounded up our favorite seafood dives in Florida, which is really saying something, since seafood spots are as plentiful in the Sunshine State as sand is on the beach,” the Southern Living article stated.
The Point Restaurant, 14340 Innerarity Point Road, Perdido Key
Perdido Key’s The Point Restaurant, which received the eighth spot, is a hidden gem in the Pensacola area, known for live music, fresh caught mullet and 60 years of service.
The restaurant prides itself in Southern seafood like the house made crab cakes, oysters and crab claws along with ever-changing fresh catch and chef specials.
The lunch menu gets you an extra bang for your buck, with everything pricing at or under $15, like the Famous Point Mullet Sandwich, a deep-fried fresh mullet served on grilled Texas Toast with coleslaw and tartar for $10.99.
The po’boys are served on Gambino’s French bread and come in a wide array of options, including the catch of the day, shrimp, mullet, oyster and softshell crab.
Other Southern delights include the deep-fried alligator tail, fried green tomatoes and barbecue oysters on the half shell.
The dinner ventures into more extensive seafood platters and entrees that stay true to the Southern theme, such as country fried steak with white peppered gravy, catfish filet and a hand cut, bone-in 12-ounce chargrilled pork chop.
Where to find good seafood in Pensacola: Pensacola seafood restaurants: 10 seafood places that show off local culinary expertise
Destin reels in two mentions on Southern Living's list
The No. 1 restaurant on the list, JB's Fish Camp, is described as a "ramshackle wood building" on a dirt parking lot in New Smyrna Beach. Luckily, you don't have to travel that far to try some of the best seafood the Sunshine State has to offer.
If you’re willing to venture about an hour out from downtown Pensacola, neighboring Destin had two entries on its side of the Emerald Coast, one even earning the second ranking on the statewide list.
The Back Porch Seafood and Oyster House, 1740 Scenic Highway 98
The Back Porch landed the coveted runner-up space on the menu, receiving its mention for popularizing amberjack, which comes fried, chargrilled, bronzed or blackened. Southern Living also compliments Southern favorites like the seafood-packed gumbo and tart key lime pie.
Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant, 9 Calhoun Ave.
Southern Living gave Dewey Destin’s the No. 4 slot on the list. The restaurant prides itself on its history and deep ties to the city, as it started as a family-run fishery before transitioning from buying fish to selling it. The article makes mention of the Navarre location located at 8673 Navarre Parkway but notes that they “prefer the original one” which the owners describe as a “shack on the water.”
Have a lead on a new restaurant in Escambia or Santa Rosa County? Send your tips to Brittany Misencik at BMisencik@pnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Perdido Key The Point Restaurant ranks in Southern Living's top 15
