🌟 Florida’s Coastal Comfort: I-95 Food Stops Orlando North 🍊
🌟 Florida’s Coastal Comfort: I-95 Food Stops Orlando North 🍊
Welcome to the Northern Florida segment of your I-95 culinary journey!
As you traverse the Sunshine State from the Georgia line down toward Central Florida and the Orlando area, you’ll encounter a delicious mix of coastal seafood, authentic Southern fare, and unique regional specialties. This stretch, encompassing the historic beauty of St. Augustine and the shrimping ports near Jacksonville, offers wonderful SoFloDining Approved pit stops.
We believe that road trip meals should be a chance to slow down, enjoy local flavor, and savor the state’s distinct character.
Our recommendations in this section focus on dining experiences in and around the Jacksonville area (known for its unique regional foods like Minorcan Chowder and ‘Camel Riders’), the historic coastal town of St. Augustine, and the stretch heading toward the Titusville/New Smyrna Beach exits. These are the places that serve food that is good, clean, and fair, offering a true taste of Northeast Florida’s hospitality and culinary heritage.
Welcome to the Northern Florida segment of your I-95 culinary journey!
As you traverse the Sunshine State from the Georgia line down toward Central Florida and the Orlando area, you’ll encounter a delicious mix of coastal seafood, authentic Southern fare, and unique regional specialties. This stretch, encompassing the historic beauty of St. Augustine and the shrimping ports near Jacksonville, offers wonderful SoFloDining Approved pit stops.
We believe that road trip meals should be a chance to slow down, enjoy local flavor, and savor the state’s distinct character.
Our recommendations in this section focus on dining experiences in and around the Jacksonville area (known for its unique regional foods like Minorcan Chowder and ‘Camel Riders’), the historic coastal town of St. Augustine, and the stretch heading toward the Titusville/New Smyrna Beach exits. These are the places that serve food that is good, clean, and fair, offering a true taste of Northeast Florida’s hospitality and culinary heritage.
Columbia Restaurant – 98 St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL: old brick, white-coated waiters, flamenco on low. Doris and I have dined countless times in the Ybor City flagship-this one truly rivals it. Cuban sandwich, garlic shrimp, black beans, and we even ordered extra plantains, just because. www.columbiarestaurant.com
St. Mary’s Seafood – 705 Hortons Trace, St. Augustine, FL: The fried platter for two is so large, so generous, that Doris and I packed half of it up and ate it for lunch the next day. Shrimp, oysters, flounder, coleslaw, fries, hush puppies-enough to make you reconsider buffets forever. www.saintmarysseafood.com
Murray Brothers Caddyshack – 455 S. Legacy Trail E.106 St. Augustine, FL: golf decor, bar hum. We shared a BLT chicken sandwich, blackened salmon, and golf-ball potatoes. Good pour drinks. www.murraybrotherscaddyshack.com
Harry’s Seafood – 46 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, FL: second-floor windows framing the bay like a postcard, and then the food-wow. The blackened redfish was one of my all-time favorites, crust charred, flesh buttery. Everything else was flawless. Service? Impeccable. Already told half our friends-yes, we’ll be back. www.harrysseafoodgrille.com
Boondocks Restaurant – 3948 S Peninsula Dr, Port Orange, FL: – (near Daytona), An authentic, casual waterfront dining spot off I-95 near Daytona Beach, famous for its open-air setting. We dove headfirst into a generous 1 pound of peel-and-eat shrimp. The mains were excellent: a perfectly spiced blackened grouper sandwich and a fresh blackened salmon Caesar salad. A highly recommended spot for fresh fish and a relaxed, tiki-bar atmosphere. www.boondocks-restaurant.com
Off The Hook at Inlet Harbor – 133 Inlet Harbor Rd, Ponce Inlet, FL:(Ponce Inlet, FL – near Daytona) Another spectacular Florida coastal detour, located near the lighthouse in Ponce Inlet. Off The Hook is known for its legendary tiki bar, live music, and ability to cook your own catch. Their menu features fresh, local seafood with creative twists. Travelers rave about the fresh oysters, the blackened tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes, and the satisfying shrimp tacos. Come for the excellent food, stay for the fantastic sunset views over the water. offthehookatinletharbor.com