Adventures of Gus and Kim: Top 10 Places To Eat in Destin (2018)

We've been vacationing in the Destin, Florida area since 1998. It is by far our most favorite vacation spot, and someday, we hope to retire nearby. Since we've spent so much time in the area, I thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite places to eat. This post was originally written in 2013, so I've updated it for 2018!



Here's a little about our picks for the top 10 places to eat in the Destin area!

1) Harbor Docks

If we could only eat out once while on vacation, it would be at Harbor Docks. The food is out of this world, and you have a great view of Destin Harbor. We've been eating here for at least 12+ years and we enjoy it just as much now as we did then.


It can be a little pricey depending upon what you order, but it's worth every penny. If you only go to one place on my list - this is the one you should choose. And if they have bread pudding for dessert, you must try it! Lunch is also amazing!


Gus' favorites: filet mignon, bread pudding
My favorites: sushi (try the cowboy roll!), filet mignon, bread pudding

Location: 538 Harbor Blvd., Destin, Florida
Hours: Monday - Sunday 7am - 11pm
Phone: (850) 837-2506
Bar: Yes
Carryout available



2) Great Southern Cafe

This restaurant isn't actually in Destin, but it's within easy driving distance. Besides, you should visit Seaside anyway! Owned by Chef Jim Shirley, it sits right in the middle of Seaside, and we recommend sitting outside on the covered deck where you can watch all of the activity. You can read a full review at Adventures of Gus and Kim: Lunch in Seaside - The Great Southern Cafe.


I honestly don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu, but I really love anything served with grits!


Gus' favorite: any fresh fish
My favorite: Grits and Grillades

Location: 83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach (Seaside), Florida
Phone: (850) 231-7327
Bar: Yes
Carryout available


3) Another Broken Egg Cafe

Winner of Best Breakfast 11 years in a row, - and it's easy to see (taste) why. This is one of our favorite breakfast spots, and we sometimes eat here more than once during a vacation. There are two locations in the Destin area, but you can usually find us at Grand Boulevard. You can read more in my review, Adventures of Gus and Kim: Breakfast in Destin - Another Broken Egg Cafe.



Gus' favorite: The Works Breakfast, City Grits
My favorites: Sunrise Spinach Scrambler with City Grits and the Granola, Fruit & Quinoa

Locations:
Sandestin Village
9100 Baytowne Wharf Blvd., Suite A-4, Sandestin, Florida
Phone: (850) 622-2050
Hours: Monday - Sunday 7am - 2pm
(closed Thanksgiving, Christmas)
Bar: yes
Carryout available

755 Grand Boulevard, Suite B-107
Miramar Beach, Florida  32550
Phone: (850) 424-3416
Hours: Monday - Sunday 7am - 2pm
(closed Thanksgiving, Christmas)
Bar: yes
Carryout available


4) Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria

Grimaldi's opened their first location under the Brooklyn Bridge in 1990. Their pizzas are New York style (obviously), and baked in coal-fired brick ovens to give them a crisp crust. My favorite! The location we visited is in the Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach, right next to Sandestin. As a matter of fact, if you're staying in Sandestin and have a golf cart, you can drive it right over to Grand Boulevard without going out on the main road. Well, you can do that with your car, too, but you get what I'm saying, right? And how charming is the decor?


Gus would eat pizza every day if he could. I'm a bit pickier. But we both love this pizza so much that we sometimes get it more than once when we're in Destin. And the desserts...yum. You can read my full review at Adventures of Gus and Kim: Dinner in Miramar Beach - Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria.


Gus' favorite: White Garlic Pizza with Pepperoni; cheesecake
My favorite: Pizza with Famous Sauce, Pepperoni and Mushrooms; cannoli

Location: 780 Grand Boulevard, Ste. 100, Miramar Beach, Florida
Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm, Friday & Saturday 11am - 11pm
Phone: (850) 837-3095
Bar: yes
Carryout available



5) The Bay

This is another restaurant owned by Chef Jim Shirley. And we love this place as much as we love the Great Southern Cafe. You can read my full review at Adventures of Gus and Kim: Lunch in Destin - The Bay.

We always sit on the bay side of the building, which offers fabulous views. They have a huge sitting area out in the sand around a firepit!



Gus' favorites: Bay Burger, Crème Brûlée
My favorites: Thai pork tacos, Peanut Butter Cream pie

Location: 24215 Highway 331 South, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Hours: Open daily, 11am - 9:30pm, Sunday Brunch Buffet 11am - 2pm
Phone: (850) 622-2291
Bar: Yes
Carryout available


6) Harry T's

We used to eat at Harry T's when it was at the Yacht Club - now it's in Harborwalk Village, right on Destin Harbor - so you can watch all the boats coming and going. You can't beat the view, and the food is pretty good for standard "bar food". But for us, the view makes the eating here worth it.


It's a little pricey, but I guess you gotta pay for the view! They have some super-humongous sundaes if you want to share a dessert. And they sell pretty cool t-shirts, too.


Our favorites: Nachos, Fish & Chips

Location: 46 Harbor Blvd. in Harborwalk Village, Destin, Florida
Hours: Monday - Thursday 11am - 10pm, Friday 11am - 11pm, Saturday - Sunday 10am - 11am
Phone: (850) 654-4800
Bar: Yes
Carryout available




7) Sunset Bay Cafe

This is a new favorite for us and I can't believe it took so long for us to try it! We've been staying in Sandestin for many years, and we often drove by the Linkside Conference Center with the sign for Sunset Bay Cafe. I think maybe we assumed it catered to the business crowd. Well, you know what happens when you assume! You can read my full review at Adventures of Gus and Kim: Breakfast in Destin - Sunset Bay Cafe.

What a fabulous view from the outdoor tables!




Gus' favorite: bacon and cheese omelet, pancakes
My favorite: breakfast croissant, pancakes

Location: 158 Sandestin Blvd. N. (in Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort), Miramar Beach, Florida
Hours: Daily 7am - 2pm
Phone: (850) 267-7108
Bar: yes



8) McGuire's Irish Pub

This is probably one of the most popular places in Destin. And would you believe that we vacationed in Destin for 15+ years before we tried it? There's no denying that it's a fun place, but be prepared for a lot of noise. The inside is covered with signed one dollar bills! We were there in the evening and it was pretty dark inside - so let me apologize for the quality of the photos below. I need to go back for lunch so I can get better pictures!


The one thing that you MUST get - Irish boxtys! Here's the description from the menu: "An old Irish favorite, “Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan; if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man”. Garlic Mashed Potatoes hand rolled in Herbed Bread Crumbs and Flash Fried. Served with Salsa, Guacamole Dip and a Horse Radish Sour Cream Sauce". Um, yes, please!! And you'll pretty much just have to forget whatever type of diet you follow because this place is made of carbs!


They also have an on-site brewery. So yeah, I need to go back and sample more of the brews. I had the McGuire's Irish Red and it was pretty tasty with the boxtys.

Gus' favorite: Sharp Cheddar and Bacon Steak Burger
My favorite: Irish Boxtys

Location: 33 E. Highway 98, Destin, Florida
Hours: Open daily 7am - the wee hours (usually 2am), Lunch 11am - 4pm, Dinner 4pm - close
Phone: (850) 650-0000
Bar: yes
Carryout available




9)  Dewey Destin's Harborside

There are two Dewey Destin's locations, but we have only eaten at the Harborside location. If you get a seat on the deck, you get a nice view like the one below.


We always get amberjack when we're there. A lot of times it's the catch of the day. One time the waitress told us that it was just brought in that morning. You can't get much fresher than that!



Our favorites: whatever fish they've brought in that day; amberjack

Locations:
202 Harbor Blvd. (Harborside), Destin, Florida
Hours: Open daily 11am - 10pm
Phone: (850) 837-7525
Bar: yes
Carryout available

9 Calhoun Ave. (Crab Island), Destin, Florida
Hours: Open daily 11am - 9pm
Phone: (850) 837-7575
Bar: beer & wine only
Carryout available

10) The Craft Bar

There are two locations in the Destin area, but we go to the one at Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach. It's funny, because I originally only agreed to go here because of the beer menu. I'm not a burger person (it's a texture thing), so when I discovered that I loved the burgers here, I was as surprised as Gus!


I also love the vibe here. I don't know if the other location has the same vibe, but this one is just kind of laid back and looks like a cool neighborhood bar. I love that. And I love that they have a great selection of beer (we try to drink local beer or at least Florida beer when we're in Florida).



Gus' favorite: Craft Bar Burger with cheddar, fries
My favorite: Craft Bar Burger with blue cheese, fries, hot chicken appetizer

Locations:
655 Grand Boulevard, Ste. D102, Miramar Beach, Florida
Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 11pm, Friday - Saturday 11am - 12am
Phone: (850) 608-6226
Bar: yes
Carryout available

4424 Commons Drive E (Destin Commons), Destin, Florida
Hours: Monday - Thursday 11am - 11pm, Friday - Saturday 11am - 12am, Sunday 11am - 10pm
Phone: (850) 460-7907
Bar: yes
Carryout available

(Note: The last time we were in Destin, there was a Craft Bar on 30A in Grayton Beach. However, it's not listed on the Craft Bar website, so I don't know if it's still there or not.)