Florida ‘Hidden Gem’ Restaurants Offer Unbeatable Food

Florida has some incredible restaurants, that's no secret. But, there are some hidden gem Florida restaurants that offer unbeatable food. It's the kind of food you'd drive a ways to try. So, if you're planning to have some weekend staycations and want to get out and try something new, here are some hidden gem restaurants that the experts at USA Today say you need to taste.

USA Today has an expert Naples Local Writer named Chelle Koster Walkon, who has personally gone all over the state to find some of the best Florida hidden gem restaurants. "Having lived in, traveled around, and written a dozen guidebooks about Florida for over 30 years, I've found myself gravitating off the interstates and highways, into the small towns, and away from the 'eaten path' to discover new finds around the state," Walkon writes. Walkon adds, "This tour of restaurants in Florida takes the backroads to hidden gems, where menus feature regional favorites like fried gator and grouper sandwiches, keto bowls, pulled pork, and divorced eggs." So, while many of USA Today's "10 Best" features are crafted from a panel of experts and then voted on, this tally is personally from Walkson's experience.

I'll highlight a few of the hidden gem restaurants. If you love seafood, try City Seafood in Everglades City. City Seafood is a seafood market and waterfront restaurants, where you can sit at picnic tables and enjoy an array of food, including "fresh stone crab, fried seafood baskets, frog legs, gator, and Florida lobster tail, all fresh from the briny," according to Walkson. It's also one of Florida's last standing working waterfronts, so you can make a day of it and enjoy the beautiful views. Another hidden gem restaurant is Snook Haven in Venice. This is a very unique place, offering "killer turtles, banjo strumming, leisurely paddling the Myakka River, and fried green tomato tacos." What more could you want? That's seriously quite a combination, and that's why you won't find a place like Snook Haven anywhere else. It's located shortly off Interstate 75. If you love Mexican food, try Two Brothers One Grill Mexican Restaurant in Bartow. Everything you get here is totally fresh and tasty. Two Brothers One Grill Mexican Restaurant Walkson suggests ordering "divorced eggs — fried eggs separated by beans and tortillas, each egg covered by red and green salsa." These are just a few of the restaurants that Walkson suggests, and you can find the full tally of special spots via USA Today.