Rooftops, Fish Camps, & Shacks: Florida Space Coast Restaurants You’re Going to Want to Visit!

Last Updated on May 10, 2024 by Marybeth


Florida’s Space Coast is becoming quite a destination: for travelers and for people moving here for job opportunities, quiet beaches, and the growing list of restaurants you’re going to want to visit! Rooftops, fish camps, and “shacks” pull us in with these fun designations.

Cocoa Beach Fish Camp Grill outdoor seating

We hear a lot about the mammoth numbers of restaurants that have opened in the St. Pete/Tampa area, because that region is pretty much famous. Growing. Hip and getting hipper. There are almost as many searches for “Tampa Bay Area” as there are for “Key West.” Almost.

But the Space Coast! Famous for the astronauts in the early 60s, and in the news again for all the space-related attractions: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, US Space Walk of Fame, the Air Force Space and Missile Museum, and SpaceX. During a launch visitors come from all over to set up “camp” to be able to view the rockets first hand. While here for a launch, visitors often plan to stay overnight, and find the best restaurants for their visit.

And so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite restaurants on the Space Coast for you to try. Starting up north in Titusville, making our way south.

TITUSVILLE

The Daley Trade

Photo courtesy of The Daley Trade

Chef Terrance Daley, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has worked as a personal chef aboard yachts, in fine dining restaurants, and high-end catering companies in Washington DC, New York, Miami, and Charleston. During Covid he and his wife moved to Florida to be near family. Good move, Chef Terrance! Welcome to the Sunshine State.

COCOA BEACH

Cocoa Beach Fish Camp Grill

Cocoa Beach Fish Camp Grill

Cocoa Beach’s first fish camp! That’s a pretty big deal; just the words fish camp is fun. And all of them have menu items for those of you who don’t like seafood.

Related: ALL The Fish Camp Restaurants in Florida You’re Going to Want to Visit

Besides being so colorful and fun – let’s all admit atmosphere counts almost as much as the great food – Cocoa Beach Fish Camp & Grill is a half block to the beach. Flip-flop on over after a day of surfing or lounging oceanfront for your fill of delicious Camp Favorite Starters (Just a lil sumthin’ while ya thinkin‘) like Swamp Hoppers, Crawdaddy Cake, or Boiled P-Nuts. Choose from salads, burgers, sandwiches, smokehouse favorites or specialties such as their Caramel Moonshine Pork Ribeye. Vegan and gluten-free options, and a kids menu too.

Tropics Cocktail Bar

Downtown Cocoa Beach – specifically the area around Minuteman Causeway and A1A has been ratcheting up the cool factor lately. Have you been? The parking garage (download the free Passport Parking mobile app) makes a huge difference in allowing us all to go and partake, easily sliding into an indoor parking space rather than aimlessly searching up and down the streets for available street parking. There are so many choices of places to go for happy hour, drinks and food, but start at Tropics Cocktail bar. The food menu is small, but it is a cocktail bar.

SATELLITE BEACH

321 Go Pizza

Floridians are really opinionated about their pizza. 321 Go Pizza is getting rave reviews from everywhere, especially from people originally living up north. One reviewer wrote “I’m a northerner transplant. We know pizza!” Okay. Well, so do we, and this pizza is outstanding. Order by the slice, or specialty pan pizza squares. Besides specialty pizzas – Travel the Mediterranean sounds interesting! – they also have salads, sandwiches, calzones and burgers. For a little drive-up place (yay for drive-up!) this place looms large in quality over the A1A. A must-try!

EAU GALLIE • MELBOURNE

Eau Gallie used to be its own town but in 1969 it was combined with Melbourne; not sure how the local Eau Gallians feel about that. We like to make the distinction, as they both have their own lovely downtown historic districts: Eau Gallie Arts District and Historic Downtown Melbourne.

Starting in Eau Gallie:

Pineapples

So many times we drove by watching this 3-story beauty slowly and with much care and attention to detail being built. So many months, – it felt like years – that we were convinced they did it just to tease us all, making us reach that foaming-at-the-mouth stage where when the doors were finally flung open we pitched ourselves headlong in. That happened, and continues to.

We went one weekday evening and there was seating at the bar immediately available (other people were waiting for tables) so we snapped it up. The views were still incredible as I twirled around on my bar stool. There is just something about a rooftop restaurant! And while most overlook other rooftops, this has views of downtown and the Intracoastal Waterway. The perfect place to while away an afternoon!

I want this seaglass countertop in my kitchen!

Each floor of Pineapples has its own vibe. The first floor feels a little more formal (but wear your shorts and t-shirt if you want), more serious-dining.

Third floor – even the restroom alcove is gorgeous!

The second floor is The Moon Room, a venue that can be booked for private events and also has room for dancing when bands play (check their calendar for events.) A balcony outside provides more seating for meals. Pineapple’s menu offers Beginnings such as Pineapples’ Smoked Fish Dip, wings, and beef sliders. Burgers, tacos, ahi tuna poke bowl, salads, grouper fish & chips, and Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Chops are some of the main menu items. Our smashed burgers were GIANT and so delicious I ate the whole thing, only feeling a tiny bit gluttonous but who was looking? No one.

One view from Pineapples rooftop bar, looking north

Downtown Melbourne:

Fiesta Bar & Grill

Specializing in Mexican and Caribbean cuisine, Fiesta Bar & Grill features a tropical “underwater atmosphere” inside, and has seating outside in front and on their back patio. From Bites (empanadas, wings, ahi tuna and more); Greens; Main Fare (Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Mac, Guava Jalapeño Chicken Breast, and more); Bowls; Handheld Tacos (veggie, chicken, shrimp, Mahi, steak, mojo pork and more); and Odd and Ends (including Signature Jasmine Rice and Street Corn Cob) there is so much and more including specials like Taco Tuesdays and Wine Wednesdays – check their website for more!

Portions of the profits are donated to the Sea Turtle Conservation Society, and Fiesta Bar & Gril are part of the Go Green campaign, using 100% compostable products.

Pub Americana

Pub Americana has outdoor-like seating (as well as indoors) in a breezeway; you get the fresh air plus protection from the elements

Pub Americana began in Cocoa Village; this newer location is in vibrant Downtown Melbourne. We read the reviews before visiting and so many said “the best burger in town” and we agree! The staff works hard, service is great, and we’ve heard the owner is always there (good sign!) The menu is extensive; we recommend taking a look online before you go to get some ideas of what you might order (so your dining partner doesn’t have to sit while you read the entire thing, not naming any names of anyone who did that in our party…)

Shareables include Caprese Americana, Vegetarian Dumplings, Crab Cake, Gator Bites, and NY Crispy Chicken Wings just to name a few. Soups and chilis, salads, ciabatta sandwiches, pasta, 3 kinds of Mac & cheese, 13 kinds of burgers + Your Way Burger, 12 kinds of pizza + Your Way Pizzetta. See what I mean? Check out the menu first, online!

The Landing Rooftop, Hotel Melby

The Hotel Melby in Downtown Melbourne is part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. If you’ve been with us for even just a minute you know we only recommend independently owned places to stay, dine, and drink, but very occasionally we make an exception – and hey, rooftop bar! We had to go check it out. Plus we’re just so happy for Downtown Melbourne, and the Space Coast, all the new development and new restaurants bringing a creative, positive spirit. “A rising tide floats all the boats” is a favorite quote, and how perfect is that?

The vintage cottage in the foreground! Perfect illustration of how Downtown Melbourne still retains the old-Florida vibe along with welcoming new development (and wow, the colors match…)
Hotel Melby The Landing Rooftop view looking west

Hotel Melby The Landing Rooftop bar view looking northeast

Simply put, we were wowed. So much beautiful attention to detail everywhere, with a mood that feels modern yet settling-in cozy. Not crowded (as some of the reviews we’ve read stated) and with plenty of seating inside and out for groups, The Landing Rooftop is on our list of places to impress our out-of-town guests and a cool spot to hang out, just the two of us.

Choose from Social Plates, with items like Truffle Sidewinders and Island Conch Fritters – or Featured Plates, including Forest Mushrooms, Shrimp and Congaree Penn Grits, and a Wagyu Burger. You can choose from their All Day Brunch Menu as well.

Hotel Melby The Landing Rooftop orange art wall view looking south

And a couple of shots of The Hotel Melby lobby:

Hotel Melby lobby seating

INDIALANTIC

Djons Village Market

Djons Village Market has so much to peruse! This section houses the indoor fish market, bakery, gourmet market, butcher, wine shop, clam shell oyster sushi and noodle bar, & groceries.

Drumroll here please as we gesture with a flourish to present to you Djons Village Market! The Tampa Bay area’s got nothing on us with all their cool hip markets. WE HAVE ONE TOO. We were so impressed with all that this market has to offer – and of course the rooftop bar – that I was walking around snapping so many photos (plus my mouth may have been hanging open a bit.)

You can dine downstairs at the Farmhouse Kitchen; the menu here is more extensive than the rooftop bar.

Choose an entryway! The market to your right, or up to the rooftop… there is an elevator as well. Seating outside, downstairs, if you opt to sit outside with your meal from the Farmhouse Kitchen or your market choices.

On the rooftop we recommend timing your visit for Happy Hour! Mon-Fri 4-6 pm, with a smallish food menu but just enough to satisfy, and the prices are great. Spicy Tuna Roll, Italian Meatballs, and tacos are some of the choices.


The ocean is visible from the rooftop bar!

This is just a sampling of the great restaurants you’re going to want to visit on the Space Coast. Let us know your favorites! If you’ve visited any of the above, we want to hear about that, too.

Florida’s Space Coast is a region around the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force station including Titusville, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Rockledge, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne, Melbourne Beach, Palm Shores, Palm Bay, and Malabar.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial