Last Updated on January 20, 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.
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
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’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. Small but mighty, we say, with inventive choices like Blistered Shisito Peppers, Musubi, and Tijuana Caesar Spears, as well as sliders and wings. Numerous frozen, or shaken or stirred, cocktails, and shots. I’m curious to try their Albert’s Last Breakfast cocktail. Cornflakes are involved!
SATELLITE BEACH
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 Stromboli. 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 Melbourne Main Street.
Starting in Eau Gallie:
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!
Each floor of Pineapples has its own vibe, purpose, and the menus are different. The first floor is the more formal (but wear your shorts and t-shirt if you want), more serious-dining, full lunch and dinner, where the menu has choices like filet mignon, Hawaiian Monchong Banana Papillote, Key West Ribeye, and Roasted Cedar Plank Antartica Salmon. Specialty smoked drinks, specialty martinis, mimosas, and Egad Native Drinks (go there and read that history; so cool!)
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. The Moon Room shares a lighter fare menu with the rooftop bar, Y-Bar (read the interesting history of the family who is behind Pineapples, and why that name, here) offering starters such as Key West Smoked Fish Dip, wings, sliders, and Potato Party served with the chef’s specialty rotating sauces. Burgers, tacos, ahi tuna poke bowl, salads, grouper fish & chips 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.
Downtown Melbourne:
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 (Caribbean Shrimp Pasta, 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 Casserole) 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 disposable items are made from plant-based materials.
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 Prosciutto and Asparagus, Irish Nachos, 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. There is also a Late Night Menu. 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?
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.
The menu isn’t huge (which is often a good thing.) Choose from snacks – like Avocado Toast; Deviled Eggs; Conch Fritters – small plates, salads, handhelds, and large plates – like Cauliflower Steak; Salmon; Grilled Skirt Steak; Pork Belly. We chose the Crispy Chicken Wrap and the Landing Burger, both amazing.
And a couple of shots of The Hotel Melby lobby:
INDIALANTIC
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. Polpette del Prete (homemade meatballs, old school), Roasted Baby Beets, Calamari a la Plancha, or a Charcuterie Board are some of the appetizer choices. Scottish Salmon, Lobster Ravioli, Beef Medallions, Chile Prawns, and pizza are some of the mains to choose from. There are several vegan options as well. The sushi menu has multiple choices, and brunch is served on Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm.
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. Charcuterie and Cheese, $6; Italian Meatballs (2) $6; Tacos (minimum of 2) for $3 each (duck confit or fish) are some of the choices. When we visited there was a Brussels sprouts with parmesan appetizer that was very large and filling, in a good, healthy-feeling way! I didn’t see it online but fingers crossed they’re still serving that. You either love Brussels sprouts or you hate them, I’ve found. Brussels lovers unite!
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.
