My 7 favourite restaurants in New Smyrna Beach Fl.
By Helen Wright
I’m excited to share my favourite restaurants in New Smyrna Beach fl. I spend a lot of time in the sunshine state and I really love a good old-school, classic Florida beach destination. New Smyrna Beach is one I always recommend, because along with a beautiful beach, the city has so much personality packed into it. When it comes to food in New Smyrna Beach, Florida’s sun-drenched, coastal location means fresh seafood in abundance and relaxed, chilled out cafes and restaurants, many with outdoor dining and often with live music.
From NSB institutions to modern menus and hidden local favourites, here are my favourite restaurants in New Smyrna Beach:
Cover image: Larry Hoffman (Flickr)
The best restaurants in New Smyrna Beach Fl
Jimmy Hula’s
Canal Street area (151 Canal St).
Started by a father and son team, news of Jimmy Hula’s fresh and flavourful menu has spread fast, with the duo now opening their seventh location in Florida. Using locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients, these guys know the secret to a perfect taco and the burgers are excellent too. Housed in a much-loved former garage building, the new owners have paid homage to Bob’s Automotive, a locally owned repair shop that had been there for 50 years, by preserving the original building and adding cute design touches into its usual surfer-vibe theme.
It’s a fast-casual food joint – order at the counter with the option to build your own taco, and there is a full-service bar. For anyone not driving, I highly recommend the margaritas, which are 10/10, no notes.
River Deck Tiki Bar and Restaurant
Marina area. (107 N Riverside Dr)
This fun bar / restaurant hits a full house on Florida’s bingo card. Waterside location, outdoor deck, friendly servers, fresh fish, great tortilla chips, happy hour cocktails and live music. What’s not to like? This is a great spot for families, with lots of space for kids as well as more intimate areas, like a cute little ‘faux beach’ with deck chairs and fairy lights. If you like sports, you can even watch the game here too.
The Rasta Fish Dip is so good, but don’t fill up on too many chips because you need room for the Mahi Sandwich, which is great and a slice of Key Lime Pie. I am very fussy about my KLP and this passed the test. Kids meals are served on an upturned frisbee, which they can use after to play with and I applaud the effort to reduce the need for single-use plastic plates. We kept ours as a souvenir!
General Public House
Canal Street area (501 Canal St)
This gastro pub on Canal Street has recently had a complete overhaul with a new owner and an experimental chef from New York that has put together an award-worthy menu. The building, a former brewery, has prohibition vibes with a buzzing atmosphere and a schedule of live music.
It’s hard to pick favourites with this farm-to-table menu, loaded with local produce, as everything really was excellent. On a recommendation from the chef himself, I went for the Harvest Salad with Atlantic salmon, a curious mix of greens, goat’s cheese, cranberries, strawberries and pecans which was a taste sensation. Meat lovers need to go for the Shaved Ribeye, prepared in a giant smoker in the backyard and served in thin, melt-in-your-mouth slices.
Treats on the Beach Ice Cream shop at new Smyrna Beach
Flagler Street beach area (504 Flagler Avenue)
It’s not a beach day without ice cream and this cute seaside shack has the best handmade ice cream, just like your nana would make it back in the day. Choose from a huge list of flavours, including Bubble Gum, Butter Pecan, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Maple Walnut, Mint Chocolate Chip and Sweet Black Cherry. Or, you can be boring like me and just go for a good old fashioned vanilla, but when the ice cream is this good, there is no better flavour in my opinion!
JBs Fish Camp
Bethune Beach area (859 Pompano Ave)
Before having kids, I loved a good dive bar and this is the family-friendly equivalent of that with food served in a basket and kitsh décor adorning the walls and ceiling. The thing is, the food here is really good! Fresh fish from off the back porch, southern style clam chowder and Cajun everything makes for the ideal Florida feed.
A New Smyrna Beach institution since the 70s, the ambience is distinctly Florida too, with a waterside deck with boats and kayaks tied to the pier. It’s imperative you save room for a slice of the homemade pie – Key Lime, Orange Cream or Oreo. Hell, why not? Have all three.
Flagler Tavern
Flagler Avenue area (414 Flagler Ave)
Henry Flagler was a iconic player in the prohibition era, known for his ‘party train’ that carried booze-seeking rule-breakers to Key West so they could hop on a boat to Cuba for a mojito. The Flagler Tavern in New Smyrna Beach has taken pride of place on Flagler Avenue since the 1920s and with their own prohibition history, they now pay homage to the origins of the pub with a secret bar inside the tavern that has a prohibition-era theme.
If you just want a casual dinner, the downstairs of the tavern is a breezy pub with southern staples like fried peppers, taquitos and cracked conch. It’s a great family restaurant with a large menu that will have something for absolutely everyone and you’ll be dining at a significant spot in New Smyrna Beach history.
Wake up Café for breakfast in New Smyrna Beach
Indian River Village area (749 E 3rd Avenue)
If this place hadn’t come highly recommended by a friend, we would never have stumbled across it. Completely hidden in a retail park, close to Publix, this charming café is as local as they come with top breakfasts to start your day. Started by a husband and wife duo from Argentina and Ohio, respectively, and who met in Spain, this is not your average brekkie joint. I love New Smyrna Beach for its celebration of local businesses and this is very much a family-run café and I love to see it.
The breakfast menu has all the classics, such as American pancakes and eggs benedict but there are some interesting alternatives too, like the Latin Stack (Tortilla Española with Argentine chorizo, pisto manchego, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and feta cheese) and an Argentine Tango omelette. Before you leave, pick up a few Alfajores cookies, a traditional Argentinian recipe passed down from the owner’s grandma. Deliciosa!
Need inspiration for your trip? See our post on the best things to do in New Smyrna Beach or our videos and highlights on Instagram and TikTok.
