Florida's Best 13 Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurants
There's much to be said for finding a Michelin-starred or TikTok-famous restaurant to enjoy during your next Florida vacation. But for a more charming, eclectic, and still incredibly delicious experience, we recommend trying out one of Florida's hole-in-the-wall restaurants. We seek out these places for their passion and authenticity. Such places typically utilize little signage and advertising, relying heavily on regular traffic and word of mouth to grow. Hole-in-the-wall restaurants are something of a phenomenon, growing despite minimal efforts to be fancy or cater beyond their specialties.
Florida has no shortage of hole-in-the-wall eateries, from the Panhandle all the way through to the Everglades. Of course, this includes Central Florida, where it's no secret that the presence of Walt Disney World Resort and other major tourist hotspots can make restaurants pricey. Escape the house the mouse built and enjoy some of the locals' favorites to create a new family tradition. Making your way to the Space Coast? Don't miss out on a vegan restaurant that herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores alike can love. Wherever you go in the Sunshine State, be sure to check out one of these restaurants to take your culinary adventure off the beaten track.
Stuff-A-Bagel
Founded in 2001 by the Giambalvo family, Stuff-A-Bagel today comprises several Florida locations that serve traditional New York-style bagels — available in varieties such as garlic, blueberry, jalapeño cheddar, and more — as well as sandwiches and pastries. The hustle is real when it comes to bagels, and the process begins as early as 2 a.m., well before the first commuters stop in.
The interiors of Stuff-A-Bagel restaurants are small, and it's not uncommon to see a line forming, but patience pays off. Reviews are consistently positive, with the everything bagel receiving particular praise. In Windermere, not too far from the employee parking area for Disney World's Magic Kingdom theme park, you'll find the Orlando location of Stuff-A-Bagel. Tourists rely on this spot before visiting the parks, while cast members regularly pick up breakfast on their way to make magic. In fact, if you decide to sit a spell to enjoy your bagel, you may even spot cast members in their costumes getting their bagel fix. If you're a local, you'll find yourself coming back to this hole-in-the-wall bagel favorite time and time again.
Multiple locations
Taqueria El Asador
By definition, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are typically a little tucked away. So, when you hear that some of the best tacos in all of Florida come from an outdoor spot behind a Shell gas station, you know you're looking at a true hole-in-the-wall eatery.
Taqueria El Asador opened in Pensacola in 2014, and though the locals once had themselves a favorite secret spot, popularity has exploded. Please note that you'll be eating outside, though there is plenty of shade to sit under as you enjoy your tacos. Speaking of which, you can take your pick between steak, pork, chicken, chorizo, lengua, and a mix of steak and chorizo, as well as branching out to quesadillas, burritos, sincronizada, tostadas, and tortas if you so please.
This is not the type of place to go if you're expecting a Taco Bell-esque, Americanized version of Mexican food. This is where you'll go to get a much more authentic taste, with some customers claiming Taqueria El Asador serves the best tacos they've tasted anywhere, not just in Florida.
(850) 696-3232
7955 N Davis Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32514
Mediterranean Deli
Like many hole-in-the-wall restaurants, the Mediterranean Deli in Fairview Shores doesn't look like much from the outside. Inside, however, you'll likely be warmly greeted with a huge smile and a generous welcome. After ordering and a few bites, you'll realize that you'll come back time and time again for a gyro or plate filled with delicious Mediterranean food.
That warm "hello, my friend" you'll likely receive upon arrival comes from Walid Ali, the owner, who has run the business for over 20 years (via Orlando Sentinel). From sweet baklava to the meat cones cooked right in-house, the food is fresh, tasty, and has also been hailed for its affordability. Though the deli is a hole-in-the-wall kind of eatery, it's still cozy with plentiful indoor seating. Not sure what to order? Get a gyro; Ali expects that it's 90% of what the restaurant sells.
(407) 539-2650
981 W Fairbanks Ave, Orlando, FL 32804
Star Fish Company
Located in the small fishing village of Cortez, Star Fish Company sits right off the water. This is the place to go if you want to feel a connection to the sea and the people who make seafood-heavy meals a reality. At Star Fish Company, you can either purchase fish to make at home or have it served to you right there.
The building feels historic because it is, with a legacy stretching back to the 1920s when Judge Millis founded Star Fish Company. Roughly three decades later, the Garner family purchased it, and it stayed with the family until 1996, when its current owner, Karen Bell, purchased it. In the transfer from Millis to the Garner family, it gained a retail space. Then, Bell added a small kitchen and eight picnic tables, opening up Star Fish Company to a whole new legacy with freshly caught seafood served right on the property.
Today, customers drop by Star Fish Company to enjoy the likes of delicious blackened grouper, cold stone crabs, and slices of Karen Bell's key lime pie. Before you go, please note that Star Fish Company only takes cash, but there is an ATM onsite. The restaurant hours are also very limited, open only for lunch hours.
(941) 794-1243
12306 46th Ave W, Cortez, FL 34215
Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe
We love a building that tells the story as much as the food, and Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe is one such place. Before it was a restaurant, the building that now holds this hole-in-the-wall restaurant began as a cattle barn before becoming a bulk oil business. In 1987, the restaurant opened. In the oldest building still standing in Florida's beautiful and wild Everglades, it's everything you want in a hole-in-the-wall eatery.
No matter what you order, don't expect it to be fast. This isn't the kind of place you go for a quick bite; it's more for lingering. Inside, you'll find low lighting and décor that brings in the magic of old-school Florida, meaning you'll never be at a loss for something to look at. It's only fitting that you'd find grouper, shrimp, alligator meat (best described as similar to chicken with a fishy edge), and frog (a favorite with customers) on the menu, but there's also homemade key lime pie and classics like homemade fry bread and hush puppies. If you make your way to the back, just remember to watch your step — you're never too far from your nearest alligator in the Everglades.
(239) 695-2682
39395 Tamiami Trl E, Ochopee, FL 34141
Red Wing Restaurant
While a great hole-in-the-wall restaurant doesn't look like much on the outside, its history can run deep. Red Wing Restaurant is one such place. Built in the 1940s, Charles McMillan created both the restaurant and a home in the same space. Inside, you'll find rooms full of hunting lodge décor and accents.
Red Wing Restaurant has a menu divided into sections such as In the Woods, In the Pasture, In the Waters, and In the Fields. In each category, the menu is positively stuffed full of gamey meats like quail and pan-fried beef liver, as well as fried frog legs and more conventional choices, like grilled chicken breast and the popular prime rib. This is certainly the go-to stop for any hardcore meat lover. For those seeking all the comforts that come from a freezer stuffed with fresh meat, this could just become your new favorite restaurant in Florida.
(352) 429-2997
12500 State Rd 33 Groveland, FL 34736
Pudgee's Eatery & Market
There's something effortlessly charming about a good hole-in-the-wall restaurant. They're the kinds of unassuming places that feel like you've come back home each time you step inside. To Pudgee's regulars, the classic American burger stop is just that. Its slightly rugged exterior and greasy burgers make for a fun — not to mention delicious — spot to grab a quick bite.
On the menu, you'll find a range of burgers with common and obvious names, like the Cowboy Burger (its take on your standard hamburger), and others more unique, such as the Smack Yo Mama Burger (which tops a regular burger with grilled onions, barbecue sauce, mayo, and cheese) and The Mighty Caveman (which throws bacon, pickles, and an onion loaf into the mix).
Love a great order of fries? Pudgee's has you covered with Coney Fries, which come topped with chili. There are even hot dogs, like the Florida Swamp Dog with mustard, pickles, kraut, and sport peppers. To many, however, the standout is the Big Ol' Indiana Breaded Pork — an outrageously large breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. For a small-town restaurant, there's nothing little about this meaty menu.
(352) 344-3773
8435 E Rosko Ct, Floral City, FL 34436
Florida Cracker Kitchen
Many areas of Florida are springing up as full-fledged modern suburbs, but there are others totally committed to the state's old-school comforts, hospitality, and styling. The name Florida Cracker Kitchen refers to the small farmers and cattle ranchers, also known as cracker cowboys or cowhunters. Brothers Blair and Ethan Hensley created the Florida Cracker Kitchen's multiple locations from their shared love of cooking and what they learned under the culinary tutelage of Granny Lewis.
This menu is full of what the Florida Cracker Kitchen embraces as Florida soul food, with highlights such as gator tail, shrimp, or catfish Apalachicola po' boys, Okeechobee gumbo, and stacks of indulgent French toast, all served in generous portions. Florida Cracker Kitchen offers a more intentionally crafted hole-in-the-wall experience, celebrating small-time restaurant heritage and establishing itself as a breakfast and brunch favorite for locals.
Multiple locations
Sandwich Inn
Gainesville's Sandwich Inn has been running since 1963 and holds the title of the oldest continuously running restaurant in the city. Unlike other hole-in-the-wall restaurants collected on this list, Sandwich Inn is strictly a drive-thru and walk-up window-only restaurant. It's also a breakfast lover's paradise, as the most important meal of the day is served all day.
As a drive-thru, the menu options need to be consumable in the car, so the menu is full of sandwiches (no surprise given the name) and their favorite accompaniments. Breakfast sandwich lovers and those wanting a great catfish sandwich will each find a delicious option here. And don't be put off by any long line. Since the drive-thru has dual sides, it'll go faster than you think.
(352) 376-0924
110 NE 16th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Peebles BBQ
For some of the best barbecue in Florida, make your way to the local favorite, Peebles BBQ. This small restaurant has been around since 1947, when Ellie and Gladys Peebles opened it. It's the kind of restaurant that beckons you to come back time and time again with the promise that once you visit the first time, you become part of the Peebles BBQ family.
This restaurant is such a hole in the wall that it doesn't have air conditioning, compensating with fans. We have to imagine this is at least part of the reason the restaurant closes each year during the summer, returning in September as it becomes slightly less blazing hot outside. When doors reopen each fall, count on BBQ favorites with all the tasty sides to fill your plate. It's like enjoying home-cooked BBQ without the pressure of tending to your smoker all afternoon.
(863) 967-3085
441 Dixie Hwy, Auburndale, FL 33823
Gene's Oyster Bar
To many, Panama City will always be a spring break spot. While the locals love the beach too, it may not surpass the love of a great oyster bar, like Gene's. This eatery is housed in a building that opened in 1910, but a blaze burned it down in 1929. In the time after the fire, it was a grocery store and eventually an oyster bar that changed hands a few times before ending up with Gene and Ann Bruner, who purchased it in 1969, renaming it Gene's Oyster Bar. In 2023, local Ronnie Fowler purchased the restaurant, keeping the name of Gene's Oyster Bar.
There's not much beyond the basics here, but in a place rich with memories like Gene's, you just don't need much more. You'll find some bar seating in a small building where tasty oysters are freshly shucked, prepared in their half shells with the perfect simplicity and the likes of saltines, lemon, horseradish, and hot sauce on the side. While the basics at this hole-in-the-wall will always remain the same, the restaurant is enjoying a little expansion to serve more customers as popularity continues to grow. Before stopping over, be sure to find a spot for some cash in your beach bag since this is another hole-in-the-wall accepting only the green stuff.
(850) 785-1232
302 Sherman Ave, Panama City, FL 32401
Angel's Dining Car
While some restaurants change with the times, others remain nearly unchanged. Angel's Dining Car is the latter. Opening in 1932, it is Florida's oldest diner. Regulars who have seen this diner — which, yes, looks just like a train car — through the ages will attest to its steadfast, genuine simplicity. It has all the vibes of Sandy and Danny splitting milkshakes to classic tunes.
Inside, just through those metal doors, you'll find bright colors and a retro feel with tables and chairs and a bar opposite the kitchen, which features the classic order-up window. Peeking at the menu, you'll find all-day breakfast right along with straightforward, fuss-free classics like burgers, patty melts, sandwiches, and baskets. Maybe the only notable, observable modernization at Angel's is the inclusion of dirty sodas on the menus, right beside milkshakes.
(386) 325-3927
209 Reid St, Palatka, FL 32177
Coastal Vegan Grill
This writer stumbled upon this perfect hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the way to the beach. With vegan family members visiting, a meal before heading to the water was an absolute necessity, and the Coastal Vegan Grill was an unexpected, delightful, delicious surprise. Vegan or not, diners who stop by this hole-in-the-wall restaurant won't soon forget it.
Inside, you'll find baked goods, bagels, cream cheese, and salad lining the counter, all basking in the cheer of an open vegan kitchen. With so many tempting treats as you walk in, don't be surprised if you choose dessert before your sandwich. You'll order at the cashier and make your way outside to a lovely patio area that feels like the perfect precursor to sunscreen and sandcastles at the beach. The sandwiches stack high and flavors seriously deliver. No doubt you'll be exiting with a promise to return.
(321) 613-0542
7010 North Atlantic Avenue, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Methodology
The trouble with hole-in-the-wall restaurants is that they're a little tough to find. Even still, we searched high and low across the Sunshine State to bring you a list of places that are charming in their own unique way, maybe a little gritty, and full of heart. To find the very best, we relied on a combination of this writer's firsthand experience, reviews, and write-ups in local publications.