Best Restaurants on the Water in Destin, FL
Last Updated on February 22, 2023 by Boatsetter Team
Destin, Florida, is home to many waterfront restaurants; however, only a handful are easily accessible by boat. The restaurants with docks offer many delicious menu options, live entertainment, happy hour, and dock and dine opportunities. These local restaurants provide you with many opportunities to take a break from the water, grab a bite to eat, and then head back out.
Harbor Docks
Harbor Docks is one of Destin’s oldest dining institutions, featuring fresh gulf seafood with a fabulous view of the Destin Harbor. Dining is available indoors or outdoors, and to-go options are available for those wanting to get back out on the water. Harbor Docks creates all of their menu creations from scratch, using the freshest seafood from their wholesale market. Boaters are welcome to come in, dine, and become a part of the family, enjoying some of the freshest food.
Harbor Docks has lunch, dinner, and sushi menus, featuring appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, seafood, and other entrees. Popular menu items include spring rolls, house-smoked yellowfish tuna dip, seafood gumbo, pad thai, and fish and grits. Other popular menu items include stuffed gulf shrimp, gulf fish tacos, ribeye, and lump crabmeat.
Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant
Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant is easily accessible from Crab Island, where you can grab some of the freshest seafood in the area. Place your order off the handwritten chalkboard menu, then grab a seat at a picnic table, where they will bring your meal to you. This restaurant is one of several locations in the Dewey Destin’s family, offering the same quality of food and service expected from all of their locations.
Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant menu features various appetizers, baskets, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Popular menu items include crab cakes, the Captain’s Platter, soft shell crab, chicken fingers, hamburgers, and Butterfinger pie.
Dewey Destin’s Harbourside
Dewey Destin’s Harbourside is a member of the Dewey Destin’s family of restaurants offering a traditional dining setting, with menus featuring steaks, salads, and more. Boaters can enjoy stopping at this restaurant when they look for more than a casual meal with the same waterfront views of a casual dining experience.
Popular menu items include sea trout sandwich, swordfish entree, hot crab dip, shrimp Po-boy, and Dewey’s seafood gumbo. Additional fresh seafood entrees include Mahi parmesan, pecan-crusted Mahi, grouper parmesan, and fried crab cakes.
East Pass Coffee Co.
East Pass Coffee Co. is the place to grab some coffee to start your day on the boat or grab a cup of hot cocoa on a cool Florida afternoon. This unique coffee shop offers everything from fresh coffee to acai bowls and smoothies to sandwiches. Popular menu items include Iced Americano, the Jetty Bowl, and an iced dirty chai latte.
1835 Porch Bar
The 1835 Porch Bar is where the adventure begins when dining in Destin. This restaurant is nestled among lush trees overlooking the water in a quiet setting where you can enjoy a delicious meal or beverages with friends. Popular menu items include gulf steamed shrimp, sauteed crab claws, seafood gumbo, and a grilled bacon cheeseburger.
Dewey’s Snoballs
Dewey’s Snoballs is another member of the Dewey Destin’s family of restaurants offering uniquely flavored iced desserts, beverages, and more. The handcrafted syrups are made on-site from Louisiana cane sugar syrup. Their specialty snoball flavor combinations make this restaurant the perfect place to dock your boat and grab a sweet treat.
Snoballs has 30 flavors offering endless combinations. Other menu items include cream or marshmallow stuffed or topped ice cream. The best thing about this location, next to the mouthwatering treats, is the view of watching a summer sunset.
Boshamps Seafood & Oyster House
Boshamps Seafood & Oyster House offers a substantial outdoor seating area with multiple levels, making this the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the fabulous waterfront views. In addition to the fantastic restaurants, diners at this location can enjoy white sand beaches, palm trees, hammocks, volleyball, and cornhole games. Additionally, there are free cane poles for fishing from the docks.
This full-service restaurant and bar offer menus featuring appetizers, soups, salads, fresh seafood, oysters, etc. Popular menu items include The Devil’s Crab, house-smoked yellowfin tuna dip, Puttin’ on the Grits, and Boshamps “Shaker” Salad. Other popular menu items include hot Louisiana crawfish salad, pan-roasted gulf grouper, and smoked farm chicken.
Lulu’s
Lulu’s is owned by Lucy Buffet, Jimmy Buffet’s sister, and is one of Destin’s newest dining establishments. Though there is no actual dock, it is possible to drop anchor and wade your way to the restaurant enjoying the white sandy beach and family-friendly environment.
Many recipes were created by Lucy Buffett herself, offering allergy-friendly choices and popular seafood favorites. Popular menu items at Lulu’s include Crazy Sista’s Crab Dip, Lulu’s Famous Gumbo Shrimp, quesadillas, and barbecue pork.
With a local Boatsetter boat rental, these restaurants are easily accessible when you need a break from a long day out on the water. Explore all of what Destin offers with local pontoon boats, fishing boats, catamarans, yachts, deck boats, and more!
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