4th Street Shrimp Store - St. Petersburg (Added December, 2002)
(1006 4th Street North; 727 822-0325) A longtime neighborhood fave; fresh seafood - fast and value priced; ice cold brews wash it all down.

Alabama Jack's - The Keys
(305 248-8741)

Alan's N.C. Bar-B-Que - New Port Richey (Added March, 2008)
(7305 State Road 54, 727 376-4408) www.alansncbbq.com; Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Alva Country Diner - Alva (Added March, 2008)
(21200 Palm Beach Blvd.; 239 728-3366)

Apalachicola Seafood Grill - Apalachicola (Added March, 2008)
(100 Market Street; 850 653-9510) Cooking strong since way back in 1903; the grill can be found under the only traffic signal in beautiful downtown Apalachicola; they are said to serve up a very tasty fried grouper sandwich.

Bay City Lodge - Apalachicola (Added March, 2008)
(12th St. & Bay City Rd.; 850 653-9294) “Florida’s last fishing frontier;” part fish camp, part motel, part restaurant – serving simply prepared and super fresh seafood; www.baycitylodge.com.

Beach Road Chicken Dinners - Jacksonville (Added May, 2005)
(4132 Atlantic Blvd; 904 398-7980) Closed Mondays; open Tues thru Sat from 4 pm to 9 pm; Sundays from 11 am to 8:30 pm.

Bert's Bar & Grill - Matlacha (Added June, 2004)
(239 282-3232) Good burgers, fried smelt & fried clams also popular items here.

Betty's Soul Food & Barbecue - Fort Lauderdale (Added March, 2002)
(601 N.W. 22nd Road - 954 583-9121)

Big Tim's BBQ - St. Petersburg (Added December, 2002)
(530 34th Street South - 727 327-7388) Go for the pork ribs with Tim's Secret Sauce; top sides include baked beans and fried corn; it's all reasonably priced, so pig out! Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Blue Heaven - Key West
(729 Thomas Street, 33040) Visit them online at www.blueheavenkw.com.

Bob Foster's BBQ - Tallahassee (Added October, 2003)

Boo's BBQ - Tampa (Added March, 2008)
(13855 W Hillsborough Ave., 813 854-3999) Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Boss Oyster - Apalachicola
(125 Water Street - 850 653-9364)

Branch Ranch - Plant City
(5121 Thonotosassa Road - 813 752-1957) Check 'em out online at www.branchranchdiningroom.com.

Brisket Basket - St. Petersburg (Added March, 2008)
(2500 Fifth Ave. N, 727 327-9712) Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Butlers Barbecue - St Petersburg (Added March, 2008)
(1100 94th Ave. N,(727) 577-3294) Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Saturday; until 9 p.m. Friday; noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Cajun Cafe on the Bayou - Pinellas Park (Added May, 2002)
(8101 Park Boulevard - 727 546-6732) Located next door to the Wagon Wheel Flea Market, this cafe is run by Joe Thibodaux from Thibodaux, Louisiana --- can you get more Cajun than that?; try the Carwfish Po Boy for just $6.95; live music is played here frequently and dancing does break out from time to time; nice waterfront setting; open Tuesday - Sunday for lunch and dinner; check Joe out online at www.cajuncafeonthebayou.olm.net.

Captain Anderson's Seafood - Panama City
(5551 N. Lagoon Drive, 32408 - 850 234-2225)

Clark's Fish Camp - Jacksonville (Added October, 2003)
(6769 34th Street North - 727 526-8072) Pork, chicken and beef BBQ; try the locally popular baked beans and the chunky pork BBQ sandwich; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Coffee Cup - Pensacola
(520 E. Cervantes Street - 850 432-7060)

Crab Pot - West Palm Beach
(286 E. Blue Herron Boulevard - 561 844-2722)

Crab Shack – St. Petersburg
(11400 Gandy Boulevard, 33702 - 813 576-7813)

Criolla's - Santa Rosa Beach
(170 East Highway 30-A, 32459 - 850 267-1267) Located about 2 miles west of Seaside, FL; the food here, while Southern and soulful, has Caribbean, Creole and Latin influences; in fact, Criolla is Spanish for Creole.

• Criolla’s Kiss Yo Mama Soup:

7 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob
½ cup roasted, peeled, chopped, poblano chiles
2 medium sized chipotle chiles, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cups milk
¼ cup butter, unsalted
1 cup chicken stock
½ pound sour cream
¼ cup fresh goat cheese
½ pound crawfish tails
1/8 cup chopped fresh chives
salt to taste

- Saute onion, corn, chipotles, and poblanos in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender and strain through a medium sieve, using a rubber spatula to retrieve as much as possible. Discard pulp. Add milk and return to pot. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and crawfish tails. Salt to taste and serve. Garnish bowls with dollops of goat cheese and chopped chives. Makes about ¾ gallon. 

Dixie Crossroads - Titusville
(1475 Garden Street - 407 268-5000)

Dolores’ Sweet Shoppe - Apalachicola (Added March, 2008)
(29 Avenue East; 850 653-9081) Open for breakfast and lunch (weekdays only); this is where locals go to get their regular fix of coastal home cooking; please don’t dare miss their deadly desserts --- and we mean that in a good way!

Dolphin Depot - Jacksonville (Added March, 2008)
(704 First Street North; 904-270-1424) Wonderful ambience; this eatery is a former gas station and is loaded with antiques and tasty Lowcountry cooking; look for dishes such as shrimp & grits, creamy she-crab soup, blackened scallops, fresh fish specials and more.

Don Ramon Cuban Cuisine - Palm Beach Gardens (Added March, 2008)
(9920 Alternate A1A; 561 625-1061) Delicious Lechon Asado (mojo marinated pulled pork with grilled onions); a second location can be found in West Palm Beach, but start your quest here, my hungry friend.

Don's Steakhouse - Labelle (Added March, 2008)
(93 South Hall Street; 941 675-2074)

Eli's Bar-B-Que - Dunedin (Added March, 2008)
(360 Skinner Blvd., 727 738-4856) Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

First Choice Southern Barbecue - Brandon (Added March, 2008)
(10113 Adamo Drive, 813 621-7434) www.firstchoicebbq.com; Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Flora and Ella's - LaBelle
(Route 29 - 813 675-2891)

Flora-Bama - Pensacola
(17401 Perdido Key Drive, 32507 - 850 492-0611) Visit them online at www.florabama.com.

Florida House Inn & Restaurant - Amelia Island
(22 S. 3rd Street - 904 277-7212) Country Inn style dining featuring Southern fare.

Half Shell Raw Bar - Key West
(231 Margaret Street - 305 294-7496)

Herbert's Lafayette Market - Palm Beach
(155 N. County Road, 33480 - 561 655-6545)

Herbie's - The Keys
(6350 Overseas Highway, 33050 - 305 743-6373)

Hickory Smoke House Barbecue - Tarpon Springs (Added December, 2002)
(6769 34th Street North; 727 526-8072) Pork, chicken and beef BBQ; try the locally popular baked beans and the chunky pork BBQ sandwich; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Hopkins Boarding House - Pensacola

House of Prayer BBQ - Ft Lauderdale
(800 W. Sunrise Boulevard - 305 583-5056) Run by the Reverend Noble Harris, an ordained preacher from age 9; started this take-out in 1974 to help fund his church programs; the spare ribs are marinated overnight ... then cooked on Harris' backyard grill; he uses a sweet, rich orange-colored sauce; open Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner only; located between the Shell station and the House of Prayer Church; eating here is a real religious experience!

Howley's - West Palm Beach (Added March, 2008)
(4700 Dixie Hwy; 561 833-5691) Retro diner established in 1950; everything is homemade; often voted "Best Diner in Palm Beach County."

Indian Pass Raw Bar - Apalachicola (Added March, 2008)
(C-30A. at Indian Pass Rd.; 850 227-1670) The oysters you eat here today probably slept (do oysters really sleep?) in the bay last night; served baked, gratineed, or nude; nothing fried - don't ask; (Call ahead for hours); www.indianpassrawbar.com.

JB'S Fish Camp - New Smyrna Beach
(859 Pompano Avenue, 32169 - 386 427-5747)

Jazzy's BBQ - Tampa (Added December, 2002)
(5703 W. Waters Avenue - 813 243-8872) Wood fired grill; load up on ribs, baked beans, potato salad and crispy slaw; save room afterwards for what some have called the best Pecan Pie in the Tampa area.

Jimbo's Pit Bar-B-Q - Tampa (Added March, 2008)
(4103 W Kennedy Blvd., 813 289-9724) www.jimbospitbarbq.com; Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Joe's Stone Crabs - Miami [Photo]
(11 Washington Avenue - 305 673-0365) Founded in 1913 by Joe and Jennie Weiss; expanded to 475 seats in 1995; historic figures such as Al Capone and J. Edgar Hoover dined here; it was perhaps the one thing they could agree on; not cheap ... $19.95 for six medium stone crab claws; a fabulous Key Lime Pie and an excellent Apple Pie made from a Hungarian recipe; also features Joe's Take Away (Carry-out) and a coffee bar; Joe's ships stone crabs overnight October 15 - May 15 ... call 1 800 780-2722.  Check 'em out online at www.joesstonecrab.com.

Julia Mae's Town Inn - Carrabelle
(1558 Highway 98, 32322 - 904 697-3791)

Kojak's House of Ribs - Tampa (Added March, 2008)
(2808 Gandy Blvd., 813 837-3774) www.kojaksbbq.com; Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

La Teresita - Tampa
(3248 Columbus Drive West, 33607 - 813 879-4909)

Latam - Tampa
(1913 N. Nebraska Avenue, 33602 - 813 223-7338)

Lazy Days - Islamorada
(Mm 79 9 Overseas Highway, 33036 - 305 664-5256)

Lightsey's Seafood Restaurant - Okeechobee (Added March, 2008)
(10430 Route 78 West) Fodor's calls this "The pick of the lake, this lodgelike restaurant at the Okee-Tantie Recreation area started closer to town as a fish company with four tables in a corner. Now folks gladly trek out here for lunch and dinner daily. Get most items fried, steamed, broiled, or grilled. The freshest are the catfish, cooter (freshwater turtle), frogs' legs, and gator." Give me the cooter and gator combo --- now that's Old Florida Cracker food, for sure.

Mallie Kyla's Cafe - Brooksville
(510 E. Liberty Street, 34601 - 352 796-7174)

Manny and Isa's - Islamorada
(Highway 1, 33036 - 305 664-5019)

Margaritaville Cafe - Key West
(500 Duvall Street, 33040 - 305 292-1435)

Maxine's - Wewahitchka
(234 Brian Setterich Road, 32465 - 850 639-4181)

Moby Dick's Restaurant - Alva (Added March, 2008)
(19581 Palm Beach Blvd.; 239 728 2301)

Oaks Restaurant, The - Panacea
(52 Coastal Highway, 32346 - 850 984-5370)

Olde Lighthouse Restaurant - Jupiter (Added March, 2008)
(1510 US Hwy 1; 561 746-4811)

Original Point - Innerarity Point
(14340 Innerarity Road, 32507 - 850 492-3577) "NOT FANCY...BUT FAMOUS"; located near the back gate of the Pensacola Naval Air Station and just minutes from the famous white sand beaches of Perdido Key; owner David Lively can almost always be found in the kitchen; weekend diners are treated to the foot-stomping sounds of "The South's Funnest Bluegrass Band" ... Bubba and Them; a garden area under giant oaks is a great summertime setting; daily seafood specials include Tuna, Trigger, Tuna, Red Snapper, and Scamp ... cooked the way you like 'em; Soft-shelled Crabs, Crab Cakes and a rich Crab Imperial are also available; other featured entrees are the Seafood Au Gratin and  Acapulco Shrimp; Fried Mullet is the dish that made this place famous; it's served with baked beans, cole slaw and hushpuppies; appetizers include Gumbo, Shrimp and Crab Bisque, Cajun Gator Stew, Conch Chowder (recipe included) or Fried Alligator; the most popular appetizer is the Royal Red Shrimp; these babies are said to be a cross between lobster and shrimp; they are huge, quite tender and have a sweet flavor; top notch desserts here include key lime pie, chocolate peanut butter pie, and a blueberry-lemon jazz cake - sort of a lemon cheesecake layered with  blueberries; open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

• ORIGINAL POINT CONCH CHOWDER

2 Bags of Conch meat – ground in food processor
4 cups diced carrots
4 cups diced celery
3 cups diced onions
4 cups diced potatoes
1 ½ oz. basil
2 oz. black pepper
6 oz. Worcestershire sauce
1 oz. seafood seasoning (I recommend Old Bay brand)
1 #10 can of tomatoes
1 cup sherry wine

- Add all the ingredients together; stir until mixed; cook over medium low heat until vegetables are tender; makes enough for a very large crowd. Enjoy!

Owl Café - Apalachicola (Added March, 2008)
(15 Avenue D; 850 653-9888) Apalach oysters dipped in rich cream, breaded with crumbs leftover from house-baked Italian bread, and then fried up crispy; eat up and then head for the cozy bar ("The Night Owl") upstairs for a nightcap.

PJ's Oyster Bar - Indian Rocks Beach (Tampa area) (Added December, 2002)
(500 1st Street, 33785 - 727 596-5898) Neighborhood seafood joint; simply prepared but very fresh; casual setting; sumptuous Stone Crab Claws are available when they're in season.

Posey's - St Marks
(55 Riverside Drive, 32355 - 904 925-6172) "Home of Posey's Famous Topless Oysters".

Red's BBQ - Orlando

Rod & Reel Pier - Anna Maria Island (Added March, 2008)
(875 North Shore Drive; 941 778-1885) Unique setting at the end of a rickety old fishing pier; fresh seafood and rustic surroundings; open in this location since 1947; bar is downstairs and diner upsatirs; the fresh catch of the day is pretty hard to beat; on the day we visited, it was blackened wahoo --- dee-lish; cole slaw is served up just right and the backdrop is even better; keep an eye open for manatees and/or passing dolphins as you dine!

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Ft. Lauderdale (Added May, 2005)
(4331 Ravenswood Rd; 954 584-1637; www.rusticinn.com) Crack open your steaming hot crabs on newspaper-covered tables; they are famous for their garlic crabs here; open since 1955, the Rustic Inn has hosted famous patrons like Jimmy Buffet, Dan Marino, and Johnny Depp; speak loudly to rise above the constant banging of crab mallets!

Rusty's Seafood and Oyster Bar - Pt. Canaveral (Added June, 2004)
(628 Glen Cheek Drive - 321 783-2033) Popular seafood hangout for the locals; drop them a line (wink, wink) at www.rustysseafood.com.

Schooner's - Jupiter (Added March, 2008)
(1001 North Highway A1A; 561 746-7558)

Shane's Rib Shack - New Tampa (Added March, 2008)
(17501 Preserve Walk Lane, 813 971-3153 / 2081 Collier Parkway, Land O'Lakes, 813 949-6790 / and 6022 Winthrop Town Centre, Riverview, 813 661-6500) www.shanesribshack.com; Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday; until 9 p.m. Sunday.

Shorty's BBQ Ranch - Miami
(9200 S. Dixie Highway, 33156 - 305 670-7732)

Silver Ring Cafe - Tampa
(206 N. Morgan Street, 33602 - 813 301-0200)

Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish - St Pete
(1350 Pasadena Avenue South, 33707 - 813 381-7931)

Tom's Place - Boca Raton
(7251 N. Federal Highway, 33487 - 407 997-0920) Tom Wright started in the restaurant business with a soul food shack in 1979; Wright recalls it was almost a full year before he saw his first white customer; he was a newspaper reporter ... and before too long, the secret was out; he has moved twice since then; his new place seats over 250 people; employees start each day with a prayer and the results are heavenly; Tom is a generous man who often reaches into the cash register and tears up dinner checks (giving that group of diners a free meal); sometimes tears up as many as 20 checks in a day; try the baby back ribs with Tom's sweet BBQ sauce; he was once offered $100,000 for the recipe ... and turned it down; lunch and dinner Tuesday - Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.

The Wheelhouse Oyster Bar - Apalachicola (Added March, 2008)
(317 Water Street; 850 653-8860) Located on the banks of the Scipio Creek; building seems to barely cling onto the dockside; oysters on the half-shell are the house specialty; smoked mullet and saltines aren't bad either; and don't you dare forget the ice cold beer!

Whitey's Fish Camp - Orange Park
(2032 County Road 220, 32003 - 904 269-4198) Fried clams, shrimp, and fish served along the meandering Swimming Pen Creek

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