Food Tours
If you want a sampling of Old Florida fare at some authentic Florida restaurants, try these.
Breakfast
You could start out at the north end of the corridor on US 17 in Pierson. Pierson is known today for its Ferneries and for being the home of Atlanta Braves Baseball great Chipper Jones.
Pierson’s Family Restaurant
A small but homey family style restaurant on a stretch of road that will make you feel like you stepped back in time. With a range of American cuisine, it’s especially good for breakfast.
After breakfast you could drive down the road a piece to Barberville and the Pioneer Settlement for Arts & Crafts and stroll through the collection of Cracker style historic buildings (from the early 1900s) that the founders brought together to form the settlement. It’s an amazing walk back in time – a quiet, beautiful spot. If you’d rather see a real Florida artesian spring, head further down US 17 to the town of Deleon Springs and DeLeon Springs State Park.
Pierson’s Family Restaurant
302 S Center St, Pierson, FL 32180
(386) 749-9979
Lunch
Unbelievably, there are places in the USA that don’t have good barbeque, or any barbeque for that matter. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer BBQ deprivation here, but you may have a tough time deciding which of these local favorites to try. Each of these places has its avid fans, and the debate continues as to which is the best. Don’t get the locals started on which is the favorite – these restaurants can’t even agree on how to spell barbeque: BBQ, or Bar-B-Q or barbeque.
Pitmasters BBQ
Pitmasters BBQ is right on US 17 between DeLand and DeLeon Springs. This place has “old fashioned southern style barbeque, cooked at low temperatures for many hours” and they only cook their meat using real wood, no gas or electric burners. It has a great cozy atmosphere, a fireplace, and a bar to go along with its fantastic barbeque pork, beef, and briquette. Open seven days a week.
Pitmasters BBQ
4425 North US Highway 17, DeLand, FL 32720
(386) 985-4488
Brian’s Bar-B-Q
Brian’s also boasts slow cooking and oak logs for the meats. They use the closed pit cooking technique and feature a dual cooking method. Brian’s has that traditional barbeque décor of wood walls, booths and tables with plenty of seating.
Brian’s Bar-B-Q
795 N Spring Garden Ave, DeLand, FL 32720
(386) 736-8851
Dustin’s Barbecue
Just like the other two listed, Dustin’s serves real southern barbecue. Their motto is: “At Dustin’s, Great Barbecue is what we do, but Friendly is who we are.” Beef, pork, chicken & ribs served in a family owned restaurant. This is one of their five locations in Florida.
Dustin’s Barbecue
1375 S Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32720
(386) 738-5607
Dinner
So you’ve had authentic barbecue and need to walk off some of those calories to have room for a “Real Florida” dinner. Take a drive east toward Oak Hill. You’d head south out of DeLand, through Enterprise, around the north shore of Lake Monroe to Osteen and then take Maytown Road east to Oak Hill. This will take you to the Halifax River on the eastern most border of the River of Lakes Heritage Corridor. You can visit Seminole Rest, which is a nice paved trail along the river and an excellent elevated view (yes, elevated) at the historic house there (which is open Thursday – Sunday). Just down the street is your restaurant destination.
Goodrich Seafood Restaurant & Oyster House
This place is worth the trip! Look for the statue of the giant Fisherman in his yellow raincoat just outside the establishment. This historic restaurant features a large deck on the Halifax River. Goodrich’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster House has spanned 9 generations, dating back to 1910. It’s one of those hidden gems of this corridor. Get there before dark to enjoy the view of the river and the islands that dot the opposite coast. If you’re lucky, you just might spot Miami Dolphin football great Larry Czonka (of the 1972 undefeated Dolphins). Mr. Czonka is the property owner and can be spotted during the winter months when he lives in the area. This place has great seafood and a friendly downhome feel. Opened for breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Goodrich Seafood Restaurant & Oyster House
253 River Rd, Oak Hill, FL 32759
(386) 345-3397
