Florida
Tallahassee area’s landmark restaurants that stand the test of time
Tallahassee area’s landmark restaurants that stand the test of time
Here is a list of Tallahassee restaurants that have withstood the test of taste and time.
Tallahassee’s landmark restaurants add flavor to this capital city.
Whether you’re looking for raw oysters, a good place to find a hearty baked ziti or specialty chicken sandwich, these gems have provided these dishes for decades, and patrons say they never fail to satisfy their cravings.
Each restaurant boasts its own origin, from people who had one standout recipe that drew in crowds or longtime chefs looking to transport people to different countries with their food, what makes them legendary is their ability to still do just that.
Here is a list of favorite restaurants in the area that have withstood the test of taste and time for at least 25 years and more.
Angelo’s Seafood Restaurant | 1945
5 Mashes Sands Road, Panacea; 850-984-5168; angelospanacea.com
For nearly 80 years, Angelo’s Seafood Restaurant in nearby Panacea has provided the region with a taste of waterfront leisure, positioned over the Ochlockonee Bay and a menu filled with surf-and-turf favorites. This family operated business, which makes for the perfect destination to watch the sunset, originally drew in crowds with its bar but made loyal patrons with its food. This gem has served as a go-to spot for generations for its favored menu which features boat to table seafood delicacies prepared with Greek influences for those positioned in the Sunshine State and Georgia.
Clusters & Hops | 1999
1866 Thomasville Road;850-222-2669: winencheese.com
This chic bistro best known for its selection of imported wines and an eclectic menu originally operated on North Monroe Street for 23 years, but recently moved to Thomasville Road to add a little more room for its luxe wines, imported cheeses and a more spacious dining area. Clusters & Hops owner Kent Steele, transports people to a new world with the popular, tasteful charcuterie board and dining courses offered which can range from a truffle macaroni and cheese or Colorado grass-fed elk carpaccio salad to its different lavosh entrees (a thin flatbread) offered in a duck or baked marinated eggplant style.
Dog Et Al | 1984
3437 Bannerman Road; 850-222-4099; dogetalusa.com
Tallahassee’s landmark comfort food joint, Dog Et Al, is going on 41 years this year. It’s been known for its classic offerings of dogs and toppings but also for creating cherished memories for several generations of Tallahassee residents. The hot dog joint originally opened on Adams Street, but many have grown fond of its iconic South Monroe location which offered a nostalgic diner ambience with its red and white striped walls decorated with vintage Coca Cola advertisements. It has now closed that location and found a new home on Bannerman Road.
Food Glorious Food | 1982
1950 Thomasville Road; 850-224-9974;food-glorious-food.squarespace.com
For all 42 years of its glory, this local favorite has provided an eclectic range of fare giving you a taste of international flavors from its brick-and-mortar location on Thomasville Road for its brunch, lunch and dinner services. This family operation has become a dining destination, and the award-winning menu is the main attraction. There are no limits when it comes to this menu, from the starters to the decadent desserts, you’re in for a treat with plenty of options to choose from with its hamburgers and plenty fine appetizers, salads, sandwiches and hot entrees. During lunch hours, you can eat specialty chicken sandwiches in the upstairs dining area from Birdie’s at Betton.
Georgio’s Fine Food & Spirits | 1994
2971 Apalachee Parkway; 850-877-3211; georgiostallahassee.com
The landmark establishment Georgio’s Fine Food & Spirits, a fine dining restaurant, offers Greek, Italian and American dishes for their dinner service Tuesday to Saturday. Upon your visit, longtime restauranter and owner George Koikos, with a career spanning over five decades may greet you and say hello. Outside of the warmth from its family friendly approach to its dining service, the food is what leaves a lasting impression. The menu includes appetizers, sandwiches, salads, seafood, chicken, vegetarian, beef and lamb entrees.
Hopkins Eatery | 1982
Hopkins Eatery has three locations in Tallahassee.
This long-standing casual eatery, popular for its specialty sandwiches snuggled between its fresh baked bread, decadent salads and delicious treats has been around for over 40 years. This eatery got started with one single mother of four, the late Martha “Dee Dee” Johnston, who was looking to fulfill her dream of “serving her friends and neighbors delicious and fresh food,” as the website says. With the help of her family and longtime patrons, she’s done just that. This gourmet sandwich shop has been recognized by many for its family style service and flagship dishes ranging from the “guac sandwich” served on rye pumpernickel or the specialty “Chicken Tetrazzini” a cashew chicken salad with linguine, mushrooms, cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion and bell pepper with a house dressing drizzle on top.
Kool Beanz | 1996
921 Thomasville Road; 850-224-2466; koolbeanz-cafe.com
You may not know what to expect on the menu when you visit, but one thing is certain, the artsy, funky and family-friendly vibe of Kool Beanz Cafe remains as a consistent food landmark in Midtown. Opening in 1996, under the ownership of Keith Baxter, Kool Beanz continues to prevail as an award-winning establishment by connecting to the community with its vibrant decor, dynamic dishes, loyal staff and easy-going aura. Whenever you can catch it, one of the praised dishes from the dinner menu is linguini made with shrimp, mushrooms, tasso ham, asiago and roasted garlic cream sauce. Baxter, originally from London, uses the lessons and inspiration from his travels to keep guests on their toes with new menu options rolling out daily.
Lindy’s Chicken | 1968
1231 E. Lafayette St..; 850-877-5698; lindys-chicken.com
Tallahassee has had its fair share of chicken joints from franchises looking to settle into the capital city, but many say they don’t hold a candle to this Tallahassee institution. Lindy’s Chicken, operating for nearly 60 years, is now down to one Tallahassee location. Besides being dubbed as one of the only places rapper T-Pain visits when he’s in his hometown, this prized chicken spot got started in the back of a bowling alley and was able to expand to other locations. Outside of the specialty chicken, the “odds and ends” menu is offered as well which features gizzards and livers.
Little Italy | 1987
111 S. Magnolia Drive; 850-878-7781; littleitalytlh.com
Little Italy, a family operation has continued to serve Tallahassee a little slice of Italy for over 35 years now. The intimate shop located on Magnoli Drive has served traditional Italian dishes from pizzas, pasta entrees, baked entrees and other staple dishes. Its attractive outside dining area creates the perfect ambiance for any occasion for both its lunch and dinner service.
Mom & Dads Italian Restaurant | 1963
3421 Bannerman Road; 850-877-4518; momanddadstally.com
This fine dining Italian restaurant has been loved by generations of patrons for its traditional Italian dishes first served at its location on Apalachee Parkway. The restaurant then expanded to Bannerman and Thomasville roads over 50 years later. Not only do we know this gem for its dinner and weekend brunch services suitable for any occasion, but Mom & Dad’s Italian Restaurant made its big-screen debut when Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (“The Silence of the Lambs”) used its retro decor as the backdrop for a memorable scene while filming his road movie “Something Wild” (1986).
Olean’s Cafe | 1997
1605 S. Adams St.; 850-521-0259; Facebook
Anyone looking for a little bit of warmth and comfort can find it in a hearty plate from Olean’s Cafe, perfected with a side of “Jesus Passion Juice.” This cafeteria-style restaurant has been operating for nearly 30 years with the fuel of morning prayers and a determined owner, Olean McCaskill, who knows that hospitality is her calling and food is the answer, offers soul food for its breakfast and lunch services. Guests are greeted and treated like family, with staff making sure you get enough to eat and adding their recommendations if your plate is a little light. While waiting for a platter, you’re bound to reunite with an old friend or family member. Former president Joe Biden stopped by for a plate when we was vice president in 2016.
Reangthai Thai Restaurant | 1994
2740 Capital Circle N.E.; 850-386-7898; orderreangthai.com
The restaurant wedged between a handful of shops in the Festival Shopping Center on Capital Circle Northeast for nearly three decades exudes its own personality, much aligned with its operator Nipada Mulsing – warm and expressive. Mulsing, more popularly known as “Chef Donna”, makes guest feel like they are in the comfort of their own grandmother’s home with her natural attentiveness and desire to fulfill every guest that walks through the door with her authentic Thai dishes. The Thai-fused restaurant pridefully offers a mix of her grandma’s traditional recipes and Mulsing’s personal flair with the use of locally sourced ingredients.
Riccardo’s Italian Restaurant | 1999
1950 Thomasville Road; 850-386-3988; riccardostally.com
The family-owned Riccardo’s Restaurant in Betton Place celebrated 25 years of operation in Tallahassee in October. Operating since 1999, the restaurant was originally owned by Tina Lipford, who bought Riccardo’s and made it into a family affair on Capital Circle. In 2006, Lipford’s daughter Alicea and son-in law John Acevedo took over. Saucy meatballs, handmade pizzas, and a secret dough recipe, each relished for quality and consistent taste, are all factors that make Riccardo’s an Italian casual dining destination in the city, but its family style operation is what makes it a true “dining room away from home,” as their personal mantra says.
Shell Oyster Bar | 1945
14 Famu Way; 850-224-9919; Facebook
Oysters, a salty sea delicacy and Tallahassee tradition are enjoyed at longtime establishment Shell Oyster Bar located on FAMU Way. The dive style oyster shack and restaurant started in a former gas station on South Monroe Street in 1945, selling only raw oysters and small bottles of soda until 1992. When it moved to FAMU Way, still in the shadow of the Capitol, owner Leroy Milligan added fried oysters, plus scallops, shrimp, grouper and other seafood to the menu. The generous grouper sandwiches are a favorite. It’s all devoured by students, families, legislators and lobbyists alike. Cash only.
Uptown Cafe | 1983
1325 Miccosukee Road; 850-219-9800; uptowncafeandcatering.com
This family owned Uptown Cafe has been operating for more than 40 years serving appealing breakfast and lunch items daily including its giant pancakes. The intimate restaurant first operating downtown on College Avenue and moved its operations across from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital after 20 years. One of its specialties is apricot glazed smoked salmon, not only enjoyed by its Tallahassee patrons but across the nation.
Z. Bardhi’s Italian Cuisine | 1997
3596 Kinhega Drive; 850-894-9919; zbardhis.com
For over 25 years, Z Bardhi’s Italian Cuisine has treated the capital city to “Italian taste in a southern space,” as its website says. This fine dining eatery, housed in a cottage near the entrance to the Killearn Lakes Plantation subdivision has been a go-to for years for traditional Italian dishes from its seasonal appetizers and entrees to its long list of luxe wines.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article includes previously reported information. Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
The quick-firing Eta Aquarids will shoot across Florida skies in the early hours between May 5 and May 6.
Floridians who are willing to stay up to see the Eta Aquarid meteor shower may be able to see spectacular incandescent bits of debris from passing meteors, according to NASA.
Unlike last month’s Lyrid meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids will only have about 10 meteors per hour due to the moon’s brightness. Here’s what Florida Panhandle residents need to know to catch a peek at the meteor shower.
What makes the Eta Aquarids meteor shower special?
Eta Aquarid meteors hail from Halley’s comet, which was last seen by casual observers in our solar system in 1986, according to NASA.
The meteors are known for being quite fast, shooting across the sky at 40.7 miles per second. Their speed is responsible for the long trains of debris that follow in the wake of the meteors.
Stargazers can usually catch the Eta Aquarids meteor shower when they peak in early May.
When is the best time to see Eta Aquarids meteor shower in the Florida Panhandle?
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak in the early morning hours between May 5 and May 6. The sky over the Florida Panhandle will be darkest around 12:45 a.m., but the moon’s luminosity and moderage cloud coverage will obscure views of the shower.
Where to look for Eta Aquarids meteor shower in the sky?
Look for Eta Aquarid meteors in the eastern sky, near the constellation Aquarius. The meteors originate from the area of the constellation that features one of its brightest stars, Eta Aquarii, according to NASA.
Here’s some more specific information regarding where to look in Pensacola, provided by TimeandDate.com.
Time (May 6)
Direction
Altitude
3 a.m.
95° east
7.6°
4 a.m.
103° east-southeast
20.3°
5 a.m.
113° east-southeast
32.6°
6 a.m.
125° southeast
43.9°
The direction is in reference to true north, and the altitude measures height in degrees over horizon.
How cloudy will it be?
View of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower will be further obscured by sky coverage, according to the National Weather Service. Sky coverage is forecast to be about 55% at 1 a.m. on May 5, and 48% by 4 a.m.
Tips to see Eta Aquarids meteor shower
Seeing the Eta Aquarids meteor shower will require a bit of luck in the Panhandle. Here are some tips to help you have the best chance of catching a meteor:
- Skies in the Florida Panhandle should be darkest around 12:45 a.m., making it the best time to see the Eta Aquarids.
- Find a spot with as little light pollution as possible, like the beach or rural areas.
- Bring something comfortable to sit or lie on, like a lawn chair, blanket or sleeping bag.
- Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
When is the next meteor shower?
There will be a gap between meteor showers following the Eta Aquarids. The Southern delta Aquarids will peak on the night of July 30.
2026 meteor shower calendar
Popular showers, like the Perseids, Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids, are just a few months away.
The following meteor showers are still ahead in 2026, according to the American Meteor Society:
- Southern delta Aquarids – July 12 to Aug. 23; peaks on the night of July 30
- Alpha Capricornids – July 3 to Aug. 15; peaks on the night of July 30
- Perseids – July 17 to Aug. 24; peaks on the night of Aug. 12
- Orionids – Oct. 2 to Nov. 7; peaks on the night of Oct. 21
- Southern Taurids – Sept. 20 to Nov. 20; peaks on the night of Nov. 4
- Northern Taurids – Oct. 20 to Dec. 10; peaks on the night of Nov. 11
- Leonids – Nov. 6 to Nov. 30; peaks on the night of Nov. 16
- Geminids – December 4, 2026 to Dec. 17; peaks on the night of Dec. 13
- Ursids – Dec. 17 to Dec. 26; peaks on the night of Dec. 21
- Quadrantids – Dec. 28, 2026 to Jan. 12, 2027; peaks on the night of Jan. 3, 2027
His goals include making Stuart’s economy one based on tourism.
MARTIN COUNTY — Sensing chaos in the city, former Stuart Mayor Merritt Matheson has filed to run again for a seat on the City Commission.
So far, he has one opponent: Johnny Cealmov.
Matheson served as mayor from December 2021 to August 2022, when former Mayor Christopher Collins defeated him by a slim margin of 95 votes or 2.6% in the election that year. He began his service as a city commissioner in 2018.
“I’m running to bring back integrity, respectful, responsible leadership and stability to the city of Stuart,” Matheson said. “I’d like to stop the chaos that we’ve seen in the city.”
Collins, in his first term on the commission, quit as mayor April 30 to run for Martin County Commission. Stuart Vice Mayor Sean Reed automatically becomes mayor.
The chaos includes going through four city managers in six months and departures of high-level staff, such as the finance director, as well as other finance department staff, Matheson said.
The chaos also includes, he said, the unnecessary lawsuits the city has faced and others it lost, such as one with Polk Street Hotels. It includes, too, the severance paid to former City Manager Michael Mortell, who was fired without cause.
The city remains out of compliance with Senate Bill 180, a state law prohibiting changes to land development regulations between August 1, 2024, and October 1, 2027, because it’s still implementing the changes it made after August 1, 2024.
The state, Matheson said, has reacted to the chaos by taking away Stuart’s ability to govern itself — by enacting laws like SB 180 — which made changes to Stuart’s land development regulations null and void.
What prompted Matheson to run?
Nothing in particular prompted him to run for City Commission this time, he said. The chaos certainly played a part.
Collins’ push to use Martin County Forever funds to buy a historic school building was another reason, Matheson said. Martin County Forever funds are meant for improvements to water quality and to conserve environmentally sensitive land.
Stuart is getting about $2 million a year for 10 years from the Martin County Forever initiative that voters passed in 2024.
“The best way to manage growth in Martin County is grow our conservation land,” Matheson said. He helped lead the work to get the Martin County Forever initiative passed and he sits on the Martin County Environmental Lands Oversight Committee, which helps direct the use of those funds.
What he would like to accomplish
Calling himself a “slow-growth proponent,” Matheson said he follows the law and understands property rights, too, he said.
“The job of a commissioner, more often than not, is choosing the best of two bad outcomes,” Matheson said.
He would like to improve the city’s infrastructure, such as sidewalks, bike lanes and landscaping. And he wants to find solutions to ease traffic. He’s a proponent of other ways of getting around, which might include a water taxi, for example.
And he would like Stuart to become a tourism-based economy, rather than a growth-based economy, he said.
Keith Burbank is a watchdog reporter for TCPalm, usually covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com.
If housing costs went down as development increased, that would already be happening. But it didn’t happen that way in California, and it’s not going to happen in Florida, either.
Can anything fix the US housing crisis?
Will 2026 bring an affordable housing fix, or are high prices the new normal for buyers and renters?
“It’s the economy, stupid,” Bill Clinton famously proclaimed on his way to winning the presidency in 1992. As we approach midterm elections more than 30 years later, a similar catchphrase could be: “It’s affordability, stupid.”
Many Americans consider the cost of living the top issue that needs to be addressed in November elections. While food, gas and health care costs are a big part of this equation, the biggest expense many families have to reckon with every month is their mortgage or rent payments.
With that in mind, it’s instructive to look at what has happened – and is happening – in Florida and California, two large, heavily populated states on opposite sides of our country.
By one metric, these states appear to be headed in different directions. However, they have more in common than their political leaders might imagine.
A tale of two states, more alike than they may realize
In 2025, California experienced a net loss of 150,000 people, according to one estimate. Other estimates indicate slow growth over the past three years, although the state’s population is about where it was in 2019, before significant population losses during the COVID-19 years.
By contrast, my home state of Florida has been growing like a flower in springtime. Florida added almost 200,000 residents from 2024 to 2025, capping a decade with an overall population growth of 16.5%.
If you’re planning a car trip to Disney World or other Orlando area attractions this summer, these growth statistics will become more than an abstraction.
As you’re driving south on Interstate 75 near the Florida Turnpike junction, about an hour north of your destination, there’s an excellent chance you’ll get mired in bumper-to-bumper traffic in what seems like the middle of nowhere.
You’ll actually be passing through two of the nation’s fastest-growing metro areas, Ocala and The Villages, which may be totally unfamiliar unless you’re a horse breeder or you’ve heard tales about senior citizens spending their retirement years engaged in bawdy activities.
What political narratives miss on affordability
In the hyperpartisan shorthand of our times, a simple narrative has emerged: People are fleeing the liberal, tax-and-spend policies of California, a blue state, while they’re flocking to the red state paradise Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed “the Free State of Florida.”
That surely makes a good applause line at conservative political events, but the reality is much more practical. According to research by the Public Policy Institute of California, high housing costs are most often cited as the reason why people have chosen to leave the Golden State.
According to the institute, about 900,000 people left California from 2015 to 2025 over housing costs. More than 1 in 3 Californians have at least considered leaving the state for that reason.
That should be setting off alarm bells in Florida and other places where fast population growth is seen as a sign of prosperity.
Even with the recent downturn, California’s population has grown from almost 33.9 million in 2000 to 39.3 million, according to U.S. Census data. During many of those years, California was outpacing the national growth rate.
During that time, the median home price nearly quadrupled, from $226,870 in January 2000 to $889,190 this March.
Florida’s housing prices have been rising with its population, too. Median home prices in the Sunshine State are about $420,000 now, up from about $105,500 in 2000.
Some Florida lawmakers apparently think they can grow their way out of a housing affordability crisis. The state legislature has approved a bill that places new limits on local governments’ efforts to control growth and development within their jurisdictions.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. David Borrero, a Republican from the Miami suburb of Hialeah, suggested the legislation would drive home costs down by increasing the stock of housing available in the state.
That would be true only if all housing units looked the same, but they don’t. Modern developers aren’t building quaint bungalows for working-class folks anymore. They’re building mega mansions and high-rise oceanfront condominiums, because – as the old saying goes – that’s where the money is.
If housing costs went down as development increased, that would already be happening. But it didn’t happen that way in California, and it’s not going to happen in Florida, either.
‘Build, baby, build’ isn’t an affordable housing strategy
Developers always seem to think the solution is to build more houses – and let the market take care of itself. However, market corrections may take years to take shape, while most regular folks are battling with their household expense budgets on a month-to-month basis.
There are certainly ways to encourage more specific types of affordable housing. For example, by offering tax breaks or other incentives for more “live-work” spaces, where apartments or condos are located above businesses, or so-called “mother-in-law” units, where small guest houses are permitted on lots with larger primary homes.
Small-lot houses, apartments or condominiums clustered around commercial areas can create walkable neighborhoods, where more people can walk to work or shopping rather than commuting long distances between urban centers and the suburbs.
But if developers just get a free hand to do whatever they want, wherever they want, they’re going to keep building more expensive homes on large land tracts until the real estate bubble bursts.
At that point, people are going to start voting with their moving vans, leaving Florida, much like they did in California.
These two large states, ranked first and third in population, should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of the country. Trying to grow your way out of a housing affordability problem just won’t work.
Blake Fontenay is USA TODAY’s commentary editor.
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