Rocco Smith
Located just south of Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach is a lively coastal town with white, sandy beaches overlooking a deep blue Atlantic surf.
Beachgoers of all types will love the myriad of aquatic activities, public beaches, and national parks that abound.
The larger wave sets at New Smyrna Beach are especially popular for surfers and boogie boarders, while the lovely Ponce de Leon Inlet offers tranquil waters and a historic 19th-century lighthouse.
Smyrna Dunes Park has something for everyone, with giant dunes, pristine beaches, trails, and docks.
After a long day surfing, picnicking, swimming, and sunbathing, visitors can head to New Smyrna Beach’s main artery of Flagler Avenue to explore art galleries, boutiques, and a vibrant restaurant scene overlooking the ocean.
While many fantastic restaurants lie along Flagler Avenue, there are plenty of other excellent dining options in New Smyrna Beach, offering hearty breakfasts to fuel a day of surfing, casual midday meals, and romantic beachside dinners.
Best Restaurants in New Smyrna Beach
- Third Wave Cafe & Wine Bar
- The Garlic
- The Breakers Ocean Front Restaurant & Bar
- The Baker’s Table
- Blackbeard’s Inn
- CorkScrew Bar and Grille
- The Taco Shack
- YELLOW DOG EATS
- Cafe Verde
- Riverpark Terrace
- Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar
Whether you want Mexican food or fresh seafood, you’ll find what you’re looking for on the following list of restaurants in New Smyrna Beach.
Third Wave Cafe & Wine Bar
204 Flagler Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-402-7864
Visit Website
You’ll find Third Wave Cafe and Wine Bar located on Flagler Avenue, the famous coastal main street in New Smyrna Beach’s city center.
It’s a gorgeous coastal coffee shop, café, and wine bar dedicated to sustainable sourcing for their globally-inspired wine and food.
Located inside a charming yellow house with a lush green garden adorned with twinkling lights and torches, Third Wave Café and Wine Bar has been a James Beard Foundation Smart Catch Leader since 2018.
Executive Chef David Moscoso has over twenty years of culinary experience to draw from, creating a stunning breakfast, brunch, and dinner menu.
The dinner menu features a variety of fish dishes, Neapolitan-style pizzas, and an extensive list of small shareable plates.
The Garlic
556 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-424-6660
Visit Website
The Garlic is an authentic Italian eatery and bar in a festive and funky boho-chic beach shack adorned with countless kitschy antiques and surrounded by beautiful greenery.
Located minutes from Callalisa Park, The Garlic has live music every night from local artists and friendly, knowledgeable staff to make your dining experience as memorable as your delicious meal.
Executive Chef Michael Perri creates a decadent menu of Southern Italian comfort food to pair with imported Italian wines.
I loved the traditional Cioppino, a Southern Italian seafood stew with shrimp, scallops, lobster, clams, mussels, calamari, and fish sauteed in tomato-saffron broth with fresh herbs.
The Breakers Ocean Front Restaurant & Bar
518 Flagler Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-428-2019
Visit Website
Located right on the waters of New Smyrna Beach along the famous Flagler Avenue, The Breakers Ocean Front Restaurant and Bar is a friendly, casual American restaurant and bar with a spectacular outdoor deck.
They serve American comfort food and tropical drinks, and their burgers received the vote for top 5 burgers in Florida by Orlando My Way.
Whether you want nachos, chili cheese fries, burgers, or fish fries, The Breakers Ocean Front Restaurant and bar has a wide variety of all your favorite summertime fare.
I recommend the NSB Burger, with provolone, sauteed onions, green peppers, and mushrooms with lettuce and tomatoes.
The Baker’s Table
4154 S Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-423-6656
Visit Website
Owned and operated by husband and wife chefs Jaime and Jeanette Quintana, The Baker’s Table is a friendly bakery and New American bistro in the Sandstone neighborhood.
The couple’s combined experiences as chefs and pastry chefs in New York and New Jersey inform their eclectic menu of fresh, beautifully presented dinners and brunches.
Chef Jeanette is a pastry chef by training, so the menu has a variety of savory baked dishes like quiches and soft pretzels.
Chef Jaime uses his Mexican heritage and New York kitchen experience to offer authentic ceviche as well as classic New York brunch plates like potato pancakes and lox.
Blackbeard’s Inn
701 N Dixie Fwy, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Phone: 386-427-0414
Visit Website
Blackbeard’s Inn has been a New Smyrna Beach staple for over 40 years, opened in 1980 by the Kinzey family to provide a classic steakhouse experience for all budgets.
Located a quick drive south of the New Smyrna Beach Airport in a giant nautically themed boathouse, Blackbeard’s Inn is a family-friendly establishment with staff that makes everyone feel at home.
They have an Early Bird Special from 4-6 pm daily with discounted prices on most seafood and steak entrée dishes. Their large seafood menu has broiled specialties and stuffed, baked seafood.
I recommend sampling the surf and turf menu, with a plate of baked crab-stuffed shrimp with tender chunks of filet mignon.
CorkScrew Bar and Grille
235 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Phone: 386-957-3955
Visit Website
You’ll find CorkScrew Bar and Grille located in New Smyrna Beach’s historic downtown in an 80-year-old Chicago red brick building with old school decor.
It’s a lively American steak and seafood restaurant, cocktail bar, and pub. Owners Bob and Sharon Wiley have created a welcoming environment with live music, a great cocktail happy hour, and a dinner menu that’s received The Dayton News Journal’s vote for best dinner.
They have different drink specials daily, like Moscow Mule Monday, and they also offer cheap margaritas all day every day. The massive menu has sandwiches, salads, burgers, steaks, seafood, and house specialties.
My favorite dish was the stuffed meatloaf with country smoked ham and gouda cheese, smothered in gravy and crispy onions straws and served over whipped potatoes and a Southern black-eyed pea medley.
The Taco Shack
642 N Dixie Fwy, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Phone: 386-428-9882
Visit Website
The Taco Shack is a family-owned and operated Mexican American food restaurant. Married couple Emily and Michael Colon run the front of house and kitchen respectively with the help of Emily’s parents and their three children.
Teetering between Camary Mad Groves and Bouchelles Palmetto Park in a quaint roadhouse, The Taco Shack serves traditional Mexican street food and Latin-inspired sandwiches.
They offer a wide array of tacos in both soft corn and crunchy puffed tacos as well as burritos, tostadas, empanadas, sandwiches, and a small selection of wine and beer. I recommend their fish tacos with fried fish, pineapple slaw, and chipotle sauce.
Yellow Dog Eats
147 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Phone: 386-410-4824
Visit Website
Yellow Dog Eats is a hip barbecue joint and beer pub near Riverside Park. The locale serves craft beers and an eclectic barbecue fusion menu in a laid-back and colorful setting with a great outdoor patio.
They feature their expertly smoked meats in globally inspired dishes, from tacos to sandwiches, and have an extensive vegetarian and vegan menu.
They’re most famous for their pulled pork, which you can get in a sandwich, over nachos, in tacos, and on a salad.
I went for the over-the-top pulled pork nachos with tri-colored tortilla chips piled high with pulled pork, black beans, queso, house-made salsa, sweet Thai chili sauce, cherry pepper rings, pickled onions and jalapenos, scallions, cilantro, sour cream, and BBQ sauce.
Cafe Verde
301b Flagler Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-957-3958
Visit Website
Café Verde is a welcoming and casual global eatery along Flagler Avenue. The Clancy family opened it in 2012 with an all-inclusive cuisine that runs the gamut from Mexican to Middle Eastern.
They also offer a full bar with an extensive list of craft beers, including 12 artisanal beers from Florida breweries.
Café Verde has a great happy hour daily from 3-6 pm with discounted house wines, sangria, beer, and snacks.
They offer lunch and dinner as well as Sunday brunch. I loved their creative brunch menu with a variety of tropical mimosas and Mexican Micheladas.
My favorite brunch dish is the Sweet and Spicy Hash with two fried eggs, sweet plantains, fried potatoes, roasted corn, sauteed onions, red peppers, and pico de gallo, topped with green onions and queso fresco.
Riverpark Terrace
302 S Riverside Dr, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Phone: 386-427-2903
Visit Website
Overlooking the lovely Riverside Park on Halifax River, Riverpark Terrace is a cute, tropical bar and modern American restaurant, using locally sourced ingredients and spirits from Florida distilleries.
The lush green plants and washed-wood tables and outdoor bar, along with scratch-made food and expertly crafted cocktails make Riverpark Terrace a romantic and charming date night setting.
You can catch live music throughout the week in the evenings while you sip a creative cocktail or glass of wine from their impressive wine list.
The high-end brunch, lunch, and dinner menus run the American regional gamut. I started with the fried green tomatoes with local greens, Cajun remoulade, and roasted corn salsa.
For a fresh and flavorful main course, I recommend the Asian tuna with brown sugar and soy glaze, served with coconut rice, and cabbage and pepper stir-fry.
Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar
400 E 2nd Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-428-4621
Visit Website
Owned by Don and Pamela Simmons, Norwood’s Restaurant and Treehouse Bar is an old 1920s general store turned 1940s seafood restaurant, turned tropical treehouse bar overlooking Callalisa Park.
Don Simmons worked at Norwood’s in college under the previous owner, becoming manager, and then owner, expanding the restaurant to include two different open-air bars and additional eating spaces.
The Simmons uphold the legacy of fresh seafood and fine dining that Norwood’s has offered for the past 70+ years. They source their produce and seafood from local farmers and fishermen.
I loved the Chorizo Crusted Grouper, baked with yuzu kosho aioli and served over roasted garlic mashed potatoes with house vegetables.
Final Thoughts
New Smyrna Beach’s vibrant restaurant scene encompasses a wide variety of global cuisines while offering a laid-back, tropical vibe to honor its natural beauty and seafood bounty.
If you prefer dining at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the sea, check out our list of the best waterfront restaurants in New Smyrna Beach.
Whether you’re looking for an authentic fish taco, a fine-dining seafood meal, or a hopping beachside bar and grill, you’ll find the best restaurants in New Smyrna Beach on the above list. Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment and we’ll check it out!
