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Searching for the perfect restaurants to add to your itinerary is key when planning your Emerald Coast vacation. The city of Destin is famously known as “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” and features some of the best seafood restaurants in the country! With that being said, you can be sure to please all seafood lovers at just about any restaurant in town, however, there are tons of non-seafood options as well. With so many delicious places to choose from, it can become overwhelming to decide where to dine. To make your vacation planning a bit easier, we have compiled some local Destin favorites for you to check out!
McGuire’s Irish Pub
McGuire’s Irish Pub has been an Emerald Coast staple for decades! The pub started in Pensacola, Florida in 1977 and later opened the Destin location in 1996. When visiting Destin, this is an absolute must! McGuire’s is filled to the brim with over one million signed dollar bills, Irish-themed decor, and, weekly live music creating a fun and unique dining experience for all ages! The food at this quirky pub is also a huge factor in its popularity, they are most famous for their delicious steaks, burgers, and Irish-inspired dishes like shepherd’s pie and fish n chips. This restaurant is a great late-night option as well because they serve food until 2 a.m. and it also turns into a nightclub upstairs, serving specialty cocktails like their famous “Irish Wake”! Next time you are on the Gulf Coast, be sure to check out McGuire's Irish Pub!
AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar is a Destin staple located at The Destin Harbor. This waterside dining and entertainment hub offers gorgeous sunset views of the Harbor and an overall fun dining experience! Aside from the atmosphere, AJ’s keeps their guests coming back for mouthwatering eats. The menu mostly consists of fresh gulf seafood but also offers salads, burgers, pasta dishes, sushi, and delicious appetizers, and for all the oyster lovers out there, the raw bar is shucking daily! If you love pina colada’s and gettin’ caught in the rain then be sure to stop by the tiki bar for a tropical daiquiri and catch some live music played daily!
Boshamps Seafood & Oyster House
Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House is located on the beautiful Destin Harbor and has been locally owned and operated for over 40 years. The name Boshamps is derived from the combination of the restaurant owners’ three labrador retrievers named BoBo, Otis, and Shug. Needless to say, this is a very family-friendly restaurant that wants to make you feel right at home. This restaurant caters to locals and tourists alike and spoils its guests with gorgeous coastal scenery and fresh “Gulf to Table Southern Cuisine”! They specialize in locally caught seafood but their diverse menu is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. Be sure to check out Boshamps for a great meal and even better views!
Louisiana Lagniappe
Louisiana Lagniappe is a hidden gem that has been delighting visitors and locals with its creole-cajun-inspired cuisine for over 30 years now. Since opening, Louisiana Lagniappe has served only the freshest of seafood, steaks, traditional cajun dishes, and more. When you dine at this local hotspot, you can expect not only delicious meals but also phenomenal service as well! This beautiful restaurant offers an upscale dining experience with white linen table cloths and waterfront views but a family-friendly price point so you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy this beautiful restaurant. They are open for dinner year-round with off-season dinner specials, so be sure to stop in and dine at one of Destin’s finest restaurants!
Pompano Joes
Pompano Joes is a beach-front restaurant located in Miramar Beach on old scenic Highway 98. This tropical paradise has been open since 1995 and offers unique Caribbean-style cuisine with gorgeous gulf-front views! Their unique menu will have you savoring the flavors of the Islands with options such as jerk chicken, snow crab, their signature “reggae eggrolls”, seafood platters, cheeseburgers, and more! If you are looking for a casual dining option with beach views and a menu that satisfies a range of interests then look no further and head to Pompano Joes Miramar Beach!
