10 Florida Dishes People Miss As Soon As They Leave
Florida’s cuisine is full of flavors that linger long after your last bite. From fresh seafood and zesty citrus dishes to unique local specialties, these meals leave an impression you can’t shake.
Whether it’s the perfect key lime pie, savory seafood, or a hidden diner favorite, each dish tells a story of the state’s vibrant food scene.
Prepare to crave, remember, and plan your next delicious return to Florida.
1. Publix Chicken Tender Sub (Pub Sub)
Nothing triggers Florida nostalgia quite like Publix’s legendary chicken tender sub. Warm, crispy tenders tucked into a soft roll with your choice of toppings and sauces create sandwich perfection.
Locals track “Pub Sub sales” like weather forecasts. The combination of hot chicken, cool veggies, and that special Publix bread has achieved cult status across the state.
2. Cuban Bread
Forget sourdough – Cuban bread reigns supreme in Florida bakeries.
This crusty-outside, pillowy-inside masterpiece comes with a signature split down the middle and serves as the foundation for Miami’s famous sandwiches.
Traditional bakers still place a palmetto leaf on top before baking, creating that distinctive ridge. Fresh from the oven each morning, its yeasty aroma fills neighborhoods from Tampa to Key West.
3. Guava and Cheese Pastelitos
Sweet meets savory in these heavenly pastry pockets. Flaky, buttery dough cradles a molten center of tropical guava paste and tangy white cheese that creates an irresistible flavor combination.
Morning coffee isn’t complete without these treats in South Florida. The sticky-sweet guava caramelizes slightly during baking, while the cheese provides the perfect creamy balance to cut through the sweetness.
4. Key West Pink Shrimp
Candy from the sea! These naturally rosy crustaceans taste sweeter than regular shrimp and maintain their tender texture whether grilled, boiled, or fried.
Harvested from the clear waters surrounding the Florida Keys, pink shrimp need minimal seasoning to shine. Their natural sweetness and firm bite make them the star of seafood platters across the state.
5. Florida Spiny Lobster
Unlike their Maine cousins, these clawless wonders offer sweeter, more delicate meat that tastes like vacation.
The annual lobster mini-season turns ordinary Floridians into underwater hunters for two frenzied days.
Simply grilled with butter and lime juice remains the preferred preparation. The tender tail meat practically melts in your mouth, carrying subtle hints of the warm Caribbean waters where these spiny creatures thrive.
6. Grouper Sandwich
Florida’s sandwich royalty features fresh-caught grouper with flesh so white and flaky it barely needs the bun.
Whether blackened, grilled, or fried, this Gulf Coast specialty converts seafood skeptics with one bite. Beachside restaurants compete for the title of best grouper sandwich.
The ideal version balances the mild, sweet fish with tangy remoulade or tartar sauce, crisp lettuce, and a squeeze of lemon on a toasted bun.
7. Hogfish Sandwich
The lesser-known cousin to the grouper sandwich, hogfish delivers an almost nutty flavor profile that seafood enthusiasts chase all the way to the Keys.
This ugly-but-delicious reef dweller transforms into sandwich perfection. Locals know to order it at waterfront dives where the fish goes from boat to grill the same day.
The delicate white flesh has a subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with light seasonings and a cold beer.
8. Florida Smoked Fish Dip
Beach bars and backyard gatherings wouldn’t be complete without this creamy, smoky appetizer that showcases local catches.
Usually made with amberjack or mahi-mahi, the dip combines flaked smoked fish with cream cheese, mayo, and spices.
Served with saltines or corn chips, it’s Florida’s answer to party food. Some family recipes include secret ingredients like horseradish or datil peppers, passed down through generations of coastal dwellers.
9. Minorcan Clam Chowder
St. Augustine’s signature soup packs a spicy punch that leaves New England chowder in the dust. The secret weapon? Datil peppers grown by descendants of Minorcan settlers who arrived centuries ago.
Tomato-based rather than creamy, this vibrant red chowder balances heat with sweet clams and chunks of potato.
Every family claims their recipe is the authentic version, but all agree the datil pepper heat should build slowly rather than overwhelm.
10. Rock Shrimp
Nicknamed “little lobsters,” these hard-shelled treasures from Florida’s Atlantic coast deliver rich, sweet meat that rivals their pricier crustacean cousins.
Their tough shells require special equipment to crack, making them a rare treat outside the state. Traditionally split and broiled with garlic butter, rock shrimp taste remarkably like lobster.
Restaurants in coastal towns like Titusville and Port Canaveral serve them fresh off the boats during season.