10 Underrated Florida Spots That Locals Should Be Talking About

Florida has hidden treasures beyond the beaches and theme parks everyone knows.

From quiet waterfronts to charming eateries and secret scenic spots, these underrated places offer experiences that feel fresh and unforgettable.

Locals might pass them by, but those who discover them find unique flavors, sights, and adventures that stand out from the usual crowd.

Explore these hidden corners and see why they deserve more attention, offering a side of Florida you won’t forget.

1. Star Fish Company: Cortez’s Waterfront Wonder

Tucked away on a working waterfront, this no-frills seafood market serves the freshest catch you’ll ever taste. The grouper sandwich arrives hot and simple on paper plates – exactly as Florida seafood should be.

Boats literally dock out back with the day’s haul, meaning what’s on your plate was swimming this morning. Cash only and always packed with salty locals, you’ll feel like you’ve discovered Florida’s best-kept secret.

2. Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen: Key Largo’s Time Capsule

License plates cover every inch of wall space in this quirky Keys institution that’s been serving comfort food since 1976. The key lime pie here isn’t just good – locals whisper it might be the best in the entire state.

Breakfast attracts fishermen fueling up before dawn, while lunch brings a mix of locals and travelers smart enough to avoid the chains.

The conch chowder recipe hasn’t changed in decades, and thank goodness for that.

3. Yoder’s Restaurant & Amish Village: Sarasota’s Comfort Food Heaven

Peanut butter pie that will make you weep with joy awaits at this unassuming Amish restaurant where the parking lot fills with both buggies and Bentleys.

The fried chicken recipe dates back generations and requires a 24-hour brine that creates an almost mystical crunch.

Family-style portions arrive at your table via servers in traditional Amish dress. Come hungry and leave with tomorrow’s lunch boxed up – portions here are decidedly pre-diet-craze America.

4. Red Wing Restaurant: Groveland’s Citrus Country Classic

Alligator tail, frog legs, and catfish have graced the menu of this Central Florida institution since 1948.

Housed in a former citrus packing plant, the rustic interior features taxidermy that watched your grandparents eat the same recipes you’re enjoying today.

Local ranchers and citrus farmers rub elbows at communal tables. The swamp cabbage – harvested from sabal palm hearts – represents Old Florida cuisine that’s increasingly hard to find anywhere else.

5. Satchel’s Pizza: Gainesville’s Artistic Pizza Paradise

Eating inside an actual VW van is just one seating option at this wildly creative pizza joint where the owner’s artistic vision extends to every corner.

The salad dressing alone has such a cult following they bottle and sell it by the thousands. The junkyard garden out back features sculptures made from reclaimed materials.

College students bring their visiting parents here to prove Gainesville has culture, while professors debate theories over deep dish that rivals Chicago’s best.

6. Blue Collar: Miami’s Working-Class Food Gem

Forget South Beach glitz – this tiny spot in a former 1950s motel serves comfort food that makes Miami locals line up around the block.

The Big Ragout pasta could feed a family, while the daily chalkboard vegetable selection might feature 20+ options from local farms.

Chef Danny Serfer works the line most nights, greeting regulars by name. The crispy skin snapper comes with instructions from servers on how to properly attack it for maximum enjoyment – advice worth heeding.

7. The Yearling Restaurant: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Literary Legacy

Named after the Pulitzer-winning novel, this Cross Creek institution serves wild game and sour orange pie in the very landscape that inspired Rawlings’ Florida classics.

Blues music fills the rustic dining room where signed books line shelves between mounted fish. Venison, quail, and cooter (turtle) appear on the distinctly non-tourist menu.

Weekend nights feature live piano music that would feel at home in a 1930s Florida cracker settlement – which is exactly what this area was when Rawlings lived here.

8. Dixie Crossroads: Space Coast’s Shrimp Sanctuary

Rock shrimp – once considered too hard to peel until founder Laurilee Thompson invented a special splitting machine – star at this Space Coast institution.

NASA engineers and astronauts have been regulars since the early days of the space program. The corn fritters that arrive automatically will ruin you for all other versions.

Located in Titusville, this spot offers a perfect view of rocket launches while you crack into what locals consider the sweetest shrimp in Florida waters.

9. Le Tub: Hollywood’s Burger Sanctuary

Salvaged bathtubs and toilets form the bizarre decor at this Intracoastal hideaway where waiting an hour for your burger is considered quick service.

GQ once named their 13-ounce sirloin burger the best in America, causing temporary chaos at this decidedly laid-back spot.

Boaters dock directly at the restaurant’s weathered deck. Celebrities hide in plain sight here, knowing the no-photo policy is strictly enforced and that locals are too busy focusing on their perfect burgers to notice fame in their midst.

10. Big Water Fish Market: Siesta Key’s Seafood Secret

Hidden in a nondescript shopping center, this combination fish market and casual eatery serves grouper cheeks – a local delicacy most tourists never discover.

The smoked fish spread disappears so quickly they make multiple batches daily. Captain Scott, the owner, still fishes commercially when he’s not running the restaurant.

The blackboard menu changes based on what boats brought in that morning, making this the antithesis of chain seafood places with their frozen, imported fish.