Sub Shack, Apopka
Florida Restaurants
The Yearling Restaurant
Step back in time to “Old Florida” at The Yearling Restaurant, a local landmark in the Cross Creek area (way off the beaten path!) that first opened its doors in 1952 and specializes in Southern “cracker-style” cuisine. Enjoy live music courtesy of legendary bluesman Willie “The Real Deal” Green. Named after Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning 1938 novel, The Yearling, the award-winning Yearling Restaurant lies less than a mile from the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park (I personally advise visiting this must-see attraction in the morning followed by lunch at The Yearling). Or choose to spend the night at the adjacent Secret River Lodge, which boasts seven restored cottages. The eclectic menu at The Yearling features such offbeat delicacies as Florida Gator, Frog Legs, Free Range Venison, Fried Portobello Mushrooms, Conch Fritters, Stuffed Grouper, Blackened Mississippi Catfish, Maple Leaf Duck Breast and Domestic Quail, as well as steaks, burgers, sandwiches and more. Save room for one of the signature desserts such as Key Lime Pie, Pecan Pie, Sour Orange Pie and Buttermilk Pie. The Yearling Restaurant is located at 14531 County Road 325 in Hawthorne, just 14 miles from Gainesville. Don’t be scared off by the eatery’s rather rough exterior – it’s all part of the charm! It is open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.yearlingrestaurant.net.
Shady Oak Restaurant & Tavern
As a student at Stetson University during the mid-1980s, I would often join a ritual mass exodus off campus each Friday afternoon after classes to a somewhat rundown but lively fish camp overlooking the St. John’s River just off State Road 44 that we called Otis’s and the locals referred to as Sloan’s (both names derived from then-owner Otis Sloan). There we would spend hours hanging out on the dock drinking cheap beer and watching the boats slowly drift by – great memories! According to a September 2, 1998, Orlando Sentinel article, Sloan and his wife Myrtle opened the Shady Oak Fish Camp in 1957. I passed through DeLand in 2015 and took the above photos of Otis’s and it looked pretty much the same as I had remembered it. The Shady Oak Restaurant, which is located at 2984 West New York Avenue just west of downtown DeLand, reportedly suffered a fire in 2017 but has fortunately reopened.
Burdines Waterfront Chiki Tiki Bar & Grille, Marathon
Tucked away from the Overseas Highway (Mile Marker 49.5) on a high deck overlooking the Boot Key Harbor Waterway, Chiki Tiki is an extremely laid-back, open-air bar and grill with a diverse menu that offers something for everyone. Highlights include certified Angus beef burgers (the green chile cheeseburger is a favorite!), shrimp baskets, blackened fish sandwiches, bacon wrapped BBQ shrimp, fresh-cut fries and much more. It’s the perfect place to grab an ice-cold beer or your favorite cocktail and enjoy the ocean breeze. Save room for the delicious key lime pie. Chiki Tiki features live music Wednesday and Friday nights. To reach Chiki Tiki, go East onto 15th Street in Marathon past an old trailer park to 1200 Oceanview Avenue.
Wandering Florida 