Great Food. Cold Drinks. Unforgettable Views.

There are good restaurants.

And then there are restaurants where you arrive by boat, tie up at the dock, order something cold and realize you really don’t need to be anywhere else for the next few hours.

That’s a different category altogether.

Florida is filled with waterfront restaurants that are as much about the experience as they are about the food. Places where flip-flops are perfectly acceptable, fishing stories get better with every round, fresh seafood is never far from the menu and sunset is part of the entertainment.

Those are our kinds of places.

That’s why we created Favorites of the Republic—our growing collection of some of the Florida restaurants, bars and destinations we think capture the lifestyle that inspired Free Republic of Florida.

From Jupiter and Fort Lauderdale to the Florida Keys, Tampa Bay, the Gulf Coast and the Panhandle, these are places worth putting on your Florida list.

What Makes a Favorite of the Republic?

We're not trying to create another restaurant ranking based on white tablecloths, celebrity chefs or the size of the wine list.

Our standards are a little different.

Give us a dock.

Give us a view.

Give us fresh seafood, cold drinks and a place where nobody cares if we've been on the boat all day.

Throw in live music, palm trees, a great sunset or some authentic Old Florida character and you're speaking our language.

A Favorite of the Republic should feel like Florida.

The kind of place where lunch can accidentally turn into dinner.

Jupiter: Waterfront Florida Done Right

Jupiter has earned a serious spot on our list.

Square Grouper Tiki Bar, Guanabanas and U-Tiki Beach each offer their own version of the Jupiter waterfront experience.

This is one of those parts of Florida where boats, tropical scenery, waterfront dining and laid-back energy all seem to fit together naturally.

It’s exactly the kind of place where the Free Republic lifestyle makes sense.

Boat in.

Find a table.

Order something cold.

Stay longer than planned.

Fort Lauderdale: Our Kind of Town

It probably isn't surprising that Fort Lauderdale is well represented among our favorites.

15th Street Fisheries, Shooters Waterfront, Coconuts and Southport Raw Bar all made the Republic's list.

And they represent several different sides of the Fort Lauderdale experience.

You can watch yachts cruise the Intracoastal, grab seafood after a day on the water, meet friends for drinks or settle in for an evening along the waterfront.

In a city known as the Yachting Capital of the World, the relationship between restaurants and the water is simply part of the culture.

Around here, sometimes the boat isn't transportation to lunch.

The boat is part of lunch.

Islamorada: Just Add Water

If there is one place where food, fishing and the Florida lifestyle seem completely inseparable, Islamorada has to be near the top.

Our favorites there include Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar, Hungry Tarpon at Robbie's, Lazy Days Restaurant and Marker 88.

Islamorada has a way of making you forget what day it is.

Maybe it's the turquoise water.

Maybe it's the fishing.

Maybe it's the sunsets.

Maybe it's because nobody seems particularly concerned about being in a hurry.

Whatever it is, we approve.

Keep Going South

Of course, Islamorada is only the beginning.

Continue down the Overseas Highway and the list keeps getting better.

In Marathon you'll find Republic favorites including Burdines Waterfront, Keys Fisheries Restaurant & Marina and Island Fish Company. Farther south, Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island, Geiger Key Marina Fish Camp and Conch Republic Seafood Company in Key West all make our list.

The Keys have mastered something the rest of the world sometimes makes unnecessarily complicated:

Good food.

Cold drinks.

Boats.

Water.

Friends.

Sunset.

Repeat tomorrow.

The Gulf Coast Has Plenty to Say

The Atlantic side doesn't get to have all the fun.

Head west and you'll find some fantastic Republic-worthy stops, including Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill in Tarpon Springs, Star Fish Company Market & Restaurant in Cortez, Salt Shack on the Bay in Tampa and The Waterfront Restaurant on Anna Maria Island.

Farther south, Snook Inn on Marco Island and Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille on Fort Myers Beach are also among our favorites.

The Gulf Coast brings a different personality.

Calmer water.

Long sunsets.

Fishing towns.

Island communities.

A little Old Florida mixed with just enough vacation.

We're fans.

Don't Forget Florida's Other Coast

Keep moving around the state and there are plenty more places worth discovering.

Our list includes JB's Fish Camp in New Smyrna Beach, The Old Fish House Bar & Grill in Grant-Valkaria, Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar in Cape Canaveral, Safe Harbor Seafood Restaurant in Mayport and The Conch House Restaurant in St. Augustine.

These are exactly the kinds of stops that make exploring Florida interesting.

You don't always need a famous destination.

Sometimes you just need to find the next dock.

And Then There's the Panhandle

Florida changes as you head north and west, but the waterfront lifestyle certainly doesn't disappear.

Boshamps Seafood & Oyster House and AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar in Destin are on our list, along with Flora-Bama Yacht Club in Perdido Key and Up the Creek Raw Bar in Apalachicola.

Different water.

Different coastline.

Same idea.

Get outside and enjoy Florida.

One Exception to the Waterfront Rule

Then there's Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach.

No, Joe's isn't waterfront.

Yes, we know that technically breaks the rules.

We don't care.

Joe's has more than a century of Florida history behind it, which was more than enough for us to make an exception and include it among our Favorites of the Republic.

Some institutions don't need a dock.

The Restaurant Is Only Part of the Story

What we really love about these places isn't simply what's on the menu.

It's everything surrounding it.

Pulling up by boat.

A table overlooking the water.

The smell of seafood coming from the kitchen.

Fishing boats heading home.

Music coming from somewhere across the dock.

A round of drinks arriving just as the sky begins changing color.

Someone saying:

“Let's stay for sunset.”

Those are the moments we remember.

And those moments are a big part of what Free Republic of Florida is all about.

Build Your Own Republic Tour

Our Favorites of the Republic list stretches across Florida, from the Keys to the Panhandle and from the Atlantic to the Gulf. It includes waterfront institutions, tiki bars, fish camps, marina restaurants and a few places that simply deserve to be there.

We're not suggesting you visit every one of them.

Actually...

Maybe we are.

Pick a coast.

Pick a weekend.

Find the water.

And start checking them off.

Because sometimes the best way to explore Florida is one dock, one seafood basket, one cold drink and one sunset at a time.

See the complete Favorites of the Republic list and start planning your next stop.

LIVE FREE. STAY SALTY.

Free Republic of Florida