47 Best American Restaurants near Valparaiso

“We went there for an early dinner with our daughter and the food was great the service was fine but after we paid the bill we noticed a Service Charge. We did not know about it ahead of time, even though the server said he told me (wife), but he was not the one who set us and my husband was at the table when he took the drink order. If we had know about the charge we would not had left a tip also.“

“Such an amazing experience! Ryan Y was our server and he made it such a great and welcoming experience! Great service, amazing food, alligators and so much more! It was a great vibe and definitely recommend!! Go get pucked up at Fudpuckers!! ?“

“This place is a must eat! We ate breakfast here all 4 mornings of our stay! There isn't a dish that I would not recommend! They are all fantastic! The bourbon street was mine and my kids favorite, the gulf coast omelette was my husband's favorite. The bourbon street features a coconut waffle and out of this world bourbon butter sauce! The old Texas French toast features a citrus butter, and the grits are coconut grits! Delicious! That's just the food! The waiter and waitresses are super friendly! The manager even waits tables herself. She is so personable and presents herself as if she'd never met a stranger. We even noticed her giving people hugs as they entered! They play an awesome selection of music from hip hop/R&B to reggae. Through and through an awesome establishment!“

“Just had a wonderful experience at Bitterroot, will definitely be returning. The service was incredible, and the food was absolutely delicious-- everyone in my party loved their food, desserts included. Even the kids pizza was delicious. The cocktails were also divine. This is a wonderful place for Sunday brunch or date night. Very calming ambience.Parking: Large parking lot, plenty of parking.Kid-friendliness: The kids menu includes cheese pizza, chicken tenders or a burger. The french fries are delicious!“

“Definitely worth the price for the all you can eat crabs during the day. Dinner gets more expensive than it's worth though. Service seemed a bit overwhelmed but still friendly at night. Food was definitely better prepared during day than at night. Was torn between 3 and 4 stars but the friendliness of the nighttime manager won me over. She was lovely and accommodating.“

“Great looking place with great service. Food was mediocre as there was little taste to it. We had the classic french toast and southern omelet. French toast has no flavor, the syrup is very watery for some reason and had little taste as well.“

“Wow! You pull up and it looks almost like a little hole in the wall. You enter and deliciousness GOES DOWN. Bae always picks a winner and this is no different. The star of the show is for sure one of the many preparations of grouper. I ordered the grouper Cadillac, I went with blackened grouper served atop Gouda grits and covered with shrimp etouffee. My partner ordered the grouper nantua which was grilled grouper over basmati covered with shrimp bisque. Both were so delicious we hurt ourselves trying to finish our dishes. Service was prompt and measured. We both ordered before dinner cocktails. I opted for an espresso martini and my partner went with the blackberry sangria. Both were perfectly executed. I ordered a sangria to go with my dinner because it was spicy. We took two slices of keylime pie to go and that was great too. 10/10 recommend!The young chefs are putting in that work!“

“Customer service was awesome! James was our server at the bar and his customer service was top tier! In addition to his awesome service, Brandon and Anthony made sure we were good each time either of them passed up behind the bar. The food came quickly and it was hot. The Blueberry Hard Lemonade was really good! We also had the popcorn shrimp tacos and the Shrimp Wonton Rolls and they we good too. I didn't give the food 5 stars because they should serve the Wonton rolls with like a sweet and spicy dipping sauce or some kind of dipping sauce. The live music was cool too. I'd recommend this place“

“What an awesome place!!! A new friend took me for the first time and man was I impressed!!! Fun and fabulous! Wonderful menu selections, excellent service with a smile, tasty food and great atmosphere! Live music several nights a week! I had a bacon ~ fig marmalade flatbread! Yummy highly recommend trying I’ll be a regular now! Love!⭐️ ????❤️⭐️“

“Harry T’s never disappoints. Great late lunch. Blackened grouper tacos and Caesar salad were perfect and tasty. Overlooking the water at Destin. Sorry to say, we’ll never be back. See comments on parking below.Parking: Though it’s been awhile since we’ve been to Destin and Harry T’s, they’ve always been favorites. Much to our surprise, we learned when pulling in that there’s a $20 charge for parking in a dirt lot. Harborwalk Village greets you with that. 20 bucks to park at what is essentially a mall. To go spend money at merchants that pay rent there. Unbelievable. Seems like a blatant gouge—probably because it is. Really? 20 dollars to park to go spend money? Is that a good way to make customers feel welcome? I don’t think so. Credit to Harry T’s for handing out 10 dollar credits for FLA residents and key ring holders (we’re neither). We just won’t be back because Destin offers so many other great dining options. And to top it off, there are plenty of other signs to make sure you’re not welcome. For example, there are signs in the driveway where you would drop off people (including the elderly and handicapped patrons) that say “Do not stop. No pickups or drop offs.” Really? Are you supposed to push them out at a slow roll? Who came up with these ideas and this signage? Nice work Harborwalk Village. Won’t see ya later.“

“This local lunch food spot is the best and our absolute favorite. Food is consistent in flavors and great every single time. Portion sizes are generous and the service is impeccable! The ambiance is inviting with a personalized touch from the owner. Go once and you'll crave it always!!“

“On our first night in Destin, we choose this upscale restaurant to enjoy the ambience. Let’s say they did not disappoint. The food was amazing and the service was astounding! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone! I appreciate their thorough ID check to ensure you are of age!!“

“This found tastes so fresh and nourishing. The sweet potato pumpkin soup was delicious, and their salad dressings really had a nice punch to them. Overall, very delicious. I would have hoped for slightly larger portions, but that's it!“

“A pretty good place to chill in my opinion. We went there to have a few drinks and a bit to eat. I had the burger and it was pretty good. You can hang out inside or outside (highly recommend outside) they have live music and you can order food whether you are inside or outside. Would go again.“

“I cant put in words the comfort this place brings, i grew up in niceville and one thing i’ll miss the most is this coffee shop, the owner is amazing and so are all the employees, they started playing old radio ads from the 50s which is a cherry on top to the atmosphere.“

“Strangely enough, this place was pretty good. I was sketched out at first because it looked like a bar. Wasn't sure about the food. Everything we got was great. Fried rice didn't have too much added flavor, so soy sauce and hot sauce were needed, but once added, it all came together. The Chef Jabrinos Supreme Burger was fantastic! Bartender made fabulous drinks. Our server wasn't bad either. Would definitely come back here again, and everyone reading this should give it a try.“

“I don't know how it took me so long to go to this awesome wine bar right by the Commons in Destin. I've seen it forever and just went there for the first time this evening with two friends/colleagues. The service was excellent and when I learned that it is run by a family that really made sense. Everyone was so friendly. The charcuterie board we ordered was delicious and full of flavorful cheese, fruit, meats, and a variety of items I've actually never even tried before. Everything was delicious. Their happy hour was great and I will definitely be back.“

“Such a kind reception when we arrived. They could not have been nicer, greeter, waitress, owner. Checked on us a couple times, good old fashion hospitality. Chicken Alfredo was absolutely Divine. Twig has the liver, onions and peppers in a merlot sauce. It was a perfect dinner for our 50th year of marriage to a great guy!“

“Wife and I live 10 minutes from Pallet Bar. We have eaten there many times while playing trivia or listening to the live music played there 3-4 nights a week. The owner has worked hard on the menu since opening five years ago and done a nice job of making the food on the bar menu really worthwhile. We have tried most things and have our likes (the Keto Special is surprisingly good, one of my favorites) but the dinner we had Thursday night has finally made me get off my chair and review the food.Thursday night is Prime Rib night at The Pallet. Never tried it til a couple of days ago, maybe because its only on Thursday. It was fantastic. Big thick slice of tender rare-to-medium-rare served with a side of au-jus and horseradish sauce. Garlic green beans (see below) and an added side of onion rings. Perfect size for two. Wife and I shared it and we ate every bite. I just wish I had tried it a long time ago.Lastly let me say no meal at PB is complete without at least one person at the table trying the garlic green beans. They will sub them for the french fries if you ask. Do it. Best green beans in town.Not sure what else to say. Parking can be an issue on the weekends so you may have to get creative there. Reasonably priced drinks, good food and live music inside and sometimes outside if the weather is nice. Hard to ask for more than that.“

“Overall from adult entrees to children's menu everyone of the group of 18 was very happy. Numerous positive comments from Outstanding, excellent, fantastic and it was wonderful. I had the Cajun Reddish with Shrimp which was excellent, my wife enjoyed the Stuffed Shrimp Parmesan, both dinners included baked potato and house salad. Other main courses were Coconut Shrips and Seafood gumbo, Clam Chowder and the House salad with Grilled Mahi Mahi, Fried Shrimp dinner with fried Oakra, House salad.Sone of the kids meaks were Shrimp and fries, Cheese burger and fries, and Chicken strips with fries. Service was excellent and handled by three waiters with Cherry overall.“

“Top tier breakfast in FWB. Very consistent in their delivery. The pancakes is always done to my liking, I can tell they use the good kind not the cheap stuff. Eggs are organic, the hash browns is delicious ? always a nice little treat to myself when I don't want to be bothered with cooking for myself.“

“?????? Great food!! Amazing service!! Especially you should try chef Ersen's lahmacun (Turkish pizza) ???!! And of course pitta bread yummy yummy yummy !! BREAD+BUTTER!!It's a GREAT place, you should definitely visit, it's a small, cute place with food that really makes you feel like it was touched by Mother's Hand!! Mr. Emin conquered us with his humble and warm welcome!! Thank you ???“

“There was about 45 minutes in total from arrival to receiving food, but that is not the restaurants fault. The service was absolutely amazing and is the reason for my review. There is an employee there named Way. He is of Asian ethnicity. Absolutely amazing service from Way. He looked as if he was the most productive employee there, even when they were full to the brim with customers and he still made time to take orders and seat customers. #WELOVEWAY“

“Juno's Sushi-Steak and Seafood is a local restaurant in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It is located directly across Uptown Station. They offer Korean BBQ, Japanese influenced dishes and more. My visit was like two years ago, so I want to go back to have a more up to date experience. I remember the food being good and pretty expensive. However, there went any other Korean BBQ spots around at the time I visited. I think Juno's is a great spot for a date. It's calm inside and there is a lot of seating for parties of many sizes. The service was nice! I think I chat with Juno himself and he is a vibrant and hardworking boss!“

“Check out James Swetmusic reels I most definitely gave you all a shout out soon as me and wife ate there over the memorial day week. Best breakfast I've ever had in the area hands down! Salute the chef! I recommend to anyone!!! And certainly will be back there when we come again!“

“Had an early dinner and sat outside because my cousin and his wife had a small dog. The Mahi was just Perfect. The fries were cold and soggy. Fruit salad was fresh and delicious. It was cool enough outside for me. Overall everyone enjoyed there meal.Parking: Has Handicap ♿️ parking that was perfect for me.“

“I have eaten here five times and now I feel comfortable with a review. The food is really good, the service is excellent, and the restaurant is clean. The waffles, admittedly, aren’t the “best” I’ve ever had, but they are passable. The general breakfast menu is really good. I like the omelettes. The portion sizes are on par with the very reasonable pricing. Well, that’s my two pennies.Kid-friendliness: I would say that this place is kid friendly. There are always families and kids in here.Wheelchair accessibility: They have wheelchair accessibility. This place used to be the IHOP, and all the provisions were put in place when the IHOP had the building. There are disabled parking spots, wheelchair ramps and they have designated tables.“

“New chef, new menu, and we love it!! So many good options to choose from compared to the old menu. The paella was the best we've had in town, full of protein and authentic flavor. It was so good that we came back the following weekend. The crispy calamari, crab cake, and dumplings were also very good. The wait is a little bit too long, but it’s worth it.“

“We were pleasantly surprised by Royal Palm Grille. The seafood with sushi on the same menu is, kind of, groundbreaking. Why hasn’t someone thought of it before?All of the fresh fish options were top tier. Tuna was a spectacular coloring and sushi rolls went down smoothly. We got the Crab and Artichoke Dip to share for the table, which was a hit. The Grouper Tacos were tasty, albeit could have had more seasoning. The Oysters Rockefeller were a pretty good deal as well. The Seaweed Salad came in a large portion. We had a big group and our servers managed to give us our food promptly and with a smile.The directions to getting up to the restaurant could be improved though. You can park in the hotel parking lot, and go through the lobby to the stairs to the 2nd level, and walk all the way towards the front of the building.The restaurant has a patio attached to the hotel with lovely views of the sunset (across the street) on the beach. Also has a bar across the road on the actual beach.Parking: Park past the lobby in the lot beside the hotel. Had a couple spots open when we got there around 6pm. It was more off-season though, so it may be busier in the summer.Walk up through the lobby to the second floor to get to the restaurant entrance. Not sure if there is an elevator, but with so many floors at the hotel, there should definitely be one.“

“Great atmosphere, great service, I would say Cheers is the definition of "a hole in the wall gem" they have a ton of beers on tap and it's a nice pub all-around.Pricing isn't outrageous either.Bathroom is a little small but it works and wasn't messy!“

“Leslie waited on me and she did a great job. Very polite and made sure my coffee was always full. The rest of was very respectful, along with Jennifer with her hat. I was there on Christmas and had a great meal. I was surprised to see the District Manager come in while I was there and he started cooking and helping out. Now that's Good Management.“

“We look forward to crab cakes from Sarah K's every time we visit Destin. Tonight's meal didn't disappoint. Absolutely worth it as long as you have a place to heat it up. Looking forward to the death by chocolate brownie for dessert.“

“This place is a landmark in town , they have the best chicken and dirty rice the staff is always fun and friendly , and the food is top notch , it is not your everyday run of the mill chicken shack hands down can't be beat , and oh yeah try the Danny's sauce it will blow your hair “

“Great location and beautiful views of the ocean. Our server Chris was good at taking our orders and checking on us. The food was delicious. Bring your family and friends and enjoy the delicious food and the views.Parking: Weekend parking gets busy.“

“First time being there ? it was awesome. Hats off to the staff and cooks ... Thank you ☺️Parking: Plenty of sports TV ? parking is good ( note go around the back way to use the light when getting out .Kid-friendliness: Local area.lots of families come here ?“

“SO. YUMMY. These biscuits are insane. I cannot wait to try more!! I built a biscuit with chicken, cheese, and strawberry jalapeño jelly on a jalapeño cheddar biscuit. My husband had the Southern. We loved both but THE BISCUIT stole the show. I cannot say enough. Theyre ALMOST as good as my Great Grandmother's homemade biscuits. I heard they have tacos on tuesdays with homemade tortillas, and I can't waaaaaait for tuesday! We ordered from doordash, and it was still warm when it got here and I'm near Hurlburt. Next time I'll take photos! Oh, and the strawberry jalapeño jelly was delicious, too!!“

“Nice, relaxed, excellent burger. I really had a taste for just a great burger. This did not disappoint. Bacon, cheese, lettuce, onion. Any place that also keeps a good eye on fresh coffee gets a thumbs up from me, ? I'd recommend and will visit “

“In an absolutely crowded Karaoke night at Kenny D’s, spring break and everything; I was able to not only get my family-of-four dinner to-go in 20 minutes, I also got to chat with the owner. The food was so amazing, just make sure you get the Gumbo too. 100%awesome“

“Our server Sonja was amazing! She was friendly, accommodating, put in extra effort to make sure our food was just what we wanted. We were hoping to get her as our waitress as we had her last year on our vacation and loved her!The food was excellent!Highly recommendLadies Trip from Wisconsin :)“

“Awesome brunch experience, again! We love this chain, and this location lives up to the flavor. The pitcher of sangria is perfect for two! Tet the samdwoches, they are a perfect starter to an active day, as they are perfectly sized servings for a brunch. We love it here.“

“Delicious steaks! We had the ribeyes, and they were cooked to a perfect medium rare! (A little too much seasoning for me, but my daughter loved hers!) I had a salad with the white vinegarette dressing, I highly recommend it, it's awesome! The asparagus side was great as well, you do pay extra for it, but it was worth it! My daughter had the Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. Both were creamy and tasted great! It is a little more expensive than some places, but it's definitely worth it for what you get! A great place in Destin to have a nice dinner!“

“Food is mid-teir but for $15.99 you get all you can eat, with a large variety of mostly mid-american type of food. Large salad selection with 4 different soups to choose from.Suggest passing on purchasing drinks at an extra charge as you get a few drinks, like slushy drinks, included in the price.Don't expect too much, but you will get a lot of food for the price.“

“Very nice crew and the waitress was wonderfully professional and friendly, I highly recommend this place, and the service, one of the best experiences I ever had in the restaurants of similar typeSpecial thanks to Joe very friendly and exceptionally professional.“

“I rate the Breakfast Place a 4.8 overall. This was my first visit and was impressed. I had just a simple breakfast of smoked sausage, eggs home fries and biscuit.The biscuit was the weak link. I was expecting a better southern biscuit Everything else was great and expected of a family restaurant. I would recommend visiting the Breakfast Place. I plan to return.“

“Good food, good drinks, decent prices for the area, and loudish/funky atmosphere. Live entertainment when we were there. I liked the flavor of everything we got, which included blackened fish, cheese curds, and shrimp scampi. Personally I wouldn't have had so much sauce on the blackened fish since it was already good and fresh and all seasoned without drowning in Cajun gravy, and my wife thought the scampi was a bit heavy handed also because the shrimp tasted good even with less sauce.Would also have preferred to see more friendly service more often for water refills, etc.But overall recommended for one of your meals if you're in town for a while.“

“Well, since we've come here twice now,I thought I should share the word about Grand Vista Bar And Grill. First off the staff is excellent! One of the most attentive staffs I've seen. They work as a team. Anexample of this just this morning when we're having breakfast One of the other servers came by and picked up our plates. Not even his table. I love coming to a place like this because management understands everybody's working as a team to the end. Peggy had the French toast second time. She must've liked it. I had an omelette loaded up with all the goodies. There wasn't anything left on the plate. I forgot to order the onions and cheese in my hashbrowns but they were good. Overall will be back again. Although I have to admit we are somewhat of captured audience right now. We are sitting in Destin Harbor and with our refrigerator on the fritz.Being a holiday so that will be a slow repair. So will be exploring all the local restaurants.“

“I love it when a place rebounds! Went in last week and the place has been cleaned too to bottom. Before, there was a smell like the bar area wasn't being cleaned. Service was quick and attentive. Looks like the new owners are putting in the work. Food has definitely improved and you can tell they are using higher quality ingredients.“