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Harry T’s Lighthouse
To honor the memory of trapeze artist “Flying Harry T” Baben, his family opened this lively spot on the ground floor of Destin Harbor’s tallest building. Standing guard is the stuffed…
The Remedy Coastal Kitchen & Bar
Bored with the usual seafood shanties? The remedy is, yes, this surfside restaurant and pool bar serving coastal fare with a Cajun kick. The Creole gumbo, along with a spicy Bloody…
Stewby’s Seafood Shanty
This tiny takeout and dine-in spot packs a lot of flavor into its affordable, fresh seafood—all locally bought and caught. Oysters from Alabama are freshly shucked, and all dinners…
Crackings
The owner of this local breakfast and brunch hot spot is the founder of its former incarnation turned chain, Another Broken Egg Café. But this is no chain. The famous lobster gouda…
Farm & Fire
The menu is all over the place at the Farm & Fire, and some of it has nothing to do with either of those things (hello sushi!). But since it’s all expertly prepared, and can be…
The Daytrader Tiki Bar & Restaurant
Located at the entrance of the photogenic Coleman Beach Pavilion, this Polynesian-inspired bar and restaurant features dishes such as Spam Musubi: two slabs of canned ham with oyster…
Great Southern Cafe
Chef/owner Jim Shirley, who cooks in his granny's cast-iron skillets, is founder and president of the Society of Great Southern Chefs, a position he takes very seriously when it comes…
Bud & Alley's
Named after a dog and a cat, Bud & Alley's is a Seaside sunset tradition, when the locals gather on the rooftop bar and ring the bell as the sun goes down. While we prefer that…
Stinky's Fish Camp Seafood & Wine Bar
There's nothing stinky about this stellar seafood spot except, perhaps, the wait for a table. This fun, lively, rustic restaurant is reminiscent of a shabby-chic, woodsy, waterfront…
The Red Bar
First things first about this funky former general store: It's not really about the food. Sure, you can get blackened grouper or shrimp and crawfish, but really, it's all about the…
George's at Alys Beach
Amidst the new-urbanism-meets-the-beach marvel that is Alys Beach is this casual café that prides itself on having the best burger on the entire 30A strip. The grouper sandwich,…
Fish Out of Water
Critically acclaimed and Southern-inspired, Gulf-front Fish Out of Water in the WaterColor Inn really does use the locally sourced ingredients suggested by the name. The menus tell the…
Café Thirty-A
This venerable fine dining spot prepares excellent, albeit fancy, fare for a mostly vacationing white-collar crowd. The menu changes daily, but usually available is the pan seared…
Café Tango
Despite the name, this restaurant has nothing to do with Argentina. Housed in a 60-something-year-old vine-covered red cottage, Café Tango is a tiny, very romantic, very intimate…
Fisherman's Wharf Seafood House
Yes, seafood spots in Destin are a dime a dozen, but not all of them feature fresh-off-the-boat catches that even the fishermen can be seen eating. Chargrilling is the house specialty…
Marina Cafe
The menu choices at Destin's most upscale restaurant span the planet (tempura, Thai chicken, won tons, fried green tomatoes), but one thing is consistent—the views. Overlooking the…
Donut Hole Bakery Cafe
A good, down-home, breakfast, lunch, and bakery spot, there's a reason they call it the Donut Hole. The doughnuts are delicious here, not overly sweet, and miles above what you'd find…
The Back Porch
This cedar-shingled seafood shack has eye candy beach- and Gulf-views from its long porch and beach chairs on the sand. They originated chargrilled amberjack, which you’ll now see on…
AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar
AJ's is a Destin institution, located on the harbor docks, and a place where fishermen don't only unload their catches after a long day, but catch a sunset and a few beers, too. The…
Deer Lake State Park
The lake in the name of this park is a rare coastal dune lake. Very few exist worldwide, and this is one of the few in the United States, all of which are found along the Gulf Coast.…
Tate's Hell State Forest
How the hell did this park get its name? The story goes that a farmer went off into the forest looking for the panther that killed his livestock. The farmer got lost for 7 days and was…
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
The country’s second-oldest marine park (it opened in 1955) presents ongoing 25-minute shows with penguins, otters, sea lions, dolphins, reptiles, and seals. Exhibits include the…
Air Force Armament Museum
History buffs will want to make a stop here to check out the impressive collection of over 25 reconnaissance, fighter, and bomber planes on display. The SR-71 Blackbird spy plane…
Eden Gardens State Park
These 115 acres house the 1895 Greek Revival-style Wesley Mansion, which has been restored and richly furnished with period antiques. The second-largest collection of Louis XVI…
Indian Temple Mound and Museum
This ceremonial mound, one of the largest ever discovered, dates from A.D. 1200. The museum showcases some of its 6,000 ceramic artifacts from southeastern American Indian tribes, the…