Cocoa Beach Restaurant Recommendations?

We're taking out first cruise out of Port Canaveral, and staying at the Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach the day/night before. We arrive at MCO at 10:15AM, and are planning on a shuttle to Cocoa Beach. Figured on dropping luggage off at the hotel, and enjoying some beach time to kick vacation off right.

We'll need a lunch, a dinner, and breakfast, preferably--but not necessarily--walkable. We love good, local food, and would prefer to try new things over chain restaurants. We enjoy both a fancy dinner and dives--we're up for anything if the food is good.

Any recommendations for any of these meals? We aren't planning to rent a car since we'll only be in the area for about 24 hours and want to spend most of it on the beach. If there's a particularly good restaurant we shouldn't miss, especially for dinner, we'll happily cab it somewhere.

Thanks!

Kelsey's Restaurant & Pizzeria (family friendly pizza / Italian near the port)

http://kelseyscanaveral.com/

Fishlips

http://fishlipswaterfront.com/

Rusty's Seafood and Oyster Bar

http://www.rustysseafood.com/

Grills Seafood (Grills/Rustys/Fishlips .. the portside trilogy ... I prefer Grills)

http://www.grillsseafood.com/newly-r...ort-canaveral/

The Mango Tree (a bit more $ in Cocoa Beach)

http://mangotree-restaurant.com/

Heidelberg Restaurant (Bavarian with an attached Jazz Cub .. Cocoa Beach)

http://heidelbergcocoabeach.com/

Coconuts on The Beach (this one is on the ocean if the wx is nice)

http://coconutsonthebeach.com/

Florida's Seafood Bar & Grill (popular for QUANITITY and selection ... but no view)

http://www.floridas-seafood.com/

While you may want to try some of the Capt's first 4 recs for dinner, if you're staying at the Hampton Inn down past Rte 520, these places are a bit far away, near the cruise port. Usually HIs have breakfasts available on premise included in the rate.. Not fancy but more than just cold cereal and toast. Next door at Courtyard is an okay spot for sammies. You might take a long walk along the beach up to the Cocoa Beach pier, to your left facing the ocean. Several spots there for lunch and dinner. A couple of easy blocks south of HI on N Atlantic is SALT. The breakfast buffet is very good, made to order omelets. They have decent seafood for dinner, but service can be spotty and slow if they're busy. There's a Waffle House nearby too. The ubiquitous Southern breakfast diner. Coconuts or Florida Seafood are also good choices, but you'll need a short taxi ride to get to either.

You cannot go wrong with any of the restaurants mentioned!

The best restaurant within easy walking (just 2 blocks away) is Brano's - really good Italian, seafood and a bustling little bar!

These are great recommendations! Thanks for all your time and input.

Is there regular public transit/buses that run up the A1A in Cocoa Beach like there is in South Beach, or should we plan to cab it if we want to head toward the port for dinner? We're good for walking a mile or two, but it looks like it's close to 4 miles for a few of the restaurants suggested for dinner.

take a cab

there is a bus ... you want route 9

http://www.ridescat.com/interactive-system-map/

http://www.ridescat.com/?id=9&view=schedule

they run every 30 minutes ....

My traveling companion and I dined at Fishlips earlier this month and were not disappointed. Food was well prepared and the service friendly and efficient. I was pleased to see the abundance of parking in the area. Quite different from what I recall a few years ago when I made a brief visit (ship watching) at Port Canaveral.

Sandbar for fish tacos is good, about a half mile north, kinda on the beach. It is next to Sheppard park. Easiest walk from your location for beach food

While you may want to try some of the Capt's first 4 recs for dinner, if you're staying at the Hampton Inn down past Rte 520, these places are a bit far away, near the cruise port. Usually HIs have breakfasts available on premise included in the rate.. Not fancy but more than just cold cereal and toast. Next door at Courtyard is an okay spot for sammies. You might take a long walk along the beach up to the Cocoa Beach pier, to your left facing the ocean. Several spots there for lunch and dinner. A couple of easy blocks south of HI on N Atlantic is SALT. The breakfast buffet is very good, made to order omelets. They have decent seafood for dinner, but service can be spotty and slow if they're busy. There's a Waffle House nearby too. The ubiquitous Southern breakfast diner. Coconuts or Florida Seafood are also good choices, but you'll need a short taxi ride to get to either.

I'm a little lost, what is SALT?

We stayed at that Hampton Inn and they have a nice complimentary breakfast. For dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed Florida's Seafood Bar & Grill, and it's within walking distance. If you are up for the drive to the port, it's fun to eat at Fishlips and, if you time it right, you can wave to the excited passengers sailing out!

We stayed at that Hampton Inn and they have a nice complimentary breakfast. For dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed Florida's Seafood Bar & Grill, and it's within walking distance. If you are up for the drive to the port, it's fun to eat at Fishlips and, if you time it right, you can wave to the excited passengers sailing out!

Agree. Fishlips is perfect for an early dinner (3:30-4:00pm) Sit on the deck, listen to the music, and watch the ships sailaway. Wave at them knowing that tomorrow you can wave back from the ship.

Agree. Fishlips is perfect for an early dinner (3:30-4:00pm) Sit on the deck, listen to the music, and watch the ships sailaway. Wave at them knowing that tomorrow you can wave back from the ship.

Sadly, you will not see Royal ships from there. Possibly NCL as well.

Sadly, you will not see Royal ships from there. Possibly NCL as well.

to explain, with Royal using new terminal one pretty much exclusively, and I too have noticed NCL loading here, these ships are all east of the port restaurants - Mil', Rustys, Fishlips and Grills.... So you don't see these ships sail past as they used to when using the other terminals in the west basin ... Disney still will and most of the Carnival ships, but Royal not usually.

Grills is right next to T1, so when sitting outside at Grills you pretty much are staring at the stern (usually) of any ship at T1.

If the PC web cam is pointed to see down channel and at the ship at T1, the shot is right over Grills. The cam sits on the roof of Fishlips

Fat Kahuna in Cocoa Beach is an unbelievably good little dive place steps off the beach. Make reservations, and get the seared tuna and coconut shrimp. Wishing my next cruise was out of Port Canaveral instead of Everglades just so we could go back there (several times!).

We're taking out first cruise out of Port Canaveral, and staying at the Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach the day/night before. We arrive at MCO at 10:15AM, and are planning on a shuttle to Cocoa Beach. Figured on dropping luggage off at the hotel, and enjoying some beach time to kick vacation off right.

 

We'll need a lunch, a dinner, and breakfast, preferably--but not necessarily--walkable. We love good, local food, and would prefer to try new things over chain restaurants. We enjoy both a fancy dinner and dives--we're up for anything if the food is good.

 

Any recommendations for any of these meals? We aren't planning to rent a car since we'll only be in the area for about 24 hours and want to spend most of it on the beach. If there's a particularly good restaurant we shouldn't miss, especially for dinner, we'll happily cab it somewhere.

 

Thanks!

Depending on how many of you there are, you may want to see if the Roll Call for your sailing has anything planned pre-cruise. I know a bunch of folks on our last cruise had a pre-cruise dinner at Fishlips the night before. With several of our fellow roll call members flying in and not renting cars, they were able to get rides over with other folks who drove in. It might be a possibility.

There might even be someone else planning a dinner or lunch closer to your location.

Depending on how many of you there are, you may want to see if the Roll Call for your sailing has anything planned pre-cruise. I know a bunch of folks on our last cruise had a pre-cruise dinner at Fishlips the night before. With several of our fellow roll call members flying in and not renting cars, they were able to get rides over with other folks who drove in. It might be a possibility.

 

There might even be someone else planning a dinner or lunch closer to your location.

That's an interesting idea. There are only two of us, and we travel during spring break (both work in schools, so no choice with vacation days). We've never had great luck on our roll calls, simply because I think our cruises fill with families who don't necessarily cruise-obsess and plan like we do. :D

Sandbar for fish tacos is good, about a half mile north, kinda on the beach. It is next to Sheppard park. Easiest walk from your location for beach food

Ooh! That's sounds about perfect for lunch, and they open at 11:00. Love it. Thank you!

Ooh! That's sounds about perfect for lunch, and they open at 11:00. Love it. Thank you!

We go every Tuesday. Half price tacos and drafts. Plus great music. Milikens Reef at the cove has the same guy doing sail away on Saturday from 2 - 6.

We go every Tuesday. Half price tacos and drafts. Plus great music. Milikens Reef at the cove has the same guy doing sail away on Saturday from 2 - 6.

I was going to throw in Milliken's Reef, as it's our favorite in PC. Not sure what the OP is looking for exactly, but we enjoy Milliken's because some of the other places are completely packed with folks wanting a glimpse of the ships in port and we prefer a little more laid back dinner experience. :) It is a little pricier though, so it may not be a good option for lots of folks wanting a casual dinner, but we've never had a bad meal here.

http://millikensreef.com/

are there any recommendations for a good dinner place near the hilton oceanfront cocoa beach?

are there any recommendations for a good dinner place near the hilton oceanfront cocoa beach?

For that area of CB, probably Florida Fresh Grill, Just no view. Take a taxi to one of the other Cocoa Beach places recommended on this thread. None are that far away but may be too far to walk. The Port Canaveral spots like Grills and Fishlips and Miliken's are a longer taxi ride away.

Fat Kahuna in Cocoa Beach is an unbelievably good little dive place steps off the beach. Make reservations, and get the seared tuna and coconut shrimp. Wishing my next cruise was out of Port Canaveral instead of Everglades just so we could go back there (several times!).

sshhh...Don't tell anyone about Kahuna's. Let's keep it our little secret, shall we? [emoji6]