Drive-worthy spots: 15 must-try restaurants in Palm Beach County
If it seems like the restaurant scene in Palm Beach County has reached full-blown destination status, it’s not your imagination.
A new dining landscape reflects a years-long rise of independently owned, chef-driven restaurants as well as the influx of pandemic-era newcomers and outside investors with a fascination for America’s favorite palm-fringed, remote-work ZIP codes.
But if we’ve learned anything from our restaurant-loving neighbors in Miami, it is that fascination and hype are not enough to sustain a loyal following. Thankfully, our local restaurant world has little patience for hype and has mad love for locally owned spots.
Here’s my handy guide to 15 of the county’s must-visit restaurants, most of them indie and chef-driven. The newest restaurants on the list debuted this year. The oldest opened 76 years ago. The list, which is not ranked and does not include resorts, reflects only restaurants visited by The Post.
Buccan
Chef Clay Conley’s bistro is a Palm Beach game-changer, having pioneered the modern small-plates approach on the island. More than a decade after its 2011 debut, Buccan continues to thrill diners with new dishes as well as old favorites (such as the short rib empanadas with salsa criolla and Peruvian ají amarillo.)
Don’t miss: Conley’s crudo starter menu items such as the hamachi tiradito with Peruvian chilies, lotus root, mojo-scented onion and yuzu vinaigrette. His sweet corn agnolotti with bacon, ricotta and Espelette pepper butter will bring you back for more. And explore Buccan’s daily and seasonal specials — they are a glimpse of a brilliant chef’s current inspirations.
Also visit: Conley and his Ember Group partners’ Grato trattoria in West Palm Beach, their Imoto sushi bar in Palm Beach and their Buccan Sandwich Shop, which offers takeout at Buccan and Grato.
Bragging rights: Conley is a six-time semifinalist for a James Beard Award for “Best Chef” in the South.
Buccan: 350 S. County Rd., Palm Beach, 561-833-3450, BuccanPalmBeach.com
Oceano Kitchen
When husband-and-wife chefs Jeremy and Cindy Bearman closed down the original Lantana location of their Oceano Kitchen recently and moved to Lake Worth Beach, their longtime customers followed. In their more spacious digs, the Bearmans continue to offer a fresh, daily menu of seasonally inspired dishes.
Don’t miss: Executive chef Jeremy’s fresh-catch dishes (like local grouper with polenta, broccolini, charred tomato and bagna cauda) and pastry chef Cindy’s decadent desserts (such as blueberry pie with a duck fat crust, lemon, vanilla sherbet and lime).
Bragging rights: The Bearmans were semifinalists for a 2023 James Beard Award for “Best Chef” in the South.
Oceano Kitchen: 512 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach, 561-400-7418, OceanoKitchen.com
Coolinary
Chef Tim Lipman merged his beloved Coolinary Café with its younger sibling pub, The Parched Pig, in late 2021 in the plaza both called home in Palm Beach Gardens. At the time, Lipman, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife Jenny Lipman, promised to keep the vibe he described as “sophisticated but also very comfortable and welcoming.” It has been a promise delivered at the combined concept now called simply Coolinary.
The menu blends refined tapas, comfort grub and seasonally inspired specials.
Don’t miss: The chef’s popular chicken and waffle dish. It’s the one menu item he can’t (and won’t) drop from Coolinary’s menu. The crispy boneless chicken pieces get a light maple-mustard glaze and sit atop a jalape?o-cheddar waffle.
Bragging rights: Coolinary was featured on Food Network host Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" in 2021.
Coolinary: 4580 Donald Ross Rd., at The Shops of Donald Ross Village, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-249-6760, TheCoolPig.com
Little Moir’s Food Shack
Welcome to the funky, beachy restaurant that put its stamp on Jupiter 21 years ago, when a classically trained, seafood-loving chef opened what he hoped would be a lunchtime salad spot. Chef Mike Moir’s creative, locally sourced dishes at Food Shack sparked not only a loyal following but also a family of “Little Moir’s” restaurants in Jupiter that include Leftovers and Hibiscus Streatery. (Little Moir is the chef/owner’s nickname.)
Don’t miss: Little Moir’s iconic sweet potato-crusted, daily-catch fish, which is served over a toss of salad greens and seasonal fruit in a key lime and garlic dressing. The customer-favorite starter here is the deep-fried tuna and basil roll with wasabi cream.
Also visit: Moir’s Leftovers Café and his Hibiscus Streatery seafood retail market and café, both in Jupiter.
Food Shack: 103 S. US Hwy 1, Jupiter, 561-741-3626, LittleMoirsJupiter.com
Stage Kitchen
Chef/co-owner Pushkar Marathe’s innovative, mod-Indian plates and lively vibe earned Stage Kitchen destination status. The chef takes a global approach that shines with the flavors of his native India. The restaurant revved up a once monotone area with its innovative small plates and Palm Beach buzz.
Don’t miss: Stage’s chicken liver paté. Spiced with cardamom, green ginger and fenugreek, this signature appetizer is presented in a small jar with a cap of br?léed sugar. It is paired with grilled sourdough bread baked by Aioli bakery in West Palm Beach. Consider this dish the start of a flavorful adventure.
Bragging rights: Marathe was a semifinalist for a 2023 James Beard Award for “Best Chef” in the South.
Also visit: Marathe and business partner Andy Dugard’s second restaurant, Ela Curry and Cocktails, which offers more traditional Indian dishes and funky cocktails in Palm Beach Gardens.
Stage Kitchen: 2000 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-408-3685, StagePGA.com
Marcello’s La Sirena
More than three decades after his father opened the original La Sirena Italian restaurant, Chef Marcello Fiorentino continues to carry on his family’s legacy. La Sirena’s mantra is to present “the best ingredients prepared in the simplest way.” Fiorentino pairs soulful Italian classics with great wine at La Sirena.
Don’t miss: La Sirena’s bistecca alla Fiorentina, a simply grilled, “super” porterhouse steak that’s fragrant with sage and rosemary and seasoned with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. And you must try one of the restaurant’s homemade pasta dishes.
Bragging rights: The restaurant has repeatedly won Wine Spectator’s coveted Grand Award for its extensive collection of wines.
La Sirena: 6316 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, 561-585-3128, LaSirenaOnline.com
Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats
A relative newcomer to the dining scene, this tiny, modern steakhouse — which grew out of a gourmet meat market — was just named 2023’s Best New Restaurant by The Post. Chef/owner James Muir, who named the place after his grandfather, hails from Argentina, where grilling steaks is not only a communal tradition but also an art.
Don’t miss: The steaks — there are many listed on the menu. We had an exquisite 16-ounce American wagyu strip steak during our visit. We also loved the simply grilled red snapper served with wood-fired asparagus and an outstanding house-made fettuccine with seared shrimp in a cacio e pepe-inspired sauce and crushed red pepper.
Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats: 480 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, 561-336-3977, NicholsonMuir.com
Driftwood
Don’t be fooled by the casual vibe that welcomes you to Driftwood. The neighborhood restaurant and bar serves some of the finest food in Palm Beach County. Chef Jimmy Everett, a Lake Worth native who owns and operates the restaurant with his wife Ilia Gonzalez, is one of South Florida’s most talented chefs. He dotes on a diverse range of dishes that include a pub cheeseburger served on a house-made bun, free-range chicken with ricotta dumplings, grilled rib-eye steak and house-made pastas.
Don’t miss: Everett’s rigatoni Bolognese. He lavishes the dish with a pork and beef ragu, Parmigiano Reggiano and whipped ricotta.
Bragging rights: Everett’s Bolognese wowed judges (Food Network celebrity chefs Robert Irvine and Marc Murphy) during the 2021 Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival’s Grand Chef Throwdown competition. Everett won the throw-down, donating the $10,000 prize to that year’s Season to Share charity drive.
Driftwood: 2005 S. Federal Hwy, Boynton Beach, 561-733-4782, DriftwoodBoynton.com
Rose’s Daughter
Suzanne Perrotto is the hardest-working chef in Delray Beach’s eclectic Pineapple Grove district. Not only does she own and operate two standout restaurants, located less than a block from one another, she also creates culinary magic from scratch at each of them.
In 2008, Perrotto opened what is now the city’s most popular bistro, Brulé. Eleven years later, she debuted Rose’s Daughter, a soulful Italian-American trattoria that’s an homage to her mother and culinary mentor Linda Rose. In the 1970s, Rose was the chef of their family-owned trattoria Sonny’s in New York, where Perrotto worked alongside her.
Don’t miss: Any of Rose’s Daughter’s wood-fired pizzas, made with 48-hour-fermented dough. As a starter, try Perrotto’s spinach dumplings that are seasoned with cracked black pepper and served atop a lavish pecorino cream sauce.
Bragging rights: Rose's Daughter was featured on Guy Fieri's Food Network series "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" earlier this year.
Also visit: Brulé bistro in Pineapple Grove for inspired dinner bites and a decadent brunch.
Rose’s Daughter: 169 NE 2nd Ave., Delray Beach, 561-271-9423, RosesDaughterDelray.com
Tropical Smokehouse
Follow the fragrant wood smoke to this Florida-inspired barbecue restaurant on West Palm Beach’s Antique Row and you’ll find tasty smoked meats, a mean smashburger and many reasons for the place’s national acclaim. Tropical Smokehouse is the brainchild of fine-dining chef turned barbecue pitmaster Rick Mace, who opened the place with former Café Boulud colleague Jason Lakow in early 2021. It hit South Dixie Highway like hot sauce. This summer, the duo debuted a spinoff in downtown West Palm Beach that proved to be an instant hit.
Don’t miss: The spicy smoked wahoo dip starter, the three-bone Duroc pork spare ribs and that killer smashburger called the Old Fashioned Hamburger (with cheese!).
Bragging rights: Mace was a semifinalist for a 2023 James Beard Award for “Best Chef” in the South.
Also visit: Tropical BBQ Market, which offers complete barbecue lunches in a fast-casual style as well as grab-and-go and retail items.
Tropical Smokehouse: 3815 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, 561-323-2573, EatTropical.com
Café Boulud
Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud opened this chic Palm Beach restaurant in 2003, but it continues to feel new. Boulud regularly refreshes the place and the menu and the reasons to explore both.
Don’t miss: The classic Brittany Dover sole with sauce meunière, a beautifully presented specialty dish at Café Boulud. The café’s new French-inspired afternoon high tea service, which is offered daily from 3 to 5 p.m.
Café Boulud: 301 Australian Ave., at the Brazilian Court Hotel, Palm Beach, 561-655-6060, CafeBoulud.com
Okeechobee Steakhouse
This family-owned steakhouse claims to be the oldest in Florida. But that’s not what makes Okeechobee Steakhouse in West Palm Beach a destination restaurant. Stellar steaks and sides, benchmark service and the warm embrace of old-school leather booths all combine to make this a must-visit steakhouse.
Third-generation owner Ralph Lewis has not allowed the dust to settle on his family’s vintage restaurant. He not only updates the steakhouse but continues to grow the Okeechobee family of meat-loving restaurants.
Don’t miss: The steaks, of course. The restaurant offers a variety of Certified USDA Prime Beef that’s dry-aged and hand-cut onsite. They range from a buttery filet mignon to a stunning bone-in rib-eye (tomahawk) steak, all served with a salad and your choice of potato. The classic sides are terrific. The tasty lobster mac and cheese is a house specialty for good reason. Bonus: If it’s your birthday, you get a free steak with the purchase of another one (size restrictions apply).
Okeechobee Steakhouse: 2854 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561-683-5151, OkeeSteakhouse.com
Honeybelle
For those of us who miss Chef Lindsay Autry’s refined Southern dishes at The Regional Kitchen, which closed in October, this is the bright side: We can still find Autry’s elevated comfort cooking at Honeybelle, her sprawling restaurant at the PGA National Resort.
Don’t miss: Autry’s pickle-brined fried chicken with hot honey and buttermilk biscuits. For dessert, her Honeybelle pie with a cracker crust, creamy citrus filling is outstanding.
Bragging rights: Autry earned three consecutive semifinalist honors for a James Beard Award for “Best Chef” in the South.
Honeybelle: at the PGA National Resort, 400 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-627-7015, HoneybellePBG.com
Queen of Sheeba
This gracefully set restaurant in the heart of West Palm Beach’s Northwest Historic District is Chef Lojo Washington’s homage to her native Ethiopia.
Must try: The savory sambusa pastries, the aromatic lentil stew called misir wot, the doro wot chicken that’s slow-cooked in berbere sauce and is Ethiopia’s national dish.
Bragging rights: Chef Washington was a semifinalist for a 2023 James Beard Award for “Best Chef” in the South.
Queen of Sheeba: 716 N. Sapodilla Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-514-0615, QueenofSheebaWPB.com
Pescatore
This gem of a restaurant seems hidden in plain sight on a rather lonely patch of North Dixie Highway. But once you enter through the back of the building, you find a warm, welcoming place with a devoted local following. The devotion is well deserved. Not only is their menu of Italian classics lovingly carried out, but owners Cenk and Samiye Sezen are passionate about good service.
Must try: The eggplant rollatini is shareable and tasty. Shrimp scampi is a standout special. Pastas and pizza are a must. Samiye’s handmade sourdough breads and pizza crusts are exquisite.
Pescatore: 1600 N. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, 561-557-9560, PescatoreWPB.com
Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the local food and dining beat. Follow her on Instagram and Post on Food Facebook. She can be reached by email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 15 best restaurants near Jupiter, Gardens, West Palm Beach, Delray
