The Best Restaurants in Dade City, Florida

The Fruit on the Sign

Before we talk food, you need to know about the kumquat. It is a citrus fruit the size of an olive, with a sweet rind and a sour pulp, and you eat it whole or not at all. Most of the country has never tried one. Dade City grows them in quantity, and every January the town throws a festival for the fruit, drawing tens of thousands of people downtown. The star is kumquat pie, a Pasco County specialty, alongside kumquat jelly, butter and the fresh fruit itself.

That festival is the town’s personality in one day. The rest of the year, Dade City is a city of 7,570 people with a median age of 42.6, a median home value of $211,900, and a courthouse square that hosts the Dade City Cruise-In car show. The Pioneer Florida Museum, open since Labor Day 1975, holds a 1913 locomotive, a Methodist church, a pre-Civil War house, an old school and a train depot. The town is named for US Army Major Francis L. Dade, killed in the battle that opened the Second Seminole War. The post office got the Dade City name on 18 December 1884; the town reincorporated as a city on 5 June 1889 and became the seat of Pasco County when the county was created in 1887.

That is the context. Here is where you eat.

The Downtown Core

The highest-rated restaurant in town sits on 7th Street, in the heart of the historic district. Olio holds a 4.8 rating from 1,041 reviews. It is the kind of place that makes a small town feel like a city for a night. The dining room is on the square, which means you can walk off dinner by looking at the courthouse. Reviews are consistent and strong.

A block away, Green Door on 8th runs a 4.6 from 1,493 reviews. It is on 8th Street, just off the main drag, and it draws a steady local crowd. The name is literal—look for the green door. It is easy to miss if you are not paying attention, which is part of the appeal.

For Mexican food downtown, you have two options. Coyote Rojo Mexican Restaurant sits at 14016 7th Street, a 4.5 from 1,150 reviews. It is a sit-down spot with a full bar, close enough to the square to be convenient before or after the Cruise-In. Del Carmen Mexican Store & Restaurant is at 14415 7th Street, a 4.4 from 1,260 reviews. It does double duty as a store and a restaurant, which means you can grab groceries and lunch in one stop. Both are solid. Coyote Rojo has the edge in rating; Del Carmen has the edge in character.

Beef 'O' Brady's is also on 7th Street, at 14136. It is a 3.9 from 1,160 reviews. It is a chain sports bar, and it is fine for what it is—a place to watch a game with a beer. It is not why you come to Dade City, but it is there if you need it.

The US-301 Strip

The other dining corridor is US-301, the highway that runs through town. This is where the chains live, and one of them is worth your time.

IHOP at 13100 US-301 has a 4.5 from 3,949 reviews. That is a remarkable rating for a national chain, and the review count suggests it is doing something right. It is the breakfast default for the area, and it is busy for a reason.

The Black Eyed Pea is at 15323 US-301, a 4.5 from 1,260 reviews. It is Southern cooking, which fits the town. It is a bit further out, past the main cluster, but the rating holds up.

Smitty's Smokehouse & Grill at 12830 US-301 is a 4.3 from 1,203 reviews. Barbecue, again fitting the region. It is on the north end of the strip, close to the county line.

Steph's Southern Soul Restaurant is the outlier. It is at 14519 5th Street, which is not on the main drag—it is a side street, closer to downtown than the highway. It has the highest rating on this list at 4.7, from 2,180 reviews. Southern soul food, and the numbers say it is the best-loved restaurant in town. If you only eat one meal in Dade City, this is the one to try.

ABC Pizza House is at 37941 Heather Place, a 4.4 from 1,658 reviews. It is a pizza place in a strip center, and it has built a loyal following. It is not downtown, but it is close enough to be an easy takeout stop.

The Chains You Already Know

Captain D's at 13016 US-301 is a 4.1 from 1,539 reviews. Seafood, fast-casual, and better than you might expect for a chain. Burger King at 11768 US-301 is a 3.8 from 1,358 reviews. McDonald's at 13026 US-301 is a 3.3 from 2,170 reviews. You know what these are. They are on the highway because the highway needs them. They are not the reason to visit Dade City.

The One That Does Not Fit

Kafe Kokopelli is at 37940 Live Oak Avenue, a 4.5 from 2,995 reviews. It is not on 7th Street and not on US-301. It is on a side road, in a building that does not look like much from the outside. The name suggests Southwestern flair, and the rating and review count put it in the top tier of the town. It is worth finding.

How to Choose

If you want the best-reviewed meal in town, go to Steph's Southern Soul Restaurant or Olio. If you want breakfast, IHOP. If you want Mexican, Coyote Rojo or Del Carmen. If you want barbecue, Smitty's. If you want pizza, ABC Pizza House. If you want to be surprised, Kafe Kokopelli.

Dade City is not a food destination in the way Tampa or St. Petersburg is. It is a small town with a courthouse square, a train museum, a car show, and a festival for a fruit most people have never eaten. The restaurants reflect that. They are not fancy. They are not trying to be. They are places where the people who live here eat, and most of them are good at what they do.

The kumquat is the only thing you will not find on a menu. That is what the festival is for.