10 Best American Restaurants in Cape Canaveral

“Crackers Island Grille- Cape Canaveral- 3-stars "Flawless execution will trump low-quality ingredients every time." -- The Big Boy "Where will I lunch today?", was my thought as I grabbed my random restaurant generator and headed towards the BBDO mobile. As the name scrawled across my screen, I saw I was heading up the coast to Cracker's Island Grille. Taking my time and enjoying the drive, I had time to reflect a bit on my job. Since I started this over two years ago, BBDO has grown by leaps and bounds topping out at over 14K followers across social media. I am extremely humbled by this and it steels me to continue forward. My GPS told me I had arrived and I found myself in front of a strip mall 1 mile north of the famous Ron Jon's Surf Shop and across from Golf N Gator. I arrived in the BBDO mobile at precisely 11:15 AM and the place was busy. Awaiting my turn, I glanced about the place and was quite taken in by the decor. They have a nice little island/surf theme going and this contributed to a very relaxed atmosphere. After a short wait, I was shown a table, handed a menu and told my server would be right with me. As packed as they were, I wondered what exactly that meant. It wasn't too long before a server approached my table and introduced herself as Brittany. Brittany was very prompt, charming and had our drink order back in no time at all. Along with the drink order, I also requested the Bouillabaisse and one order of the special of the day, Gator tacos (wondering if the meat was fresh based on the proximity of Golf N Gator). Brittany assured me this was not the case. I was sure this made the animal rights people happy, however, I was not. I have to say that first of all, Cracker's Bouillabaisse looked better on the menu than it did in front of me (see pictures for comparison). But, the smells wafting up were pure gourmand nirvana. With just the right amount of heat and all the seafood one could want, the flavors were complex, tantalizing and just a tad hot on the palate. The seafood seemed low quality (frozen, not fresh), but the execution was performed well. The accompanying bread was warm and slathered in garlic butter that added a nice compliment to the seafood stew. Dying to try something I never have before, I eagerly dug into the Gator tacos next. Wow. That is my professional opinion of these delightful tacos. Just, wow. Served on warm flour tortillas with fresh-cut tomatoes and cooked to perfection they were absolutely as delicious as they were unique. The meat was tender, juicy and extremely flavorful. The seasoning really got my taste buds dancing and there was just enough heat to make sure they were not only awake but stayed that way for the duration. The Gator tacos alone were worth the drive up the coast. Not that one needs an excuse for that. As I am sure my loyal readers know, I firmly believe that the only thing that matters in regards to a successful slop house and one that fails is execution, not location, not parking, not service, not interior design (though those all certainly help). If the food is good, as I've said before, you could open a food shack in the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp and people would flock to it. Make no mistake about it, Cracker's is not a fine dining establishment, they use low-quality ingredients, but man oh man you can tell the chef/cook cares about what is slung forth from his kitchen. The execution of all the items I had was done flawlessly, and everything was delicious, especially the Gator Tacos, those were unreal, proving once again what I've said ad nauseum, execution, execution, execution! The Big Boy says, "when in the area and in the mood for some cheap eats and seafood, head on over to Cracker's Island Grille, you won't be disappointed!" #iamthebigboy #bigboydiningout“

“We stop by today for our first time, Linda was our server! She did a great job and recommended us some great options. Best crab cakes I ever had and I really enjoyed their pineapple smashed cocktail. We will be back!!“

“The Greenhouse is our Friday favorite. The staff is great. We come down for adventure. Good American food. Daily specials are always good, fresh and come with a drink. It is the best lunch value on the cape. Wish they would bring back the shrimp pivot on Friday, but the shrimp and seafood baskets are piled high and served fast. The mushroom Swiss burger is my second go to, there are so many good things to choose from. We appreciate the NOTU team for letting us visit as often as we can even under these trying times.“

“I feel like people overuse the phrase "this is a hidden gem" but this place actually deserves that exact accolade... please, allow me to elaborate. Upon arrival you immediately notice the cute building, sidewalks lined with beautiful plants, and a freshly paved parking lot, when you open the doors, the aroma of someone's grandmother baking biscuits and every single thing you could ever dream of eating when you go home to your parents house. A few steps in and you're tempted with a cooler full of huge slices of cake, cheesecakes, Greek sweetbreads, and of course, baklava. The entire staff is made up of beautiful girls that have that sweet gentle, caring big sister vibe about them. The menu- HUGE. I mean, everything from a meat packed big country breakfast with biscuits and gravy to a fresh hand made traditional vegan Greek salad with potatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions & pepperoncini tossed in olive oil and herbs. (Definitely, DEFINITELY get this one!!) every single dish I've seen come out of this kitchen looks like it's made with love. The French fries are hands down, THE BEST fries I've had here in the past year they have that crispy flaky crust on them!! This is a family owned restaurant and you can tell that there is just so much love, pride and care put in to what they do. It seems like everyone that comes in knows someone and they treat every customer like they belong. I can't stress how precious this place is. If you are in the area and you can eat, eat here. Don't even hesitate, just eat here, you will be so glad that you did.“

“This is our 4th time eating at the Moon Hut in Cape Canaveral- each visit has been exceptional! Tonight, we had dinner with some friends, and our server, Rose, was delightful and informative. Rose added to our extraordinary meal with her warm and bubbly interactions and attentiveness. If you've not been, this restaurant is a MUST!“

“We (wife and I) were staying here at the Radisson the night before our cruise, as a lot of people do. After the long drive to get here we didn’t feel like going out looking for a restaurant, so we decided to try out the in-house restaurant, Flamingos. We both had the pineapple chicken with shrimp skewers, and it was outstanding. Even better than the food was the service/hospitality. Our server Keith and the manager Eileen were both great. Haven’t had service like this anywhere in a long time. When they found out it was also our 40th anniversary they even made us a custom dessert and presented it to us. Thank you Flamingos, especially Keith and Eileen!“

“I don't recommend it. The preacher burger was served to me with sand in it. Ridiculous, I won't be back.“

“Yesterday we went to Tip a Few 2 in Cape Canaveral on A1A (maybe cocoa beach? It’s kinda close to the line) anyway.. we’ve been there a handful of times and every single time it’s a fantastic experience. We usually go early in the afternoon. Amy is always there and she is just the sweetest! She’s completely awesome, entertaining, friendly, fast, efficient & she can work a bar! We usually just go for a beer or two but today we were a bit hungry so we both ordered the “veggie burger” they use the Beyond burger and it comes on this giant bun that they dry toast beautifully and they pack it with lettuce, tomato, onion & shredded lettuce. This burger is seriously amazing, AND can you see the crunch on these fries?! They’re perfect!!!! I was super happy when I saw a plant based option on the menu and super stoked when I got a beyond burger! (They’re my favorite) the prices were more than fair, the service is awesome and the place has good ambience. It’s a little divey, but kinda upscale divey if that makes sense. Hands down winner in my book!“

“Always great! Highly recommend! 5 stars! ⭐️“

“just a great place with and for great folks“