6 Best Caribbean Restaurants near Cocoa Beach

“Great food and great atmosphere!“

“Fresh as fresh can be fish and seafood, expertly prepared and presented. Creative and flavorful sides made with care and genuine love for food craft. Decadent desserts that are so incredible I have dreams about them.“

“The oxtails and rice are the most delicious to me“

“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“

“I am not sure if the base is the local community but from the other guests I was it sure looked and felt like it and it made a cozy atmosphere. My server was wonderful and the good was fresh and good.“

“My Family and I just visited and we all loved it! Amazing family ran business. We had a pretty large order and they really took care of us, 10/10 would definitely recommend!“