Illustrated by Anna Simmons
Pineland, Florida
Accessible only by boat, this eighty-acre, palm-lined island is home to an irresistible 1930s open-air tavern. Enjoy peeling fresh shrimp and cracking stone crab claws as gopher tortoises mosey past. Don’t miss the views from the sixty-five-foot water tower.
Bluegill
Spanish Fort, Alabama
This family-friendly dive on the Mobile Bay Causeway serves up Gulf coast classics, from shrimp loaves to New Orleans–inspired flaming oysters. Try the shrimp and chicken gumbo, a favorite of one-time regular Elvis Presley (request to sit in his favorite booth!).
Biloxi, Mississippi
Housed in a 1920s service station, this small operation orders fresh ingredients daily for its inventive dishes with bayou roots (think baked Cajun oysters in New Orleans barbecue sauce). On summer weekends, guests line up for crawfish boils.
City Seafood
Everglades City, Florida
Diners pack the dockside tables at this cafe and market to feast on pressure-steamed stone crab (Everglades City is the Stone Crab Capital of the World), as well as perfectly seasoned conch, frog legs, and alligator.
Port St. Joe, Florida
A commissary until Hurricane Kate devastated it in 1985, this iconic cafe off Highway 30A is regarded as one of the best raw bars in the South. Flip-flops are welcome, drinks are self-serve on the honor system, and the oysters are never fried. indianpassrawbar.com
