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round trip travel and lifestyle blog

7 Best Destin Restaurants

August 7, 2015
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Destin may be known for its beach access and water sports, but don’t overlook its cuisine. From fresh seafood to sweet treats, brunch to Irish nosh, Destin has you covered. Your beach vacation needn’t be centered solely around tanning and swimming. From tacos to ice cream, you’ll want these 7 best Destin restaurants to be on your Florida itinerary.

Rockin Tacos

How can you NOT go to a place with a name like this?!  If you order guacamole, be aware: they will literally make it right in front of you at your table, fresh avocados and jalapeños and all.  Quality: check!  My chicken nachos were so, so delicious.  You know they’re good when you can’t stop eating even though you’ve already had chips and salsa and queso and avacado (whoops)!  This new restaurant is technically on Okaloosa Island near Fort Walton Beach.  If you go west on Highway 98 from Destin, you’re there in 15 minutes.  5 out of 5 stars for amazing food, fabulous service and ocean views!

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Why have a daiquiri when you can have tequila and a margarita! #nationaldaiquiriday

A post shared by Rockin Tacos (@rockintacos) on Jul 19, 2019 at 11:52am PDT

McGuire’s Irish Pub

Green and more green.  Recommended by locals, this Irish pub boasts over a million dollars (and counting!) in one dollar bills hanging from the ceiling and stapled to the wall.  I went with the Irish potato skins which included smoked Gouda cheese, Applewood smoked bacon and green onions.  Let me just tell you that I love potato skins (and I’ve had many).  But this one came in first place.  Its perfect amount of potato (not crazy overload but not too too stingy) along with the generous amount of toppings will make your mouth water.  And my several bites of T’s pork chop were also delish.  5 out of 5 stars for this spot for quality eats and unique venue. 

Merlin’s

After a long, hot day at the beach, hanging out in the condo or hotel and ordering in may be just the way to relax.  And Merlin’s fit just that ticket for us.  While driving around Destin earlier in the week, we happened to pass this pizza place and actually thought it looked pretty sketch.  But the next day some locals suggested exactly this place.  So, we gave it a shot, and it was so good that we ordered it not once, but twice during our week stay!  Oh, and they deliver so you can pop in a movie or, ya know, be social with the fam and friends while avoiding that crazy Destin traffic. 

If we’re rating the best Destin restaurants, 4.5 stars out of 5 for great pizza and convenience. Fantastic gluten-free option, too! 

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The Donut Hole

Out. The. Door. The line was out the door multiple times throughout the week. So, it must be good, right?  Well, we were right about The Donut Hole.  Although the lines took awhile and the exterior wasn’t anything exciting, this place was absolutely charming.  Great service and yummy food.  I went with a breakfast burger: hamburger patty, one fried egg, bacon and cheddar with hash browns on the side. Minus the bun because that gluten-free life!

The food and service was great.  And let’s be real: they made some nice hash browns, and that’s really all a girl can ask for. While I did not indulge in any gluten, R and company gave their donuts a thumbs up.  (That would be bad if they weren’t because you might want to nail the title of your restaurant name, but that’s just me.)  4.5 stars out of 5 for good food, cute venue and outstanding service even in morning rush.

Boshamps Seafood & Oyster House

After so many hearty eats, I was ready for a lighter option, and Boshamps killed it.  Even though this is, well, a seafood and oyster place, I ordered a salad — go, me? I felt a little lame, but then they brought it to the table.  Then I changed my mind.  Best.  Salad.  Ever.  Guys, they put it in a flippin’ mason jar! 

The Boshamps “Shaker” Salad includes local iceberg, romaine, radish, season garden vegetables, cheddar cheese, honey roasted nuts and your choice of dressing.  The mason jar was more than cute presentation because, ya know, it could “shake” the salad around and spread the dressing evenly. 

If you’re looking for a little more than just a plain ole salad, add some grilled chicken, shrimp or catch of the day.  And after no thinking at all and disregard for the dinners and appetizer we just ate, we found it in us to ask about the dessert menu.  After the waiter rattled it off, we said “One of everything, please!”  Because it’s vacay, right?  So, out they brought Mystery Pecan Pie, Cheesecake, Six Layers of Chocolate Love (flourless chocolate cake) and Pound Cake.  While I just indulged in the Chocolate Cake (which was pretty good), the others approved all the other desserts.  As for the best Destin restaurants, Boshamps gets a 4.5 out of 5 for tasty food and ocean views.

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#Repost @todoindestin ・・・ Dinner + a view 😍 . We agree with everything @destinduchess said in her original post – @boshamps is one of our favorite picks for dinner in #Destin! Pictured here: pan sautéed snapper over pasta 😋 . 📸: @destinduchess #ToDoInDestin . . . . #Destin #DestinFL #DestinFlorida #850DestinLife #DestinLocals #DestinVacation #Florida #FloridaPanhandle #FloridaVacation #SouthWalton #SoWal #LoveFL #ILiveWhereYouVacation #30a #Hey30a #GulfCoast #EmeraldCoast #EmeraldCoasting #DestinLife #OnlyInFlorida #LiveLocalFlorida #ThingsToDoInDestin

A post shared by boshamps (@boshamps) on Sep 26, 2019 at 9:02am PDT

And now for the best part aka dessert…

Shake’s

Mint chip is a classic and a favorite of mine.  It’s one thing to screw it up, but how do you go above and beyond with this frozen basic?  It’s just mint ice cream and chocolate chips, right?  Wrong.  I ordered a mint chip shake, and I can’t even begin to explain to you how wonderful it was.  The creamy mint and rich milk chocolate bits made for an amazing shake.  5 out of 5 for some darn good ice custard.

Bruster’s

Well, you can’t just have ice cream once on vacation.  We’d heard good things about Bruster’s, and yep, they were right.  I opted for the Peanut Butter Cup Sundae.  The combo of peanut butter and hot fudge made me melt.  5 out of 5 for some quality scoops.

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Is there a more photogenic scoop of Bruster’s Ice Cream than Key Lime Pie?! 😍 Great shot, @ashleypletch3. Stop by your local Bruster’s store and show off your favorite flavor!

A post shared by Bruster's® Real Ice Cream (@brustersfresh) on Aug 30, 2019 at 5:52am PDT

There’s no reason to waste your precious dollars on even one meal. And you don’t have to, thanks to these best Destin restaurants.  Indulge in these calories because running around on the beach and all that shopping balance it out, right?

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  1. 11 Things to Do in Destin – Round Trip says:
    January 2, 2017 at 6:27 pm

    […] At this point, you’re probably exhausted and ready for lunch.  If you’re in need of restaurant recommendations, click here. […]

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  2. Round Trip: The Best Of – round trip says:
    December 1, 2018 at 11:53 am

    […] Where to Eat in Destin, Florida-You might as well eat while you’re there too. […]

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  3. My Top 10 of Destin, Florida – round trip says:
    February 16, 2020 at 10:26 am

    […] You might also be interested in the 7 Best Places to Eat in Destin. […]

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  4. 6 SEO Tips for Bloggers - round trip says:
    July 12, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    […] about it: when you’re looking for the best restaurants in Destin, Florida, what do you do? You open Google or Pinterest and type in “best restaurants in Destin, […]

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  5. 9 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Blog and Get More Traffic - round trip says:
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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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Hi, it's been a minute, and I'd love to reintroduc Hi, it's been a minute, and I'd love to reintroduce myself👋

🇺🇸I'm a Missouri girl living in southern France where I teach English to French kiddos and update my blog, Round Trip. I moved here in the height of Covid last fall, and boy, do I have some STORIES that I dish in my brand new magazine (keep scrolling for the dirty deets)

🐝I majored in magazine editing and would love to talk your ear off about the Oxford comma. Oh, and I won the school spelling bee in 7th grade. Yep, I peaked😂

💃I'm a middle child, and I don't let my family forget that. I've always loved the attention, and I suppose that manifests in my addiction to glitter and leopard print.

📖This week I launched Round Trip: The Magazine, a 20-page print + digital experience. It’s jam-packed with articles about how I moved to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to add to your bucket list and how I saved $7,000 to move abroad. I spill the tea on how travel and life abroad has taught me the best lessons about insecurity and confidence, heartbreak and love👀

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(giveaway) What's a magazine launch week without a (giveaway) What's a magazine launch week without a giveaway?!💥 I recently announced my latest project, Round Trip: The Magazine. This 20-page physical + digital magazine is jam-packed with articles on how I made the move to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to visit, how I saved thousands of dollars to travel and the lessons I've learned through travel. And lots, lots more!

🎉Here's how to enter my giveaway (it takes 30 seconds!):
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😳Here’s a little secret for you: I was terrif 😳Here’s a little secret for you: I was terrified I would fall flat on my face. Now I’m happy and loving every second of life in France, but let’s rewind the clock back to one year ago, shall we?

⏰I was a mess. Last spring, it’d already been several months since I submitted my application to teach English in France. My heart was set on living abroad. And it was shattered as headlines and exclamation points littered the world with this virus called Covid.

🙈Between March and August, I might as well have had the words “I don’t know” tattooed on my forehead. My heart was constantly in flux: do I keep fighting for a dream that exists only in abstract? Or do I give up my dream to move abroad because life is too complicated or rather it’s just not possible?

🍳I had put all my eggs in one basket. I’d told everyone that the plan was to move to France, and now all of life’s questions could be summed up in a slew of question marks. I feared embarrassment and failure. But more than anything, I had long dreamed of living in France. It wasn’t only a question of pride but of passion.

⏩Fast forward to today: I’ve been living in France for six months, and although it’s not always perfect, I’m in love with my life here. Sincerely. I take walks around my neighborhood, look around and constantly say to myself, “Is this seriously my life?”

❓I get a lot of questions about my life in France. And for this reason along with the journey to get here, I decided to create something. This week, I'm launching Round Trip: The Magazine. It’s a 20+ page magazine (digital or physical — you pick!) filled with stories, travel tips, language learning ideas, bucket list destinations and beyond. Plus, a password-protected online portal with bonus content.

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(big news!) ☎️Travel called — it wants you b (big news!) ☎️Travel called — it wants you back. The cabin fever is real as we’ve been cooped up in our homes for the past however many months. Whether you’re booking a flight ASAP or wanting to play it safe for a while, many of us have been daydreaming about travel. We miss the thrill of takeoff, the exhilaration of exploration, the elation of discovery.

✈️That's why TODAY I’m launching Round Trip: The Magazine, a 20+ page physical + digital experience. It’s jam-packed with articles about how I moved to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to add to your bucket list and how I saved $7,000 to move abroad.

❤️My heart in creating this magazine is to provide a more immersive, intimate experience than my blog posts and Instagram stories. 

🍵It’s more than just the practical tips but also the raw + real, juicy deets. I spill the tea on how travel and life abroad has taught me the best lessons about insecurity and confidence, heartbreak and love.

I’ve spent HOURS pouring my heart into these pages, and I’m confident these words will not only help you plan your future trips but also inspire you to chase your passions harder.

Today the pre-sale (and sale price!) is available to my email subscribers. Not on the list? Comment 💥and I'll add you to the list. Allez-y !

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Sometimes I just don’t believe my life🙈 Toda Sometimes I just don’t believe my life🙈

Today we took a casual 20ish minute boat ride to a nearby island I can see from my backyard. We hiked up to the ancient fort and danced to music mere feet from ruins — all with views of the Mediterranean Sea and Marseille in all her sunny glory.

I think back to a year ago when my life felt heavy and full of question marks. I think of all the hoops I jumped through and all the doors God opened for me to be here. I think of the daily prayers for answers, long walks to let out the stress and the anxious tears.

And friends, it was all worth it. What a beautiful thing reflection is! What an amazing thing it is to see the pain that was and the joy that is! 

The months leading up to moving to France were absolute mayhem, but oh, I am so beyond glad I didn’t quit when it was hard. Because I am in absolute love with my life in southern France☀️
Been kinda quiet on the socials as of late👀I've Been kinda quiet on the socials as of late👀I've been soaking up the Marseille sunshine with long walks, picnics and the not-so occasional ice cream😋

💪I've also been hard at work. For the past two months, I've been creating my latest project, Round Trip: The Magazine. I've sent out surveys, edited and workshopped this piece for hours upon hours. And I am delighted to say I am all set to launch in APRIL!!

🤔What is this so-called magazine, and why should I care? Alas, in September, I moved to France to teach English — yes, in the middle of a pandemic. It's been quite the wild ride, and along the way, I've been getting lots of questions about my journey here.

I also wanted to take my blog to the next level. As much as I love sharing my travel tips + life abroad peeks on my blog and social channels, I longed to provide a more immersive, intimate experience. Ya know, like a coffee date with your best gal pal?☕

Given that I have a degree in magazine editing, I thought it only fitting to answer the questions, share my stories and dish all the dirty deets in magazine format. And I am sooo stoked for next month's launch!! Want to be first to hear when this magazine drops and to get the pre-sale price? Comment with ⭐and I'll add you to my insiders list.

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🍷😋Best eats + sips in BORDEAUX: 🍦@glace 🍷😋Best eats + sips in BORDEAUX: 

🍦@glaceriedumas_bordeaux Tori and I stayed in Bordeaux for two nights, and we visited Glacerie Dumas twice. Long story short: it was delightful. The first night I ordered ice cream macaron sandwiches. And the second night I ordered their chocolate ice cream topped with chantilly. 

🍜@padang8padang I am always in search of a good bowl of pad thai, and this fit just the bill. My pad thai packed flavor, and I was so bummed that my tummy wasn’t big enough to finish the whole bowl. Reasonably priced and steps away from a darling square. 

🍔@cafekokomo Located in a bubbly square, Café Kokomo serves up burgers, fries, lemonade and more of your American favorites. The best part of all (okay, close) is that they handed out those gummy Krabby Patty candies with our order. AMAZE.

🍇L’Oenothèque: Tor and I decided to make our wine tasting at our Airbnb. We found a wine shop right across from Église Notre Dame de Bordeaux. The kind shopkeeper helped us pick out a selection of regional wines for our charcuterie night, and she even pointed to where they came from on her map of Bordeaux. The shop isn't super active online, so here's the address: 1 Place du Chapelet

What are you craving for your trip to Bordeaux? Save this post for your next trip to southwestern France. Link in bio has more Bordeaux food + activity recs❗

#padangpadangfr #padangpadang #padangpadangbordeaux #glaceriedumas #glaceriedumasbordeaux #glaceriedumasfr #bordeauxeats #bordeauxrestau #eatbordeaux #macaron #icecream #bordeauxdessert #thingstodobordeaux #bordeauxcityguide #bordeauxmaville #cafekokomo #cafekokomobordeaux #LOenothèque #Oenothèque #bordeauxwine #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k #bordeauxfr
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