Dining in Tallahassee: 3 Days of Amazing Dining in Tallahassee

By Andrew J. Skerritt

Tallahassee is a city with a big appetite for contact sports – football and politics. It’s home to the Florida State University Seminoles and the state legislature. 

And all those pols, sports figures and those who watch them want to enjoy Tallahassee dining. And fortunately, Tallahassee is also a place where Florida meets the South, where the harvest of the Gulf of Mexico and the rich farmlands of the Big Bend delight local palates and tempt visitors to return.

Here are a few of the places you might want to check out – breakfast, lunch and dinner — when dining in Tallahassee:

DAY ONE

Breakfast

The Lunch Box
295 N. Magnolia Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301
850-942-9766

As the aroma of bacon and eggs wafts from the kitchen, the images of the lunch boxes hanging from the rafters inside The Lunch Box provide a nostalgic trip back to childhood. The traditional Southern breakfast fare — bacon and eggs, waffles, home fries, omelets, country fried steak and sausages - makes this spot for dining in Tallahassee a major draw.

Lunch

Andrew's Capital Grill & Bar
228 S. Adams St., Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.Andrewsdowntown.com
850-222-3444

Andrew’s is the quintessential political eatery and watering hole. Operated by Andy Reiss under various names at the same spot for more than 40 years, the restaurant is an informal gallery of the city’s sports, political and cultural history. Take a gander at the framed pictures of Jesse Jackson, Bob Graham and Bullet Bob Hayes, and then the menu, with dishes named for state politicians. But there’s nothing like Andrew’s grilled chicken sandwich topped with all the fixings.

Dinner

Neferati’s Fine Cuisine & Spirits
812 S. Macomb St., Tallahassee, FL 32301
850-210-0548
new.nefetaris.com

Located in Tallahassee’s jazzed up Gaines Street corridor,  Nefetari’s offers the world on a plate – Ethiopian stew platter with finely chopped vegetables and a selection of organic beans, seasoned with berbere spice, served with your choice of two sides and choice of tofu, chicken or shrimp. There is Greek red snapper and forbidden fried rice — a  meal of Chinese black rice stir fried with broccoli, spinach, scallions, mushrooms, peas, carrots, corn and pineapple habanero sauce  that sear the taste buds. You can wash it all down with ginger brew, pineapple juice or sorrel, a strawberry-colored beverage popular in the Caribbean. You'll soon see why this is one of the best places for dinner in Tallahassee.

DAY TWO

Breakfast

The Egg Café & Eatery
3740 Austin Davis Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32308
850-765-0703

At first glance the Egg Café & Eatery, with its tidily designed exterior, high ceilings, homey-colored walls and matching window treatments could easily be mistaken for just another breakfast franchise restaurant. But owner Mike Schmidt and his staff treat diners to breakfast cuisine. The big draws are the specialty omelets, including the Ponce de Leon -- a creamy, cheese-and-tomato filled omelet with crab meat sautéed in homemade garlic butter and topped with corned beef hash homemade with onions and sweet peppers. Everything is made to order; nothing is pre-cooked.

Lunch

Vertigo Burgers and Fries
http://www.vertigoburgersandfries.com/
1395 East Lafayette Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301
850-878-2020

Vertigo is a burger joint “where a burger isn’t just a beef patty,” says owner David Gwynn. The menu and the taste buds back his boast. Among Vertigo’s most popular offerings are the Greek-out, a lamb burger served with tzatziki sauce, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, feta, and pepperoncini peppers; the Vertigo — a beef plate topped with fried eggs, Applewood bacon, griddled jalapeno peppers, sharp cheddar and Vertigo sauce; and the Creole Spin,  a burger made from locally caught shrimp, creole remoulade, pickled okra stew and sliced tomato.

Dinner

The Hawthorn
1307 N Monroe, Unit #1, Tallahassee, FL 32303
hawthorntlh.com
850-354-8275 

The Hawthorn features refined Southern cuisine with influences from traditional European technique and an emphasis on local, fresh produce and responsibly sourced protein. With a growing and adventurous wine program, and a friendly experienced staff, this is one of the Capital City’s hot new spots. The menu changes often, so be adventurous.

DAY THREE

Breakfast

The Uptown Café
1325 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308
www.uptowncafeandcatering.com
850-219-9800

The second you step inside the Uptown Café, you’re struck by the emotional warmth of the place – fundraising posters and photos on the walls, retirees from the neighborhood seated at the tables. No wonder one local magazine calls Fred Tedio’s eatery the “place where everyone knows your name.” Diners faithfully come for the smoked salmon omelet, smoked salmon on cathead biscuits, and for the grits bowl topped with egg, cheese and just about everything else.

Lunch

Bella Bella
123 E. 5th Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32303
www.thebellabella.com
850-412-1114

Cozy and quaint, Bella Bella offers much more than delicious pizza and pasta. For starters, there’s the appetizer of coconut shrimp with sweet and sour dip. Even finicky kids fall in love with the Caesar and Bella Bella salads with house dressings. The French onion soup also makes you want to come back again and again, while the gourmet sandwiches chicken pesto melt sandwich is a favorite with younger diners. Who knew that a special of black-eyed peas and rice, collard greens and baked chicken patty could taste so good? Oh, and that sweet potato salad!

Dinner

Madison Social
705 S. Woodward Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32304
www.Madisonsocial.com
850-894-6276

With its open layout, garage-style doors, refurbished beams and exposed air ducts, Madison Social has an industrial style décor and caters not just to college students but also to young professionals and boomers. The dinner menu includes burgers and sandwiches, plus entrée offerings such as a grilled beer bratwurst with grilled housemade spaetzle, and bacon-braised cabbage. There’s also slow-cooked pulled pork, and steak frites – porcini-rubbed flank steak with housemade special steak sauce served with fries. The roasted rosemary half chicken is served with sautéed green beans.