The Small Florida Island That's A Foodie Paradise

The great state of Florida is positively lousy with good eats, like seafood from the hidden gem fishing village, Cortez, or the famous Cuban sandwiches from Miami's Versailles Restaurant. There are even some really good spots for food in Disney World (if you don't mind paying for the admission and the restaurant bill). But there is also a small island off the northwest coast of the state called Cedar Key, and even though it's only about one square mile in size, with about 800 permanent residents, it's positively awash in dining options for such a small area.

The island is home to two coffee shops, a bakery, a food truck, a bar, a handful of restaurants, and, if you prefer to do your cooking at home, a seafood market. Incredibly, the vast majority of these locations have a Google rating of well over four stars, with just one restaurant, The Tipsy Cow Bar & Grill, hovering at a 3.9-star rating at the time of publication. That means, whether you live there or you're visiting on vacation, you can choose pretty much any eatery or market on the island and end up having a fabulous cup of coffee, freshly made meal, or delicious cocktail; in other words, it's a true foodie paradise.

Oh, you want proof that foodies could head to Cedar Key and joyously eat their way through the island? All right, you're on. First up is the restaurant Steamers. This eatery prides itself on locally sourced seafood, particularly its clams and oysters, and its laid-back, island vibe. Its clam bowl, which comes with 25 fresh, Florida-caught clams in a garlic and white wine sauce, is perhaps the most quintessential Cedar Key meal you could ask for; one Google reviewer called them "plentiful and delicious" and gave them the highest recommendation, while another recommended ordering rolls with the dish to soak up any leftover sauce.

Jaybird's Chicken and Dock Street Dips is a mouthful — and so are the fried chicken, tenders, wraps, sliders, and even tacos that populate the menu. The fried chicken tacos in particular get rave reviews, with numerous Googlers claiming that they are the absolute best. If you have a sweet tooth, you'll definitely want to give the Cedar Key Bakery a try. Its donuts are to-die-for, but the shop also carries buttermilk biscuits, bagels, cinnamon rolls, croissants, muffins, cookies, pies, cakes, and even churros.

Finally, if you need your caffeine fix even in paradise, head to the Prickly Palm, where it has a wide variety of coffee flavorings, like raspberry and cinnamon, but also coconut, pineapple, and caramel apple. However, it's its tropical smoothies that are a must-try, especially the Green Sea Turtle, which not only includes fruit, but also spinach (if you need help hiding your greens).