If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed about living near the beach, it’s the overwhelming abundance of seafood at every turn.
Whether enjoying the ocean views at your favorite beachfront eatery, stopping in to a local bar and grill or picking up a fresh order to-go from a frequented restaurant and market, the Daytona Beach area has seafood favorites aplenty to satisfy your broiled, blackened, grilled or fried cravings all year long.
Finding the local gems that serve a fisherman-to-table-style menu, however, can be a little trickier. From redfish, mahi, and rock shrimp to flounder, stone crab, grouper and more, I’ve made my way through the Volusia-Flagler seafood scene in search of the area’s freshest local selections. From Daytona Beach Shores to Palm Coast and everywhere in between, here are my five favorite seafood restaurants in the Daytona Beach area.
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Macker Seafood
600 Mason Ave., Unit 100, Daytona Beach; 386-253-9905, Facebook.com/mackerseafood
Macker Seafood, a local seafood restaurant and market is worth both the stop in and getting your hands dirty for. Described as “about as fresh as it gets,” my server was most certainly correct, noting that the eatery works with local fisherman, constantly bringing in fresh seafood throughout the week to be specially prepared and served right to customer’s tables.
The Daytona Beach eatery offers both a fried and steamed menu, with a collection of perfectly-pairing sides, including slaw, hushpuppies and fries. For fried seafood lovers, you’ll want to get your hands on several of Macker’s tempting options like the jump shrimp, snapper, catfish, scallops or flounder, but be sure to save some room.
The eatery’s extensive steamed menu offers an array of simple, single-serve dishes, as well as larger, shareable platters and baskets, ranging from the Crawfish Steampot — 1 pound of crawfish, 12 shrimp, one sausage, one corn, one potato and one egg — and The Cluster Shuck — one snow crab, six oysters, six shrimp and one potato — to the garlic crabs — six blue crabs de-shelled and stuffed with fresh minced garlic, and the Oyster Steampot — 12 oysters alongside a single serving of sausage, corn, potato and egg.
A personal favorite, the “Enough For Two,” includes two slightly sweet and tender, cooked-to-perfection snow crab clusters, 1 pound of well-seasoned shrimp, two corn servings, two juicy sausages, two potatoes and two soft eggs. Macker Seafood also offers fresh stone crab available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Hull’s Seafood Restaurant
111 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach; 386-673-8888, bestseafoodinfl.com
Located in Ormond Beach, this community favorite lives up to its promise of providing the freshest seafood in town.
Hull’s Seafood and market has six of its own fishing vessels, while also working with local fishermen to provide “always fresh, never frozen” fish to the community. The local eatery has been a go-to spot for over 40 years, with a menu of fresh offerings that include Iroc Oysters from the New Smyrna Beach portion of the Mosquito Lagoon, whole Maine lobster, snow crab legs, grouper, flounder and more. Hull’s also offers stone crab for purchase at its market.
For those having trouble deciding, the Broiled Selection offers an array of lightly seasoned, fresh favorites, from the local East Coast white shrimp and cooked-to-perfection New England sea scallops to the lobster tail and fish of the day — a local firm, yet flaky grilled black tip shark during my visit. Served with your choice of dipping sides from butter and tartar to remoulade and cocktail sauce, the shareable plate is great option for two.
Whether looking for a handheld, a salad, a soup or shareable plate, Hull’s has a little bit of everything with a range of grilled, fried, blackened, and broiled selections for new and seasoned seafood lovers alike.
386 Palm Coast
5949 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm Coast; 386-246-0070, threeeightsix.com
Although a farther drive, this Palm Coast restaurant was more than worth the extra miles. A hidden gem, 386, “a fusion of fine eating,” is known for its quaint, charming atmosphere and flavorful menu of steak, seafood and beer and wine selections.
“They’re fresh off the boat” my server boasted to a nearby table, when asked about several seafood selections, going on to note that the eatery receives deliveries of fresh seafood daily. 386 combines everything one could love about fresh seafood and fine dining, offering the best of both worlds through decadent dishes like the grouper putanesca — fresh grouper sautéed in marinara sauce and accompanied by Kalamata olives, capers, garlic and onion — the crab-encrusted flounder — served over parmesan risotto and topped with beurre blanc — and the scallop calabrese served over fettucine.
A personal favorite, given that the season just started just a few weeks ago, was the stone crab. Served with a mild mustard sauce, the crabs came fresh and cracked for convenience, perfectly firm with a hint of sweetness, leaving me satisfied and eager to come back for more.
Reservations are recommended and accepted starting at 5 p.m., as the eatery tends to fill up quickly.
Millie’s Restaurant and Catering
3218 S. Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shoes; 386-275-1492, milliesrestaurant.com
Whether stopping by the original Millie’s or Millie’s North, you can’t go wrong with either spot when looking for exceptionally fresh seafood. The Daytona Beach Shores eatery, a Guy Fieri-approved local gem, serves a full menu of locally sourced fish dinners, ranging from the grilled local fish collars and local fish francaise to the shrimp and grits and the lettuce, tomato, pickle and house tartar-topped fish sandwich, served blackened, grilled or fried.
A personal favorite, the juicy fish po’boy, was served with the fish of the day — fresh, grilled flounder — and topped with tomato, sliced pickles, and a delicious, tangy house-made remoulade.
The eatery also offers rotating daily specials that are sure to reel you in, no pun intended, previously including a cumin-dusted, grilled, flaky flounder, served over jasmine rice and accompanied by sauteed green beans, carrots and a mouth-watering tomato fennel sauce.
The eatery prides itself on its relationship with local fishermen, allowing it to serve only the freshest plates of seafood daily. The Food Network-featured favorite is perfect for a post-beach bite or romantic date night dinner, inviting guests to keep it casual or dress it up and enjoy a seafood feast to remember.
Flagler Fish Company
180 S. Daytona Ave., Flagler Beach; 386-439-0000, flaglerfishcompany.com
Flagler Fish Company, a Daytona Avenue go-to, prides itself on not only its casual, beachy vibe, but its vast array of the “freshest and finest fish.” The local eatery works mainly with local fishermen, my server noted, receiving fresh seafood shipments twice daily to the restaurant, and welcomes customers new and returning to pick up some fresh filets to-go from the market or have them cooked to your liking in-house.
The eatery’s extensive menu has a little something for everyone, from the seaweed salad and wasabi mayo-topped tuna burger and South Side Fish Tacos to the peel-and-eat shrimp, sauteed mussels or clams and fried fish sandwiches — and when it comes to handhelds, Flagler Fish Company knows what it’s doing.
The eatery’s menu allows customers to select their fish of choice for each sandwich selection, including the blackened fish of the day — served with lettuce, vine-ripened tomato, tartar sauce and American cheese — and the A1A fishwich — fish of the day marinated fajita style and topped with onions, peppers, lettuce, provolone cheese, tomato, jalapenos, cilantro and spicy creole remoulade.
A new-to-me stand-out, the Carolyn’s A Catch, was worth the trip in and of itself, layered with a thick and flaky serving of grilled grouper, vine-ripened tomatoes, caramelized onions, sauteed spinach and herb mayo on a freshly baked roll.
The eatery also offers several soups, including the lobster bisque and, my go-to, the homemade Red Fish Chowda. Available in a cup or bowl, the seasoned-to perfection dish is a savory, spiced favorite that set the bar high, featuring bits of fresh fish and shellfish of the day, potato chunks, carrots, celery and onions. Whether enjoying a bite indoors or soaking up the sun on the outdoor patio, this local eatery is a Flagler Beach favorite for good reason.
Helena Perray is the restaurant and dining writer for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A New Jersey native and passionate storyteller, she can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Support local journalism by subscribing