Food & Drinks

Dining in Florida – the distinctive cuisine of the Sunshine State.
When people think of Florida and its cuisine, they often associate it with the image we Europeans have of American food: burgers, pizza, fries, cola, grease, and lots of calories. But those stereotypes are long outdated, and Florida in particular stands out for its diverse, exciting cuisine.

The conditions are practically perfect: Many fruits thrive in Florida’s lush climate, the sea provides fish, shellfish, and much more, cattle are raised in large numbers, and even alligator from the Keys is not uncommon on plates. In addition, the influence of South American and Cuban residents plays a major role in Florida, leaving its mark on the state’s typical cuisine. Immigrants from the Bahamas or from New England have also influenced the cuisine.

Breakfast in Florida

If you’d like to have breakfast in Florida, you’ll usually find the typical American breakfast in diners and coffee shops: coffee, eggs (scrambled or fried) with grilled ham or bacon, and often a cornmeal porridge that’s typical for this region and is also frequently served with other meals instead of potatoes or rice.

Lunch and dinner in Florida

At lunch or dinner, you’ll find everything your heart desires in Florida’s restaurants and eateries: If you like it hearty and fried, you’ll find many dishes with fried chicken or shrimp, often heavily seasoned. Crab meat is fried into small balls. Crawfish are a specialty often found on menus. Especially recommended are crawfish prepared Creole-style—though you should enjoy spicy food for that.

If you prefer something light and healthy, Florida will deliver as well: There are especially many fish dishes, whether shrimp, red snapper, tuna, mahi-mahi, mussels, or—for the adventurous—sea snails. Spiny lobster is served in pasta, as balls (made from minced fish), and in soup. Many items are grilled and served with fresh fruit as a side. Ginger, lemongrass, and coconut are commonly used flavors.

The influence of South American residents has led to salsa—often refined with tropical fruits—or gazpacho being available in many restaurants in a wide variety of versions. Furthermore, due to the South American influence, there are many bars where you can enjoy tapas or drink Cuban rum cocktails. Florida offers an exciting cuisine of its own with many different influences that come together to create unique dishes you definitely shouldn’t miss.

Dining out

Unlike in Germany or Austria, it’s not appreciated in the U.S. if you simply choose a table in a restaurant. Please wait for the server and let them seat you. A discreet sign reading “wait to be seated" should also point out this custom. In upscale restaurants, servers expect a tip for this service.

Tipping

Because base pay in the U.S. hospitality industry is very low, staff rely heavily on tips. A customary amount is 10–20% of the bill. We recommend only withholding a tip if something truly wasn’t right, since this is generally seen as a signal of poor service, and in most cases the restaurant manager will also come by to ask whether everything is okay.

Beverages

In many restaurants, you pay for the beverage only once per person and get free refills—the so-called “refill." Alcoholic beverages are excluded.

Alcohol

In the U.S., the sale of alcoholic beverages is permitted only to those age 21 and over.