Where To Eat And Drink In Crystal River, Florida

We list where to eat and drink in Crystal River, Florida. Everything from steaks and tacos to gluten-free eggs benedicts!

**A big thank you to Discover Crystal River Florida for helping us discover these awesome eateries. Although most of the meals during our visit were complimentary, as always, all opinions are our own.**

Where To Eat And Drink In Crystal River

Swimming with manatees, kayaking, biking, hiking… with all that there is to do in the area you are bound to get hungry! We’ve put together this list of where to eat in Crystal River to ensure you stay fueled up while exploring one of the best cities to visit in Florida.

Jarrito Burrito Food Truck

Food trucks are growing in popularity in Crystal River! While we were visiting Three Sisters Springs, we stopped to get some tacos at the Jarrito Burrito Food Truck. They had a variety of tacos, burritos, nachos, and desserts and everything was made fresh. We purchased a steak taco and that steak really had a lot of flavor!

Tea House 650

Right in the heart of Heritage Village in downtown is Tea House 650. If you’re looking for where to eat in Crystal River that is unique, definitely stop here. This adorable cafe serves a variety of teas (over 50 loose leaf teas), as well as wine, food, and household accessories.

There is both inside and outside seating, but we chose to sit outside on the front porch. Tea House 650 is on North Citrus Avenue, the main street of Heritage Village, so it is a good place to sit and people watch.

While we were there, we had the Golden Monkey tea and the 3 Cheese Flatbread. The tea was sweet and refreshing, which was perfect after having been exploring the area all morning. The flatbread was really good too but the star of the show was definitely the warm raspberry jalapeño compote that came with it. It had just the right amount of kick to it and accompanied the flatbread beautifully.

St. Johns Tavern

One of the newest places to eat in Crystal River is St. Johns Tavern. Right at the intersection of North Citrus Avenue and US-19, this bar and grill is quickly becoming a local favorite.

They have 20 beers on tap and great food options. To start we had the Bruschette Dip which was served with toasted artisan baguette and a balsamic glaze. Next we had the BLT which had crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo served on Texas Toast. It came with chips, but we upgraded for their loaded chips which came with bacon, blue cheese, and a balsamic glaze.

Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters

If you’re looking for coffee places in Crystal River, we suggest Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters. They are also new to the city and growing in popularity quickly.

During our visit we had the coffee of the day which was Sumatra and also a Zebra Mocha which had white and milk chocolate. We got them to go, so we forgot to take photos of the coffees. Whoops!

West 82º Bar & Grill

During our stay in Crystal River, we stayed at Plantation on Crystal River. Inside the resort is West 82º Bar & Grill. We actually ate at the restaurant a couple of times, one time for breakfast after swimming with manatees and then another day for dinner. The restaurant is open and airy, with views of the pool area and Kings Bay.

During our first visit, we had the Banana Stuffed French Toast for breakfast. The bananas were cooked in the baguette bread, which we’d never seen before. It was topped with powdered sugar and pecans. We loved the bread and the combination of bananas and pecans.

When we went back for dinner, we were pleasantly surprised to start our meal off with some yummy cornbread. As an appetizer we had the Caprese Salad which had yellow and red tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

For our main meal we had the Grilled Filet Mignon which consisted of an 8 ounce tenderloin with green peppercorn demi-glace, tri-color fingerling potatoes, and vegetables. The tenderloin was cooked just the way we liked it and the potatoes were really good. I thought the vegetables could have used a little bit more salt though. For dessert, we had the Rum Flan.

Besides the food and views, what impressed us about the restaurant was also the service. If you’re looking for where to eat in Crystal River, whether you live there or are visiting, consider West 82º Bar & Grill.

You don’t have to be a guest of the resort to eat here, and we could tell that locals eat at the restaurant often. The staff and guests greeted each other warmly and it was obvious to see who the regulars were when they sat down.

Riverside Crab House and Monkey Bar

Just south of Crystal River is the Riverside Crab House in Homosassa. This restaurant is right on the water and offers it’s guests a large menu of fresh caught seafood, with their specialty being blue crab.

They also have a tiki bar next door, Monkey Bar, that you can order drinks from to accompany your food. While you wait for your meal or drink, you can see boats and kayakers go by or you can watch the playful monkeys on Monkey Island. Yes, you read that right!

The story of Monkey Island is pretty interesting… In the 1960s, there was an area of rocks in the river that hid just below the surface of the water during high tide. Boaters often wrecked on these rocks so G.A. “Furgy” Furgason, owner of the land, left instructions for dirt to be piled on top of the rocks. Turns out they put too much dirt! And it didn’t look pretty.

Meanwhile, some mischievous monkeys that kept getting into trouble at a nearby wildlife attraction needed a new home. So, huts and plants were added to the island and the monkeys were transported over. Three out of the original five monkeys are still living on Monkey Island. The other two passed away of old age in the early 2000s, but two more have been brought in. Visitors can see the monkeys swinging on ropes and playing around, all from inside the restaurant!

Once the food comes, though, your focus will definitely shift. To drink, we had Monkey Juice which had spiced rum, coconut rum, peach schnapps, banana liquor, orange and pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine. As an appetizer, we had Conch Fritters which were breaded really nicely. And for our main meal we had a Basket of Fish Fingers which came with french fries, hushpuppies, and coleslaw. The fish was fresh and the french fries were crunchy and spiced especially well.

Pro Tip: Go just before sunset; the views from the deck are beautiful.

Pro Tip: Check out these other reasons Why You Need To Visit Crystal River!

Final Thoughts On Where To Eat And Drink In Crystal River

We hope that this list gives you a little taste (see what we did there?) of the kind of food you can find in Crystal River, Florida. And if you’ve visited the town before and have any additional places you’d recommend for where to eat in Crystal River, feel free to leave them in the comments below! 🙂

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