Best Restaurants in DeLand, FL (and Nearby Areas)

(UPDATED JULY 2022) DeLand is West Volusia County’s best-known address, while nearby cities include Deltona, Cassadaga, and Orange City. Situated near Orlando and Daytona Beach, DeLand is a great place to visit, with one of the top Main Streets in the country—you’ll find everything from boutiques to breweries, art galleries to vinyl shops, and everything in between. It is also a fabulous place to eat and drink. Here are 11+ best restaurants in DeLand, FL, (and a handful of nearby restaurants) that I’m sure you will want to check out.  

BakeChop

An upscale, chic scratch kitchen restaurant in the heart of DeLand is BakeChop, where fresh food is always fashionable, and trendy dishes take center stage. Fresh veggies and sides change daily at BakeChop but may include Onion Rings, Broccoli Salad, Sweet Fried Plantains, Beets & Goat Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower, or Collards. Bake Chop serves sandwiches, salads, meatballs, gluten-free items, and other small plates like magical fruit (hummus and veggies) and Cue the Quiche.

My favorite dish is the Billy Madison; a croissant is filled with Sloppy Joe meat, house collards, and Manchego cheese. The taste is incredible! BakeChop is a tasty little spot with indoor and outdoor dining, vegan options, and a heart for selling local, buying local, and supporting pasture-raised or free-range meats, hormone and antibiotic-free.

Boston Coffee House

Who doesn’t love a good independent coffee shop? DeLand has an exceptional one in Boston Coffee House, a place for delicious fresh-made pastries, muffins, breakfast & lunch, and a variety of coffees and teas.

They have unique desserts, such as Earthquake and Cannoli Cakes, which pair perfectly with the drink selections, available hot, iced, or frozen. I recommend the Yankee Doodle espresso with steamed milk, chocolate, and whipped cream.

Breakfast items include tasty little pretzel bun Croissants, toasted bagels, English muffins, Pancakes, French Toast, and a few different breakfast burritos. My money is on the Chipotle Breakfast Ciabatta with mushrooms, onions, and chipotle dressing. Man, it was incredible! The ambiance and welcoming staff are as impressive as the food and drinks.

De la Vega Restaurante

Step into a delicious world of tapas, sangria, and margaritas in this delightful indoor/outdoor eatery. De la Vega Restaurante is where you’ll find amazing modern Latin-fusion creations and a darned tasty Sunday brunch. Start your De la Vega experience with homemade empanadas, chicken mole rice balls, or a trio of guac, queso, and salsa.

Or, try the $35 meal for two, including an appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert to share, a great deal. The Ropa Vieja Latin Bowl, with salad, yucca fries, beans, and rice, is my favorite dish on the menu.

Happy hour is from 4 to 7 and features 2 for 1 sangria and draft beer.

Half Wall Beer House

In downtown DeLand is Half Wall Beer House, a sports bar, tap house, and grill, all rolled into one. The food is fantastic, the beer selection excellent, and the ambiance casual and super fun. Order a craft beer flight with four five-ounce samples to try as you enjoy munching on big fat Jumbo Honey Glazed Chicken Wings with ranch dressing. 

My go-to beer is Half Wall’s very tasty Jefficus Bourbon Coffee Vanilla Oatmeal stout. If you are a fresh seafood fan, consider ordering the savory parmesan cheese, red chili flakes & parsley topped Mussels in Beer, served with Texas Toast.

Emmy’s Time Out Tavern

Enjoy authentic German food from Emmy’s Time Out Tavern, one of the best restaurants in DeLand serving traditional German fare in a family-style casual atmosphere. Start your meal with Kartoffelpuffer; German pancakes served with applesauce or sour cream for dipping.

The Breaded Pork Schnitzel with brown mushroom onion gravy is “all that and a bag of chips,” or in other words, a fabulous menu option. Pair the pork or chicken cutlet with sweet red cabbage and sauerkraut. Meals from Emmy’s come with fresh bread, vegetable beef soup, and a delicious cabbage, tomato, and German cucumber salad.

For more on the best things to do in DeLand, check out this post.

Pitmasters BBQ

From an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet to deliciously cooked low and slow barbecue meats, you will not leave Pitmasters BBQ hungry. A healthy salad bar is a unique feature, with just the right amount of fresh vegetables and toppings to choose from. Be sure to try Cowboy Candy, a regional dish with candied jalapeños over cream cheese that you eat with tortilla chips. Caution, this dish is addictive. 

Then, sink your teeth into the brisket, pulled pork, or burnt ends that pair nicely with the wide array of sauces (mustard, regular, sweet bold, hot sauce, and super hot) offered at each table. Pitmasters BBQ has great side dishes, too, including coleslaw, bbq beans, corn-on-the-cob, and fries. The sweet tea is a must!

Abbey Bar & Odd Elixir Meadworks

Enjoy a cold craft beer (10 on tap, 100+ bottled) or a tasty mead from Abbey Bar & Odd Elixir, a dually-owned business. The mead flight is a great way to sample several and see which one tickles your fancy. For me, it was the Peaches the Friendly Ghost.

Abbey Bar & Odd Elixir Meadworks also serves upscale bar fare for lunch and dinner. The quesadillas are the most popular item. Try the Spanish Inquisition Quesadilla, with pork, candied jalapeños, and beer onions, or the Club Chicken Quesadilla with ham, chicken, Swiss cheese, bacon, and insanely good raspberry jam. Abbey Bar is a place that is welcoming to newbies and has a friendly vibe–you won’t want to leave!

BYTE: A Modern Bistro 

BYTE is an enjoyable DeLand eatery with a nice collection of art, great drinks, and scratch-made food. The outdoor counter seats are unique and inviting. BYTE has an arsenal of yummy appetizers, such as Gouda Bytes, Crispy Portobello Fries, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Prosciutto Wrapped Dates.

Main courses include sandwiches, salads, wings, steaks, chops, fish, and tacos. I recommend the Mexican street tacos (choose two or three), with your choice of one signature side. You can also have a mix of different tacos, if you wish. BYTE’s food is really tasty and the ambiance enjoyable, but the noise level is a bit of an issue.

Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co.

DeLand has a wealth of friendly businesses where visitors and locals alike will want to hang out. Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company is one of those places. The taproom is part of DeLand’s SoNY neighborhood (South of New York Ave). Grab a seat at the bar or one of the tables and enjoy a cold brew, video game, music, trivia, yoga, or conversation with the locals. Dogs are welcome, too.

I love Persimmon Hollow’s 3 Wise Guys (coffee porter) and Funky Freddy Fitz, a Belgian stout. A more adventurous beer is the yummy Tipsy Friar, a Belgian Dubbel. While the taproom doesn’t serve food, you may bring your own or grab tacos across the street at Neighbors Artisan Tacqueria. 

Sinatra’s Ristorante

Inside of the Cassadaga Hotel at Lake Helen, Sinatra’s Ristorante is an upscale eatery with a stellar menu and a warm, friendly atmosphere. Check out the yummy array of appetizers, such as Fried Artichoke hearts (tossed in a lemon basil Beurre blanc sauce), Smoked Fish Dip (a Florida staple), or the Bruschetta (tomatoes, garlic, basil, and Ricotta cheese).

For your main course, try Arthur’s Burger, an 8-ounce burger piled high with peanut butter, grilled bananas, apple cider bacon, and mayo. Sinatra’s sandwiches come with seasonal chips. The food is always prepared to order and really enjoyable.

Old Spanish Sugar Mill

While DeLand and its neighbors have many great restaurants, probably none is as well-known as the Old Spanish Sugar Mill in the De Leon Springs State Park. Admission to the park is $6 per car.

The pancake house opened in 1961 and is a replica of a 100-year-old 1830’s sugar mill. Griddles are on each table because preparing your food is part of the Old Spanish Sugar Mill’s fun. Cook your own all-you-can-eat pancakes, French toast, and eggs while the wait staff takes care of your drinks, breakfast meats, and other needs.

Old Spanish Sugar Mill’s pancake recipe is unbleached white flour and a 5-stone ground flours mixture. Pancakes are served with your choice of syrup, raw honey, or unsulphured molasses, and you can add in your favorite pancake pairings such as bananas, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and pecans. A full menu is also available if breakfast fare isn’t what you are looking for.

More Beloved Bites

I can only eat so much on my trips to DeLand, but my friends tell me these are excellent choices, too. You may find something you like, love, or if you feel like sharing your experience, drop me a line, and I will add to the blog post.

• Urban Brick
• Chicas Cuban Cafe
• Forno Bello
• Cress Restaurant
• DeLand Fish House
• Santorini Greek Cuisine 

Delicious DeLand

As you can see, West Volusia’s DeLand and nearby areas have some mighty tasty morsels just waiting for you to try. You’re going to love it here!

Thanks to West Volusia Tourism for hosting our DeLand travels and many of my meals. As always, opinions and reviews are 100% mine and unbiased.

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