Which Brevard restaurants make TripAdvisor's Hall of Fame? These do

Remember a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, when we had to rely on recommendations from friends and family, the hometown newspaper, luck or (gasp) those highway signs to find a place to eat?

Brian Henderson prepares the tables in the Normandy Room at Cafe Margaux. The Cocoa Village restaurant is a favorite with locals and on TripAdvisor.

Now, recommendations come from seemingly endless sources: Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google. Who needs friends to vouch for a place, when you can get opinions for hundreds of hungry strangers?

According to its website, TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site with approximately 661 million reviews of restaurants, hotels and other travel-related topics. 

Each year the site awards Certificates of Excellence to restaurants that earn a four "bubble" rating or higher, with five bubbles as its highest rating.

Restaurants that earn Certificates of Excellence for five years in a row enter TripAdvisor's Hall of Fame. 

I asked Tara Lieberman, senior public relations specialist for TripAdvisor which Brevard County restaurants have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The result was a list of more than 50 places across the Space Coast

I kicked out the restaurants from Port St. Joe. TripAdvisor categorizes places by town, not county, so I'm guessing Port St. Joe was mistaken for Port St. John when I sent her a list of Space Coast town names.

There were also a few chain restaurants — Bonefish Grill, Chart House, Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse — but no specific addresses, and since all but Chart House in Melbourne have multiple Brevard locations, I didn't include them in the final list, either.

Between the two of us, restaurant critic Lyn Dowling and I have visited most of these places, so we shared our thoughts about them. 

Without further ado, I give you Brevard's TripAdvisor Hall of Fame.

With dishes like this Ossobuco, is it any wonder Alfredo's Paradiso on Merritt Island made the Hall of Fame?

Alfredo's Paradiso, 217 Crockett Blvd., Merritt Island. Super popular with the locals. The chef/owner also offers cooking and cheese-making classes. SFL

Barrier Jack's, 410 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Flip-flop over to this informal beachside standby, with its hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners. LD

Beachside Grill & Deli, 1980 N. Atlantic Ave #101, Cocoa Beach. Cute place tucked in the corner of a beachside office building. Tiny, but very friendly. SFL

BeachSide Café, 109 Fifth Ave., Indialantic. Where Indialantic eats breakfast and lunch; try one of its huge, clever salads. LD

Restaurants in Brevard that have closed

Bizzarro's Famous NY Pizza, 4 Wave Crest Ave., Indialantic. While there are other Bizzarro’s locations around the county, this is probably the best known. Perfect place to grab a slice and stroll on the ocean. SFL

Brano's Italian Grill, 1940 State Road A1A, Indian Harbour Beach, and 3680 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Steaks, seafood, Italian: your choice. LD

Brasas Grill, 325 E. Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island. Why dine at a Brazilian-style chain steakhouse, when you can have it all right here? LD

Burger Place, 811 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Counter-service place with great burgers and piles of fries. House-made buns take your meal over the top. SFL

Cafe Coconut Cove, 4210 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach. Beautiful riverfront views, spot-on service, elegant entrees: German food at its best. LD

Cafe Margaux Restaurant, 220 Brevard Ave., Cocoa. The only Brevard restaurant to earn five stars from our restaurant critic, this is fine dining at its finest. Service, atmosphere, food: Café Margaux is the whole package. SFL

It's hard to go wrong with a beer and a Greek lamb with tzatziki and feta cheese burger at Coasters Pub and Biergarten in the Indian Harbour Beach.

Coasters Pub & Biergarten, 971 E. Eau Gallie Blvd. A, beachside Melbourne. Great burgers, great beer, fun place to hang out. There’s also a Coasters Taphouse at 5675 N. Atlantic Ave. 122, Cocoa Beach. SFL

Crush XI, 923 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Interesting, urban-elegant take on food. Top-notch cocktails. Unique desserts. SFL

More:Metro Diner, Marco's Pizza restaurants to open in Suntree/Viera

Cuban Island Restaurant, 2910 State Road A1A, Indialantic. A little elegant, a little laid-back, a lot of good food and drink, and the ocean is across the street. LD

Discovery Beach Café, 300 Barlow Ave, Cocoa Beach, inside Discovery Beach Resort. Relax and enjoy the Friday fish and shrimp fry or go for the chowder any time. LD

Dixie Crossroads Restaurant, 1475 Garden St., Titusville. A long-time North Brevard tradition. People stop here by the busload. The rock shrimp are worth the wait. SFL

Djon's Steak & Lobster House, 522 Ocean Ave., Melbourne Beach. Gorgeous, high-end restaurant. Sit outside when the weather is nice. Enjoy music in the bar. SFL

The Dove III, 836 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Classic Italian food served in an elegant setting. Sit near the window for great people-watching along New Haven. SFL

Edelweiss, 2543 S. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne. Dressy? No. German? Yes. Schnitzel? Fine. LD

El Ambia Cubano, 950 E. Melbourne Ave., Melbourne. Nothing fancy here, just great Cuban food. SFL

Fat Kahuna's Beach Side Grille, 8 Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Tiny restaurant with a lot of local flavor. What could be better than fresh seafood just feet from the Atlantic? SFL

The Fat Snook, 2464 S. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Fresh seafood and other dishes prepared in inventive styles. Celebrity chefs eat here. SFL

Florida's Seafood Bar & Grill, 480 W. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Another local favorite. Stylish and cool with great fish specials. SFL

Green Turtle Market, 855 E. Eau Gallie Blvd., Indian Harbour Beach. Gourmet market with a nice lunch café inside. Great wine selection, as well as meat, seafood, fresh produce and cheeses. SFL

The Green Room Café, 222 N. First St., Cocoa Beach. A favorite among the health-conscious, with lots of vegan and vegetarian options. SFL

Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar, 505 Glen Cheek Drive, Cape Canaveral; and 6075 N. US 1, Melbourne. Casual dining with a view. Watch cruise ships and fishing boats come in at the port location; enjoy the Indian River from the deck of the Melbourne location. SFL

Heidelberg Restaurant in Cocoa Beach serves classic European-style dishes like this Angus beef stuffed with pickles, carrots, prosciutto, mustard and caramelized onion and served with spaetzle and red cabbage.

Heidelberg Restaurant, 7 N. Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach. Classic European food in a fine-dining setting. Enjoy dinner, then move to Heidi’s Jazz Club next for an after-dinner drink and music. SFL

I Dream of Yogurt, 4295 N. Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach. Full of toppings, full of yogurt, full of color. LD

The Island Waterfront Bar and Grill, 1891 E. Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island. Locals’ hangout with decent bar food and entertainment. SFL

Jazzy's Mainely Lobster & Seafood Company, 210 N. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach. Casual seafood spot serving Maine lobster.

Juice N Java Café, 75 N. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach. Casual counter-service spot packed with locals enjoying fresh salads, sandwiches and smoothies. Acoustic music some nights. SFL

The Jungle Organic Restaurant, 2500 State Road A1A, Indialantic. A wonderful, stylish restaurant tucked inside a health food store. SFL

Kelsey's Pizzeria and Restaurant, multiple locations. Go for the pizza. Stay for the Greek salad, which has some of the best dressing on the East Coast. SFL

Long Doggers, multiple locations. Casual dining with a surfer vibe. SFL

 

The Mansion, 1218 E New Haven Ave, Melbourne. Great view of the water from the upper deck. Casual dining where friends gather. Curated selection of fine wines and liquors for sale. SFL

Meg O'Malley's Restaurant & Irish Pub, 812 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Downtown Melbourne restaurant and hangout. It’s packed on weekends. Music several nights a week, including an Irish jam on Tuesday nights. SFL

Nolan's Irish Pub, 204 W. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Small pub tucked into a strip plaza. Irish jam sessions on Thursdays. 

Ossorio Bakery & Café, 316 Brevard Ave, Cocoa. A community meeting place with house-made ice cream, wood-fired flatbreads, coffee, salads, croissants. You’ll find old guys talking politics, parents with young kids, runners and cyclists fresh off river road. SFL

Pacific Rim, 300 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island. Island residents love their Pacific Rim sushi. SFL

Papa Vito's Italian Restaurant, 6200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cape Canaveral. Casual pizza and pasta place. 

Pompano Grill, 110 N. Brevard Ave., Cocoa Beach. Proves that great food comes in small packages. Pompano is cozy, friendly and delicious. SFL

Portofino Italian Grill, 3350 S. Washington Ave., Titusville. A North Brevard mainstay for Italian favorites. SFL

Sandbar Sports Grill, 4301 Ocean Beach Blvd., Cocoa Beach. Casual, beachy hangout with decent food and a view of the ocean from upstairs. SFL

Seafood Atlantic, 520 Glen Cheek Drive., Cape Canaveral. Seafood market that offers limited seating and a few dine-in options. This is about as fresh as seafood gets, folks. SFL

Siam Orchid, 75 E. Nasa Blvd., Melbourne. Sushi, Thai and Japanese dishes served in a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. SFL

Simply Delicious Cafe & Bakery, 125 N. Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach. Tiny breakfast and lunch spot in an old beach bungalow. Expect to wait for a seat. Expect the wait to be worth it. SFL

Skewers Mediterranean Grille, 144 Fifth Ave., Indialantic. Classic Mediterranean food that comes with a belly-dancing floor show on weekends. 

Steve's Family Diner, 2900 S. Washington Ave., Titusville. Filling, no-frills breakfast. Perfect diner experience. SFL

Sunrise Bread Co., 315 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville. Bakery and coffeehouse.

Thai Fuku, 3800 N. Atlantic Ave. 6, Cocoa Beach. Thai-Japanese-Sushi fusion.

Thai Thai III Restaurant & Sushi, 8660 Astronaut Blvd. Suite 108, Cape Canaveral. Thai-Japanese-Sushi fusion.

Tuscany Grill, 7640 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne. This Suntree Italian restaurant has a surprise: It also serves delicious German dishes. SFL

Villa Palma Ristorante, 874 N. Miramar Ave., Indialantic. A longtime favorite in beachside South Brevard for fresh, authentic Italian. Villa Palma at the Village recently opened at 11 Riverside Drive, Cocoa, with a full bar and craft cocktails. SFL

Yellow Dog Café, 905, US 1, Malabar. Gorgeous view of the Indian River from giant windows in the dining rooms or from the spacious deck. What’s not to love about a whimsical brownie dessert shaped like a dog bone? SFL

Leonard is food and dining reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Leonard at 321-242-3614

or sleonard@floridatoday.com.

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