Best downtown West Palm Beach restaurants to try during Palm Beach International Boat Show
Though there will be plenty of excellent drink and dining options at this year's Palm Beach International Boat Show, many great restaurants are literally a hop, skip and jump away in downtown West Palm Beach.
Whether you need to get fueled up before the event, refuel afterwards or just have a serious hankering for a particular dish from one of the many restaurants along the waterfront area or downtown, there are plenty to choose from.
If you need a classic breakfast, perfectly smoked and seasoned 'que, deliciously hip Southern fare, Italian cuisine, Mexican fare or a sweet treat, let one (or all, if you play it just right) of these seven West Palm Beach hot spots help you get your fix.
More: Time for a bigger boat? Check out what the Palm Beach International Boat Show has to offer
Yolk
Opened in March 2023, this popular destination specializes in breakfast, brunch and lunch. Though they can and do occasionally put a playful spin on things, they are rock solid in getting you fueled up. With signature and build-your-own omelets that are made with five eggs and come standard with seasoned potatoes or cheesy grits AND pancakes you will be ready for anything. If you're looking to soothe that sweet tooth, consider the red velvet or banana nut bread french toast, Nutella crepes or strawberry cheese cakes.
Information: 218 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. eatyolk.com
More: Downtown West Palm Beach restaurant focused on breakfast, brunch, lunch with dash of fun
Tropical BBQ Market
Helmed by chef and pitmaster Rick Mace, this Olive Avenue eatery is a spinoff of his Tropical Smokehouse on Dixie Highway and has a menu packed with barbecue goodness. From handhelds to platters, if you love good 'que this is a spot worth checking out. With smoked Demkota brisket, mojo pulled pork, jerk turkey breast, spare ribs and even BBQ jackfruit there are platters to be built with two sides (don't miss the Jimmy Red cornbread!). If you need to grab and go, there are sandwiches like the brisket, egg and cheese sando or the chorizo, egg and cheese roti for breakfast or lunch options like the #13 which includes pork, chorizo and avocado or the #7 made with brisket, peppers and chimichurri.
Information: 206 Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. eattropical.com
More: Openings: New barbecue restaurant by acclaimed chef debuts in downtown West Palm Beach
Sassafras
Doubling down on their Southern identity, chef John "JT" Thomas focuses on using only the best ingredients from the best areas to create a "global take on traditional Southern cuisine." Got a favorite guilty pleasure food? Who doesn't. Dig into chicken and dumplings, fried green tomatoes, classic fried chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits with bacon, scallion and house hot sauce and much more. They are open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
Information: 105 S. Narcissus Ave., West Palm Beach. sub-culture.org/locations/sassafras
More: Sassafras doubles down on Southern food in downtown West Palm Beach
Hot Pie
With a New York-style pizza that some New Yorkers describe as better than anything in the Big Apple, Hot Pie is a slam dunk for pizza lovers. Jokingly referring to West Palm Beach as "the sixth borough of New York," owner Johnny Ries makes their pizza with an 80-year-old dough recipe originally created by his grandmother, scratch-made sauce and fresh toppings. Those those pies are then cooked to thin and crispy perfection in their coal-fired oven. Ries said it's actually a gas/coal hybrid oven in which the gas gets it up to 450 and then the coal "turbo charges it another 400 degrees."
Information: 123 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. hotpiepizza.com
More: Five favorite pizzas in Palm Beach County, from thin crust to deep-dish
Rivales Taqueria
Following a makeover and bringing in chef Guily Booth, owners Jimmy Rivas and brother/partner Alberto Valdiva have transformed the restaurant that was once known as JimmyChangas. Having competed on "Cutthroat Kitchen" and "Chef Wanted," Booth has helped to elevate the menu with new dishes such as their short rib in Mexican mole sauce and the El Pulpo taco which features slow-cooked octopus, saute?ed jalapen?o and onions and tomatillo salsa. Some other customers favorites include the short rib birria tacos, tortas and elote.
Information: 106 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. rivalestaqueria.com
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Elisabetta's Ristorante
Located on the West Palm Beach waterfront, this dinner and weekend brunch restaurant offers plenty of al fresco dining and a menu that is both fun and functional. Featuring homemade pastas, wood-fired entrees and pizzas, along with brunch items like eggs al forno over oven-roasted polenta and pandoro French toast, Elisabetta's has become a popular West Palm destination for good reason.
Information: 185 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach. elisabettas.com
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Cookie Plug
With vibrant colors and creative flavors, this shop mixes street culture and art and delivers one the thickest, tastiest cookies anywhere. Thick and beautiful, their treats are "cookie on the outside, with part brownie/cake batter inside." There are full-size cookies known as "phatties" and bite-size versions known as "poppers." Flavors range from the firecracker, which is s'mores in cookie form; to the pixie junkie, their version of a sugar cookie; to the O.G, their classic chocolate chip; the purple haze, which is like red velvet only purple and many more. Hot? Try two of your favorites with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in between.
Information: 105 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. cookieplug.com
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Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best restaurants in downtown West Palm Beach for 2024 boat show
