Recently, I took my mom on a mini-vacation to Apalachicola, Florida. She and I have always loved the Forgotten Coast and with summer winding down, we wanted to take advantage of the smaller crowds.
Apalachicola is a small Gulf Coast town in Franklin County. It started off as a port town, but today’s main industries are fishing and tourism.
Our first dinner was at The Owl Cafe. I was so hungry that I was halfway through my black grouper before I realized I hadn’t taken a picture. Oh, well. I guess that tells you how much I enjoyed it.
The menu offers all sorts of seafood dishes from fish to crab cakes to shrimp and grits. There are some non-seafood dishes too.
The menu also had a selection of locally brewed beer. Each one was paired, not with food, but with things like beach days and washing the boat which tells you everything you need to know about staying in Apalachicola.
The next morning we stopped in at the Apalachicola Chocolate & Coffee Company for a quick breakfast.
If you’re the sort of person who can’t wake up without that morning Starbucks, this place has you covered. They offer all sorts of different coffee drinks.
For breakfast, you can choose from baked goods like cinnamon rolls and bagels as well as breakfast sandwiches.
The coffee shop also offers a wide array of handmade chocolates, fudge, truffles, and even Turkish Delight.
Mom and I spent the rest of the morning traipsing around town and touring some of the historic home museums. By noon, we were starving.
We both remembered the Apalachicola Seafood Grill from our younger days. She remembered eating there on vacation, and I used to stop in when I was still working at a tourism magazine based out of the area. I’m happy to report that it’s still as delicious as we recalled.
One thing that was different was how we ordered. A reoccurring theme at every place we ate was how short-staffed they were. That’s been an issue everywhere, so it doesn’t surprise me that it’s also happening in Apalachicola.
Instead of sitting at a table to order, we ordered at the register, and then the server called when our order was ready to be picked up. We were still able to eat inside, and the server did come around to refill our drinks.
That night for dinner we headed over to the Franklin Cafe inside the Gibson Inn.
The Franklin Cafe has a great selection of fresh catches, oysters, and other seafood dishes. There’s also steak, ribs, and chicken, but the vast majority of the menu is seafood.
The food and drinks were fantastic, but again they were short-staffed.
If you go here or anywhere else in Apalachicola soon, please be patient. Slow service doesn’t mean bad service.
The Owl Cafe 15 Avenue D Apalachicola, FL Open Tuesday - Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. 5:30 - 10 p.m. Sunday Brunch from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Follow on Facebook
Apalachicola Chocolate & Coffee Company 75 Market Street Apalachicola, FL Open Tuesday - Sunday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Follow on Facebook
Apalachicola Seafood Grill 100 Market Street Apalachicola, FL Open Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Follow on Facebook
Franklin Cafe 51 Avenue C Apalachicola, FL Open Wednesday - Monday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Follow on Facebook and Instagram
