2024 Melbourne, Florida - What To Do? - Recommendations Please

[DaisyDuck001]

In Cocoa Beach (about half an hour from Melbourne) I like the Rock the Guac restaurant (https://rocktheguac.com/). It's counter service and you get to choose your own ingredients.

 

[Owlpost23]

Grimaldi's candies.The most luscious chocolate covered potato chips!

 

[slo]

A continued thank you to everyone for taking the time to post your suggestions. I’m looking forward to showing this thread to my DH so we can start making some plans.

You guys are the best

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

For restaurants in Melbourne, you might want to try Meg O'Malleys. It's an Irish pub in an area with an "Old Town" vibe, so fun to walk around. The other restaurant we like is The Mansion. It's right near the Melbourne Causeway (192).

If you go across the causeway, that will take you to A1A. Go south on AIA and that will take you down to Disney's Vero Beach Resort. (It's a much prettier and more interesting route then just getting on 1-95.) You don't have to stay there to poke around, just to see what it's all about. The main restaurant is pretty pricey, but if you go up to the Green Cabin, you can sit outside, watch the ocean, and order drinks and an appetizer. Very relaxing.

If you've got the time and the interest, keep going south on A1A and when you come to Beachland Blvd, turn left. Mulligan's Beach House is a restaurant right on the beach, as is Waldo's. Cobalt is an upscale restaurant in the Kimpton on Ocean Blvd, but if you go for Happy Hour they have a beautiful deck overlooking the ocean and reasonably priced drinks + snacks. There are a lot of restaurants in the Vero Beach area, and the front desk at the Disney Resort has a list of suggestions. If you love Jewish deli food, and are willing to go all the way into the town of Vero Beach, Too Jay's is great!

 

[DVCjj]

The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne is a small charming intimate zoo. We snowbird in Cocoa Beach and we make sure we include a trip to that Zoo.
They also have numerous antique shops we love to meander in.

 

[fla4fun]

Grimaldi's candies.The most luscious chocolate covered potato chips!

Yes! There are two locations, one in Viera and one closer to Cocoa, and I try to hit one or the other every time I go over to visit my sister. I especially like going when they have their Easter candy for sale. They make their own candy and their chocolate is so good. I like their version of turtles too.

I also second the recommendation for Meg O’Malley’s. We have always had good food there.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Hmmm… nothing spectacular comes to mind DFiL had a slip in Melbourne and kept his sailboat there for years. We’d go sailing.but can’t think of anything else honestly.

 

[RoseBen009]

I have family in Melbourne Beach, so we've visited a number of times over the years. We really enjoy spending time in Vero Beach, there's a restaurant on the water there called Ocean Grill - it feels very old school, like it hasn't changed much since the 70's, I love it! In Indialantic, I've had some of the best pizza I've EVER had at Bizarro's pizza. We've done a pontoon tour down the Indian River from Melbourne, which was relaxing and enjoyable, and we've also gone to the Brevard Zoo, which I found to be really nice (not so depressing like other zoo's I've visited).

 

[DVCjj]

The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne is a small charming intimate zoo. We snowbird in Cocoa Beach and we make sure we include a trip to that Zoo.
They also have numerous antique shops we love to meander in.

Melbourne has the antique shops....not the zoo.... (ha)

 

[Owlpost23]

Yes! There are two locations, one in Viera and one closer to Cocoa, and I try to hit one or the other every time I go over to visit my sister. I especially like going when they have their Easter candy for sale. They make their own candy and their chocolate is so good. I like their version of turtles too.

I also second the recommendation for Meg O’Malley’s. We have always had good food there.

Meg O'Malley's is really good,I agree!

 

[EACarlson]

Squid Lips is another bar and grill like Grills that I'd recommend, a little less non seafood on the menu but very good. They have a few locations on the Space Coast.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I found it fascinating to know a little more about why the Sebastian / Vero Beach area is called the "Treasure Coast". Apparently the coast was historically noted for shipwrecks and all the precious cargo those ships lost.

McLarty's Treasure Museum (on A1A in Vero Beach) tells the tale of a 1715 fleet of 11 ships loaded with treasure that Spain counted on receiving, which had been plundered from the new world. It took longer that they intended to load the ships and the fleet left later than they should. A huge hurricane struck, galleons sank, an incredible amount of gold and other treasure went to the bottom of the sea, and those crew and wealthy families returning to Spain that made it to shore had to survive under horrible conditions. (At night the men would bury the women up to their necks in sand to try to minimize the effect of the swarming mosquitos. I guess the men would just endure them. That image has stayed with me!)

There's also a funky little house on US1 that houses Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum. Mel was a treasure hunter, and it was really surprising to me to see all the precious objects displayed in such a nondescript place.

 

[slo]

Squid Lips is another bar and grill like Grills that I'd recommend, a little less non seafood on the menu but very good. They have a few locations on the Space Coast.

We went here last night (the one in Melbourne) and I give it to VERY enthusiastic . We sat on the beach, with sand under our feet, with a front row view of the water. Thank you for this suggestion

 

[slo]

We’re looking forward to trying another suggestion on this thread tonight.
Thanks again for everyone’s posts - we would have been eating at chain restaurants without them, and that would not have been as fun.

 

[slo]

great burgers http://cabanashorestikibar.com/ ... looks like a biker bar but family friendly and great food

https://www.grillsseafood.com/ great riverside location not far from Cabana but this one is waterside . . . I like Cabanna better but we go here regularly too .....

indoor carting https://www.route7entertainment.com/

there are a number of folks who offer kayak trips thru the mangrove areas ..... and several 'pontoon boat' type tours to see manatee etc etc. example: https://www.spacecoastrivertours.com/

Airboat ride: http://www.twisterairboatrides.com/ ... this is just one of several companies in the area.

if you want beach with other people and life guards then Jetty Park or the Cocoa Pier areas .... want to be alone then look at the beach access around Patrick AFB/SFB especially at the south end where SR-404 ends . . <this is quiet unless the surf is up THEN popular surfer spots - fun to watch>

there are two venues for this type of sports event in the area ... one is very near 'the avenue' shopping/entertainment "open air mall" https://www.avenueviera.com/ ..... we like Pizza Gallery here! https://pizzagalleryandgrill.com/ AND http://tuscanygrill.net/
View attachment 737306
the other ....... well I hope not . . fields may be OK but the entire venue has a BAD history over the last few years. Are you on Stadium Parkway or SR - 520?????
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A port canaveral channel side restaurant when the ships are departing is very fun if you've never seen before. I like GRILLS at the port but there are several other restaurants in a line on the same road ...... ships tend to leave between 4 and 6 ..... schedule can be found at https://www.portcanaveral.com/getat...ite-Schedule-Jan-May-2023.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

view from Grills at the port

BIG P.S. ... check your dates against the launch schedule ...... while the launches are not nearly the big deal they were years back they are still exciting if you've never seen one ....

https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
just an example site ...

I couldn’t answer this until now, because I didn’t know - we are on Stadium Pkwy.

Question….My DH saw that a launch is scheduled for tomorrow 3/14 at 8:30pm. Where should we go to watch this? We figured we’ll get a bite to eat and then go watch that. Thanks for any suggestions you have

 

[lucas]

Can anyone recommend hotels in the Melbourne area?

 

[EACarlson]

I couldn’t answer this until now, because I didn’t know - we are on Stadium Pkwy.

Question….My DH saw that a launch is scheduled for tomorrow 3/14 at 8:30pm. Where should we go to watch this? We figured we’ll get a bite to eat and then go watch that. Thanks for any suggestions you have

Are you in Viera at the Space Coast Complex? I had a fantastic view on a launch in October from behind the plate of White Marucci. If you're going to be out and about I watched one in January from the beach at Indiatlantic. That was really cool to see it the whole way and then hear it a couple minutes later.

If you're in Viera I have two other recommendations for you. There is a BBQ place just north of the complex called Slow & Low, it's very good. USSSA Management usually caters it once a year for all of us umpires. The other is Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux. Very good cajun food. The national UIC ate there no less than 6 times in the five days I was there in January for Challenge Cup.

 

[slo]

Are you in Viera at the Space Coast Complex? I had a fantastic view on a launch in October from behind the plate of White Marucci. If you're going to be out and about I watched one in January from the beach at Indiatlantic. That was really cool to see it the whole way and then hear it a couple minutes later.

If you're in Viera I have two other recommendations for you. There is a BBQ place just north of the complex called Slow & Low, it's very good. USSSA Management usually caters it once a year for all of us umpires. The other is Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux. Very good cajun food. The national UIC ate there no less than 6 times in the five days I was there in January for Challenge Cup.

Yes we are.
Thank you for the continued suggestions
You sound very familiar with this area

 

[EACarlson]

Yes we are.
Thank you for the continued suggestions
You sound very familiar with this area

I spend a week there every October umpiring the World Championships and a week in January umpiring the Challenge Cup.
Avoid the pizza place inside the 7-11, it used to be great but has been horrible since they re-opened after COVID.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I was just looking at "new posts" and came across this. As it so happens, I live in Viera.

I couldn’t answer this until now, because I didn’t know - we are on Stadium Pkwy.

Question….My DH saw that a launch is scheduled for tomorrow 3/14 at 8:30pm. Where should we go to watch this? We figured we’ll get a bite to eat and then go watch that. Thanks for any suggestions you have

Launches are pretty frequently delayed or canceled so I wouldn't get my hopes too high. But if looking for a spot in this immediate area you might check out River Rocks (note that there are two "sides" to this restaurant and you'll want the more casual dock-side that is open air). Not a great choice if stormy. Grills Seafood is down the street from that (there's also one out at Port Canaveral) and would also have a view.

I spend a week there every October umpiring the World Championships and a week in January umpiring the Challenge Cup.
Avoid the pizza place inside the 7-11, it used to be great but has been horrible since they re-opened after COVID.

Viera Pizza at the 7-11 has new owners and management and I agree is not as good. The owner of the "old" spot, has a new one - Mr. Delicious - that's up Viera Boulevard by the Long Doggers. I also think Pozzy Bros in the Publix shopping center on Stadium is pretty good too.