Highest-rated restaurants in Pensacola by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.
Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Pensacola, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.
#30. Maple Forest Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (62 reviews)
- Address: 4455 Mobile Hwy Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Carmen's Lunch Bar & Tapas
- Rating: 4.5/5 (191 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 407 South Palafox St. Ste B Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Tapas Bars, American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Hot Spot Barbecue
- Rating: 4.5/5 (437 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 901 East La Rua St. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Barbeque, Bars, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#27. George Bistro + Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1454 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6205 North 9th Ave. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Yummy Poke
- Rating: 4.5/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5046 Bayou Blvd. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Poke, Hawaiian
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Brown Bagger Food Truck
- Rating: 4.5/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2435 North 12th Ave. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, Food Trucks, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp
#24. The Wine Bar & Market - Pensacola
- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 4970 Bayou Blvd. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Wine Bars, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Tony's Asian Market
- Rating: 4.5/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3039 East Olive Road Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: International Grocery, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Georgio's Authentic Greek Food
- Rating: 4.5/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10015 Gulf Beach Hwy Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Street Vendors, Greek
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Sauce Boss Burger
- Rating: 4.5/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 319 North Tarragona St. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Pearl & Horn
- Rating: 4.5/5 (241 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1504 West Intendencia St. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. The Deep Blue Seafood Truck
- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- Address: 13595 Perdido Key Drive Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Food Trucks, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Coastal County Brewing
- Rating: 4.5/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3041 East Olive Road Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Brewpubs, American
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Aunt Katie's - Welcome to Breakfast
- Rating: 4.5/5 (365 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3005 East Cervantes St. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Family Ty's "Good Eats"
- Rating: 4.5/5 (57 reviews)
- Address: 40 West Nine Mile Road Ste H Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Caterers, Sandwiches, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Olde East Hill Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 621 East Cervantes St. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Lupita's Mexican Fast Food Express
- Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 8620 Pine Forest Road Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Taqueria El Asador
- Rating: 4.5/5 (959 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7955 North Davis Hwy Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Salty Pearl Raw Bar
- Rating: 5.0/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 13470 Perdido Key Drive Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Mr. Pollo
- Rating: 5.0/5 (288 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6404 North 9th Ave. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Latin American, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Bluefin Poke
- Rating: 5.0/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 501 South Palafox St. Ste 10 Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Hawaiian, Poke
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Tacos El Amigo
- Rating: 5.0/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6201 Tippin Ave. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Nomadic Eats
- Rating: 5.0/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9 East Gregory St. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Food Trucks, Asian Fusion, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Tacos El Fluffy
- Rating: 5.0/5 (85 reviews)
- Address: 707 North Pace Blvd. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Fatboiz a Real Sandwich Shop
- Rating: 5.0/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 1673 North Pace Blvd. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#5. In & Out Kitchen
- Rating: 5.0/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8084 North Davis Hwy Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Costello's Butcher Shop
- Rating: 5.0/5 (88 reviews)
- Address: 8190 West Fairfield Drive Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Butcher, Cheese Shops, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Pupuseria Nuevo Amanecer
- Rating: 5.0/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 6201 Tippin Ave. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp
#2. House of Pho
- Rating: 5.0/5 (56 reviews)
- Address: 6245 North Davis Hwy Ste A Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Jitterbug Beverage Company
- Rating: 5.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 2050 North 12th Ave. Pensacola, Florida
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Comfort Food, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 331 metros.