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UPDATE: Due to Covid-19, Taco Week has been postponed but I will keep you posted on a new date!
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited down to Gulf County, Florida to be an official taste tester for their upcoming Taco Week.
Yes, you read that right. They brought me there to eat tacos. And I love tacos! Seafood tacos are my absolute favorite and knowing that we were heading down to some of the most beautiful waters in Florida meant that I was going to be eating well! And eat well I did. Y’all, I ate so many tacos. Of course, it was all in the name of good journalism and I was happy to take one for the team on this one.
I came home with my belly full and my heart over-flowing. The people down in Gulf County are something special. They are humble and kind but have stories to tell that touched me deeply. I am saving some for future posts and will weave some in here but know that a visit down to this part of the Gulf will leave you changed. It’s such a magical place and feels like a throwback to simpler times that I yearn for. The people I encountered seemed less distracted and more connected. They have immense pride in where they are from. I could tell that they love and look out for one another which was evident in how everyone came together after Hurricane Michael. I heard so many accounts of how the small business owners and restauranteurs came together to feed the community in times of need. I could talk about this all day and I am even teary-eyed writing this now. You know that I am a sentimental fool. But, today I am here to talk about their tacos and tell you why you need to pop down to Gulf County, Florida this May to enjoy them for yourselves!
Can we all agree that Tacos are pretty much the perfect food? There are so many different kinds to make with endless flavors and textures. I feel like no two are ever the same and as a bonus, you hit all of the food groups so no guilt here. I could talk about tacos all day but instead, I am going to also show you photos of tacos as I taco ’bout them. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. But you guys, I hope that I can even do them half of the justice they deserve because I ate some of the best tacos that I have ever tasted while on that trip. I am really excited to share them with you because you can try them all for yourself at Gulf County, Florida’s Taco Week 2020!
What is Taco Week?
From doughnuts to seafood, local restaurants are putting their spin on ways to liven up your taste buds during Taco Week. The week-long culinary experience will allow guests to visit restaurants for taco specials and help build culinary awareness in Gulf County, FL.
Taco Week will be held from May 2 – 8, 2020. There are 9 participating Gulf County restaurants, from St. Joe Beach to Cape San Blas, and each one is offering a $5 taco special. While visiting, make sure to pick up or download a Taco Passport, collect stamps, cast your vote and enter to win a prize package!
You can get more info as well as plan your visit by clicking here and visiting Gulf County’s Taco Week homepage.
Taco Week Menu
I got to try all of the tacos and am excited to tell you about each of them. Now, I ate these all in 2 days but you get a full week to enjoy them. You can hit a few places each day and still have time to go back to your favorites for seconds! Make sure to check operating hours at each restaurant in advance to avoid any surprises.
Sweet Bunz Donuts (Port St. Joe) – Apple Pie Taco and Coffee
The moment I walked into Sweet Bunz I noticed the warm conversations and how everyone seemed to know one another. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and the big display of freshly made donuts and pastries caught my eye right away. You’re probably wondering why I went to a Donut Shop for tacos. Right!?! Well, as I said, tacos come in all shapes and forms and the ladies at Sweet Bunz came up with a delicious Apple Pie Taco. The shell was a flaky pastry puff and the inside was filled with delicious homemade apple pie filling. They will be serving this along with freshly brewed coffee for $5 during Taco Week.
Peachy’s Beach Eats (Cape San Blas) – Shrimp or Mahi Mahi Taco with Chips
This is the first, of several, places in Gulf County that work on the honor system; a testament to the honest and hardworking culture down here. Peachy’s does not accept credit cards or even take your order. The customer simply fills out an order sheep and leaves their cash on the counter. No change? Don’t worry. There is a change container that you can reach into and make the change yourself and Steve, the owner, says that they don’t have any issues with that.
While you are there make sure to say hi to Ben. You will likely see him napping on the floor and I love the story of how he ended up there! Steve told us that several years back, while still a resident of St. Louis, he did a quick Google search for dog-friendly beaches and came across Cape San Blas. He came down (with Ben of course) fell in love and never went back. That seems to be the way it goes around here!
For Taco Week, Peachy’s will be offering your choice of a Grilled Shrimp or Mahi Mahi Taco along with chips for $5.
Provisions (Port St. Joe) – Chicken Lettuce Taco Wrap
Bustling with locals at lunchtime, Provisions, is known for its fantastic menu featuring everything from salads and sandwiches to steaks and pasta! I am pretty sure that I said: “they are playing the best music” at least 4 times while we were there. Those who know me well know that good music makes me really happy. Usually, it’s when Van Morrison or Tom Petty comes on that I can’t help but smile.
I loved what Jose at Provisions came up with for Taco Week! They are doing a grilled chicken lettuce wrap and served it to our group family style. There were loads of toppings and fresh lettuce to wrap it all up in. This fresh take on a taco was a big hit with the group and available for $5 during Gulf County’s Taco Week.
Grill 19 at the St. Joe Bay Golf Club (Port St. Joe) – Crawfish Tacos
Grill 19 is owned by Provisions and recently opened at the St. Joe Bay Golf Club. With big windows and a view of the course, it’s sure to be a new favorite! We got a chance to try both the sauteed and the lightly breaded crawfish tacos and they were both so good! The breaded version was one of my favorite tacos! It was just so different and had such great flavor. I did a poll in my Instagram stories while I was there and most of you agree too! It was really fun to read messages and comments from you while I was posting. I got a ton of great feedback on my Stories and even created a stories highlight (view here) from the trip and you can experience all of the fun firsthand! TIP: both here and at Provisions they offer a pasta salad side dish too and it is a favorite among the locals.
Dagwoods (Port St. Joe) – Shrimp Taco
With the outdoor dining and the chalkboard full of fun little notes, I knew this was going to be a special place! I already had a taste of their catering on the day we arrived and it was so good. JR Grady, the owner of Dagwoods, greeted us with a big smile and O.A.R’s “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker” was playing in the background which immediately made me smile myself.
He shared his story with us! JR is an award-winning (he didn’t tell me that of course) Johnson & Wales trained Chef whose career took him to some incredible restaurants throughout the US. And then it took him camping at Indian Pass Campground in Gulf County. He drove by Port St. Joe and decided to stay! He wanted to raise his two young daughters by the coast and give them that small-town life that reigns down here.
Dagwoods opened in 2018 and has quickly become a hot spot. While you will find great music, you won’t find fried foods here. Everything is boiled or sauteed and everyone says to try the Irish Cuban Sandwich! May 2nd – May 8th they will be serving a Bayou Shrimp Taco. It was really good so make sure to stop by during Taco Week!
Uptown Raw Bar & Grill (Port St. Joe) – Mahi Mahi, Shrimp or Chicken Mango Habanero Taco
“This here is my best friend.” This is how one of the new owners Grant Rish introduced us to business partner Christian Johnson when they came over to our table. They shared their story including how they recently purchased Uptown Raw Bar & Grill and are excited about this new business venture together.
Formerly the Indian Pass Raw Bar Uptown, the name changed a little but the cool vibes remain the same, including the honor system for drinks. Yes, there is a draft beer station where you can serve yourself. Just let them know what you got when it’s time to pay. Again, I think it’s so cool how they use the honor system here too and they even sell t-shirts that pay homage to it. And you will love having a choice of three different $5 tacos during Taco Week! We got to try all of them and I honestly can’t choose a favorite. I did love the mango habanero on the chicken!
The Brick Wall Bar & Grill (Port St. Joe) – Shrimp Taco
I bet The Brick Wall is a heck of a good time when there is a game on! College sports memorabilia and televisions line the walls of this sports bar down on the historic Reid Avenue. Make sure you pop down here for some shopping! The place was packed at lunchtime on a weekday. I love how the Gulf County locals love their restaurants. While they welcome tourists with open arms, the locals don’t leave their small business owners hanging. They eat out often and it’s a big part of the social network down here on the Gulf!
Our tacos were delivered by the owners (I love how they cook at all of these places) and after serving us our food Denny Warren grinned and looks over at the lady with him and says “This is my Mom.” As a mom, this tugged at my heartstrings. I found it cool and touching that they were in it together! And I am happy to say that this may have been my favorite taco! Served open face, inspired by a visit to South America, it had a bang-bang type vibe and everything was just perfect together from the spicy sauce to the crispy shrimp. I loved the fresh avocado too! So, make sure to pop into The Brick Wall and try this one during Taco Week.
KrazyFish Grille (Port St. Joe) – Aloha Shrimp Taco
If you want all the beach vibes then head over to KrazyFish Grille! The bright colors and island vibes of this service station turned restaurant made me happy and everything on their coastal-inspired menu sounded very good. They use locally sourced ingredients and even make sushi on Tuesdays and Thursdays nights. And I have heard that they have some incredible drinks, even winning a local cocktail contest last year.
It was a pleasure to meet the owner Mark! He is an incredible man himself and the love he feels for the community and his restaurant is hard to miss. Our friends told us about how he fed people for weeks after the storm. And before I forget, they sell a t-shirt that says “I got tacoed at KrazyFish” so make sure to grab one while you are there to help commemorate your Taco Week experience!
Mark served us his Aloha Shimp Taco which was also in my top 3! If you love Coconut Shrimp and Caribbean style tacos this one is a must-try. It has a nice light glaze and mangos too! While there we got to try a few other Krazyfish signature items including Shrimp and Grits and I promised myself that I am going to get back there!
Shipwreck (St. Joe Beach) – Bee Sting Shrimp Taco
Our last stop on the Taco Tour took us to Shipwreck Raw Bar in St. Joe Beach which was very close to our incredible gulf front vacation home Seas The Day. If you visit, I hope Cindy is your server. She is a riot and her energy is contagious! She made our evening extra fun and served us up a bunch of their most well-loved dishes including a sampler of oysters and shrimp. I didn’t realize that I loved Oysters until that day and the St. Joe Beached Oysters were my favorite of the bunch!
We also got to sample their very popular Grouper Treasure, Shrimp & Grits and more! We had a lot of extras that we took home and since I lived closest I took a bunch home with me and ate for days. The Shrimp and Grits you guys… amazing! Thanks Tony!
One popular menu item at Shipwreck is the Bee Sting Shrimp which has a touch of local honey. Click here to read about my Honey Tasting in northern Gulf County! Anyway, they turned that popular dish into a taco. The sauce was the perfect balance to the Spicey Tupelo Honey sauce. The owner described it perfectly when he said that it “burns at first but then feels really good.”
The tacos were incredible but what I loved most were the stories! I really enjoyed how each Chef came up with a taco that is as unique as their restaurant. They all have a little friendly rivalry going on about whose will come in first but above all, they are rooting for Gulf County. I am a big “rising tide lifts all” kind of gal and seeing this community come together is inspiring! I hope that you get a chance to experience it for yourself. But, fair warning, if you come down you may never want to leave.
Plan Your Visit
The ladies at visitgulf.com are an incredible resource! They made me feel at home and I have to say that this community is very lucky to have them. They are very passionate about this area and want others to see the beauty that they see in Gulf County. On their website, they have a great Where To Stay page that will link you to some great vacation rentals, cottages, and camping in the area. Because you can’t be eating tacos 24/7, trust me I tried, there are all sorts of activities in the area including hiking, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding on the beach and more! You can hike out to the Donna Kay or plan a bonfire on the beach. They even offer a complimentary concierge service to help you plan the perfect visit! I am already planning mine!
And to quote Eugene Raffield on our tour of Raffield Fisheries, “come here and you will learn to laugh, eat good food and be happy.”
