Restaurants near Rancho Inn Apalachicola

Great staff Great food Great experience Great value

The White Marlin provides fine dining with stunning sunset views of the Gulf. We are visiting the Forgotten Coast of Florida in January, a quiet time. However, we have enjoyed mild temperatures, sunshine and light winds. Our visit to the White Marlin was perfect. There were not many diners on a Wednesday evening, so our meal was quiet. With a full house the environment might be livelier. There is a large deck for outside dining, which is usually a quieter option. A few people were eating outside the night we visited. There are heaters. Our waitress, Rae, was pleasant and knowledgeable. After cocktails we shared 1/2 dozen oysters as an appetizer, then both chose the Parmesan crusted grouper entree. The fish was baked perfectly and the Parmesan was an actual crust, not a dusting of cheese. It was delicious! It came paired with crab fried rice and seasonal veggie (carrots and asparagus). All excellent. We saved room to share a delightful crème brûlée for dessert. The restaurant was remodeled (2023) when a new owner purchased it. Everything is clean and sparkling. It was a lovely evening. We will definitely return when in the area.

We ate at the Franklin Cafe twice while staying at the Gibson Inn in Apalachicola. The evening we arrived we had dinner at the Franklin Cafe. After traveling we appreciated the convenience. We shared a dozen raw oysters (this IS Apalachicola!) to begin. My husband followed with the Fried oyster Caesar salad. He was delighted to find nearly a dozen oysters topping the dressed greens. I am happy he shared. I ordered the Steakhouse wedge salad which was also generously sized. Our server was pleasant and with very few other diners, the restaurant was quiet, although we could hear the lively crowd in the adjacent Parlor bar. One morning we ate breakfast at the Franklin Cafe. They begin serving at 8:00 AM. The standard breakfast with eggs, bacon, grits and biscuit was filling. The French toast came with fresh berries and paired with a side of eggs was great.

The chefs food was amazing!! The steak was a perfect temperature and the potatoes were fantastic