Places to Eat in Ocala, Florida

Are you looking for the perfect place to eat in Ocala with your friends and family? Check out these ten best restaurants located right here in Ocala, Florida.

When moving to a new town, knowing a little about the area is essential. Understanding what living in Ocala is like will help you determine whether this city is the right place for you. Overall, Ocala is a beautiful town located between Gainesville and Orlando. 

Ocala is part of Marion County and has a population of around 65,000. It is a small city in the middle of Florida, but only two hours to the coast. People love calling Ocala home because of its weather, affordable cost of living, great neighborhoods, delicious restaurants, and more.

This small city has been rated in the top 20 places to retire, the top 10 places to live in Florida, and one of the safest places to live. Keep reading to learn more about why Ocala is a fantastic city to reside in.

Ocala is known to have tons of excellent restaurants with all different kinds of cuisines. They have casual dining establishments that are perfect for a relaxing lunch and fine dining restaurants that are perfect for any type of celebration or occasion. Keep reading to learn more about the best restaurants in Ocala, Florida.

Here are the ten best restaurants in Ocala.

La Cuisine French Restaurant

Specialty: French

Price: $$$

Address: 48 SW 1st Avenue, Ocala, FL

As soon as you walk through the doors at La Cuisine, you will be met by beautiful, vibrant red walls in this cozy bistro. Most of the dishes served at this restaurant are inspired by France, Italy, and the United States. La Cuisine has been open since 2009 and has all the old-world charm of any romantic hideaway in Paris. This establishment is a great place in downtown Ocala to go if you are looking for somewhere to have a romantic dinner with your significant other.

Here are a few things to know about La Cuisine before visiting.

• They are closed on Mondays
• They are open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday
• They do Sunday Brunch from 11 am to 2 pm
• There is a dress code
  • Smart casual is accepted
    • No flip-flops, torn or faded pants, or hats

When dining at La Cuisine, we love to start off with crab-stuffed shrimp as an appetizer. It is absolutely amazing. You get three jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab and arugula, then topped with tarragon lemon butter. They have other delicious appetizers to choose from, like a cheese tray, charcuterie tray, and more.

They have a few salads to choose from if you are craving something lighter than the rest of the menu. Their chef specialties include chicken airline breast, swordfish, duck magret and risotto, and much more. You can also order a protein with your choice of side. Our favorite is the hand-cut beef filet mignon with a side of gratin potatoes.

Latinos Y Mas

Specialty: Latin American

Price: $$

Address: 2030 S Pine Avenue, Ocala, FL

This spacious cafe showcases Latin American flavors in a casual setting. They also have an outdoor patio and live music. This is a great place to enjoy a simple meal with your friends and family. Latinos Y Mas is a family-owned restaurant that serves contemporary Latin Fusion cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. 

They are open for lunch and dinner and have a daily lunch special that lasts from 11 am to 3 pm. For lunch, our go-to meal is the Spanish steak sandwich. This comes with palomilla steak, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomatoes served on pressed Cuban bread with their house dressing. It is the perfect meal to fill you up.

For dinner, we like to start the evening with the tostones. This is white shrimp wrapped with bacon, grilled, and then topped with melted Monterey jack cheese. This is the perfect appetizer to share between two people. The great thing about the menu at Latinos Y Mas is that it is divided by protein like pork, chicken, beef, and seafood. Our favorite meal on the menu is the Carne Azada. This is a lean flank steak marinated and grilled to perfection. It is served with a homemade chimichurri sauce and is delicious.

Amrit Palace

Specialty: Indian

Price: $$

Address: 3415 SW College Rd, Ocala, FL

Amrit Palace is an authentic Indian restaurant where fine food is created for inspired tastes. You can find this establishment in the heart of Ocala, Florida. The Amrit Palace menu focuses on traditional flavors, balanced with the inspiration of sweet, savory, and spicy highlights that enhance the Indian dishes you love.

The appetizers that we love the most on this menu are the variety tray, which comes with vegetable/meat samosa, aloo pakora, chicken pakora, cheese pakora, bhujia, and papadam, and our other one is the madras fried shrimp with chili paste.

Our go-to entree at Amrit Palace is butter chicken or mango chicken. Everything on this menu is made to perfection and is booming with flavor. If you love Indian food, this is the place to visit when in Ocala, Florida.

Braised Onion

Specialty: American

Price: $$

Address: 754 NE 25th Avenue, Ocala, FL

This casual restaurant is full of vibrant artwork, serving eclectic comfort eats such as meatloaf and chicken pot pie. Braised Onion is a family-owned restaurant that has been a top favorite in Ocala, Florida. 

When visiting Braised Onion, you should try their crispy onion fritters that are served with a basil green goddess sauce and their signature sweet and spicy pow pow sauce. Our other favorite starter is the pow pow shrimp. 

Their famous salad at Braised Onion is the poached pear salad. You should try this one if you are looking for a light and refreshing meal. It is fresh arugula, spinach, orange, chevre, almonds, poached pear, brown sugar glaze, and a raspberry balsamic dressing.

This restaurant is known for its short rib stroganoff. It is a tender braised short rib meat, crimini mushroom, heirloom tomato, housemade stroganoff sauce, and pappardelle pasta. If you are looking for a comforting, casual dining option, Braised Onion is the spot for you and your family. 

Brick City Southern Kitchen and Whiskey Bar

Specialty: Barbecue

Price: $$

Address: 10 S Magnolia Avenue, Ocala, FL

This restaurant is a mini-chain branch that serves southern BBQ favorites and a vast whiskey menu. Brick City Southern Kitchen is the perfect spot if you are a pork bbq or whiskey lover.

At Brick City, you will find tons of delicious appetizers to start off with at any time of the day. They have dishes like onion rings, fried pickles, pit-smoked chicken wings, Kansas City burnt ends (ends of beef brisket), and more amazing starters.

When visiting this restaurant, if you are craving a light dish, you should check out their Mojo Q salad. This salad is served with any combination of pulled pork, brisket, turkey breast, or pulled chicken on a bed of romaine, jack and cheddar cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons. 

Moving on to their meats, they have a variety to pick from. They have pulled pork shoulder, North Carolina pork, beef brisket, pit-smoked chicken, St. Louis spareribs, and more. You can choose which meat you would like, and then you get Texas toast and two sides of your choice. They also have multiple handhelds and sandwiches on the menu.

Mesa de Notte

Specialty: Italian

Price: $$

Address: 2436 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, FL

This family-owned restaurant serves Italian cuisine with a warm atmosphere for an elevated experience. Not only is this a sit-down restaurant, but Mesa de Notte also does private events and can cater to your personal events. 

The local favorite appetizer at Mesa de Notte is the mozzarella in carrozza. This is white bread, thinly sliced prosciutto, provolone cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan breadcrumbs crusted and deep fried, served with marinara sauce. The perfect dish to start your evening with. 

Our favorite pasta dish to enjoy while dining here is the ravioli Catarina, which is three-cheese ravioli tossed in a plum tomato cream sauce with fresh spinach. Our favorite fish dish is the linguine pescatore, a seafood pasta with garlic white wine sauce. Anything you order at this establishment is made fresh and to perfection. You will leave Mesa de Notte wanting more.

Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille

Specialty: Southern, Cajun, and Creole Flavors

Price: $$

Address: 24 SE 1st Avenue, Ocala, FL

Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill takes the best of cajun, creole, and southern flavors and infuses them to create some of their most popular dishes. This establishment has been a community favorite since it was built in 1987.

Harry's started as a tiny restaurant with only about 20 stools and a limited menu. A few years later, the owners met their partners, who brought authentic Louisiana flavors and ingredients to the menu. Harry's seafood has the menu that it does today because of this fantastic partnership that brought so much value to the establishment.

Not only does this restaurant have a tasty dinner menu, but they also have a superb selection of beer, wine, liquor, and Harry's own unique cocktail creations. If you are looking for a casual, laid-back restaurant to visit, this one is a great option.

They have a variety of salads, bourbon street favorites, seafood, and signature dishes. When visiting Harry's Seafood, the shrimp and grits are a must-try.

Mark's Prime Steakhouse and Seafood

Specialty: Steakhouse

Price: $$

Address: 30 S Magnolia Avenue, Ocala, FL

Mark's Prime Steakhouse has a goal to create a unique dining experience that will please the palate and soothe the soul. They serve the freshest beef, seafood, premium wines, and naturally fresh vegetables. 

A few things to know about Mark's Prime Steakhouse:

• They are open at 5 pm 
• They are closed on Sundays and Mondays

Our favorite appetizer to start the night off with is the calamari fritti which is crispy shaved onion tossed with banana peppers and parmesan reggiano served with house remoulade. If you are craving something on the lighter side, Mark's Prime Steakhouse has many salad options.

All of the meats at this location are delicious and cooked to perfection. Anything on this menu will taste phenomenal. 

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews

Specialty: American

Price: $$

Address: 3355 SW College Road, Ocala, FL

Red Robin is a chain restaurant that has locations all around the nation. Here you will find gourmet burgers and other American comfort food. They are open every single day from 11 am to 10 pm and 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

A great thing about Red Robin is that they have happy hour every weekday from 3 pm to 6 pm. You can get half off of select appetizers and milkshakes and bar specials that start at $3. Also, every Wednesday, kids' meals are half off. 

The menu at Red Robin is full of a little bit of everything. They have a variety of burgers to choose from, like their signatures, the classics, veggies, doubles, and more. They also have other types of sandwiches, salads, and entrees. And don't forget about their creamy milkshakes.

Ipanema Brazilian Steak House

Specialty: Brazilian

Price: $$$

Address: 2023 S Pine Avenue, Ocala, FL

If you are a steak lover, this dining spot is perfect for you. At Ipanema Brazilian Steak House, you can get all-you-can-eat roasted meats that are served tableside and an extensive salad bar. 

For dinner, you get endless meats and poultry served fresh from the grill, complemented by the salad and vegetable bar. For one person, it is $50. It is $45 for seniors, and for children between the ages of 6-10 years old, it is $21. And children under five years of age are free. 

You can pick any kind of meat you would like. Ipanema has picanha, filet mignon, sirloin, lamb chops, pork sausage, pork loin, grilled pineapple, beef ribs, and many more options. You will leave this place wanting to go back for more. 

The Best Places to Eat in Ocala, FL - Our Final Thoughts

After reading this guide on the best restaurants in Ocala, we bet you are hungry. Be sure to check out some of these restaurants if you are visiting or moving to Ocala, Florida. They have a variety of dining options and cuisines for you and your friends and family to enjoy. 

If you are considering relocating to Ocala, be sure to contact us here to get connected with a local Real Estate specialist who can further assist you.