Pensacola, FL Greatest Hits After Living There 3 Years
It’s a little bit hard to believe that our time in Pensacola, FL has come to an end. Even though I always knew that it was temporary we settled in and it was weird leaving after living there for 3 years. As a tribute to our time in Pensacola, I decided to compile a list of “Pensacola’s Greatest Hits” so I can share our favorite things that I find myself already missing.
Lamonte Gelato is a charming little gelato shop nestled in a historic hospital in the quaint neighborhood of East Hill. There were several nights I would successfully convince my husband to drive here after dinner to get a sweet little treat. The gelato here is just so incredibly CREAMY that I could not get enough. They have a wide variety of flavors and will often have new flavors.
Not only was the gelato amazing, but it was also a fun place to visit, especially at night, given that it’s in a historic, and slightly spooky old hospital. And then once you descend into the actual shop it’s very cozy.
I would definitely recommend going on a random weeknight (first verifying that they are open) for your first time because it gets decently crowded on the weekends.
Also, just to prepare you, I don’t think they put full waffle circles in the gelato anymore. This is an older photo, but I’m pretty sure they now do half circles or something. Not a big deal, but just setting expectations because I know I really like the waffle piece, and I bet if you are reading my detailed account of this gelato shop, you might as well.
2) Siam Thai
Honestly, I believe that this restaurant ruined all other Thai food for me. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Siam Thai in Pensacola, FL quite possibly has the BEST Thai food you will ever eat. They have been a loved destination for locals for a long time. In fact I think they’ve been in Pensacola at least 24 years.
Right around the time that we were leaving, Siam Thai relocated but is still in the same general area. From what I see online, the new restaurant is beautiful, but I have to say, there was something charming about it’s old hole in the wall location. In any case, you should absolutely spend an evening dining here if you yourself in Pensacola. And don’t forget to save room for dessert (highly unlikely because portions are massive) because *sometimes* they have mango sticky rice and it is FIRE.
3) Jitterbug
The most important thing for any coffee shop, aside from actually having decent coffee, is the VIBE. Jitterbug knows the vibe. Jitterbug is the vibe. We LOVE her.
There are many reasons why Jitterbug is overall my favorite coffee shop in Pensacola, FL. Firstly, they almost always give you your coffee in a real mug. If you know, you know. Secondly, the seating and tables looks like they just went to a bunch of yard sales and selected random items. Somehow it all comes together in an eclectic charming way.
As an added bonus, it’s also in East Hill, the same cute neighborhood as Lamonte Gelato, so you could visit them both in one trip.
The absolute best was when I would be able to snag a window seat and then it would rain (torrential downpour as was common for Pensacola, FL). Being cozy in Jitterbug while it’s raining is simply the best.
Fair warning, there’s not a ton of food options here, so I would not go starving. I quite enjoyed their blueberry muffins, but wasn’t the biggest fan of the corn bread because it was a bit spicy for me.
Sometimes, I think on weekends, they occasionally have a brunch menu, but it depends on the day. Overall, this place is my favorite and I will always be on the search for a coffee shop that can hold a candle to Jitterbug.
4) Spanish Trail Pub & Eatery
Haha, jk. But we did have a friend who quite enjoyed this place. It’s a quirky little dive bar with maybe 2/10 charm. If you do end up here, we found out that the “& Eatery” part of Spanish Trail pretty much refers to a vending machine.
All jokes aside, they actually did have billiards tables, which were fun. Anyway, back to the actual list.
Apologies for the half-eaten croissant. They are HONESTLY that good. So you may be thinking, “you already put a coffee shop on here, how many do we need”. Both. You need both.
Some key differences: Jitterbug has a more cozy vibe/more scenic location and has a bit more seating, whereas CRAFT has more actual food options and the croissants are perfect. That being said, I would visit both if you are living in Pensacola, FL, but if you only have time for one then you have to weigh whether atmosphere or food is more important to you. And I suppose, how much you love croissants.
5) Brown Bagger
This place was cool. It’s a food truck outside a brewery (ALGA). I think there’s also another little cocktail bar (the Florida Room) in that same area too. But not only is it cool, the food is very good.
We went several times and were never disappointed. If you don’t like burgers, they have a great grilled chicken sandwich, that’s what I normally got. Plus, look how cute their logo is. LOVE IT.
Another warning: I think you can eat in ALGA, but it smells VERY hoppy in there, which I get it, with it being a brewery. But like more than other breweries, so if you don’t like that smell, you may only want to go when the weather is nice and eat outside.
Some honorable mentions include: Fosko, a cute coffee shop in downtown Pensacola, FL. The only issue I have with Fosko is that is always pretty crowded, but they do have good coffee and a lot of food options. I also liked Bear Fruit Bowls for acai bowls. There are at least two locations in Pensacola, one downtown, a bit off the beaten path, and one at Pensacola Beach. I would recommend going to the beach location because it’s a bit better vibes and has indoor seating. The downtown location is also just a food truck, which is fine if the weather is nice, but there’s no indoor seating if it rains.
Another honorable mention, breaking the food trend, and almost taking a 180 into running, is Running Wild. Something I miss about Pensacola is the friendly running culture. Running Wild is a fun store to visit if you are into running!
Anywho, reach out or comment if you have any questions! Enjoy your time in Pensacola! I LOVE these places and hope to go back someday.