This Is Why Pompano Joe’s Is the Best Waterfront Dining in Florida for Peak Summer Vibes

Summer vibes in Florida are bright, relaxed, and fun. Everything is bursting with color and sun-soaked, and with the seasonal heat and humidity, summer is the best time to be near the water. We've found a fantastic waterfront restaurant named Pompano Joe's in Miramar Beach, Florida, that captures everything we love about Florida's summer vibes. Pompano Joe's Seafood House offers picturesque views of white sandy beaches and turquoise waves and serves some of the best seafood in the area.

Pompano Joe's opened in Miramar Beach in 1995, named after the local legend of a pompano fisherman named Joe, who is rumored to have mysteriously disappeared from the area. Since its opening, locals and tourists alike have flocked to the oceanfront restaurant for its Caribbean-inspired seafood dishes and scenic location. A second Pompano Joe's restaurant opened in Panama City Beach's Pier Park in 2013.

The first thing you notice walking up to Pompano Joe's is its wonderful setting. The wide beach is scattered with people taking leisurely walks, reading, and taking family photos. Young kids build sand castles and race one another along the coast while waiting for their tables. Adults hang out at the restaurant's picnic tables or enjoy a cocktail from the beach bar while they wait.

The laid-back restaurant has a sprawling indoor-outdoor dining space. There are large wooden tables along massive, brightly painted windows. When the weather is pleasant, the windows are wide open, letting in the fresh, salty air. The chairs are also painted bright yellow, blue, purple, and teal, contributing to the festive and cheerful style.

Pompano Joe's menu includes appetizers like Coral Reef Nachos, Fried Calamari, and Boiled Shrimp. It also serves an award-winning Seafood Gumbo, which diners can enjoy by the cup or the bowl. The gumbo has won the Sandestin Gumbo Festival three times! Doesn't this sound like the perfect way to start a meal?

The restaurant also serves several fish sandwiches made with grouper, snapper, and yellowfin tuna straight from the Gulf. Its Caribbean-inspired dishes include Coconut Shrimp, served with mango-papaya chutney, and Grouper Guadalupe, a pan-roasted filet topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and sun-dried tomato butter. A personal favorite is the Grilled Shrimp Salad, with a skewer of juicy grilled shrimp over mixed greens, olives, feta cheese, and veggies. You honestly cannot go wrong with any of the seafood dishes, but if you prefer protein from land over the sea, there are several tasty beef or chicken dishes to choose from. They include Blackened Ribeye, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and Chicken Fettuccine.

For more information about Pompano Joe's Seafood House, visit its website or Facebook page.

Miramar Beach is stunning, and Only In Your State's Megan Todaro, a lifelong Floridian, ranked it as one of the best beaches in Florida. It's also only a few minutes from Destin, a family-friendly beach town with excellent restaurants and attractions. Crackings is a Destin eatery known for its breakfast croisseignets, a divine sweet dish that's a cross between a croissant and a beignet. Big Kahuna's Water and Adventure Park is the largest water park on the Emerald Coast, with more than 40 attractions. Its slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools are the perfect way for every family member to have a blast and beat the heat.