There is a small restaurant on the St. Marks river called the Riverside Cafe. It’s painted these wacky colors to grab your attention and has some tiki fringe on the roof. The Cafe is positioned at the very end of the St. Marks trail, a bike/walking path that connects Tallahassee and St. Marks via miles of flat, easy to ride trails.
The Riverside Cafe is a funny mixture of indoor and outdoor; there are technically doors to enter through, but the entire restaurant is open so you can enjoy the river and the breeze. There’s a stage where bands sometimes play and a full bar. To get to the bathroom you have to walk through the kitchen. The menu is mostly fried fish and chicken. Your shoes will definitely stick to the floor.
The place is a dive, and it is one of my favorite restaurants on Earth.
My best friend from college and I used to make it a point to head to the river when we were stressed or needed to talk about something bigger than “what classes are you taking next semester?” Something about the laid back vibe of the place, and the breeze, and the buckets of beer put everything into perspective, and we always left feeling a whole lot better, more clear, more confident.
On clear days, you can eat your lunch out on the dock and if you’re lucky, you’ll see manatees swimming by. Boats pass the dock lazily and wave at the diners. The wait staff is never in a hurry.
I think places like these are rare. There’s something sacred in the simplicity of them. The Riverside Cafe does not serve the best food I have ever eaten or craft cocktails, but it does serve a simpleness and a pace that reminds you not to take life too seriously. And in my mind, that deserves a 5-star review.
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