Florida barbecue doesn't have as strong an identity as some of our southern neighbors. Tropical Smokehouse is changing that. South Florida-specific dishes like spicy wahoo dip, gator sausage, and smoked mahi are sprinkled throughout the menu. It’s also worth knowing about Tropical BBQ Market, their takeout-friendly sister restaurant responsible for the greatest turkey sandwich we’ve ever put in our mouths.

The Blue Door serves Mediterranean food so simple it looks a little boring. The focus here is on taste, not fussy presentations. So even though their tomato salad looks like it was made by someone who needs a new prescription for their contacts, the tomatoes are fresh and perfectly dressed. The patio makes this place a great winter spot. We can’t say the same for summer, even though a small army of fans try their best to cool things off. We’d come back in the dead of August for the lamb chops.

Here's where you’ll find the best (and only) Ethiopian restaurant in the city. The owners make you feel so at home, you’ll be tempted to stay the night on the couch by the entrance. Please don’t. The husband scuttles about the dining room dropping off platters flanked with rolls of spongy injera next to kitfo and shiro piled high. His wife might stop by the table to ask how spicy you really want your gomen before she starts cooking it. Those collard greens aren’t for the meek.

In a city full of stiff restaurants, Mr. B’s is a refreshingly unserious place that takes its food and drinks seriously. This is tavern food, so we’re talking burgers, salads, wings, and steaks. But when the disco ball starts spinning along with the DJ on weekends, this place turns into a party. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so arrive early for a table at a bouncy booth under a giant wooden sawfish.

We really like Buccan. But we love Buccan Sandwich Shop, the restaurant's casual takeout sibling (which also has a location on the island). It's takeout only, and all you need to know is that these are pure sandwich perfection, from the fresh bread to the ingredients that live in that sweet spot just shy of overstuffed.

We’ve been coming to this small Thai spot on S Dixie since before they took credit cards—they do now, but only if you order at least $25 worth of pad thai and curries. This is the best Thai food in West Palm Beach. It’s mostly a takeout operation, but you can eat here at a long dining room table next to a wall of coconut milk cans. If you only order one thing, make it the papaya salad with generous amounts of salty fish sauce. Pair it with the grilled chicken and sticky rice.

Nachos and the word “refreshing” don’t normally exist on the same quantum plane. But it’s a fitting description for this casual Mexican spot’s brisket nachos, which are a testament to brightness and simplicity. A lot of the food here is like that, partly because these folks make almost everything from scratch. The pork belly and pescadito frito tacos are also great, and they have well-portioned bowls that won’t make you sheepishly beg for an extra scoop of chicken.

Our favorite Jamaican spot in West Palm is in a small plaza between a laundromat and a barbershop. If you see folks walking out with styrofoam boxes full of jerk chicken, curry goat, and oxtail, you’re in the right place. They serve breakfast all day, so we never come here without ordering ackee and saltfish. It comes with fried dumplings, a boiled green banana, and sweet plantains. This should keep you full until dinner, but don't leave without buying the county’s flakiest beef patty too.

Howley’s is a diner that proves something as simple as homemade apple sauce served alongside ASMR-crunchy fried chicken can bring a tear to your eye. The principle foundation of a diner is that it’s reliable, simple, and dishes come with your choice of wheat or white toast—and Howley’s ticks all those boxes. It’s been around since the ’50s but luckily the interior has been given an update since the days when you used to be able to smoke and eat eggs at the same time.

The Brass Ring’s half-pound spicy burger is a beautiful monstrosity that drips blue cheese dressing with every bite. The company is also pretty great at this dark, old North Palm bar. The ladies pouring pitchers of Miller and scribbling hand-written checks have been working there through multiple presidential administrations. There’s not a window in sight, and you’ll never know what time it is. So set an alarm between 3pm and 6pm, when all domestic pitchers of beer are $7.

Pizza is the headliner at Buccan’s sister restaurant. But Grato’s housemade pastas and small plates are the real reasons to come. Stick to Mediterranean dishes, order yourself a frozen Moscow mule, and bring friends who are down for a fun dinner. Just know you might have to wrestle a man in a Peter Millar vest to get a seat at the bar. Grato is more casual (and louder) than its wildly popular sister restaurant across the bridge.

The food at Table 26 is what every buttoned-up adult with a rambunctious inner child wants to eat. Mac and cheese is served on white linen tables and fried chicken comes with honey buffalo sauce in a silver gravy boat. To be fair, it’s lobster mac and cheese. And that chicken is so tender, it shoots juice like a little squirt gun. The theme here is global comfort food. You can start with crab rangoons or shrimp and grits. Then, move on to a half-pound lobster roll or lamb shank curry.

Celis has three locations in Palm Beach County. The one on the island inside Royal Poinciana Plaza is great for a post-workout sandwich and juice after a run down the Lake Trail. But we like going to their shop on S Dixie because you don’t have to risk getting the drawbridge. We like the turkey sandwich. It’s like a fancy lunchbox sandwich, made on fluffy sourdough and layered with a thick slice of cheddar, smashed avocado, and enough meat to construct a turkey accordion.

“Fun Fact: Okeechobee Steakhouse is the oldest steakhouse in the state of Florida.” That’s probably what your server will start with if it’s your first time here. And history is the main reason to visit this place. But the thick steaks cooked to perfection, fluffy complimentary brioche, and free refills on fountain drinks aren't far behind. Certain sides, like the hot honey roasted carrots and lobster mac and cheese, are just OK. But the crispy calamari makes up for it.

Kitchen doesn’t have the most exciting atmosphere in West Palm. For that you go to their sister restaurant, Mr. B’s. But the diners in the intergenerational crowd are all here for the same reason: the food is truly great. The menu is a hodgepodge of dishes like spring rolls, steak, branzino, and burgers. The dishes are fun. That burger comes with foie gras, the spring rolls are of the cheesesteak variety, and we doubt you’ll find a better chicken schnitzel in the city.

Lynora’s is so consistent that West Palm needed two to contain the bevy of burrata-loving, meatball-bereft Floridians. Lynora’s has all the fundamentals of a neighborhood Italian-American restaurant (meatballs, garlic bread, veal, after-dinner drinks) but never feels sleepy. Service is friendly and the manager may personally grate parmesan on your food. They don't skimp on the quality of their ingredients, and that’s why even the rigatoni alla vodka doesn’t feel too heavy.

If you lack the commitment to invest in your own bubbling sourdough starter, just go to Aioli, a bakery off of Okeechobee Boulevard serving incredible bread. If you’re not in the market for an entire loaf of sourdough, their quick-service cafe has plenty of good daytime options. Aioli’s $15 soup and sandwich deal is perfect for a quick lunch break, especially if you’re boycotting a certain chain restaurant where you have bad memories of being tutored in chemistry over a bread bowl.

Buccan proves that even an island full of millionaires can’t resist a martini and a hot dog. During the winter months, it’s the toughest reservation in Palm Beach—but, refreshingly, not the fanciest. The restaurant has a come-as-you-are attitude that belies the luxury cars at the valet stand and a menu that can appease a table full of disparate tastes. The crudos, tartare, salads, pastas, hot dog panini, and grilled proteins aren’t groundbreaking, but they don’t need to be.

There is a certain fantasy of Palm Beach living: you’re awakened each day by your butler with a spoonful of caviar, and the hardest decision of the day is which exclusive members-only club to socialize at. The Breakers is the place to live out this fantasy. And if you’re prioritizing just one meal at the historic resort, make it the Sunday Circle Brunch. Camp out in front of the caviar, prime rib, and raw bar stations to maximize your return on investment, which is $195 per person.

Palm Beach Grill’s open kitchen doesn’t stop clinking from the second it opens to the second it closes. The restaurant—and its bar—are always completely slammed, so come with a reservation. There’s a reason why it’s so popular. Like a good pair of corduroy pants, Palm Beach Grill is useful for a dizzying amount of occasions—pretty much anything you can think of except peace and quiet. The menu over-delivers on seemingly straightforward American dishes.

Honor Bar is also part of the Hillstone family, so you’ll recognize the menu if you’re a fan of the brand. The walk-in-only restaurant is casual enough for shorts (a nice pair), but it still looks like the kind of room you’d refer to as a “study”—with dark wood tables, dim lamps, and black leather booths. You can expect good deviled eggs, a deservedly famous crispy chicken sandwich, and a finely chopped kale salad that’ll make you believe in restaurant salads again.

Palm Beach is known for its Gilded Age architecture, housing 85% of the wealthy grandparent population, and its obsessive commitment to dress code. But it's also where you'll find some very elegant fine dining restaurants, like Café Boulud. This French restaurant is located in the historic Brazilian Court Hotel and staffed by waiters so attentive that it borders on babysitting. Get the tartare if you like a tableside presentation.

In Palm Beach County, a lot of restaurants cast a wide net with globally mishmashed menus. When done wrong, this leads to disjointed dishes that lazily slog their way across the world’s cuisines. But Coolinary is the best example of what happens when this approach goes right. Japanese ramen, Southern fried chicken, Colombian chicharron, and pizza all live on Coolinary’s menu. Somehow, they do justice to all of it. Dishes play with flavors, textures, and temperature.

The chef behind this pizza spot started out serving NY-style pies from his apartment kitchen to long waitlists. Now, he’s got his own shop with psychedelic pizza art, counter seating, and a handful of tables. They offer slices for anyone dining in, and Leonardi's excels with its minimal pizzas that let the excellent crust shine. If you’re planning on securing a whole pizza to-go on the weekend, schedule an order a few days in advance.

When you need a restaurant for a big group of co-workers you want to impress (and don’t mind sharing plates with) or a birthday party when you’re trying to get two completely different friend groups to talk to one another, go to Stage. It’s the kind of place where cocktails come in IV bags—which Dale from accounting will get an absolute hoot out of. But food is the most interesting and fun part of the restaurant.