Tabone’s Po Boys at Downtown Melbourne Review

Tabone’s Po Boys has been around Downtown Melbourne for about two years now and it definitely deserves more praise then it gets. If you are looking for some fresh southern food and a laid back atmosphere this is exactly the place.

How is it laid back? Well the whole restaurant is in a cute house with a nice farmers porch along with some outdoor picnic tables. They can take your order at the counter or you can just sit down and someone will come and serve you.

I love sitting on the porch when there is a nice breeze, while enjoying my meal. You can get an order to go, but I think part of the charm of eating here is the atmosphere.

The restaurant mainly serves Po Boys which is a French bread sandwich usually with fried fish, however they many non-seafood sandwich options as well. They also serve southern favorites such as barbecue, shrimp and grits and gumbo.

There are so many options to choose from! They even serve beignets now if you are feeling the New Orleans vibe.

A traditional Po Boy is fried oyster or shrimp and I have had the oyster one here before. As a big raw oyster fan, I was surprised how much I enjoyed them fried as well! This was such a delicious sandwich with crispy fried fish and fresh toppings.

However this time, I was feeling more on the lighter side so I got blackened tilapia. This was also an excellent choice! The fish was so fresh and very well-seasoned. I had to try the onion rings and they were just how I like them, with a light batter and not too greasy.

Andrew almost always goes for a barbeque option, and this time was no different. He tried their pulled pork with sides of rice and red beans and grits. He found this to be some of the best barbecue we have in Melbourne and could tell the pork was freshly smoked.

We also love the variety of sides. The rice and beans is a true Louisiana classic and the grits are a must have with any southern meal. You can choose from a bunch of different options, but we found these to be the most unique.

They also have some beer on tap that is always pretty cheap which makes for a refreshing drink with lunch or dinner.

Every time we go to Tabone’s, we find ourselves wanting to go back more often! It is a gem of Downtown Melbourne and we are glad it has carved out it’s own little niche. We walked around the downtown area afterwards and checked out some shops. It was the fun midday date for a nice relaxing afternoon enjoying the springtime weather.

Let me know what your favorite local restaurant in Florida is! There are so many and I love to explore new small businesses.