LemonHearted

View Original

City Guide Deland

My last blog post featuring Downtown Deland is one of my most popular city guides, but it’s a few years old at this point, and some things have changed in Deland. This is an updated and more robust city guide to help with your next trip to Deland.

EATS + DRINKS

Trilogy Coffee Roasting

Trilogy is my favorite local coffee spot in Deland. This local roaster supplies other locally-owned spots (like The Florida Local Market in New Smyrna) with their ethically sourced coffee, and have a home base on Georgia street in Deland right near Artisan Alley. It’s always my first stop when I visit Deland so I can cruise down Woodland Street with a delicious iced latte in hand.

136 W Georgia Ave, DeLand, FL trilogycoffee.com

Sidecar Home Market + Bar

What was known as So. of NY Market has changed owners and rebranded as a place to purchase repurposed mid-century modern furniture and gifts. You can also contact them to request custom work as well. The bar is still functioning as a place for locals to grab a brew, with an updated look, and the former South of New York Market now has a booth inside the Sidecar market.

100 S Woodland Blvd DeLand, FL sidecarhome.com

Bake Chop

If you are in Deland and craving a burger I’d recommend Bake Chop. The meat is the main event here, and it’s advertised as humanely raised, free-range, hormone and antibiotic-free. In my multiple visits, I’ve enjoyed great food like the left-hander sandwich, the swamp salad, all with good service. They also have a gluten-free menu. This place can get busy on the weekends so you may wait for a table as it’s not a large restaurant.

110 Artisan Alley, DeLand, FL www.bakechop.com

Tony’s New York Pizza

Tony’s was recommended to me by a friend and fellow Northeastern gal. It’s a local family spot with long tables that were all full early on a Friday night. We were greeted with complimentary garlic rolls when we sat down, so they immediately had my heart. Pizza can be polarizing, and I haven’t tried the other pizza spots in Deland, but I enjoyed my meal here.

146 W New York Ave, DeLand, FL 

The Half Wall Restaurant

I’m not usually one to go to restaurants that cater to the sports crowd, but the Half Wall looked like a good place to try some beers. They have a few Florida locations with various local brews on tap at each one. I was able to get a fruity flight I was happy with. The food was much better than I anticipated. A flaky chicken breast with waffles, and perfectly fried fish and chips.

105 W. INDIANA AVE DELAND, FL  thehalfwall.com

Chica’s Cuban

I’m a fan of Chica’s Cuban in Deland. I ordered a Lechon plate with tostones and yuca as my side. My friend ordered one of their chicken plates, but it was unlike any chicken dish I have ever had. There was a special tangy sauce glazed over the pieces and it very flavorful and juicy. They also had Iron Beer on the menu which is a cola I’ve only been able to get in Miami, so that was an added bonus to complete a really satisfying meal.

215 S Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL Facebook page

Midnight Sun Ice Cream

It is my personal opinion that Midnight Sun has some of the best ice creams you are going to find in Florida. You may be familiar with them from their pop-ups at food truck rallies around Orlando, but for now, their home is at the Friday night Deland Farmers Market. This small-batch ice cream truck is run by a local husband and wife culinary duo who create amazing ice cream sandwiches from scratch. The flavors rotate every week, and it’s worth a Friday night drive to Deland, I promise you that. Some favorite past flavors include horchata on a churro cake, the frozen lemon box pie, and a cantaloupe ice cream.

Artisans Alley in Deland on Friday nights (check IG for schedule) www.midnightsunicecream.com

Persimmon Hollow

Beer lovers have a hang out at Persimmon Hollow when visiting Deland. This local brewery has a generous tap list that offers IPAs, porters, Belgians, stouts, and lagers, as well as some fruity ales. During the Friday night markets, this place feels like the epicenter of Artisans Alley. The big news is that they are coming to Orlando and opening in the bottom floor of the EO Inn (where Panera Bread used to be). That’s great news for Orlandoans, but I still encourage you to visit them in Deland for extra charm.

111 W Georgia Ave, DeLand, FL www.persimmonhollowbrewing.com

Other places you can eat:

SHOPPING

Cliff’s Books

Cliff’s Books packs a lot of merchandise into a small space leaving no spot unused. Used books, vintage and retro merchandise, action figures, comic books, and other odds and ends make it an interesting place to dig for gems.

209 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL cliffsbooks.net

Marketplace at Rivertown

This is my favorite spot for antique and collectible hunting in Deland. This three-story building has a mix of furniture, clothing, collectibles, and is filled with nostalgia. My favorite area is on the third floor where you can look through old postcards that are sorted by cities, states, and even some countries.

114 S Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL marketplaceatrivertown.com

Other places to shop:

Things To Do:

This is an updated guide to downtown Deland. No businesses or entities asked me to create or update this guide and I was not paid to do so. All images are property of LemonHearted and all food and experiences were paid for personally by myself. Support your local businesses and communities.