Pot stickers at SoNapa Grille, gator bites at River Grille, the buffalo fried shrimp basket at Charlie Horse, spinach artichoke dip at The Grind, and the crab cake at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse. Those are the five, in order, with the crab cake last on purpose.
Biketoberfest runs October 15–18. Four days, a town full of bikes, and a lot of standing around waiting for a table.
These are five appetizers I would actually ride for. They come off The Local Table, the running list we keep for our guests. No Google, no Yelp.
1. Pot stickers
Worth the ride up the coast on its own. Order the pot stickers to start, and do not leave without the bread pudding — it is the reason to stay for dessert.
2. Gator bites
A Cajun waterfront spot most people never find. The gator bites are the thing to start with, and the fried seafood and hush puppies are some of the best we have had anywhere.
3. Buffalo fried shrimp basket
Order it as an appetizer with a side of ranch and share it. If you are staying for a meal, the extra-blackened pangassi fish sandwich is the other order.
4. Spinach artichoke dip
The gastropub with the Kona Tiki Bar out back. The dip is better than you would expect from a place that is not trying to be about the dip. Good with a group.
5. Crab cake
Best tasting thing on this list, and it is last on purpose. If you are walking into Hyde Park you are having a real dinner and spending real money, so it is not a stop you make on the way to somewhere else. The crab cake is exceptional. If you are staying, The Earnhardt — crab, asparagus, béarnaise — is the order.
Quick answers
- What are Conrad’s favorite Biketoberfest appetizers?
- Pot stickers at SoNapa Grille in Ormond Beach, gator bites at River Grille on the Tomoka River, the buffalo fried shrimp basket at Charlie Horse in Daytona, spinach artichoke dip at The Grind in Ormond Beach, and the crab cake at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse on Beach Street.
- Which one tastes the best?
- The crab cake at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse. It is listed last on purpose, because Hyde Park is a real dinner and real money rather than a stop you make on the way somewhere else.
- Where can I get gator bites near Daytona Beach?
- River Grille in Ormond Beach, on the Tomoka River. It is a Cajun waterfront spot most people never find, and the fried seafood and hush puppies are worth ordering too.
- What else should I order at SoNapa Grille?
- The bread pudding. It is the reason to stay for dessert.
Staying for the rally
We are a father-and-son operation managing oceanfront condos in Daytona Beach, and we live around the corner from them. The Local Table has the rest of the list — seafood, breakfast, burgers, and the places worth the drive.
Where to eat during Biketoberfest · Fall rides from Daytona Beach