Crackings in Destin makes Yelp’s Top 100 Brunch Spots for Mother's Day 2023 list
Yelp just published its Top 100 Brunch Spots for Mother’s Day 2023 and one Destin restaurant made the top 5 list.
Crackings, located in the heart of Destin at Ninety Eight Palms, debuted on Yelp’s Top 100 Florida Restaurants list in March where it was ranked No. 27. Now the restaurant is back with a vengeance, ranking as the No. 4 Mother’s Day brunch spot in the U.S.
Yelp created the list by identifying businesses in the breakfast and brunch category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “brunch,” and then ranked those spots using several factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning “brunch.”
No. 27: Destin restaurant named one of the Top 100 in Florida by Yelp
Any chains that appeared on the list were limited to one instance, using the highest-rated location. Yelp only included up to 10 businesses per state for geographical diversity, and eligibility required that the business was marked open and had a passing health score as of April 6, 2023.
Crackings in Destin is a family affair
Crackings is a breakfast, brunch and lunch spot that’s family-owned by Tommy and Marcia Green of Destin. Their son, Preston, manages the business. The family has been in the business of serving good food for 25 years, but the Crackings restaurant locals have come to know and love today is about five years in the making.
“On March 27 we hit our five-year anniversary of rebranding,” Marcia told The Destin Log in a March interview. “It’s our five-year birthday for Crackings, but 25 years in the business.”
“We’ve won Best in Destin ever since we’ve turned to Crackings.,” Tommy said.
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The Greens had experience in hospitality before they opened the restaurant, but Preston said they’re more-or-less self-taught. Using a book called “The Flavor Bible” that Marcia purchased from Barnes and Noble, Preston created the entire menu — including their sauces — from scratch.
The smoked lobster gouda grits is a favorite, according to both Yelp and the Greens; it’s a creamy gouda cheese grits topped with lobster and sauteed in coastal butter. Preston says their staple dish is the “Crawfish Eggs-Toufee” — a benedict that includes three fried green tomatoes, three pieces of bacon, poached eggs, Creole Hollandaise and crawfish simmered in coastal butter and green onions.
To see what’s cracking at Crackings (spoiler: it’s eggs), head over to one of their two locations at 979 Highway 98, Destin, and 51 Uptown Grayton Circle, Santa Rosa Beach.
Florida’s best brunch spots, according to Yelp
Nine of Florida’s restaurants ranked in the top 50, with Crackings in Destin ranking near the top at No. 4. George Bistro + Bar in Pensacola and Mama Clemenza’s in Miramar Beach were two other Panhandle restaurants that made the list, coming in at No. 18 and No. 48, respectively.
In West-central Florida, Psomi in Tampa, Noble Crust in St. Petersburg and Another Broken Egg Cafe in Clearwater ranked No. 32, No. 40 and No. 44. Bulegreen Cafe Yard and Voo La Voo Cafe ranked No. 20 and No. 64 in South Florida and Le Petit Paris in Jacksonville and PK’s Roosevelt Room in St. Augustine ranked No. 29 and No. 41.
Many of these restaurants such as George Bistro + Bar and Crackings have had their fair share of time in the limelight as they were recently featured in Yelp’s Top 100 Florida Restaurants 2023 list. George Bistro ranked No. 14 and Crackings earned the No. 27 spot. And in 2020, Bulegreen Cafe Yard was named the No. 27 best places to eat in the county.
No. 4 — Crackings, Destin, FL
No. 18 — George Bistro + Bar, Pensacola, FL
No. 29 — Le Petit Paris, Jacksonville, FL
No. 32 — Psomi, Tampa, FL
No. 40 — Noble Crust, St. Petersburg, FL
No. 48 — Mama Clemenza’s, Miramar Beach, FL
No. 64 — Voo La Voo Cafe, Wilton Manors, FL
There’s still time to make Mother’s Day brunch reservations
According to yelp, 66% of diners made Mother’s Day reservations in the seven days leading up to the holiday, so there’s plenty of time to get your name on the list.
If you’re a last-minute planner, check your preferred restaurant for online waitlists. And if you can’t be with your mom this year, consider sending her a special meal from any of these spots that deliver.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Yelp’s Mother’s Day brunch spot list names Destin restaurant No. 4
