#183 of 199 Destin Restaurants

Fokker’s Pub

Fokker's Pub - A Casual Bar, Grille, and Pub for Laidback Groups
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

Fokker's Pub is simultaneously described as a pub, grill, bar, and restaurant, but it's largely a casual eatery with down-home cooking. It's highly recommended if you're coming with a big group to watch the game or just to shoot the breeze until your hotel room is ready. The staff is friendly, the portions are big, and the food and drinks are top-notch. 

- The FloridaPanhandle.com Local Expert Team

With its cheeky name and old-fashioned logo, Fokker’s Pub is a place where you can let your hair down. The entire establishment encourages guests to pull up a chair and stay a while, particularly if you’re coming with a group that you can’t get enough of. Watch the game, grab a brew, and enjoy some delicious grub in a casual eatery where the staff is happy you came to visit. 

This is a place to go if you want to order quality bar food over drinks. The hand-tossed dough for the pizzas and delectable sauces for the wings comes courtesy of a kitchen that doesn’t cut corners. Fokker’s Pub was recently taken over by new management, turning it into more of a pub than a bar and grille, but the decor and much of the menu haven’t changed much. 

Described as both high-energy and laid-back, you’ll find avid sports fans, beleaguered tourists, and groups of locals at the pub on a busy night. During some of its slower periods, which are few and far between, you’ll meet the staff that is happy to spend an afternoon telling you where to go and what to do in the panhandle. 

When you’re at Fokker’s Pub, try these stand-out dishes:

Hangover Special 
The Hangover Special is more than just a hearty meal in the form of a sandwich and fries. The country-fried steak is served atop a brioche bun and then smothered with country-style gravy, making for a truly memorable way to sop up anything leftover in your system from the night before. As if that weren’t enough, the price of the meal includes a House Bloody Mary. 

Filet O Fokker 
The Filet O Fokker is a full filet of haddock that’s been dredged through a beer batter and then served upon a soft sandwich roll. The main event comes with the fresh accouterment of tartar sauce, lettuce, and tomato, as well as either fries or cole slaw for your side. To spice things up for a few extra bucks, add cheese to the whole affair and get it with onion rings. 

Calzone 
All of the pizzas are delicious on the Fokker’s Pub menu, but the hand-stretched dough, fresh cheese, and homemade sauce really gets the chance to shine in calzone form. Plus, it can be more convenient to eat while you’re getting caught up in the final phase of the game. Add in bacon, sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, or pepperoni, and you’ve really got a party going. 

Cabernet Sauvignon Beef Stew Dinner
Served with a full bottle of wine in every pot, this enormous portion of beef stew comes with mashed potatoes and garlic toast. If you’re going to be hitting the waves on your trip, few things satisfy more than hefty meals that will stick to your ribs before heading back out into the water again. (Just make sure you give yourself a few hours to digest!)

Chicken Milanese 
It might seem a little out of the ordinary to have an Italian specialty on the Fokker’s Pub menu, but the cutlet is so well prepared that you won’t go wrong if you give it a try. The chicken is both pounded thin and then fried until it’s crisp and golden. It’s then served below a fresh salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a balsamic reduction and olive oil dressing. The whole thing is sprinkled with parmesan and accompanied by garlic bread. 

Fokker’s Pub is a place people go when they want a little community in their life. If you’re looking for a place that will treat you like you’re a local, even if you’re only staying for a day or two, you should pull up a chair and stay a while. 

Insider Tip:
The Brunch menu (including specialty brunch cocktails) is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.