Ultimate Dining Guide to The Villages (2025)

Welcome to the Ultimate Dining Guide to The Villages (2025) — a curated, Villager-focused The Villages dining guide designed to help you explore where to eat, drink, and gather across Florida’s friendliest hometown.

Instead of endless lists or outdated rankings, this guide is organized by area. That makes it easy to find great spots near you, whether you’re heading out by golf cart or planning a night out.

If you’re short on time and just want the highlights, we also maintain a curated short list: Best Restaurants in The Villages — our top picks based on consistency, experience, and local feedback.

How This Dining Guide Works

This Villages dining guide is intentionally built to grow. Some areas are already packed with standout restaurants, while others are still evolving.

We update sections as places open, menus change, and new favorites emerge, focusing on real experiences, useful details, and places locals actually return to.

Last updated: December 2025 — restaurants, openings, and changes verified.

Jump to a dining area

• Spanish Springs
• Lake Sumter Landing
• Brownwood Paddock Square
• Sawgrass Grove
• Eastport
• Middleton
• Other Golf-Cart-Accessible Restaurants

This guide is part of our OnlyVillages Guides series — covering dining, development, and local insights across The Villages.

The Villages is one of the fastest-growing active adult communities in Florida, with multiple town squares designed for golf-cart access and social dining (official site).

🟢 Spanish Springs Dining

Spanish Springs is the original town square in The Villages and remains a golf-cart-friendly hub for casual dining, cafés, and long-time local favorites. It’s an easy spot to grab breakfast, lunch, or a relaxed early dinner before live music, shopping, or a performance at The Sharon.

Looking for the top picks in Spanish Springs: See our Best Restaurants in Spanish Springs for the spots Villagers return to again and again.

🍳 Breakfast & Café Favorites

• First Watch — A reliable favorite for fresh, daytime-only breakfast and brunch classics.
• cfs Coffee Shop — Coffee-forward café with breakfast served all day, plus light lunches and bowls.
• Li’l Bits Café — A local café offering breakfast and lunch with rotating specials and a loyal following.

🥪 Lunch & Sandwiches

• Amerikanós Grille — Greek and Middle Eastern–inspired comfort food with gyros, pitas, burgers, and generous salads. A solid choice for lunch or a casual dinner.
• Ay! Jalisco — A long-time favorite for Mexican classics, fajitas, burritos, and popular taco salads, plus a full margarita bar.
• Flippers Pizzeria — Brick-oven pizza, flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads with convenient lunch specials.
• Chicken Salad Chick — A lunch-friendly spot built around creative chicken salads, lighter plates, and take-home options.
• Panera Bread — A dependable stop for soups, salads, sandwiches, and quick lunches close to the square.

🍽️ Dinner Highlights

• Bella Vita Italian Steakhouse — An upscale Italian steakhouse offering polished service, classic pasta dishes, prime steaks, and a strong wine list. Ideal for a special night out.
• Coastal Del Mar — A refined seafood-focused restaurant featuring fresh fish, lobster, and coastal-inspired entrées in a relaxed but elevated setting.

🎶 Before-the-Show Favorites

• Ruby Tuesday — A popular pre-show choice for many Villagers thanks to its proximity to Spanish Springs Town Square, predictable timing, broad menu, and ability to accommodate groups before performances at The Sharon.

🟢 Lake Sumter Landing Dining

Lake Sumter Landing offers one of the most balanced dining scenes in The Villages, with strong breakfast options, dependable lunch spots, and several excellent choices for an upscale evening out — all easily accessible by golf cart.

Looking for the top picks in Lake Sumter: See our Best Restaurants in Lake Sumter Landing for the spots Villagers consistently recommend.

🍳 Breakfast & Brunch

• Flying Biscuit Café — A go-to breakfast and brunch spot known for fluffy biscuits, creamy grits, omelets, and Southern-style comfort dishes. One of the most consistent morning choices in Lake Sumter.
• TooJay’s Deli — A familiar deli option for breakfast with bagels, lox, egg sandwiches, pastries, and classic Jewish deli favorites. Easy, predictable, and golf-cart accessible.

🥪 Lunch & Sandwiches

• RedSauce Italian Ristorante — One of the strongest lunch spots in Lake Sumter, offering fresh pasta, sandwiches, salads, and polished service in a relaxed daytime setting.
• City Fire — A reliable square-side lunch option for burgers, salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. The kitchen is oven-based, so traditional fried items like french fries are not offered.
• Gator’s Dockside — Chosen mainly for its daytime atmosphere. Dockside seating and water views make it a pleasant stop for casual lunches, drinks, and people-watching.
• Panera Bread — A convenient option for soups, salads, sandwiches, and lighter lunches close to the square.
• Johnny Rockets — Classic burgers, fries, and shakes when you want something quick, casual, and familiar.

🍽️ Dinner Highlights

• The Chop House — One of the most respected upscale restaurants in Lake Sumter, known for prime steaks, seafood, classic sides, and professional service.
• RedSauce Italian Ristorante — A refined Italian option for dinner with fresh pasta, seafood, and an inviting, polished atmosphere.
• Thai Ruby — A long-time local favorite for authentic Thai flavors, generous portions, and reliable dinner service.
• Cody’s Original Roadhouse — You can rarely go wrong here. An extensive menu, good food, and reasonable prices make Cody’s a dependable choice any time of day.

🟢 Brownwood Paddock Square Dining

Brownwood Paddock Square is a popular dining and nightlife destination in The Villages, offering a strong mix of upscale restaurants, casual favorites, and full-service bars right on the square. With live music most evenings and plenty of outdoor seating, Brownwood works well for breakfast, dinner, drinks, and social nights out — all easily accessible by golf cart.

Looking for the top picks in Brownwood: See our Best Restaurants in Brownwood Paddock Square for the Villager favorites people return to most.

🍳 Breakfast & Brunch

• Another Broken Egg Café — A well-known brunch spot offering omelets, benedicts, pancakes, and brunch cocktails like mimosas and Bloody Marys. A solid choice for a relaxed breakfast or brunch.
• TooJay’s Deli — A familiar deli option for breakfast with bagels, lox, egg sandwiches, pastries, and classic Jewish deli favorites. Reliable and convenient for morning dining.

🥪 Lunch & Casual Dining

• City Fire — A popular square-side spot for flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, and salads, with live music outside most afternoons and dancing indoors many evenings. The kitchen is oven-based and does not offer traditional fried items like french fries.
• Cody’s Original Roadhouse — A dependable favorite with an extensive menu, good food, and reasonable prices. A place many Villagers return to again and again for casual meals.
• Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill — A casual Mexican option known for generous portions, classic dishes, and large margaritas. Easygoing and well-suited for relaxed lunches or early dinners.

🍽️ Dinner Highlights

• Bluefin Grill & Bar — An upscale seafood and steak restaurant with a vibrant bar scene, creative cocktails, and a lively evening atmosphere alongside polished entrées.
• Harvest Restaurant — A refined American restaurant with a strong cocktail program, an active bar area, and thoughtfully prepared seasonal dishes.
• Prima Italian Steakhouse — A popular dinner destination offering Italian classics, steaks, and attentive service in a comfortable, social setting.

🟢 Sawgrass Grove

Sawgrass Grove is a smaller, casual dining square in The Villages. While it does not have the restaurant density of the larger town squares, it offers one full-service sit-down restaurant along with several convenient takeout options designed to be enjoyed around the square.

🍳 Breakfast & Coffee

• Take5 Premium Roast Coffee & Espresso — The primary breakfast stop in Sawgrass Grove, offering coffee drinks, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, English muffins, and freshly baked muffins. Ideal for a quick morning bite before activities.

🥪 Lunch & Casual Bites

• Willy’s Original — A popular takeout burger spot serving classic burgers and fries, perfect for grabbing food and eating outdoors on the square.
• Frenchy’s Wood-Fired Pizza — Takeout-focused wood-fired pizzas that work well for casual lunches or sharing with friends on the square.
• Little Fin Seafood — A seafood-focused takeout option featuring items like fish tacos, lobster rolls, fish and chips, and other coastal favorites.

🍽️ Dinner

• Sawgrass Tavern — The only traditional sit-down restaurant at Sawgrass Grove. Offers a full-service dining experience with a pub-style menu, making it the primary choice for dinner in this area.

🟢 Eastport

Eastport is The Villages’ newest town center and is still taking shape. While the dining lineup is currently smaller than the established squares, Eastport already leans more upscale and destination-oriented, anchored by a signature steakhouse and new hotel dining venues — with additional restaurants planned as development continues.

🍳 Breakfast & Coffee

• Hotel Eastport — Breakfast service is currently centered around Hotel Eastport, making it the primary morning option in Eastport for guests and early visitors.

🥪 Lunch & Casual Dining

• Prime & Ember — While best known for dinner, Prime & Ember also works well for lunch, offering a lighter daytime menu in a polished, comfortable setting.
• Yamas — An Eastern Mediterranean concept inspired by Greek, Turkish, and Levantine flavors. Lunch options include grilled dishes, salads, and approachable plates that fit well into a relaxed midday visit.

🍽️ Dinner Highlights

• Prime & Ember — The anchor restaurant of Eastport and one of the most anticipated openings in The Villages. Known for steaks, seafood, craft cocktails, and an upscale atmosphere, Prime & Ember defines Eastport’s dining direction.
• Yamas — A full-service Mediterranean dinner option offering grilled meats, seafood, and bold flavors in a modern hotel setting.
• The Terrace — A more casual evening option at Hotel Eastport, open daily for drinks and dining, and well-suited for a relaxed meal or cocktails with views.

🟢 Middleton

Middleton is one of the newer dining areas in The Villages, offering a compact but popular mix of casual and fast-casual restaurants. It’s more food-focused than entertainment-focused, making it a practical stop for everyday meals, post-golf lunches, and dependable favorites.

🍳 Breakfast & Coffee

• Limited breakfast options at this time. Most residents currently visit nearby town centers for breakfast, though dedicated morning and coffee spots have been officially announced and are coming soon.

🥪 Lunch & Casual Dining

• Victory Sports Grill — A popular casual spot known for burgers, sandwiches, salads, and plenty of TVs. Reliable for lunch and informal dinners.
• 4 Rivers Smokehouse — A go-to for barbecue lovers, offering brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and classic sides in a fast-casual setting.
• Portillo’s — A fast-casual favorite serving Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, burgers, chopped salads, and shakes.

🍽️ Dinner Options

• Victory Sports Grill — A dependable dinner choice for groups wanting familiar food, reasonable prices, and an easygoing atmosphere.
• 4 Rivers Smokehouse — Works well for casual dinners when barbecue and comfort food are the priority.

🆕 Coming Soon to Middleton

• Fiesta Grande Mexican Grille — A Tex-Mex restaurant announced for Downtown Middleton, featuring scratch-made tacos, sizzling fajitas, and classic Mexican favorites.
• CFS Coffee for the Soul — A Colombian-inspired coffee and café concept bringing empanadas, breakfast bowls, pancakes, and specialty coffee sourced directly from Colombian farms.

Note: The “Coming Soon” restaurants above have been officially announced but were not yet open at the time of publishing. This guide will be updated as opening dates are confirmed.

🟢 Other Golf-Cart-Accessible Restaurants Worth Mentioning

Beyond the town squares, The Villages includes several golf-cart-accessible restaurants located near recreation centers, neighborhood plazas, and along major corridors. These spots may not sit on a square, but they are frequently visited by residents and worth knowing about.

🍳 Breakfast & Brunch Favorites

• Reveille Coffeehouse Café — A popular breakfast and brunch café near Everglades Recreation Center, known for omelets, pancakes, specialty coffee drinks, and a relaxed daytime atmosphere.
• The Toasted Yolk Cafe — A lively breakfast and brunch spot offering omelets, pancakes, breakfast bowls, and a full bar with mimosas and Bloody Marys.

🍕 Italian, Pizza & Casual Dining

• Piesanos — A longtime Villages favorite with two golf-cart-accessible locations, offering pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and Italian-American comfort food.
• Mezza Luna — A neighborhood Italian restaurant serving pizza, pasta, and classic entrées.
• Flippers Pizzeria — A brick-oven pizza option offering pizza, flatbreads, salads, and sandwiches, popular for casual lunches and early dinners.

🍣 Asian & Sushi Options

• Sakura — A hibachi and sushi restaurant suitable for casual lunches and group dinners.
• Kumo Sushi — A straightforward sushi spot offering rolls, sashimi, and Japanese favorites.

🌮 Mexican & Tex-Mex

• Tequila Cantina Mexican Kitchen — A modern Mexican kitchen serving tacos, margaritas, and updated Tex-Mex classics.

🍔 Grills & Neighborhood Favorites

• Harry & The Natives — A longtime Villager favorite offering comfort food classics in a relaxed, Old Florida–style setting.
• Fenney Grill — A casual grill near Fenney Recreation Center serving sandwiches, wraps, salads, and easygoing lunch and dinner fare.
• Tap House Social — A bar-and-grill style restaurant offering burgers, sandwiches, and a rotating beer selection.
• Hooters — A familiar national chain known for wings, casual fare, and sports-centric dining.

🏌️ Country Club Restaurants

• Many Villages country clubs feature public restaurants offering lunch, dinner, and bar service in a golf-course setting. Menus and hours vary by club, and most locations are golf-cart accessible.

The Villages dining guide is updated regularly as restaurants open, close, and change. Bookmark this page and check back often as we continue refining the most complete dining resource for Villagers.