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:
Santorini Greek Cuisine
Mr. Bill’s Donuts + Sandwiches (you have to go early)
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:
Deland Asian Market
Baker & Co Home Mercantile (next open warehouse dates January 24-26th 2020)
Things To Do:
Check out a show at Deland’s Athens Theater
Take a tour of Deland’s historic courthouse which now houses pieces of public art that were commissioned for its renovation and reopening.
Visit the Museum of Art - Deland
Play a game at the Mindquest Escape Room
Find the “You Are Deland” map point.
Visit the Deland Farmers Market every Friday night
Keep an eye out for the Deland Indie Market throughout the year. The next one is March 8th and will have over 130 vendors.
Rockclimbing at Dynoclimb.
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.