By Butch Blasingame

Our area has an abundance of high profile chain restaurants and eateries that appeal to many people. These dining establishments are where the masses – in our case the tourist crowd – winds up for lunch. But where are the places the locals eat when they aren’t “brown-bagging” their lunch? Here are five of these out of the way spots:

1. Pepito’s – Yes, Martha, there is a five-dollar lunch. Well, $4.95 with the drink and tip extra. For that price you get a couple of their fine Tex-Mex items. Other choices on the menu get you more items or more upscale fare but still at good prices. The service is fast, as is the rule in a lot of Mexican restaurants in the Southwest. It’s good to see that Hispanic people eat there, not just “Gringos” and it makes you feel like the place is the real thing. As a general rule, you can judge a good Mexican restaurant by the chips and salsa that they bring out for starters. Both are excellent here – the chips are fresh and warm and the salsa is fresh also with the right amount of spice. By the way, they serve from the lunch menu on the weekends too. You’ll find them close to where Old Time Pottery is. Just look for the signs. 757 E Hwy 98 Destin - 650-7734
2. Dynasty – Chinese food so good that you could say that it’s Americanized, but not really. It’s just made to please taste buds around the world. Don’t miss the best egg rolls to be had on the Emerald Coast – it would be very easy to make a meal out of a few of these. But, you would be missing favorites on the lunch menu like Kung Pao Chicken (spicy), General’s Tso’s Chicken (not so) and standard Chinese entrees like Beef with Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork, and Lo Mein. In the winter season, you’ll see lots of snowbirds here. This small place is in yet another strip mall off 98 close to the McDonald’s, out toward Seascape. 12889 Emerald Coast Pkwy Destin – 837-6675
3. Pig’s Alley BBQ – This funky wood building east of the Silver Sands Factory Stores on the north side of 98 cooks up barbeque definitely in the southern tradition where the pork is pulled. It’s so tender that it comes apart in the preparation just with a gentle tug. The smoked ribs and chicken are very good here, but the pork is the star. While prices are not on the low side, the portions are big enough to stretch into more sandwiches and meals and more enjoyment. You can eat outside in their picnic area and on a pretty day it’s very nice, although the traffic from nearby 98 is a bit on the loud side. Most days there are jugs of Suntea being made in the sun on the railing – makes me think way back in time. 9848 Us Hwy 98 W Destin – 654-3911
4. Cherry Peppers – This is your everyday, all-American, all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s $7.50 including your choice of beverage. Located out on Highway 98 in one of the proverbial strip malls that line that highway, Cherry Peppers is where you see landscapers, construction guys, tradesmen, and the folks from down the street. It’s not gourmet fare, just meat, veggies, along with soup, a salad bar, a pizza station and a choice of desserts – many of them homemade to some degree. This is a great place for watching the latest movie that was on sale at Wal-Mart for $1.99 and hearing some of the latest gossip. It’s pure South Walton County. E Hwy 98, Santa Rosa Beach – 267-0182
5. Theo’s Pizza Pub – Okay, if there ever was a place that survived on word of mouth, it is Theo’s. During lunchtime, you find guys in from their round of golf, construction types, tourists who stumbled in, seasonal snowbirds and, of course, locals. The deal here is a small pizza, salad, and drink (non-alcoholic) for seven dollars. The pizza is known all over – that same St. Louis style thin crust that has been coming from Theo’s oven for what seems like centuries. The salads are good too, with the finest of dressings, especially the blue cheese. You’ll have to wait a little while because the pizza has to cook, but you can look around the place to see that old record album you still wish you had – or you can converse with Liz, one of the owners, and a Miramar Beach legend in her own time. Theo’s is on Scenic 98, just look for the Beach Access store. It’s the little place in the same building on the west side next to Bad Ass Coffee. 1688 Old Hwy 98 Destin - 650-8558

Some of these places may have a short-lived invasion of tourists now and then, because – you know – people will talk and give away secrets. But, let them just join in; there’s not enough of ‘em to spoil our local favorites. At least, not yet …