Backwoods Crossing — Restaurant in Tallahassee

TL;DR: • Food: 10/10 — rich, bold, and creative without losing its Southern roots. • Service: 11/10 — Gabe is a rock star. • Atmosphere: Warm, rustic-chic, and unpretentious. • Drinks: Solid cocktail and wine list with fair pricing.

Before dinner, we took a stroll through the massive on-site garden, and it immediately set the tone. This isn’t a gimmick — it’s a working garden, and you can taste that freshness in everything they bring to the table. It’s a rare and welcome reminder that real farm-to-table still exists when it’s done right.

We kicked things off with an Old Fashioned that was strong, balanced, and served over a proper slow-melting rock — clearly crafted by someone who knows what they’re doing behind the bar. Paired that with the Basil Buttons, which were beautifully plated and packed with flavor: earthy stuffed mushrooms, bright pesto, tomato, shaved parmesan — clean and punchy all at once.

I was eyeing the ribeye when our server Gabe — who was incredible from start to finish — confidently steered me toward the Big Foot. This ended up being one of the best pork dishes I’ve ever had. A thick, perfectly grilled pork loin chop, glazed with bourbon, topped with warm Granny Smith apple slices, and served over sweet potato mash. It was juicy, bold, and beautifully balanced — rich without being heavy. I paired it with a glass of Skyside Cabernet Sauvignon, which was a perfect match: smooth, full-bodied, and more than capable of standing up to the dish’s sweet-savory profile.

Jen ordered the Seafood Tower, and it was equally impressive. Stuffed crab balls, shrimp, creamy grits, and crispy onion straws all layered in a way that made each bite hit differently — Southern comfort elevated with serious technique.

Gabe made the night. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely knowledgeable, he read the table perfectly and nailed every recommendation. That kind of service turns a great meal into a memorable experience.

Backwoods Crossing is the kind of place that gets everything right — thoughtful food, fresh ingredients, real hospitality, and zero pretense. Whether you’re a local or just in town for a weekend, this is a place you don’t want to miss. Ask for Gabe. Order what he tells you to. You’ll...

Date Night at Backwoods Crossing was GREAT. It is now ranked as our #2 favorite restaurant in Tallahassee. We are kind of ashamed and disappointed to learn that although it has evolved over the years, this Farm-to-Table spot has been in Tallahassee since 2016 (in different versions of its current self). Here' why it's #2 for us:

The Service. Sohanie was fantastic. And true to her Sanskrit name, she was beautiful & pleasant and also timely, informed, attentive, and willing to engage. Great smile and good energy from her.

The Vibe. If you have visited Farm-to-Table spots, this has the same feeling. We read the origin story of Backwoods Crossing after we left and the only thing better than that story was the service and the food.

The Food. The basil button mushroom appetizer and the crab claw cakes appetizer were nicely portioned and flavorful starters. We had our eyes on just the crab cakes but Sohanie steered us toward theushrooms and we were pleased. The pesto sauce was a tasty and unique addition to grilled mushrooms. For our main courses, we ordered the Seafood Heaven and the Country Catfish. Both were served over yellow grits. The fry on that catfish was special: It was light, crispy, and spot on salty. The blackened shrimp was delicious and the cream cheese filling in the crab bites/balls was different and surprising good.

The Drinks. The special cocktail included Tito's, peach, and chimichirri. It was too sweet, light on the alcohol, and needed citrus plus a little salt. We asked for lime and it enhanced the flavor.

The Dessert. Bread Pudding (Yes!). Apple Crumble (No) because it was over spiced and we couldn't taste the apple.

The Story. Great story of two brothers coming together to cook great food and grow the produce for self...

Backwoods Crossing is one of the best restaurants in Tallahassee in terms of food. It’s fresh, the menu is seasonal but still keeps staple items, and flavor combinations are fantastic. We enjoy getting food here for this reason, and pretty often, too. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is for the service. I’ve dined in, carried out, and gotten delivery through a third party service. Regardless of how I’ve eaten there, there’s always been some sort of issue or inconvenience. While dining in, there have been different times where servers just haven’t been attentive to our table, visiting only a couple times with long waits in between, sometimes requiring other staff to bring things out to us or catching them walking by. I’ve had a dining experience where our server was kind of inattentive, and when our food was brought out by someone else, that person bad-mouthed our server. It was kind of awkward but we shrugged it off, until it happened again more loudly with another table next to us. I live somewhat close by, so I sometimes do pickup or delivery (especially with recent events). When picking up, there’s a text confirmation with the order and the pickup time. A couple times, food has either been ready too early or too late from the scheduled time and I don’t know, so it’s either cold or not done yet when I get there at the time I scheduled to arrive. We get a text alert confirmation that orders are received, it would help to get one when food is ready so we can adjust our arrival time if needed. More recently with a third party app, food was delivered about a half hour later than the scheduled time. The food is absolutely fantastic, and if it’s a good night with a good team, you may get a 5/5 experience. For me though, it’s been almost...