Dixie Crossroads — Restaurant in Titusville

Dixie Crossroads takes seafood (and steaks, rib, salad, and corn fritters—Oh, man, the corn fritters!!!) to the next level.

Maybe you call them “hush puppies.” At Dixie Crossroads, they’re known as “corn fritters,” and they’re the harbingers of good things to come. Steaming with warmth and sprinkled with powdered sugar, the little balls of sweetness practically melt in your mouth… and talk about addictive. No amount of self-control can keep me from popping a whole tray in my mouth before my meal arrives. It does put a damper on your appetite, though (these little guys fill your stomach fast!), so I recommend doing your level best to restrain yourself before your entrée arrives.

While Dixie offers a variety of meats—steak, chicken, ribs—their biggest draw is their rock shrimp, a type of shrimp once considered too difficult to cook for consumption. Ordering a small plate of rock shrimp is an absolute must, and it doubles as an ideal appetizer. They come flayed open, butterfly-style, and peel easily from their firm shells. Dip them in tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or butter—my ideal way to dine—for the ultimate in juicy succulence.

Don’t like shrimp? Get Dixie’s snow crab legs instead! You can crack ‘em yourself, and you’ll not find a meatier, tangier selection of crab meat this side of Titusville. Butter-dipping your legs is optional, but something about the smooth sweetness of the butter offers the perfect blend of flavor to your taste buds and helps the whole thing go down more smoothly.

And that’s just the beginning of what Dixie has to offer. You can make a perfectly fulfilling meal out of just about any type of fish, shrimp, or crab, but if you want diversity, there’s only one way to go: the entrees.

Most fish platters offer the option of broiled, fried, steamed, or grilled. When I’m trying something new, I always ask my server for recommendations, as some types of fish handle better or “fall apart” through certain preparations. My typical go-to is shrimp alfredo. Dixie’s alfredo holds its own—topped with quality cooked shrimp and complemented by a considerable slice of garlic bread (perfect for wiping your plate clean of that last bit of cheese sauce).

Flays of fish are another excellent choice, however, and Dixie offers quite a few options: mahi mahi, salmon, cod, tilapia, and mullet, to name some. These come in diet-considerate portions, along with a couple sides of choice (cole slaw, soup of the day, sweet potato, French fries, cheese grits, baked potato, vegetables, clam chowder, or house/Caesar salad). Regardless of what fish you choose, or how you choose to prepare it, Dixie’s fish is especially tender, whether as a lump portion or in a taco, bacon wrap, or alfredo dish.

Take some time to feed the fish and turtles, digest, and take an obligatory selfie with the giant shrimp mascot on the...

This was the place to celebrate years ago when we lived in Titusville however it seems places are never as good as you remember. This was a significant drive for us, about an hour each way, so of course it needed to be really good to make it worth the drive. Unfortunately I can't say it was. The atmosphere and decor was pretty much the same as it was 15-20 years ago and i think the plate the shrimp I was served on was the same from back then as well as the outer wood was really showing its age. We were greeted promptly upon entering the restaurant and as it was fairly early on a Friday afternoon, around 4:00 p.m., we were immediately shown to a seat and offered menus. Our server came by quickly with what I will say are absolutely delicious corn fritters doused in powdered sugar. Those were just as good as I remembered them. She took our drink order and when she brought them back asked if we were ready to order. We all needed a few more minutes to decide. Around 10 minutes later, she came back and took our food orders. We ordered two Cape Canaveral specials, a shrimp Po boy, a kid's fried clam strips, and a dozen Rock shrimp entree. I ordered the dozen rock shrimp on tray with clam chowder and cheesy grits. The clam chowder was really good.. I was surprised at how good it was. I wish I would have just made that my order for the day. The rock shrimp were very good but pretty tasteless. They were broiled and served with a lemon wedge and butter but really didn't seem to have a whole lot of flavor. The grits were horrible. I have never tasted grits that bad, they basically tasted like what I imagine wallpaper paste would taste like. I took one small bite and left them untouched after that. My husband ordered the shrimp Po boy which with him being from New Orleans is always a risk. He knows they'll never live up to what he is used to and it certainly didn't in this case. He had me try one of the fried shrimp on it and they were pretty good considering I don't really care for cornmeal batter but they had no seasoning. Once he added some hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper as well as the sauce that came with his french fries, it definitely helped it some. Our dinner companions both finished up the Cape Canaveral specials they ordered but considering that it's basically just shrimp I can see why they finished it all up! They were both very happy with their meals and said they were great. My granddaughter had the kids fried clams and although she's only two she did eat quite a few. The corn fritters were certainly her favorite! It was a nice dining experience overall although I definitely felt the food could have been better. If you're in the area and you wanted to try something different it's a good stop but I definitely would not go...

Dixie Crossroads, another place you will walk out stuffed. OMG. First they bring you these Corn Fritter covered in powered sugar that taste and smell like fried dough at the carnival. They were SO GOOD. They will keep bringing them as long as you ask them. They serve Pepsi which means I had Mountain Dew. Man, Mountain Dew and Corn Fritters, I was good for the night.

However, I had to eat something more then that so I ordered the 2 dozen Medium Shrimp, fried. As my two sides I had french fries and a cup of clam chowder. We ordered a dozen Rock Shrimp, broiled, for the table as well.

The Medium Fried Shrimp were more like most restaurants would call jumbo shrimp. They were big, moist, and very filling.

The fries were perfect, crispy outside, tender inside, golden brown, and still hot so I topped them off with salt and a touch of pepper.

The clam chowder was okay. Nothing to write home about but good chunks of clam and small chunks of potatoes which is the way I like it. It had flavor but nothing that makes you say, Wow.

The Rock Shrimp was broiled and when dipped in butter tasted like mini lobsters, so good.

For a party of four it averaged $30 tip included. We'll worth it because we brought home leftovers for lunch the next day and they gave us corn fritters to take home. 😋

Get there early. It was Thursday night and we arrived around 1730 (5:30 PM) and it was starting to get packed. We were lucky to find parking up front. They have a covered drop off point which would be nice on a rainy night. By the time we left at 1900 it was packed so I could only imagine what it would be like on a Friday or Saturday night.

2 NOTES: Thursday, 23 Dec their grill was not operational because of a remodel. So no steaks, burgers, fish, or anything on the grill. They did have their broiler, fryer, and steamers working perfectly though. But who goes to a seafood restaurant for steak anyway. Oh, my son does. 😄 Masks are apparently not required but there is a lot of space between tables that are across from each other and the booths had probably 5-1/2 foot dividers between them so you couldn't see the folks on the other side. Before COVID they may of had tables in the walkway but for the 6 foot safe zone they removed them. I had forgotten my mask in my other pants but never felt it was needed. The staff all wore masks 😷 👏

9 of 10 👍 Clam Chowder needs a little...