Most of this year's Merritt Island restaurant news has come from the Causeway. There was the Chick-fil-A renovation, a proposed 7 Brew in front of Merritt Square Mall and a new sushi restaurant with seating for more than 100. Several of the independent openings have shown up a block or two away, on Crockett Boulevard, N. Grove Street and Magnolia Avenue. On July 23, 2026, the Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency published a list of spots that had opened in the previous 365 days, and three of them sit on those three short streets.
Taken one at a time, each is just another new place to try. Together, they bookend a day. One serves Cuban coffee and breakfast, one pours espresso inside a plant shop and one serves wine and hosts live music in a garden. They're close enough to each other that you can park once and plan the day around them.
Three addresses, three short streets
Here is the group in one table. The hours come from third-party directory listings, not from the businesses themselves, so check before you head out. Where no verifiable schedule turned up, the table says so.
Spot | Address | What it's known for | Listed hours |
|---|---|---|---|
Cuba Bistro | 233 Crockett Blvd. | Cuban coffee, café con leche, cortaditos, coladas, pastries, breakfast | Not confirmed |
The Maple Pot | 407 Magnolia Ave. | Espresso, specialty lattes, Italian sodas, plant shop and gift boutique | Tue–Sat, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. |
Garden on Grove Wine & Beer Bar | 230 N. Grove St. | Wine, beer, a changing light-fare menu, garden seating | Wed–Sat, 4–9 p.m. |
The table shows when this group works. Going by the listings, The Maple Pot closes at 3 p.m., Garden on Grove opens at 4 p.m., and the days they're both open are Wednesday through Saturday. Both list Sunday and Monday as closed. If you're planning a full loop, plan it for midweek or a Saturday.
Two ways to start the morning
Cuba Bistro at 233 Crockett Blvd. is the classic Cuban option. The Redevelopment Agency's list highlights the coffee lineup: café con leche, cortaditos and coladas, along with pastries and breakfast. The bistro's online menu goes further. It includes Cuban breakfast sandwiches and a "Caribbean Cuban" sandwich made with shredded beef, fried cheese and pineapple. Visit Space Coast describes the bistro as family-owned and rooted in Cuban tradition. When we checked, its online ordering page said it wasn't taking orders "at the moment." That doesn't mean the counter is closed, but call ahead if you want to order for pickup.
The Maple Pot at 407 Magnolia Ave. is a quieter morning. It's a coffee bar inside a plant shop and gift boutique, serving specialty espresso, lattes and Italian sodas. Visit Space Coast describes it as woman-owned and lists plant education alongside the espresso, so you can leave with a latte and advice on a pothos. According to one customer review, the owners come from Vermont and the shop makes its own syrups with Vermont maple flavors. That comes from a reviewer, not the owners, but it does fit the name.
The two cafés don't compete much. Cuba Bistro is where you go for a strong colada and a breakfast sandwich. The Maple Pot is where you go for a slower latte and some browsing. Together they cover both kinds of morning within a few blocks.
Garden on Grove closes out the day
Garden on Grove Wine & Beer Bar at 230 N. Grove St. is the evening stop. It serves wine, beer and a changing menu of light fare in a garden setting. Space Coast Live calls it a new wine and beer bar that focuses on sourcing from local businesses. It was already hosting community events in November 2025. Space Coast Daily reported that author Tom Clarke would hold a book-release event there on November 14.
The next date on its calendar is Friday, October 16, when the band Bosco Cat is scheduled to play from 6 to 9 p.m. The Space Coast Live listing describes the show like this:
"Groovy tunes, fun chill vibe, family friendly"
Early evenings on a mid-October Friday are usually comfortable for sitting outside on the Space Coast, and a garden bar is built for that. The listed hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., so it closes early enough for a weeknight.
What's new on the Causeway and Courtenay
The bigger roads have had news too, and it's mostly a different kind of news. The independent openings there are newer restaurants, while the rest is chain activity.
- The Sushimo, 125 E. Merritt Island Causeway. Florida Today's July 30, 2026 dining roundup listed it as open, with sushi, sashimi, hibachi, teriyaki and tempura and seating for more than 100.
- Da Sushi, 1580 E. Merritt Island Causeway, listed by the Redevelopment Agency as Da Sushi Island. It serves sushi, ramen and hibachi and has a full bar. It's the family-owned company's second restaurant, after the one in Rockledge.
- Marina Wine Bar & Deli Café, 2137 N. Courtenay Pkwy. It serves homemade Italian food, wine and desserts. Chef-owner Gino Signore ran a restaurant in Cape Canaveral before opening here.
- Kavasutra Kava Bar Merritt Island, 975 N. Courtenay Pkwy. It's an alcohol-free kava and botanical tea lounge.
- Chick-fil-A, 785 E. Merritt Island Causeway. It closed for renovation at the beginning of July and reopened for dine-in on September 15, while the drive-thru was still waiting on final inspections.
- 7 Brew, proposed for 777 E. Merritt Island Causeway in front of Merritt Square Mall. As of Florida Today's September 10 report, the drive-thru coffee chain's application was still under review with no final approval and no opening date.
The Redevelopment Agency's planning focus has stayed on the two main roads. The agency divides this part of the island into the SR 520 Commercial Core Sub-Area along the Causeway and the SR 3 Sub-Area along Courtenay Parkway. Its SR 520 corridor beautification work, a $2.1 million effort, focused on median and perimeter landscaping and pedestrian safety along the Causeway. The agency's investment page lists a Courtenay Pkwy Infrastructure & Image Enhancement Project as coming, but gives no date. Neither project names Crockett, Grove or Magnolia. The side-street cluster grew on its own, without an official district name or streetscape program behind it.
A loop for Wednesday through Saturday
Here's how the listed hours fit together on any day from Wednesday to Saturday:
- Morning: a colada at Cuba Bistro on Crockett, or a latte and some plant browsing at The Maple Pot on Magnolia, which is listed as open until 3 p.m.
- Midday: if you want a sit-down lunch, the Causeway and Courtenay spots above are a short drive away.
- Late afternoon: Garden on Grove opens at 4 p.m. on N. Grove, with wine, beer and a light bite in the garden.
- October 16 only: stay at Garden on Grove for Bosco Cat from 6 to 9 p.m.
The three spots are close together, but no pedestrian study or sidewalk survey covers this area. Depending on the heat and the crossings, you may walk some legs and drive others. Since every hour in this post comes from a listing or a past report, check each business's current channels before you build a Saturday around it.
When you're out on Crockett and Grove, the Beach Life 321 Team would like to hear which of these three you'd send a neighbor to first. If you're also wondering how new shops and cafés like these are changing your corner of Merritt Island, ask us for a free home valuation and we'll show you what's moving near your street.
