The best restaurants in Lake Worth Beach for the Street Art Festival
Murals splashed across the alleyways, artists hunched over them in focus mode. Crowds build up and disperse. Sights, selfies, street food and sweet music. Welcome to Lake Worth Beach’s most artistic weekend of the year. The annual street art festival arrives Saturday morning and runs through Sunday evening, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and art lovers to downtown Lake and Luzerne avenues.
But the big question – besides “Where to park?” or “What is the best chalk art?” — is “What should I eat?” or “Where is the best restaurant to eat at?” I’m glad you asked. Here are five restaurants to check out during and after Street Painting.
Vincent’s Bistro
With extended weekend hours, this French bistro offers Street Painting festival-goers the fuel they need for a weekend of walking: freshly baked croissants, hot coffee with homemade cream, creamy quiches and omelets, sandwiches, salads and authentic charcuterie prepared in-house by French chef and bistro co-owner Vincent Durin.
“People always ask us what our favorite thing on the menu is. For Street Painting weekend, my favorite thing would be croque monsieur,” says co-owner Christine Durin, who is married to the chef.
Topped with golden melted cheese, this croque-mousse sandwich (hot ham, Swiss and béchamel sauce on brioche, $14.95) is served with mixed greens, tabbouleh cabbage and vinaigrette.
Don’t skip the quiches, Christine insists. She says Vincent’s savory, square-edged pies draw fans from all over.
“The crust is amazing. The filling is very creamy,” she says.
Heading into its third weekend of street painting, the bistro’s owners have extended their usual daylight-only hours for Saturday and Sunday. They will work both days from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m
Vincent’s Bistro: 516 Lucerne Ave. in Lake Worth Beach, 561-533-0840
First bakery
Named after the river that runs through its owner’s hometown in Bosnia, Una Bakery is a sweet, new addition to Lake Avenue. This all-day bakery is where Azra Nahic makes her breads and other baked goods by hand, using techniques she learned from her grandmother and mother in their town of Bosanska Dubica.
Prepare to be enchanted by Azra’s delicate cakes and pastries, her hearty breads and savory, flaky Bosnian-style burek pastries.
My colleague Eddie Ritz recently wrote about the store for months. You can read his story here.
Una Bakery: 513 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach, 727-330-0401
Sofra Mediterranean cuisine
In Turkish, sofra is the word for table. At the corner of Lake Ave and Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach, Sofra stacks its tables with authentic dishes from owner Taner Yontem’s native Turkey. A mixed appetizer platter is my favorite place to start.
When it comes to Mediterranean dishes, you’ll find plenty of options, from hot and cold small plates to brick-oven flatbreads to heartier meals.
If there’s rice pudding for dessert this weekend, don’t miss it. He is rich and decadent. I also love Turkish tea, which is served in the traditional tulip-shaped cups.
Sofra: 821 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach, 561-907-0247
Monka’s Beer and Burger Bar
This monthly family burger joint is located west of Dixie Highway, just outside the Street-Painting area in the former Bizaare Ave Café building.
Monka’s is where you’ll find no fewer than nine signature burger options, including a double burger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. His name is Sweet Baby Cheesus.
Expect a nice pub selection here too, from pretzels and beer cheese to buffalo shrimp. Sandwiches — including fried chicken on a biscuit and shrimp — and salads round out the menu.
Monka’s: 921 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach, 561-720-2930
Benny is at the beach (twice)
It’s for partygoers looking for an oceanfront experience in Lake Worth Beach. Not only is Benny’s on the Beach a dining destination for those looking for great food and a beachy atmosphere, the pier-perched restaurant is now an expanded concept. Most recently, Benny’s took over the oceanfront space where its former sister restaurant Viva La Playa operated and created Benny’s on the Beach Oceanwalk in the iconic Lake Worth Casino building.
I wrote about Benny’s expansion in January – here’s the story.
More space means less waiting time for Benny fans. What is there to eat? A better question might be: What’s not on the menu? Expect extensive and delicious options for breakfast, lunch and dinner from talented chef/co-owner Jeremy Hanlon and his team.
Benny’s on the Beach: 10 S. Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth Beach, 561-582-9001,BennysontheBeach.com
Also: Cana Bar and Grill is new on Lake Ave, although it opens later in the day. Check out my colleague Eddie’s account of the place.
The best foods near PGA Boulevard for the Honda Classic
Looking for the best restaurants on PGA Boulevard? If you’re headed to the Honda Classic this weekend, you’ve probably worked up an appetite for the green. For that, I have a nifty guide to the best restaurants in the area. I listed the restaurants from west to east and included everything from casual to chain, upscale to reasonable. Here is the guide!
Craving an overstuffed Buccan sandwich but in West Palm Beach? You’ll be happy to know that Buccan’s chef/co-owner Clay Conley and his partners have brought his signature sandwiches to West Palm. They will be served through a new takeout window at their Grato restaurant on South Dixie Highway. Delivery works. The window is expected to open closer to mid-March. You can read all about it here.
Craving a good mofongo instead? Here is my favorite restaurant for delicious Puerto Rican mofongo and other Caribbean delicacies!
Fancy live jazz with your Sunday brunch? You can find that and a week of barbecue and live music at the new Double Roads Tavern in Jupiter. You can read all about it here.
Heading to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival this weekend? So are some of the best chefs in Palm Beach County. See who they are and what they’re doing at the fest!
Have a delicious weekend!
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Liz Balmaceda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. It reflects the local food and dining rhythm. Follow her on Instagram and post on Facebook about food. She can be reached by email at [email protected]