Guides · Port St. Joe, Florida
Port St. Joe Group Weekend: 3-Day Itinerary & Guide
St. Joseph was erased by yellow fever in 1841 and a hurricane in 1844. The port that carries its name—with the prefix added—still stands where the state's first constitution was written. A group can spend three days here without once repeating a meal.
Port St. Joe's History: From Ghost Town to Rebuilt Community
Florida's statehood began here. Territorial delegates met at St. Joseph from 3 December 1838 to 11 January 1839 to write the first constitution. The town's motto is still Birthplace of the Florida Constitution. The original settlement was mostly abandoned in 1841 after a yellow fever epidemic. A hurricane storm surge in 1844 destroyed what structures remained. The modern town carries the saint's name of the settlement that died here—St. Joseph, with Port added. Everything has been rebuilt at least once.
The population today is 3,499 people, with a median age of 52.9 years. Of 2,037 total housing units, 473 sit vacant, and 270 are held for seasonal or recreational use. Median home value runs 280,600 dollars, median gross rent 1,342 dollars, and the unemployment rate is 6 percent. Thirty-three percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These numbers describe a place that is small, older, and not entirely full.
Friday in Port St. Joe: Reid Avenue Dining and Stroll
Reid Avenue is the spine of the modern town. Begin at Joe Mama's Wood Fired Kitchen, 406 Reid Ave, rated 4.6 from 2,058 reviews—the most-reviewed restaurant in town. From there, the street offers four more options within a few blocks. Pepper's Mexican Grill & Cantina, at 309 Reid Ave, rates 4.4 from 1,996 reviews. The BrickWall Sports Bar & Grille, 414 Reid Ave, rates 4.3 from 1,235 reviews. Provisions Restaurant & Catering, 222 Reid Ave, rates 4.6 from 1,025 reviews. Sisters' Bistro, 236 Reid Ave, rates 4.5 from 756 reviews.
If the group prefers a view, The View at St Joe Bay, 51 Goodmorning St Ste R-103, rates 4.2 from 716 reviews. Or head to Sand Dollar Cafe, 301 Monument Ave, rated 4.7 from 978 reviews, and Quatro Locos Tacos and Cantina, same address, rated 4.7 from 729 reviews. The White Marlin and Oysterette, 602 Monument Ave, rates 4.6 from 1,281 reviews. Monument Avenue also holds Burger King, rated 2.6 from 529 reviews, and Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs, rated 4.1 from 457 reviews—useful if the group splits by taste.
Saturday: Museum, Lighthouse, and Cape San Blas
Spend the morning at Constitution Convention Museum State Park, 14 acres outside town, with a reproduction convention hall and audio-animated recreations of the 1838 delegates. This is not a quick stop. The delegates met from 3 December 1838 to 11 January 1839, and the museum treats that work with the gravity it deserves.
In the afternoon, drive west to Cape San Blas Lighthouse, 200 Miss Zola's Dr, rated 4.7 from 479 reviews. The cape is west of town in Gulf County. On the way, LongBill’s on Cape San Blas, 7650 Cape San Blas Rd, rates 4.3 from 573 reviews. Cone Heads 8020, 8020 Cape San Blas Rd, rates 4.0 from 694 reviews. Cat 5 Raw Bar & Grill, 1937 County Rd 30A, rates 4.0 from 608 reviews—that one sits at the mainland end, closer to town.
Sunday: Brunch Spots and Departure Tips
For a late breakfast before departure, Sand Dollar Cafe and Quatro Locos Tacos and Cantina share 301 Monument Ave, giving the group two adjacent choices. Or return to Reid Avenue for Joe Mama's one more time.
The town does not offer much beyond its own history and its water. That is the point. The nearest comparable towns require real travel: Apalachicola is 23 miles away with its Florida Seafood Festival; St. George Island is 31 miles with its chili cook-off; Perry is 121 miles, Steinhatchee 134, Cedar Key 163, Dade City 238. For a weekend, Port St. Joe is enough.
What Not to Expect in Port St. Joe
McDonald's, rated 3.2 from 1,514 reviews at 115 W Hwy 98, exists here, as does Burger King. The town is not a resort. It is a working port with a civic memory. The first town died within three years of writing the constitution that made Florida a state. The current town is the second attempt, and it carries the name of the first. That is the story. A group weekend here works best when the group understands that the ground under the picnic table is where a city once stood, and then did not.
Common questions
- What happened to the original town of St. Joseph?
- The first St. Joseph was abandoned in 1841 after a yellow fever epidemic, and a hurricane storm surge in 1844 destroyed what remained. The modern town, Port St. Joe, carries the saint's name of the settlement that died here.
- Why is Port St. Joe called the birthplace of the Florida Constitution?
- Territorial delegates met at St. Joseph from December 3, 1838, to January 11, 1839, to write Florida's first constitution. That's why the town's motto is still Birthplace of the Florida Constitution.
- Where can I learn about the 1838 constitution convention?
- Visit Constitution Convention Museum State Park, a 14-acre site outside town. It has a reproduction convention hall and audio-animated recreations of the 1838 delegates.
- What are good restaurants in Port St. Joe?
- Top-rated options include Sand Dollar Cafe and Quatro Locos Tacos and Cantina, both rated 4.7, and Joe Mama's Wood Fired Kitchen and The White Marlin and Oysterette, both rated 4.6. All are in town.
- Is there a lighthouse near Port St. Joe?
- Yes, Cape San Blas Lighthouse is west of town in Gulf County, rated 4.7 from 479 reviews. It's a popular attraction.
- What annual event should we plan around?
- The Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival happens Labor Day weekend at Gulf County Veterans Memorial Park on Beacon Hill, closing out scallop season. It's run by the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce.
Every business named above is one we hold a listing for, and every date traces to a source on our sources page. We do not describe menus, interiors or service we have not verified. Details change — confirm before you travel.