What to Do in Vero Beach When It Rains

The Long Lunch

Start near the water, because that’s where the storm feels closest. Mulligan's Beach House sits at 1025 Beachland Blvd, a block from the sand, and its 4.0 rating from over 6,300 reviews suggests it has weathered more than a few squalls. The crowd will be damp and cheerful. The windows will be useless. Order another round.

If you want something with a little more weight, head inland. Waldo's Restaurant on Ocean Drive is the kind of place that feels like a reward for being patient. It’s rated 4.3 from nearly 3,000 reviews, and on a rainy afternoon it fills with people who have given up on the forecast. The noise is good noise. The coffee keeps coming.

The Chain Refuge

Let’s be honest about what a rain day is for. It is for comfort. It is for the anonymous glow of a strip-mall sign. On 20th Street and Elon Lane, the big names line up like a second skyline. Chick-fil-A at 6020 Elon Ln holds a 4.6 from over 3,200 reviews — the highest rating on this list — and it will be busy, because everyone knows the drill. Outback Steakhouse and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store sit nearby, both at 4.3, both reliable, both with parking lots full of people who are in no hurry.

IHOP on 20th Street is the move if the rain started before noon and shows no sign of quitting. Pancakes at 2 p.m. are a rain-day tradition. So is Steak 'n Shake on 94th Court, though its 3.6 rating suggests you should have low expectations and high hunger. Olive Garden and Chili's are here too, because Vero Beach is a real town with real chains, and rain does not discriminate.

The Downtown Pivot

If the storm passes and you want something closer to the historic core, cross over to 21st Street. TooJay’s Deli • Bakery • Restaurant at 555 21st St is rated 4.4 from nearly 3,000 reviews. It’s the kind of place where the matzo ball soup is the answer to a bad sky. A few blocks away, Sonny's BBQ on 20th Street serves pulled pork that has seen worse days than this.

Spiro’s Taverna of Vero Beach on US-1 is the outlier — rated 4.7, the best on this list, from over 2,400 reviews. Greek food in the rain is a particular pleasure. The plates are heavy. The time passes.

The River Side

Riverside Cafe at 3341 Bridge Plaza Dr is the one to save for the evening. It sits by the bridge, rated 4.3 from over 3,000 reviews, and its windows give you something to watch when the clouds break and the water turns silver. C.J. Cannon's on Cherokee Dr is the other local favorite, 4.6 from over 2,200 reviews, a short drive from downtown and a long way from the beach crowds.

The Historical Angle

You can’t write about Vero Beach without noting what the rain is falling on. This town was chartered in 1919 with 71 residents. The Dodgers trained here from 1948 until 2008, and Jackie Robinson walked these same streets when Florida was still segregated. The complex that carries his name — now the Jackie Robinson Training Complex — sits just west of downtown, and if the rain lets up, you can drive by it. You can’t go inside on a whim, but you can sit in the parking lot and think about what it meant.

The census says this is a town of 16,785 people with a median age of 52.6. More than 2,800 housing units are vacant. The median home value is $392,500. It is not a young town, and it is not a cheap town. It is a town that knows how to wait out weather.

The Final Call

If the rain is still hammering at 8 p.m., go back to Mulligan's or find a booth at Waldo's. Order something you’ve had before. Watch the parking lot slowly empty. The storm will pass. It always does. And when it does, the beach will still be there, wet and shining, waiting for you to remember why you came.