Fine dining exists in a little place like Inverness, FL, but make your reservations and be sure to have a seat.  It's a culinary delight!

One of the many great things about the Villages of Citrus Hills is that we are completely surrounded by great small town communities that each offer their own unique experiences to explore. 

Places like Dunnellon, Yankeetown, Crystal River, and Homosassa each contain a different world of boutique shopping, local attractions, and of course, great restaurants! 

Not only is the town of Inverness located just a quick 15 minute drive east of the Villages of Citrus Hills, it also contains a great selection of wonderful restaurants. You could literally make an entire day trip focused exclusively on indulging in great food, which is exactly what were about to do! 

Come join us as we walk you through a culinary adventure spent over one day in Inverness. 

Breakfast: Dillon’s Cinnamon Sticks

We’re starting off our adventure through the eateries of Inverness with an empty stomach, but that won’t last for long because we are stopping at Dillon’s Cinnamon Sticks right on US 41 for Breakfast.

This now legendary breakfast joint was opened by the Dillon family back in 1997 and has been booming ever since. Ron and Sarah Dillon were already doing well with Dillon’s Inn Restaurant and Bakery over in Crystal River and wanted to expand into Inverness. Their son, Ron, eventually purchased this new venture from them after it got up and running. 

If you are really hungry for a great breakfast, you will find all of your favorite breakfast foods like omelets, French toast, pancakes, and more on their menu. Their skillet breakfasts are also a popular option that combines a number of different breakfast ingredients as toppings for their delicious hash browns. 

But since we’ve got a long day of indulging ourselves ahead of us, let’s keep it simple here and just grab a cinnamon roll or cinnamon stick along with some of their really good gourmet coffee. That’ll get this trip off on the right foot! 

Lunch: The Deco Cafe

A big part of the reason we are picking The Deco Cafe for lunch is its perfect location right in the heart of Inverness. As you make your way around town, you almost can’t help but to gravitate towards courthouse square and The Deco Cafe. But there is a lot more than just a great location to experience here. 

The Deco Cafe is a really popular local restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since we are going to make this our lunch spot (and still need to save some room for dinner), let’s focus on their soups and salads! Homemade soups are made fresh daily, and their wedge and Caprese salads are definitely standout items. 

Dinner: McLeod House

After focusing on lighter fare (hopefully you took our advice on that) for breakfast and lunch, you should have plenty of room left to indulge yourself for dinner! 

Located just a few blocks up the road from courthouse square, McLeod House is definitely one of the most interesting restaurants in Inverness. This old house has been converted into one of the nicest fine dining establishments in the area, and you can choose to sit inside or out on the deck underneath the 100 year old oak trees. 

Selecting an appetizer like Baked Stuffed Artichoke Hearts, Escargot, or Stuffed Clams will get your dinner started off on the right foot. Then follow that with one of their popular entrees like Boursin Raspberry Stuffed Chicken, Scallops Au Gratin, or a Stuffed Portabella. There will also be daily specials to choose from that are always fantastic. 

As we wind down our culinary adventure, make sure that you saved room for dessert. McLeod House serves a really great Key Lime Pie, and their Bistro Chocolate Torte is out of this world! 

Hopefully, you spent most of your time between meals walking off all the extra calories we consumed throughout the day. If not, you can always walk them off at the fitness center tomorrow.

The important thing is that your taste buds are satisfied and you didn’t have to travel far from home in the Villages of Citrus Hills to do it.