Old Florida Charm And Cold Beer

In an age when new development seems to supersede protecting lands and buildings which have meaning to our area, it is nice when preservation is visibly front and center.  Such is the case with the historic Bean Depot Café and Museum located in El Jobean.  This experience is all about the quaint, cute, fun gathering place to play cornhole, have some food and drinks and spend time under the strung lights listening to music.  Having driven by this place a thousand times without really seeing it, the bonus to all of this old-Florida charm is the history infused atmosphere is a really fun surprise.

The history of El Jobean goes a little something like this.  A guy named Joel Bean founded El Jobean, coined the “City of Destiny.”  He had big dreams of expanding El Jobean into a hexagonal paradise by the water.  He purchased the building where the Bean Depot currently resides and used it as a one-room jail, a post office, train depot and a general store over the years.  Eventually a colorful character named “Suicide Simon” acquired the building and started inviting circus performers and others to stop in while wintering in this area.  After the Simons passed away, their estate was acquired by investors and the café has been operating ever since for the past 25 years. 

If stopping into the Bean Depot be prepared for a couple of things; fun and tasty food.  Though we only sampled burgers and onion rings, we enjoyed everything so much.  Even better was sitting under old oak trees watching the kids having a blast playing on the wood planked swings that hung from them.  The inside walls of the café are lined with dollar bills, signed by adoring visitors who feel the need to add to the décor.  (We added ours, of course.) And at the back of the bar, live musicians are on hand to provide a nice back beat.  Next door is a small but inviting museum highlighting photos and wares from El Jobean showing the simpler yet challenging times when a host of interesting characters was settling in Florida.  It is a wonderful visit for locals and tourists alike who yearn to see what Florida was like before all of the developers claimed all the green spots as their own.  Stop in, have a cold one, grab a burger, listen to some tunes, and throw some bags.  The Bean Depot is a new favorite old place, and we think you’ll feel the same after just one visit. 

Photos courtesy of The Bean Depot Facebook page.