Murdock’s Southern Bistro

Cocoa, United States

3.6

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 321-633-0600
Website:
www.murdocksincocoavillage.com
Address:
600 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, FL, 32922
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
720 ftFlorida Ave/ Orange St
0.2 miSr 520 Brevard Ave (SW Corner)
0.2 miRosa L Jones Blvd/ Hughlett Ave (NE Corner)
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Today

Today –
Local time (Cocoa) 06:45 Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Murdock’s Southern Bistro is a casual, eclectic restaurant with a full bar and live music. We are located in Historic Cocoa Village just blocks away from the Indian River and just inland from the world famous Cocoa Beach. Our Menu is very Southern… make sure to try the Fried Green Tomato BLT, Black-​eyed Pea Stew or Shrimp & Grits! Also, the catfish is a must… best you will ever eat! We have an extensive selection of draft & bottled beer, better than average wine list and the some of the yummiest martinis around. We call ourselves the local «Cheers Bar»… where everyone knows your name… so come on in, introduce yourself and have yourself a toe-​tapping good time.

History

Established in 2001.

Murdock’s originally started out with 4 girlfriends living the dream… over the years, 3 of the 4 have moved on. The last one standing is Stevie Whittaker, former Science teacher in Brevard county. Stevie was born in Alabama and grew up in an old Southern kitchen full of relatives preparing good old homestyle soul food. Many of these dishes are on the menu today along with some of the best hamburgers south of the Mason Dixon Line as well as some newer trendy menu items with a Southern twist!

Meet the Business Owner

Stevie W.

Business Owner

Born in Alabama and raised in Florida, Stevie went to school at Florida State University and obtained a BS degree in Nutrition and a MS degree in Health. After owning and operating several health food cafes, she went back to her down home roots with Murdock’s Southern Bistro in 2001 and has never looked back. Stevie and her husband Randy live just a few blocks from the restaurant and you will catch her there most any day or night… so stop in and introduce yourself.

Nearby

Browse nearby places:
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Bank of America
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The Treasure Hunters Mall
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Doug’s Amoco & Towing

20 reviews of Murdock’s Southern Bistro

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Place rating: 4
Cocoa, FL
Loved the vibe here! Cool bits of local history inside the restaurant. The manager took time to tell us where some of the local relics came from! We both ordered from the flat bread menu. The club flat bread had an incredible aioli sauce drizzled on it. Enjoyed our meal. We will be back
Place rating: 4
Merritt Island, FL
Tonight I had the Thai Shrimp appetizer, good flavour although drowned in the sauce and shrimp were medium size at best. Bread with the shrimp was excellent. For the entrée, had the Black and Bleu salad, which was flat iron steak, cooked perfectly, greens, tomatoes, gorgonzola crumbles, and balsamic reduction. Very good! If shrimp was better, might have given 5 stars.
Place rating: 1
Rockledge, FL
Poor service, food quality and portioning! We had to wait 20 minutes for drinks. When they finally arrived my drink was severly watered down. The side of water tasted like chlorine. My friend’s Coke tasted like crap. Our third server finally made an effort to get me a better drink and replaced my friends Coke with a beer. Our food took forever to be delivered While my order was OK the portioning of my friend’s steak tacos had hardly any meat, unlike the picture of them on the restaurant’s website. The amount of meat on the tacos made it seem as though they were «socialist» tacos. When we brought this to the attention of our server she did not offer to correct the situation. She only stated something to the effect that the cooks were like school children. Not a place I would visit again.
Place rating: 4
Cape Canaveral, FL
We had dinner here outside with our Chihuahuas and heard the live music through the windows. Osso bucco was amazing with a crisp glaze and delicious potatoes. Shrimp and grits was full of chorizo sausage, sweet sauteed onions and peppers. Large portions served hot. 5 for this food and the garden salad. Caesar salad dressing was tasteless. Waiter was odd; rushed us, did not bring knife until asked; needs more training. He did come back a lot. Very good food for the price and large portions.
Place rating: 4
Port Saint Lucie, FL
The food was good the atmosphere was kind of bland. I guess that’s what you get for Wednesday night at eight. I had the catfish tacos not the best I ever had but good.
Place rating: 5
Melbourne, FL
Good food. Cool setup. Our server James was excellent. Live music on a Saturday was at the perfect volume where it was nice to Have but not overpowering your conversation. Steak and porkchop were excellent. Will come back for the burgers.
Place rating: 5
Algonquin, IL
This is a great place! Tasha was our server and she was awesome! We net the owner Randy and he was very nice! The service is unbelievable! We love this place.
Place rating: 4
Rocklin, CA
With a true authentic Southern feel to it, Murdock’s did not disappoint. Given that this was our first time in Florida, we were really seeking out a place with a good vibe (and food with a little «kick»). We ordered the catfish tacos, surf-​and-​turf, and the artichoke hearts. The food was really good. The tacos tasted fresh and had just enough flavor that it made for my first catfish experience a positive one. We had a very personable server who was very warm and sincere and even engaged with our children offering them to play one of the pianos. The only downside (and why I am giving this place 4 stars instead of 5) is that we were told they had run out of pork and filet mignon. I wasn’t intending to order the pork, however, it was on the menu and I’m a firm believer that a restaurant should not run out of food (poor planning?). Second, my wife was craving a filet and since they were out of filet, she went with the flat iron steak. Again, no complaints about the food — it was simply due to the fact she was unable to purchase something on the menu. I would definitely recommend this place to the casual diner. A+ on the food (both in flavor and variety).
Place rating: 3
San Jose, CA
The food was good. The patio was great. The bloody mary’s were the best part of the meal. The host accusingly yelled «the restroom is for customers only» when I asked where it was located. I came into the restaurant directly from their patio mid-​meal. WTF? Either give people the benefit of the doubt or monitor the patio if you don’t want people to illegally use the facilities.
Place rating: 5
Merritt Island, FL
Awesome southern food with a good vibe. The staff will know you by your drink order. Check out the live music on Thursdays.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Pretty dang good! Loved the live music as well. Has an old timer key west feel, with a southern coastal dash of comfort kitchen.
Place rating: 1
Rockledge, FL
Okay, here’s the deal. We Don’t come here often. Last time was with wife and adult daughter and we sat at bar and had a great time with good food and excellent service with a friendly attentive bartender. This time, however, was a totally different experience — in fact, quite disappointing and maddening. After a long cost-​to-​coast 6 hour plane flight I just wanted to chill, so Wife and I sat at bar again intending to enjoy some wine and dinner. Place was Not too busy, but was ignored for close to 10 minutes before offered any service. The bartender, Derrick, acted as if we were an annoyance rather than paying customers. Ordered house red, but not sure what we ended up with as he never bothered to offer or tell us what he had or poured. Never did serve us our water we requested and had to flag down another bartender who was a little more attentive, but only after I complained. Ordered a sushi appetizer (remember, place very empty) took about 30 mins to get it — I guess they had to go catch it first. Was terrible, full of fish fat, couldn’t eat it. Requested bill, which took another 10 minutes to get. Overall, $ 50 for a total crap experience — but at least the music was good. Should’ve drove right home from the airport rather than waste my time and money on a place that could’ve cared less whether we were there, or not. Again, very disappointed.
Place rating: 4
Jacksonville, FL
We are always looking for good music venues and this place fits the bill. Great sound and food — you don’t have to compromise! The night we went Brian Smalley was playing which is why we tried it. This was acoustic fingerstyle guitar, high energy, and spectacular, The entrees are $ 12 – 17 and were worth it. No pub grub. We tried the smoked mahi appetizer (maybe a little salty), thai shrimp wrap with a side of jalapeño cheese grits, and grilled flat iron steak with garlic spinach. The smoke fish plate was really fun since it came with 2 types of crackers, olives, pickled jalapenos, and celery. Service was good. Our only unhappiness was with the beer selection on tap.
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
Hamburguer was great. Big juicy and well seasoned. Option of Sweet potatoe fries even better! Prices are very decent. Has Outdoor seating and bar area. There was a guy playing the guitar the day we went for lunch (sunday), décor is low key, rustic and simple. Overall will come back for another burguer of the mood strikes.
Place rating: 1
Raynham, MA
Picked a bad night to go.
Short staffed. Bartender was kind.
Server basically told us food would take a while.
I worked in a restaurant while in college. So I can appreciate the struggle.
You are a restaurant, service is your business!
With service like that you should consider closing your doors. You piss off more customers than you please.
Unfortunately I won’t visit this restaurant again.
Waiter with the beard was honest but a douche master.
Good luck guys.
After leaving MurDICKS
My Brother suggested masons. Once I found out it was the same owners, I refused to give this business any money.
Place rating: 4
Longwood, FL
This place came highly recomnded and it did not disappoint. The food is excellent and the beer is great!
I usually get a burger, and the fried dill pickle chips. They have the best choice of beer in Cocoa Village and it is COLD!
The décor seems a little dirty, but somehow it adds to the charm of the place. The staff is friendly. Everytime I come to the village I stop here.
Place rating: 5
Merritt Island, FL
Great atmosphere, service and food. The catfish fingers were great. The bean soup as a little on the spicy side but good.
Place rating: 4
Orlando, FL
The beans are amazing not to spicy but not to sweet.
But the bread was burnt.
Overall, the food iis good. Would go back again.
Place rating: 3
Winter Park, FL
Here with some friends great location great ambience. The menu is good and something for everyone
We have the fried pickles love. Everybody loved them! My wife had the fried green tomato BLT and liked it. Good beer, good server. Very casual
I’m going back!
Place rating: 3
North East, MD
Ok, when someone says to the waitstaff no bread or croutons that means no wheat gluten.
I pooped my brains out and can only assume it was from a contamination of the croutons that were pulled out of the salad or the bread that was on the plate before it was pulled.