Norwoods Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Story Rooted in New Smyrna Beach

What is now one of New Smyrna Beach's most beloved dining destinations began its life in 1929 as a Pan Am gas station and general store. The building cycled through a mosquito control center and a piggy bank factory before Earl Norwood purchased it in 1946 and opened Norwood's Seafood Restaurant — a name that would become woven into the fabric of this Florida coastal town.

The restaurant passed through several owners over the decades, each sustaining its reputation for fresh seafood and fine dining. Don Simmons first encountered Norwoods while working in the kitchen as a college student, left to complete his degree at Florida State University, and was brought back by then-owner Marvin Age to join management. Don and his wife Pamela eventually became the current owners, and today their daughter Rebecca Zerrusen serves as General Manager and second-generation partner, while Head Chef and Managing Partner Dennis Dolbow oversees day-to-day kitchen operations — including his Saturday tradition of making homemade bacon in the Norwoods smokehouse.

Three Venues, One Kitchen Philosophy

Norwoods operates across three distinct spaces. The 1946 Restaurant anchors the experience with fine American seafood dining, homemade sauces and salad dressings, locally sourced fish fillets, and hand-cut aged steaks. When possible, the kitchen draws from local producers — honey and eggs from Sun Splash of New Smyrna Beach, chicken from Noble Roots Farm in Eustis, lavash and focaccia from Armand the Swiss Baker, and fresh arugula and scallions grown in the restaurant's own on-site garden.

Perched in the branches of a historic oak tree out front, the Treehouse Bar opened in 2015 — originally conceived as a simple viewing platform where Don and Pamela enjoyed a glass of wine. It evolved into a multi-level, 21+ bar setting with daily live music, craft cocktails, and the same menu served in the main dining room. The Roots Bar, added beneath the Treehouse in 2019, rounds out the property as a third setting for meals and drinks.

In-house Sommelier Alex is on hand to guide guests through an extended wine list that earned Norwoods a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023 — recognition that reflects the seriousness with which the team approaches its cellar. The restaurant also hosts an annual Holiday Wine Festival and runs a draft wine system that the team estimates eliminates over 16,000 wine bottles annually as part of a broader commitment to environmental responsibility.

From Scratch, From the Ground Up

The commitment to scratch cooking extends beyond the plate. Norwoods diverts over 1,000 pounds of food waste monthly into composted soil for its raised garden, produces its own hot sauce from pineapple pulp, brines pork with spent sweet tea, and has eliminated all single-use plastics. The restaurant has contributed over $740,000 to Southeast Volusia Habitat for Humanity, completing 12 houses over the years.

For a restaurant that started as a gas station, Norwoods has built something quietly remarkable — a multi-generational American seafood institution that pairs genuine hospitality with a wine program worthy of national recognition.