50 Best Seafood Restaurants near Palmetto

“My friend and I went on Saturday night. We both had a drink and ordered appetizer while looking at the menu. Our waiter was right there with our hot appetizer within minutes. We both ordered shrimp and scallops coleslaw hush puppies along with our fried calamari appetizer. Our food was one of the best we've had in and around Bradenton/Sarasota. The atmosphere was perfect and service was the best. I cant wait to go back.“

“Brunch! The best! Great service, food excellent. Definitely will be back and it’s local for us...“

“I had a wonderful experience at Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant and truly enjoyed my visit. From the moment I arrived, the combination of the beautiful waterfront setting, welcoming atmosphere, and attentive service made a great first impression. It’s a perfect place to relax, enjoy a meal, and take in the surroundings.

The location is one of the biggest highlights. Dining near the water creates a peaceful and enjoyable atmosphere that makes the experience feel special compared to a regular restaurant. The views, comfortable seating, and overall environment make it a great choice for a casual meal, a special occasion, or spending quality time with friends and family.

The food was excellent, with fresh ingredients, great presentation, and flavors that showed attention to detail. The menu had a nice variety of options, making it easy for different preferences to find something enjoyable. Every dish I tried was prepared with care, and the portions were satisfying. The drinks were also well made and complemented the meal perfectly.

The service was another strong point. The staff were friendly, professional, and attentive throughout my visit. They made sure everything was going smoothly while still allowing us to enjoy our time without feeling rushed. Their positive attitude added a lot to the overall experience.

The restaurant itself was clean, comfortable, and well maintained. The relaxing atmosphere, quality food, and excellent customer service made this a memorable visit. Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant is definitely a place I would recommend to anyone looking for great food, a beautiful setting, and a dining experience worth coming back for. I look forward to visiting again in the future.“

“I had the most wonderful solo dining experience! The hostess Helen, bartender/waiter Glen, and the manager Ryan (I apologize if I have that wrong, we only met briefly) were so considerate and went out of their way to take good care of me, even after the mayor of Bradenton and his crew showed up haha! The food was good, the sunset view was phenomenal, and the staff are genuinely so welcoming and kind even when they're super busy!“

“Enjoyed lunch yesterday with friends. Food was great. Our server was Bella who was amazing. Great personality and made us feel special.“

“Island living. Most welcoming people and great spot out of the fray. Cold beer and wine and excellent grouper bites.“

“Anna Maria Oyster Bar - Ellenton, FL After spending the day at the Florida State Fair in Tampa, my fiancé and I decided to stop by Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Ellenton—and we’re so glad we did! We ordered fried oysters, French fries, and cheese grits, and everything was absolutely delicious. The oysters were fried to perfection, crispy on the outside yet tender and flavorful inside. The cheese grits were just the way I like them—nice and thick—and the fries were a great complement to the meal. Even better, our food arrived quickly and fresh. Our waitress, Lilly, was fantastic, providing friendly and attentive service. We also appreciated how the rest of the staff greeted us warmly as we walked through the restaurant. It’s little details like that that make a place feel extra welcoming. The restaurant itself was clean and well-kept, including the bathrooms, which is always a big plus. Anna Maria Oyster Bar now has four locations, and after this experience, I’d definitely visit again. If you’re in the Ellenton area and craving fresh seafood with great service, this spot is a must-try!“

“Excellent!!!! Unexpected. Very happy to find this restaurant. Delicious food, served beautifully, seasoned to perfection, and our server, Linda, added to the great experience. Go!“

“oue favorite place, dinner, great people and bar“

“Pizza was fantastic! Serves was amazing and friendly! Highly recommend! We will be back!“

“Love the location and live music!“

“It was a stormy day that ended with a rainbow at Mar Vista. The food was perfect!!“

“Love these guys! Stopped in to get some Lobster Bisque Soup, Shrimp Egg Roll and Fried Pickles! All of it was delicious! I highly recommend!“

“We have been coming to the island for 5 years and have missed this little Gem, until tonight! Outstanding service, waitress was awesome , Manager’s tonight on point and the crab boils off the chart good! We will be back ! And often! Oklahoma ladies !“

“We are new to the area. We just moved from St Cloud Fl not Michigan(LOL). What made it special of going here to eat was Kelly. She showed us her courtesy and overall great hospitality. This made it to the top of our list of ones to come back too. Kelly was also very knowledgeable of the menu and the surrounding area. She answered all our questions. Thanks again Kelly.“

“can't have enough superlatives for this local fish themed restaurant. as well as fish and seafood, there are some carnivore options as well. portions and pricing attractively appointed too. give it a try. you won't b disappointed.“

“Kate was exceptional as we had 9 women who arrived thinking we had reservations! I had made reservations in key largo!!! Kate immediately attended to us and quickly cleared and sat a table for 9, even though they were really busy. Brian was our server and handled our service and he was excellent as well. Yummy food with a friendly atmosphere topped our evening! Thanks again Lazy Lobster in LONGBOAT key!!!!“

“Great customer service. Easy to use online order system. Easy to follow direction in preparation. Super nice that it is cook and throw away with the very little mess.“

“Happy we went. True Jumbo crabs!“

“Hubby had the cod, ff and coleslaw. The cod was perfectly breaded very lightly, the french fries yummy and we never got to the coleslaw (taking home leftovers). I had the shrimp scampi fettuccine, in butter sauce – Yum! The bread with the oil dip was wonderful. I highly recommend this place and wish they were much closer to where I live (SRQ airport-could replace Primos! I’m just suggesting).“

“Food was amazing and the service was top notch. Highly recommend if you visit the island“

“The food was great the place was beautiful bathroom clean the waitress was very nice everything was good“

“Great food and great service. Jimmy was amazing!“

“Food was excellent, as always. Our server, John, was the most friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating we have ever had! I must add we’ve been here countless times, but John set the bar sky high for future visits! You made our night, John. Thank you and I hope you’ll enjoy living in Florida as.much as we do.“

“We were able to get seats at the bar. We enjoyed ourselves. The bartender Jen was great. It was busy and she was on her toes as she was the only bartender but made sure everyone was taken care of. The expeditor was impressive. His name was Brody. It was great to see a young man being so attentive to what he was doing and making sure that the staff knew what was going on. Our food was delicious.“

“Great grouper tacos!! Friendly staff and fast service! Coleslaw is 10/10!! Will definitely be coming back!“

“I love Sam's!!!! I feel right at home!! I get hugs and 5 star treatment when I'm there. Great food and lots of laughs!!! I recommend this place for sure!!!! Thank y'all for what you do!!!!!“

“One of our favorite spots for food .. always go to St Armand’s and decided to check out the Longboat location, it did not disappoint! Views, service, easy docking 💗💗💗“

“What a great place. My wife and I were visiting from the UK and found this gem of a restaurant. Ate there a few times. The food is outstanding; fish is really fresh and cooked to perfection. Saw someone having a steak?? Why have beef in a seafood restaurant ? Favourite restaurant of our trip.“

“Juan was our waiter and he was great! The food was hot, served timely; he anticipated refills; we didn't have to track him down to ask for something. It was a totally wonderful dining experience and we will ask for him again!“

“This place was packed and it was our first time visiting, we were on vacation. We were told a 15 min wait for a table but it took about 30. Others were sat before us but, I think that was because employees were waiting on a table to better accommodate a wheelchair and walker. The server was very friendly and helpful with questions. It took so long to get our appetizers and the main orders that nothing came out hot. The food was warm enough to still eat but, just not as satisfying as it could have been if it were hot (hope that makes sense). Even still, the food was good. We had grouper bites, shrimp, and clams for appetizers. The bites & shrimp had a bam bam sauce that was bland but ok, they were fried so just coming out warm missed the mark. I had fried haddock with fries and rice pilaf - all was just kind of warm and bland. My dad had steamed veggies with his that weren’t fully steamed. For the price paid, the mark was definitely missed. Fried foods really need to be hot and crispy, ours was warm with the breading getting mushy and tasted like no one understood seasoning. Definitely a miss. Still recommend to try, ours could have just been a one off.“

“My favorite place to eat shrimp 🍤 crabs 🦀 stone crabs steamed clam an oysters 🦪 I go there at least twice a month or more“

“BAM is awesome! He is a great server“

“While we enjoyed the food and appreciated them accommodating our large group size, I wish their website was more upfront with not really being a kid friendly spot. No high chairs available. No kids menu available. The 9 year old and 12 year old in our group each ended up with $54 entrees. The pace of our meal was also painfully slow from apps to dessert. This would be fine for adults looking for a leisurely dinner but it just wasn’t necessary for our group and I would have appreciated our waitress reading the needs of our group better. 3 filets we ordered medium rare for our group all came well, which was disappointing.
We will be back but without kids.“

“Great food and great service. Our waiter Rogelio was excellent. Very nice ambiance, highly recommend Harry's.“

“The food and service did not disappoint. My wife had the mahi tuna salad. It was excellent and crunchy as described on the menu I had scallops. They were perfectly cooked and very tender. Service was very good. Everything arrived timely hot, and the waiter did not hover have eaten at hundreds of restaurants and this is one of the better onesnot exceptionally expensive and in a mall but quite good food and service and I highly recommend.“

“Great service from Holly last night! We were recommended to come into Sharky’s and we were very very satisfied. The prime rib was amazing and I loved their creamy seafood soup. Holly was so attentive, refreshing, and funny. We are definitely coming back! 5 Stars ⭐️ check it out folks.“

“I made reservations for my friend's birthday and 2 other guests were joining us. Unfortunately the reservation went to another Tiramisu in another city. Therefore, no reservations showed when our party arrived. The host was icey, lacked empathy or understanding. He was extremely demeaning and haughty. Finally sat us at a table next to the kitchen which was appreciated. Our waiter was stellar and made everything feel friendly again. The food was outstanding......every course. Im a local for 48 years but the host made me feel like an idiot. Never smiled (not to anyone else arriving later). Maybe not the best first impression to offer your patrons.“

“Went to dinner with family at the Carrabba’s on University. Teddy was our server and we was phenomenal. Service was prompt, he was attentive without hovering, and when we had a little mishap by way of a spilled glass of Sangria he took care of us immediately. Alex was our bartender and he’s got mad skills with a dirty martini. If you’re at this restaurant ask for these young men… You will not be disappointed!“

“We had the pompano fish, Atlantic salmon and seafood salad sandwich. ALL delicious! The woman who took our order was warm and friendly and was glad to answer any questions we had as this was our first visit. We are not from this area but plan to visit yearly and Star Fish will definitely be on our list of places to eat!“

“WOW! We went last night while in town for a soccer tournament in Tampa.. Drove out to Sarasota to visit family and my cousin suggested here... and WOW the food was AMAZING! The service was FANTASTIC. The atmosphere was even better. This place is a must while in town!“

“Stopped in for lunch with the family and was very impressed with the quality and taste“

“We stopped here for dinner, after a day on the beach. The food was delicious along with the Beachside cocktail. But…. the highlight of our dinner was Collin. His contagious smile and fun personality made us feel like we were having dinner with a long-time friend. He kept us laughing and took excellent care of us. The Beach House is very blessed to have Collin as a part of your team. He truly went above and beyond to make our entire experience excellent. We jokingly told Collin that we came to the island looking for a sugar daddy. After meeting him, we would consider becoming sugar mamas :)“

“This place is fabulous!! Been coming here for 4 years! We’re from the north and we don’t have markets like this. The staff is very nice and very knowledgeable. Always a pleasure to purchase anything from the folks here.“

“Food was delicious. I got the crab legs and they had so much meat in them. I wish I took photos, but unfortunately for you all my stomach ate first. Also, Arianna was a great server! She was very attentive and we were never empty handed! We will definitely be back!“

“6/30/26 THE BEST! The Flight of Majesty, generous pour wine event, WAS FANTASTIC! Curated wine tasting menu, (6) wines served, with a very tasty, well done, delicious options, wine dinner. Danielle Craig (managing partner), and Amador Monroy (certified trainer of service), sure know how to be successful. A must do again, before it ends Aug 30. Extremely pleased.“

“Absolutely our favorite restaurant! The owners, staff all make you feel at home. The service, food, wine, music and atmosphere is perfect. Scarpino’s is definitely are GO To Spot, whether by ourselves or hosting company. Be sure to check it out! Ciao, Ciao!“

“Nice to have a good restaurant in the area! Nikki was our server, she was so sweet and kind and ensured my allergies were noted! Manager brought out my food to ensure I knew it was made to order!

Atmosphere is pleasant, nice and clean! Food is pretty good as well, what I expected for the chain!“

“A nice place with nice servers. Food was reasonably priced and very good. My hubby is somewhat picky, so when he likes a place, that's unusual. He mentioned how the oil in which his food was fried had to be fresh. No old oil taste. Each day has a different special, so you may want to check before you go.“