First, the positive. Our server was excellent. She was very friendly, attentive, and really on her game. I believe her name was Tracy. The food was meh. I had the blackened grouper. The rice was over seasoned and not very pleasant. My wife had the grilled chicken bowl. She felt the same way about the rice, and the chicken was dry. We also had the jalapeño watermelon Margherita. They were flavorful but a weak pour. Other than the great service, I won't rush back for the food or beverage.
Paul
Stopped at Mr. Manatees on both the southbound (March) and northbound (April) legs of our boat trip down to Key West. We sat & ate at the bar both times (our usual place) and our bartender Barb couldn't have been more caring and enjoyable.Southbound we enjoyed wings and both the lobster bisque and Caribbean conch chowder. On the northern leg a bacon cheese burger and a grilled grouper sandwich (saw the onion crusted cod - that looked really good too) were the fare of the day.Good sports coverage on the TVs at the bar (OK, less golf would have been better, but they hockey and basketball on, so that's a plus).We'll have to try it again next time we roll through to see if the new owners keep up the good tastes and fun.
Martee Halloran
Really enjoyed the laid back, casual atmosphere with the water and manatee themes. Pretty good amount of seating inside and outside. Fish and Chips were super great. Sweet potato fries the best. Blackened salmon really good. Their coleslaw is great. Local beer on tap is always good news. Very accommodating staff.
Joseph Roman
Big fish sandwich and good price on raw oysters for Tuesday
John R
Usually I enjoy manatees for their drink and food specials. Today I tried the burger Monday for the first time and received table service. I will likely not return after this time.I ordered the mussels to start which had an odd taste and was not very appetizing.For dinner I ordered a burger with avocado and bacon which was off the menu, I don’t remember the name.My waitress failed to explain the burger special and I ended up paying extra for everything. Not only that she didn’t bother to ask the temp, luckily she came back and I told her I wanted it medium rare…It came out well done. At first the burger looked like there was some red but as I bit into it, I realized it was way too cooked.she didn’t return to the table for over 10 minutes and was not visible on the floor. During this time our drinks needed refills as well.I eventually got the burger remade after everyone else was done eating, and can’t say I was too impressed with the burger. They cooked it right, but the patty was not seasoned or at least seasoned enough. Not a lot of flavor.The fries were tasty.
Alexis Smith
To be honest, one of the worst experiences I’ve had in a restaurant. We had three different servers. One of them guessed he was taking our order. One guy only came by to take our drink orders. And then we were left with another lady. We waited about 30 minutes before the first server even came to the table and we waited another 45 minutes just for the food. The food was horrible. The burger wasn’t seasoned and it tasted like dirt. We asked for it to be medium rare and it was definitely more on the well done side. The shrimp was gritty, the fried conch was 90% batter, and the clam strips were OVERCOOKED. Extremely rubbery. We had to chase a different server down because our server was no where to be seen. The entire staff was sitting around doing absolutely nothing. I’m completely baffled. I would not come back again.
Steve S
One of us wanted fish n chips. The waiter told him they might be out of it, so he went to the kitchen to check. Said they had 2 more orders. A few minutes later, he came back and said they were out of it. Why didn't he save one order when he checked? Another of us ordered coconut shrimp. A couple of others ordered burgers, and one ordered a chicken wrap, which was the only good item our table got. After waiting 30 minutes, the waiter came out and said they were out of the coconut shrimp. It was past time when the meal should have been served. The two whose orders were out switched to burgers. After another 15 minutes, it finally came out. All four burgers were ordered medium but were well done. Such a disappointment. I will never go back.Edit: In reply to the response from the restaurant, there was no appeasement offered, nor am I looking for one. You said sorry I am still unhappy. This makes it sound like you tried to rectify the situation and I was still unhappy, but there was nothing done by you.There was no apology for waiting a half hour to tell us another item ordered was no longer available nor for how long it took to deliver the very basic order. Once the food was finally delivered, no one even checked to see how everything thing was. Those burgers were horribly over cooked.
Greg and nancy
We stopped in for oyster night they were very busy . Sat at a table behind the bar. Kitchen was very slow we waited for over a hour for just an appetizer but our server mendy was amazing and very attentive. She was running food seating people and taking care of everyone’s needs the best she could! We will give them another try and we will ask for mendy. She is a local and gave us plenty of ideas of local things to do. We figure if they are busy that’s a good sign!!
Chris Gibbon
It's been a while since I've stopped in and some things are just as I remember and others have improved. One of the oldest local eateries in Vero Beach and on one of the most forgotten roads in town. Royal Palm Pointe has gone through a major upgrade over the years and it's great to see Manatees has stuck through the times.Nice menu with reasonable prices featuring local fish, salads and sandwiches. Friendly staff is helpful and a nice casual atmosphere just like the name says.
J. D.
We had the Tuesday night 89 cent oysters and they were wonderful. I also ordered the corn fritters but would not order them again they were just okay. You can get much better ones at Riverside Cafe & Luna Cafe a hole-in-the-wall south of
Great food options with plenty of indoor & outdoor seating. Pup friendly patio.
KrisJenny Fleischer
They could not sit our party of 10 together. So we split up. Took over 1 hr to get our food. It was not all brought out together for our party of 6 seated together. Some were done eating before the last meal came out. Food was cold except for last meal brought out. Gratuity was added even though our party was split. Waitress didnt tell us gratuity was included.Disappointing experience.
Ben Padrick
Used to be a great restaurant, grouper and crab cakes were just unbearable and disgusting. The waitresses are very nice and give good service but the seafood was absolutely horrible and super overpriced for the tastes. Grouper basket tasted like unseasonably farmed tilapia.
B4204AFmarkt
NEVER AGAIN.... waited over an hour for 4 burgers on......wait for it ..... burger night. like l said NEVER AGAIN
Voyage51524248140
I first came to Mr. Manatee’s 32 years ago on a business trip to Vero Beach. I’ve been coming back to Vero Beach yearly for pleasure and I always have at least one dinner at Mr. Manatee’s. I love their snow crab legs and you order them A La carte. I always get them with French fries. My wife has to be gluten free and she had their salad with I think Mahi-mahi on it. The crab was meaty and tasty and the salad and Mahi-mahi were fresh and tasty as well. It’s along a canal and a short drive from the beach. It’s a fun place to eat and very casual. A must visit when I’m in Vero Beach!
First, the positive. Our server was excellent. She was very friendly, attentive, and really on her game. I believe her name was Tracy. The food was meh. I had the blackened grouper. The rice was over seasoned and not very pleasant. My wife had the grilled chicken bowl. She felt the same way about the rice, and the chicken was dry. We also had the jalapeño watermelon Margherita. They were flavorful but a weak pour. Other than the great service, I won't rush back for the food or beverage.
Stopped at Mr. Manatees on both the southbound (March) and northbound (April) legs of our boat trip down to Key West. We sat & ate at the bar both times (our usual place) and our bartender Barb couldn't have been more caring and enjoyable.Southbound we enjoyed wings and both the lobster bisque and Caribbean conch chowder. On the northern leg a bacon cheese burger and a grilled grouper sandwich (saw the onion crusted cod - that looked really good too) were the fare of the day.Good sports coverage on the TVs at the bar (OK, less golf would have been better, but they hockey and basketball on, so that's a plus).We'll have to try it again next time we roll through to see if the new owners keep up the good tastes and fun.
Really enjoyed the laid back, casual atmosphere with the water and manatee themes. Pretty good amount of seating inside and outside. Fish and Chips were super great. Sweet potato fries the best. Blackened salmon really good. Their coleslaw is great. Local beer on tap is always good news. Very accommodating staff.
Big fish sandwich and good price on raw oysters for Tuesday
Usually I enjoy manatees for their drink and food specials. Today I tried the burger Monday for the first time and received table service. I will likely not return after this time.I ordered the mussels to start which had an odd taste and was not very appetizing.For dinner I ordered a burger with avocado and bacon which was off the menu, I don’t remember the name.My waitress failed to explain the burger special and I ended up paying extra for everything. Not only that she didn’t bother to ask the temp, luckily she came back and I told her I wanted it medium rare…It came out well done. At first the burger looked like there was some red but as I bit into it, I realized it was way too cooked.she didn’t return to the table for over 10 minutes and was not visible on the floor. During this time our drinks needed refills as well.I eventually got the burger remade after everyone else was done eating, and can’t say I was too impressed with the burger. They cooked it right, but the patty was not seasoned or at least seasoned enough. Not a lot of flavor.The fries were tasty.
To be honest, one of the worst experiences I’ve had in a restaurant. We had three different servers. One of them guessed he was taking our order. One guy only came by to take our drink orders. And then we were left with another lady. We waited about 30 minutes before the first server even came to the table and we waited another 45 minutes just for the food. The food was horrible. The burger wasn’t seasoned and it tasted like dirt. We asked for it to be medium rare and it was definitely more on the well done side. The shrimp was gritty, the fried conch was 90% batter, and the clam strips were OVERCOOKED. Extremely rubbery. We had to chase a different server down because our server was no where to be seen. The entire staff was sitting around doing absolutely nothing. I’m completely baffled. I would not come back again.
One of us wanted fish n chips. The waiter told him they might be out of it, so he went to the kitchen to check. Said they had 2 more orders. A few minutes later, he came back and said they were out of it. Why didn't he save one order when he checked? Another of us ordered coconut shrimp. A couple of others ordered burgers, and one ordered a chicken wrap, which was the only good item our table got. After waiting 30 minutes, the waiter came out and said they were out of the coconut shrimp. It was past time when the meal should have been served. The two whose orders were out switched to burgers. After another 15 minutes, it finally came out. All four burgers were ordered medium but were well done. Such a disappointment. I will never go back.Edit: In reply to the response from the restaurant, there was no appeasement offered, nor am I looking for one. You said sorry I am still unhappy. This makes it sound like you tried to rectify the situation and I was still unhappy, but there was nothing done by you.There was no apology for waiting a half hour to tell us another item ordered was no longer available nor for how long it took to deliver the very basic order. Once the food was finally delivered, no one even checked to see how everything thing was. Those burgers were horribly over cooked.
We stopped in for oyster night they were very busy . Sat at a table behind the bar. Kitchen was very slow we waited for over a hour for just an appetizer but our server mendy was amazing and very attentive. She was running food seating people and taking care of everyone’s needs the best she could! We will give them another try and we will ask for mendy. She is a local and gave us plenty of ideas of local things to do. We figure if they are busy that’s a good sign!!
It's been a while since I've stopped in and some things are just as I remember and others have improved. One of the oldest local eateries in Vero Beach and on one of the most forgotten roads in town. Royal Palm Pointe has gone through a major upgrade over the years and it's great to see Manatees has stuck through the times.Nice menu with reasonable prices featuring local fish, salads and sandwiches. Friendly staff is helpful and a nice casual atmosphere just like the name says.
We had the Tuesday night 89 cent oysters and they were wonderful. I also ordered the corn fritters but would not order them again they were just okay. You can get much better ones at Riverside Cafe & Luna Cafe a hole-in-the-wall south of
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food options with plenty of indoor & outdoor seating. Pup friendly patio.
They could not sit our party of 10 together. So we split up. Took over 1 hr to get our food. It was not all brought out together for our party of 6 seated together. Some were done eating before the last meal came out. Food was cold except for last meal brought out. Gratuity was added even though our party was split. Waitress didnt tell us gratuity was included.Disappointing experience.
Used to be a great restaurant, grouper and crab cakes were just unbearable and disgusting. The waitresses are very nice and give good service but the seafood was absolutely horrible and super overpriced for the tastes. Grouper basket tasted like unseasonably farmed tilapia.
NEVER AGAIN.... waited over an hour for 4 burgers on......wait for it ..... burger night. like l said NEVER AGAIN
I first came to Mr. Manatee’s 32 years ago on a business trip to Vero Beach. I’ve been coming back to Vero Beach yearly for pleasure and I always have at least one dinner at Mr. Manatee’s. I love their snow crab legs and you order them A La carte. I always get them with French fries. My wife has to be gluten free and she had their salad with I think Mahi-mahi on it. The crab was meaty and tasty and the salad and Mahi-mahi were fresh and tasty as well. It’s along a canal and a short drive from the beach. It’s a fun place to eat and very casual. A must visit when I’m in Vero Beach!