Rocco Smith
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Bradenton, or even if you happen to live there full-time, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with all of the various attractions like Bradenton Beach, the Robinson Nature Preserve, and the DeSoto National Memorial, not to mention all the shopping malls, but what about restaurants?
Finding great restaurants in any city is crucial if you’re going to enjoy your time there, so I always make that one of my top priorities, and this time I covered seafood.
There are very few things I love more than fresh fish and shellfish, so I went around town and found all the best seafood restaurants Bradenton has to offer.
Best Seafood Restaurants in Bradenton
- Anna Maria Oyster Bar – Cortez
- Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant
- Woody’s River Roo
- PIER 22
- Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille Bradenton
- Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina
- Seagrape Seafood
- Caddy’s Bradenton
- Cortez Clam Factory
- Bonefish Grill
- Mr. And Mrs. Crab
If you’re looking for the freshest possible fish, crab, lobster, oysters, or any other delicacy of the ocean, then you’re going to want to check out my findings down below in this handy guide to the top-rated Bradenton seafood restaurants.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar
Multiple Locations
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Ranking at number one on my list of seafood restaurants is none other than Anna Maria Oyster Bar.
If you’ve been to this place before, at any of their convenient locations, then this first-place listing should come as no surprise.
I love Anna Maria Oyster Bar, especially their Bradenton Beach location because it’s right on the water, but the Cortez Road location has seafood that’s just as fresh and delicious.
Since it’s an oyster bar, I always start with some oysters on the half shell with one of their specialty cocktails, but there are so many other incredible options on their menu.
Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant
995 Riverside Dr, Palmetto, FL 34221
Phone: 941-729-0616
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The next seafood restaurant I think everyone should try during their time in Bradenton is Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant.
You might recognize them from our list of amazing waterfront restaurants in Bradenton, but this time it’s all about the seafood.
I always come here for some fresh gulf oysters and a grouper sandwich, but sometimes I’ll branch out and try some other things like their shrimp po’boy or the Tampa Bay crab cake sandwich.
Check out Riverhouse off of Riverside Drive inside the Safe Harbor Regatta Pointe marina next to the Green Bridge Fishing Pier, overlooking the Manatee River.
Woody’s River Roo
5717 18th St E, Ellenton, FL 34222
Phone: 941-722-2391
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This next seafood spot is called Woody’s River Roo and if the deliciously fresh fish and shellfish don’t make you want to hang out here all day, then the laid-back atmosphere certainly will.
You can find Woody’s just south of the Ellenton Premium Outlets shopping mall and the Hampton Inn Ellenton/Bradenton hotel.
What I love about this place is the gorgeous view of the Manatee River that you get right from your table or from the open-air, outdoor bar.
When you come to Woody’s, definitely try their catfish nuggets or Woody’s Famous Fish n’ Chips.
PIER 22 Restaurant, Patio & Catering
1200 1st Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205
Phone: 941-748-8087
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PIER 22 Restaurant, Patio & Catering is another one of my favorite restaurants with waterfront views in Bradenton because they’re located right in the heart of Downtown Bradenton inside the Twin Dolphin Marina, right around the corner from The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. It’s a perfect place to eat by the water after a day of learning about science!
Upon arriving at PIER 22, you’ll notice that it’s a very similar setup as Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant. Not only that, but it is almost directly across the river from Riverhouse, but they’re two very different seafood restaurants.
Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille Bradenton
101 Riverfront Blvd Ste 120, Bradenton, FL 34205
Phone: 941-896-9660
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Not far to the east of PIER 22, near the Riverwalk and the Bradenton Skatepark, is another fantastic seafood restaurant called Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille.
I seriously love coming here whenever I can, especially if I happen to be staying at the Courtyard by Marriott Bradenton Sarasota/Riverfront hotel across the street.
I strongly suggest you try a refreshing tropical cocktail when you come to Mattison’s while you peruse the menu.
As for food, if you’re coming for lunch, I’d go with the teriyaki shrimp wrap, but for dinner I think I would recommend the grouper piccata.
Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina
12507 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34210
Phone: 941-567-6206
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Up next, we have Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina located in Cortez Park off of Cortez Road, just before the Cortez Bridge near Annie’s Bait & Tackle and Cortez Watersports.
Thanks to their convenient restaurant-side dock, this is my go-to place for seafood when I’m out on a boat and I don’t have any luck catching my own fish. All you have to do is dock, tie up, and walk up to the restaurant and enjoy your meal.
I usually choose the fresh mahi-mahi basket when I come here, but there are so many other fresh fish and shellfish options that it gets hard to choose.
Seagrape Seafood
421 10th Ave W, Palmetto, FL 34221
Phone: 941-981-3876
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Up next, I want to mention one of my favorite seafood restaurants near Bradenton, Seagrape Seafood.
This humble, unassuming restaurant may not seem like much from the outside, but within lies a world of fresh fish and shellfish that will blow you away like it did me.
You simply won’t find a more delicious grouper reuben than the Gulf Black Grouper Reuben Sandwich here at Seagrape, it’s pretty much become my usual order, but don’t let that distract you from the other delectable menu items that they offer here, like the ahi tuna BLT or the Maryland crab cake sandwich.
Caddy’s Bradenton
801 Riverside Dr E, Bradenton, FL 34208
Phone: 941-708-3777
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Caddy’s is the next seafood restaurant I want to focus on, and you’ll soon see why. This restaurant is located right off of Riverside Drive at the very end of Tarpon Pointe, next to the Tarpon Pointe Marina.
This bar and grill is so relaxing and laid-back that you’ll want to hang out all day or night. I enjoy visiting Caddy’s when I want to sit at their outdoor bar or on the massive outdoor patio overlooking the Manatee River.
My favorite things to order from Caddy’s are their tacos. They offer shrimp tacos, mahi-mahi tacos, and even pork belly tacos.
Cortez Clam Factory
10104 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34210
Phone: 941-798-9898
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Now, we have Cortez Clam Factory. This seafood restaurant is tucked away off of Cortez Road, yet they remain immensely popular among Bradenton seafood lovers like myself. Just look for the giant red letters and you’ll know you’ve made it to your new seafood haven.
The raw bar is how I usually start my experience here at Cortez Clam Factory. The raw bar menu features delicacies such as Joe Island top-neck clams, fresh oysters, or chilled peel n’ eat shrimp. After that, I usually grab some blackened fish tacos and wrap up the meal with a drink or two.
Bonefish Grill
7456 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34210
Phone: 941-795-8020
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Bonefish Grill is up next and this place may seem familiar because they actually have locations all around Florida, so if you see one in your city, don’t be afraid to stop on by for some absolutely delicious fresh fish and shellfish.
This particular Bonefish Grill is located over off of Cortez Road inside the Shoppes of Paradise Bay shopping center where the Winn-Dixie grocery store is.
You really can’t go wrong with any of their grilled fish here at Bonefish, but my favorite is easily the ahi tuna steak, but the Chilean sea bass is a close second.
Mr. And Mrs. Crab
497 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34207
Phone: 941-213-9999
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Last, but not least, I’ve got a seafood restaurant for all my fellow crab lovers out there. Mr. and Mrs. Crab is a wonderful place to eat in Bradenton when you are craving some steamed lobster, crab, and other shellfish served up in a classic low-country boil.
There’s no limit to what you can get in the way of seafood here, and it all comes seasoned to your liking at that.
I usually choose the make-your-own seafood combo and I go with either blue crabs and clams or crawfish and sausage. There are so many other options, though, so you’re guaranteed to get what you want.
Final Thoughts
Well, it’s no surprise that a flourishing coastal hotspot like Bradenton would be flush with fantastic seafood restaurants, but these places that I’ve mentioned above are really the cream of the crop.
Hopefully, this guide helps streamline your decision-making process the next time you’re trying to decide where to get seafood in Bradenton.
If you’re headed up towards Tampa from Bardenton, why not check out this list of amazing restaurants to try when you get there!
Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment and we’ll check it out!
