12 Waterfront Restaurants- St Pete and Nearby To Try (2023)!

1. Doc Fords- St. Petersburg

Doc Fords Rum Bar and Grille is one of the best restaurants in the area, and right at the base of the St Pete Pier.

Come here for amazing views of the bay and downtown St. Petersburg, while having a drink and delicious appetizers, inside or on the outdoor patio.

Enjoy their wide selection of seafood, consisting of grouper, several varieties of shrimp (Yucatan Shrimp!), fresh oysters, salmon, and fish sandwiches.

They also offer Texas baby back ribs, pork tenderloin, and chicken.

Doc Fords has live music most days, too.

2. Crabby Bill’s- St Pete Beach/Indian Rocks Beach 

Crabby Bill’s is a popular place to eat with two restaurants,  one in St Pete Beach and the other in Indian Rocks Beach.

If you are on the Gulf Coast looking for some fresh seafood with an ocean view, then Crabby Bill’s is a perfect place for you!

Come for the views of the Gulf from their rooftop tiki-bar or get some shade and eat inside.

They have lobster, crab legs, coconut shrimp, grouper, oysters, and more.

Of course, you can always get a burger or chicken sandwich here, too.

3. The Hut- Madeira Beach

Madeira Beach is about 20 minutes west of St. Petersburg (north of St. Pete Beach), on the Gulf of Mexico.

The Hut is a well-known, casual, waterfront restaurant in Madeira Beach.

This restaurant and bar is located at John’s Pass Village, which is a boardwalk area filled with lots of shops and restaurants.

At the Hut, you can eat inside or outside on their dock.

They have a large assortment of beers, surf drinks, frozen drinks, beach buckets, wines, and more.

For food, they have appetizers, seafood or chicken sandwiches, burgers, and tacos/quesadillas.

Waits for a table can be long so it’s nice that there are lots of things to do nearby while you’re waiting.

We waited about 45 minutes for an outdoor table mid-afternoon on a Saturday, definitely worth the wait, though!

There are incredible views to enjoy from the deck.  Live music daily.

4. The Drunken Clam- St. Pete Beach

The Drunken Clam is not just a bar on the Family Guy, cartoon!

It’s an actual restaurant and bar in St. Pete Beach, about 15 minutes away from downtown St. Petersburg.

While it’s not right on the water, the Drunken Clam is just off Gulf Boulevard, across the street from St. Pete Beach.

This place is a great spot for surf and turf, wings, and beer.

5. Palm Pavilion- Clearwater Beach

For a laid-back, casual beach dining experience, there is Palm Pavilion in Clearwater Beach.

A popular spot for the locals and live music most days on the deck, this restaurant and bar is right on beautiful Clearwater Beach.

It’s about a 50 minute drive from downtown St. Petersburg.

Palm Pavilion has salads/bowls, burgers and wraps, tacos, ribs, steak, and lots of seafood options.

Even a large selection of food for the kids.

And you can’t forget about the drinks while you are here!   They were named the Best Beach Bar for 2021 according to Visit St Pete Clearwater.

Try The Palm Rum Runner or one of their other specialty drinks.  They also have plenty of beer and wine options.

6. Bamboo Beach Bar- Madeira Beach

Another laid-back bar and grill at John’s Pass Village, Bamboo Beach Bar is a fun place to go in Madeira Beach.

This tiki bar is one of the oldest bars in the area.  Bamboo Beach Bar is known for its fish tacos, Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, and also eggplant fries.

Also, come here for some frozen tiki drinks, drink specials, and live entertainment!

7. Stillwaters Tavern- St. Petersburg

Right in the heart of St. Petersburg’s downtown shops and restaurants on Beach Drive, is Stillwaters Tavern.

Stillwaters Tavern sits just across the street from the St Pete Pier and Tampa Bay.

This upscale, casual spot is known for its craft beers, wines, and cocktails.

They have several kinds of sausage freshly made on site.  They also have starters, salads, shrimp, salmon, steaks, ribs, and sandwiches.

8. Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill- Clearwater Beach

Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill is another Clearwater Beach favorite.

Just like Palm Pavilion, Frenchy’s is directly on Clearwater Beach.

In fact, the two restaurants are right across from each other and share the same parking lot!

Frenchy’s is a great place to go for delicious seafood.  Try one of their grouper sandwiches or oysters!

They have live music here on most days and you can see the amazing Gulf sunsets right from their outdoor dining area.

9. Woody’s Waterfront- St. Pete Beach 

Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and Blind Pass, Woody’s is a waterfront cafe and beach bar, located on the inlet of St. Pete Beach.

Woody’s Waterfront is about 30 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg.

Come get a half-pound Woody’s Burger or Woody’s Wings.  They also have large salads and seafood dinners.

This place is known for their happy hour specials and every Sunday/Monday they have half-priced happy hours.

FYI, you can only pay with cash here.

10. Sea Turtle Restaurant- St. Pete Beach

If you’re looking for a casual, beachside diner, then Sea Turtle Restaurant is a perfect choice!

Located across the street from St Pete Beach, Sea Turtle Restaurant sits right in front of The Drunken Clam (See #4).

Sea Turtle is about 15 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg.

Come to Sea Turtle Restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Boasting a large breakfast menu, try one of their Sea Turtle Specials, with sausage or bacon.

They also have salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, fish, and meat entrees

11. Caddy’s Waterfront Dining- St. Pete Area 

Caddy’s Waterfront Dining is famous in the St. Petersburg area, with several locations.

Treasure Island is their flagship location, but there are also restaurants in Madeira Beach, Indian Shores, St. Pete Beach, and Gulfport.

There’s also a Caddy’s across the bay in Bradenton.

From comfortable beach dining, great food, and live music, Caddy’s is sure to make some great memories.

Most locations also serve bottomless mimosas and sangrias on weekends!

12. Teak/Pier Teaki- St. Petersburg

Last but not least, Teak and Pier Teaki are located right at the end of the St Pete Pier.

Come here for the ultimate waterfront views while dining and having drinks!

Teak is a restaurant on the 4th floor with a full menu, including starters, salads, sandwiches, entrees, flatbreads, and pastas.

Of course, they have lots of seafood options here and plenty of drinks, too.

Pier Teaki offers more bar bites and drinks.  They are on the top at the end of the pier.