Timing is everything - they closed the kitchen at 3:45 in the afternoon, so we were quite out of luck. We had chips and salsa, thanks to the helpful server (and no thanks to the guy who told us the kitchen was closed - he very clearly wanted us to leave). Looked over the menu and it seemed a bit spendy for us, so we paid $10 for two iced teas and a pretty small serving of chips & salsa and left. The two stars are for the,location, which was very pretty.
Review Source:We ended up here after being referred by a staff member at Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe on rt. 41 where we had intended to eat, but it was closed. What a nice piece of serendipity that turned out to be. We got to the Camellia on the early side and the small dining room was already almost fully reserved. We grabbed one of the last two tables available. This place is very casual and down home with order at the counter service. Being a Friday night there was a country trio scheduled to start and by 7 pm the joint was jumpin'!
We ended up sharing our table with a nice couple from MA and their grown daughter. We ordered our meals and came back to our table with our drinks. Only a limited selection of beer and wine are on offer. The wine was quite good. Prices are quite reasonable. My husband had a steak sandwich which was huge and he thought was excellent. It looked good!
We both had the famous and fabulous herb salad. The herbs are grown in the grill's own garden and the entire salad was delightfully fresh and dressed with a very good light vinaigrette. Herbs included mint and cilantro, two of my favorites. Next best was the large cup of lima bean & ham hock soup which was very good and even my husband, usually not a lima bean guy, agreed. By the way, when your meals are ready they are brought to your table.
I ordered one of the specials and chose the shrimp and grits. They were nicely presented, but the weakest dish of our meal. First, I should say I had already imprinted on a shrimp and grits dish I had in St. Simons, GA some years ago that included andouille sausage. So perhaps my choice here was not a wise or fair one. Shrimp were cooked well but tasted a bit old to me. The grits were okay, but had a watery presence when they should have been creamy. The shallow bowl was ringed with green then red hot sauce which tasted okay but may have added to the watery note. The price was reasonable I thought for the number of shrimp. But, my husband liked the shimp and grits combo just fine, so you may want to see for youself.
Bottom line, we liked the place and it seemed obvious locals did too. By the time we left the band was in full swing and the crowd had swelled so people were occupying a good part of the waterside outer deck. Â Service was fine and very friendly if a tad slow. We would definely return if only for the herb salad and lima soup. But there were lots of other good things to try on ther menu. Next time, the catfish...
Very good restaurant. Sauteed gator was fantastic, very well done and not too chewy. Fried green tomatoes were nothing special. I had a seafood pasta that was great; the noodles were a little over done. The best surprise was the salad that came before my pasta. It had so many ingredients like mint and other herbs. The dressing was also very good. I think they use herbs from their garden out front. The atmosphere was great on the water, but the bugs came out after dark. The staff was very friendly.
Review Source:Sorry, but I can only guess the positive reviewers of this very mediocre, overpriced tourist trap are... tourists.
The food: OK, but not commensurate with the prices. Note to owner/manager... a "Po Boy" is BY DEFINITION served on a hoagie roll, NOT a hamburger bun. This is just one example of feeble attempts to get folksy and cutesy with the menu - most of which fall far short.
The ambiance: Nice waterfront setting.
The service: Staff is friendly. Ordering process (order at the counter, wait interminably for your food to be table delivered, return to counter to pay) is clearly designed for convenience of the staff.
Bottom line: Overpriced but a nice waterfront setting. There is much better food and far better values to be found in Everglades City.
We got there right at noon, when they opened. Â We took a minute to figure out what we wanted, and by the time we were ready to order, there was a huge line. Â We had a boat tour at 1, so we were cutting it close regardless, and our takeout order wasn't ready in time, but they were very accommodating and told us to come back after our tour.
Food was delicious. Â I'm not always a huge salad person, but their fresh herb salad with herbs they grow themselves was amazing, and their papaya shakes also blew me away.
Their stone crabs are not the best but for the price it is ok. Â Love their Papaya shake. Â The staffs are friendly but busy. Â I think on a busy night, they could use a little help.
Make sure you order clams in fennel sauce dinner instead of appetizer. Â The dinner comes with salad and spaghetti. Â The spaghetti goes very well with the sauce.
This place was a shocker IN A GOOD WAY. Â When I saw the place I was not expecting much, but what I got was amazing. Â My family and I went for the airboat ride last week and came here for dinner. Â There are not many restaurants in town and I was not expecting much. Â The place looks deceiving with crazy things hanging everywhere. Â There were 7 of us and we tried many things on the menu. Â I had a herb salad to start. Â It was amazing, very gourmet with edible flowers, starfruit and fresh greens. Â We had fried green tomatos, gator appetizer, black bean & corn appetizer, pizza, burger, crab cake sandwich and more. Â Everything was very good to excellent. Even the dessert was great (peanut butter pie). Â If you are in the area don't miss out. Â It is definitely a gem.
Review Source:Alright so you are in the SW corner of Florida and you are wondering "is there a decent restaurant around?" the answer is sort of. I think is is as good as is going to get in everglades city. I had the gator appetizer and the crab cake sandwich. My items were great. I've had gator before but in fancy restaurants...here  you can truly taste gator meat. They don't add too much seasoning or herbs, because gator meat, in my opinion, is actually quite tasty. The crab cake was good as well. Lumps of meat with very little batter.
The downfall - my boyfriend had the grouper sandwich which came out greasy and soggy. Don't order that. And also the beverage machine was broken so we order drinks but our only options were tea or limonade.
The place is located in a beautiful spot in front of a water entryway, so is very serene and just what you are looking for in a Florida vacation.
I would probably visit again and try something else.
This little waterfront cafe is tucked away in what appears to be the backside of Everglades City. Definitely glad we stopped here for lunch! I had the grouper entree with a milkshake made with fresh strawberries! The kitchen seemed to be out of quite a bit of the menu however I can't dock them on that not knowing if it was based upon daily availability. The fish was flaky, tender and succulent. The sweet potato wedges were pretty well done although I do prefer sweet potatoes with more of the ubiquitous french cut.
If it wasn't mentioned in other reviews, don't expect this place to have any air conditioning as it's either outdoor seating or the indoor seating being a roof and screened in walls.
The owner has a nice little garden out front as well.
Camellia Street Grill is one of my favorite restaurants of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is on the water with great views.  The place is wild looking from the lot!  There are all kinds of nautical and humorous art - fish balls, paintings, tiki bar, lights that are wild at night, the place is  visually exciting.  The staff is great - friendly and helpfull and have a sense of humor.  The aroma of great food was a joy to the senses.  The seafood is out of this world!!  The special - Clams in a fennel butter and wine sauce knocked my socks off!!  I was with a party of 4 and we all shared dishes and everything was amazing!  I can't wait to visit again.  (I've posted some photos from my 2 visits)
Review Source:We selected the Camellia Street Grill to eat at for lunch in Everglades City because it was one of several recommendations made by a roadside information center. Â While it looked quaint and funky and was on the water we were not thrilled with the food. Â The way this restaurant works is you go in and order your food, self serve your own drinks, and the food is brought to you when ready. Â We were less than thrilled with what we ordered. Â She Crab Soup was anything but She Crab Soup. Â Anyone who knows anything about seafood knows that She Crab Soup is normally a white cream based soup with lump crab meat in it; the Camellia Street Grill version is more like a Maryland Crab Soup which is red with pieces of blue crab (with shell) in it. Â Camellia Street Grill's vapid offering had so much fat in it the grease from it was all over the inside of the bowl and was nothing more than vegetable soup with a few parts of blue crab thrown in. Â We ordered the fish sandwich and the crab cake sandwich. Â The crab cake sandwich was lousy. Â There are pieces of blue crab and pieces of corn with lots of breading. Â If you are from Maryland or if you know what a good crab cake is supposed to be do not order the crab cake sandwich at Camellia Street Grill. Â The fish sandwich was unremarkable; bland and nothing special. Â The high point of the meal was the onion rings which they do rather well and is available as a side dish. Â Worst of all our bill came to $90.00 for three people after tip and was hardly worth it. All in all we were looking forward to experiencing lunch in Everglades City which is famous for it's seafood but we could have gotten a much better seafood lunch in Miami. Â If you are in Everglades City stick to a restaurant that specializes in Stone Crabs and give this place a pass.
Review Source:I loved this place for the quirky atmosphere, staff, decor, and very local flavors. Â The food was decent, too. LOL. Â Truly, from the moment we saw the place from the street, I was hoping I would continue to love it past the very intriguing parking lot (look for very bright boat buoys for fishing nets and the colorfully painted VW) and I did. Â The outdoor seating on the dock offered great views of pelicans, the indoors had a fun assortment of items hanging from the ceiling and funky palm frond paintings on the walls. Â You order at the counter but the very friendly staff brings your food to your table. Â You pay at the end, before you leave.
Food was decent all the way around. Â Good news: Â the frog legs (crab, and more) are local. Â Bad news: Â the frog legs are local. Â In other words, they may be waiting for someone to go fishing the next day in order to restock some supplies. Â But, other than that..... The lima bean/ham hock soup was hearty. Â Sweet potato fries.... how can you go wrong? Â Shrimp on grits and Fried Mullet were also tasty.
To cap it off, the key lime pie was worth coming for, very creamy, though not as tart as I prefer. Â None of the food was up to the most discerning standards but it was certainly MORE THAN "good enough". Â And, as I mentioned, the atmosphere alone is worth it.
We were here for a late lunch after a kayak tour. Â I had a Grouper sandwich which was wonderful - herb salad was fantastic. Â kids had chicken fingers (2 kids can EASILY split this) and grilled cheese (not the best - burger buns used for the bread. Â The table next to us had more 'meal' dishes and they said it was the best food of their vacation. Â It's on the river and aside from occasional airboat noise (not too bad though since they can't go top speed here) it's fabulous. Â We will be back!!!
Review Source:Camellia Street Grill is a fun, casual place for good food on Camellia Street, of course. Order at the counter, and the food is served at your table. The green salads are great. Entrees were OK to good. The half rack of ribs were falling off the bones, tasty, and much more than I could eat. Shrimp kabob also received an enthusiastic good from my partner. On a previous night, the catfish received a not so good rating, but the crab cakes were pretty good. On Friday and Saturday nights, there is old time western live music, two guitars and vocals, which was very good. The owner also joins them for female vocals. Prices range up to $20 for entrees with salad.
Review Source:Fun, funky place with good food and a good vibe. Outdoor patio overlooks the river and marina, seems like it would be a great place to relax and have a couple drinks at the end of the day.
We ordered she crab bisque, which was tasty, but could have used more crab. Veggie burger was fresh and homemade, very enjoyable. Â Grouper sandwich was very good, not breaded and deep fried like a lot of other places, sweet potato fries were really good too. Â Kids had chicken fingers which were made with real chicken thankfully, not processed frankenfoods.
I'd definitely come back next time in Everglades City.
Margaritaville meets the Everglades! Â We took the order to go, but it was a 20-25 minute wait for the food. Â "Everything is made from scratch" I was told, so I had one of their refreshing homemade sangrias. Â Good casual vibe with a dedicated and friendly owner. Â Her daughter could take lessons in hospitality from her.
Upon arrival at the cottage, we opened our order and realized there were some hefty portions. Â The Florida lobster was a little dry, but still very tasty. Â I've had much better soft shell crab, but it was not unpleasant by any means. Â The alligator was prepared in a tastier way than the gator nuggets I've had in the past. Â The stone crab claws were delicious. Â The fries were uniquely battered and yummy. Â The side salad was lightly dressed and refreshing. Â The preparation of the food here is definitely a step above than the straightforward way the other fresh seafood places in town.
Certainly the best place to eat on the island, the stone crab bisque was delicious, the seafood and salads were also tasty. Â Compared to the standard fish houses on island this food was much more creatively prepared. Â Very casual atmosphere, order at the counter and sometimes the food is delivered to you. Â All the seating is indoor/outdoor patio furniture and when the weather cooperates, eating outdoors on the river/canal is very scenic. Â It was packed the night we ate there on a Wednesday, whereas after viewing the other restaurants and only having a drink in the bar, those establishments had a few tables of tourists at best. Â Plainly the best place to eat in town.
Review Source:Seems from the enormous piles of crabtraps by the shoreline that they do Stone Crabs around here. That seems like a sustainable way to eat seafood, so I wanted to like this place, and I sort of did:
Crab soup was great, salad was -really- great; full of fresh herbs and little treats. Crab dinner was a bit south of the mark.. stone crabmeat just doesn't stand up on its own, and chalk this up to personal taste if you want, but I think buttered white rice is pretty gross (especially when the menu doesn't mention the buttering). Chocolate milkshake had Hershey syrup in it, which is a mistake exactly 100% of the time. Mosquitos went from 0 to 60 in a -hurry-, which I know is not the restaurant's fault (I'm just advising you to sit indoors).
Handwritten sign out front exhorts God to Bless our Military, which I'm sure both God and prospective diners will consider, in the appropriate measure.
If you are driving by or are in Everglades City and want to sit on a patio, you could do worse than this place - food's decent and priced reasonably. Â Just make sure they know you want to eat today!
On a nice calm day the outdoor patio is quite nice. Â Menu is basically burgers and seafood $7-15. Â 3 of us had burgers, one had the grouper sandwich. Â Food was good. Â I liked the sweet potato fries (note I'm not an expert in SPF)
The problem I had was that our food took forever, about 45 minutes. Â The server came over and as she was handing out our food said "its been so long you can't even remember what you ordered, haha". Â Not funny. Â And unacceptable.
Don't let the front yard scare you off. Worth the stop.
Had the gator app (very good) and the crabcakes (good if you like Southern style. I'm a Maryland guy myself). Kitsch abounds in a good way and nice outdoor area with the whir of airboats in the distance.
If you're a northern elitist Chardonnay sipping intellectual democrat, keep the conversation to the weather. They ain't shy about their politics.
Look for the funky VW Bug sitting by the roadside. Â We went to Camellia St. during the arctic blast in the beginning of January. Â So good we went there twice. Â Winter coats in tow, we huddled near one of the heat lamps and enjoyed some friendly service and some good grub both nights. Â Crunchy fried alligator bites had a nice little kick and the "she-crab" soup was excellent with some good chunks of fresh crab. Â First night we had the grouper sandwich which was meaty and fresh. Â The second night I had soft shell crab was excellent and lightly breaded. Â
Overall a great spot in the sparse options of Everglades City. Â I'm sure the outdoor seating by the river would be nice in warmer weather. Â Highly recommend if you are in the area.
We've been visiting Everglades City for the past 3 days and fell in love with this restaurant. In fact, we've had almost all our lunches and dinners here throughout our stay.  The food is absolutely delicious - a blend of Southern home style with European. The atmosphere is casual and friendly. You can sit outside facing the mangroves and the water. They have a whole bunch of board games you can play especially  if you have kids.  They had a fabulous country/blue grass band the other night.  It's just the best combination of casual and authentic atmosphere with delicious food.
Review Source:small, out -of-the-way-, oddball place with excellent food. fresh local fish, crabs. terry -the cook - has been at this for 35 yrs. and does a great job. place is small, but not cramped. limited beer selection. price vs. value is very fair. not a place to pass up if you're around everglades city.
Review Source:This place is great! Â Over two different visits, the star dish was the grouper dinner, although the fried oysters and frog legs w/onion gravy + french fries (while not the healthiest) were both outstanding. Â Nothing can compete with Camellia's in Everglades City. Â Plus the location on the water makes a for a very memorable occasion.
Review Source:About 60 miles directly west of downtown Miami is Everglades City. A little run-down fishing town that's very charming even though it's seen better days in a different life.
Camellia Street Grill is at the end of Camellia Street on the water. You can't miss it. Turn at the phychedelic VW bug and you're there. I've been there for lunch only, but from what I hear, it has live music at night.
This restaurant is not cheap by any means. About $30 - $35 per person if you have a beer or two with your meal.
Their salads are great. The first time I had an herb salad which was a mixture of mint, Thai basil, dandelion leaves, dill, edible flowers, sunflower seeds, a little bit of soft butter lettuce and a deliciously light citrus/berry dressing. I've been making my own version of that salad at home ever since.
The menu for the day is made up of whatever they have that day. I had grilled grouper as a main course and an alligator fritter appetizer. It was all fresh and packed with flavor.
The service is super casual, indifferent almost. We ordered at the counter and we picked up at the counter.
All the metal is rusty, the fabric slightly moldy, the mosquito nets tattered and the smell of the ocean in the air. It's not a place for the faint of heart or for those who believe refined = pretty.
Do not order the sangria. It's disgustingly sweet. Stick to the beer, read the latest issue of The Mullet Rapper, don't whine and enjoy yourself.
We ate here twice while we were in Everglades City and I highly recommend it. Â They fix salads that are fresh from their garden and amazingly delicious. Â There were some fresh flowers sprinkled on top! Â The first trip I ordered fresh Pompano as an entree and it was moist and seasoned just right. Â The grilled vegetables and rice pilaf that came with the fish were also tasty and wonderfully prepared. Â I don't expect much from rice pilaf, but this was outstanding.
The second time we went was a busier night and there was a country band playing. Â We had sandwiches this time, which were also wonderful. Â When the mosquitoes came out (at dark) all of the outside diners had to head inside. Â The staff encouraged strangers to sit together and we ended up meeting some wonderful people. Â There was also a lot of singing and clapping along with the band. Â It was a fantastic and memorable Everglades experience.
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