Looking for fancy in Everglades City? Look elsewhere - but looking for a place to get a wide variety of fried seafood, this is your place.
We had just gone hiking in the Fakahatchee Strand, which is up US 29 Â from Everglades City. We make it a tradition to head down south after the hike and enjoy some fresh seafood. Find a parking spot where you can - its a dirt lot with some grassy area.
Walk up to the menu written on white boards or on paper menus and order in a small booth (where you can also get some fresh seafood to go). The menu offers a wide variety of fried (though you can order broiled and blackened if you ask) animals including frogs, gator, fish, crab, clams, conch and more. Also there is a cooler full of beer you might want to peak into (as a beer snob, I shut it).
Whatever fried animal you want comes in three forms - appetizer, sandwich, or basket. trying to get a variety, I went with the 2 choice basket of soft shell crab and gator. I love gator, and it was excellent here. The soft shell crab was a bit salty. These came over fries, and was a great meal.
Also great is the view - you park yourself on a picnic bench and view into the water of Everglades City and wait for your number to be called. Don't worry if you don't get called in sequential order, you'll get your food. Others at the table got a fish sandwich, which was huge, fried shrimp, fried clams and more.
Great waterfront seating. Old rustic restaurant. Top 10 rudest waitstaff I have encountered. No greeting and just pointed and grunted at the menu on the wall when I asked for a menu. $42 dollars for 3 lunches. 1 basket and 2 sandwiches, really!?! Â Grouper sandwich is lightly breaded and fried. The sandwich is mostly bread, pretty thin fillet in the sandwich. Not any better then bar food. Â I think I had a McDonald's filet o fish that was quite similar. Â Soft shell crab basket is nothing to write home about either. 2 small fried crabs on a bed of french fries. Really, the only thing this place has going for it is the waterfront view.
Food: poor
Ambiance: great
Service: poor
Value: poor!
My wife and I visited  last week and found it to be just as expected.. It was terrific. we  ate a late lunch there, Shrimp and gator Baskets. We met Candace and her 7 year old son who's gonna grow up to be a great fisherman, he showed us a bucket of crabs he'd just caught, he was an impressive child, well mannered and extremely talented. I was totally impressed with the people and the place. The food was fantastic and the people were wonderful. It was everything anyone could ask for.
The old Florida style dining goes to the bone in the dockside dining area with rustic tables and boats passing by we enjoyed it there and plan to return as soon as possible. this place is as Old Florida as it gets. Give them a shot you wont regret it. the bottom line is the foods good and the folks are nice the parking is debatable but survivable it would be harmful to their image to pave the parking lot, I hope they never do. Don't change a thing!!!!
On a day that was utterly ruined by anyone's standards, City Seafood saved the day... or at least our appetites.
We had a large order of the stone crab with a crab cake app and a sampler basket of gator, scallops, and grouper (I think). Â Being a southern gal, born and bred, all this took me back to summers on the outerbanks with my grandparents and the Man really enjoyed trying some new and "exotic" faire. Â The location is great, right on the water where gar swim up to eat your scraps, and gulls try to pick off your meal. Â A little gift shop sits off the side and an ice cream stand is on the property as well with several varieties of homemade ice cream. Â
We'll probably never be back in this area again, but if we ever find ourselves back in Everglades City, we will be sure to eat at City Seafood again.
Highly recommended by friends and we were not disappointed. Â The fish chowder was very tasty and my wife liked her shrimp basket which had plump shrimp and sweet potato fries. Â We are planning to go back with our kids when they visit us. They will love the authentic setting among crab traps and fishing boats.
Review Source:This place knows what it's doing.
First off, the food is incredible. Â We started with the stone crab claws, served with butter and their own homemade honey mustard. Â They were cooked to perfection. Â The butter left a bit to be desired but the homemade honey mustard was a surprisingly good match. Its easily the best honey mustard I've ever had, and we even purchased a big container of it to take home.
We moved on to the fried baskets - we had gator, oysters, blue soft shell crabs, and frog legs. Everything was out of this world - the gator was the best, but the rest came in a very close second. Â The breading on the fried foods was very light - almost non-existent, a huge plus. Â All the baskets come with lime, and the gator comes with an amazing homemade spicy ranch dip. Â We also had grilled shrimp, which was excellent, and both the regular and sweet potato fries were amazing. Â We capped off our meal with key lime pie and coffee, which as I'm sure you can guess, was amazing.
Not only is the food great but so is the service. Â Everyone I dealt with was amazingly friendly and helpful. Â When we ordered our coffee, the very nice lady behind the counter examined the half-empty pot, declared that it was too old, and brewed us a fresh pot. Â BTW this place is also a seafood market and sells everything available on their menu raw. We met the owner on the way out, and he gladly offered to special order us anything he didn't stock as long as we call in advance.
Finally, the place is on a dock which offers pretty good views, though it was a little chilly on the day we visited so we ate in the dining room instead.
Seriously, this place is amazing, and is more than enough reason for me to make the 1-hour drive just for its food.
Great location and good food. Its the type of place where you place you order and wait for it to be called. We all had something different. The grouper and gator were great. Large portions. I'm docking them one star for the price they were charging for stone crab claws. They were charging about $16 lb and last time I bought them here on the West Coast Pier (Los Angeles) they were $8 lb. Don't think you will be disappointed with the fried seafood they serve.
Review Source:Located at the heart of back country, Everglades City, Fl. Â Staffed with the friendliest workers, this place offers you every amazing food you can't find everywhere else. Â I got the 3 item basket, which you get to choose whatever fish/seafood you want from an extensive list. Â I got me the frog legs, scallops and gator meat and every single piece was amazing. Â Great overall experience.... I would totally recommend if you're in the area.
Review Source:I really wanted to love this place. Â The location on the water is wonderful. Â The staff is friendly, and the place is very clean. Â All in all, a great Florida experience for your trip to the everglades. Â The food was just OK. Â If I went back to Everglades City, I would eat here again, but with lower expectations. Â The best item we had was the fried soft shell crab.
Review Source:Great stone crab, grouper and fabulous home-made key lime pie at very reasonable prices. Now open for breakfast and dinner, but so far without the crowds that arrive for lunch. Â They are still getting service aspects of their breakfast and dinner act together, but they are trying hard and the food is great.
Review Source:Best stone crab! It is probably better than Joe's stone crab in Miami Beach, and for sure inexpensive. But don't expect a fancy restaurant; this is a casual place to eat fresh seafood with nice ocean view of Everglades City. Please check photos I just uploaded. It is worth driving from Miami area in weekends.
Review Source:I came here based on the recommendation of a local. Â The fresh stone crab claws were excellent! Â The grouper was not overly breaded, allowing one to taste the fish. Â The frog legs were a little bland, but better than the first time I had it elsewhere. Â We took the order to go, but you can order a beer while you wait. Â There are several picnic tables that overlook the Barron river. Â The big wooden shack with all kinds of signage gives it a good backcountry feel. Â I would go there again should I ever return to the area.
Review Source:Totally broke the diet to eat an awesome poboy, and some of the best conch fritters I have had in a minute. If you are looking for the healthy solution this is not it, but if you are looking for some country fried awesomeness, then do it to it! Sits right on the water and has a great view.
Review Source:Good views, very nice staff, great feel. Food was pretty good, but not great. Good size portions. Batter on the fried fish/shellfish a bit commercial tasting and thick, but it was alright. Definitely not a bargain place, but we were there in tourist season and decent seafood isn't cheap anymore. I don't think I'd rush back, but wouldn't avoid either.
Review Source:This is an awesome little old time place (eat in or take out) in a town that reminds of of old time South Florida and definitely deserves a visit -- you city dwellers you! Â Stone crabs are now as cheap as ever in my long lifetime (check out nearby Chokoloskee for that too) and all the rest of the seafood is excellent fresh. Â Nothing fancy here, just great seafood and cold beer.
There is no indoor dining, it's park benches outside overlooking a canal, quite charming and "real." Â Everglades City is great and I don't go there often enough and neither do you ...
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