This is a tough one to write. Â The Friendly Fisherman is nestled in one of the areas biggest tourist traps, John's Pass.
The outside fascade is nifty. Â Reminds you of Cedar Key or a long-ago fishing village.
Step inside and see bright red, sunburned crunchy tourists. Â
The menu is Meh. Â Not horrible but definitely nothing to rave home about.
The two ladies I went with both had a seafood pasta dish that they raved about. Â I ordered the grouper which was thin and the edges way over cooked. Â Luckily they had a barrel of tarter sauce to help. Â But with all the beautiful grouper on tons of menus around town, there is zero reason to overcook it. Â
The service was also a bit sad. A very frazzled young waitress who we had to ask for the most obvious of things. Â i.e, appetizer comes out.. no plates or silverware. By the time those come out, the app is getting cold. Â Common sense things to me to being a server.
I asked about wines as there wasn't a list. Â White wines: Â House chard & Reisling. Â That's it folks. So I passed and we ordered a pitched of sangria. Â It was tasty and hit the spot.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go here but it wouldn't be the worst meal you ever had if you stopped in.
We ate here on the 4th of July night about seven. Only place on the beach without a crazy wait--although they stuffed four of us into a booth for two. I guess that's the price one pays for trying to get in somewhere on a holiday weekend without a wait. We also got there right before it started pouring, which was also a plus.
Anyway, the waitress was frazzled, but nice enough. She got our orders right. I ordered the broiled mahi-mahi. Nothing special--no seasoning or anything on it, although it came with rice. My stepdad got a hamburger, my mom got a salad, and my fiance got a tuna steak sandwich blackened. Didn't order any appetizers--maybe we should have, since it seemed like a rather long wait for our food. The corn fritters were just okay. Not sure what all the fuss is about there.
This place must be doing something right, since it's been there for a long time. Or it relies on tourists only coming in once. My mom and stepdad are locals, and I'm a former local, and I know none of us had ever been there. Not sure if I would go there again. We were grateful for not having to wait to be seated at a most busy time.
Looking at previous reviews I guess you can't make everyone happy. Our experience was ok. I wish they had less fried and more grilled or baked on their menu. But it's a boardwalk restaurant that's starting to show age. We didn't have to wait and while the waitress seemed a bit annoyed at first she came through at the end. The portions were more than enough. Pretty but nothing mind blowing. Yay! it was OK.
Review Source:Overall, a decent experience. Â Everything we ordered was good, however nothing really blew us away. Â The corn fritters, aka hush puppies, were delicious. Â
Service was fantastic! Â Seated promptly, and our server was very nice. Â As stated, a decent restaurant that's worth a visit if your looking for a nice local restaurant.
Two words and the only two you will need to read about this restaurant:
FOOD POISONING!!!!!!!
Do not eat here!! Last Friday myself and 6 others ate here and myself and one other member of our party became violently ill with food poisoning after the meal. I had the mahi mahi and he had the captain's platter but I certainly would not trust anything else here. Save yourself 2 days in misery and pick another place.
This restaurant was disappointing. They boast a great view of the pier, and as far as we could tell, the seafood they serve is fresh. The gulf oysters were sweet and crisp and their crab cake was majority crab and almost no filler. However, they were out of grouper when we visited and the rest of the menu was dominated by fried and imported seafood. The service was also slow and left us with a bad  impression of this tourist trap restaurant.
Review Source:We (party of 5) ate at this restaurant and everyone had a problem with the quality of their meal. Â Two had Mahi and it was rubbery and overdone. Â The fried fish and shrimp was overdone and tough. Â The fried oysters were over done with to much breading. Another had rubbery scallops. Â The bill was high for the poor quality food! I don't think we will be back!
Review Source:Food was not exceptional using local catch. Â Biggest disappointment was customer service. Â Our server did her best but the hostess was unprofessional and not helpful. Â We checked in, went down to the bar as suggested by the hostess and told that it should be no more than 30 minutes and was never called that our table was ready. Â We had a party of 6 and after inquiring about our status was told it would be another hour since we did not check with her.
Review Source:I stopped here to have a drink while visiting John's Pass. Â It's along the boardwalk but offers a lower deck closer to the water. There was also a guy out there singing Jimmy Buffet style music. Â Since we were just having a few drinks we chose to set along a bar overlooking the water. The draft beers were $3.00 and not very big (maybe half a pint). Â They have waiter service but a couple setting next to us set outside for a good 30 minutes before the guy on the mic stopped and did a shout out for some help on the deck from the staff. The majority of people got tired of waiting and just walked up to the bar to order. Even though the service wasn't great it was a nice spot to set and relax. While we were there we spotted a few dolphins and many different species of birds.
Review Source:After catching Grunt Fish at Hubbard's next door, you can bring the fish fillets to Friendly's to have them cook it up for $5.95/person. It's a cool restaurant on the marina with your typical Florida beach character. The food isn't outstanding, but it is good. The service is slow and seemingly short on patience.
I think overall the experience was good because we made the best of it. What would have made it great was more attention when we were ready to order and pay. If you want a place next to Hubbard's to eat your catch, Friendly's is a good place to go.... but go with a little bit of patience. I think you will still have a good time and enjoy your food.
This place rates a 2.5 stars. Â I had the turbot. Â It was a nice flaky white fish. Â I ordered it Cajun style. Â I don't know where they came up with this recipe, but it isn't even close to Cajun. Â It was a simple pan fried fish dish. Â There was no detectable cayenne pepper seasoning. Â They need to come up with a decent Cajun recipe for their fish for a solid 3 star rating.
Review Source:Visited the FF this past weekend during the Pirate Days festivities. Â The location is simply awesome. Â It is located right along the boardwalk, right in the heart of bustling, touristy, John's Pass. Â The restaurant has a nautical atmosphere with the obligatory fishing nets and sword fish mounted throughout the restaurant. Â I admit I should've ordered Seafood but I was in the mood for a salad. Until mine came that is. Â I had a blackened chicken salad that was pretty much tasteless. It wasn't awful, just lacking any sort of flavor. Â The chicken was kind of dry and the dressing was a . Â Wifey had the "sea dog," which is a fried fish plank on a hot dog bun, with tater tots. Â She enjoyed it. Â A friend had the Mahi Mahi sandwich that was average size, but tasty. The prices are reasonable enough. Â Our waitress was nice, but very busy as we expected. Â She did a good job of keeping her head just above the weeds. Â Overall, this restaurant is a 6 out of 10. Â Hooters and Bubba Gump are nearby and give you pretty much the same fare. Â The Hut on the other hand I would avoid. Â I've been there a few times because of coupons, but every time I come away disappointed. Â If you're visiting John's Pass and looking for an inexpensive lunch or dinner, you should stop by, if you're a local - you know better places.
Review Source:Service was great, food was a disappointment. We tried to like it. Â
Figured that we could try an appetizer, a salad, and share an entree. My wife ordered a crab cake. We took our server's advice and opted for cups of the clam chowder over what sounded like a bland salad. We shared the blackened grouper with an extra side of scallops, broiled. Â Both the scallops and Grouper we bland. Â If we had to do it over, I think we would have stopped at the cups of soup.
I got their seafood sampler plate. It was a typical sampler platter with scallop, shrimp, and I believe the fish was mahi. I recommend blackened or broiled instead of fried. That with a glass of shocktop was pretty nice. Nice view of the ocean and great weather! This is a great location to sit down, relax, and enjoy company.
Pricing is decent for waterfront. The platter was around 16-19ish and drinks at the bar are normal price.
THe sheer size of this place (2 stories and as large as a big box store) makes for a "hit and miss" experience for some. When busy - you may  miss on the best they can bring.
We went on a Friday night and despite it being "boat regata" night outside mobbed with 100's of specators - our food all came promptly in sequence. From drinks, to appetizers, entrees, etc.
No complaints here. But it is a well-known tourist attraction as well. I should mention I came alone (no family) a few nights later for oysters only downstairs at the raw bar and no one even acknowledeged me. So I left as I only had 40 minutes before joining others.
That last experience is what I mean by "hit and miss".
We stopped by the Friendly Fisherman while at John's Pass with my father. Service was friendly but, a bit slow. It was the day after Christmas and they appeared under staffed.
The food was ok. The blackened Grouper sandwich was cooked properly and the blackening had a nice flavor. Â The thick cut fries were ok. The slaw was excellent. Large pieces of torn cabbage and not overly sauced.
This place is definitely touristy. If you're in the area it is an ok lunch spot but, certainly not someplace I'd seek out.
2.5 stars...
I initially came to Johns Pass to stroll through the village shops and to eat at Waltz Fish Shak. They weren't actually open when I went and I had to choose another seafood place on the fly without the assistance of Yelp (gasp!). I asked some locals where their favorite place was and both told me Dockside Daves about a mile down Gulf Blvd which ended up being closed for renovations when I went so I had to go with a random choice, the Friendly Fisherman in the heard of the village. I should have just gone to McDonalds and saved myself a few bucks. The service wasn't that friendly and the food wasn't that good. The blackened grouper was bland, sitting on little pools of butter as if it was broiled, and the portion was small. The baked sweet potato had a couple tiny sprouts sticking out of it and both it and the corn on the cob were grossly overcooked. Even the beer I got was a little dissppointing as it comes in a 12oz glass instead of a standard 16oz pint. I should have known this was a place relying on its history and location rather than true quality, after checking on Yelp, it seems to be the case for almost all the places in the village (which isn't too surprising).
My wife and I stopped for a quick lunch. Â We were seated after a 10 minute wait. Â We sat at the window, great for people watching. Â Service and kitchen was quick. Â Food was very good. Â My wife had the shrimp and scallop salad. Â I had blackened red snapper sandwich. Â We would order same again. Â I was looking for more fresh fish on the menu. Â What they have is very good.
Review Source:This review is long overdue -- I've been enjoying excellent meals at the Friendly Fisherman for years, and it's always a favorite stop on our visits down from NYC.
The location is perfect -- love the water views and proximity to the great shops and ice cream (shout out to Kilwin's!). The service is always excellent -- courteous, attentive, and prompt. And the food is the draw -- best shrimp I've ever tasted (the "You Peel 'Em's are refreshing and delicious, always), and I love the touch of the corn fritters on the side for a little something sweet.
I'm allergic to "fin fish" so can't judge that, but I do know my husband LOVES the grouper sandwich!
All in all, "The Friendly" is a must when visiting John's Pass.
Nice place. The location is awesome and if your a fan of deep sea fishing, you can actually have them cook what you caught in the restaurant. It's been a couple years since I've been here, but as I remember it was fantastic. It is part of a giant tourist trap, but who cares as long as you have good scenery and good food.
Review Source:Fresh food, good service, nice atmosphere. We had a broiled trout, the crab combo and the broiled scullops. All were very good. It's not a fancy place, so what?
I've read the reviews here before coming and luckily was not deterred. Folks, if you don't like fried food, don't order fried food. They have plenty of options.
Great place to go if you have kids and don't care about food quality as much. Â The food was good, but we've definitely had better. Â The service was good though, and they were very kid friendly. Â You can definitely do worse, but you can also do better. Â This is a very touristy area and a touristy kind of restaurant.
They did have a bar downstairs right on the water. Â If we were to go back, it would be for the bar and without the kids, and not to eat.
We went here because the atmosphere was great being right on the water next to all the boats. Â We were also trying to avoid going to Bubba Gump's since it's a chain.
We had the grilled grouper and it was really bland...just tastless. Â We also had the peel-n-eat shrimp which were even more bland...no spice at all. Â
We should have gone to Bubba Gump's or across the water to Gator's.
Nice location overlooking the wharf. Â Food was a-ok. Â Crab legs were super salty. Â Grouper was ok, but thin compared to other beach restaurants.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgofriendlyfisherman.com&s=4a1311b1cebc6733d2d5f77fed98ca67d5f5f9d9d49a46c00515aa43de388afb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://gofriendlyfisherm…</a>
Food: 3 stars
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4 stars
Overall: Â 3 star
waterfront view?.. sure they have it, but all you'll be looking at is the casino boat across the waters..
seafood?.. yes.. but it's just your basic .. fried, blacken, cajun, etc.. there's no unique flavoring.. so if you're looking for some exotic and unique seafood..look elsewhere..
fresh oysters?.. not really fresh.. they prepped it too early on (removing one side of the shell)...and it lost its freshness..
so the redeeming qualities..
clam chowder..not the best ..but probably one of the better chowders i've tried in florida.. i wouldn't compare it to san fran's or the crab cooker's manhattan red clam chowder..but it was good.. and you can actually see and taste the chunks of clam and potatoes.
so those hush puppies they call "corn fritters"... are quite yummy... i never had fresh ones before.. always frozen ..and it was nice.. crispy on the outside..and soft in the inside..plus the powdered sugar and honey ..
so it's the first time i've had gator.. and those gator bites were pretty good (as a first timer..i've got nothing to compare it too..so bare that in mind)..
so it's an okay place to eat if you're in the neighborhood and just wanted something quick and easy to eat.. and you don't care for unique flavoring..i wouldn't drive out of my way to come here.. but i would come here again if i was around the area and was craving seafood..
Blondie and I have eaten here multiple times and she calls this place, "The best breakfast in the whole wide world!" Â While I won't go that far I do admit that they do a really good job consistently. Â The staff has always been friendly and helpful and generally do pretty well with Blondie's substitutions. Â We ate breakfast there again a week ago and I had the scrambled eggs with crab cake and it was delicious. Â Blondie had her stock 2, 2, and 2 and they did a good job on getting her bacon crispy the way she likes. Â Very good place to go for good food and not have to spend a lot. Â They also make a really good Bloody Mary. Kudos!
Review Source:A bit on the greasy side, but generally really good, fresh seafood. Nothing fancy inside but it does have its own charm. The wood floors and nautical feel, plus the view of John's Pass give it a cool ambiance. The prices are reasonable, and you couldn't do much better for seafood in the Madeira Beach area.
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