Take a coastal dining tour of 14 favorite waterfront restaurants near Tallahassee
On a clear day you can almost see the coast from the top of the Capitol in Tallahassee, but for true waterfront dining you have to drive a little. St. Marks, Panacea, Carrabelle, St. George Island and Apalachicola all require anywhere from 45 minutes to a two-hour drive. If you are craving coastal views, salt air and salty oysters it's worth it.
The capital city also has a couple of lakeside eateries that offer waterfront charms. Here's a quick tour of 14 of our closest waterside restaurants.
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Angelo's Seafood Restaurant
5 Mashes Sands Road, Panacea; 850-984-5168; open Wednesday-Sunday all year; angelospanacea.com
Perched on pilings at the edge of Ochlockonee Bay in Panacea, Angelo's has weathered its share of storms. Built and rebuilt, with a major update after Hurricane Dennis in 2005, Angelo's has been serving fresh seafood with a Greek flair since 1945. On a recent Saturday visit, the lines were already forming ahead of the 4:30 p.m. opening and the wait for a table was over an hour. But when you can sit on the breezy deck with a cold beer and watch the water ripple it's all part of the Panhandle's Forgotten Coast charm.
Favorites include broiled flounder and broiled heads-on shrimp. Other specialties are Angelo's oysters, char grilled octopus, whole char broiled snapper, grouper fingers and Greek trim side salad. Seafood comes fried, broiled, char broiled and Greek style. Steak and chicken options satisfy non-seafood lovers, and rich pasta dishes like Alfredo and shrimp feta are tasty options. The grouper sandwich is also terrific.
Blue Parrot
68 W. Gorrie Dr., St. George Island; 850-927-2987; blueparrotsgi.com
You can walk up to the breezy Blue Parrot right from the beach, rinse your feet off and sit for libations on the deck with a front-row view of the Gulf. Order a dozen raw oysters or smoked yellowfin tuna dip. Blue Parrot also has a covered upper deck and inside dining room where patrons can feast in the shade. Beachy fare includes conch fritters, shrimp baskets, seafood and fish platters, burgers, steaks and the ever popular grouper sandwich. The restaurant is the host of the annual St. George Mullet Toss in June.
Fathoms Steam Room and Raw Bar
201 St. James Ave., Carrabelle, 850-697-9712; facebook.com
Music is on the menu along with low country boil, mullet dip, ahi tuna, oysters and other seafood classics. Nothing is fried at this casual eatery by the Carrabelle River. Fans recommend the grouper sandwich. The restaurant features plenty of outside seating to soak up the scenery.
Fish Camp
12062 Waterfront Drive; 850-228-7115; fishcamprestaurant.com
One of Tallahassee's hidden hangouts, the Fish Camp, established in 1951, is located on Lake Iamonia and has become a regular destination for many locals. Featuring live music, food trucks, friends, sports, and sunsets, the Fish Camp also serves up a brisket sandwich, smoked sausage, peel & eat shrimp, oysters and fried shrimp or catfish. It's popular on the weekends for live music.
Half-shell Dockside
301 Market St., Apalachicola, 850-653-1211; halfshelldockside.com
Boats pull up to the dock at the nautical-themed eatery, located at the Scipio Creek Marina. A friendly atmosphere, a view of the Apalachicola River and festivities such as live music, bingo and trivia nights keep the patrons coming. Along with seafood classics, you’ll find some fun menu options such as cheese curds, fried green tomatoes, oyster stew and seafood combos.
The Lodge at Wakulla Springs
550 Wakulla Park Dr., 850-421-2000; thelodgeatwakullasprings.com
The Edward Ball Dining Room at the Lodge at Wakulla Springs evokes an air of graciousness, a peek into yesteryear. No wonder, since the lodge was built in 1937. You can enjoy fine dining or slurp a root beer float at the marble soda fountain. Lodge fan Rick Oppenheim said he “loves their fried shrimp;” the fried chicken and Key lime pie also bring raves. Shrimp and grits, gumbo and crab cakes are other faves. The lodge is a few steps from the pristine water of the springs, where you’ll find manatees, snails and a variety of fish and birds.
Lynn’s Quality Oysters
402 Highway 98, Eastpoint, 850-670-8796; lynnsqualityoysters.com
Owner Lynn C. Martina has been shucking oysters since she was 9 years old, helping her parents run their seafood business. When they retired, she bought the business. Lynn’s is a seafood market where you can watch the sunset while savoring Florida seafood, with oysters farm-raised in Apalachicola Bay.
Ouzts' Too Oyster Bar & Grill
7968 Coastal Hwy, Newport, 850-925-6448; facebook.com/ouzts.too
"Eat Mo' Mullet" indeed! At Ouzts' the mullet comes fried, as a dip or smoked, when it's in season. Order a dozen raw oysters, a fried oyster basket or fried shrimp and hushpuppies. Just an oyster shell's throw from the St. Marks River, this funky restaurant and bar has friendly staff, dollar bills stapled to the walls inside and motorcycles parked outside.
A recent Wednesday dinner special offered meatloaf, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and cake. Don't miss Sunday Fundays, featuring live music under the awnings outside from 2-5 p.m.
Paddy’s Raw Bar
240 E. Third St.; St. George Island; 850-927-2299; paddysrawbar.com
Patrons are hooked on the easy-going atmosphere and folksy menu, which includes “Redneck Caviar” (a bean and veggie dip), oysters, seafood platters, salads and sandwiches. Listen to live music while watching the sunset from St. George Island.
Riverside Cafe
69 Riverside Dr, St. Marks, 850-925-5668; facebook.com/ontheriverstmarks
Watching the boaters glide by on the sparkling St. Marks River as you munch on lunch is the height of Riverside Cafe's coastal charm. The birds may swoop by and sometimes they invite themselves for dinner, but notice the sign: “Please do not feed the birds from inside the restaurant.” Still, it’s part of the relaxed atmosphere, along with the menu including a blackened grouper sandwich, seafood, chicken and burgers. The cafe, which has a giant tiki style thatched roof, gets its stone crab claws right off the boats when in season.
The Seineyard Rock Landing
99 Rock Landing Rd., Panacea; 850-713-0020; theseineyard.com/menu
Fans rave about the “outside-on-the-porch” dining, the relaxing atmosphere and the extensive menu, which includes oysters, fried seafood including mullet, catfish and other surf and turf choices. You might see a kitten or two perched on the rocks, in case something gets dropped. The tiki-style thatched roof juts into Dickerson Bay and boaters frequently tie up their boats and hop in for lunch.
Shucker’s Half-Shell Oyster Bar
4806 Jackson Cove, Tallahassee; 850-562-0944
Locals stop by this Lake Jackson outpost in Northwest Tallahassee to indulge in smoked mullet or amberjack, oysters, blackened catfish and steamed Gulf shrimp. You can also grab a burger or chili dog. Shucker's Half-Shell Oyster Bar's screened-in porch and deck offer a peaceful view of Lake Jackson, depending on the fickle water levels. When the lake is full, boaters can pull right up to the restaurant.
Trident
107 Mississippi Ave., Panacea; open 5-9 p.m. Wed-Thurs and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri - Sun?; trident850.com
The Poseidon theme is fitting at Trident, a sea-to-table restaurant that opened in 2023 on Dickerson Bay in Panacea. Brothers Jesse and Tyler Rice, who own the farm-to-table Backwoods Crossing in Tallahassee, wanted to return to their coastal roots with a vision to showcase southern ingredients in interesting ways.
With a spectacular view of the marshy bay, the restaurants dishes up a splashy brunch with menu items like Seafood Heaven (blackened shrimp, stuffed crab balls, sausage, cheddar grits and crispy onion slivers) and Indecisive, Hungover, & Starving (two over easy eggs, blackened Gulf shrimp, grits, bacon, sausage, home fries and sausage gravy). The just-right Grouper PoBoy comes with tender blackened grouper, lettuce and tomato. Saturday happy hour features $3 Bloody Marys. Selections from the main Rations menu include Crab Stuffed Grouper and Dirty Gator Rice.
Up the Creek Raw Bar
313 Water St., Apalachicola; 850-653-2525; upthecreekrawbar.com
Head upstairs, pick a table, then kick back. The informal family restaurant offers covered and uncovered decks to appreciate a lovely view of the bay. Up the Creek Raw Bar's menu features oysters from Cedar Key raw or steamed, with choices such as Oysters Ukraine (made with creamy horseradish sauce and caviar), conch fritters, seafood combos and chef’s specials.
Rochelle Koff of Tallahassee Table contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 14 favorite waterfront restaurants worth a drive from Tallahassee
