Backwaters is Sand Keys best kept secret! We stopped at Backwaters for before dinner drinks and ended up getting a table overlooking the water and ordering dinner as well. The staff was fantastic, the owner introduced himself and we felt like family instantly...like we've been coming there for years. The atmosphere was casual and relaxed and the food was fabulous. We couldn't ask for more. it was a truly magical experience. read more

Happy hour was fantastic & the drinks were perfect I ordered my favorite cold weather drinks a hot hot toddy with whiskey. Jack Daniel whiskey is on happy hour for under $5.00 what a great deal The birthday boy love the surf! read more

The food and drinks are always on point. The bartenders are fun with a little attitude great local place. Try the tuna salad it's one of the best read more

Stopped in here yesterday and it was like Cheers, where everyone knows each other. Hi t was super casual and everyone (workers and patrons) was incredibly friendly. We ordered the sloppy shrimp sandwich and lobster rolls. Everything was great ! read more

This place has a beautiful view and great service. We came early so we wouldn't have to wait and that worked well for us, but I am just not impressed with the food we got the nachos and they were $14 which was so not worth it so skip that the backwaters burger was not very good. The drinks were okay but not special. Not impressed. read more

Great location. Loved the menu. Max took care of us. Thank you Max. My grouper was cooked perfectly. We began with Oysters. Tasty and tender. What an experience. Relax and enjoy the experience read more

Still a dang good fish sandwich. I had Mahi this time. Happy hour drink was good too. Had to sit at the bar and luckily I was able to sit, the place was way too crowded for my liking. read more

Wife and I came here for lunch starving and left stuffed. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, great scenary, good drinks. My wife had the fish tacos blackened and a philly for me. Both great and a lot of food. We will be coming back again. read more

Backwaters on Sand Key - Seafood Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Tried again and ordered the grouper, was terrible....it's been over a year since last visit....I would have thought they would get their shit together by now...I guess when you make food for old tourist with no pallet you can get away with making awful food...I am a local and live .5 mile away....too bad for them cause I spend a lot on food and drinks read more

The Seafood Lunch, Caesar Salad w/Salmon & Key Lime Pie were excellent You must try the Lobster Bisque! Our server Tessa B. was delightful. The view was outstanding even at at night! We are planning to return within the next day or two! read more

If you could leave a negative five star review I would. Confirmed a reservation for a wedding party five hours in advance only to be refused service when we arrived during a rainstorm. They offered us no option... wouldn't even let us break up in separate groups... then we heard the "Greeters" calling us names as we tried to find an alternative. VERY unprofessional..... we are locals and all live within 15 minutes of the restaurant with senior citizens and children . You can definitely find a better option. read more

We called ahead to let them know we would have a large wedding party they said we might have a wait. We get there and they absolutely refused our service. They were outright rude and will never get my business!!!!!! read more

Came here for lunch before heading to the beach. Decent mahi sandwich with a nice patio with good views of the intercostal.

The view here is excellent. Been here multiple times. Great menu killer shrimp cocktail or peel and eat. I had the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Great sandwich. Drinks are excellent read more

We have been going to Backwaters for many years! We love their happy hour, shrimp and nachos. Today it was different they increased all their prices, scallop app was $18, a salad $14 and peel/eat shrimp $11 (from $5.50). Be creative and come up with bar bites $5-$7 specials: caprese salad, a couple scallops grilled, potato skins or wings. Chicken sandwich was dry and very small as I'm gluten free so no bun. That is the other thing..where are the GF options? No GF pasta, No GF bun, No options on menu Best of luck to the new owners, Sand Key is a unique place! read more

Our dinner selections were delicious and the attentive service was amazing! Views were great too! :)

I guess we saved the best for last. Backwater's was our last place to eat before we left out the following morning. My wife had the special of the day, alfredo tortellini which was recommended by the server. It was delicious. I had a perfectly fried shrimp basket. The service was attentive and simply great. We will definitely be when we are in the area! read more

Backwater was amazing. Aiden ur waiter is such attentive and food was excellent. I would totally recommend this for a great view and meal.

This was such a pleasant surprise. The water view was nice and food was excellent. Aiden was our server and did a great job. We loved it.

Went here for lunch on Friday 2/25. I ordered the grouper sandwich with French fries for $18.00. The piece of grouper was puny, maybe the size of a deck of cards on a roll about twice as big. There were about a dozen fries that were small pieces. You know the fries at the bottom of the basket. It had a tartar for the sauce and two pieces of lettuce and two slices of unripe tomato. I was so disappointed and felt ripped off. I mean no attempt at presentation or value. Will never go back or recommend this place. Also parking is an issue. I will say that the waitress was nice. Go to Crabby Bills a few miles south. Great environment and value. read more

Oh boy oh boyohboy. Wings were absurdly perfect followed by a huge anniversary burger. Oh so many Endorphins flooded me after a day at the beach and now i am fully spent in an American food afterglow. #hugenap read more

Backwaters on Sand Key - Tequila Sunrise - Seafood Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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Another great spot on Sand Key. The service was quick and friendly, excellent happy hour offers, and the food was great. Can't beat those views either! read more

I would give this place 10 stars if I could- AMAZING! Sean from Merry Mouse recommended this place, and we are so thankful he did. We had Max as our server- such awesome service! Food and drinks were really good too, but Max is what made the experience as awesome as it was. Jeb the manager was also friendly and amazing. We had such a great time we came back a second night and had Sara as our server- she was also amazing and friendly! Seriously the most excellent service we have had in a long time. Thank you Max, Sara, and Jeb! We are from Los Angeles but next time we are back in Clearwater we will definitely be back here! UPDATE- 6/18/20- another great experience at Backwaters! This time we had sweet Linda as our server- she is amazing as well! We were leaving Clearwater and decided to eat here before we left and we are so glad we did. Thank you again! We will be back! read more

Found this lical's spot by chance, and am very glad I did. Visited during dinner and place was near capacity at about 6pm. Patrons were mostly middle aged or older, but that's how you know it's legit! I ordered fish tacos (pro tip, change out the catfish for grouper for a few dollar upcharge), and a happy hour plate of oysters. Grouper was delicious and blackened perfectly, fries were piping hot and seasoned just right, and oysters were fresh and meaty. I'll be back and recommend others try this hidden gem! read more

While I used to like this place and was here most every weekend, their changes with the valet service are for the worse. Here we are in off-season (jun 11) on a Sunday. At 1 pm. I catch a guy pulling out and attempt to take his non-valet spot. The valet blocks me. Says it's a valet spot. Total scam in what once was a public lot for all the people who wanted to visit the sand key shops. read more

Manager, Jeb, and staff work hard to ensure your dinner is memorable. Jeb and our server, Linda, graciously accommodated us for a Wednesday night dinner. Great cocktail menus and a delicious, creative menu help to make this stop worth your time while visiting Sand Key. We ordered the fisherman's platter and crab cakes and couldn't have been more pleased. What a delicious meal in a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself. Thanks again to Jeb and Linda for a fantastic dinner with my family! read more

Stumbled upon this place during happy hour and all I can say is WOW!! Got the sliders and chicken tenders for my kids, which was a ton of food. I got the shrimp tacos and I really don't even know how to describe how great they were.. seriously... try them! My husband got the mahi mahi and it was good! My tacos were better though lol. They serve bread before dinner and the butter is LIFE! Super recommend this place! read more

The view was beautiful the service was average and the food was terrible. I ordered their grouper special, The grouper was OK the crab meat that was supposed to be on top looked and tasted like cat food and all for $46. Don't waste your money. read more

Had dinner here last night on recommendation from a client. First off, our waiter was excellent and the location is great. The food was average at best but the prices were ridiculous! Fish and chips, fried shrimp and fries, slice of dessert to share and 2 drinks $103 to put it in perspective my wife and I ate at Bascoms chop house last Saturday and dinner for 2 with appetizers and dessert was $137 for a night and day experience. Do not recommend. read more

We rolled up pretty late (around 9pm) and we're seated immediately on the water. We were tended to quickly but unfortunately informed they were out of pasta (a main course favorite) and fajita shells (the special for the night) - they were open until 11 so not sure what they were thinking. We "settled" with the calamari appetizer and steak/shrimp meal. It did not disappoint. Max, server, was on top of it and even sent an item back to the chef before it hit the table. Overall, great experience. read more

We had this Patty melt for St. Patty's day and it was fuckin delicious, and the Tuesday run punches! read more

Backwaters on Sand Key - Patty Melt - Seafood Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Went for lunch with our kids- great wings (Cajun dry rub is spicy and delicious), lobster bisque and raw oysters, solid drink specials and good service! Kids are everything and we were able to enjoy a few drinks and lunch in peace before the kids demanded to go back to the pool! read more

Would have given it 3 stars if the price was reasonable. The seafood was terrible and dry. We tried several different seafood options and they were all over cooked. Never again. read more

We were sent here by a friend. Good place for a quick bite and drink. Bar and Pub food type restaurant residing at the end of a strip mall. Nice deck out back with a view of the intercoastal waterway and wildlife. We tried the famous Blackened Bacon Wrapped Scallops, they were very good, the appetizer version came with 5 large juicy scallops. I ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich and coleslaw, which was a large piece of fried chicken and hot sauce with a buttermilk dressing that went well on the sandwich. My wife had the Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich and fries, she said the sandwich was good, and again the a dressing, we think a honey mustard, was well paired with the meal, she used it on her sandwich as well as her fries . Both meals were good. Not fine dining, but the food is solid, service was average. read more

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An excellent experience here at Backwaters. We didn't have a reservation, but they asked us to wait a moment and before we knew it we were being been shown to a table. Looked after by Jeb, we ordered and sat back to enjoy our meal. I ordered the Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos, which were delicious. I'd highly recommend these, which can be found on the seasonal small plate menu. The slaw had a nice subtle kick to it. The avocado and wild rice a bonus. My hubby ordered the New York strip steak and thought a lot of it, said it was very tasty. And cooked perfectly. Backwater was very busy, but they are a well oiled machine and the place runs very smoothly. I marvelled at how they served every table promptly, while getting new patrons seated quickly. I would definitely return to Backwaters if I ever return to the area. Five stars, easy. read more

Backwaters on Sand Key - Blackened Mahi Tacos. Very tasty. Recommended. - Seafood Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Great food! Excellent Service! Casual atmosphere. We started with the lobster egg rolls, ordered the Captain's Platter, blackened, and the Fish and Chips for entrees; both were excellent, and finished with the Apple Nut Carmel Pie which was wonderful. We were seated promptly and received great service throughout our visit. This restaurant is definitely recommended. read more

Wonderful place. We have been going there for 3 years now. Sea food is so high quality. Fast service. And my favorite is sangria!!!!!

We wanted to try a new place today and Backwaters was the spot. It's in Clearwater Beach but not the nightmarish impossible-to- park section of Clearwater Beach. It's in the Sand Key Area next to Columbia restaurant with a nice civilized free parking lot. We elected to eat outside so as to enjoy the view. As far as COVID-19 precautions they are doing a nice job of spacing tables out and wearing masks. Our waiter Andrew was friendly and provided good service. We ordered the seafood martini as an appetizer to share (it's actually an entree sized salad) which is served in a huge upside down martini glass which they do the "voila" reveal and lift it off. My photo shows salad after reveal. The salad was pretty good. A few missteps were overcooking the sea scallops and using frozen instead of fresh strawberries. You can taste the difference. We still enjoyed most of it and enjoyed our glasses of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with it. The wines by the glass selection was pretty good and not too overpriced. For lunch we had the blackened seafood platter with the catfish with fries and coleslaw. We also ordered the house burger with blue cheese and fries, medium rare. Burger arrived with bacon on it which I did not ask for, but we forced ourselves to eat it anyway, lol. Burger was good quality meat cooked perfectly to medium rare. I am gluten free so asked for burger to be lettuce wrapped which they accommodated. The fries were good and not coated in gluten containing coating so that was a bonus round for me. The blackened platter was a good size portion with fish cooked very well but again the scallops were overdone, shrimp was good and hubby liked the blackened seasoning. Bravo on the coleslaw. It was fresh and didn't contain raisins or pineapple - our personal pet peeve- lots of local places add wrong tasting fruit to their coleslaw. So to sum up we enjoyed the meal. We'd go back and try some of their other offerings. read more

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We went during happy hour and the oysters were so yummy! We bought 4 dozens. The price is very reasonable and delicious. We stayed at the hotel next door so we just walked there. read more

Backwaters on Sand Key - Seafood Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Talk about great service- this place does it right. I've been there 3 times in as many weeks and the service has been consistently friendly and the atmosphere is welcoming. The Buffalo Grouper nuggets are my favorite so far, along with the Martini salad (check out the pic- it's old school huge martini glass amazing) The view is so great- sit out on the deck and enjoy. Food prices are slightly high, but drinks are reasonable. Check it out if you're in the Sand Key area. read more

Backwaters on Sand Key - Mangotini salad - Seafood Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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