When visiting this area of Florida one thing that you should always eat is fresh seafood. Cortez, the town is known for fresh seafood. This restaurant was located down a small street by some boats near water and you just knew that whatever seafood you were getting was going to be the freshest, especially the grouper and the mahi-mahi. The seating is all outside and they have live music. You can easily tell that this is a local favorite because they were lots of tables of people that seemed to not have a care in the world and just enjoying life. Our server came over and quickly offered us water and gave us suggestions of what to order from the menu. I wound up having a grilled grouper sandwich which was delicious and so big that I couldn't even finish it. The other item we ordered was the blackened fish tacos with the truffle mashed potatoes. It was a little strange to see mashed potatoes on the menu, but man they were so yummy. The tacos were delicious as well. I wish they had beer on draft, but it was fine that they didn't. The cocktail menu also looked really good. I will say that based on the time of day we went there were some mosquitoes out but that's Florida and it's not the restaurant fault. This is definitely a restaurant. We will keep in mind when we are down here again. read more

Sit at the bar and hopefully you will have Mariah as a bartender or sit at table with her as a server. Very efficient and with a beautiful smile. read more

Seafood with a view is what you get at Cortez kitchen. Outdoor seating with large fans cooling the area. It was super pleasant to sit outside and enjoy the breeze on the bay. We were seated fairly quickly and our server was super nice and prompt checking on us frequently. We went on a Wednesday night to do the crab special 3 and a 1/2 pounds with corn, sausage and potatoes. It was a large portion and the crab was good, but was really hard to get the meat out of. For the quantity and the price, it was a good deal, but we have had better crab in the past. The grouper sandwich and hush puppies were good as well, but definitely not the best we have had on the island. Overall it was a good experience. Give them a try if you are in the area. read more

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We decided to stop here for lunch based on a recommendation from a friend. We ordered a fried mahi sandwich that came with fries and a bowl of their daily special which was Fisherman's Stew. Add a coke and a beer and the bill came to $40 before the tip. The sandwich was very oily like the filet hadn't been drained properly after coming out of the deep fryer. It was edible but only after removing most of the breading. The fries were pretty good. The Fisherman's stew was a small bowl of soup with a few small chucks of fish and some cut up vegetables. It didn't make for much of a lunch and I left hungry. Overall it was a disappointing experience and we won't be going back. They have a full bar, inside and outside seating and free parking. The service was OK and even though they advertise being on the water, you're sandwiched between a couple of buildings and there isn't much of a view. Two stars. read more

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Really fun outdoor restaurant!! They have indoor and outdoor dining and the outdoor dining overlooks the water with direct views to Sarasota. They have lots menu items that are seafood and not seafood and a nice drink menu. If you're going for dinner or brunch, I would recommend making reservations as they get busy. I had the shrimp & grits, was delicious! A special thank you to our server, Arizona, she made our lunch very extra fun- her service is superb!! read more

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A local favorite! Great food, casual ambience and live music on the weekends! We havent had a bad meal here. read more

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we had another amazing night at the kitchen! sunset views, amazing service and live music - i had the new chicken bowl which had a terryaki base with rice and pickled red onions which i loved! such a great vibe we love this place!! read more

Cortez Kitchen - chicken bowl - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Not too many options if you don't want or can't have seafood, obviously it's a seafood place so no complaints I get it. Seat yourself. Good for a lunch. Burger was alright read more

Great food! Friendly staff! Grilled Scallops & asparagus on lemon risotto is a must!!!! Go early to get a good seat! read more

We have been fond of Snow Crabs for many years. We have been meaning to go to the Cortez Kitchen for the Wednesday night special for sometime and we decided to go last night. They have outside and inside seating. The outside area is on the water and you can watch the birds. The place was busy but we found a table (seat yourself). The server came over with the menus and took our order for drinks. We didn't really need a menu as we were there to try the Crabs. Looking at the menu we were made aware that the restaurant offers a nice variety of food. Our order was delivered quickly and we enjoyed every morsel of the crab legs. You will thoroughly enjoy this well kept secret in this quiet fishing village and the amazing crab legs We Highly Recommend the Cortex Kitchen. You will not be dissapointed. read more

Cortez Kitchen - The Remains after a Great meal - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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We went for a couple of drinks and an appetizer. Drinks were good (Modelo and Nutril) and reasonably priced. The appetizer....crispy calamari was very good. Wait staff was also very good. read more

Wednesdays are snow crab starting at 3PM. We ordered a 2.5 and 1.5 pound meal. I had two miller lites and my wife had a sweet tea. The finger potatoes were very good. Crab was good. Bill with tip was $95. Great views of a working dock When they say casual they mean it. Fun place with a cool vibe. Lots of locals. Worth a visit. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Snow Crab meal on Wednesday. - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

Beautiful, outdoor location. Always good food and friendly service. We had the shrimp appetizer and blackened fish sandwich, both were very good! read more

Love me some Cortez Kitchen. Great food in a laid back atmosphere. Excellent service with a smile. Asked for extra napkins and I got a roll of paper towels. To me that's awesome! read more

Absolutely love love love. The main reason we return to the village year after year is because of Cortez kitchen! Great service, the very best seafood you will find, and can we just do a shout out for Wednesday nights snow crab?! So so good, and the prices are so affordable! It is all outside, but even after the sun goes down it's very comfortable with all the heaters they have available. Thank you for once again making our vacation incredible! read more

Food is incredible. The grouper is fresh. Drinks are great. Great atmosphere. Kira was our server and she was wonderful!

This is a local small restaurant with good food. This place is mostly outside in the Cortez fishing village. Drinks are good and staff is friendly. They have local music on the weekend. I've had the huge hot chicken sandwich. I've had the honey chicken sandwich also. Both were crispy and delicious. My salad was good. My wife got the grouper bites . They were fresh. Our waitress was so much fun. read more

Get there early unless you want to sit in the hot sun. Blues night when we went & the music was good. Shrimp cocktail was flavorful & very large and tender. Blackened grouper sandwich was excellent. Remuolade was excellent. Would definitely go back. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Blackened Grouper Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Cortez Kitchen delivers local charm with delicious food. Kira our server is a pro. Took her time to explain how best to maximize the food selection. My summer salad with salmon was one of the best ever. The sandwiches are a large portion and worth the price. Frank Lombardi a local musician was playing which added to the experience. The dock location just makes the experience even more epic. Enjoy the adventure read more

Great food, fun atmosphere in a working fish port. Service was outstanding. Enjoyed blacken grouper with house salad, housemaid lemon vinaigrette. The menu had a large selection of sides. Steamed clams with great sauce was also delicious! read more

Always a great visit here. Love their hush puppies- as any of their items really a fantastic. Had the blackened grouper sandwich, friends had coconut shrimp ( awesome), lobster bisque soup... The "royal reds" shrimp are here- and just meaty and amazing... tasting like lobster meat. Full bar and lots of beer choices- pop a squat and just relax... probably my favorite place to just hang and have some drinks. Music on fridays and Sunday afternoons... always a good time too. Don't expect fancy- this is right on the water in Cortez... where the boats come in and drop their hauls. read more

Everything is great!! Hard to beat!!!!!Everything on the menu is delicious. Try it and you won't be disappointed

Snow crab Wednesday did NOT disappoint! Crab was fantastic! Fresh clams and calamari too! Service was quick and friendly. Definitely 5 stars. read more

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This place was recommended to us. The food was amazing good portions and the service was great too, we went on a Wednesday and they had the snow crab legs it looked very good. The ambience was nice not too loud. This is a family oriented restaurant. I definitely will go back! read more

Never disappoints. Seafood selection and quality is unmatched. Friendly service and laid back atmosphere makes for memorable dining.

Had a great lunch - it's been a few years since I was last in. Was a bit disappointed that red royal shrimp are no longer on offer. However the fresh gulf shrimp were very large and flavorful and as a treat " fried " shrimp worth the calories ! read more

Been coming here for years and watching the quality decline. Well,hello. Change is good! Menu, food quality, atmosphere much improved. Service was good as usual. Thank you. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Outdoor dining - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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The grouper Reuben and grouper bites were both amazing! DO NOT GET THE STEAK!! Service was mediocre, not real friendly and did not go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcome. read more

Food was "okay", had scallops, risotto, with asparagus. A little overcooked on the scallops(7) and they were very grainy, a chance you take when getting them, Risotto was great and the asparagus was cooked well, still had a good firmness to them. Other meal was Blackened Mahi, fries, and Caesar salad, Mahi was overcooked with little to no blackened flavor, fries were a little soggy, salad was good. Our waitress was very good, quick to get drink order, and checked up on us frequently. Restaurant is on the water, but nothing visible worth of seeing, unless you prefer looking at a boat marina. We might go back to give it a try again, but not a first choice. read more

What a great stop to eat and enjoy some drinks! Everything we ordered was on point! The gator bites and fish tacos were delicious! The truffle mashed potatoes were out of control! A must if you are in Cortez! read more

Good food that meets hunger needs. Very fresh fish and other. Decent selection of local brew with knowledgeable waitstaff Compared to what used to be there, this is a palace read more

The food was fair, but what got us aggravated was the hostess with long blonde hair that was standing in front of us backwards flipping her long hair all over the restaurant. tie your hair back. also they had dirty towels on the back counter where they get their drinks, not in a sanitized bucket and so called cleaning off tables with them. also wrapping silverware and picking them up by the ends that you eat from. another girl whatever she was supposed to to be walking around with her eyes closed and rubbing her eyes without washing her hands health department where are you? read more

What a nice hidden restaurant and bar! The owner, Shelby is very nice and charming. We had the red prawns, fried okra, fried oyster plate, grouper sandwich, mussels, fried grouper, clam chowder, and bunch of liquor!!! The drinks were plenty sweet and potent. The prawns were delicious and generous, but a tad pricey. The okra and the oysters were fantastic! But the clam chowder lacked flavor. The whole restaurant is situated on the docks of active fishing companies. It is waterside, so come prepared wearing pants, long shirts, and bug repellant. The tables are pretty gnarled and weathered, so be careful for splinters. read more

This was the most wonderful food experience we had in a while. We had fresh grouper, coconut rice, shrimp, and Cuban sandwich. Waiter Josh was super nice. Fast service. The restaurant is a little nook next to fishing dock, but is supper nice. And music was not loud and not overwhelming, we actually had a chance to have nice conversation. read more

Nice island dive bar atmosphere live music smaller establishment food was good got the Buffalo grouper sandwich. Greasy spoon ! Service was average. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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I just had dinner and drinks at Cortez kitchen for the first time. My drinks were good, the food was excellent. I recommend the scallops or the lobster quesadillas. Hush puppies were really good also! My server was named Kara. She was amazing! She was personable and very informative. She checked on our table quite often. I will be requesting her section the next time I am there read more

Good food and great entertainment! Very fun night! You can get on the waiting list before you arrive thete with the Yelp app.

Great experience at KC! Remodeled, New owners, New menu! Service by Hudson was excellent! My blackened grouper dinner was excellent! As Cortezians we appreciate the improvements! read more

Very casual dive bar, next to the marina. Appears to be a popular spot for locals. Stopped for beer and calamari (very tasty and fresh) to listen to the live music. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Outside patio. - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

3 1/2 stars. I had the grouper reuben (blackened) which was pretty good (though not the best I've ever had). Side fries were pretty forgettable (though I think they needed salt.) No interesting desserts. Props for the good live music. Service was ho-hum. read more