I had my family in town and told them this would be a great restaurant to go together. More authentic and not a chain, you know, to help the local economy. Big mistake. HUGE. Apparently we were not supposed to open the umbrella at our table? There was no sign or anyway to know this but an angry man told us "you should have F*CKING known". Very confused and somewhat apologetically at first, I asked if there was a sign we had missed and he held up the bungee cord and said "ya, here's your f*cking sign"....In front of my three year old and conservative family he had zero issues dropping F bombs but he's apparently too lazy to just remove the umbrellas. He's obviously more concerned about the free Bud Light umbrellas than the coue hundred dollars from a party of 9. Stupidity. read more

Great seafood, pleasant atmosphere. Live music most weekends. On the water. They serve most beers and drinks. By the fishing station in Cortez village. read more

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I'm a local and have been going to CK for several years. The service has gotten progressively worse and yesterday took the prize. The tables are as close together as they ever were. The bartender and most of the staff was not wearing masks. We sat at a picnic table just outside the deck. We were there for over an hour and not once did a server approach us. We went to the bar to get one round of drinks and waited. One of the wait staff, when we were able to finally get ones attention, told us they were really slammed and they don't serve the picnic tables. Uh no, that's not been our previous experience. Don't waste your time. There are plenty of other places that play live music and have better food and service. read more

We stopped at this place on a Saturday night but could not get a table due to the great live music. We decided to stop by on Sunday for lunch and we were glad we did. We enjoyed the shrimp, scallops, soft shell crab sandwich, and Mahi sandwich. All seafood cooked well and the price well. Service was excellent and we enjoyed all the pelicans hanging around. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Stopped here for lunch on a Saturday. It's located next to fishing boats on the water, so the seafood was fresh. I got the buffalo grouper and my husband the popcorn shrimp basket. Both were excellent choices, we would definitely return if in this area again. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

This place has a very laid back vibe to it. Being on the water the view is very pretty and relaxing, especially on nights when the have bands perform. It is outside seating only but with the ocean breeze it feels night (especially at sunset). The bands are always good and the staff is very kind. The food and drinks are enjoyable, very worth it to visit with all these factors combined. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

The atmosphere is great and the oysters were good but the shrimp basket was Seapak shrimp. Disappointing.

I've been here on a number of occasions. The establishment is more of a bar type place so don't expect anything fancy. The food is fine but only if you get certain menu items. By far, the food to get is the grouper bites - lightly breaded, deep fried deliciousness. A "school" of ~12 will cost you about $9 and one could easily smash two orders of them. Also, be prepared to wait at least an hour for you food! There's even a sign posted that says the wait will be an hour. Pro tip: simply order grouper bites ahead of time and get them to-go. Overall = 3. Grouper bites = 5. read more

AWFUL, JUST STINKING AWFUL. My wife and I went there for lunch. She had the fish tacos $10.00 and I had the grilled chicken sandwich $10.00 and we both had water. Service was good. Wife's tacos.... where was the fish? For ten bucks there should have been at least a couple more ounces. It was sparse at best. Very little lettuce and cheese and the damned tortilla shell was stale. Now my grilled chicken.....%#^~_|_8-6. REALLY! Nice cut but so over cooked. Not supple and moist. Garnish was fresh but the mayonnaise you can tell was not covered when put into those little soufflé cups. It was yellowish on top. Hey guys, you know how they make mayonnaise? EGGS..... Health hazard. My side was mac n cheese. Looked like it was made yesterday. Pasta was over cooked and what the hell was that yellow stuff? Oh cheese whiz I think. Now they serve this garbage up in plastic and plastic utensils. Wow. Sitting in a boatyard with a freaking dog running around (cute mutt) but clearly a beggar does not lend me to think that their menu is worthy of the prices they charge. Avg price was at least $15.00 for most items on the menu. And then top this off with an industrial fan blowing on us. Think I will come back? Not very likely. read more

Awesome little restaurant next to a fishing village. The staff are very friendly and the food was great. Beers were cold and went down fast. Can't beat it. read more

Been going to the Kitchen for a while. Generally been happy but yesterday was inexcusable. Our waitperson dropped a tray of our drinks and proceeded to ignore the broken glass. We picked it up. Then after returning with replacements she dropped that tray as well. After telling us the kitchen was closed we didn't see her again ( for 2.5 hours). But we got food at the bar. Very disappointing. read more

This was our last stop from a fantastic weekend getaway in Anna Maria; my boyfriend and I were looking for a quick bite and some drinks. Fortunately, Cortez Kitchen was on our way to the condo. The restaurant is located near the marina as well as a seafood market so we knew we were in for some fresh seafood. We were promptly seated and within 30 seconds our server came to greet us. There live music ;however the music was not too loud or obnoxious. The decor is rustic and I would not recommend the restaurant for a romantic dinner or a business meeting. The atmosphere is extremely casual and relaxed, very beachy-like. We went ahead and ordered the rum runners which were AMAZING!. Then we ordered the Grouper Reuben with onion rings and my boyfriend ordered the Grouper BBQ Bacon Cheddar with french fries. Both of the items were fabulous and may I add the onion rings were amazingly fresh and huge!. Overall, the service was outstanding, prices are very reasonable, the atmosphere is very relaxed and most importantly the food is AMAZING!. read more

I went to this place with my wife and son for lunch. 12pm. It was pretty good. We enjoyed it. The view is nothing special. It's in a bit of an industrial area. That being said, the food was pretty good. Mozzarella sticks were good but the dipping sauce was cold. But overall I would say it was decent. We had grouper sangwiches. I would go back but I wouldn't rush to get back. Knam sayn? At least it's not on the island so we avoided those crowds. read more

My husband and I came here two nights in a row due to a delicious grouper dinner the first night and our envy of the tables around us who ordered the royal red shrimp. Service was great on the first night and was spotty on the second, although it was less busy and we had the same waitress. We ordered the royal red shrimp on night 2. We were aware that we would be peeling each shrimp but were surprised that the shrimp were not deveined. This made for a very unpleasant, messy, unappetizing eating experience on our cramped table. Definitely not what we had in mind when paying $20+ per meal. My recommendations - stick with the grouper or a meal that doesn't require work after being served and order the hush puppies. Also, prepare to be surrounded by smoke because smoking is allowed. read more

Kind of hard to locate, but worth it. Right on the water, surrounded by fishing boats, and a commercial boat yard. Good seafood. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

We came here for lunch on Saturday with relatives who spend the winter in the area and heard this place was pretty good, so they wanted to take us. It's in an out-of-the-way spot off the main road. Let's politely call it "authentic" or just plain not very fancy. Who cares it was kind of a cool place with outdoor and quasi-outdoor seating. We got seated straight away but 15 minutes or so later all the tables were taken on a perfect Saturday afternoon. The lunch menu wasn't huge and had a lots of seafood but other stuff as well (prime rib sandwich?). Between the four of us we had popcorn shrimp, coconut shrimp, grouper ruben, grits, cole slaw, onion rings and hush puppies. I am happy to report all were very good. Being from Connecticut I'm not an expert on southern cooking but I order grits and hush puppies whenever I can. These seemed pretty decent to me. This is definitely more of a beer place than a wine place and they had a decent beer selection. The service was efficient and our server was pleasant. Prices were reasonable for what you get. Overall this was exactly what we wanted in a lunch spot. read more

The music tonight definitely added to the ambiance... basic outdoor bar with expensive seafood choices that would be just tasty enough for the chef not to be sent home on Master Chef. Prices are on the more expensive side for the type of place it positions itself to be, but when the band is right it makes up for it. Waitress was very good but split between the two areas of the place, so she wasn't always coming through with extras asked for... but couldn't blame her for running back and forth that things would slip through the cracks. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

Dropped in for some late lunch. Was surprised to see a performer playing guitar and singing. He was OK - mostly 70's & 80's rock songs. Seating is covered but outdoors. It was a cooler day so that was not a problem. Ordered peel & eat shrimp and calamari. Both were good but the shrimp could have used a bit more seasoning. Husband's mixed drink somehow got spilled and waitress never even offered him a replacement, not even a cup of water. read more

My favorite restaurant in central Florida. Very laid back atmosphere with simple, quality seafood. Great service and the locals are always friendly and fun. I like the blackened grouper with cheese grits. Fried grouper sandwich is always a good option. Try the burgers if you are fished-out, best around. It's hard to pass on the fish, though, since you can watch it unloaded fresh off the boats. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

My favorite dinner of our recent trip to Anna Maria Island wasn't on the island at all... it was here! Like sitting under a thatched hut, and no great waterfront scenery (you're surrounded by commercial fishing companies), but decent live music and the freshest, most perfectly cooked seafood. The waitresses were friendly and they hustle, but service is still so-so. Because the atmosphere is nice and laid back, the wait was fine. I had the grilled seafood combo, which was out of this world - my sister had grilled shrimp and my mom had grilled grouper. Nothing fancy, just well-seasoned, well-prepared and ultra fresh seafood. Not even sure if they offer dessert - by the time we were finished, there were lots of people ready to pounce on our table. High quality dive - recommend it! read more

Just moved to the area. I knew some locals already, and this place was recommended many times over. And I will add myself to that list. Its rustic, casual, unpretentious, hole in the wall, good. For what it presents itself to be, its the best. Good place to have a drink and relax, and good place for fresh seafood. They do apparently have burgers, but I can't help but order seafood when I come here. Their peel and eat shrimp is the bomb, and so are the grouper bites. I'll update as I continue to try more of their menu. They keep the menu simple, and they let the flavor of the (sea)food come thru. I think if you are looking for fancy dishes with complicated sauces and such, you are in the wrong place. As for the comment about the strong fish smell from another reviewer...the restaurant is on the bay, its outdoors and there is no air conditioning. To some degree, the fish aroma is unavoidable. Its almost part of the atmosphere. Perhaps that day it was particularly pungent, but its not a detractor. I plan to become a regular at the Cortez Kitchen. read more

Had the royal red shrimp meal, a skewer of eight big ones, fresh off the boat with drawn butter, very tasty. The fries could have been hotter but the rings were good. Staff very friendly. Heads up this is a smoking allowed establishment so if you don't partake you may want to sit on the sidelines of the dock, yes outside dining. read more

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

Smell of rotten fish during our entire meal, yuck yuck yuck. It's next to a fish market, so it stinks really bad and on top of it all there was a giant pile of oyster shells to be thrown out baking in the sun and attracting flies and adding to the stench. The food was really plain and needed roumelade or something for flavor. I gave it an extra star BC the seafood is fresh, clean restroom, the location by the water and it's diners were all so friendly and nice; felt like I was eating on someone's deck. The smell was just so bad we couldn't get out of their fast enough, but the service was so slow. The whole smelly meal took an hour and a half from start to finish. read more

Fun happy hour. $2 coronas and wells. &7.50 terriaki wings. Food was fresh and fun. Service was great. Fresh grouper sandwiches. Soft shell crab. read more

Low key and more of a locals place than the other couple restaurants nearby. The buffalo grouper nuggests are simply fantastic. Partner them with the hush puppies and a rum drink. Bartenders are always very personable. They officially don't allow dogs but I've seen a few well behaved ones there. read more

I'm a bit torn. This place certainly has the authentic factor on its side: it sits in a historic fishing village right in the middle of a working commercial fishing plant (you'll see the fishermen & their catch come in towards the end of the day). On any given day, you'll have more locals than tourists, mostly drinking cheap beer at the bar. Food-wise, however, there isn't a whole lot to brag about. I came back a couple of weeks ago and Stone Crabs were in season--which you just can't mess up--delicious. Everything else was just ok. The fried oysters had way too much breading and the okra just wasn't crispy enough. That aside, the food (and especially the beer) is cheap, the atmosphere is as real as it gets, and I'm sure I'll go back. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

We did not enjoy the dinner. Flys were all over us and the coconut shrimp tasted burnt. The best thing we ate was chicken wings and the total bill was $134 read more

Cortez Kitchen - The coconut shrimp tasted burnt - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

If you love the feel of casual, port side dining, this is the place. They have pink shrimp on the menu which is a delicious, creamy tasting shrimp. Comes close to a lobster flavor. They have a happy hour with beer and wine specials and a very friendly staff. Take a walk around the docks when the fishing boats are coming in and enjoy the fantastic sunset! read more

Cortez Kitchen - Sunset. - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

This was probably the best blackened grouper I've ever had. Veggies were cooked perfectly, however, don't get the mac and cheese. It is I swear to you Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I love that they have a band. Music was great. Overall a wonderful experience. Nothing fancy but casual and easy. Will be back read more

Thank you, friends on Yelp! We took a Yelper recommendation and went to this fun restaurant, took another rec and ordered the seafood platter to split, and took a final recommendation to have the key lime pie. We loved the fishing village atmosphere, the friendly staff and service, and a delicious meal! They have real fresh seafood and a great homemade pie! We want to come back on a bright, sunny day to eat out on the pier! read more

Cortez Kitchen - Great Florida fishing village atmosphere. - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

What a cool little place! Don't let the looks fool you, step up and grab a table and be prepared to enjoy a wonderful evening! Staff was wonderful and served drinks and food promptly. The food was delicious. Tried the seafood platter and ordered it blackened which was a treat! To top off a great evening they had a nice local trio that covered everything from Bob Marley to the Bee Gees! I think the sign out front should read Welcome to the Cortez Kitchen, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Bra ... No Problem!! read more

Cortez Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

A nice place very laid back I like the Hawaiian style. I had the Mahi Mahi sandwich and it was good. Located right near the fishing docs so the fish is fresh everyday and the beers cold. So depends on what you're looking for it's not fancy shmancy but its good food. read more

Came for late Sunday lunch. Great onion rings, breaking doesn't separate from the onion. Good burger and very juicy and flavorful grilled chicken. Hush puppies were great too. Nice beer selection. Lots of seafood. Cool view from the deck. Live jazz was playing. The band had a really nice and lively sound. Loved them. read more

I'm not sure what happened to the quality of food but we ate here yesterday and their special shrimp dinner was terrible. Bitter tasting and did not taste fresh. For the cost it was not worth it. Steamed broccoli was great, though. I should have eaten next door at Swordfish Grill. 80 for 3 people. If you want old Florida ambiance and want to drink and listen to the great music, go for it. That part was fine. I won't be eating here anytime soon. read more

Nice laid back feel - open shack - food served on plastic baskets, plates and cutlery. A few 'salty dogs' propping up the bar. good friendly and attentive waitresses - happy to chat thru menu and make recommendations. We started with coconut shrimp. Tasty but a little greasy. I had red royale shrimp special - 8 large ones on 2 skewers served with melted butter, and choice of sides. Good and tasty. I had fries and coleslaw - both fine. Hubbie had grilled snapper- good but nothing wow . Would go again if we wanted fish. Don't remember much else being on the menu. read more

Cortez Kitchen - Cocoanut shrimp with odd dipping sauce - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Food is good. Live music is good. Service on the other hand leaves quite a bit to be desired. Older woman server in there is just flat rude. Will not be back. read more

Marginal food and worst service in the world and they had the nerve to add an over 25% tip to the bill. Asked the owner about it and he said they don't add a specific amount. To top it off they calculated the tip on the bit and tax which is wrong. It possible the owner can't do simple math and that's the reason for the outrageous tip calculated. One way or another this place is a definite ever do again. read more

We always try to eat here at least once when we spend a week or two in Bradenton and Annamaria Island. It is a local place more informal and lower price than the sword fish which is right next-door. Both restaurants are right on the water where the fishing boats come in in the morning. I would definitely recommend the fish except on Saturday nights when they also have steaks. I would recommend trying your fish fried because they do a great job with a light batter and serve it piping hot. All the fish was caught that morning. I am especially partial to their softshell crab sandwich. Served on a bun with a great homemade Cajun sauce. read more

Food was great Buffalo grouper and hush puppies were the stars of the show. Food would get 5 stars but service, lack of social distancing, no masks on servers and cooks brought rating down. Final straw, despite the clean air act patrons at the bar were smoking. Because of that we wont return. read more

Good entertainment. Really great atmosphere for seafood. Really great seafood. The real surprise was the burgers. Among the best I've had. Given the owner has a midwest farm background, I guess he wanted to bring a little of that to his customers. read more