I'll tell you what... this place has some of the best seafood I've ever had. Not much about the ambience because I always go through the drive thru. Oh before I forget. Make sure you get the hush puppies! I promise you that you won't be disappointed! 5 stars from me! read more

We have visited the Lakeland location regularly since they opened. The food is excellent and the quality is consistent. Prices are reasonable. The staff is friendly. This is our favorite place to go. read more

Looks can be deceiving. The outside looks average but inside awaits Delicious seafood and good service.

I really enjoyed the food here. Everything was fresh and the customer service was A1. We ordered the crab boil which was good and flavorful, fried oysters , conch fritters , conch bites, and deviled crab. The only thing I didn't care for was the deviled crabs but the other food made up for it. If you order the conch make sure you get the special sauce they have to go with it. Service was quick and you can dine in or take to go. I will definitely be back. read more

See all

Ordered the fish and shrimp, place was busy but food came out fast and hot. Everything was excellent.

I visited Riverside Express Seafood earlier today for lunch and had a disappointing experienced. I ordered the Fish & Shrimp. The fish was rubbery and bland. The shrimp was also rubbery but did have a crisp and seasoned breading. I did not finish my food. The restaurant is also very expensive for fast food, $13.99 for my meal. Overall, I do not plan to visit again. read more

Riverside Express Seafood - Fish & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

Great food. Great service, oysters and shrimp were not greasy. Perfectly cooked. Highly recommend

Everything tasted stale and no sauces are provided so it's very dry . Also my whole order was incorrect. read more

Riverside Express Seafood - Dry No sauce Not even a lemon like it describes in order delivery options - Seafood Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

I saw the reviews and I drove out of my way to come here for dinner. Now I understand why they have such good reviews. The restaurant was clean and organized. The people behind the counter were cheerful and helpful. When the food arrives I was just blown away by how good it looked. It tasted just as good as it looked. Codfish and shrimp with french fries I highly recommend. read more

I enjoyed the fish. Their fish was very fresh, Just wasn't big on the sides. I'd go back for their seafood and maybe try different sides this time. read more

Hands down the best seafood in Lakeland. Unbelievable prices that put others to shame. My go to for visitors and comfort food...I have eaten here at least 30x and never had anything that wasn't perfectly prepared and top notch! Glad to see they have opened a 2nd location! read more

Idk how they make money! Their food is so cheap for seafood!! Amazing heavily seasoned food! Owners are super friendly with everyone. Restaurant is clean and well kept inside. I love these types of restaurants but most have bad reps for being dirty or no having seating. This has seats and super. Lean. You. An tell the owners care. My wife and I just moved here from palm beach county where we have a hooks seafood and we are so happy we found this spot to remind us of home. 100% recommend read more

I wanted shrimp scampi over pasta they said they could only do it over rice!!!, No I want shrimp scampi over pasta please , nope you can get it over rice!! I endup with shrimp Alfredo over pasta, I didn't care for it , it tasted out of a jar !!! I should have gone too Harry's it's alway's about customer satisfaction. Sad ;( read more

You can eat in but this is primarily a take out. Very good fish and fries. Fish appears to be coated with panco. Several fish options are offered from Halibut to Cod. They have a wide array of seafood options from clams, shrimp, etc. They also offer chicken wings. Prices are marginally fair. read more

Hot, fast and delicious if you want a good meal do consider them! The fish is cornmeal breaded and everything was super fresh! I called in my order and it was ready in less than 3 minutes upon my arrival. There is an eat in lobby and parking lot that holds about 8-12 cars. read more

Very good seafood. Fast service. Great locations. I go there often, my family turned me on to this restaurant.

Food and service are both very good. I'm a big fan of the shrimp pasta and they have some great desserts.

If Yelp separated fast food seafood establishments from non-fast food seafood restaurants, 5 stars would have been earned. However, that's not how Yelp functions. Definitely a fine fast food business. This location is #2 of three locations. The original Riverside Express Seafood is in Tampa, & the newest addition is located in Zephyrhills. (I've now visited all three.) All locations are owned & managed separately; however, they are "family/friend owned," according to extremely friendly & professional Haleem-- who could not have been nicer. He's definitely a PLUS to this company. I decided to try the most popular item on the menu-- the #7 Fish & Shrimp w/ a side (coleslaw). I opted to add a second size (black beans), & I selected grouper as my fish. I admit to not being a big fan of fried foods. (Other than sweet potato fries & whole belied clams, I rarely eat fried foods.) But as fast food goes, my fried grouper planks were large, moist, tender, & flavorful. My shrimp were fresh & also flavorful. However, due to the same batter being used on both foods, there was too little difference between the fish & the shrimp-- just too similar in taste for me. The canned black beans (touched up before presenting) were fine. The coleslaw was very good; I'd order it again. Fish choices here are : BASA, TILAPIA, CATFISH, COD, HADDOCK, & GROUPER (the latter @ $3 more). SIDES offered are: french fries, yellow rice, garden salad, garlic potato, 2-pc boiled egg, corn, black beans, coleslaw, & 6-pc hushpuppies. APPETIZERS include: oysters, scallops, calamari rings, 1-pc Basa fish, 6-pc conch fritters, & 15-pc large shrimp. Soda, iced teas, bottle water, cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, red velvet cake, & chocolate cake are on the menu, along w/ a total of 12 ENTREES, devil crab, clam strips, conch, 5 wings, homemade crab cake, & 10 large shrimp. A patron who frequents this clean dining room told me that she is a "regular" who consistently orders the #4 Shrimp Pasta @ $10.99. She's also enjoyed the $10.99 #3 Shrimp Scampi, but can't say enough about the delicious Shrimp Pasta. I stopped in because I was in town on business & noticed this high-ranking eatery had few interior & exterior pics. I left w/ some pretty decent fried fast food. Word has it this place is hopping in the late evenings. (It closes at 11 PM.) If Haleem continues to greet customers, I have no doubt Riverside Express Seafood's excellent online ratings will continue:) read more

See all

Food is always great and the price is amazing. Last Friday, I had the shrimp and my the scampi and once again, everything was great. The two employees at the counter were fantastic. read more

I was treated so badly at this restaurant I was almost in tears. Trying to do my job. But would not get the drinks because of the condiment table having no 6ft markers and no hand sanitizer plus every one getting their own drinks.this is so not safe for drivers. And the way he talked to me was unbelievable. Is it because I'm a white? He followed me out side took pic of me and called the cops all cause I would not put myself in danger. No CDC guidelines followed here #COVID19 #CDC #unsafe read more

Riverside Express Seafood - No 6 ft - Seafood Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

See all

I order this place through DoorDash so I've never been inside. That shrimp Alfredo is SOOOOOOOO GOOD. Loveeee the breadsticks tooo

Great seafood. Fast delivery via Uber eats. I work in the area and I've been meaning to check this spot out but work has been hectic lately. They came up as an option for my Uber eats delivery so I indulged. Great portion sizes, well seasoned fish, shrimp and fries platter. Food was made quickly. I only ate half and the rest reheated well the next day. The breading isn't too thick and it's seasoned perfectly. 5 stars. I'll be back. read more

Riverside Express Seafood - Fish, shrimp and fries - Seafood Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

See all

What a surprise!!!!!! Not a fancy restaurant, but excellent hot tasty food. The staff was so sweet and very patient with a bunch of old people. I really liked the handsome young man behind the counter. He could not have been any nicer to us. Kudos to all!!!!!!! read more

Doesn't look like much when you drive by, but everything about this place is great! When you walk in you're instantly greeted with a warm welcome. I'm not just saying that, I watched several other customers enter after me and they were all greeted with a big welcome. The service is also very fast! I didn't order ahead, but waited no longer than 10 minutes for my dinner! I went with the shrimp pasta. It is literally what dreams are made of. It's loaded with shrimp, literally 15 shrimp were in my pasta! the alfredo is creamy and perfectly coating every noodle! I can't recommend this place enough! I tell everyone to go check it out! It's our new go to place for seafood. read more

Riverside Express Seafood - Shrimp Pasta - Seafood Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

Fresh little fish shack! The service was fantastic and friendly and the food finger licking good.. I had the #7, shrimp and fish (with the grouper). It was lightly breaded and had some awesome seasoning on it. The tartar and cocktail sauce tasted good and seemed very fresh. Delicious and a must try. read more

Riverside Express Seafood - Yum! - Seafood Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

Amazing. Just driving by, I thought this was just a fish market. Well, it's not. We just had our first (of many) meal. The fried shrimp were scrumptious, the fish sandwich was huge and delicious, and the fries were perfect. Nothing was greasy.. to the point there was minimal grease in the baskets. Finally, the sweet tea tasted like my grandmother made it. Will definitely be going back read more

We are huge seafood fans, generally preferring the freshest catch and regularly travel to the coast for dinner. We decided to try Riverside Express in Lakeland one afternoon and so glad we did! Everything we've tried is really wonderfully seasoned, prepared well and delicious! Prices are reasonable and they actually out do some of the higher priced local seafood restaurants in regards to quality and flavor. The dining area is small and more like a breakfast diner location. We personally prefer to call in our order and pick it up for carry-out. Riverside Express just became our go-to for a great local grouper sandwich. The conch and conch fritters are amazing! read more

See all

I love their shrimp and pasta! The the employees are super nice. The reason I'm giving a 3 star is because I ordered a crab cake and all it is is a larger devil crab. Next time instead of trusting a positive review raving about how great the crab cakes are I'll actually look at the pictures. 2 thumbs down on the crab cake. read more

See all

The Catfish Dinner was Very Delicious. 2 filets, 2 sides. Seafood is very fresh! More than enough to feel you up, for lunch or dinner.Tasty and Fresh!! read more

My first visit, and I have to tell you all, I have never been welcome, taken care of, treated like "family" by the owner and staff members of any restaurant or business like this place tonight. It must be an customer service theory passed on by George Jenkins and his Publix theory creation in this same town, but it works amazing! Every customer that walked in was treated the same, locals were greeted by first name! As a visitor to Lakeland, I can not feel more like being a in a small peaceful area than at this place! I came very close to closing also, they didn't harash or pressure me with them trying to close by the normal posted time. They welcomed all orders and customers up to they closed. Even when I was the last one in the restaurant finishing up my meal, I wasn't pressured to leave, rushed to leave, asked to leave nothing. Although, I did want to respect there time and left just past the schedule closing time. Food was great and very responsibly priced! You can't go wrong with a family owned and operated true southern hospitality like this place! Go check it out, feel like a distant family member by the respect and care by them all!! Great job Staff of May 21st, 2022! You all did an amazing job all around. Very impressed!! read more

They have some great seafood, the breading on the shrimp and fish is light with an amazing flavor. The deviled crab are huge with a lot of crab in them. Try it, it very, very good. read more

The owners make this place special. They are very accommodating and did everything but a back flip in the middle of the dining room to make us satisfied. The portions were large and we could have shared, but decided taking the leftovers was a good thing. We both had cod sandwiches wife's was grilled mine was fried. We also tried a delicious crab cake. Good place for fish! read more

Great food Keep going we loved it great fish. Peace and Love the best of the best keep going read more

Outstanding seafood, freshly prepared and served! All sides I tried (potatoes, coleslaw, hush puppies, broccoli are excellent. It's a sleeper item but the cheesecake is to die for, best I've had outside NY! read more

I have to agree with most reviews, a very pleasant surprise. Fresh, flavorful food, fast and friendly service. We went 45 minutes before closing time for a to go order so I was expecting mediocre at best. Oh no! When I tell you this was some of the best food I have had in central Florida - it's a fact! Ordered the shrimp pasta, shrimp scampi, and grilled fish dinner with blackened tilapia. Everything was hot, well seasoned, and fresh. The portions were large enough to share. I was impressed. Give this place a chance, it's worth it! read more

The fried snapper was great. I had a little bit of a weird experience when someone decided to be disruptive to the staff, but they handled it like champs. I would come back when I'm in Lakeland read more

I have often made the mistaken thinking that if a place can't even get 100 reviews why bother. But this place is local gold. It's a secret Lakeland is keeping for themselves and I can't blame them. The place is not glamorous there are no white tablecloths and the ketchup, hot sauce, tartar sauce and cocktail sauce all come in big dispensers by the fountain soda machine. But you're coming for fish and seafood. To illustrate my point of quality, while destroying my fried grouper a customer walked in with his own hot/ cold thermal bag to protect their order. When was the last time you saw someone make that kind effort. Being a road warrior when I get to Florida the only thing I'm looking to eat is the Grouper. This place delivers. And do yourself a favor when you're asked to choose a side get the yellow rice. You can get fries anywhere. If your in central Florida between Tampa and Orlando on the I-4 get there it's worth the detour. read more

Food and customer service was Excellent!! Easy 5 star rating and would recommend to anyone looking for fresh seafood at a very reasonable price! read more

I was very satisfied with my meal. I ordered the Shrimp Pasta and fell in love with every bit. It was a good portion of food and the flavor was magnificent. I could tell they knew what they were doing. The only reason I give it a three is because it was my first time eating it. Also the bread wasn't that special. read more

My husband and I went for Supper tonight. Where to begin. Hmm... the people taking our order we're happy, knowing their job and more! Beautiful personalities! And much respect For each other and the people they served! Including the owner! Thank you all so much. Now the food! OMG. The very best seafood I have had in Lakeland, and maybe Florida! Fresh smelling, beautiful taste. The catfish was the best ever!!! And, hush puppies! Yum Great people working for a living! Thanks all of you! And the chefs! Perfect fish! read more