Originally my group waited much too long at Anna Maria Oyster Bar, finally giving up and going elsewhere. I'm so glad we did. A short drive over the bridge took us to Swordfish Grill. Upon arrival we opted to sit inside, due to there being a wait for the patio. A spacious booth right across from the kitchen ended up being just fine. More scenic if you sit outside, though. The Ahi Tuna Nachos (substantial portion), Fried Green Tomatoes (perfectly seasoned), and potato salad side (slightly sweet) were all delicious. I wouldn't order the Bacon Wrapped Scallops again, though, simply because I don't think what you get is worth the price. I had to go with one of their "Catch of the Day" options since the seafood is locally sourced. Only wish I had ordered the tripletail grilled rather than blackened so I could truly appreciate the pure flavor of the filet, but it was still really good. Our server was a pro, providing worthwhile recommendations, attentive service and a cheery disposition. The entire experience was sublime. read more

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Ordered a blackened grouper Ruben which was a little soggy and I could not taste that it was blackened. Otherwise good. The Pineapple slaw was room temperature vs chilled but again otherwise ok. Great Marina views!! Service was ok. read more

Swordfish Grill & Tiki bar - Blackened Grouper ruben - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Enjoyed a fantastic waterfront dining experience at Swordfish Grill. The sunset views over the water made for the perfect backdrop to a relaxing meal. We started with stone crab claws, oysters Rockefeller and ahi tuna nachos--all fresh and flavorful. For entrées, the shrimp tacos were delicious, and the award-winning shrimp and grits definitely lived up to the hype. The Greek salad was also fresh and tasty. Our server was very polite and attentive. Great option for families too, with a kids menu featuring crowd-pleasers like chicken fingers and fries. There's also a fun little gift shop inside to browse, and plenty of parking, which makes the whole experience easy and enjoyable. read more

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Swordfish Grill was easily my favorite meal of our Anna Maria Island vacation! The seafood was incredibly fresh, everything was delicious, and the service was outstanding. A must-visit when you're in the area. read more

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We come to the Swordfish Grill EVERY year, specifically for the Lobster Mac and Cheese! It is my favorite meal in the Anna Maria Island area! My husband ordered the grouper ruben and oysters! Both are amazing!! The service is great, I recommend making reservations in advance just in case! We love sitting on the back outside area where the music is! read more

Swordfish Grill & Tiki bar - grouper ruben - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Food is pretty standard bar fare, but the location is what makes it interesting. You're right next to a working fishing fleet, so watching boats come in adds something you don't usually get. Plenty of outdoor seating facing the water -- come for the setting, not the menu. read more

Came here on a local's recommendation and loved the setting right away. It's right by the fishing docks so it feels like the fish is coming straight off the boats and into the kitchen. Hard to beat that. They've got both indoor and outdoor seating, and there was even live music on a Monday which was a nice surprise. Food was solid. We ordered the Nashville hot fish, grouper Reuben, grouper sandwich, and a dozen baked oysters. Everything was good, but nothing that really stood out or made me want to rush back. The only downside was the pricing. A lot of the grouper dishes are listed as market price, so we didn't have a clear sense of what things would cost going in. Totally get that with fresh fish, but the final bill felt higher than expected and not necessarily reflected in the overall experience. read more

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What a fun hidden gem in Cortez! It was so fun seeing everyone pull up in their boats, and the atmosphere was so fun. Our food was fantastic, the fish dip, grouper sandwich, and peel n eat shrimp all deserve their own call outs. Our waitress was great and made sure our beers didn't run dry, and there's plenty of seating for everyone, inside and outside, and multiple bars! read more

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Swordfish Grill was fantastic! I ordered the Shrimp & Grits and they were excellent. Shrimp Sautéed with bacon in a rich cream sauce, cheese grits and chopped tomatoes and scallions. I added a side of their Pineapple Coleslaw and it was a very good representation! The Mrs ordered the Chicken and Caramelized Onion Flatbread which was diced chicken, caramelized onions, gouda and mozzarella cheese topped with balsamic drizzle...delicious as well!! Our associate Joe ordered up the Stone Crab special and by all indications it was a fantastic meal as well. The vibe was a bit upscale but welcoming in this old school Florida FishHouse and Haley took good care of us! read more

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Went with my family while on vacations in Bradenton. We were seated really quick. The place had a nice vibe with live music and sea life decorations. Our waitress took our order and food didn't take too long to come out. We had the fried green tomatoes as appetizers. They were good. Then I ordered the chicken and bacon Alfredo which came out very hot but was full of flavor. The Alfredo sauce was rich and creamy. I ordered the Key Lime Pie which was very very good! Delicious! The crust was kind of crispy and the key lime filling was citrusy and sweet. 100% recommended!! read more

I'm split on my review here. I'll start by saying that the location is off the beaten path but great! It's at a fishing dock and is down a gravel road. Set your gps for sure. However, enjoy the whole location, the views are spectacular. Unfortunately though, service was mid at best. Our server wasn't attentive or enthusiastic. As for menu pricing, market price for a grouper sandwich seemed high. There are other places I like better so I probably won't be back. read more

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Another great meal with 4 of us. As we were driving in there were men unloading fresh fish. Cali was a great server and it's fun to work through their menu. The fish spread and calamari are big enough to be an entree and the calamari was tender and had a nice crunch. The grouper sandwich is the best and I tried a special which was the Baja bowl. The shrimp and grits were also delicious. A fun place with great atmosphere! read more

Swordfish Grill & Tiki bar - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

The guys here don't do squawk, the ladies seem to do all the work. The guys seem to just watch the games on the tv and stand in front of the customers. One is so good at blocking the tv he can actually block the view from the bar people and the folks at the tables simultaneously by standing in one special position. I still love the place and the ladies, the guys nope. The ladies get 5 stars the guys get none. read more

I was a bit apprehensive driving down a sketchy road into a sea port for fishing then you come around the bend and see this amazing place. Perched literally on the water and adjacent to a seafood packing facility, this large restaurant with both indoor and waterside seating blew me away. We ordered the blackened grouper sandwich (a staple at every Florida seafood spot) and this one definitely set the standard against which all future ones we try will have to beat (not likely). Definitely one of the freshest and tastiest I've had. While service was a bit leisurely (took a while to get the check), the food and atmosphere made waiting no big deal. Our table looked out on a mass of pelicans waiting for seafood scraps next door. They do take online reservations and in season these would be a must. read more

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Here's where it's at for me... fresh seafood: all the flavors. All the decor. All the friendly faces. They hit all the marks. They clearly use only the best local seafood and cook it with the best flavors! The menu is huge with lots of options and they accommodate a group of 8 with no problem and only a short wait! Well done! And PLEASE tip huge! Keep our locals in business and the wait staff HUSTLES!!! read more

Swordfish Grill & Tiki bar - Crab Cake - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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We stopped by for lunch and were glad we did. We arrived at noon and there was no wait time. Be advised they DO take reservations and it's a good idea to grab one far in advance because they are very popular. This place is much nicer and has a better menu than the Cortez Kitchen, it's sister restaurant next door. I had the Oysters Rockefeller ($17) and a Greek salad ($16). We also had their Shrimp & Lobster Flatbread ($22). The food was excellent, prices were comparable to similar restaurants in the area, the service from Jan B was courteous and efficient and the portions were more than adequate. They have a large bar area and seating indoors or on their outside deck which is right on the water. Parking is free in the adjacent lot. Recommended. read more

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Arrived early afternoon on a Sunday. We were immediately seated outside on the deck with a fantastic view. The waitress was very friendly. We ordered the catch of the day Grouper with the Greek salad and fried shrimp basket. To top it off we ordered the key lime pie. The atmosphere was very laid back. Very relaxing watching all of the pelicans. What a great find! Definitely a place to make sure to experience if you are near Anastasia Island! Five stars read more

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My family visited here while on vacation in Florida for spring training, The food was awesome, Service was great and ambience was really good! Awesome place. We were visiting from Maryland so it gave us a slice of home. We will definitely be back again! read more

Swordfish Grill & Tiki bar - Orange Blood Martini was awesome!!! - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

reat little restaurant right on the water! Make sure you call ahead to get a reservation so you can sit outside on the dock! Every time we come, there's a bit of a wait, however, the service is great once seated. Usually, we will spend the wait at the bar, enjoying their cocktails, which they do a great job with. Been here a couple of times, and in the food is great. Ordered the grouper, with a lobster tail, both of which were cooked well. The grouper was slightly overcooked, but not too overcooked. Even still, The grouper was very fresh and full of flavor .Oysters in stone crab when it's in season are a must. read more

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i can't believe i've never left a review here before as it's one of my favorite restaurants! we took advantage of stone crab season and my husband enjoyed the stuffed stone crabbed shrimp and i had the shrimp tacos and we shared the stone crab and corn fritter app that was on special. Everything was AMAZINGLY delicious and i probably will go back sunday as this is the last day of the stone crab menu. We had the best service as the pricing is always so reasonable - especially with the relaxing views of the intercoastal! highly recommend the potato salad and pineapple coleslaw as sides ! read more

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We picked a beautiful Sunday to make the trek from Sarasota to Swordfish Grill. It was nice to learn the restaurant made it through last year's hurricanes and now they even have their outdoor dining under this huge tiki roof. Still the same great view. Still have live entertainment. I had checked out the menu online and decided on their New England Clam Chowder, Seafood Platter, and their homemade Key Lime Pie. I ordered all of that. One thing I noticed in the menu was The Main Sail section of the menu, seafood dinner entrees, only listed 5 choices. That seemed lacking for a seafood restaurant. Turned out they actually had a second menu that included stone crab claws and several fish prepared as you like. Lots of choices after all. My food was delicious, starting with the chowder, which I had to split with my wife. My platter contained 4 shrimp, 4 large scallops, a thin piece of fish, and a large crab cake. Loved the seafood, the side of rice was ok, the veggies healthy. The tart pie, which I had to split with my wife, was a very nice traditional ending. As for service, I wanted to pay particular attention after reading some recent reviews. Turned out service was great from the friendly team at the hostess stand through the entire meal. The food came out at a good pace. We invited another couple to join us because we were sat at a larger than we needed table, so the meals were a bit staggered. Our server handled that without skipping a beat. It was not a cheap dinner, but it was a very good dinner with a very nice view. Glad we took the drive. read more

I had a disappointing experience here. Perhaps not totally the fault of the restaurant but they could have made some accommodations for my experience. First, I will say that the strawberry colada was delicious. I ordered one of the day's specials, which at $34 for lunch was not inexpensive, and it wasn't worth the cost. My big issue came bc I had been feeling sick the night before and while eating my meal, I got sick to my stomach. This was not from the quality of the food. I had my pancreas and part of my stomach removed a year ago and sometimes my body doesn't respond well when I eat. I left the table to use the restroom and was in there for a while. My server had not been by to check on me in a while so I left my jacket on my seat so they would know I hadn't left. Indeed someone was aware bc a lady came into the restroom to check on me. When I came out of the restroom, my table was cleared off and my food and strawberry colada were gone. I had not finished anything. I had to look around for my jacket and check--the person with my things apparently thought I had walked off without paying, saying that people leave behind jackets all the time. Not sure I would leave behind an expensive jacket if I was walking away from my bill. ‍ Anyway I was super embarrassed as people at the other tables were staring at me and some people were waiting to be seated at my table--they were the ones who told me who had my jacket and bill--so I just paid up and left. In retrospect, I think this restaurant could have offered a discount on my bill seeing that they threw out my unfinished food and drink. Had the server been more visible and responsive, I would have had a chance to alert her that I would be in the restroom. And as mentioned while the guy who cleaned my table and took my stuff perhaps did not know, someone did as a woman (my server?) was aware as she checked on me in the restroom. Btw I used to wait tables and am sensitive to the need for restaurants to turn over tables. They could have at least boxed up my food and beverages if holding my table was not viable. I get that. read more

Amazing!! The lobster Mac and cheese was my husband's favorite!! I had the spicy shrimp tacos. They were delicious !! Our waitress was friendly and kept checking on us read more

Casual Tiki With Great Calamari and Shrimp Nachos My son and girlfriend have been here several times and have raved about the seafood, the service, the deck and view, so my wife and I hooked up with him and visited this place on the July 4 weekend. We found plenty of parking for cars and there's some dock space for boats to come by water. The Tiki roof covers an expansive deck that has great views of Sarasota Bay. We were fortunate to have T.C. (Tim Chandler) providing live entertainment on the deck, singing and playing his guitar. Lots of outdoor seating on the deck and we were seated immediately. We placed our drink order - Heineken 0.0 cans ($5.00), Busch Light 12 oz cans ($4.00), Diet Coke fountain ($3.75). We went with a couple appetizers instead of meals. The Calamari appetizer ($15) is excellent. The rings and tentacles have a very thin batter, then flash fried, topped with cabbage, mint, cilantro and green onions, then drizzled with Thai chili sauce. This is one hefty platter of calamari - easily shared by three people. No rubbery chew here and the chili sauce was an excellent alternative to the typical marinara or cocktail sauce most places provide. No problem getting more chili sauce as we dipped every piece. We also got the Loaded Nachos ($11) and added shrimp ($7 add-on). Now these are LOADED NACHOS!!!! Look at my pic. A massive pile of tortilla chips topped with an impressive quantity of grilled shrimp topped with diced fresh tomatoes and scallions. Small side containers had a very fresh tasting pico and sour cream. The three of us also shared this and I do believe there are enough shrimp to have one on every chip. No doubt, one of the best nacho dishes we've ever had. Our server never made us feel rushed to open our table so we sat and gabbed, listened to the music and had a few more cold ones. We will be back for sure. read more

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Had a nice time here sitting on the tiki deck at sunset having dinner and drinks. They had live music on the deck that was nice. Service started out a little slow but then got better. Had some cool drinks ... grape vodka Jolly Rancher, pina coloada that were good. Had some fresh stone crab that was outstanding (and expensive ... 4 claws for $47). Coconut shrimp app was great. Blackened grouper tacos were very good. This place is a pretty good time ! read more

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Once again Swordfish Grill & Tiki Bar didn't disappoint. The Tuna Poke Bowl was wonderful. Very fresh and plentiful. The flavors were perfect and the drinks were excellent as well (old fashioned). This is our Happy Place!! read more

Swordfish Grill & Tiki bar - Swordfish Old Fashion special - Seafood Near Me - Cortez, Florida

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Service was AMAZING! Blackened fish and shrimp were super salty.... INEDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmnnnnnnnnnn read more

This is a very bad place for people of color. My wife and I went there a a couple of color. We were seated in an almost empty restaurant. We sat there for 10 minutes waiting for service. Just when I was about to look for a waiter a party of 6 white adults was seated right next to us in this almost empty. They haD barely sat down whe. A male server was at their table taking their order ignoring us totally. We left but the bartender what happened and why we were leaving. He just gave me a blank look. Never again. Go to Tide tables instead. They know how to treat all people with respect. read more

Mediocre food, good service, nice ambiance, live music and a little pricey for the shrimp served.

We sat by the water. That was ok. They were out of my drink choice. I ordered the shrimp pasta special. My husband ordered shrimp and grits. His shrimp were big and without tails. Mine were teensy with tails on. They brought two pieces of dry bread with it. No butter, no oil to dip. I sat there trying to cut the tails off in the pasta while watching my husband eat these huge shrimp without tails. I was very unhappy with my meal. Too many good places in AMI to waste your time here. read more

Nice waterfront view! Ample parking. Ordered appetizer, drinks and entrees. Wait staff was friendly and energetic. Slightly pricing but food was delicious. Saw dolphins swimming by while we ate with live music read more

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Excellent food excellent service. Great ambiance. Love to bring my family here when they visit. read more

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Been here before a few times over past 10 yrs., and always good. Tonight was incredible! I had fish tacos, best I've ever had! The fish is Mahi-Mahi, and the pineapple coleslaw on it was delicious! Partner had seafood platter. Mahi, shrimp, scallops, and crab cake, spectacular! The potato salad we both had was best ever, and I'm a potato salad maker and self-proclaimed critic! It had bacon bits, and something slightly sweet in it, unbelievable! Going back soon! Service was great too! read more

Food is always excellent, and they have the best Shrimp & Grits in Bradenton. But on a recent visit I ordered a glass of wine and then a second. Each was $19. A ridiculous price for Kim Crawford that can be bought at retail for $14. If I go again I will not be drinking wine. read more

Food was good and service was great. Didn't feel rushed at all! Daughter loved the shark outside read more

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Fresh off the boat seafood served in an open casual restaurant right on the water. Brought here by friends who are local to the area. The restaurant is next door to Cortez Bait and Seafood where fishing boats that serve the restaurant dock. Even has an ice house! The specialty here is Stone Crab which is fresh and delicious. They also serve the best fried grouper I've ever tasted. And I've tasted more than a few. Tropical drinks are also well prepared at the Tiki Bar. Couldn't recommend more, 5+ stars. read more

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This place is THE BEST LOCAL for tasty seafood and vibe!!! Kids will live watching the fishing boats too! Adults get great music to dance with your family outside too!!! 500% fabulous!!! read more

Very limited wait to sit on the side deck. I enjoyed the blackened seafood platter that included Mahi mahi, shrimp, scallops and crab cakes along with a very small side of pineapple coleslaw and potatoes. The entree was excellent. The Mai Tide and Mango delight were good and moderately priced for AMI. For dessert I had the best key lime pie during my vacation here. Not too tart or sweet. Hostess stand and service were just young kids. Polite but uninspired and unfocused. There is not a quiet place in the restaurant. We were seated by the fish factory that had a constant hum and the noise of dock workers. They also have an outside back deck with a tiki bar with live music. Large parking lot. Waterfront atmosphere. I will say that was the best seafood during my visit to AMI. I just would have liked more focused service and a quieter setting. I would still definitely still return for the food. read more

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A very nice Tiki bar serving locals and tourists. We don't find ourselves in this area often. We gave it a shot and were very happy with it. The drinks were well made. Try the Rum Runner and Blood Orange Margarita. The calamari was crispy and the drizzle was sweet and peppery. We loved the main course which was Lobster Mac and Cheese. It was perfectly prepared. The server was friendly. We'd come back again. read more

Pretty darn good! The service was beyond good and so nice! I forgot our servers name but she was so nice. We had a party of 10 and she did a wonderful job with all of our requests! We sat outside and it was nice and the live music was great! We even got to see a fishing boat come in! Lastly, the food delicious. I have 0 complaints! read more