Perhaps the easiest 5-star and most deserved I've ever had the pleasure of writing. Tony's Seafood in Cedar Key, and yes, it's all about the clam chowder. First off, if you don't know about Cedar Key, that's because, it's a well kept secret floating off the wild part of Florida's west coast (you could call it the armpit.) But, the place is amazing. It's old school, quiet, natural and beautiful - but the people are smart, likeable, friendly, and damn good cooks. Maybe that's because they're surrounded by waters teeeming with fish and shellfish of all sorts. So Tony's follows suit and harvests local clams for their world-famous clam chowder. Now, how good is it? Well, the answer is, it's the freakin' best. They've even gone up to Rhode Island and won competitions for the stuff. That's saying something. GO FLORIDA!! Anyway, it's a simple place inside a very historic building. You can dine in, but it's not a restaurant per se. It's just tables and chairs, but that's ok. The food is king here. And you can buy their chowder to go in cans, but don't forget, it's more than just a can. You have to add a few ingredients yourself at home. Which makes it fun. And fresh. All in all, if you can't make it to Tony's, order the cans from their website. It's simply the best clam chowder of all. And shhh, don't tell a bunch of people about Cedar Key. It's a secret. Keep it that way. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - It's the best. No arguing. - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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The staff here are out of this world hospitable. Thank you Lilly and Judy for the samples, and your sweet spirits! read more

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the only FRANCHISE on the island. Spend money at the local owned businesses. Chowder is mass produced and arrives in gallon cans. Staff is trained to say "made fresh today" as they open cans, add butter and milk. Not a Cedar Key clam in sight read more

Hearing that Tony's clam chowder was featured on DDD and a world champion clam chowder spot...I definitely wanted to pop in and see what the hype was about. I arrived around 3:30 pm, they close at 4. No one had actually come out from the back to greet me at the hostess stand for several minutes so I walked back toward the kitchen to make sure someone saw me. As I went back to wait a bit longer at the hostess stand someone finally did come out and I asked if they had outdoor seating. They said their patio was closed. Confused, I said ok, well I would like to get something to go. I got a bowl of clam chowder which was placed in a styrofoam cup with a lid and I paid for it and made my way back to my BnB to place in a bowl and enjoy. As most others shared, it definitely had a good big of zing. I did not find it especially flavorful or fantastic. Most of all it wasn't chock full of clams like I had hoped. It had plenty of potato l, however. It was ok but between the wait, not being able to eat out at their patio, the overall taste, I give Tony's a solid 3. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Clam chowder! - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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While Tony's is famous for its clam chowder, we thought the chowder was just okay. It was too salty for our taste and not as thick/rich as we expected. The other food was all very good and the service was excellent. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

Clam chowder was really good! They are world famous for it. My hubby being from New York and our household expert on New England foods, really enjoyed it but said that for him, it could have been a lot thicker. I also had hush puppies and their homemade potato salad. Both were wonderful. It's worth a stop in. They have some cool recipes ideas of the chowder served in a bread bowl, inside a pastry puff, or topped with biscuits!! The pastry puff sounds amazing!! read more

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Best creamy clam chowder in the South! You know it's fresh when it's won awards and come from the clam capital of the USA! read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - A cup of clam chowder, side salad and sweet tea. Mmmm...the perfect lunch! - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

Best clam chowder I've ever had! Service was top-notch! Everything tasted fresh, great quality food. Ambiance is chill, not particularly busy on Saturday AM and dog-friendliness was much appreciated. Clams are good. Garlic bread was good and used to clean up bowl of clam chowder :) Had a fish sandwich that was good, just not something for me. +Side of potato salad that I didn't care for (large, chunky potatoes and too mayo-y) We happened to be in the area - far ways out, and if we happen to return I may likely fill up on 2 clam chowder bowls and multiple appetizers next time. The entrees offered aren't really of my preference. They had lobster rolls - but they serve cold with mayo-base....I like mine warm with butter, so unfortunately passed on that. Overall, wonderful people and place to check-out! read more

We wanted to really like Tony's but it was hard. The service is pretty slow and most of the staff have no idea how to multi-task so you wait and wait and wait. The Clam Chowder which they are known for was good but not great, and a bit pricey for what you get. Overall, the prices are expensive and service is slow, in a out of date, dingy location. The don't seem to embrace reinvesting back into the business but are content to get by off the Awards they won over 10 years ago. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

The only fish they have is cod, no local fish. They did have local clams as an appetizer that was fresh and good. I had a salad with grilled shrimp, they were small and the size of the salad was the size of a side salad. I wasn't given crackers or a piece of bread and it $12. We were going to have the famous chowder for our meal but we were told the bowl was only 8 oz, that is the size of a cup. The cup size they offer is 4oz. My husband had fried shrimp po boy, it taste good. Service is slow so be patient. Decent food but a wouldn't recommend. They do sell the famous chowder in cans you can buy to take home. read more

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We went to Cedar Key for the clam chowder and this did not disappoint! Absolutely delicious. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because we got stuck in the back room and I think we were forgotten. We will definitely be back though! YUM. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - 25 clam appetizer and a cup of clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

Amazing old restaurant with famous clam chowder and friendly staff. We were told that Toni can no longer enter his clam chowder in competitions, because he always wins! It really is good. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Famous clam chowder! - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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First timer. Haddock: 5 stars! I am not a seafood guy (do not like the seafood taste) but damn!!! This fish is awesome... no seafood taste at all :). Big portions! Hushpuppy: 5 stars. Crunchy, fresh, and tasty. Coleslaw: 3 stars. It has a weird after taste. I only ate half of one of the bowls. Key lime Pie: 4 stars. It is good but the one I make is much better :) Service: 5 stars. We got taken care of :) It is a little pricy. I will return to Cedar Key in a couple of months and I will stop here again. As promised, today 3/13/19 I came back and had the same delicious food! read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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Came here on a short trip to Cedar Key and especially enjoyed the clam chowder! A little on the saltier side, but had such robust flavor of various spices and chunks of clam in every bite. We got the tonys platter for two, which came with a salad, two sides(we got potato salad and coleslaw, which were both really good) then a big platter with fried fish (very fluffy and delicious), fried shrimp which were really plump and juicy, stuffed crab (very salty), fried scallops and steamed clams and shrimp. It was a good amount of food for two people. The food was really good for the most part and our waitress was very friendly, but the biggest problem I had was that it took a really long time (about an hour) for the platter to come out. It was fine because we were not in a hurry, but just beware of that. Overall, I would be back for some fried fish and shrimp! read more

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If I'd only had their clam chowder, this probably would have been a 4-star review. It really was wonderful. Rich and creamy with a nice undercurrent of herbs and white pepper. The bits and flavor of clams were more prevalent than the potatoes -- a welcome change. We were looking forward to the seafood Po' boy sandwich and I was hoping to have oysters. I was told however oysters were out of season! Which considering I had eaten them over the last two days and they are locally farmed was surprising to hear. Farmed oysters are really never out of season. The only clams they had fried were strips (probably not local) and the fish was haddock. I like haddock, but here again, it's basically a North Atlantic fish -- not locally caught. Oh well. The people next to us were having seafood platters with scallops and shrimp (btw it's May and scallop season here is July/August I think). We tried to get them on our sandwich -- but the kitchen wouldn't oblige. Strange. Just charge us more $$. Anyhow, the shrimp looked good -- so even if they weren't from the gulf, we ordered those. The shrimp did turn out to be tasty. Lightly battered on a nothing special roll with a couple anemic slices of tomato and 3 thin pickle chips. My side of potato salad was a nice size portion liberally covered with paprika. Bottom line -- glad I tried this place if only for their clam chowder. And that's probably what I would stick to if I ever return. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Cup of clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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It looks like a hole. But Tonys is very good. The servers are pleasant and rushing to git 'er done. Bottomless not too sweet lemonaid. The New England style (cream based) clam chowder here is the claim to fame. Which always makes me think bs. It was amongst the very best I've had, other than in New England. Shrimp po boy was a nice size with a decent bun, some fried okra and a corn puppy. Very nice read more

It's been about 15 years or so since I've been at Tony's. Back then it was a full service restaurant with a decent amount of seafood dishes in the menu. Since the latest storm it's pretty much just a place to pick up a bowl of clam chowder. Food and service is still excellent and the new remodel is welcoming. Definitely worth the stop. read more

The good thing about Tony's was it that used to serve the best seafood in Cedar Key now they've scaled back and all they serve is clam chowder. It seems to me that that was a bad move business wives. We went down there the other day to get a really good seafood dinner, and it wasn't going to happen read more

Really quick, great service, staff was amazing! Food was hot, fresh and delicious! The lil town was so quaint and cutest lil beach ever! Cedar Key Country Store next door has great prices! Cute gifts and there's an attached shop that sells key lime pie dipped in chocolate. Just a laid back relaxing experience read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

Great product ! We have been to the restaurant and it is very good. We buy the cans off of amazon! Keep up the good work!!!

When in Cedar Key, you MUST go to Tony's for their clam chowder. It's what put them on the map. The chowder is so creamy and loaded with clams. They also sell it in different sizes to go. The wait might be a little long but staff work hard to get people seated as quickly as possible. Our waitress was so nice and we had an overall great experience at Tony's. read more

First time in Cedar Key. We were told about the Clam Chowder at Tony's so we had to try it. This review is based only on the chowder. My wife and I split a bowl of it. It was $8.25 and was about a 16 ounce serving. I'm giving this Clam Chowder 5-stars for flavor and consistency. Really good. I'm going to say "Best Clam Chowder I've ever had". We also bought a 3-pack of condensed canned Clam Chowder to go. Cost was $17.99. You add 1 can of half-and-half per can per can of Chowder and heat it up. Hope it's near as good as it was in the restaurant. read more

Still the best clam chowder in the world. Atmosphere is a little plain. Service was good because both servers were hustling, but they could use a little more help. We had grilled fish sandwiches. They were good, but not great. Fries were fine but cole slaw isn't to my liking. Hours are short and they weren't open Wednesday so if the open sign is lit, take advantage while you can. read more

First of all, the clam chowder is great. The hype is real. Service is a bit slow. We were there for lunch and there was only 1 server for the whole front area. She was running from table to table and seemed very flustered. Our food took a bit of time and our drinks weren't refilled as often as I would have liked. My advice is to get the chowder to go and eat it near the water. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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Great service, tasty hush puppies and quick service. Some of the best clam chowder I've had. A must visit when in Cedar Key!

This is by far the BEST clam chowder EVER. I buy it and bring it home. The service is always on point, and the ambiance is a fish house.

After reading about the chowder, I had to go! The chowder was fantastic! Plenty of clams, not so heavy on the potatoes and seasoned like nothing I've had before. I'll be taking a case of their canned concentrate home. I also had the fish sandwich. It was lackluster, had no seasoning to speak of and was served with no tartar sauce which may have given it some flavor. Go for the chowder, skip the rest. read more

As always, Tony's was excellent and we our waitress Misty was a joy. We would drive hours round trip just for the chowder, but the shrimp po boy and fried okra were also excellent! When you're at Tony's you feel like a local and like family. Clam Chowder. Shrimp Po Boy. Fried Okra. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Shrimp Po Boy, Chowder, Fried Okra - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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Best chowder period. We go to both locations and they were amazing. Drove 2.5 hours to visit and we weren't disappointed.Clam Chowder read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - We made it for our first trip to Tony's in cedar key. Drove 2.5 hours and it was worth the trip. Best chowder ever. - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

Wow! This place was the best meal on the island. The place is small and closes at 8 pm on weekends which makes it challenging to see the sunset. The food was great. The award-winning clam chowder was delicious. Had a slight kick to give it interest. Even the salads were yummy with crisp mixed greens, cucumbers and tomatoes. I opted fir house Italian which was really tasty. For entrees, we had grilled shrimp with rosemary roasted red potatoes. Perfectly done and seasoned. I dint even like hush puppies, but these were slightly sweet, crispy on the outside, tender in the middle and light. So, so good. The lemon dill scallops were equally good and the potato salad was good, but not special. This restaurant is not located with all the others, but instead on 2nd Street. It's small with only about 8 tables. No real ambience, but the meal was the star. Overall, a wonderful surprise and delicious meal. We highly recommend. read more

Food was yummy, service was great! A/C was out in part of the building so we had to use the back door and only saw 1 small room. We HAD to try the signature dish, clam chowder. It was very good! It was a bit spicier than we expected but we ate every spoonful! read more

Nice people, great chowder, great Philly cheese steak. I don't even like chowder but ordered it and it's just as good as the reviews say. I had the bread bowl. Fries were boring cold and soggy. Very easy fix if they want to, just use beer battered fries or something. We would definitely would go back, again and again.... would just stay far away from the fries. Glad these folks are in cedar key! read more

Sublimely good. The award winning chowder was outstanding. We each had a bowl of chowder and split a platter that had fried and grilled shrimp that was among the best we've ever had. It was almost 3PM before tables were opening up and they close at 4 most week days. So the suggestion on their website that you either get in line early or come late is spot on. read more

The food was very good and they are very accommodating if you have dietary restrictions. They prepared my gluten free food with care and I did not have any reaction. Although this is a small restaurant, it is very cute and clean. read more

Great chowder made with local clams. Got the lunch of skewered shrimp which were cooked perfectly. Staff is very friendly with superb service. Easy to find on Main(2nd) Street. read more

I'll start by saying that I am not a fan of clam chowder. The waitress talked us into trying a little..... we were sold!!! I even came back and bought 4 cans to give out as gifts from our trip. Also have the fried shrimp which was perfectly breaded and delicious! read more

The clam chowder is amazing! Creamy and loaded with clam! You can also buy some to take home

Small town charm meets coastal comfort food! Tony's Seafood Restaurant is nestled in the heart of Cedar Key, Florida on Second St. This Gulf Coast, small Florida town does not have any stoplights and Tony's is one to not miss. This restaurant is a three time award winning clam chowder favorite. With a classic seafood restaurant and simple décor, this place doesn't come across as award winning but wait until you take a bite. The clam chowder was spectacular, thick, creamy, and the perfect blend. It can be sold by the can to a gallon and was worth every bite. The seafood po' boy was a delicate blend of fried shrimp, oysters, and clam with a tartar sauce with a little kick. To say it was short of amazing is an understatement. This sandwich hugged the soul of my inner beach bunny. The service was friendly and simple. This no frills restaurant blends perfectly into the coastal community and serves the food to back its award winning recognition. The only reason she did not give the full five stars was due to their sundae - she felt that the brownie to ice cream ratio was off, and there was a little room for improvement. Disclaimer, I have not been to Tony's, but my good friend was so jazzed about this place she sent me a review to post. I guess I will have to GO! read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - some delicious clam CHOWDAH - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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Let me get right to the point. This is without the best, I would say absolutely best chowder I have ever eaten. I have had plenty of Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder, and this is the best. I have had it everyday for lunch and will take a few home. Run, don't walk to Tony's, it's worth's the trip! read more

Yes, the chowder here is amazing. The chowder definitely lives up to the hype. The rest of it, though? It's fine. Most of the food is friend and most of it is heavily focused on non-fish (mostly shrimp) seafood. Not really my thing. The wait time was also very very long. We waited almost 45 minutes to get in and then another 45 minutes to get food. I'm not usually one to notice long wait times, but we all definitely felt it here. Worth a shot if you're in Cedar Key, for the chowder if for nothing else. read more

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