Well I have to admit I'm a New England Clam Chowder snob. But, wow, this is the best I've ever had. Tonight I shared the chowder (thought I didn't want too) we also had the Kickin Crab Cakes, also delicious. Now I had the "no quilt" meal, clams, shrimp... all fantastic. But, I can't stop talking about the chowder - we liked it so much be bought a big bucket to take home! read more

This is a cute little restaurant, and we wanted to like it, but it was really a disappointment overall. The chowder was decent and had a little kick of heat, but there was little clam flavor. The corn nuggets were excellent--I wish they were all we had ordered. The waitress, bless her heart, she was trying, but our 4 salads came out at 3 separate times 5-10 minutes apart, and then in my salad was a scrunched up wet napkin I bit into after mistaking it for a romaine heart or a bit of cabbage. The Cajun seafood dinner was just some seafood covered in pasta sauce over what seemed like parcooked/instant rice--nothing at all like a gumbo/jumbalaya/etouffee. My sister's butter/dill scallops had absolutely no salt, pepper, or for that matter any dill or any other flavor at all. My parents got the fried seafood platter, and the breading was generally poorly executed with the fried oysters being gritty and bitter. We were there over the holidays, so maybe their usual staff wasn't there, which I hope was the case. I would recommend sticking to the corn nuggets and chowder. read more

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

Looking great great seafood in Cedar Key & we found it. Very quaint. Service was excellent. Customer urged us to try their famous clam chowder, and we were not disappointed. The rest of our food matched the clam chowder, excellent!! read more

If you've read the reviews about the clam chowder, THEY ARE NOT LYING! It was fantastic. We walked in, got seated immediately. We have never been to town before and had no idea what to expect. It's a quaint, small place but the hospitality was wonderful. The Tonys special for 2. It was plenty of food for the both of us and very well executed. Overall, it's a great place to eat if you're visiting Cedar Key! read more

Okay. Crazy pointless pathetic reviews I feel like I need to step in. No the environment isn't the greatest. Formica tables; sorta plain rustic ornamentals; the staff totally swamped; and being a small island town infiltrated with crazy rich people, it's hard to find service staff; BUT. Tony's is about food. You want environment go (back) to NY. And some of the best clam chowder you will ever find. And some of the best locally grown clams. And fried shrimp; outta this world. Even the bowls with blackened fish in tomato sauce are incredible. Like wise the bowl with pasta and shrimp. Enjoy the food. Be a little forgiving. read more

Well the clam chowder and hush puppies were amazing. Had crab cake sandwiches which were ok. Our meal was take out so will definitely return for a dine in experience and update. read more

Fantastic!!! Stopped here because my husband wanted Tony's award winning clam chowder. It is a sit down restaurant with pictures of Cedar Keys history. We had our dog with us. So we ordered from the to go menu. The to go menu doesn't list steamed clams. The waitress very nicely explained that they don't do the clam to go because steamed clams become rubbery if not eaten right away. When I explained we eating across the street at Bonish Studio, she said that would not be a problem. Bonish is dog friendly, doesn't serve food and has a great selection of bourbon. Sooo, I ordered my steamed clams, a side salad, a side of their homemade potato salad and a bowl of clam chowder. The food is fresh and tasty. The ladies that took my order were very nice. Highly recommend Tony's and Bonish Studio read more

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

My husband and I went to Cedar Key for the weekend. He is not a fan of seafood and only went because I begged him and told him the clam chowder is one of the best I've ever had! He was sooooo pleased he didn't mind the wait and said he'd wait again. It doesn't look like a big deal on the outside but the food is fresh even if it takes a little longer to get it. They had just reopened and they needed more servers. However, the servers they had were working super hard. Our server Lisa was amazing! She was friendly, helpful and corrected a mistake in our order immediately. I forgot my credit card and she took the time to mail it to me. I say give her a raise and make her a manager of the place! If you are in Cedar Key this is a must and tell Lisa she is appreciated! Signed - Forgetful Customer read more

Being on the top of Yelp, we thought this would be the best spot to go to for lunch. First time in Cedar Key, and we wanted to try the best of the best. Unfortunately, I can't say anything about the food because we never got the opportunity to order. We were told to sit in the back dining area, anywhere we wanted, or even outside. We never got walked back to the table. We sat ourselves. There was one server in the back dining area, who never greeted us at all. After about 10 minutes, my party decided to leave. We even walked by the server, and she didn't even say anything to us. How do you not even notice a party walking out that you didn't even say hello to? To top it off, as we walked out, the lady that told us to sit in the back, told us to have a good day. Lady, you just sat is 10 minutes ago, how could we have even eaten in that time?! Funny thing is, as we were walking out, there were diners that commented that we were the second party to walk out while they were sitting there. That really explains a lot about the horrible service there is there. I would say this place gets by with their name and nothing else. The service was horrible. Glad we got the horrible service there that made us walk down the street to Steamers, which is by far, better than here. Better views, service, and I'm sure the food was better too. If the wait staff was bad at Tony's, then I'd be afraid of what's in the kitchen. Find something else. There are way too many better options out there. read more

I asked a local that I know where we should go to eat on Cedar key, he said if you love clam chowder you need to go to Tony's. We are so glad we followed his suggestion. The clam chowder is fantastic, and we found out you can buy it in some grocery stores. We also ordered a crabcake entrée and the Fisherman's Poorboy. It was all delicious and much more than we ever expected. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - I never take pictures of my food. But the presentation at Tony's was unbelievable. - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

I've probably been to Tony's a dozen times. Never disappointed. Still the best clam chowder in Florida.

I Will NEVER Eat At Tonys RIPOFF Seafood Restaurant In Cedar Key Again! I was given a $50.00 Tonys Gift Card Pre-COVID. It had NO expiration date on the card! Yesterday I went into the restaurant after diving across the state to use it! The manager did not know what to do with my gift card and she would not honor it. She gave me the owner's phone number to call so I called him. He said to me " Your Gift Card is two years old, we now use gift certificates and we will not honor your $50.00 gift card! I told him that this is not fair since it was purchased as a Christmas gift for me just before COVID-19 kicked into gear. I then asked him for a refund and he refused to do that as well. This is why I'm posting this review! The Owner of Tonys Sea Food Restaurant in Cedar Key Florida Is an out-and-out scammer that could care less about his customers! It is without question he ripped me off! This Is why I will never go to Tony's Seafood Restaurant again! read more

We had to try the famous chowder so we stopped by for lunch. They were short staffed so we waited and luckily, the chowder was worth the wait. It was so delicious, we took some home. It was slightly spicy and full of clams. The servers were friendly and tried their best to keep things going. The chicken sandwich was ok, the fries nothing special. We didn't order the cod, but why would you not offer local fish in a fishing town? So stick with the chowder and you'll be so glad you visited. read more

We are regulars at Tony's when we are in Cedar Key. So last Monday we brought our son and his girlfriend from Washington DC to Tony's. We told them to get ready for the best clam chowder in the universe (and yes, we had just watched the eclipse!). We also recommended the Seafood Platter. The chowder was great--did not disappoint! But the Seafood Platter was not what we'd experienced the last 2 visits. It was way scaled back -- nothing fried on it, only 3 small shrimp... nothing like in the past. Was it fresh? Yes! But the amount was definitely skimpy and we ended up ordering another entry to make up for it. So I bet they don't even read Yelp at Tony's, but if they do, then they need to instruct the Chef to prepare the food as it is described on the menu. As for my husband and me, we'll still stop in for the chowder but we'll probably restaurant-hop for our main meal. read more

We've been to Tony's about three times in the last few years. When in Cedar Key, I expect to slow down and not be in a hurry. But when we stopped at Tony's for lunch, slow was taken to a whole new level. We waited nearly 10 minutes for someone to seat us, even though no one was ahead of us in line. We waited for water, waited for lunch, waited for the check and waited for the change. They don't have so many tables that they should have been understaffed, and it was a Wednesday in August - hard to blame it on the season. The clam chowder is really quite good, but it's honestly not any better than Linse makes at home. We bought a bag of fresh clams and boiled them later for dinner at our room in the Old Fenimore Mill, and they were even more memorable. My biggest complaint, however, is that their fish of the day was Atlantic haddock - a coldwater fish not even remotely local. No other fish on the lunch menu. And this is Cedar Key, where flounder, redfish, grouper, and all sort of fish from the gulf are within a few miles of the table. I had the crab cake sandwich, which was mediocre at best. Everything else we had was about the same level of quality. Our server was working hard, but overall, the service was unimpressive. read more

Best clam chowder ever but the service is lacking big time. I felt so bad for the 1 waitress who was working the door, serving all the food, busing all of the tables and handling to go orders. Hire someone to help! read more

I never have seen my kids eat as much as shrimp as they did in this place. We ordered platter for two for Adults and it was all good. Friendliest folks serving you and the food is quick read more

Okay I get it - Clam Chowder was awesome Service was hit or miss and tables were not cleared properly, but the clam chowder......damn, that was good! read more

My husband and I stopped by Tony's for lunch while visiting Cedar Key in July. We wanted to try their famous New England clam chowder. Boy were we happy we did! It was thick and creamy, chock full of clams, and had a bit of heat to it. A little different than what we're used to, but absolutely delicious. I only wish we lived closer so we could stop by on a whim! Definitely check this out if you like creamy New England clam chowder - you won't be disappointed. read more

I have heard about this place for years& now I am finally here! Expectations are high, it has been awarded the best cl am chowder in the U.S. 3 or 4 years in a row now. This was a high priority to try, so we went the first night, before the festival started. They ship the chowder and now it is canned and sold in Publix. It arrives at the table piping hot and we all spoon into our cups only to look up at each other with disappointment. The broth was quite good and had a nice consistency, but the overwhelming salt sent you running for your water or beer. There was clams flavor, but no clams, no nothing, just broth. Sad faces all around. What a dissapointment. Next crab cakes. Yummy, we were hungry and waiting Another flop. The taste was average, but the salt was high Remember this is 2 days before the festival, so for the restaurant it was business as usual & no high volume of people. Then it was time for entrees. Still very hungry and stomachs rumbing, we wait for our entrees. An hour passes, still no entree and our waitress kept going MIA. After 2 bad starts and let downs, over an hours wait for entrees and a MIA watress, we declared the meal DO at 8:45. We finally got our check and we're soon on the old food prowl. The latest even the pizza restaurants stay open is 9 PM, we were SOL, without a paddle! We returned to the hotel and rifled everyone's luggage for any type of food, no luck....well we had plenty of alcohol, so we were forced to drink our dinner on the patio, with the waves ring in. What's a girl to do? Always & I mean always carry a survival bar or nuts with you. read more

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We Each had a scrimp, fish and clam poorboy and a cold Coors Lite as well. For appetizers we had clam chowder. Really good. They are known for having the best chowder in Cedar Key. And we agree...So far. read more

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Tony's is very clean and they have great service. Unfortunately the food just isn't very good. Every single wall will tell you they have award winning clam chowder but what you get is a watery soup with hardly any clams. We also order steamed clams that tasted like they were lovingly dipped in salt. The fried seafood platter was decent but it was missing hush puppies. The fruit was good! We've gone here twice and were disappointed. There are a lot of nice places to eat in Cedar Key. And Tony's was clean and had nice service and good fruit... everything else was disappointing. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Menu. 7/12/17. - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

Arrived at 1:10pm. Place was nearly full. Waited for over an hour for our food. Watched others get served, mostly bowls of Clam Chowder. Waitress was overwhelmed. Kitchen was not up to the job. We ordered the special, Oyster sandwich and steamed clams. Nothing exotic. Very disappointing after hearing good things about the food, which turned out to be mediocre. read more

Was a little concerned reading other yelp reviews that the New England clam chowder was going to be salty but Joe and I really liked it. Not sure it was worth the $8.00 a bowl we paid but the flavor was there. It had just a little hint of heat and lots of bacon. I had only wished the pieces of clam were bigger. Every time I thought I found one it was bacon. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Snack time with Joe - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

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Not what I had expected it to be. We were in town for a seafood festival and tried a sample cup of their chowder. It was delicious. So after the festival we decided to go and sit down for more chowder and a meal. The wait was about 15 minutes they said, not bad considering the festival in town. We got in and there's only about a dozen tables. The menu had their chowder or fried/steamed shrimp and or clams. That's about it. Not the full on restaurant we thought it was. But the chowder is delicious. Cedar Key is amazing and the chowder is supposed to be award winning. We bought a few cans to take home too. read more

We were somewhere outside of Cedar Key, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, when the clams began to take hold... My wife had heard about this place for years and we were more than a little excited to go. We arrived at 1 PM on a Friday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, and we had apparently missed the lunch rush as the place was empty. We were immediately greeted by a sign telling us to wait to be seated. After a few minutes, someone came out of the back and told us that we had to sit at a "2 top table." I would have preferred a 4 top table but rules are rules, I understand. Based on everything we had read we knew to order the clam chowder. It did not disappoint. In fact, it is probably the best clam chowder I have ever had. Had we ended our lunch right there, we would have had a very enjoyable experience to report. Unfortunately, our story does not end there. We got greedy and pushed for more. My wife and I decided, as the chowder was rather filling, to split a fried "fresh" fish sandwich, accompanied by french fries. Our meal came out almost instantly, prompting my wife to comment "that was quick." The server's response, "it doesn't take long to fry a fish." This may be true, but we can attest it takes a little longer than that. The french fries were raw. Barely crisp on the outside, they were still cold and hard on the inside. Oddly enough, I believe the fries were better than what transpired next. Our unseasoned, barely cooked, chunk of questionable seafood was basically edible. My wife pushed her half of the meal around on her plate like some South Beach supermodel, while I chomped away with disappointment. As we are now driving away in search of the nearest clean bathroom, I realize that her's was certainly the preferred strategy. In closing, go for the clam chowder, pay your check, and head for the door. read more

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

We heard about Tony's from a fellow RVer. He said not to miss this restaurant when visiting Cedar Key. And he raved about the clam chowder. No menu item could live up to that hype. But Tony's clam chowder is famous for a reason. It is very, very tasty and loaded with more clams than I ever had anywhere. And I didn't need to doctor it with pepper. It came perfectly spiced to my taste. I also has Tony's Cajun Creole. It too was perfectly spicy. All too often I have to ask for hot sauce when I order creole. It came with a generous side salad. The house dressing is a vinaigrette that, I think, has a bit of mint in its spice mix. That was a pleasant surprise. I have to pass on the suggestion I received. If you are in Cedar Key, make time for a meal at Tony's! read more

Came here to try their clam chowder and it didn't disappoint. Being a Tuesday night, they are one of the few places open. This made for a little wait and staff that was spread thin. Regardless, the service was decent and the server was good. The chowder was very good and full of clams as it should. We ended up buying some of the canned to take home. Their other seafood was very good and fresh. I had the seafood po-boy that had shrimp, fish, clams, oysters and an amazing sauce. Location was great in downtown Cedar Key in a neat older building. Space is limited but they were able to serve the 5 of us on a busy Tuesday night in less than 30 minutes. read more

I'd say Tony's is a step up from the standard seafood fare found along Dock St. They're really proud of their clam chowder, even offering cans of it to take with you, and I have to say there's good reason. It was packed with flavor (maybe just a bit too salty for my tastes, but that's a minor quibble) and was very enjoyable. My wife and I shared the Crab Stuffed Shrimp, and we both really liked it. We heard a lot of good things about the Cajun Seafood entree, so maybe we'll try that next time we're in town. The service was excellent, our waitress knew all about the menu, kept our drinks filled, and was very friendly. read more

My wife and I took a road trip to Cedar Key one afternoon and decided to drop in at Tony's for an early dinner. We arrived between 4:30 and 4:45 and had plenty of seats to choose from. The place does fill up quick, and with it being such a small venue, be prepared to wait for a seat. Since Tony's is best known for their clam chowder, we split a cup of soup as an appetizer. Tony's is best known for their clam chowder (which has won many awards at prestigious competitions), and it definitely did not disappoint. It was rich and hearty and full of goodness! We each decided to get the seafood platter (includes fried/steamed shrimp, steamed clams, fried oysters, fried scallops, a fried fish filet, and a crab cake). The flavors of everything was delicious! However, the fried items were a little on the soggy side (as if the plates sat for a while before coming out to the table). read more

My husband tripped over this place when he was filming in the area. He took me there on one of our adventurist treks off the beaten path. He claimed the "best grouper sandwich" anywhere but I had heard that before - right before we turned into the Islamorada Fish Company (post hurricane rebuild when they apparently went corporate at the price of their grouper sandwich) ANYWAY... This quaint little hole in the old-hotel-in-a-fishing-village wall did not disappoint. I liked the chowder better than the sandwich but both were outstanding! Good fries too. It's worth the detour if you are driving the back way from Tallahassee to places south of Gainesville. It's also a pretty cool destination for a day. Staff are proud of their chowder awards (rightfully so) and are happy to chat about the village or the weather. If you're not into fishing or on a film crew it is unlikely you will find this place unless you have wanderlust and a craving for great clam chowder or a grouper sandwich. read more

The 5 stars are for the clam chowder....best I've EVER put in my mouth! Little odd that during the week they seem to ONLY have chowder, salads, and appetizers for dinner but they have regular seafood dinners for lunch?!! On weekends, they have full menu for lunch and dinner. Anyway, the chowder is superb! We had key lime pie and salted caramel cheesecake for dessert and both were really yummy but the cheesecake ....ah, it was heaven in my mouth mmmmm!!! Our waitress, Solmarie, was so attentive and sweet!! The price for the chowder was pricey though, $5.25/cup. read more

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

When it comes to their clam chowder believe the hype! Think New England clam chowder with an ever so slight kick and perfect consistency. Better quality potatoes would send this soup beyond the stratosphere! It's the ONLY average component to the dish. The grouper sandwich was perfectly fried and the homemade tartar and cocktail sauces were vibrant and fresh tasting. Next time I'll order a larger soup! FYI: Little neck clams do not fry well therefore are not offered. read more

Very good food. Not much to choose from but you won't be disappointed. Their clam chowder really is some of the best. The crab cakes are delicious read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - One page menu but it's all you need - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida

We visited Cedar Key for our anniversary and came to Tony's the first night for dinner, based on the reviews online. It did not disappoint! Our server was Diane and she was excellent. Not only was she super friendly but she was also extremely knowledgeable about everything from the menu to things to do in Cedar Key. We ordered the clam chowder, having read about the awards it had won. We can see why it won best clam chowder nation-wide three times in a row. It was some of the best clam chowder we have EVER had. An absolute PERFECT blend of ingredients. For our entree, we shared the "Seafood Platter for Two". It too was scrumptious. The fried items were perfectly breaded and fried, and were so tasty. All of the side items were made in house and were excellent as well, from the potato salad to the coleslaw to the tartar sauce. The tea was fresh brewed which was something important to both of us. (Neither of us like bottled tea or that which comes out of a soda fountain.) The iced tea was brewed to perfection and Diane kept our glasses full without having to ask. We finished up with the Chocolate Mosaic Cake which was yummy. This was our first visit to Cedar Key and we will be back again, and Tony's will be our first stop. We highly recommend it! read more

Yes get the chowder, my mistake was to get a cup rather than a bowl. Got the platter for 2, which is the same Amt of food as the platter for one, just w extra side and 2 salads. It filled us up, but we could have ate more. Then the waitress explained that oysters were out of season, so they wouldn't be on the platter, but other items would be substituted. So I'm pretty sure we got a larger piece of fish (grouper we think) and 3 scallops, which were cooked perfectly and flavorful. In fact all the seafood was cooked that way. The only thing was that blue crab was supposed to be on the platter but it was not ! I didn't realize this until later...so boo to that. My friend got the seafood po boy and said it was delicious. It looked full of seafood. The service was excellent. read more

The food here is good, I ordered the platter, but I have a few gripes. The food is never served together. Nothing irritates me more than having two entrees brought out while the rest of the party waits five minutes for their food. This is really unacceptable in my opinion. I worked as both a cook and a server while in college and that never happened once! You have to ask for water. This is also an industry standard. When the server comes out to great you, he or she should already have water for everyone. Finally, you will leave this place smelling as if you've done a 9 hour shift in the kitchen. The fried food smell seeps deep into your pores, your hair, your clothing, even your phone case! . They really need better grease ducts or ventilation on something. read more

This place is nothing fancy but it has many things to offer. The service is friendly, The food is amazing and the Chowder here is some of the Best you will ever find anywhere. read more

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

Was SO looking forward to their clam chowder but when I saw the wait, decided to buy their can of it (cost $20 a year ago) to take home instead. The hostess was incredibly rude and snapped "I'VE GOT PEOPLE IN THE BACK ROOM AND PEOPLE IN THE FRONT ROOM THERE'S NO WAY I CAN GET THAT RIGHT NOW!" I just thought she'd be happy she didn't have to seat us and just sell us a can! She had a meltdown! read more

I looked at different reviews of places while on a short weekend trip to Cedar Key. It sounded good, but we ultimately ended up here because our first choice wasn't opening for dinner for another hour or so and we were hungry. You walk in an immediately know they have award winning clam chowder. It's not my thing and it was a HOT day so there was no way anyone in my party was ordering a soup. Also, this is not a place to go if you're on a diet or want to eat healthy. We started with the corn nuggets and clam strips. Both of them were delicious, with the clam strips being our favorite. They were large and tender. The breading was light and flaky. I got the platter with shrimp and fish. I'm a whitefish person, where fishy tasting things are awful to me. So I was surprised that the skin was still on the fish and that made it taste super fishy. I wasn't a fan. They should have at least make you aware that that's how it comes. That's the only time I've ever gotten fried fish and it had the skin on. Luckily, the shrimp made up for it. They were large and tasty. The red potatoes I got on the side were probably the best thing on my plate. I was the only one at the table who got them and after I made them all they them, they were jealous they hadn't gotten them. All in all, it was a good stop when we needed to eat. Now that I know what to order, or not, I would have a more enjoyable meal next time. read more

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - Fried shrimp, fried fish (with the skin on), red potatoes and hushpuppies. - Seafood Near Me - Cedar Key, Florida