A seat yourself type of establishment, this laid back river view restaurant gives all of the Florida vibes! With live music, seating might be hard to find, but there is lots of it if you keep walking through to the back, closer to the river. We found a table toward the river as a family was getting up. The busser cleaned off the table quickly and we had some menus in no time. Our waitress was great- super efficient. I had the grouper bites with coleslaw and fries. The grouper bites were so tender and cooked perfectly, with the batter having the perfect fry/ crisp! The fries seemed battered too and they were delicious as well! We ended with a sliced of peanut butter pie and it was to die for! Soon after we arrived, a live cover band started playing and it made our Friday night! read more

Fun Place to take people that are new or visiting, very cute vibes. Go when it's nice outside so you can enjoy the river and the views! I ordered a weekly special - it was a bbq brisket cheddar melt, it was ok, nothing I would say is different from anywhere else, I also got an order of calamari, basic frozen stuff. Good music! Seems to get busy for their live music nights! Service, Food were basic read more

Woody's River Roo - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

Food great grouper bites excellent Service waiter fast and attentive Ambiance river front setting excellent !!!! Live music... cheered us up for our road trip ahead! read more

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I've been coming to the Roo for many years and have seen it change quite a lot. The Roo today is the best I've seen. I've been there twice this week, and every time I go I order what is the best bang bang shrimp I've ever had. The service is always top notch with me never seeing the bottom of my glass and plenty of attention. If it's a hot day try to find a table near a fan or in the shade. If you want to skip rocks, go sit out near the river. You can have whatever dining experience you'd like. Other food recommendations are the grouper sandwich, tacos (both grouper and shrimp). read more

Woody's River Roo - Bang Bang Shrimp - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

Came to Woodys after a Long Beach morning at fort de Soto on the way home to LWR. Worth the stop, nice live music kind speedy service and tasty food. And of course it helps sitting ocean side wind blowing cold drink in hand. Pictured are the mahi fish dip (incredible) Key West Bowl, fried grouper, fried pickles, fish tacos and pulled pork sandwich. Everyone loved their food and not pictured were the drinks. Drink service was very fast for how big this place is. Will be back! read more

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Another amazing meal at Woodys... The place was packed, we scored a bench near the water for amazing views, the band was killing it and despite the place being full the food was delivered quickly. Love this place! read more

Woody's River Roo - Fish & Chips Basket - two haddock fillets - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

Sunday lunch with great live music. Plenty of menu choice. Covered relaxing water view. French Dip was great including the bed. Should have gone grilled grouper more than fried. Just too much fried. Clam Chowder was great. Good old sweet tea. Have to try the drinks next time. Service was great, read more

Great food , great atmosphere! Good local music, great place to relax and see nature while you have an enjoyable evening.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. They had live music playing which was great and you're able to sit outside with a covered space. I ordered their grouper bites that came with french fries. The grouper bites were good and came breaded and fried. I enjoyed it here and thought it was a fun place to hang out at. read more

Woody's River Roo - Grouper Bites - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

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Great time...good food, drinks and relaxing atmosphere Comfortable environment with some good live music! read more

We stopped in early Friday afternoon and were told to sit wherever we liked, so the kids picked a spot near the water. It took almost 8 minutes before we were greeted. I saw our server notice our table while she was doing something near the bar, and she noticeably made a face on her way over, which left a bit of a sour first impression. The place was busy, but not overly crowded. The food and drinks were good, but the service was slow. After our meal, we stopped in the shop and picked up a few things. The woman behind the counter was very friendly, and we had a great chat with her--definitely a highlight of the visit. read more

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Apps were great! Drinks were potent. Service was excellent and for such a massive seating area, you would think service would be slower, it wasn't slow at all. We met some very fun people because we shared a long table with them. So much seating was still leaving people looking for seats. It was noon on Saturday and this place was rocking! I live in central FL and will definitely return! It's a Florida bar. read more

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We actually enjoyed our dinner at Woodys. Seat yourself. Some inside seating, some outdoor, and some out on the "island". They had a nice gift shop as well. read more

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When you are in Sarasota you have to check out Woody's River Roo. This place is so cute. I love how it's decorated for the holidays. You can sit by the bar or outside even by the water. This place is packed with kind customer service and sometimes live music. There's a store to shop and browse too all Woody's River Roo merchandise. The food is delicious here! Can't go wrong with appetizers and the main course. I really enjoyed the fish and pretzel bites! I highly recommend you check this place out. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Stopped by Woody's in Ellenton for lunch and was pleasantly surprised! I ordered the Cuban sandwich, which had great flavor and was nicely pressed, though it leaned a little on the drier side. Still enjoyable, just could've used a touch more moisture or sauce. What really made the experience stand out was the atmosphere. The fans kept the air moving enough that it didn't even feel like 2pm on a July afternoon in Florida -- a small miracle in itself. Add in some live music and a relaxing view, and you've got the perfect lunch vibe. Definitely a spot I'd come back to for a casual meal with a laid-back, coastal feel. read more

Woody's River Roo - Cuban sandwich - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

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Honeatly the food is a little on the pricey side. Food is good and large portions. I had the fish and chips. Fries are good and the fish was great. Such a coolnplace, buy a shirt while you are there. We shall return. Great view of the Manatee River and marina. Lots of seating. See our YouTube channel Coolest Life. read more

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Made my first visit today for a late lunch with a new friend; was impressed with the menu selection, lots of great options and was very happy with my meal! Service was very good - quickly got drinks and food, then left us to talk and enjoy our food, but checked in several times on us! Live music was great, very cool vibe and a very diverse crowd - would recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxed atmosphere with decent food and great service! read more

My husband and I were staying nearby for a weekend in the area...and ended up coming to Woody's two nights in a row! This is such a fun little joint, right on the water (you can even pull up on your boat and order)! Over both nights, we tried a variety of their cocktails (excellent prices!) and various meals. We loved the coconut shrimp, the bang bang shrimp, and the shrimp eggrolls (I am sensing a theme here!). We also tried the crab dip and...it was odd. It is a blended texture and was visually so unappetizing that I could hardly eat it. Then, we shared the seafood boil - adding the crab legs on night one and the scallops on night two. We thought this was an EXCELLENT quality and quantity for the price and loved being able to feel like we were indulging. Woody's also offers live music and dancing; while we saw the signs about community tables, we were there for three+ hours and were never asked to leave or move, so unsure how that process works. read more

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My lady and I just happened to see this place on our way North from Sarasota and decided to stop in. Definitely a place you should visit the atmosphere is nice the service is good the food is good the view is good it's all good. I recommend that you treat yourself go there prices are definitely reasonable. Treat yourself you deserve it you're worth it read more

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The crab cakes and chicken tacos were really good. We love that this is located by the water. Super cute! Love the trinket shop too, lots of cute clothes and merch. The waitress was okay, was very quiet and a bit on the slow side (though not that busy). Other than that, the food was great and the place had adorable Christmas decor too! read more

Woody's River Roo - Chicken tacos - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

We went for lunch. The homemade potato chips are excellent! I had the beer battered shrimp and along with the chips very tasty and filled me up. The server was friendly , (sorry, forgot her name) and checked on us regularly. A great place to bring out-of-towners, very old Florida feel which is disappearing around here lately. Large seating area under cover from the rain along with riverside tables. Highly recommend! read more

They should be more forthcoming that a 3% charge will be added for all card purchases. The 3% fee is applied to taxes too. read more

An Out of state friend looking for a perfect quaint place with good seafood. Woody's River Roo checked all the boxes. Waterfront casual with 5 star dining food. I of course got a cheeseburger with broccoli which was pawsitively delicious. The burger was cooked as I ordered and broccoli delicious. My humans got mozzarella sticks, bowls with grouper and salmon and they were perfect. This is a great place with reasonable prices and looking at a perfect view. Mario was our server and he was great even with a lot of other customers. Drinks were always filled; the meals came out hot and he was super friendly and attentive. This is a must go to when in town or even a local spot with live music. The decor was cool and next time I hope I can grab a tee-shirt. and oh yea.....Puppy friendly!!! living life, the #thebodhifinway read more

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We enjoyed going to Woody's River Roo today. The weather was PERFECT for sitting outside by the water. We loved watching boats cruising around and parking for a bite. Today (Saturday) at noon, they had a live band playing oldies. Nothing better than this. The server was prompt but there were a lot of people, so the refills took a while to come around. I had some steak tacos and my wife had the fish and chips. Her fish were huge, flaky and tasted good. My tacos were pretty good. The steak was cooked well. I wasn't used to having nuggets (chunks, cubes, not sure what to call them) in my tacos. They could have had more of the fresh ingredients in them. And the choice of sides, didn't really fit with tacos; fries, coleslaw or applesauce. I had the little side coleslaw. It was VERY dressed. We've been here many times and will be back many more. read more

We tried to stop by here last night for dinner and listen to the live music. Wow this place is definitely a local favorite. Cars were lined up and down the street, No parking at all. We found a spot because of having a handicap placard. Unfortunately we couldn't find a table or seat anywhere. There was a few tables with 1 person sitting to.talk to folks at a nearby table. It gave more of a bar vibe than a restaurant but does offer a full menu. The place is super cool especially being on the water. They have seating inside and outside in several places. It was just super packed. If you want to go you definitely need to get there early. Unfortunately we had to turn around and leave. We hope to try to go back on a non weekend to try the food. We were super disappointed that we couldn't stay. I did give them four stars bc the location and vibe is cool but reserve further opinions until we can try the food. read more

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We had a great time! Our server was incredibly kind and attentive. Live music was great but a little loud, hard to have a conversation at times. Food was delicious. My family love the pork nachos. I had the buffalo wings and they were good. Ordered them extra crispy but I can tell they weren't tossed in the sauce very well. Didn't complain because they were just solid wings all together. Great house ranch too. My daughter's chicken tenders and fries were great too. Top quality chicken. If you're looking for solid costal food with a strong Florida vibe, this is the place to go. read more

Woody's River Roo - Medium buffalo wings. Extra crispy - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

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Local spot for outstanding seafood and beautiful views! (+and super fun live music from local bands). We came for lunch and sat next to the water under some shade. Parking was easy on a weekend early afternoon, but it does get packed closer to evening! We got a couple appetizers and salads to share: coconut shrimp (phenomenal, crispy and sweet), fish dip (a wonderful balance of savory flavors, paired nicely with the chips), caprese salad and Caesar salad (both fresh classics!). Service is always so friendly here as well, they really do a great job making sure you're taken care of. read more

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Ambience is amazing. Service is pretty good but the food I can't say much for. Me and my friend thought this do nachos. Can't go wrong there. Unfortunately, the chili was way too sweet. read more

Woody's River Roo - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

This is a fun place with good food on the river!!!! Service was good too. The staff was lively and fun to be included in their world. The outdoor patio is my favorite! read more

Service was amazing! What a nice group of people. Ambiance is so nice and so large - lots of seating outside and inside. Waterfront and cheekee huts. Food was served fast and portions were ample! Yum! Would go back anytime. Even have a gift shop with fun items. So happy I found this gem right off the highway! read more

This is a great place to sit by the river have a drink with food and listen to good music. Beautiful scenery on the water. You can come by boat. Great weekend music. We split the blackened mahi sandwich. It was delicious. The tator tots were crispy. Service is friendly and busy. Drinks are reasonable. The chicken wings are good. Maybe well done. Mostly all outdoor seating. read more

Woody's River Roo - Mahi sandwich 1/2 - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

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Let's call it what it is, a beach style dive bar...as long as you know that going into the place you'll have a great time. You sit yourself and the waiting staff will come find you within a short time, even when they are busy. We ordered nachos and fish and chips, no one left disappointed or hungry. We also got to watch some live music which was awesome! The guy playing guitar and singing was legit, he took requests from the audience and did a great job. It's a fun, laid back atmosphere and we will be coming back. read more

I definitely enjoy this place! Went for a Friday 'Happy Hour' and was happy to see that it was not packed with snowbirds, they must've been down at Joe's! There were no seats at the bar so my group and I sat down at a table. The live music was enjoyable and not too loud. Our server came over right away, took our order and was back in literally moments with our drinks. We also ordered food, which was enjoyed by all very much. We ordered their fish and chips, Woody's burger, and a group of Ruben. All the food was served quickly, and was hot, especially the french fries, which are thick and delicious. Overall, there was just a great experience with the food, music, drinks, and atmosphere. I look forward to going back! read more

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Decent place that has indoor dining and outdoor dining. It's definitely completely open place with no windows or anything. Its just part of the building is covered and you can sit inside or you have some spots outside on the beach, or you can walk the little walkway across the inlet to where they have picnic tables and umbrellas. Which there, you can view the waterway, I 75 or any nature nearby. It's got a good vibe to it, service was decent. Food was good. I had a blackened salmon grilled cheese with fries which I thought was surprisingly good. Prices were not that expensive. I was happy about that. It's a decent outdoor place. And we went on a Friday, and there's a small area inside which the band plays and as we were walking out, the band was just getting going. it was a couple of guys doing unplugged instrumentals with a little singing. Nice! read more

Great location on the water right off the Ellenton Outlet exit on I-75. They had a sign up to walk in and pick your table which I liked and we sat right on the water. Looks like they have plenty of seating and great spot for boats to pull up. I ordered the Pulled Pork Nachos and my mom ordered a Cheese Pizza. I loved my nachos, great flavor. For dessert I took home a Peanut Butter Pie which was yummy. read more

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Our server Ryan was great. The clam chowder was pretty good. The perfect margarita was pretty watered down but it's only $10 so I guess that's not surprising. Ditto for the frozen starwberry margarita. Onion rings were great, sweet potato fries were bad - it looked like they got finished in an oven and were burnt a little. The bang bang shrimp was fine. The fried grouper tasted fishy. But it's a cute place and the workers are all friendly so I might try it again and just get a burger with onion rings. read more

Woody's - Come by Boat, Car .. or Both! Great little place to stop in and have a drink and a light bite to eat on the water. Always fun and lively with good music/good vibes. Glad to see Woodys back open after the Hurricane. If you are coming in from out of State (like me ;) ). Check out the neat T-shirts etc. as well! read more

Woody's River Roo - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

The atmosphere at the little restaurant and pub is wonderful. The Food is delicious and I have never had bad service here. read more

Woody's River Roo - Seafood Boil - American Near Me - Ellenton, Florida

Excellent service, very good fish n chips, atmosphere comfortable, live music, great location to meet friends traveling from another location. Many people on a Saturday afternoon, but everything was timely. I would go there again. read more

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Their food is overpriced for what you are getting but the live music afternoons and evenings almost make up for it.