kate74

Looking for a nice seafood restaurant that is kid friendly. Specifically someplace that would have a variety of seafood dishes as well as king crab legs. I have read that Island Way Grill is good, but don't know if it is kid friendly or how close that is to the St. Pete Beach area. Thanks.

simpsonc510

You might try Leverocks at St Pete Beach. It's on the inner coastal waterway, off of Corey Av, I think.

Wayne

Almost anywhere you go in the St Pete Beach area will be kid-friendly. I don't know how old your kid or kids are, but as long as they don't run around the restaurant like wild Indians, they (and you) will be welcome anywhere.

In the immediate St. Pete Beach area, there is a seafood restaurant on Gulf Blvd called Snapper's. But there is also Crabby Bill's, a great family-style restaurant with good seafood at very reasonable prices. Then toward the south tip of St. Pete Beach in Pass-a-Grille, there's the famous Hurricane Restaurant with all kinds of food, including lots of fresh seafood. These are just a few, but there are many more. Leverock's as already mentioned also is a good seafood restaurant and was one of the original seafood places in the area. Then there's PJ's Seafood Restaurant right on 75th Street just off Gulf Blvd. It's also a family kind of place. As I sit here I can probably think of a few more, but these are a good start. And you will find lots more places in Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, and Redington Beach as you drive north along the ocean. Good luck.

Gekko

One of my favorites is The Wharf in Pass-a-Grille.

Also, for a good breakfast, you can't beat Robby's Pancake House on T.I.

joan

Why order Alaskan crab in Florida? Instead, try Stone Crab Claws. They're local, as rich and delicious as king crab, and in season til May 15th. One place you can get them is Billy's Stone Crab in Tierra Verde:

http://www.billysstonecrab.com/index.html

Island Way Grill is quite far, about 45 mins of killer traffic (It's on the causeway from Clearwater to CW Beach) and more adult-oriented.

I have to admit, I own a seafood restaurant in St. Pete, casual & kid friendly, but it would be against policy to mention it here...someone else must do the honors. We don't have king crab anyways though...

kate74

joan I know which restaurant you are talking about. I will be traveling with a toddler, who would be happy with chicken fingers or the like. So I am looking for someplace with a kids menu. I wasn't aware of Stone Crab until I started reading some more on this board, but it sounds delicious and I look forward to trying that instead.

cd

Kate:
I do recommend Joan's Restaurant/market. We purchased great seafood from them and you can ask Joan what the wonderful spread was that we always asked for. Her husband Don makes it fresh daily and it is the best! He'll even give you free crackers to go with it! It is: Mid Peninsula in St Petersburg and you can't go wrong.
Some of our favorite restaurants were:
Sea Critters - St Pete, eat outside on the docks
Backfin Blue cafe in Gulport (the best!!)
Frenchy's Rockaway on the beach in Clearwater
Billy's in Tierra Verde for fresh stone crabs - they were wonderful, the rest of their food just so-so. Billy's also offers free boat rides at 5:00pm Mon thru Thur If you go to the site listed above there is a coupon you can print out.
Cabby's On the beach in Treasure Island for grouper sandwiches
Canjan Grill on the Bayou(sp?)in St Petersburg for Crawfish. Yummmmmmmm

joan

Thanks cd! I like your list too - especially Backfin Blue in Gulfport. Kate it is very close and there's a very "groovy" artwalk First Friday (and 3rd Sat) of each month that you'd enjoy. You'll think it's the sixties again.


I was just at the Cajun Cafe on the Bayou today for lunch! Mmmmm the gumbo was delicious - and hubby had a crawfish poboy that was huge! This place is on the water (a creek really) and you can rent kayaks before or after your meal!

http://cajuncafeonthebayou.olm.net/

pete51068

I was at St. Petes Beach last year. We ate at Crabby Bill's and it couldn't get any more kid friendly than that place. My kids loved it. It was cheap and totally casual. Directly on the beach too. I will say that the seafood couldn't compare to what I've had in my native Rhode Island, but it was definetely kid friendly and a good time.

Tandoori_Girl

Kid friendly would be Crabby Bill's, Robby's, and Caddy's for sure. Neither is to die for but maybe check out the good ones after the kid grows up. Thumbs up from me for Mid-Peninsula and anything Joan recommends. Thumbs down IMHO to Snapper's, Hurricane, Dockside Dave's, and Frenchy's. They all may have been good once but are now sliding ever so quickly downhill. Great for kids also, but no seafood, is Speedie's on Blind Pass Road; the Chattaway, a terrific outdoor hamburger joint in downtown St. Pete; Coney Island Hot Dogs, also in downtown St. Pete.

cd

Just topping this for a test of my files.

jcasale

Leverocks, Crabby Bill's, and Hurricane all get thumbs up from me. Just watch the Rum Runners at the Hurricane - delicious, but potent. Key lime pie is great Hurricane. Plus the view is wonderful. There are also a couple of places at John's Pass, but I can't remember their names. They are right on the wharf area and if you are there at sunset you can often see dolphins come in through the pass.

chris3

This was posted in May and I'm sure you've come and gone but I just registered on this site and I've been living in St Pete for 5 years and so for the next person I thought I'd put my 2 cents in: St Pete Beach is very kid friendly. Crabby Bills is RIGHT on St Pete beach and it is the first place I would take my kids if I was vacationing. Watch out if its your birthday though b/c they do get up on the picnic table and sing to you! Mini golf is right down the street and Larry's Ice Cream is too and it is such GOOD ice cream! The Hurricane (farther south on Passe-A-Grille) has a great roof-top bar but after my husband got food poisioning there and spent New Years Eve in the hospital a few years back, I don't recommend it to anyone, even if it is kid-friendly. Snappers (across the street from the beach) has good food but pricey for the type of food (grouper sandwiches, etc). I ate at Backfin Blue (Gulfport, not on the beach) for the first time on 4th of July and have recommmended it to EVERYONE I know (sit outside, its worth the wait and on the weekend the Inn nextdoor often has live music!) (if tuna is the special, get it pan-seared. It is delicious!) however its a quiet little place and I wouldn't take young children there. If you are on Clearwater Beach (a drive from St Pete but if you are already there..) Frenchy's is THE place to be. Kids would do well there and when you sit outside you are literally on the sand, great sunset views! ENJOY!