7 Clearwater Florida Restaurants You Must Try | Top Clearwater Restaurants

My family has personal origins in Clearwater, Florida. My parents had their honeymoon here in 1962. They were college students and probably didn’t have much money. Yet they kept a passion for central Florida, which was evident in our visits to Walt Disney World, which opened in 1971, and in our frequent return vacations.

Clearwater is a sunny city on Florida’s west coast, north of St. Petersburg Beach and part of the Tampa Bay region.

These are some of my favorite eateries during my vacation.

Visiting other places in Florida? See our other guides:

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• 13 Fun Things To Do In San Marco Island
• The 9 Best Amelia Island Restaurants & 9 Fun Things To Do In Amelia Island
• 7 Best Kissimmee Restaurants
• 9 Fun Things To Do In Vero Beach Florida
• 8 Best Vero Beach Restaurants
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• Best Of Florida Food
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• 7 Must-Try Universal CityWalk Restaurants
• 20 Best Restaurants In Universal Studios
• 6 Best Ft. Myers Beach Restaurants
• The 8 Best Downtown Ft. Myers Restaurants

The 7 Greatest Restaurants in Clearwater, Florida

The Chop House at Bascoms

727-573-3363 Ulmerton Rd

If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll know that I’m constantly looking for a steakhouse that can compete with the Taste of Texas in Katy, TX (see my article on Katy).

As I walked inside Bascoms, everything looked to be going swimmingly. Greeted quickly upon arrival, as soon as the restaurant opened, hoping to get in without a reservation (though reservations are recommended), they were able to accommodate me.

What is one thing that Taste of Texas does not offer that Bascoms has? A big fish tank with stunning coral.

My waiter, Matthew, took my drink order as he delivered the menu and sat around the corner from a private dining room with a table for six to eight that showcased both the fish tank and racks of wine bottles.

Fast and efficient, he eagerly accepted my order as soon as he returned with the excellent water (I had problems in northern and central Florida, but the water here in Clearwater was tasty).

I knew I was going to order the filet with a potato side, but I scanned the menu in case they might hook me with anything else.

Shrimp cocktail, crispy calamari, garlic shrimp, fresh shucked oysters, crab martini, Billionaires Bacon (I need to create more articles to buy one), or Buffalo Cauliflower are among the appetizers available. Most of them would be my favorite daughter’s picks, and they could even be combined to form a supper. Yet I remained firm.

Take another look. Salads and soups. This section of their menu reminded me of Foleys, the greatest steakhouse in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Bascoms serves a lobster bisque, French onion gratinee, traditional Caesar, The Wedge (tempting! ), Bascoms House, Napa Valley, Seafood Cobb, or Filet Mignon, which is put to a string mix, tomato, and gorgonzola with a vinaigrette cheese, with onion straws.

It would have been an excellent decision if my hunger had been a little smaller. Well, not today.

Heidi Stone at the Visitors Center suggested the Grouper, so when I saw it among the Handheld selections, it made me stop. I’ve learned to trust the advice of natives. Yet the pursuit of the perfect steak kept me on the go.

Bascoms also serves a Spicy Sicilian on Herbed Ciabatta, a standard cheeseburger, a bacon stack burger, blackened grouper tacos (yum! ), and shaved prime rib. I’m planning to get The Wedge and the blackened grouper tacos for my next dinner. Let’s set a date and go do it.

Their creative cuisine made me happy. Meat loaf and prime rib au jus, steak frites, salmon Florentine, Manhattan cut strip, chicken marsala, and pistachio coated grouper are also available. It’s the kind of thing Mom would make and Dad would like.

Shrimp Bolognese, tenderloin tips stroganoff, and rainbow pad thai are among the pasta options. More than I would have expected from a chop shop. That, though, is the Clearwater twist.

My filet mignon was first and foremost in my mind as I turned my entire focus to the Chef’s Premier Cuts. I picked the six-ounce portion, which was available in six- and ten-ounce sizes. There is a NY Strip, Prime Porterhouse, All-Natural NY Strip, Pork Chop (double cut and bleu cheese available), All-natural Bone In Ribeye, Lamb Chops, and USDA Prime Ribeye available.

When server Matthew nodded, I knew I was on the right route. Although they offer extra sauces such as hollandaise, bearnaise, cabernet reduction, and sherry pepper cream, I stuck true to my roots and skipped them. They also offer lobster tail or crab as add-ons, as well as Oscar style or diver scallop, but we were already thinking about the sides.

I could have been compelled to eat a healthier veggie if I hadn’t recently bought a great number of spinach and asparagus. They serve mushrooms and onions, grilled asparagus, creamed spinach, spinach gorgonzola gratinee, sautéed spinach, and broccolini, after all. Although I hadn’t eaten broccolini in a long time, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with the rosemary french fries or the garlic mashed potatoes.

Rosemary is my grandmother’s name, so it may have been a better narrative for this, including a little more ancestry into the story, but I went with the garlic mashed potatoes.

Matthew gave me a breadbasket with herb butter while the chef made my options. I knew I wouldn’t be as hungry if I sampled the bread, but do you know how long it takes to cook a well-done steak?

For the first time in a long time, I sat alone and photographed the wine areas and some of the décor. Finally I gave in to the pull and attempted the rolls. I was surprised to discover three separate buns in the breadbasket. Everything is excellent but distinct.

These featured poppy seed, but white seeds rather than black, for a more delicate flavor, a starfish roll that was the most delicious yeast roll Ive had in a long time, and a mini-Italian loaf that was wonderfully crisp on the outside with that nicely risen within. The herb butter was the ideal complement.

The meat was excellent. It tasted like the chef did what Ina Garten once instructed me to do: sear the edges in a cast iron pan before baking. It had a crunchy edge that gave some texture. The garlic mashed potatoes were softer than I had anticipated and had just the proper amount of flavor. I questioned whether I’d be able to finish the meal with a generous helping of onion straws.

That was a pleasant, unhurried meal. Matthew was very attentive and refilled my water glass as required. The service could not have been any better.

I merely stared at him when he asked whether I was ready for dessert. He burst out laughing. I told him that I didn’t believe I’d have enough space, but that I’d want to be tempted. Before bringing the dessert menu, he informed me that his absolute favorite is the crème brulee. He especially like the caramel flavor. Favorite daughter would have probably agreed.

Although they had a blueberry cheesecake, key lime pie, and Matthew’s favorite, crème brulee, the ones I was most tempted by were the flourless chocolate torte (which I nearly ordered to go) and the Root Beer Float, one of the Chef’s Signature Desserts. What are the variations on typical root beer floats? Hot candied bacon, whipped cream, and house caramel. It seems like an excellent incentive to return.

Bananas Foster is the other Chef Signature Dessert. Let me know if you need a designated driver to transport you home (or hotel) after your lunch with rum caramel sauce, vanilla bean or cinnamon brown sugar ice cream, and whipped cream.

I’m very pleased I got the chance to attend this fantastic restaurant. The steak was exquisite, the dark wood furnishings and place settings were classy, and the laughing from other diners demonstrated the relaxed attitude you can have with your friends, even if they are serious about the meal.

As I was leaving, I saw two paintings, one of a lady dressed in Tudor England garb and the other of a male. The workers present at lunch recognized they belonged together, but they had no idea why. Something to keep in mind for a future visit.

Restaurant Lenny’s

727-299-040220 US Highway 19N

Lennys, which is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week, had me chuckling mere seconds after I walked in. The photo of Lenny on the menu reminds me of my Great Uncle Merle.

They were suggested by my hotel since they have been serving breakfast and lunch here since 1958. And they’ve definitely mastered the art.

The menu is wide and the quantities are generous, reminiscent of a New York deli or my great aunt Eileen’s cuisine. The danish dish had five different pastries. To be sure, more than any one person needs for a meal, but a little of each? Quite doable.

I felt perfectly at home, from the handmade chile and chicken noodle soup to the Chicken Matzo-ball soup with noodles and Grandmother Paulines sweet and sour cabbage soup. Aunt Eileen had taken up culinary duties from my Great Grandmother Pauline by the time I met her.

Their Hannah Banana reminded me of my daughter watching Hannah Montana and Lizzie McGuire when she was younger (I hope I got those names straight, its been a while). The Hannah Banana, on the other hand, is made with grilled whole wheat bread covered with fresh sliced banana, peanut butter, and local natural honey. Elvis would be overjoyed if he were present.

Lenny’s deli options may be offered with Reuben or tongue and matzo ball soup enhancements for only fifty cents. You may choose between a salad and a sandwich or a soup and a sandwich, so choose carefully. Hot corned beef, hot roumanian pastrami, salami, turkey breast, ham & swiss cheese, roast beef, chopped liver, or tongue are available as protein options.

I must always suggest the potato pancake. It doesn’t get much better than this in the neighborhood.

Favorite song of Bram Frank The Grandmaster consists of corned beef and pastrami heaped high on fresh rye bread, accompanied by handmade coleslaw and Thousand Island Dressing. I wish my Cousin Ricky was here. I believe he would like this.

He could be seduced by the triple danger of cheese and deli. Three half sandwiches, each with a different protein, served with either potato salad or potato pancake and your choice of bread.

You may choose from the Burger Bar. The Lenny comes with two half-pound beef chuck patties (that’s a whole pound, folks! ), bacon, cheese, and deep-fried onions, as well as French fries and table relishes. You may also replace onion rings for an extra fee. Cameron represents the hamburger. The cheeseburger is the Johnny. The Frayda is a bacon-topped cheeseburger. The Marty (which we also tried!) is a vegetable burger. The Kevin (named after my godfather) is a patty melt with grilled onions if you want them.

Back in the day, I believe he would have had it. As you would expect, I continued searching since they didn’t come with potato pancakes (seeing a pattern here?). But I’d want to know which family member or military member was behind each of the burgers. Maybe I’ll figure it out on my next visit.

Marinated beets, marinated cucumbers, cole slaw, marinated tomatoes, pickles, and macaroni salad are among their table delights.

For sandwiches, they provide the usual deli fare: BLT, tuna melt, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, grilled cheese, grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, or turkey club.

If you like hoagies, there are vegetarian, beef, and buffalo chicken varieties. They have names, too, and it seems that they are all individuals the owner loves.

With four salad options, the healthier-looking options may keep you going. You may also choose from the lunch specialties, which include country fried steak, meat loaf, polish sausage, and spaghetti with handmade meat sauce, chicken strips, hot roast beef sandwich, hot turkey sandwich, French dip, or stuffed cabbage.

Coke goods and Dr. Browns are available, as well as coffee, lemonade, iced tea, iced coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, herbal tea, milk, chocolate milk, and the legendary NY egg creams. If you have to ask what it is, you can’t have it, so let me tell you: they don’t include eggs or cream, but are usually composed of milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup.

I really like it when they offer them in little Coke glasses. Classic. And, sure, they serve traditional milkshakes. They provide mimosas and Bloody Marys as alcoholic beverages.

Oh, and for those aged 10 and younger, please present your driver’s license. It’s a really specific sense of humour. And I immediately felt at ease.

Lenny’s breakfast specialties are named after Lenny’s Women. You’ll find your favorite breakfast combination, from Mallory’s fresh baked biscuit with country sausage gravy to Marie’s Piggies 3 links sausages topped with 3 enormous pancakes. In addition, if fresh strawberries are in season, you may top your pancakes, waffles, or French toast with whipped cream.

The latter are also available separately. You may have a small stack, a long stack, blueberry or apple pancakes with whipped cream, or pumpkin pancakes (yum!).

You may get the French toast in small (2) or medium (3) portions, but if it weren’t for my potato pancakes, I’d suggest the pumpkin bread French toast or the banana bread French breakfast. They feature a chocolate chip pancake that may satisfy your sweet craving, or you may try their Belgian waffle.

Lennys serves 18 hearty country breakfasts, including the legendary gratis Danish basket. The basket also includes 20 amazing omelette selections and the Lennys Bennies.

BLT Benedict, Chicken Waffle Benedict, Eggs Florentine Benedict, Eggs Benedict, Nova Benedict, Portabella Mushroom Benedict, Redneck Benedict (! ), and Crab Benedict are among the Lennys Bennies.

Each comes with a free Danish basket and your choice of side: home fries, grits, toast, hot fresh baked biscuit, sliced tomatoes, fresh fruit garnish, or two silver dollar pancakes, or may be changed for an extra fee with a bagel, toast, or cottage cheese.

Nobody should ever go hungry. But I believe a couple folks looked like they wanted to roll out the door rather than walk because they were so content.

They have bagels cooked fresh here that equal the greatest New York City Restaurants, with places ranging from Toronto to Teaneck named for them. I’d want to meet the couples that inspired the 55+ menu, especially Gigi, who is the sole solo performer. Her chopped ham, scrambled eggs, and bread of choice were a tremendous success.

The Asher Special is a heaping pile of their famed Kitchen Sink Home Fries topped with two eggs and cheese sauce. I can think of a few uncles and aunts that would like it.

Even after exploring the East and West Sides for new alternatives, I had to return to my original love. Would the Brooklyn Trifecta of potato knish, cheese Blintz, and potato pancake be enough to satisfy me? Nope. Knishes, handmade potato, or spinach like Lenny’s mother used to prepare, particularly with spicy mustard? Not me. What about the cheese blintzes? No go. What about the Matzo Brei? Thank you, but no. Homemade Potato Pancakes from Bubbies? We’ve got a winner!

Totally and completely excellent. If I live here, I’ll have to ration my trips to Lenny’s based on the calories, not the price. Oh, is excellent.

Columbia Dining Room

727-596-8400, 1241 Gulf Boulevard

When I polled residents for their favorite spots, this restaurant, a Florida institution since 1905, was at the top of their list. Waterfront views from the dining rooms and the outside terrace make for an ideal place to reconnect. It’s easy to understand why it was named Southern Living’s Best Romantic Restaurant.

As Tampa Bay’s top restaurant, its Spanish-Cuban food has continuously earned honors. The farm-to-table idea is kept alive and well by the fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.

They have their cocktails, family wines, and sangrias available for you to enjoy at noon. I don’t drink, but I wanted to make sure you knew since most waiters can assist you couple your food with the most complementary beverage.

Soups include Spanish bean soup, Cuban black bean soup, and Gaspacho Andalucia. These are family recipes, and the consumers who tasted them all smiled.

Rachel Ray like Columbias Original 1905 salad. It’s tossed at the table with crisp iceberg lettuce, julienned baked ham, Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and their garlic dressing.

It was inspired by immigrants coming in Cigar City and was named for the year the restaurant was created (Tampa). A chopped tomato salad, a favorite of the grandfather, Cesar Gonzmart, and a conventional Caesar salad are also available.

Sandwiches include the Original Cuban, which Food & Wine Magazine rated the greatest sandwich in Florida, the Mahi-Mahi Cubana, Curts Meatloaf, Palomilla Steak Sandwich, and a half-and-half combination, which includes half the Cuban Sandwich and either half of the 1905 Salad or a cup of soup.

Tapas like black bean cakes, champinones rellenos, queso fundido, Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes, Croquetas de pollo, Empanadas de picadilla, gambas Al ajillo, calamares fritos Romana, shrimp and crabmeat alcachofas, scallops casimiro, shrimp supreme, or cakes de Cangrejo tempted me. The empanadas seemed to have my name written all over them.

A chicken with yellow rice, pollo manchego, chicken salteado, and steak salteado were among their extra dishes. Adelita, a red snapper topped with hearts of palm and artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, cooked with EVOO, garlic, and onions, and served with yellow rice, piqued my interest.

That wouldn’t be my first pick, but I’m pleased I gave it a go. I wished I’d known to combine the fibrous palm and artichoke with the taste of the sun-dried tomatoes with the fish we’d enjoyed in Belize. It’s better to find out late than never.

They also serve breaded and grilled red snapper a la Rusa, grilled grouper, grilled mahi-mahi, Mahi-Mahi Cayo Hueso with mojo-marinated onions, yellow rice and platanos, black beans original 1905, and eggplant Riojana, which I’m quite sure would have been my mother’s pick.

The Cuban Classics are prepared using recipes handed down through centuries. The Cuban Combination consists of roast pork, boliche, empanada, platanos, black beans, yuca, and yellow rice. Picadillo Criollo is made with finely ground quality lean beef that has been simmered with onions, green peppers, olives, raisins, and capers and served with white rice and ripe platanos.

The Spaniards brought the Ropa Vieja to Cuba. Select beef is shredded and sautéed with onions, green peppers, and tomatoes to resemble old garments. The Pork Roast A la Cubana is a garlic-marinated pork loin meal. The Boliche Criollo is a stuffed roasted eye round of cattle. The course is completed with the breaded steak Milanesa.

It’s also wonderful to enjoy paella, Spain’s national meal. My second daughter could like the shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams, mussels, chicken, pork, Spanish onion, ripe tomatoes, green peppers, and fresh garlic. There will be no replacements since everything has already been prepared.

Cannelloni de Langosta could be a better option for her. Two soft cannelloni noodles stuffed with Maine lobster flesh, shrimp, pan-seared scallops, and sautéed shallots, then topped with a lobster sherry cream reduction and lobster bits.

I had no room after the snapper, but I had to gaze at the deserts, if only for you, dear reader. Flan, churros tres amigos (three sauces), Key Lime pie, and White Chocolate Bread Pudding are also available. This trip, no dessert bullets for me. I’m thinking of publishing an essay on how to stay healthy as a travel writer.

I avoided the bullet this time, but that doesn’t imply you should.

When you’ve completed your dinner, go down Clearwater’s promenade or visit the Pier. The Sand Key region is extremely beautiful.

Although the dress code is informal, males are not permitted to wear sleeveless shirts.

Crabby’s Dockside Restaurant

727-210-131337 Causeway Boulevard

When I first saw this eatery, I assumed it performed two functions. To begin, it is a seafood restaurant. Second, urge your children or spouse to overcome their grumpiness and get on with it. In any case, it’s a pleasant location to spend an hour or two. They claim to work fewer hours as the epidemic continues to harm business, but you should call first. I was amazed, though, because they are open eleven or twelve hours a day.

Several appetizers were flying past as I was seated. Calamari, conch fritters, shrimp, and fried pickles with alligator bites. Those who hum at a restaurant when there is more eating than talking contribute to a positive vibe.

All of the items I described were available under starters and more on a basic two-sided menu. Boom shrimp bits, onion rings, avocado & shrimp ceviche, coconut shrimp, boneless chicken wings, crab cakes, creamy crab & spinach dip, a Grouper basket with the distinctive key lime tartar sauce, avocado egg rolls, hush puppies, and stuffed mushrooms are all available.

I knew I needed to go on to the next part or I’d fill up on these items. It’s fascinating to see the resurgence of hush puppies. I’d forgotten what they tasted like after spending so much time in the north or Arizona in recent years. And how varied they may be depending on the spices used.

Crabbys serves a Caesar, house, or calamari Caesar salad. And clam chowder, which was devoured by numerous diners surrounding me.

If you like dessert first, you’ll be pleased of me for sampling the Killer Key Lime Pie (4-time national winner), Sweet Willys ice cream, and the Reeses Peanut Butter Pie with crunchy peanut butter.

They have platters with more than a dozen items you may mix for crab and lobster enthusiasts. So you may have a Bairdi crab with calamari and clams or a Giant Caribbean Lobster tail with shrimp and oysters. There are so many different combinations.

Combination of ribs. They have a NY strip and St. Louis Ribs as well as chicken strips and a southern most chicken marinated in key lime honey mustard for the meat lovers. Get a chicken instead.

Pasta options include shrimp alfredo and Cajun chicken alfredo.

My gaze was drawn to the fresh fish. Fresh gulf grouper, stuffed flounder, Atlantic salmon, sea scallops, fried or grilled shrimp, coconut shrimp, island mahi mahi, fish & chips, hogfish imperial (crab meat with white wine butter sauce), hogfish snapper, and crab cakes are all offered with two sides.

To round out the menu, 6 sandwiches and 4 beach tacos were offered, along with a selection of sides such as coleslaw, mashed potatoes, coconut rice, crispy fries, and fresh vegetables. You may have sweet potato fries, house salad, baked mac & cheese, cream corn with bacon, or a Caesar salad for an extra fee.

Beach tacos were available with gently fried groupers, blackened mahi, chicken, or avocado.

I chose the mahi beach tacos after reading through the menu to compare the Reeses peanut butter pie and the fresh seafood entrees. It was blackened to perfection and served with shredded cabbage, mild cheddar jack cheese, and a mango salsa with cilantro crème. It was light and flavorful, and even with three, it was feasible to finish it all in one sitting (without the pie).

This restaurant is light, cheerful, and inviting, and it’s sure to help everyone feel a bit less cranky.

Rockaway Frenchy’s Grill

The phone number is (727) 446-48447, and the address is Rockaway Street.

I knew I had to go to Frenchys early in my vacation after hearing about it from the girl at the visitors center on my first day in town. The creator was born in Canada’s Quebec province and rapidly became known as Frenchy. From the board with the daily specials, both drink and food, to the artwork and uniforms, the venue has a rustic atmosphere and a lively element that shows through.

You’d be well advised to enjoy Happy Hour here, with a well-stocked bar.

I knew it was time for the Grouper sandwich, which had been highly suggested by everyone who had posted on locations I should visit, and Bailey, my waiter, stated she suggests the original or the Reuben. I choose the original since I don’t like sauerkraut.

I didn’t look at the rest of the menu until she took my order and let me select my side from chips, cole slaw, jalapeño hush puppies, or fries.

Smores cheesecake, butternut squash salad, and shrimp alfredo. Not at all what I was anticipating.

I was more interested in the sirloiner burger, baja fish or shrimp taco, and fried shrimp basket.

At least for me, the buffalo chicken sandwich and the cheese steak sandwich landed somewhere in the middle.

Frenchy seemed to have traveled a bit before landing in west central Florida.

Garlic crab fries, cracked conch, grouper eggrolls, seafood ceviche, baked octopus, buffalo shrimp, fire island shrimp, boiling shrimp, coconut shrimp, or stuffed avocados are all available.

As I read about their fresh catch pretzel, I nearly burst out laughing. They make the soft pretzels in the form of the fish bone emblem. Brilliant. On the side, many people like the warm cheese sauce and honey Dijon mustard. They do state, in case it is not obvious, that this item includes no fish.

Yet, here in Florida, the Cajun fried Gator tail struck me as the most unique, maybe the closest to the octopus. It’s far more frequent in Florida or Louisiana than in other areas I’ve lived.

Bailey didn’t take long to return my grouper sandwich to me. I wasn’t expecting it to be beer battered and fried, like a filet-o-fish on steroids, but with a fresh thick slice of tomato, a bit of lettuce, and an unidentified spice sauce. To handle it properly, I had to split it in half.

The first taste reminded me of what I’d come to expect from fish and chips. That was tasty and spicy. I had a portion of the jalapeno-flavored hush puppies and was impressed with the flavor combination. It has a nice texture and is a delicious return to the south.

I may have spent too much time speaking with Bailey or admiring the art on the walls because the grouper was wet by the time I got to the second half. So I’m delighted I went to Frenchys and had the famed grouper sandwich.

Beachcomber by Bob Heilman

727-442-41447 Mandalay Avenue

While it is now closed for development, I felt compelled to add it since it is possible that my parents visited it. They’ll be open again for Thanksgiving, as they have since 1948, so call ahead to reserve reservations.

They are serving 3 appetizers, 2 salads, 7 meals (including a turkey option), 3 potatoes and fresh vegetables, and 3 desserts for Thanksgiving. If I were here, I wouldn’t pass up the pumpkin pie with peanut brittle whipped cream.

Its standard menu comprises five appetizers, two soups (French onion and New England Clam Chowder), six fish, six meat, and two vegetarian selections. Plus a pound of Idaho baked potato with cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream.

After reviewing their options, I’d go with the barrel cut filet mignon and the loaded baked potato. The daughter I described earlier would have the Beyond Burger without cheese. It’s been an intriguing subject and rising trend on Facebook to discuss why my parents decided to come here for their honeymoon and what they might have done differently.

I suppose my father would have selected the Wild Faroe Islands salmon today, money apart, and I’d get to ask him whether he understood the Faroe Islands are today’s Iceland. My mum would have probably gone for the Oscar-style veal chop.

The Rumba Island Bar and Restaurant

727-446-70271800 Gulf to Bay Boulevard

One of the reasons I like writing for Nathan is that it forces me to go outside of my culinary comfort zone. At the very least, a little. It’s tempting to limit yourself to steak or fish tacos in Clearwater, but I decided to widen my horizons by visiting the well renowned Rumba Island Bar & Restaurant.

They live true to their slogan, Eat, Drink, and Party. We were living on Island Time. And I felt a feeling of calm there that I hadn’t felt in other locations. Open for lunch and supper, I never felt rushed to finish so that the following group might be seated. Their Happy Hour, which is available all day, every day, also makes it easy to forget about the time of day. It struck me as especially astute.

The atmosphere at the restaurant is pleasant and tropical. When confronted with the huge menu, this is incredibly relaxing.

Appetizers include a chilled bay shrimp cocktail, Mama Marias Muffins, Oysters Bienville, and Fire Roasted Jalapenos, as well as Grouper Bites.

Little Louie, a pulled smoked chicken salad, pleaser Caesar (I wonder how Cleopatra would have felt about that one? ), Jammin Wedge (yes, please! ), and the Rumba, which features avocado, roasted corn, bacon, greens, tomatoes, red onions, and a honey poppy seed dressing, are among their salads.

The Rumba Melt (beef and gruyere cheese), collard green melt (didn’t see that one coming), hot chicken, island sizzling meatloaf, traditional Jamaican jerk chicken (delicious! ), Caribbean pulled pork, the freshest Grouper sandwich, and various burgers are among the Island sandwiches.

The mano salsa, vegetables, and coconut rice in their island rice bowls stay the same as you choose your protein: scallops, grilled shrimp skewer, grouper, seabass, salmon, or jerk chicken skewers. Excellent choices.

They go on to Just Hooked Fresh Fish & Seafood and From the Fire Pit (meat), but I didn’t go that far before deciding on the Jammin Wedge and Jamaican Jerk Chicken. I was hungry enough to eat them as well.

I knew I’d made the perfect pick for this lunch after going back and analyzing the fish options: Calypso Bay Hogfish, Stuffed Grouper, Seafood Lafitte, Caribbean Salmon, Bacon Wrapped Scallops, and South African Lobster Tails.

My kid would have eaten any mix of the shrimp and perhaps the sea bass. We’ll see what happens next time. Their Rasta Pasta or Creole Pasta seem like they have a unique taste profile compared to other places I’ve gone. I’m excited to try these the next time.

Next time, I’m going to order their filet from the Fire Pit. It’s the perfect size for my major meal of the day, at 6 oz. They offer steak and ribs, meatloaf, pulled pork, and Jerk chicken, but I’m excited to try the Pineapple Rum chicken and Montego Bay Half chicken with my pals. Jerk wings from the Rumbo Trio.

A next group appeared to like the juicy pork rib and crunchy fried shrimp nibbles from Barbados. I believe we can accomplish it with a big enough group.