We went to Crabby’s Dockside in Clearwater Florida for lunch before we headed over to the Clearwater Aquarium to see Winter and Hope. We asked the birthday boy want he wanted for lunch, and he said he wanted to eat on the beach. Crabby Bills was our compromise.
Crabby’s Dockside in Clearwater Florida Resturant Review
This used to be Crabby Bills in Clearwater, is has since been turned over and renovated. It is now Crabby’s Dockside in Clearwater Beach and is located just over the bridge from the Clearwater Aquarium.
When you come over the bridge into Clearwater Beach look for the mural! It’s on the back of Crabby’s Dockside.
We circled around a bit because all the parking spots are metered but once we got inside they do give you a 2-hour parking pass when you check-in, you have to put in on your car dashboard so that is a nice tip to know.
On the main level, they have a patio dining area with umbrellas.
The patio area is where the main bar area is and their store.
The restaurant is in the theme of its name, of course ‘Crabby’. Using crab red in its colors and have a nautical theme but in a very modern way. 
They have 2 other options for dining. Their 2nd level is all indoor and air conditioned (and they do have an elevator!) Then their 3rd level is covered but open like a porch. They have lots of fans to keep it cool and this is where we chose to eat at because we wanted the view!
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You don’t really notice that you are outside because they have a great fan system where you aren’t being blown away but it’s not crazy hot either.
The views from the 3rd floor are unbeatable! This one looks over the Clearwater Beach at the front of the building.
To the side of the building, you get views of the marina and the harbor.
It’s fun to watch the boats come in and out. You can also watch the drive down the beach.
You can also get a view of the patio area and this is where they have live music too.
My kids favorite part of eating on the 3rd level was the cleaning crew.
Yet the birds. The kids loved them running under the table to eat food. I’m pretty sure most of the food that fell was accidentally in purpose!
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So we took in the menu and it all looked soo good!
We decided to try to the Alligator bites. We are in Florida and I do love our gators… as food anyway.
I didn’t try the cherry peppers they aren’t my thing but the alligator and the sauce were really good. The gator was cooked really well and the Texas Petal sauce matched perfectly.
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Then we checked out the rest of the menu.
They pointed out two things to us. They are known for their Bardi Crabs there at the top. They also get in Grouper fresh daily from a local at the marina right next door.
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Kid’s dad ordered the fried grouper sandwich with fries and mac and cheese side you see in the back there.
The grouper was really fresh and you could tell when you eat it! The fries had a good seasoning on it, the sandwich was served with their signature key lime tartar sauce and the mac and cheese were homemade and really good, in fact, a few kids had just the mac and cheese for lunch too.
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I ordered the coconut shrimp with fries and the coleslaw.
The coconut shrimp is breaded in a coconut rum breading and served with their sweet pepper jam. These shrimp were BIG! They wear really good even my oldest daughter liked them. The coleslaw really went well with the dish too.
I am very happy with our experience. The service was really good and the waitress was patient as we took out time ordering and eating. She stayed on top of our drinks and were very friendly.
You can’t beat the views from the 3rd level for sure and the food was amazing. It was hard to choose what I wanted because they had beach tacos as well but I had just had a seafood taco at Pinchers at Edison Ford a few weeks before this so I went a different route.
Have you eaten at Crabby’s Dockside in Clearwater Florida? I’d love to know your experience in the comments below!