Cortez Kitchen in Cortez - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

This place has just had a complete makeover with a brand new menu! It will definitely be one of our favorites for a long time to come! Great job JB!

The Kitchen is back and better than ever! The new menu is so tasty! Everything is clean and new, all the servers and staff are super friendly! Our bartender - Josh, was fantastic! Robyn and Carter in the kitchen made our food perfectly to order, and ever delivered to our table! Great service, fantastic atmosphere, friendly staff! You can’t go wrong with this hidden Gem in Cortez!!!

Great food for the price. Close to Anna Maria Island.

This place is 🔥 we enjoyed everything we tried. Crab specials are Wednesday only and it was so good. Drinks are also good and strong. Wear bug spray your on boat dock and mosquitoes can get pretty active. We will be back

I'm hard to please. Trust me. This place was delicious. Clams, risotto, scallops and the fried grouper sandwich was perfect in every way. A+.

Seafood over cooked hard over cooked hush pupys. Over priced food for outdoor dinning, over cooked and bad service . It's more of a bar than a restaurant.

Amazing food and service. We ordered grouper bites for an appetizer. The fish and light breading tossed in buffalo sauce was great. The fried grouper sandwich and grilled Mahi were the best. Make sure to order the homemade fries! You will not be disappointed!

Good seafood, hush puppies, okra, and cocktails. We had to go again our last night of vacay because it was so good!

Thought 36.00 for a small sampler was kind of high but we both went for it. Very fresh and waitress was super.

Great place on the water the grouper bites are incredible in my travels in all 50 states and as a 6 generation resident from Bradenton exit to Cortez kitchen and swordfish grill ....lol

Food was great and I waiter was top notch..thank you

Awesome little spot off the beaten path. Service was excellent and the food was amazing. Definitely worth waiting for Wednesday for the crab!!!!! Will come back for sure!!!!!

This was our favorite meal! Not only was everything delicious but it was priced very well!

We love this place and will keep going back. Food and service is amazing.

Cortez kitchen is one of our favorite places when we come to the island. Food is great, service is awesome and the atmosphere is laid back cool. We had the buffalo grouper bites for an appetizer, amazing. I had the fish taco basket which was delicious. Always a good meal and never disappointed. Definitely worth checking out.

This was our favorite dinner while in town. You can tell chef makes everything from scratch and it’s great!! The scallops and risotto was 🔥🔥We will be back!

This has been our favorite restaurant in the area for many years now. We saw that they recently had an ownership change and were a little skeptical about the menu changes we saw, but wanted to give it a try. They were supposed to be open today with live music from 5-8 (confirmed on both their website and facebook page). But when we got there they had a "gone fishing" sign on the door. We ended up at the restaurant next door, but were not too happy because we already knew we didn't like that place as well and probably wouldn't have bothered eating out if we knew we were going there.

This one of places “don’t knock it until you try it”. The food here was fantastic. They got unexpectedly busy last night and the one sever who was there did a great job with no help. Kind of wish we ate here sooner. My whole family enjoyed it. We will be back.

If you want to experience fantastic seafood and old Florida... this is it.

First time eating here and loved it. Josh took care of us. Highly recommend the Grouper sandwich.

Very nice place to eat just recently renovated love this place in the food is very good right on the water

I took a friend for lunch. First time back foe me since the renovation. Sadly I feel that the ambience is no longer there. Too modern and seems like the menu is more expensive. I really liked the former restaurant with it's casual atmosphere and kids being able to explore.

We had the best server, the seafood was fresh, the only thing was we were eaten alive by mosquitos, I saw fans but we wanted to sit closer to the water. Just recommend being near the fans, we are in Florida so that’s not surprising we have mosquitos. I think their sister restaurant next door may be better for the boat views but the seafood was 10/10!

Best Seafood I have ever had, hands down.. I had the Seafood Sampler (blackened) and my wife had Scallops Rissoto.. Seafood was so fresh, and prepared excellently.. Nice location on the water.. Will definitely be back!... Update- I dropped my Service review by 1 star because the less busy they were, the less attentive they were.....

Cortez Kitchen met our expectations! Our waitress was incredibly attentive and knowledgeable, helping us navigate the menu to find options that suited our diet plan. The tables and seating area were spotless, adding to the overall pleasant dining experience. The scene off to the left was a little noisy and dingy but that’s a fishing area! While the menu doesn’t have a wide array of choices for those with dietary restrictions, I recommend reviewing it beforehand as I forgot to do. Our waitress went above and beyond by suggesting a few off-menu items, which turned out to be absolutely delicious! We’ll definitely be returning.

This is a great place right off the beaten path that everyone should visit if they are in the area for sure! Great food choices! Lovely drinks! And a nice staff to take care of you too! If you enjoy seafood then you must go try it but they definitely have other options as well and you won't be let down!

Food is amazing! We had their Wednesday crab leg special and can’t wait to come back.

I got the chicken honey thighs sandwich and hush puppies. Delicious! More than I could eat. Would get it again!

If it weren't for the bugs. They ate us alive. Maybe bug zappers?

Food was fresh and delicious. Our waiter Josh was fabulous. Atmosphere was perfect. Will be back.

Great place to eat and just hang! Wings were fantastic!

Very good food. On the inlet but not on the open water Very casual dress and attitude. Weekend music.

Great atmosphere with new owners- clean - no smoking - wonderful food!

if you haven’t tried the bacon jam burger you must do so. Something about the food here is spectacular.

Food was ok service was great from the bar staff. Three of us ordered the Jumbo soft shell crab sandwich for $27. The crab was smaller than the bun and not worth the money. The fries on the other hand were plentiful and great!

4 of us had a delicious meal sitting outside on a beautiful day.

Food outstanding service great atmosphere not exactly lush. But it is well worth the trip. Highly recommended

Best Seafood in Bradenton. Newly remodeled. Miss the rustic look, but needed some upgrades. Roomier.

Love Cortez Kitchen...!! Great food, service and atmosphere. True old Florida bar and restaurant. Been here many times with no complaints. Regulars here are always very friendly too.

Great grilled grouper sandwich, excellent service, fun casual place in Cortez

Went here because the line at other 2 restaurants nearby was outrageous and were very pleasantly surprised! Our waiter Josh was extremely polite and fun. Suggested a few things of the menu, we loved it all! Mahi mahi tacos were my favorite. Mocktails are not on the menu but per request barman made me a delicious one! Definitely worth giving a try!

Great fresh seafood and delicious drinks! They offer baskets fried blackened or grilled !!! We tried the shrimp cocktail the fish tacos and coconut rice , blackened shrimp basket with Fries and the goat cheese salad . Our food was delicious and fresh. Drinks were incredible! Our Server was friendly and fast ! We loved our lunch stop we will be back soon !

Food quality was really good, not enough wait staff as usual any more, prices decent. Would definitely go back!

Excellent grouper sandwich. I can't recommend this place enough.

I was visiting Bradenton last weekend with some friends and it was recommended to us, to have dinner at Cortez Kitchen. I had the Braised short ribs dinner and it was amazing. I also had the calamari which was properly seasoned and lightly battered. The Key lime cheesecake delicious. We had small children and the staff was supper accommodating. The food the service and atmosphere awesome! I give the Cortez Kitchen 👍🏽👍🏽

You can’t beat the view here and the food is very good. I used to come here all the time years ago but stopped a while ago when the quality seems to go downhill. Dont know what happened but it was delicious today. I’m so glad because I love the low key waterside vibe here. Fish tacos and grouper sandwich were excellent. Enjoyed the stone crabs too! Hoping they bring back coconut shrimp. Friendly service. Highly recommend.

The calamari was extremely chewy and had no flavor whatsoever. My mother had the clams and they were overcooked. I have been here before and I can say for a fact. Maybe it's because of the snowbirds. But the food was horrible compared to last time. I was here.

This place is amazing, I had a great time. Fresh fish really makes the difference, and my server was the coolest. I don’t remember his name, but he was tall with some facial hair, he rocks too!

Everything perfect. The fishes were super fresh and well cooked. The service was great. The ambiance perfect, music at a volume that allows conversation but you don’t hear other tables conversation.

Always a great time at the Kitchen. Loved the remodel. Loved seeing Lily running the show like a champ on a busy night! Great views, family owned and operated. Fresh Seafood .. What else could you ask for?

Lots of fried food. Quaint outdoor space waterfront atmosphere of old Florida.

Relaxing venue. Good food and friendly service.

Josh took care of us and did a outstanding job

Unfortunately not the Cortez kitchen we experienced in the past. Atmosphere is good facelift that was done is nice, service is good, entertainment was good but the food is not what it once was. The special was described to sound delicious, but it was very bland. Three other guests at our table all had the same experience. Also the prices have gone through the roof. This was one of our favorite spots because the food was so fresh flavorful and reasonably priced, unfortunately we will not be going back.

Good food and beverages while enjoying sitting near the water. Cuban sandwich, crab sandwich and garden salad with grouper were all tasty.

Great location on the water and fresh seafood! It's where the locals go!

Great casual dining place on the Cortez harbor. Informal. Great open air seating. Good food. Good menu. Good service. Recently under new management (by Swordfish next door).

Hostess Vanessa was excellent. She appeared to love her job and was very friendly and competent. Waiter Hudson did a fine job - prompt and efficient. The food was excellent - grouper sandwich and boom boom shrimp.

It’s great that they have kids menu. My children said they love their selections. Food is good and our service was great.

The new owners have really cleaned this place up! Same vibe as before but with much better food! Everything is so clean, as a restaurant should be! The live music was really fun! Will definitely be back!

Nice bar restaurant in the fishing district on a canal. Casual dining. Gets busy. Guess it just got updated some. Fun to watch the fisherman come in and clean the fish. Food is local fresh.

Relaxing outdoor café on the water. We enjoyed eating our lunch and having drinks by the water. I had the blackened fish tacos, which were very flavorful. Others had the Honey Butter Chicken sandwich and the shrimp basket. Overall, a very tasty meal!

Josh was the best. Ask for him!! Service was great, shrimp basket fresh and tasty

This was our first time here since the remodel. It still has a rustic vibe, but with new tables, a larger deck, and a couple of TVs for the bar area. My blackened grouper sandwich was excellent - a perfectly grilled thicker than normal piece, with a side of truffle masked potatoes. Other dishes were a couple of good size salads, one with blackened mahi and one with blackened scallops, a plate of braised short ribs, and the scallops with risotto that had 7 large grilled scallops. Wines were $6, G&T only $5, both bargains, and my longboat lager was good. The only minor complaint was the risotto seemed oily. Everything else was excellent. Our waitress Morgan was very good. This place had been consistently very good before, and it still is!

Disappointng first visit. Don’t trust any online menus or prices because they haven’t been updated by the new owner. It was our server Kira’s first week and her service and attention were 4 star, so my poor experience was solely related to my food quality…my Lobster Roll was served on a piece of folded Texas toast and the Lobster portion was sparse, one half of my sandwich’s Lobster only filled 1/3 of toasts pocket. And it had NO sauce, although it was supposed to have some version of Hollandaise sauce. The Lobster had a bland watery taste at $26 with a side of cole slaw. We also ordered a fried Okra appetizer but the batter seemed too light as they were served cold and soggy. The restaurant is open air with a small bar but doesn’t have a nice deck water view like the Swordfish Grill next door. This was definitely not a meal worthy of an $80 bill for a lunch with no alchohol or soda. If they are not going to serve a Lobster Roll they can be proud of, they should just remove it from the menu.

just another example of how to ruin a perfectly good place. remove all the character and uniqueness and make it "anyplace usa". i will put it on my list of boring predictable places where we store our tourists!!

Had the most delicious lunch at the Kitchen today. From the moment we walked in the staff was friendly and let us know to find a table of our choice. Had trouble deciding on what to try first but after our first bites we quickly decided that we would be loyal returning customers for years to come. My fried shrimp was fresh and perfectly crispy! I opted to toss in buffalo sauce with a side Cesar salad! The extra side of fries were too tasty to pass up! Can’t wait to come back and loved the fact that they are kid friendly with so many fresh options on the kids menu too! Wish I could give more stars

Cortez Kitchen will always be a refreshing staple in Cortez/west Bradenton. We had lunch there today and everything was so delicious, the view was beautiful and drinks were cold! We cannot wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. Seafood platter basket tossed in Cajun seasonings, fresh French fries and side Cesar salad. The issue is we wish our stomachs were bigger!

It was great to see life pumped back into the good ol’ Kitchen! The place still has its old bones and feeling just with some added umph! Food, as always, was delicious, fresh and leaves you wanting more. If you’ve been waiting to come try them out since the reopening, wait no longer. Friendly staff, great view and cold drinks from the bar will keep you coming back. Thank you all for my experience today, I will definitely be back sooner than later!

Awesome remodel! New airy openings make for nice views of the area. Larger decks, new tables and chairs. The new tvs are a welcome addition to the sports package.

First time there since it changed ownership. It doesn’t have the same local feel. The menu didn’t give us the choice of how to have our seafood prepared. Would have preferred to have our shrimp and scallops grilled instead of deep fried. Prices seemed higher.

We had great cocktails and delicious food in this clean yet authentic feeling spot right at the fish docks!

#greatfood great ppl and love the music and atmosphere

We like the old place better. Food way overpriced for the Portions. Music way to low. Waiter didn’t know anything about the menu. Very disappointed! Won’t be back!!

War geschlossen, als wir um 18.30 Uhr am Samstag, den 18.11.2023 ankamen. Sehr enttäuschend.

Just an awesome little place. The fried oyster basket can't be beat. The atmosphere is just as good; right in the middle of a working fishing dock

Good service from Kellie. Our meal was not on the listed menu but was the Royal Reds shrimp which was outstanding.

Was closed when we arrived at 7pm Wed 8/9/23.

Sadly, this venue will be closing temporarily due to a change in ownership and for renovations. This place has been my favorite hang out spot for many years .

We have been going to the kitchen for several years, every time we come to Longboat or Anna Maria. Usually visit at least twice a trip. We were a little disappointed with our first visit for this trip. Ordered 2 draft beers when we arrived. Beer wasn't cold. Ordered an appetizer of royal reds(gulf shrimp). They served us regular shrimp. Almost $22 for 8 regular shrimp was a bit much. Our 2nd appetizer of buffalo grouper bites was good, but almost no buffalo sauce . Grilled grouper dinner was excellent. Didn't make it back for the rest of our trip. Seems as though quality has dropped off.

We loved the place, the food and the reception service. All delicious I hope to return. Good portions of food. The only thing was the mojito was bad. The waiter said it was coconut and he didn't taste like coconut. The rest recommended.

We loved the place, the food and the reception service. All delicious I hope to return.

Good food, service and live music. Cozy place.

Great burger! Great atmosphere!

Delicious fresh seafood a real hidden little gem

Wait staff really doesn’t pay attention to customers. This place must of changed hand service and quality has seriously dropped

Slow service all around. No AC, is outside sitting but hardly any shade. Won't move tables to accommodate 9 people. Have ate here almost every year for the past 10yrs. on vacation, gone down hill. They havent up graded sitting. Prices are more expensive than other nicer restaurants around the area.

Shhhhh...us locals go here, great little bar, great local bands, food was amazing and service was prompt. This is not a fine dining establishment, but a down home, friendly place in the little fishing village of Cortez.

The fish is absolutely delicious! We be back. Such a great service too.

Cortez Kitchen is an absolute hidden treasure nestled in the heart of an authentic Florida fishing village. From the moment I stepped inside, I was captivated by the genuine charm and welcoming atmosphere that oozes with local character. The highlight of my visit was undoubtedly the grouper bites and grouper dinner entrees. Each bite was a succulent piece of heaven, perfectly cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. The freshness and quality of the fish truly showcased the restaurant’s commitment to serving exceptional seafood. Adding to the delightful ambiance was the wonderful music that played in the background. It complemented the laid-back coastal vibe perfectly, setting the mood for an unforgettable dining experience. The staff at Cortez Kitchen, especially Shelby, were friendly, attentive, and passionate about their craft. They went above and beyond to ensure that every guest felt welcomed and satisfied. Whether you’re a seasoned local or a curious traveler, you’ll be greeted with a warm smile and helpful recommendations. The authenticity of Cortez Kitchen and its surroundings cannot be overstated. It’s a true representation of the rich maritime heritage that Florida is known for, and it offers a unique glimpse into the local way of life. I highly recommend Cortez Kitchen to anyone seeking a genuine Florida dining experience. Whether you’re craving mouthwatering grouper dishes, good music, or simply want to immerse yourself in the charm of an authentic fishing village, this restaurant will exceed your expectations.

They are closed on Mondays! Open at 12 noon rest of the week. Friendly staff. Absolutely breathtaking beautiful view of the bay (intercoastal) ! Covered outside only dining ! Great rain or shine.. they got u covered. . Live music 🎶

If your looking for an authentic fisherman's pub than this is it.

Loved the old Florida feel. We were there on a warm day but it had a large under cover area with fans and a nice breeze off the water. Four of us went and we all enjoyed our meals. Two had the grouper and said very fresh. One liked the fish and chips very much and I loved the pop corn shrimp. The server was excellent. We wanted for nothing she always made sure we had everything and very friendly. Looking forward to next visit.

Food was fabulous, service was excellent. Great place to take an out of town friend for an awesome grouper sandwich. Keep up the excellent work. This is old Florida at its finest.

Best local feeling experience, great food, great service.

Our fave place whenever we visit the area! Food is great! They get very busy (because they're so good), but worth the wait.

Cozy harbor bar on the water, felt like a locals spot; lots of character, boats and fishermen.

Great, fun lively atmosphere with the live music and hot crowd. Most importantly, the food and service is fantastic. Love coming here every time I'm in town.

Don't forget the Royal Red shrimp!

We originally had reservations for the place next door. However, their systems shut down so we had to find another option. Ended up going here to Cortez Kitchen and was the BEST seafood we’ve had! The. Freshest. Seafood. So glad we discovered this place. Friendly staff and strong drinks. This place is a must and we will be back!