Friendly Fisherman Restaurant in Madeira Beach - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Beer was cold, service was ok, waitress was nice, however, she didn’t offer second round of drinks. Food was mediocre. We ordered oysters and they were all the same size which was weird, and they had no flavor and were very chewy. We don’t think they were fresh from Louisiana and delivered daily like they said. The salmon sandwich was okay, the grouper tacos were ok, French fries were not fresh, it tasted like frozen French fries with a freezer burn taste and the stuffed tilapia was undercooked. We spent over $250 for lunch and we were very disappointed. We are not going back!

Waitress was friendly the place was clean atmosphere was too quiet as I noticed not many ppl there which should have been a red flag for me! Food was not that good. My bake potatoes looked like it was a week old and the hush puppies were mushy. Yuck. My daughter’s French fries looked like they were fried in old grease. She tried not to complain but didn’t eat that or her fish sandwich… Waitress graciously replaced the potato which was not a whole lot better. For two it was 51.00. I had shrimp 🍤 but I’ve had better at other places! Will not be back to this restaurant.

Spaghetti with marinara sauce??? Cold raw gator nuggets and terrible seafood pasta with no flavoring and clam strips over fried and rubbery straight from broke back mountains not at all new England’s finest I live in New England I’ll be letting them know you are false advertising soggy fish sandwich buns and artery clogging shrimp “scam pee” I should have known better but they placed everyone near the window to make it look busy we got dooped for sure

Nice place. Great location. Great service. Food was meh. Scallops on two plates were overcooked. Seafood breading was ok. Maybe we should have tried something other than seafood.

Food was delicious and the service was great! We had crab legs and fried shrimp.

I showed up at 8:21pm , 6 people , only like 4 tables had people , the hostess told us multiple times while asking for a seat that they close at 9pm, we asked what that meant , she said " people sit around for hours and talk " She sat us , reluctantly, and the waitress looked at us and sighed. .. I've ate here for 23 years , and I won't ever be coming back

We came from Lakeland and stopped for a late lunch Friday, service was wonderful. I ordered Fish and Chips. The fish fingers, literally , were so small and the fries were tasteless and just terrible. Ownership needs to try their own food, $19.50 is a joke for the dish. The clam chowder , chewy clams , meh. With the exorbitant $20 parking charge go elsewhere

Our waitress was attentive and delightful. She was the bright spot of the restaurant. My blackened shrimp and beer were the same temperature; unfortunately neither one was correct. They need to replace the internally fogged windows overlooking the bay.

Cheap food and expensive price, never ask for wine please tap water will be better idea.

We opted for here since it had a great view of the water. Everything was just “ok”. My crab legs had no flavor, my friend’s Tilapia tasted old. We ordered calamari as the appetizer and it was really greasy and lacked any flavor. We left disappointed after having wanted sea food all day. Not anywhere I would go again. Such a shame not having amazing food to go those views.

The crab cake was the worst i ever tried, everything else we ordered was good.

The waiter was very distracted. The full bar was not a full bar.

Our waiter was literally dead inside. Zero personality or life in him. The food was NOT good. Scallops, shrimp and Grouper tasted like frozen food, NOT fresh at all. We have been here a week and eaten at many different places in the area, this was the only bad one, AND, the most expensive one. Definitely would not recommend.

Came in for weekday lunch. Great service and food was very fresh and tasty.

The food at Friendly Fisherman Restaurant has declined. Two years ago the food was great. Now the food has declined. Would not recommend the restaurant. The clam chowder recipe was changed and the crab cake is not actual crab cake. The service was still great, but the food has declined.

I normally don’t leave reviews but wow this place sucks. I mean our server was really nice and very stressed out so this review has nothing to do with service. We ordered the crab and wow it was the worst crab I’ve ever had. Not being dramatic. And the rest was not great. They messed up all our drinks. Oh and the hostess what very short and kinda rude. Just don’t come here for food. The places next door are so much better

Nice place, but the smell was bad, the fish we ordered was very greasy, the portion of alligator was very small. not worth the value.

The staff who greeted us was very nice. The manager Chris went out of his way to make sure we were enjoying our time.

Delia the hostess, is the mostest! Then came our friendly server who gave us rock star treatment! Food was fab!

Delia was the best hostess. Makayla was a great waitress. The food was excellent.

The TripAdvisor menu is not up to date. The food was so fresh and so good. The view was nice too. I love that they have many seating options. AC or outdoor or on the boardwalk. Very cool. Food was good. Drinks were ok.

Some of the best fish in the area. Reasonable pricing and a great view of the water on the deck.

We stop by every time we vacation here! Good food, big portions, kid friendly, great service and amazing views! As an added bonus, While we were waiting for a table we saw dolphins in the water!

The food wasnt great. We barely ate any of it and left disappointed 😔. Compared to other restaurants the seafood didnt taste as fresh and was very fishy.The waiter was nice.

Food was not good. The batter in anything fired is all wrong. Extremely oily. Our waitress was very friendly. It was empty on a busy holiday weekend so I should have known. Corn fritters which are their specialty tasted like spongy bread. I would definitely not recommend to anyone.

Unfriendly!! Have kid who is on the spectrum and very picky about what she eats. Wouldn’t allow us to bring something she could eat even though we offered to order extra food to make up for it and they told us it’s against health code violation, lol. Florida has no code and it’s up to restaurant. With restaurants and staff struggling to make ends you think if someone is willing to spend money and take care of their servers everything would be ok. Maybe fix your kids menu to include more common items whether parents like us can come to your establishment. All good at least Bubba Gump next door proved to kid friendly. Good luck!!

Very very amazing restraunt. It's right on the edge of the bay so you can go outside and look at the water, people fishing, and boats passing by. The food was the best I've had here after a week of staying. It tasted very fresh and no fishy taste at all. The corner fritters with the powder sugar and honey are amazing if you have a sweet tooth. 10/10 all around on everything.

I went on the 5 hour fishing trip in the morning and caught some keepers. We were told that the Friendly Fisherman restraunt would cook them for us. They did a great job cooking our fresh fish. They also accommodated my wife's and my dietary restrictions very well. Overall, we were full and completely satisfied with this restraunt. We had great service and great food, not much more to ask for in a restraunt. I will be back next time we are in the area.

The food was great. Portions are very good size. One of the best clamps chowder I have had.

Ordered chowder, no clams in it. Calamari was like rubber bands. Mahi sandwich on flabby bun.

Excellent as always, portions are so big that it makes Bubba Gump portions look tiny!!!

Food was terrible. Raw oysters were way too warm and also huge and chewy. U-peel shrimp again way too warm and also not deveined.

So sad we found them at the end of our vacation. Best meal we’ve had all week. Truly fresh food and amazing friendly people!!!

Favorite place at St Johns Pass. Fish on the wall are enjoyed by adults as well as kids. Airconditioned views of the bay while you eat is a plus on hot days. We usually come early to avoid crowds. I was going to try the clam chowder this time cause I heard it's excellent. But went with the inshore platter. Hubby got the Captains platter, blackened. Huge portions. We always talk of trying another place but always end up here at least once a trip.

The service was the best we have had in a long time. Food was excellent. We sat by the water and was so fun watching the birds, boats & activities

Excellent place to share your food, attention and good cocktails, I recommend it in the Jon pass

Thank you Chris, GM, you made our first experience so wonderful. We appreciated your friendly hospitality that is like none other. We will look for you on our repeat visit with additional family and friends for the excellent food on our captain’s platter. The corn fritters and clam chowder was scrumptious!

Great food. Excellent service. Only suggestion is for a restaurant this size they need more than 1 stall inches womens restroom. Omg. The oysters are gigantic. I hope you are hungry if you order them. Drinks are excellent. They have a small printed drink menu but you can order whatever. They have a full bar. Beautiful views. We had a great time.

Friendly Fisherman Seafood Restaurant not so friendly! Upon arrival with a group of 8, including 2 kids, we were met with disappointment. Despite the kids simply playing at the claw machine outside, (aka the claw machine that outside their own doors), the older host lady with bright white hair refused to seat us until they were inside, causing an unnecessary delay. Once seated, it took an unacceptably long 10 minutes before we were greeted by our waiter. The restaurant was not busy and had plenty of open tables. While the waiter was pleasant, the initial experience (the host) left a sour taste in our mouths. I will update this review after we eat. Hopefully it’s not as horrible as dealing with the awful host!

We ended up here because we were looking for a location by the water. We found the parking fee for this area at $6 for 2 hours to be high. We just wanted something to drink. Unfortunately the drinks menu didn't contain any prices, which was a minus point for us. We asked the price of the drinks. The waitress quoted us $3.99. When we received the bill we realized it was $7. If the owner doesn't put prices on the menu, the waiters should at least know the prices and say them correctly. Drinks were good though. There were 4 stars only for the location. We were able to watch some dolphins. The waiter we paid with was very friendly.

This was a disappointment. Food was over priced and mediocre. Several of our orders were wrong. The decor was out dated. Wanted to sit outside but the smell from the harbor was unpleasant. Only positive was my delicious frozen drink.

The clam chowder was the best !! Also had mussels which were delish. We saw dolphins and pelicans while eating! Ashley was out waitress and she was awesome! So friendly, informative and suggested many great things for our visit ! It was an awesome time for us 😀

The food was just average. Expected more for the price point. Our service was sub-par. I would say our waitress was possibly having a bad day if I didn't see her interact with other patrons on a friendlier level. We ordered the souvenir drinks but weren't told upon ordering that they weren't available. The menu online included more than the menu presented to us in the restaurant. Our server was so unapproachable that I was afraid to ask questions about the menu. I ordered a second drink and she forgot while proceeded to socialize with patrons waiting for a cruise who had already eaten. She barely checked on us or bothered to offer additional items or suggestions, which should be expected in a tourist area. We were excited for the experience based on the reviews but probably would not recommend as must have.

We went fishing with the Hubbard Marina party boat and the Friendly Fisherman took our catch and cooked it right away for a great price!

The Friendly Fisherman Restaurant was just, ok. The hostess was rude, the blackened grouper was soggy tasting. The waitress, however, was very punctual and friendly.

Love it. Best crabs cakes this dude has ever had! Go and get it,

We have visited this restaurant several times over the years. The quality of food has become unacceptable on our visit in late January 2024. The food was heavily coated and no taste to the food. They are cutting corners on the quality of the food to stay in business . I do not recommend this restaurant because the food is not fresh . It is package food that is not appeasing to the taste. If they keep going , this restaurant will be out of business or they will disappoint the tourists who happen to wander in and expect a great Florida meal on their short Florida , and take their money.

Our family of 4 had an excellent dinner after our pirate cruise. Fish and chips were delicious! My wife loved the crab legs, as did our 4 year old who began sneaking bites when mom wasn't looking! Beautiful setting on the water. Friendly staff.

Went for (1) before our dolphin cruise, hostess was not "friendly" waiter was not "friendly" , disappointing

Food was very good...service, not so much. Visited on 4/5 to be greeted with a rude and unprofessional hostess. We happened to enter the restaurant from the street down below the main restaurant. The hostess was a bit sassy when telling my family to check-in with the hostess. We should see the signs for the hostess stand...signs are everywhere. First time in and wasn't aware of all that. Should have been a bit more sensitive, understanding and helpful, instead of accosting us. Then our server (guy, thin hair, glasses) was also sassy during our table experience. I kindly asked for more water...he said something like "I already noticed that"...how was I supposed to know that. I thought it was a bit of a rude and unnecessary response. Then came time for the bill, and again I kindly asked for our check. The server then says..."If you wait a minute I'm bringing it". Again, how was I supposed to know he had it and was bringing it...rude and inappropriate. Just wanted to share for up training purposes. Looks bad on the whole restaurant.

Overpriced and food was not good! Disappointed in the margarita.

Has always been a favorite for many years

Terrific food and service! Absolutely loved the blackened grouper sandwich and the half pound hamburger was grilled to perfection!

Went there with my family at 7 pm, and the hostesses they said they couldn't take us as a group of 12 and that they close in an hour, and we told them that we are willing to set as two groups of six also they wouldn't take us .we were very disappointed because right as we were leaving they sat two tables of 4 and 5 people. And when I checked the hours, it shows they close at 9 .

Ashely our waitress was fantastic!!! I had the blackened Mahi fillet with shrimp, rice and veggies- fries on side. VERY saturated in butter. Hard to eat- I ate the fish but asked for new veggies and fries cause I couldn’t eat them as they were soaked in butter.corn fritters are probably the best I have ever had! Restaurant is on the boardwalk so the water view is limited. Second floor seating with small booths. ONE bathroom stall always difficult. Overall a good restaurant with pretty good good at decent prices. Fresh fish.

Haven't been here since this whole area was about out by one gentleman.. Service is ok... Crabcakes are unique, personally I'm not a fan Cooked perfectly just odd flavor.... New England clam chowder is good, clams are tender. One critique, it could use more clams (and potatoes) the flavor is good, but if you're from up north you may not be happy.. It's more of a "soup".. Captains platter, hush puppies are perfect. The fries are good. Scallops are rubber... Shrimp is good Blackened Grouper, eh, not great, not done right.. Fried shrimp is good.. Overall, it's decent..

Clam chowder was delicious! However, the water was not filtered, terrible, and when mentioned to the staff, they just blew me off…

Great first time experience, our server was super nice and the food was delicious. I got fried shrimp and a crab cake and was so pleased it wasn't at all greasy, oh my goodness it was so tasty, my son and cousin got the chicken sandwich and we're blown away by how big the chicken was, my other son got a burger and it was cooked perfectly (and he's a super picky 11 year old) and he ate the whole thing!

Aubree was an amazing waitress. Highly recommend.

I have celiac disease this restaurant was very accommodating. Chris and Aubree were awesome about helping me find the best options and making sure my food was safe to eat!

Great food… the staff is all top notch. This is how a restaurant should run. Thank you for a great experience.

Ashley is a great server, Just amazing service. Chris told us some history on the inlet here. Everyone was happy and liked the meals today. Best place to eat. Fresh sea food. Boats on the dock. Great atmosphere. Oscar and Jen and Adrian and dominion in the kitchen came to our table also and asked how the food was. They treat you like a rock star for sure..5 💎 ♦️ 🔹️ 💎 ♦️ if I could give that. Food is better then anything on the pass...it's a fish house with a view and great company..ask for will or Bear when you visit. Or a manager If you want too. But our personality will make a memorable memory here and thanks for dining at the friendly fisherman. Will and family amd fisherman crew. Stay happy and have a safe day!!

I got a piña colada in a to-go cup. 👍

Walked in restaurant was slow! The host had a “sorry we are open attitude” and was completely ignoring us! Then to top it off while we were standing at the host desk for a table an older waitress with far too much makeup on came up to us and said can you move you are in my way! Needless to say we left! For a restaurant with Friendly in the name it sure is quite the opposite!

The restaurant is on the docks at John's Pass. It is a nice location. After a short wait, we were seated at a window table with a view of the water. The grouper was very good. The value was good. I would come back on our next trip to the area.

I have been going to this restaurant for over 30 years. Never had an issue until today. February 16. My husband and I went there for our 8th anniversary. What a mistake. They were busy and we went to the deck where we were told to take a seat and someone would be with us. Now I understand they were busy, but people kept coming and going with no one saying a word to us. Finally a lady came up and asked if we wanted menus. Our exact words, yes, please. Off she went only for us to be ghosted. Now I understand they were busy, but don't tell someone to take a seat and then proceed to look after people who came afterwards. I tried to get the attention of both the lady who told us to take a seat and the one who asked if we wanted a menu, but they both acted like they didn't hear me and they were less than a foot away.. Again I understand they were busy, but don't tell someone this and then not only ghost them, but ignore them when they try to ask what is going on.

What a great place. Alaskan Snow Carb rocked. Fried Clams were pleantyfull and tasty.

If the food came out piping hot it would have been a better review. The food was good. I believe food should come out hot and come down to temperature each customer enjoys eating it at.

Ashley is great. Friendly,on top of her game. Partner had fried platter with fish,shrimp and clam straps. Lots of good and very good. I had grilled platter,requested no salt and it came out perfect and large portion. I would definitely go back if in the area

Great service, good food, fair prices

Had the fish tacos, tasty and fresh. The coleslaw was fresh, great flavor. Service is fantastic!

Great little find and Pet friendly! Weekend exploration lead us here sat out on the deck and it felt like paradise. It was Sunny a cool 65 degrees in south Florida and suddenly dolphins pass by the deck.. wow food was great fish was fresh and tasty. Shrimps were large and delicious! Island paradise vibes.

Chris the GM is great and the food was really good! My only complaint would be the bathroom could use some updating.

This was a fantastic restaurant. We walked past and went to a chain restaurant, but when that restaurant couldn't accommodate us, we decided to eat here. I'm so glad we did. The service was wonderful. The food was good. A nice variety on the menu. Would visit again

We absolutely love this place while visiting Madeira Beach! We ate there almost every night it is so good. Staff is amazing too! Love the vibe, feels like Old Florida!!!

Overall it was an average experience, the waiter was fairly friendly and answered our questions readily. They had the normal selections of beers, along with an IPA options. My friend complimented it, I cannot comment further as I didn’t drink on this note. I ordered the Fish and Chips along with a cup of Clam Chowder. The Clam Chowder came first and it was amazing!! I have not had a better Chowder ever honestly. Then came the Fish and Chips, a bit of a disappointment honestly. The fish batter was fairly basic and lacked flavor along with no real crunch. The fries weren’t that special either, similar to fast food quality. I would definitely come back, but I would stick to the soup and just get a bowl as everything else I had was pricey for the quality.

Went to this place in a large group, and our service was great. Our waiter was very accommodating and handled our large group very well. Sorry I didn't get his name but he had tattoos on his arms. Atmosphere is also great. It's on the water, nice view, I loved the taxidermy fish species that decorated the main dining hall. Food, is unfortunately where this place fell short. I ordered the salmon with the cheese / spinach sauce, with fries on the side, but it was only okay and on the dry side. Did not taste like a fresh catch at all. Just felt underwhelming. I'd definitely not order it again. Was VERY disappointed to hear the whitefish dishes were farm raised talapia, Really, now? You're on the Gulf, this is inexcusable. Heard the clam chowder was excellent though, unfortunately I don't like clam anything.

Very disappointing. The restaurant was empty and should have been our sign. After our drink order there was a long wait to place our order. Our waitress was not friendly and appearing inconvenienced. Our food was terrible. The seafood (fish and shrimp) had no flavor and tasted like it was far from fresh.

Been eating at this restaurant for years. Great food. Great location. You feel like you're eating inside an old wooden ship!!!

Good options for everyone at a good price. The clam chowder is amongst the best I’ve ever had. Drinks were flowing and the restaurant was a fun place to be.

We brought a large group in to celebrate our son’s birthday (following the pirate ship excursion next door). The staff at the Friendly Fisherman went above and beyond to make it extra special for our family. They asked us to bring our cake in so that they could put it in the cooler for us while we went on the ship. I asked them to please store our decorations for us too and not only did they do that, but they had our table all decorated for us when we got off of the ship! Our server, Sydney, was great and the manager, Chris, was very kind and accommodating. What a great experience. Highly recommended.

Had the 5oz grouper lightly blacked was delicious and my friend had the grilled shrimp and scallops, they were cooked perfectly. Great service too

Trying to find restaurants that can accommodate our Celiac suffering daughter when we are away from home is immensely challenging. Which is why when we asked about the allergen menu at The Friendly Fisherman, we were very impressed by Chris, the Manager, who explained in great detail how his kitchen operated and knew exactly what our daughter could eat and not eat. He took very good personal care of us from start to finish! On top of that, the food and a excellent! Best snow crab we've ever tasted, the stuffed Talapia fillet was awesome and the dynamite shrimp were to die for! A big thanks to Chris and his team for taking care of us!!

Food was good, not great, but good. The steamed mussel were not seasoned with enough garlic, lemon and butter. Fish and chips were good. Stuffed mushrooms were good, but not nearly hot enough.

The area just inside the main entrance is small, and there's a very steep, narrow stairway going downward to the immediate right very close to the entrance way. It's dangerous because it would be very easy to fall down the stairs. There is no chain nor any warning. Also the restaurant hours are listed on the entrance door but it does not let you know it's seasonal and therefore they closed early. The waitresses were very rude, and one said I was in the kitchen area when I was not, and also said that this time of year they're not real busy. Everyone knows that the end of November is tourist season in Florida. The oysters in a half shell were delicious but I won't be going back because of their utter negligence and very poor attitude. I hope no one gets hurt by those stairs.

5 years later and I'm still thinking of the fried clam strips

Lovely view, good food and great service (thanks, Sydney). Elevator is on the right when facing the front doors- beside the ATM and Pay to Park kiosk. First floor is a lounge and outdoor tables. Before 5pm menu had Scrod Jason for a lower price- delicately flavored and ordered well done for crispy bread crumb topping at Sydney's suggestion. Off the regular menu, the crab cake & shrimp arrived very hot and was a hit. The only miss was the corn fritters which were stodgy and likely held under a heat lamp. We were so early only one other table came in while we were there. Johns Pass is a main tourist area so food can be dicey but this was fresh and good textures.

Good food, if you do eat here be ready to wait for a little bit.

Good service. Food good but nothing special. Fried shrimp good but not the best. Baked potato was a little hard. Prices high but comparable to the location.

A nice water front restaurant. The service was very good and the food was tasty and arrived quickly. Prices are moderate. The atmosphere was very old Florida.

This is one of our favorite places to eat. Top of the list!

Excellent food and service. The claim chowder is to die for and highly recommend you don't skip out on this. The Scrod Jason was also wonderful. The potato was a little undercooked, but soft enough to not worry about it lol.

Ate in bar downstairs. Place should change its name to Unfriendly… Bartender not friendly, birds eating food leftover on plate because no one picked it up after patrons left and it wasn’t busy.. Anyway the fish taco was decent but who wants to put up with that.

My favorite restaurant in John's Pass, a must stop in every time we're in town Great fresh food with a nice atmosphere!

They’ve got some unique dishes - I got the crabmeat stuff tilapia. Service was good. Only downer was the seating felt a little crammed, though to be fair we had two little ones with us.

Order take out, fried oysters were delicious and the fish and chips was also good and fresh, next time I’ll definitely come and stay since the views were amazing

Fabulous seafood every time. Great shrimp, mozzarella squares, baked potatoes, crab cakes, great view & more.

Had not been in years. We ordered appetizers and they were a little messy. They didn't bring us the little plates for sharing so it made it very awkward. Food was mediocre. The fritters were thick and heavy, kind of burnt tasting. Fries were blah and there was absolutely no taste or seasoning to the Coleslaw. Fish was good though. Will I go back, probably not.

Sheldon was great! Service was excellent! Thank you

All around great experience. Look forward to going back next time I'm in town.