Swordfish Grill in Cortez - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

I was with a group of 8. The food was delicious. It came out fairly quick, so I was happy about that! They ONLY reason I'm giving service a 4 star is, I waited over 15 minutes for a drink. I was right in front of something that skewed the view of my glass, so that could be why. Other than that, I had an amazing experience.

Food was decent, drinks and beer were good, fish tacos were good, pico tasted old, sea platter was okay but not for its price, service was fast. Rice was overly hard and dry. View was gorgeous.

Grouper sandwich next door in Cortez kitchen was much better value and tasted better. The clam chowder was the best I had anywhere around here and we have been to many places. Over all great place. P.s. my husband's pasta was super spicy and nowhere on the menu did it say that. He was hungry and ate it, but he was not happy.

Portions for the money is not worth it. Crabcakes were not cooked and cold. Coconut Shrimp all burnt

Live the vibe and the bartender was awesome!

Out of all the places we ate this week in Florida, this was one of the best! I ordered the Zorba’s Favorite Greek salad with blackened salmon and it was absolutely delicious. It was a pretty big portion too. I ate literally all of it in one go. My companions got a tuna poke bowl (also bigger portion and excellent) and the seafood flat bread (not as big of a portion but still really good and definitely worth it). We sat outside and had a gorgeous view of the water. Server was also really nice and food came out pretty fast. This was definitely a great experience eating here!

I'm a local, Florida native, Swordfish never disapoints!!!

First time here. Great food! Totally recommend tuna poke salad. Service was wonderful! Ragan was efficient, polite, and knowledgeable. She recommended the shrimp and grits and my boyfriend loved them!

The restaurant is beautiful and has live music. The food is ok, the shrimp could be tastier, I couldn't taste the shrimp, just the fried part.

Not sure why this place isn't reviewed higher... blackened grouper was amazing. So fortunate to try this place. Inside on rainy day can be a bit loud but great for families.

We absolutely loved our lunch there! I highly recommend shrimp and grits! Very friendly staff, too.

Hats off to Anthony C. and his team (Byron especially). Had a BIG party of fitty and everyone left feeling special. Kudos JB/Heidi, Lily and Adam

Servers were kind and patient. Food was pretty good with one exception. The potato salad is stellar, I had previously never liked potato salad before entering but this place does it right. Go there enjoy the sites and try the potato salad. But pricy but I could get a whole thing of the salad for 4.50.

Over priced, staff friendly,but they sell hospitality. Next door at the kitchen, they serve a pressed cuban you can eat off for three days. Cuban and beer 20.bucks

I rated 3 stars because restaurant way to cold food got cold before you could eat it

Best Lobster Mac anywhere. Chucks of lobster! And the seafood Cobb salad is just as amazing. Not a fan of blue cheese, but at least it's the real stuff!

No butter with my crab. Seafood salad was awful tasting. My oysters and clams were floating in water cocktail sauce was not good. Shrimps were not what I expected for my first time being there. Atmosphere was beautiful

Nice casual place with good food and beautiful view!

Fresh and perfectly prepared seafood with superb service by Bella! Beautiful and unobstructed water view. Friendly and upbeat atmosphere with live entertainment! You can look around and say “classic old Florida look” or somewhat dated! Quality of the food made it a perfect choice for an amazing culinary experience!

Just terrible service, waited on Everything plus the manager would not accommodate a seat change request? Yet nobody ever sat at the table we wanted to sit at…

Unfortunately service was very poor..asked what we wanted to eat when we didn’t have a menu or drinks…we got water..waitress never came back so we left.

This was our first time to Swordfish grill and I had high hopes for this place. They have a very nice covered patio that is large with outdoor bar and live music. The food just wasn't up to par. There was also garbage on the floor that no one bothered to pick up, not something you want to see in a restaurant. We started with the seared ahi tuna apatizer, which was really the only good thing we had there. Tuma was fresh and very tasty. I also ordred half a dozen raw oysters and i would recommend staying away from them, go to AMOB if you want oysters. I had the fish tacos with grouper, kinda bland and overloaded with coleslaw that was a sopping wet mess. Every bite just dripped juice and was just a very disappointing meal. I had fish tacos at Cortez kitchen and Wicked cantina, both were great, these from Swordfish were a let down. My son had the Mahi sandwich and he said it was really bland with no flavor. I could tell he didn't want to eat it but he forced himself. My wife had the Swordfish and she said it was OK. I don't really like to leave bad reviews, but for what I paid, I expect better. This place was a bit pricey compared to other similar places.

Good Fire cracker 🌮 tocos the best. Server Bobbie I would rate a 10 for service on Thursday about 3 pm.

Sat on the deck. Love the choices for apps, entrees and the kids!

Best seafood around! Shawna is by far the best server & very attentive. She kept our drinks coming; her recommended dishes did not disappoint. 10/10. Highly recommend. We will definitely be coming back & requesting her!

Food was incredible, pictures speak for themselves. Pics are of calamari $15, firecracker shrimp tacos $17, and shrimp N grits $23. Even the french fries were great! Highly recommend, we may eat there twice before this trip is over!

Great good, fantastic service and really nice live music.

Great place to sit outside and enjoy the views. Food is always excellent with good service. The scallops wrapped in bacon are always cooked perfectly!! The Key Lime Pie is the best you can get!!!

Simply everything was great. Food was great, drinks were good, music was awesome. Ended up not being that expensive either.

I loved this restaurant, good service, food, excellent musical atmosphere, I recommend it, don't forget to visit it.

Great place to go. All the employees are really good. I gave a good rating, but the management is very poor hire somebody If you have a bad day, don't take it out on your customers. I'm a business owner. If I did that. I would be out of business. I still recommend going though.

The place we take all guests that want a nice place on the water for dinner. Everything we've ever had has been delicious. Good drinks, great tiki, always good service. Make reservations if you can.

Haley S. Was amazing.. We will request her every time. Simply a delightful person and GREAT SERVER!!

Delicious food in a beautiful setting on the water served by friendly staff. Great live music playing too! Can't wait to go back.

A local secret...literally a hidden gem. Food is always good!

Delicious grilled fish sandwich and the BEST potato salad I have ever eaten! The waterfront views from the covered deck were nice. A musician was entertaining everyone with guitar and vocals. Staff was keeping up with lots of customers.

Great food and service. Enjoy coming to this restaurant every year!

Such good food! Live music and gorgeous view! GET THE PORK NACHOS!

Absolutely wonderful! The food was delicious, the view and atmosphere were fantastic, and our waitress Amaya was so sweet and attentive. We even saw a flamingo!!! We are native Floridians, and this is the first one we've seen in the wild. If you're looking for a great place to eat while at the beach, this is it!

Amazing food. The restaurant is right on the water, with an amazing view of wildlife and boaters. Bobbi was out server, she was so patient and sweet. We have been here a couple of times and consistently their staff is incredible. Family friendly environment that I would totally recommend!! Thank you for the amazing evening!

To this place you are just a number. This establishment cares more about turning over their tables than the customers they are supposed to be serving. Not to mention the burnt food and incorrect orders. The management needs lessons in customer satisfaction. They must be awful people because the told me that they expect that there customers will be disrespectful. Expecting inconsiderate customers there policies lack courtesy, honor and respect. If you care for someone do not bring them here.

The atmosphere in this restaurant is wonderful. The service is hit and miss. One time we went in and there was three waitresses at one table. Another time we went in and we were waiting for the rest of our orders to come while waiting for a check so we could leave. The orders were wrong, the coconut shrimp was burnt. Condiments and the rest of the orders were not delivered until the to go containers and check were dropped. It was early and we thought they'd be able to handle a 6:00 dinner reservation. Wrong

Nice view outside and covered. Food was good and I would go back, but was not as good as some other seafood places in the same price range.

Our party of 11 (6 adults and 5 kids) came in after a long day on the beach and had the best experience. Kimmi was our server and she was FABULOUS, kind, friendly and fast. I had firecracker shrimp tacos, my husband got the seafood platter blackened, dad had mahi mahi blacked, and brother in law had the tuna nachos. Our kids all go popcorn shrimp which was honestly one of the best things we had, it was so good. Everything was delicious. Highly recommend!

Celebrated my nephew's birthday there today with a party of 12 and had a wonderful experience. The Hostess was very friendly when we walked up and the waitress was very good with the orders and service. We will return. Teak Senior

Fantastic seafood with a view! Must stop! Firecracker shrimp and the Blackjack sandwich were delicious.

Great place, awsome food, great service, friendly staff. Oysters Rockefeller delicious. Snapper was perfect. Flat bread fabulous. Great place to meet with friends. Live music. My only complaint would be it was hard to decide what to eat with so many favorites on the menu, cant wait until I go back again.

Shrimp and Grits the best on the planet!!

This restaurant is one of the better values in the area. I would suggest one of the “baskets”. I got the fried sea scallops and they were really good. The side dishes were sort of small portions, but plenty for me. My daughter got the fire cracker shrimp tacos. She didn’t love them. The cheese was overwhelming. I tend to feel the same about cheese on seafood tacos. Not good. We were seated right away on Memorial Day weekend because we were willing to sit inside. Good service.

My son had the lobster Mac and cheese and it was the best he’s ever had. Great amount of lobster and delicious taste!

This place is amazing in every aspect, food.is delicious, and it is definitely my new spot when I come around

The service was good and the music was nice. We thought the food was a bit overpriced compared to similar restaurants in the area with more options and better price points. The food was average.

Fun spot on the water for lunch, dinner, drinks! Great service and good menu options with spectacular water views.

I have dined there a couple times, always a great experience.

We had a party of 13 which was accommodated well. Our server was just okay, she seemed to be gone a lot. The chicken tenders' breading all fell off, and they were huge. We enjoyed the seafood platter, it was all very tasty.

Service was great, enjoyed the variety of seafood options. Such beautiful views

Very good food, fish tacos are fantastic. Cool scene especially if a fishing boat is unloaded. Excellent bird watching to top it off. A must eat spot if visiting the AMI area.

Wonderful place to sit relax enjoy the food and views!

By far the best waterside view with a good meal that you can get in Bradenton. I ate the Seafood Platter & the Mahi Mahi fish that came with it was fantastic! The scallops were scrumptious & I loved the blackened seasoning on the shrimp. Celebrated Mother’s Day and my mother was more then happy with her experience so that made the visit much better. Alex was a phenomenal server & really took care to get on our level, make sure our food was exactly what we needed, and overall delivered an excellent degree of service for my mother and I. Swordfish Grill is the spot to be, and I’ll be returning expeditiously!

One of our absolute go-to’s in the area!

My fiancé and I went here for dinner one evening and the food was phenomenal. The atmosphere is great. No wait to get in. Overall a great restaurant. When we finished our meal our waitress brought us our bill. She told us to take our time and she would come back to get it. Not even 1 minute later she comes back to pick it up. We haven’t even had a chance to pull our wallets out. My fiancé told her we still needed a minute. When she came back we paid in cash and told her we didn’t need change, NOT YOU CAN KEEP THE CHANGE. Once we were getting ready to leave she walked in front of us with a look of horror and announced with an attitude, very loudly, “is there something wrong folks”. I immediately knew it had to do with not leaving a tip in the receipt holder by the way she was counting the money walking out from the kitchen. I looked at her embarrasse, informing her it was on the table. I have never been so humiliated in front of strangers at a restaurant like that. She didn’t even give us a chance before making it out, like we didn’t tip.

Food and drinks were great! Best potato salad in the WORLD!!!! The blackened Mahi Mahi was excellent! Great lobster Mac and cheese! Nice outdoor atmosphere.

Worst food i have had in a long time Fish platter was completely messed up , fish overkooked , so much salty seasoning Oisters were completely tasteless A waste of good money

Sorry my friends. This was a one (and now only visit while on Holiday in Bradenton to this establishment) but the food was mediocre for $40-50 a pop. The price isn't the issue. Only an inlet cannel to view to boot.

I love when I travel for work, means I get to eat at some places you will never get to eat at, cause it ain’t McDonalds. The meal, superb. Kept it simple, Shrimp and grits with Gouda cheese and REAL bacon bits. I don’t play about Shrimp and Grits, and it did not disappoint my taste buds. Check em out. Oh great view by the water, and with the bar, a few beers and that view, makes it complete.

Sit under the giant tiki covering at the water, listen to live music, drink some great drinks, have some great food you won't be disappointed I guarantee it. Service was great friendly and fast. No complaints 5 stars for sure

Loved the vibe here. Drinks are delicious.

Food was excellent! Loved the view outside.

Enjoyed the breeze on the patio, blackened mako sandwich was delicious. Service was excellent

Second time coming to Bradenton on vacation, second time visiting Swordfish Grill for dinner. Awesome atmosphere, friendly staff, great food!

Love this place. Great food and atmosphere. I had late lunch twice. First day, the staff was over the top friendly. Second time still good service just not same cheerful personality,

Great food. Great place. Service wasn’t the best but we were able to sit outside and it was beautiful. We recommend.

Nice spot outside on the porch. Good food and service. Kinda small portions for the price. Enjoyed the potato bombs appetizer the most.

I reserved a table for 4 people for April 25th at 7:15pm. When we came in, the lady at the entrance said I reserved a table inside. I said no I reserved a table on the water. This lady called the manager. Arrogant Manager came to us and said I did a wrong reservation. How this kind of restaurant and especially this arrogant manager couldn’t be able to try to, at least, helped us to get a table outside. 5 tables were still available. The manager said there are all reserved and I found out later 3 of this table the people didn’t come. This is absolutely unprofessional in this business. Owner of Swordfish if you by chance read my review get rid of this manager who have no clou to handle guest. For me guest is king and must be helped. She also agreed just go to the neighbor they have table available. Can you imagine this, how negative she is thinking about the restaurant she works for… I’m a local resident. Shame on you Swordfish.

It's always a pleasure to visit Swordfish! The Staff is very friendly. The beverages and food are tasty and the view is gorgeous 😍

Great place Excellent food, great way for us to spend our Anniversary.

Good food, good service great waterside location. Beautiful sunset. Some of the food selections weren't what we expected but they were good.

This is a really good place to hang out at the outside bar to watch the boats coming and going and have cold tasty adult beverages. . . Awesome bar tenders . . Very tasty shrimp & grits and excellent Key Lime pie!

Awesome food, service was so friendly and informative! Highly recommend Swordfish grill & Cortez Kitchen while you visit! The fish tacos were the best I've ever had!

Great food and service right on the water

Grouper sandwich delish, beautiful view

Kingclip sandwich tasted like a 2 year old gym shoe

Absolutely stellar experience at Swordfish Grill! From the moment you step onto the outdoor tiki patio, you're greeted with Cortezian ambiance that sets the tone for a relaxed dining experience. The seafood is fresh and expertly prepared, bursting with flavor in every bite. The waterfront views are the perfect backdrop for a relaxing meal. The staff are friendly, attentive, and truly elevate the overall experience. Whether you're a local or just passing through Cortez, Swordfish Grill is a must-visit destination for anyone craving exceptional food and a memorable atmosphere. Five stars all the way!

I was in this establishment twice and twice there were some problems. there is no service. The waiters are not trained and don't know the menu. they walk for a long time. drinks waited 20 minutes. the manager is not working. I ask the owners of this restaurant to contact their staff

Pricing was fair the area and food came out fairly quickly. Drinks were good and there was a nice selection of cocktails and specialty drinks.

I hade tHe lobster bisque and Frutti Di Mare. Both Were delicious and I will definitely be going back for more next time I’m in the area.

Nice bar restaurant on the water. Loved the green tomatoes. Blackened grouper, it was delicious. Bobbie was our server she was excellent. Great bloody Mary's.

Great local seafood, great atmosphere, and our server was super! Had a great time. Nice live music added to the overall experience.

Very good restaurant for seafood

My mother-in-law lives right down the street and this is the first place we want to go when we fly in from Chicago. Love sitting by the water and having a cold landshark beer and Sword fishes delicious burgers. Mary Lou

Always bring my friends and family here to share the funky, key west Cortez experience. Dockside seating at tiki bar..seat yourself. Grab a dolphin or sunset cruise here, or a handmade necklace and a blackened grouper sandwich. Waitresses are a bit more patient after season slows down. This place is generally laid ba k and has live tines. Bring back the all you can eat crab special! LOVE swordfish grill and Tiki. Not sure if I'd dine here because of my anaphylaxis but my people really love it!

Everything you want in a Florida restaurant. 2nd time, I've been there.

They had a nice shop and a fish tank food was good too!

One of my favorite local eateries! Love the tiki-hut out back. Great atmosphere, especially when there's live music. Excellent shrimp & grits 😋

All the seafood we ordered was very good. Atmosphere was good with live music and service was also very good.

Good location for a restaurant. We dined on the patio and enjoyed the view and music. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, a personal favorite that would order at every opportunity. The Swordfish Grill version is bland and heavily creamed. It does match the description, so if that's what you like, maybe this is the dish for you.

My 1st time there was a great time!! Will be back for sure!!

Food is subpar. Mixed veggies were a frozen medley. Bland, no flavors. Service lacking. But cool spot to sit and watch fisherman.

I enjoyed my meal very much. The grouper sandwich was a smidge undercooked. The fries, despite being frozen food service fries, were very tasty. Cheese grits were on point. Our waitress was really efficient and well spoken.

Have been here a few times but this last time we had a table of six. Ordered seafood nachos something we always order. Very disappointed tuna was cut half the size and we got very little tuna. Drinks were iced down ordered a martini and it was filled with ice terrible plus I ordered grey goose and couldn’t taste anything but auger. Will not come back