The Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

I have been living in Florida for over 3 years and was always complaining that there was no good seafood restaurants in the state but, this one exceeded my expectations. In Puerto Rico the seafood is amazing and I got used to that. Luckily I found this restaurant and will be coming back many times. Kudos to the chef, the owner and staff.

We sat inside at a little two top by the window. It took maybe 5 minutes for our waiter Dave to check in and once he did he was prompt and attentive afterwards. We ordered an appetizer to start, highly recommended the fried queso blanco which was fried to perfection. They were crunchy, slightly salty and served w/ a cilantro sauce and zesty orange oil. I ordered the buttery croissant BLT w/ Nuesuks bacon, literally melt in your mouth deliciousness w/ a ripe vine tomato and green leaf lettuce served w/ a black garlic aioli. Outstanding and I crave this sandwich more than I should. My husband had pork carnitas tacos which he said was flavorful and moist. His side was a fresh, tender Cole slaw w/ small bites of pineapple for sweetness. Overall definitely recommend this restaurant, then walk across street for a relaxing stroll on the pier.

Before embarking on our maiden voyage to AMI, The Waterfront had already garnered quite a buzz. Now, having experienced it firsthand, I completely understand why. The warm welcome from the staff and exceptional service from our server set the tone for a memorable dining experience. The lobster bisque was a delightful start, and I can't recommend the Tuna Sashimi enough. However, the true standout was the Scallops and pork belly fried rice. Rarely do I begin eating a dish and find myself pausing in astonishment at its exquisite flavor. The sweet scallops, tender pork belly, and flavorful fried rice engaged in a delightful battle for supremacy on my taste buds. The location, service, and food were all impeccable, but there was an intangible quality about The Waterfront that left a lasting impression on me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it felt like being back at our favorite hometown eatery. We eagerly anticipate returning to The Waterfront once more before our departure.

Menu looks good. Lobster bisque amazing Tuna is great Pork & clams are wonderful But again it is just me. Dishes look amazing! Location is good. Even on a hot day fans will let you be outside.

Best restaurant on the island, hands down.

Great location, overall a really nice place to stop for a snack or meal, can't go wrong either way.

Amazing meal! Wish I would have remembered to get a picture of the Harvest Beet Salad too! Delicious! Dinner entre was Scallops and Porkbelly fried rice. The housemade Kimchi had the most amazing flavor! Big portions. Not a place to hurry through. Take your time and enjoy! Their jalapeño margarita is SO good. Highly recommend!

Getting a table here can be quite challenging. We recommend arriving by 5:30 PM to avoid a long wait. Since the indoor seating was full, we opted for the outdoor area. Unfortunately, despite the fans, it was extremely hot. I’d suggest adding more fans or perhaps some misting systems to the patio. Additionally, there were a few pesky flies that made dining a bit unpleasant. The food was good and the portions were generous. The drinks were also enjoyable. A special shout-out to our waitress, who provided excellent service.

Food is good. Service is fantastic. Will never go back. Just spent $90 to eat soup & salad. Not worth it. Overzealous city of AMI writes parking tickets even if you’re in legal parking spot. Will never go back.

Fantastic meal - great service and bar area to wait in :-)) We loved it!!!!

The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was because some of the food was lack luster but honestly the service and atmosphere out weighed any snafoo with food. We have a two year old and felt the resteraunt was family friendly while still being elevated , which is hard to find! Right across from the peir/dock it was a tranquil setting. Staff was all beyond lovely and the cocktails were amazing! I had the wasabi crusted tuna I would give it a 4/5 and my husband had the pasta dish which was just a little strange having fetta cheese and a very thin red sauce 2/5. Both of our drinks the spicy margaritas and Mai tais were 5/5 stars. We had the chefs board as an app and it was delicious! Definitely would come back!

During our recent Annamarie trip we ate here twice it was so good. Great atmosphere and awesome service. We went for early dinner because dinner is VERY busy. We went around 330-4ish and didn't wait at all. Great menu options. I got the Ahi Tuna both times because it was so good I couldn't convince myself to watch anything else.

Amazing food! Terrific service! Highly recommend!

We had such a great dinner here when visiting AMI. The pork loin was cooked to perfection (she said the most tender pork she’s ever had!) and the scallops & pork belly was flavorful and fun. The Mai tai was a strong and balanced cocktail. We liked that we were able to walk the food off on the pier after dinner while we waited for the trolley. From the moment we walked in the staff was kind and our waitress was helpful with recommendations.

Our first dinner on our Anna Maria Island vacation! Loved the atmosphere, we had a great booth for our family indoors. The food was amazing, my favorite meal on the trip! The chefs board was delicious along with their Caesar salad. Everyone enjoyed their meals and their time at The Waterfront Restaurant. Would definitely be returning here next time on the island!

Some of the best food in the area. We went here twice during our stay at Anna Maria.

It looks good from a distance, but up close everything is dirty and needs repair. I recommend looking for something else.

The Waterfront is a staple in AMI. We are local AMI PT residents who have frequented this local establishment for years, this always rates our top list. I'm rather "picky" by admission and don't write a lot of reviews unless warranted. Food consistent and excellent, drinks world class, service always on point. The "key"' is it's always consistently excellent, anyone visiting should makes this a destination.

I recently visited The Waterfront Restaurant and, while there was a bit of a wait, it was definitely worth it. The food was fresh and flavorful, and the service was excellent—friendly and attentive. The overall experience was fantastic, and I would highly recommend this place if you're looking for a great meal with a view!

Not what I thought it would be for its price, I’m willing to pay but not for spaghetti I can make at home with a recipe …. My husband loved The mushroom risotto which was really good though.

Great atmosphere and great menu and food! We truly enjoyed everything we ordered from the bread service, to the drinks, to the dinner. Everything was truly fantastic. The menu is so great and versatile, the hardest part was deciding what to order! The fried green tomatoes were incredible and if they have a risotto special - get it! Our service left little to be desired, however. The waitress was not friendly and seemed to be quite uninterested. Once we were finished we sat there for probably close to 30 minutes waiting for her to return. Other than that, this experience was great!

Went to the Waterfront from Madiera Beach on a recommendation, and I was blown away. Definitely worth the drive! The food was amazing 👏 especially the calamari. I am a bit of a calamari snob, and I have to say this prep was among the best I have had in my travels. The crunchy raw red onions with pickled yellow peppers and goat cheese topped with a sweet chili thai sauce was absolutely delightful. Kudos to the chef 👏 ambiance and service was great.

Sitting on the pier with my family and you could hear the staff screaming and swearing at each other in the kitchen. It went on and on for a few minutes. Another family said “this isn’t very inviting”. I walked up to the window and said politely that there are children and families here and they shouldn’t be speaking that way. She aggressively replied “yeah this is a pier, we know families and kids are here, and…?” I left immediately and as we were leaving she was screaming at us. This isn’t how people should be treated. I DO NOT recommend going to spend your money here. So trashy.

This charcuterie board was so Good!!

Everything we had was delicious! Loved the fried green tomatoes. Great atmosphere, service and food!

The food was delicious. We were the last tables to be served, which explains why I was served undercooked rice however will definitely come back. The seafood was delicious! The atmosphere is very unique is definitely an experience.

Beautiful view. But the service is not the best, very slow to serve the food, poor attention to the customer.

My family of 12 were there sat outside with kids and babies - very gracious staff helped us through caring for kids and the food was excellent!! Great drinks !! Not cheap will cost you but great food and service !

Excellent service, we went to celebrate my birthday. We will visit you again, thank you for your service.

We enjoyed a fabulous meal here during our recent vacation to AMI. The service was great, the appetizers were amazing. I'd for sure recommend the shrimp and grits - amazing sauce. Highly recommend.

Wonderful service with a view of the bay! We’ve been coming to AMI for 25 years and The Waterfront restaurant is one of our favorites. Come early! The food is amazing and they are always busy. Best meal of our trip!

The service was too late, we was with 3 kids and they never priorizate the food for them. And the food was 3 star.

Used to take reservations, they don't answer their phone, had to drive 45 minutes to find out they are too busy. Terrible business practices.

Great food and excellent service

Hubby and I have been there 3 times in the last 2mo months. Food is always great. Beet harvest salad Yummy 😋

This place is never dispappointing, and is one of the few restaurants that has the trifecta of a great view, great atmosphere, and great food. The baked brie is amazing!

My husband + son caught fish on a charter earlier in the day, so we took it to The Waterfront for them to cook it. Tasted great + was accompanied with great service!

Not worth the wait!! We waited for more than an hour only to be extremely disappointed with our meals. We ordered three catch of the day and our grouper was small and dry. It was not worth the $36 we paid per meal. McDonald’s would have been better.

Our waitress was on top of everything. My husband said it was the best mac n cheese he's ever had. The drinks were great too!

Food was delicious, atmosphere was nice and calm. Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly!

Hot hot hot patio seating. The food and amazing service was the redeeming factor. My kids were all over the place but the server was so helpful and sweet! Food is top-notch. Get there early, food was worth the wait but patio is simply too hot!

Excellent strawberry salad, so much Gluten Free options, the view and the staff is amazing! Loved it. Huge thank you from Europe!

2nd time visiting Waterfront and both experiences were perfect. Staff is awesome and food is delicious!

Absolutely everything was spectacular, the food and the attention! super recommended!

This was a perfect experience. The food was amazing… the atmosphere was tasteful and service was great. The pricing was a little high but maybe normal for this area.

Great atmosphere & location, excellent staff & waitstaff, & a place that allows dogs (on their porch outside). Food was good but nothing too special. Small details missed, like rubber hard avocado slices, overcooked fish, & weird flavor accents they meant to be fancy, & we were excited to experience, but didn't add anything special (berry compote on the fish, for example). Though there were some great hits, like the calamari appetizer & the pork tacos (despite the avocados).

The food is great BUT you must have Brigette as your waitress for the full experience. She is lovely! See you next year Brigette!

Excellent restaurant, great prices

My only wish is that this place was right on the water but it is right across the street from the bay. Very cool atmosphere inside the restaurant. Fried calamari was cooked to perfection. Salmon...amazing. Grouper...amazing. Service was casual and friendly but also amazing. Probably the best restaurant on the island. Go early to avoid the wait...but worth the wait

This is one of our favorite restaurants on Anna Maria Island. The food is always good and the portions are very good. I highly recommend the Wasabi crusted Tuna, it is amazing. The calamari for an appetizer is also a solid choice, it has banana peppers, onions and feta cheese with zesty chili spice. You won't be disappointed here.

Incredible place to eat. 100% recommended

The server was excellent, the food was delicious and great atmosphere!

A nice place to dine in for dinner!

We arrived without a reservation and were told the wait would be an hour or so. Based on the location of this restaurant, we were able to walk to the pier and take in the water views. We then went to the bar and had some drinks. As promised, around the 1 hour mark, we were called to our table. The bar staff, reception desk, and wait staff were all warm and friendly. We had the Fruti De Mare and the Shrimp Special, which were both very good. If you are in the area, this place is worth the visit.

Lovely food. Always try and have a meal here in every visit to the Island.

Loved this experience! Service was awesome, Julian took great care of us. Food was very good, our party ordered a bit of everything; from pasta to fish and even a soup and salad! Everything was delicious, we wanted to repeat but decided to try a new spot (Tide Tables at Cortez, highly recommend also!). When visiting Anna Maria Island, stop here, it wont disappoint :)

We were exploring Anna Maria Island for the first time and after a fun day at the beach, we stumbled upon The Waterfront Restaurant around 9pm. Even at that late hour, the place was buzzing! Luckily, we got our seats immediately on the outdoor patio. The food here was fantastic. We tried the grouper tacos, which were a hit, and the fresh catch of the day (Baya Grouper). One dish we weren't quite as impressed with was the pasta primavera - it felt like it was missing a bit of flavor punch. However, everything else was delicious, and our server Kyle was fantastic. She was attentive and made sure our experience was enjoyable. Overall, The Waterfront Restaurant is a great choice for a delicious meal with a beautiful view. Just be prepared for a wait, especially during peak hours!

The price was a little overpriced but overall good experience.

I live on the island right down from The Waterfront and as much as I hate to tell everyone (because it's already packed) this place is the best restaurant on the island! The food is consistently delicious, the staff are always on their game and the view can't be beat. Every person that comes to visit us loves The Waterfront and wants to eat there at least once while they are here. For the quality of food, this place is also very reasonable and only charge $15 for a corking fee. I can't say enough good things.....

Service was great. Food tasted amazing. Went with a large party, including kids. They had no trouble accommodating us. I highly recommend the Kung Pao Calamari, the catch of the day with jerk seasoning, and the beat salad.

Great food! Service at the bar is always great. Can get very crowded so we have found going at off times is the best.

Food was amazing. Staff was pleasant. Def will be back.

Excellent service. Food was fantastic.

AMAZING dinner! So thankful we were able to eat here! Our server was Sean and he was amazing! Our food came out fast and tasted so good! Definitely recommend the waterfront and our server Sean to anyone who comes here !

Wow just here for 2 days and thinking we're going to have an amazing time. Heard amazing things about this restaurant. Then we come to your restaurant and your service there One specific server made our whole experience here the worst! Would never recommend your place and would never come back. She was so rude. After waiting more than 30 minutes just for a main meal she accused us of being drunk after ordering one alcohol each. 🤷

Hard to get into but worth the wait .

Grouper Tacos are Delish Honey Glazed Brussel Sprouts were Amazing

My husband and I visited AMI for our anniversary and my 50th birthday. This restaurant has been the highlight of our trip. The host staff, our server Shannon, the best freakin calamari I’ve ever had, the drinks, the tuna, the NY strip, and the wonderful key lime pie we received complimentary from Shannon… outstanding!!! We first tried The Porch restaurant for our anniversary and I would say if the Cracker Barrel and The Texas Roadhouse had a baby that would be The Porch restaurant. I would skip The Porch if you’re considering it. The Waterfront restaurant exceeded our expectations and we will probably make the drive north from our Port Charlotte home to visit again.

Stopped by this restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. The food was excellent. We had grouper and shrimp. Our server was great. Quite a house with a history. Wished we lived in the area so we could come back again.

We had a great meal. We arrived around 12:30, which was apparently a great time with little wait. The fried queso and carnitas were amazing! It was also a nice break to sit and enjoy the breeze and fans. A strong mai tai capped it off. Shout out to Andrew who did an amazing job as our server. Lots of explanations and insights. It was especially interesting to learn about staff arriving early each morning to freshly squeeze fruit for the cocktails. We will be back!

Went on a fishing trip and brought back fresh fillets of trout and bluefish. The Waterfront cooked them for us perfectly with amazing sides. Food and atmosphere were great. They don’t take reservations, make sure you get there early.

Foods great but 2 and half hour wait for a party of 2 and does not allow reservations. That's ridiculous. Definitely not worth a 2 hour wait.

I have been to The Waterfront several times in the past 5 years that I have lived here and always take out-of-town guests and clients. Hands down, it is the most consistent, fresh, and tasty food I have experienced in our area! We are never disappointed! Thank you for maintaining excellence at this local treasure! ❤️

Probably one of the best, if not the best, meals we had on Anna Maria. The service was outstanding, the food was fresh and delicious, and the view was beautiful. Highly recommend the seared tuna! Pro tip: come here for lunch. There won't be a wait, the food is cheaper, and the menu is almost the same. Dinner time the wait can be 2 hours and you're not guaranteed to be seated.

Kun Pao calamari was the best nice serving size

I feel so offended by the customer service,they made me and my family feel different from all the other’s,the lady taking care of our orders was being rude and taking a long time bringing out our plates.This lady even took 18% off without my consent,its also disrespectful to not let me take care of the tip,the bill even said 25$ additional tip.I wouldn’t recommend this place for people,we all deserve the same attention and service.

I never recommend a place that ignores people, everyone that’s here deserves the same attention and respect that’s it…. It’s what it is.

Me and my family felt ignored at this place, real bad service, and tips are out in the receipts without consent, waitress was walking around attending other tables and not even looking at my table, maybe racist, maybe clueless we were still there. Horrible customer service.

I had a big party of about 10 people and the older woman up front told me they couldn’t accommodate us so she denied us service. We ended up finding another restaurant down the street that served us. Avoid this place if you have a big party.

Food was good, but not great. Ribs were a bit dry and hard on the ends, clealry finished well before we got them. My half slab was the end and it wasn't trimmed at all. Lots of cartilage and fat. Maybe I'm just being picky because I smoke my own ribs and hold a restaurant with higher prices to the standard the price should reflect. My wife also had thebribs and she wasnt impressed with them either. Fries were great! The kids chicken tenders, the sizes varied wildly. One plate had big long tenders and another had 2 small tenders half the size of the others. Our waiter was excellent! Very professional and pleasant. He was great with the kids as well. Probably the first time in awhile that we didn't need to ask for anything as well. Drinks always kept full, new bread when the first plate was gone, we were a big party of 8 as well. I wish I remembered his name, I admit to being terrible at remembering names for people I don't see often. He had a mustache and short/close shaved beard. Very nice though and would recommend him for anyone! Drinks are very pricey, higher than I've seen at other places, I didn't order drink. $19 for a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned is crazy to me, especially for Father's Day drink on the special menu.

No reservations and a long wait.

Pretty good food, clean and refreshing.

The waterfront restaurant is one of the best places I have ever eaten at. My friends and I were all genuinely floored with the first bite of our calamari, angus beef burger, and carnitas tacos. Besides amazing food presentation and quality, you are met with wonderful servers who provide honest information about the entire menu. If that isn't enough, the restaurant itself is beautiful inside and out with an alluring atmosphere.

A great place for the family. Fresh catch grouper sandwich was awesome.

This establishment could easily get five stars across-the-board. The problem is, they don’t take reservations and thus the wait times can be up to two hours. We saw several groups of hopeful diners turned away, and others who had put their name on the waitlist when the restaurant opened for dinner, left and came back an hour and a half later to grab their table. Phones were not being answered, and several groups of customers traveled to the restaurant in hopes of getting a meal only to be turned away. Lack of reservations and less than friendly staff who were audibly mocking the clients that were turned away, resulted in this less than stellar review.

Food was great, prices competitive in the market, waitress Noel was fantastic.

Always a wonderful experience eating here for lunch or dinner... inside or outside!

Turkey and brie sandwich is the best!

Sky was amazing only here 2 weeks and what a joy abd fun experience. She helped us out with our order for mussels snd calamari. We mixed the sauces for the mussels like she suggested and OMG they were even more awesome hot and delicious full of flavor. The calamari was a pleasant surprise with sweet chili saucer did as Sky suggested we didn’t have the staff place it we drizzled while we were at our seats and again with the feta and scallions it was awesome for 2 Italians these 2 dishes knocked our socks off. The Tropacal salad was huge with homemade think balsamic dressing was great, chocolate martini Hit the spot. Go check them Out

I wish I had remembered to take pictures of everything! This baked brie was amazing, as was the loaf of Rosemary olive oil bread with balsamic, olive oil and basil!!! My husband got the shrimp and grits with a side of maple glazed brussel sprouts with bacon and I got the Apricot glazed pork tender loin with mashed potatoes. We both felt this was one of the best meals we have ever had out! The staff was amazing! Carrie was our waitress and knew the menu so well and had a fantastic personality!! The Maitre d' (I hate that I forgot his name) was equally as wonderful! I didn't even mention that it was the most amazing outdoor setting! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone who would listen!!! This is the total experience you are looking for when going out to eat!!! I wish I could give it 10 stars!!!

They very accommodating with my dog.The turkey and brie was outstanding.

Took the Family out and first time here was amazing definitely worth checking out ordered a lot, this place is worth every penny. Best place on the Island!

CUSTOMER SERVICE is a LOST art. My family and I have been coming to Anna Maria for over 12 years. We had lunch at The Waterfront Restaurant, where we have dined every time we are in town. Meredith was our outdoor server. To begin, she did not read us the specials, which is typical to be shared. We ordered 4 Arnold Palmers: 3 with sweet tea, one with unsweetened tea. She brought them all unsweet versions. When she came around with refills, she came out with one pitcher, unsweet Arnold Palmers, and when we spoke up about how we had ordered 3 of them sweet, she continued pouring the refills and said, "Well, they are made with lemonade so they are already sweet enough." Then she walked away. An inappropriate response to say the least. We called her back minutes later asking for the correct drinks we ordered and she was cold in the interaction. She did not check on us during our meal and had very little interaction with us, all while she was chatting, laughing, and providing good service to the table of people she was serving next to us... This was greatly different than how she was treating my family--with no effort. I brought it up to a manager and the lady had a poor response as well. I explained the situation to her privately. A bit later, she brought a new bill to our table with after she said she would remove the drinks. When she came over, she offered no apology, but instead gave an excuse for why the drink order was incorrect. She told us our waitress claimed to be confused because we all ordered the same drink. We told the manager that was not the case and we made it clear when we ordered as well as when we politely asked for our correct drinks further into our meal. It felt disrespectful to then propose an explanation for our waitress' behavior after I described we had multiple exchanges with our waitress about what was asked for with our drink order, that was ignored. I think it is safe to say we do not look forward to returning due to the poor service that has been reoccurring the past few years, and we left quite disappointed in the way our waitress and that manager went about the situations. Food is okay but absolutely not worth it for the service.

AWFUL SERVICE from MEREDITH (older woman with blue eyes)!! She did not read us the specials, did not try and interact with us etc. We ordered drinks 3 with sweet tea and lemonade 1 with unsweet tea and lemonade. When the drinks came they all tasted unsweet and when she came to refill she used one pitcher (even though they were two different drinks). We brought this up to her and she said “oh well i just put them together and there’s lemonade so it’s sweet enough” which is RIDICULOUS cause that’s not what we asked for. We asked for replacement drinks and she reluctantly got new ones and was very cold the rest of the time. Mind you she was giving great customer service to a table next to us (who was full of white customers which we are not). One manager (male) was very transparent and understanding, however, the other manager (older white woman) tried to glaze over the matter blaming that “she got mixed up” and this manager would not take accountability for the fact the server made a mistake and was rude to us. We have been going here for years and the service has never been great. Food is good but not worth for the service, get take out!

This is definitely an awesome place for dinner, but you're ready to wait! We were on a Tuesday and off-season for two people with an hour and a half. Granted, they texted us after 40 minutes but just be prepared to wait. The food is worth the wait. However we had calamari appetizer with scallops and pork belly, and the catch of the day which was grouper. Both were excellent. So good. We dove in before getting a picture but we did get the creme brulee for dessert! Also!

Been coming down for years and it never disappoints,

Hubby got shrimp and grits. I got the same dish but instead of grits got linguine. OMG this was fantastic! It’s rare to leave a restaurant and cannot stop saying how good it was.

Very nice casual restaurant. Food was good and service was good.

Delicious food and excellent service!

We had the best meal on the island here. The tuna as an app was fantastic. Our server amber was fabulous. It was a wonderful experience and great prices. Highly recommend!