12 Florida Seafood Shacks Locals Say Are Absolutely Worth The Journey
Florida’s coastline hides some of the best seafood spots you’ll ever find, and locals know the secret.
These aren’t fancy restaurants with white tablecloths and valet parking.
Instead, picture weathered wooden docks, paper plates piled high with fresh catch, and views that make you forget about everything except the next bite.
I know many of these hidden spots, and each one tells its own story through salt-crusted windows and the smell of frying fish.
The places on this list have earned their reputation one plate at a time, serving up the kind of meals that turn a regular Tuesday into a memory worth keeping.
1. Aunt Kate’s Restaurant — St. Augustine
Aunt Kate’s has been feeding people on the Tolomato River for over a century, tucked under live oaks that lean out over the water.
You can sit on multi-level decks watching boats drift by while plates of datil-pepper cornbread, fried oysters, and fresh local fish land on your table.
It feels a little hidden from the bustle of downtown St. Augustine, close enough for a quick drive, but far enough that you’ll swear you discovered your own riverside shack.
I remember my first visit here, watching an egret stalk the shoreline while I worked through a basket of oysters that tasted like the river itself.
Address: 612 Euclid Ave, St. Augustine, FL 32084
2. Palms Fish Camp Restaurant — Jacksonville
On the far northeast edge of Jacksonville, Palms Fish Camp feels like it’s hanging off the map in the best way.
Boats tie up right at the dock, and the deck looks out over Clapboard Creek and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, so sunsets come with silhouettes of marsh grass and shrimp boats.
The menu leans into fresh, local, wild-caught seafood straight off nearby boats, from Mayport shrimp to whatever’s biting that week.
It’s the kind of place where you drive a half-hour past the last strip mall and suddenly realize this is exactly the Florida you were hoping to find.
Address: 6359 Heckscher Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32226
3. High Tides at Snack Jack — Flagler Beach
Right on the sand with waves practically under the floorboards, High Tides at Snack Jack is the definition of a weathered beach shack.
Since 1947, surfers and road-trippers have climbed the stairs from A1A for fish tacos, fried shrimp, and cold drinks with a front-row view of the Atlantic.
On windy winter days, the windows rattle, the ocean roars, and a hot plate of blackened fish feels like pure coastal therapy.
The building has survived hurricanes and decades of salt spray, and somehow that makes every meal taste more authentic.
Address: 2805 S Oceanshore Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136
4. The Old Fish House Bar & Grill — Grant-Valkaria
South of Melbourne, The Old Fish House sits right on the Indian River Lagoon, attached to a marina where boats come and go all day.
The building itself is a former fish house, and it still feels that way: casual, a bit rough around the edges, and totally focused on fresh seafood.
Platters of fried shrimp, oysters, and daily catch arrive piled on paper, best eaten outside while watching the river traffic glide by.
It’s a classic situation where driving a little farther pays off in spades, especially when the sun starts dropping behind the mangroves.
Address: 5185 US-1, Grant-Valkaria, FL 32949
5. Schooners – The Last Local Beach Club — Panama City Beach
Schooners is part beach club, part seafood shack, and all about the Gulf.
You step off the sand, brush the salt from your legs, and go straight for Gulf grouper, peel-and-eat shrimp, and fried baskets in a building that opens right onto the dunes.
Every evening, the entire deck counts down to sunset and they fire a small cannon as the sun hits the water, a ritual that makes dinner feel like an event.
It’s absolutely a situation where you plan the whole day around it, arriving early to claim your spot and staying until the stars come out.
Address: 5121 Gulf Dr, Panama City Beach, FL 32408
6. Lynn’s Quality Oysters — Eastpoint
On Florida’s Forgotten Coast, Lynn’s is a working oyster house, raw bar, and seafood market rolled into one low-slung building on US-98.
You walk past coolers and sacks of shellfish to get to picnic tables where Apalachicola Bay oysters are shucked to order and served on trays with lemon and hot sauce.
It’s the kind of place where locals pop in for a dozen on the half shell and a cold drink, and travelers end up staying longer than they planned, watching the sun drop behind the marsh.
I’ve never had oysters fresher than these, still tasting of the bay they left an hour ago.
Address: 402 Highway 98, Eastpoint, FL 32328
7. Floyd’s Shrimp House — Fort Walton Beach
Perched on the Okaloosa Island boardwalk, Floyd’s is loud, a little wild, and very committed to shrimp.
There’s an all-you-can-eat shrimp window every day from 4 to 6 p.m., and the tables quickly fill with baskets of fried shrimp, hush puppies, and fries.
Open-air seating looks out over the sound, so you get sea breeze, neon lights, and the feeling that you’ve stumbled into a locals’ secret even though the sign is right on the strip.
The atmosphere buzzes with conversation and laughter, making every visit feel like a small celebration of coastal living.
Address: 1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
8. Peace River Seafood & Crab Shack — Punta Gorda
Set in a 1920s cracker-style cabin just outside downtown Punta Gorda, Peace River Seafood really leans into the crab shack part of its name.
Picnic tables inside and out are covered in newspaper, and servers haul out big, steaming trays of blue crabs for you to crack with mallets.
The attached market sells fresh local fish and shellfish to-go, but most people are there to get gloriously messy over a communal table before rolling back to the car full and happy.
There’s something deeply satisfying about working for your dinner with a mallet in hand and butter running down your wrist.
Address: 5337 Duncan Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33982
9. Dixie Fish Company — Fort Myers Beach
Dixie Fish Co. started life as a 1930s fish market and still feels like an old Florida fish house perched over Matanzas Pass.
After hurricane damage, they rebuilt and kept the open-air, dockside vibe with string lights, wood decks, and shrimp boats in the background.
Locals drive across the bridge for Yucatan shrimp, whole fried fish, and cold drinks with bay breezes.
It’s the sort of place where live music, clinking glasses, and the smell of the grill all blend into one long vacation evening that you never want to end, even on a random Wednesday.
Address: 714 Fishermans Wharf, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
10. Star Fish Company Market & Restaurant — Cortez
In the old fishing village of Cortez, Star Fish Company is as close as you get to a working dockside shack.
You order at a window, grab a picnic table on the wooden deck, and watch commercial boats unload just a few yards away.
Their seafood comes straight from local waters, cleaned in the adjacent market and fried, grilled, or sauteed to order.
People happily drive from Sarasota or Anna Maria Island, stand in line, and eat on paper plates with plastic forks while pelicans loiter nearby, hoping for handouts and providing free entertainment.
Address: 12306 46th Ave W, Cortez, FL 34215
11. The Bait House Tackle & Tavern — Clearwater Beach
Originally just a bait and tackle shop on the marina, The Bait House quietly evolved into a tiny dockside tavern without losing its just-off-the-boat personality.
You sit on a narrow deck over the water, surrounded by fishing boats and the glow of Clearwater’s lights, with plates of blackened grouper bites and shrimp tacos.
It’s very much a locals’ hangout that visitors feel lucky to find, more like joining someone’s dock party than going to a restaurant.
I’ve brought out-of-town friends here, and they always ask why we didn’t come on the first night of their visit.
Address: 45 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
12. Triad Seafood Market & Café — Everglades City
Down in Everglades City, Triad Seafood sits right on the Barron River, where stone crab boats work the water in season.
The building looks plain from the road, but out back you’ll find picnic tables on a riverside deck and trays piled high with stone crab claws, fried fish, and key lime pie.
It’s the kind of off-the-beaten-path stop that turns a long drive through the mangroves into a pilgrimage, especially when stone crab season is in full swing.
The claws arrive cold and cracked, ready to dip in mustard sauce while you watch the working boats return home.
Address: 401 School Dr W, Everglades City, FL 34139