Where to Eat in St. Pete!

Florida is a great place to visit for a variety of reasons… food isn't always one of them. I've been going to St. Pete Beach at least once a year for the last 6 years - most times twice a year.  Every time I go, I want fresh seafood… it's right on the ocean after all! But I'm usually disappointed, everything is fried or blandly seasoned. Fried food is great, but it has its limits.

Fortunately, there are a few locations I frequent again and again when I'm in town. Without further ado, here are my favorite restaurants to eat at when visiting the St. Pete Beach area.

Buoys Waterfront Bar and Grill

This is one of those places that will always hold a special place in my heart. I have never had a bad time here and never not had a good dish. There is also something to be said for waterfront dining, even if you aren't directly looking over the water the atmosphere is top notch.

You walk in to buoys on the ground level - straight into the bar area. Honestly, when I first went there, I assumed I'd be in for another typical fried food spot. Boy was I wrong. There is a downstairs dock level dining, an upstairs outdoor dining and a proper indoor dining area. All great options.

My first experience with Buoys was the Mahi BLT - perfection! The fish had the perfect amount of spice paired with tartar sauce that adds the perfect amount of tang.

The dishes got better from there. The Tograshi Seared Tuna Salad was some of the freshest tuna I've ever had. The tuna was on a bed of greens mixed with peppers, mangos, onions and wontons with avocado on the side. A delicious lunch time meal. Honorable mention - the Florida gulf grouper - super fresh with the right amount of saltiness. Paired with green bean and coconut rice. Cannot go wrong.

But really - you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. On top of that the views are breathtaking.

Also, it wouldn’t be Florida without a wild schtick. Every time I've been there, they have had some alcohol promotion going on. I've walked away with merch, gotten to ride a pedal powered blender bike and free drinks. Never a dull moment and with amazing food, what's not to like?!

The Crumb Factory Bakery and Café

One of my missions in life is to find quality bakeries in the US. And I mean proper bakeries … for bread. Not patisseries or confectionaries. Imagine my surprise when I found one of the best bakeries in St Pete - also in a strip mall.

I came here for brunch - but it would be a great breakfast stop or lunch place. Honestly, if I lived here year-round this would be my go-to bread spot.

I ended up doing the Turkey and Cheese Croissant - Super light and fresh - a perfect mid-morning snack.

Shells Seafood

Shells is one of those places you would only find in Florida. Located in a strip mall, of all places, they have some of the best seafood pasta dishes around. I stumbled upon this through grub hub one night. A few years back I had just gotten to my place in Florida and was hungry but not in the mood to go out to a restaurant, so I searched local spots on grub hub. Shells had a shrimp pasta dish that was exactly what I was in the mood for, I ordered, and the rest is history.

It was one of the most perfectly seasoned shrimp pastas I've ever had. The perfect amount of garlic, lemon and butter that made a delectable sauce.

The next day as I was heading to the beach I passed by the restaurant location. I thought to myself, no way I would have ever stopped in there to eat. It was in a strip mall! Really goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover.

Honorable mentions: key lime pie - I opted for dessert one night and got the key lime pie - chefs kiss. The right mix of tart and creamy! Perfection!

Caddy's Treasure Island

OK, I'm cheating a little with this one, it's definitely a fried food spot but you really cannot beat the location. With picnic tables right on the beach and live music daily you can’t go wrong.

The past few times I've gone I've had the fish tacos, calamari and the burger - All delish. Cap it with a margarita or cold beer - heaven.

I hope you check out these options the next time you’re in the St. Pete Beach area! Let me know what you think if you go!