Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar

After a recommendation from a relatives friend, we stopped by while on a vacation night in Sarasota. The service was stellar, food and drinks came out quickly and was hot and fresh. All the food was good but I could have eaten a vat of the clam chowder! So tasty, full of clams, and a rich mouth feel that is rare with restaurant chowder. The fried pickles were amazing too! Karinna was our server, and she helped us find just what we wanted both food and drink wise. Give that girl a raise !

I dined in for lunch. Food was excellent, especially the chowder clam soup. It is a must try. Apart from that , oysters and crabs were fresh and tasted great. Highly recommend this place. ❤️

Epic island spot. My father took me here fifty years ago, and I recognized a place just by driving through (the plaza). They have free parking for guest, which is hard to get good parking in the area. The food's good the atmosphere is good, the employees are helpful, and even while the crowds are packed everywhere, you just didn't feel too smothered here. I would definitely come back.... and I mean... I have. Multiple times. This place is A+

I've been twice so far and each time is pretty awesome. The food is fantastic, staff are polite and attentive. For being so busy, it's clean and well-kept. The Gator Bites were a surprise hit last visit as an appetizer. It's a vacation/resort town so keep an eye out if driving in the area, especially the parking lot. The experience is great though, I definitely recommend.

This was a pretty good place to eat but I don't think that I'll be back. The Good The food was pretty great. I had the crab cake for an appetizer and the file fish basket. The crab cake was good. The fish was flaky, tender, and breaded/fried just right. A few pieces were slightly overcooked but due to them being nugget sized that was typical as the pieces were smaller than the others. The fries were great. The sweet tea was ok. The staff were amazing. The experience. The place was well decorated and worth visiting for the experience at least once. The Bad Parking. It was horrible. I spent around a half hour to find a spot to park. There is a spot next door that you can pay $8 for 2 hours. If you don't want to pay you can expect to drive around the block for a while. Price. The crab cake was good but only came with one cake for $33. There should have been at least 2 if not 3 for this price. The meal was $43 and some change for one person. They were out of the triple tail during my visit. Unfortunately the parking and price will keep me from returning.

Delicious food! The bartender was funny and friendly! Had a great time! 10 out of 10! The gift shop is great too! Delicious ice cream 🍦

Amazing Food!!!! Crab legs are awesome but they serve clarified butter which is like straight oil not the greatest. If you want just regular melted butter you need to bring your own. Grouper bites and file fish is amazing as well. If you like island drinks their Siesta Key Lemonade is fabulous.

It appears that I missed leaving some thoughts and pictures from our stop at Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar. I could swear I did because I remember making a comment about Terri's ordering Chicken...anyways... First off the parking was very challenging...this area was almost impossible to find a place to park and it didn't help that it was on the night of the College Football Championship game and there was an Ohio State Alumni gathering here as well. Terri asked what Plan B was after we couldn't find a place to park anywhere near Captain Curt's...I said there was no PlanB just as I snagged a parking spot that two or three others were jockying to get. I had heard from friends NCMemoryMakers that the ClamChowder was worth checking out as were the Cheesy Grits and the File Fish so I went all in on those as I had never tried any of those items before. Terri went as expected when confronted with seafood....she ordered the Chicken Basket. Now, to be fair, the Chicken breast tenderloins that were served with that particular meal were excellent! Fried and lightly breaded they were some dang good chicken tenders! The World Famous Captain Curt's Clam Chowder was loaded with tender class and just enough potatoes to fill in the gaps...very good! The File Fish was very nice sized portion and tender and flaky...I had them prepare it with the Cajun seasoning...oh so good! Service was spotty but despite the "empty room" photo posted it was overflow capacity in the other room where the Ohio State fans were enjoying themselves so the servers were doing as well as to be expected. We'd definitely go back but hopefully the parking won't be as crazy.

It appears that I missed leaving some thoughts and pictures from our stop at Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar. I could swear I did because I remember making a comment about Terri's ordering Chicken...anyways... First off the parking was very challenging...this area was almost impossible to find a place to park and it didn't help that it was on the night of the College Football Championship game and there was an Ohio State Alumni gathering here as well. Terri asked what Plan B was after we couldn't find a place to park anywhere near Captain Curt's...I said there was no PlanB just as I snagged a parking spot that two or three others were jockying to get. I had heard from friends NCMemoryMakers that the ClamChowder was worth checking out as were the Cheesy Grits and the File Fish so I went all in on those as I had never tried any of those items before. Terri went as expected when confronted with seafood....she ordered the Chicken Basket. Now, to be fair, the Chicken breast tenderloins that were served with that particular meal were excellent! Fried and lightly breaded they were some dang good chicken tenders! The World Famous Captain Curt's Clam Chowder was loaded with tender class and just enough potatoes to fill in the gaps...very good! The File Fish was very nice sized portion and tender and flaky...I had them prepare it with the Cajun seasoning...oh so good! Service was spotty but despite the "empty room" photo posted it was overflow capacity in the other room where the Ohio State fans were enjoying themselves so the servers were doing as well as to be expected. The atmosphere is very relaxed and has that old fish Shack feel to it...very chill place. We'd definitely go back but hopefully the parking won't be as crazy.

The service was excellent. The food was amazing. We had the fried clams fried shrimp and the side was coleslaw and fries. Started with the tuna nachos. They were delicious just the right amount of Sriracha fresh fresh tuna highly recommend. Did the takeout of the clam chowder, which is rated the best And we have to agree I've never had so many clams in a chowder ever.

The restaurant is sorta split in two. More dinner side and more rowdy side. You can watch tv and hang around on the rowdy side. Food still amazing. Must get the shrimp and grits. They r incredible!

Great food , slow service but busy so no complaints. Drinks are delicious and entertainment is fun.

Very nice restaurant with a large outdoor patio and an inside dining room and bar across from the beach . They were short staffed on this particular night so we had to wait just a few minutes for our server to get caught up. I had the grilled grouper sandwich which was a good portion size. My kids had the fried shrimp that was also very good but they would have liked a few more shrimp on the plate. Our server, although she was very busy, she did a good job keeping up with our requests.

Visited Captain Curt's for lunch while staying in the Siesta Key area. Heard it was a fun outdoor place so we gave it a shot! Service was friendly and quick! Got the clam chowder as heard it had won awards along with a variety of other foods. Overall, our experience with food and drinks was just okay. The drinks were not strong and pretty lackluster. Food was just okay too. Chowder was full of clams but not a lot of flavor. Nachos were fresh and good. Our kids liked the pretzel with cheese. Shrimp and grits had good flavor but they didn't clean the shrimp so that was a miss for us. Overall, glad we tried the place but don't think we would return.

The service and ambience was second to none. We had great lively entertainment and the food was perfection.

Was really busy we got a table in 40 minutes. Our waitress was really nice. Food came out fast and was delicious. Would recommend to seafood lovers. Take debit/credit. Restrooms. Kid friendly.

Local favorite known for their clam chowder, which was amazing. We had the fried grouper as well, which was also very tasty. Our server was prompt and available. We are outside, so the atmosphere was great.

Went here after kayaking Turtle Beach. Our server out on the Patio was super nice she was helpful with helping us make decisions. This was my first time here and we will definitely be back

We wanted to love Captain Curt's. The location is great if you're staying in the area. But the food was sadly pretty underwhelming. The gator bites were good, but so are most fried things. The fish parts of our entrees were great, but the sides were super underwhelming. The vegetables were barely seasoned. We assumed the rice with the Cajun entree would be seasoned accordingly, but it was just plain wild rice. At the end of the meal, paying $20+ for a few pieces of fish and very mid sides did not seem worth it. Our total for two entrees and an appetizer - and just water, no drinks - was over $75. There are better meals in the area for a better price.

Great ambiance with tiki vibe. Great drinks and not too pricey. Service was good and attentive. Great plus is they are dog friendly!

I went there for the first time the other day for lunch during the weekday. We sat right down and the entire staff was very friendly, the food was good and came out in a reasonable amount of time. We sat outside and it was great time. I would have given 5 stars but it was a bit pricey for 2 burgers and a chicken sandwich which all came with fries and 2 sodas and a water it came to over $60 not including the tip. However the food was good, staff was friendly and atmosphere was nice. We did enjoy it and would go back and would recommend it.

The lemon mussels 8.5/10 refreshing lemony garlic flavor, however, the mussels were small The calamari 5.5/10 small pieces and soggy The rib basket 6.5/10 ribs were small and sweet, French fries good and Cole slaw refreshing Aubrey was quick and friendly

Off the bat, I do have to say this was legitimately the clammiest clam chowder I've ever had! Very flavorful, every bite was full of clams, 10/10. To start with, we ordered the cheese curds, which were good, then shrimp and clam entree and the file fish nugget basket. Solid coleslaw. The shrimp were said to be fresh from the Gulf, as well as the file fish. Clams were from the Atlantic. I normally tend to order my seafood grilled and they do offer options for grilled grouper, mahi, and other fish, but I can get mahi at home in Ft Lauderdale. So there were a lot of fried options, and they were tasty, but next time I will opt for grilled. Service was phenomenal! For a Friday night on a holiday weekend, we anticipated at least a 20 minute wait, but we were seated immediately. Food came out quickly, hot and fresh. Our server was attentive and friendly and made sure we had everything we need. Drinks were good; they have a souvenir frozen daquiri cup with a discount on refills, and I ordered a dark and stormy which was made with their house ginger ale, which was nice and zippy. Inside, the restaurant has an old school nautical vibe, lots of fish on the walls, wood tables and chairs. Lots. of tvs around the bar. Clean, lots of space for servers and bussers to navigate. We sat inside, but the outside patio looked fun too. The only negative would be the pricing; most entrees were in the high $20s if not in the $30s. The baskets were a bit more accessible, around $16-$17 each, though it's fried stuff, but they do include fries and coleslaw. Plan to spend at least $40 per person if you plan on getting a meal and a drink. I understand the pricing if the seafood is as fresh as they say it is. I'd absolutely return for the chowder!

Dinner with my daughter and wife Friday evening, Bang bang and coconut shrimp appetizer and gulf grouper dishes with season vegetables and rice all around. Food as always top shelf delicious. Danny was holding up the helm fast courteous and doing it with a smile. Captain Curt's is always a pleasure to visit for very good food. The hurricane relief is slowly making progress so don't shy away they are open for business and be patient staffing is at a limit still. What brings us there is the Food A+ the Jack & coke and the staff and atmosphere. Thank you Danny for the service family enjoyed the experience as always CC does not disappoint!

I was surprised at the food quality! As a foodie (snob), I must say if you want fried seafood (the Atlantic pollock and local grouper) were great. The cheesy grits were amazing. It's definitely not a "reservations and date night" place, but we liked it.

Went in on a Monday night and was greeted quickly and met by our server Samantha. We decided to try Captain Curt's for some fresh seafood but came across the prime rib. I was a little skeptical at first. prime rib at a seafood restaurant? Well the portion and flavor surprised me and impressed me! We also had the file fish and chips and it was so fresh and delicious! The food came out quick and hot! Flavors were on point and we were very happy with our choices. We would return again. The atmosphere was cozy.

Love this place rain or shine. But I like it best at the outdoor bar area with the live music. Above average bar food, excellent service and a fun atmosphere. Parking available for free! The Ahi Wontons are spectacular!

The food is VERY good! The oysters are perhaps better at Captain Curt's than even "oyster bars" on the Key. The New England Clam Chowder is a must every time! Every trip to Siesta Key this is the first stop!

I hate to write a bad review, our server was very sweet and helpful But the food was not it for us. I got a file fish sandwich, broiled but the fish was just over cooked and falling apart and not even broiled or blackened. Basically no flavor but it was fine when I loaded it with sauces. My husband got fish and chips which he was told was a huge portion and it was rlly just two extremely skinny thin long pieces of fish and the breading was falling off and not crispy.also no flavor he added salt to it It wasn't gross it was okay we just didn't feel it was good and we just like good food. It's alright if you just want to grab something quick but I wouldn't go back. It's a decent size restaurant and they have lots of indoor and outdoor seating which is nice.

Our waitress was super nice, and the service was prompt. We arrived with hardly anyone in the restaurant during a late lunch period. Love the decor and seating of this place, very spacious. We ordered fish and chips and the crab cake sandwich. The fish and chips were average, and good overall. The crab cake sandwich was ok. The bread was overcooked and almost stale. I took the bread off the sandwich and just ate the crab cake with lettuce tomato, and sauce. The crab cake was very tasty. My favorite was the Pina Colada. Love that you can take those to go. This place is worthy of future visits.

Food was average. Was disappointed in the clam chowder that I heard rave reviews about. It wasn't bad but it wasn't that great either. Problem is they water it down a lot. Would have been better as a thicker chowder. Average at best. Pricey too

There isn't much to say about this place that could actually describe the food or atmosphere or service, EXCEPT everything was awesome. Shrimp and grits superb. And a File white fish plate, with fries and slaw absolutely could not be any better. For us it is a MUST.

Gator bites chewy Pretzel & Cheese very good Fried fish chewy Fried clam strips rubber Fried shrimp good Chicken sandwhich quite chewy 1 cocktail I'm pretty sure had no liquor Boom Boom shrimp very small shrimp pieces and just ok flavor - nothing like the OG from Bonefish. Worst meal we've had on this vacation by a far margin.

Oysters were delicious, service was excellent and our main entrees were very good too! We stayed in Siesta Key again this year for our family vaca. Captain Curt's we all love! The grilled mahi salad is a huge portion, with fresh grilled mahi and the salad tastes so fresh. We also shared Oysters that were really good!

Can anyone tell me if Brad and Bret Stewart still own this place? I've known them for a very long time but have not been there for more than 15 years.

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marvelous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To bad there isn't one in Ohio

Terrible service. Would never come here again. Would not recommend. We were seated by the host, got situated, picked out our drinks and then...nothing. Not one waiter came our way or even acknowledged our table. Twenty-two minutes later we got up and left. On our way out a woman shouted "sorry" to us and that she "was now ready." Excuse me? My partner grabbed my arm before I could respond. Out the door we went. Still salty that we ended up going to one of their chains later-on during the trip (grr).

Live band on Friday so far so good! Grate service hands down the 2nd best that we have had Grate service. All the food was perfectly seasoned. The ambiance was fun and not loude like other places. They even tell you jokes

Great food good portions and friendly staff. Have been coming here for many years. If you want to Seafood this it.

More of a 3.5 stars. The Clam Chowder was the highlight of our meal - lots and lots of clams, tender potatoes, flavor on point. Grilled File Sandwich was fresh, generous helping of fish. Crab Salad Sandwich was ok, mild, tasted a little commercially packaged. Cole slaw was very good, fries were cold. Service was friendly, but she disappeared for most of the meal. Ambiance is touristy, tv's on the wall - we watched a dog show and that was entertaining. Overall, recommend.

The food was just ok. We went bc of the reviews but the seafood was not the best we've tasted since we've been here. The oysters didn't completely taste fresh and the mussels didn't have much taste. However, the crab cake and their captain Curt's soda were amazing. The service was good but at the end they shorted us on our change. The ambiance is cool and relaxed. Not sure if it's a place we would be back.

We love Captain Curt's! I highly recommend the clam chowder! And... you can order it to be shipped! It's amazing!

Good was amazing. We got the stone crab claw as an appetizer. My husband got the clam chowder and I got the file fish nuggets. Everything was delicious 10 out of 10.

We traveled to Sarasota and stayed in Siesta Key. This restaurant was only 5 minute walk from the resort we stayed, so we tried out this place. We went there around 9pm, but there were still some customers for dine-in and more people came in when we walked out. They have fried stuff (shrimp, fish, calamari, etc.) basket, salads, sandwiches and most importantly, 'Voted world's best' new england clam chowder! I LOVE clam chowder so much, so I had to try it! My husband got fish & chips ($22) and I got clam chowder bowl ($10). We also ordered two draft beer and a cocktail which was very reasonable price. (I didn't like the cocktail I ordered tho. It was recommended by our server, but it tasted very interesting.. lol do not order 'Pillar Punch') haha- My clam chowder was very tasty, but a little too salty for me. The fish and chips were great! After dinner, we moved to the next door which is basically the same place. It looks like one of them is more like a restaurant and the other is a tiki bar. They were playing live music so we sat outside and got some beer, I got 24oz Daiquiris. There are banana, strawberry, blueberry, pomegranate and pina colada, you should definitely try this pina colada daiquiris! I'm not a big fan of pina colada because it's usually just too sweet, but I added extra shot for mine and it was super refreshing and tasty!

We sat outside at the Sniki Tiki portion I believe. There is the sniki tiki and then yet another portion of the restaurant across the way that is all part of Captain Curt's. The smell emanating from the restaurant, the tiki appearance, the outside camper stage, and budda all screamed charm. We ordered the banana breeze and the pineapple margarita to start. Our server Kelsey was top notch with great personality and patience putting up with our banter and questions throughout. They were both good and had good kick. They were made well. Not overly sweet. We also ordered the clam chowder (had to compare to New England chowder from a famous Rhode Island hot spot being from New England myself), peel and eat shrimp, and grouper. All were reported to be fresh daily. The grouper and the tarter that is made daily was phenomenal. Nice flavor. Not overly greasy. So good. The shrimp omg is totally tasty and tender and a nice change from the typical frozen stuff up north. The clam chowder was a real winner and I will talk about it for eternity. It is by far the best I ever had. So full of clams. So flavorful. I am getting more before I leave. It's so worth it. Sorry New England! Florida is doing it better!

Food (fresh fish and chowder) outstanding! Probably the BEST chowder I've had ever, including my memory of chowder in Boston years before. Service, spectacular! Great Place!

I have mixed feelings from our experience, but, to err on the side of fairness (mostly due to the great service we received) I will give them some good credit... From the street, it checks a couple of boxes for me - it has that slightly run-down, greasy spoon look to it. From the inside, it does as well - and to an even greater degree. So instantly, I was feeling really good about dining here on a quite Friday night. What I was disappointed with was the staff as we walked in looking for a table. Full disclosure - we walked into the bar area, not really knowing the place, waived a waitress down asking for the dinner area and she simply pointed to a doorway saying it was "that way" without much more help. Once we made our way to the dinner area, still looking for a greeter to sit us, I tried speaking with several waitresses who had no time or apparent desire to stop. Finally we get to the greeter who then promptly walked away once we showed up. After a few seconds of wait, a second greeter (maybe even a waitress) sat us down at a table. Thankfully, that was the end of the weird occurrences at this place... Our server more than made up for this first none-to-good impression by being everything I like in a waiter - friendly, efficient, chatty, and just an all-around good guy. Very glad we ended up with him... For dinner, my wife had their shrimp and scallops dinner, whereas I enjoyed the Captain's Feast - or something to that title - it had fish, shrimp, scallops, and seasonal veggies - both meals were really good. For an appetizer, we had stared with their fried clam strips - they were good, and we had to try their "World Class" chowder. I will admit, it was the best chowder I have ever had - more pieces of clam I have ever found in clam chowder, hands down. So on quiet evening, though we started out a bit rough with this place, it ended up being a very nice meal and overall experience.

Had a cocktail and lunch today. Drinks were goid and the broiled tripletail sandwich was great. Server was very nice and helpful. A must got to.

Typical dive bar. Overpriced, average food. Paper straws. Shrimp basket only comes with 6 medium sized shrimp. The clam strips had a decent amount of meat though. Cole slaw was delicious. Fried pickles were pretty good. Our server, Grace, was very honest about the quality of items on the menu so that was definitely appreciated.

We knew we stopped going to this restaurant for a reason, but decided to try it again since we were right by them. The food was horrible. I ordered an Ultimate Seafood platter, or something similar. The deep fried food, which consisted of a piece of cod, 3 shrimp and some kind of mushy, clam patty, thing and fries, came out cold. The restaurant was like a freezer. I had asked for some tartar sauce, which never came. The food was not cooked all the way through and I asked for a soft drink refill, which never came. The wait staff acted as if they were overwhelmed even though there were only 3 occupied tables inside and maybe 5 outside. This place was piss, poor, to be polite. And the wait staff were more interested in their cell phones than the few customers who had wandered in. Maybe if you're drunk this place is the bomb, otherwise...stay away.

My experience at Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar was horrible , the gator bites were over cooked . The alcoholic drinks was blah , tasted like they came from a fountain . The service was horrible the waitress had the audacity to ask if the reason I wanted to have the gator bites removed off my check is .. Due to me walking in on the manager plunging the ladies bathroom toilet and the bathroom being being nasty toilet never being cleaned and the soap dispenser was filthy and the hand dryer was dirty and looked like it was from the 60's and had paint peeling off . The smell in the bathroom smelled like raw sewage and the waitress was laughing about how the ladies toilet was backed up . The lady who brought my food was not our waitress , cause I asked our waitress to stop order due to bathroom situation.. After I asked her to cancel my order , that's when she finally went to check on my order after talking to other customers for 10 minutes........ New waitress comes out brings nasty over cooked gator bites , the reason I wanted to cancel is due to bad service and the place was very unsanitary.. Believe it should be shut down by the food and health department due to how unsanitary the place is .. I also believe the owner needs to fire all staff including managers and start with staff who care about the customers .. I am a food and beverage critic , I ask for good food . Is that too much to ask and good service and beverage. I do not want to get sick due to unsanitary conditions....

Fun! Live music... good seafood and yummy cocktails! Perfect place to visit if you're vacationing in Siesta Key.

Great people and ambiance BUT unfortunately they do share their fryers with fish. If you are a non-fish eater like silly ole me then this isn't the place for you! I fear that my fried food with taste like the gulfs lil treasures. 0

LOVED Captain Curt's - we were there for the month of August 2023 and popped into CC's at least 4x a week - it became "our local". We definitely had a couple meals but we'd mostly for the clam chowder 'to go' but also for the frozen drink refills "to go". I loved taking the pina colada (cup refill) back to my condo and putting into freezer and the next day drinking it at the beach. The bonus was discovering that CC's is home to our favourite college football team. #ohiostate Ps we bought a ton of the clam chowder kits for us and family!

While this place seems like an average dive bar near the beach, it's actually a gem. We noticed most people were eating fried food of various varieties, but my friend and I opted for fish entrees and boy are we glad we did. Both the grouper (broiled) and the file fish (grilled) were super fresh, flavorful and outstanding. You get to select two sides and they have healthy (veggies) and unhealthy (fries) options for every taste bud. They also make some fun drinks here. If you're going to spend the day at Cresent beach, be sure to stop by the outside bar to grab a refillable mug with your favorite frozen drink. The Pina colada was my favorite!

Very disheartened that I was charged $18 for a silver tequila on the rocks. I was shocked. Just seems greedy and price gouging. After I asked the server why one drink is so expensive, she said because you are on Siesta Key. If I ever go back, I'll sneak my own tequila in my purse. The chowder was really good, though.

So today, my family and I went to Captain's Curt's in Siesta Key. The food was very basic bar food and nothing to rave about. What really set this place apart was the rude and awful service from a waiter in the bar area named Tiffany. She was very pushy and disrespectful, seemed to want us in and out quickly, and smelled like scat. Her attitude made the experience so terrible that I would have rather been deported back to Cuba and eaten from the streets. I will never attend this establishment again for this dung chowder. Tiffany, a word of advice: quit your job and learn to be happy in life. Sincerely Papa Ray.