Cha Cha Coconuts

I went a few weeks ago and as other reviewers have said the food is mid. We ordered the chicken quesadilla for an app and it was good. I then ordered the Cuban and let’s just say not was I was expecting and not in a good way. I did like the sweet potato fries as they were awesome with the apple butter. I wasn’t going to have dessert but the waitress said it was awesome and I love key lime pie. It was solid. I will say you don’t really stop here for the food, I enjoyed sitting outside by the sidewalk with an ice cold beer listening to the live music.

Pros: Good, unfussy food that’s approachable for the whole family. Great location with a relaxed vibe and live music. Perfect place to show up in flip-flops and dig into coconut shrimp.Not the spot if you’re looking for something upscale—there are plenty of higher-end options around St. Armands. Cons: no real cons here, drop in and give it a try.

After spending a relaxing morning at Lido Key Beach, we walked over to Cha Cha Coconut for lunch. The weather was perfect, so we chose to sit outside and enjoy the laid-back island vibe. We started with the Coquina Beach Fruit Cobbler—a refreshing mix of strawberry purée, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, and a splash of soda. Light, fruity, and just right for a warm afternoon. For food, we ordered the grouper bites as an appetizer, which were nicely done and flavorful. For entrées, we tried Emily’s Soca Coconut Shrimp, served with island fries, coleslaw, and a spicy coconut mustard sauce—crispy, well-balanced, and very enjoyable. We also ordered the Cha Cha-Cheesy Quesadilla, which was comforting and satisfying. One thing worth highlighting: I’m sensitive to seafood smell, and they did an excellent job here—no “fishy” or overpowering odor at all, which made the entire meal much more enjoyable. Parking tip: Parking around St. Armands Circle can be hard to find and is mostly paid. If you’re okay with a short walk, there’s plenty of parking available at Lido Key Beach, which is about a 15-minute walk from the restaurant. Overall, everything we had was tasty, well prepared, and enjoyable. A great spot for a relaxed lunch after the beach, especially if you enjoy fresh flavors in an easygoing outdoor setting.

My family went here on Christmas Day 2025. We were warmly greeted and sat at one of Heidi's tables. She is absolutely wonderful. I wore a Mele Kalikimaka santa hat and Heidi immediately connected with me on that with both of our history with Hawaii. It was nice to be treated with such wonderful Aloha spirit and kindness. My family was impressed with Cha Cha Coconuts and we were also obsessed with the delicious food. I highly recommend you check out Cha Cha Coconuts for not only the delicious food and tasty drinks but also the wonderful customer service. Try and sit in Heidi's section if you can, you will not be disappointed!

Very average. Party of 7 and we all ordered different meals. Voodoo ribs were very tasty. All other items were underwhelming. Cocktails were NOT good, low on flavor and alcohol content. Better off ordering a beer or shots of liquor because they can’t ruin it. Service wasn’t great either. Mike, our server was a nice guy, but unfocused and disinterested. The place was not busy at all, but it was tough to get his attention whenever we needed something. I will definitely return to give them another shot, but my expectations will definitely be low.

Stopped by for a casual bite and ended up having a really great experience. The grouper tacos were fresh, perfectly cooked, and honestly hit the spot more than I expected. Everything came out fast and tasted like someone in the kitchen actually cares. Ashley was my server and she was amazing ,super attentive, friendly, and made the whole visit feel easy and relaxed. She checked in at just the right moments and took great care of me without it ever feeling forced. On top of that, she has one of those smiles that makes the place feel warmer the second she walks up to the table. The vibe was fun, laid-back. I’ll definitely be coming back. Great food, great service, and the kind of experience that makes you remember why spots like this stand out.

Definitely a spot for tourists. As long as you understand that, then the food and atmosphere are right up your alley. Good quality and good service. Nice to sit outside and look out to the shops. Live music was playing outside.

I had a fantastic experience, perfect little beach town, restaurant/bar, great food, live music, good service, and drinks. Definitely try the shrimp fondue, its superb!

Cha Cha Coconuts is on St. Armand's Circle and offers inside and sidewalk seating. We were fortunate enough to enjoy lunch outside with live kettle drum music that brought the experience all together. The vodka lemonade was amazing and started us off right. The grouper sandwich and Cuban sandwich were winners for us. Teresa - our server was great (even though she was a Bucs fan). It is a nice place to enjoy fresh air and a good lunch.

This place just feels like vacation! From the outdoor seating to the tropical drinks, alcohol and non, there's something for everyone to sip on and enjoy on their patio. The grouper tacos were phenomenal. Live music brings such a special touch to this vacation spot. Service was good. Make sure you take home a coconut to remember your time here!!

Tropical sangria was light and refreshing, not too sweet. We had coconut shrimp, was pretty typical. Would go back

What a wonderful experience we had today at Cha Cha Coconuts!! First it turned out they were celebrating their 35th anniversary with prize giveaways and an excellent DJ. The food was terrific as usual with us ordering Conch Fritters - Jamaican Jerk Chicken Flatbread and Coconut Shrimp. Now here is the difference between a good server and one who rises above the fold - Our server extraordinary Mike suggested we order the meal Coconut Shrimp versus the appetizer as for a few $$ more you get 5 extra shrimp and fries/cole slaw. It's little things like this that make the experience go from OK to superb!!! The atmosphere was lively and it was a great day to just be out and enjoying good food and drinks while listening to a fantastic DJ named DJ AL GO-GO Garcia. Definitely make it a point to stop by and patronize our locally owned restaurant.

My wife and I were staying in Sarasota and took the trolley to Cha Cha Coconuts and our server was super awesome and the ambience was classical casual Gulf Bay. I ordered the 1/2 Cuban and the 1/2 Tony Salad. A perfect amount of food and a reasonable price. It was a classic Cuban, pressed bread with all the meats, not the best Cuban I have had, but good. The Tony Salad was amazing. Really liked it and it went well with the local IPA I ordered with it, For a tourist place, I would recommend it. Our server was super cool and checked om us a lot and refilled my wife's Diet Coke often.

This spot was recommended to us, but it was just okay. The service was not good I had ordered a coke and it took forever for the server to bring it over to the table. We ordered grouper bites and fries. My husband liked them, but I found bland. They needed to be sauced up for me to enjoy it.

We stopped by last January and found Cha Cha Coconuts to be a very cool place to hang out for a quick drink and an appetizer while checking out St.Armands Circle. Very nice staff and chill place to check out.

Great food, even better service, ask for Monica! Mahi sandhwich well worth it -

wonderful dinner at Cha Cha. Monica, our waitress, was absolutely amazing. Tony salad & the burger were excellent! weather was just perfect. perfect place for a relaxed, chilly Sunday evening!

The food was decent and so were the drinks. I ordered a strong frozen drink and it wasn't strong and barely frozen. The service was decent at best. I ordered a soup to start and they brought it with my meal. My dinner was cold and my food was made incorrectly. When waiting to let them know the server never showed up. There is a reason why this was the only restaurant with availability on a Saturday night. It's everyone's last choice. I will say the live music was great and only thing that kept us content.

Came for dinner here, after spending the day at Lido Beach and then shopping on St. Armands Circle. They were busy so it took the server a bit to get to us, but she made up for it with the attention and getting our food out quickly. Drinks were delicious and the vibe was nice and laid back and the decor was cute. We started with the coconut shrimp and conch fritter for appetizers, my hubby had the quesadillas and I had their wings which came out nice and hot! Would definitely visit them again.

They were amazing helping us arrange a dinner for 45! If you have a large group definitely go there.

Live music, pretty busy during a Friday night. The food was okay. I feel like the entrees were overpriced. As a Texan I do not recommend the chips and queso. However our server was friendly. Located in St. Armand's Circle.

My BF and I ate here: he had the grouper bites, and I had the fish tacos. He drank margaritas, and I had the Jamaica Me Crazy rum drink. The food was yummy, the drinks were good. We loved being able to sit outside with our pup. Fun and lively restaurant, with good service and friendly server.

On a perfect Florida weather day you head down to St.Armonds Key and walk the town. Shopping, art show in the park and great candy and fudge stores. For lunch you need to try Cha Cha (or dinner). They have a great menu, friendly servers and tables on the sidewalk so you can watch the world go by. You may even seen a Jr. Superhero ride by. You'll see our Hawaiian Burger, Shrimp Tacos and Grouper Tacos. Make sure you try the plantains you won't be disappointed.

We got the wings, coconut shrimp and nachos to share. All of the food was great and the service was very good. Some of the table mates got specialty teas and they liked them too. The place had a lot of coconuts around as decoration. It was cute. We would come back again

Mix of American, Cuban, and Tex-Mex at St. Armand's Circle. Pros - conch fritters are made very well and definitely recommend. The grouper tacos are also very good. Their voodoo ribs and calypso wings are ok. Cons - can get quite busy so don't expect super fast service. Live music so can get super loud if you sit too close to the stage. Decent place for casual lunch after a beach day.

I have given this establishment the benefit of the doubt for a few times since the hurricane. They have had a many good things over the last 4 or 5 years. Eaten here so many times I can't count. But after tonight I will doubt that I will step back in this restaurant The food I had this evening was not cooked to my taste. But that wasn't the real issue , it was an individual staff members attitude that is not acceptable. Rude. Obnoxious, the gentleman should never serve the public. Asked for his name and he tore off his name tag and refused to give his name. A $46.00 bill for cold non fresh food. What a waste. I hope I can recommend this restaurant again in the future.

We stopped in to Cha Cha Coconuts for a late lunch. We had no reservations and got a table immediately. Live music was a nice touch and our waitress, Meg Ryan, was awesome. I had the Lobster roll and it was loaded with meat. Hubby had a fried grouper sandwich that was loaded with grouper. I tasted it and it was very good. Mom had the half Cuban and salad. She loved the Cuban but I thought the roll was a bit too crusty from me. Overall we were very pleased. If you can't get into the Columbia..... come here and you won't be disappointed!

Awesome experience from beginning to end. Service I super friendly and fast. The burger was seasoned perfectly. The wife and daughter also enjoyed their food. It's nice to sit outside and people-watch.

Tried this place out while my dear friend was in town. We sat outside. Service was good. Food was good, no complaints. Would come back.

Fantastic service and good food. Portions were good! Get there for happy hour for discounted drinks and apps ( specific ones). Decor was fun and beachy. .

Great entertainment. Love the Jimmy Buffet medley and the drinks were ICE cold. I would definitely recommend this place for all ages.

Outdoor/ indoor seating. Very cool vibe being right next to the circle. Groupers bites super flaky and lightly breaded. Having the Jamaican Jerk Tacos. My wife is having the shrimp tacos. Can't wait to dive in!!

The decor and service were great. The margaritas and Pina Coladas hit the spot. The food was ok, large selection of things on the menu. Tried their two popular appetizers and was satisfied with those. But, the quality was lacking. Great place to grab a drink in a tiki bar type environment. They had a steel drummer playing which caught my ear. He was fantastic.

Halloween FUN! Greeted by Poison Ivy and Medusa, service by the Energizer Bunny with a drum and drinks by Blondie. Great food . . A happy place and can't wait to go back for peel n eat fresh Gulf shrimp!

Ate here for lunch around 1240pm with wife. We sat right away. Restaurant is clean inside and out. Staff has been very polite. Atmosphere is casual and a tropical theme. The coconuts are $12 each. The food arrived fresh and fairly quickly. Prices are fair for quality and portions. We would love to return

Food was soooooo gooooooooddd. I had the voodoo ribs and I highly recommend. Tender. Flavorful. Service was great. And ambiance is beachy and comfy. I got it with fries as well. They weren't salted I don't think but no issue cus I just added salt. And then I also go the edemame salad. Didn't like it but wtv. My ribs were good and that's all that matters. I would totally come again!!! Also if you're a vegetarian you can get a veggie Pattie with any burger with no additional cost!!

We ate here tonight and we enjoyed everything except for not being able to sit together as a party of 11 outside but we were able to have wonderful service and we had amazing food. Our server was very attentive and even put in our 4 year olds food early so she could eat because she was being very cranky! I'm a Service Manager in Tennessee and I wish I could have taken her back with me to be one of my employees. The only down fall was that I wasn't able to catch her name! Keep her because she's good! She was very young blonde headed and tall. My daughter even complimented that she was very pretty!! Thank you for everything you did!!

Laid back! Fun place, outdoor indoor seating. Great service. We were seated quickly and our waitress had our drink order in no time. The mahi-mahi was delicious. The konch appetizer was solid. The tacos were great to. I would visit again.

If you're looking for a taste of disappointment, look no further than Cha Cha Coconuts. This place is the epitome of a tourist trap. The food tastes like it was reheated straight off a delivery truck--flavorless and uninspired. The cocktails? Weak, watered-down excuses for drinks that barely resemble what you ordered. If you're into paying a premium for subpar food and drinks while being surrounded by other clueless tourists, this is your spot. Otherwise, save your time and money and find a more authentic dining experience elsewhere in Sarasota.

The ambiance and decor was great, they had live music when we came in. Service was lovely as well but unfortunately the food was a miss for us. Ribs were very tough with not enough sauce. Grouper bites were okay but the portion was a lot smaller than expected.

Cha Cha Coconuts hit the mark for an ok meal in St. Armands Circle. With an eclectic menu and beachy vibe, it's a good go-to for any tourist in the area. We walked over to Cha Cha Coconuts on Monday evening. The place was mostly empty. We chose this place due to the fact that it had a good mix of food and decently priced. We were greeted by a friendly guy by the doors who told us we could sit anywhere we like. Our server was around quick. We started with the chips and salsa for $9. For an additional $3, we got the side of guacamole. I also ordered a Yuengling draft beer. There was a lot of chips in the appetizer. Two cups of salsa and 1 cup of the guacamole. Everything tasted good but was about normal. We've had much better and fresher guac. This seemed pretty average, if not mass produced, pre-packaged. For dinner, my wife ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and I went out of the box and ordered the Mahi sandwich. The food didn't take long. Both sandwiches came with a side of fries. My mahi sandwich was decently sized but very seasoned. The menu states it is dusted in Cajun seasonings but that's all I tasted. There was a garlic mayo on here that I was looking forward to but it was overpowered by the Cajun. I tend to prefer my Mahi with a little bit of lemon and tartar sauce. This sandwich was ok. The bun it was served on was fresh and soft. It had a great bread flavor. Also on here was fresh lettuce and tomato. The pickle on the side was a little off. It made have been older. The meat of the pickle was super soft and mushy, the skin was tough. It was not appetizing. The side of fries were decent. Crispy and hot. They reminded me of Checkers fries but minus the seasoning. My wife's buffalo chicken sandwich was hefty. The large, deep fried chicken breast was smothered in sauce. They called it their calypso sauce. It also had lettuce and tomato on it, along with bleu cheese. The sandwich was drippy and messy. It was flavorful but just heavy, greasy and over sauced. My wife didn't finish it. All in all, this place was ok. The best part was the service. From the moment we walked in, everyone was friendly. Our server was super nice and checked on us a few times. She gave us time to eat and even made small conversation with us for a bit. Check this place out if you're looking for a beachy, tropical lunch or dinner in a laid back environment. Another plus is the price of beer. Not sure if it was happy hour or what but my Yuengling draft was $3, cheaper than the $4 soda my wife ordered.

Disappointed the guacamole is like paste and it's definitely not fresh! Our plates were not clean. Issue with dishwasher? Finally, my daughter's mac & cheese was cold . Came here only because the Columbia restaurant was booked. So, if Columbia restaurant is booked and you decide to choose another place, don't go here.!

Horrible service. We sat down as instructed by the folks at the door. Waited 30 minutes and no service. Asked several times. We ended up leaving and going somewhere else. Avoid this place. Total disappointment.

We keep going to Cha Cha every time we are in Sarasota and it's a good experience. Bumping up the review.

We had a large group of 14. Seating was accommodated. Server was okay but seemed frazzled even though the restaurant was not too busy on a Sunday evening. I ordered the Pineapple Margarita, grouper bites, queso blanco, & lobster roll. My husband had a beer & burger. The grouper bites were delicious & the queso blanco was nitro great, where it went south was my Lobster roll. Luckily I didn't eat it before seeing a small black bug crawling out from under the bread with hardly any lobster on it. When I told the server, he took the plate and said "we won't charge you for it". Dam right, I didn't even eat it, That's obvious but they didn't even compensate for ruining our dinner. After leaving this filthy place, people in our group reported seeing a cockroach on her way out of the bathroom.

We arrived at Cha Cha Coconuts a half hour before closing and they pretty much let us know they really didn't want us but were diplomatically nice about it. So, we just ended up having some rather weak cocktails. But, it's an interesting place. Other than their Jamaican style Voodoo ribs with a guava sauce (their house specialty) that I had on a prior visit; it is pretty much run-of-the-mill bar type food ranging around $16.00 in price. That is unless you consider chicken fingers an actual entrée or consider burgers with pineapple to be an actual meal.

2 stars. One for the restaurant bc the food is edible. Another star for the guy playing the steel drums. Although he deserves 5 stars. The food is mediocre. It's what you expect from a tourist restaurant. Edible. Not good. AND WAY OVERPRICED for the portions given. I got the grouper tacos and the second taco had barely any grouper. Like i was literally fishing around to find the fish... I had better luck in the bay fishing for real and I didn't catch anything... don't waste your money here. Go to Venezias and get pizza. Or leave the circle and go into Sarasota for better food.

Food was amazing! The Mahi Mahi was absolutely scrumptious and i had some math watering guac! And the Mango Guava cheesecake is TDF(to die for)! The service had a little zest to it which was wonderful! Overall the beach front vibe was immaculate and i loved every second of my dining experience.

Live music and an ENTIRE gluten free menu? SIGN ME UP! Our waitress was adorable and so kind. The outdoor seating was the perfect way to end the day.

Visited Mar 6, pretty average food and service. Lunch for the four of us was ok, grouper sandwiches, salads, etc. the sidewalk dining was good as the weather cooperated.

We are glad we stopped by My wife and I decided to head out to Cha Cha Coconuts at St Armands yesterday for dinner. What we didn't expect was a quiet circle, not many people walking around and the restaurant was maybe a third full. While not so good for the retailers, it worked out great for us. We picked an outdoor table, had great attentive service our entire visit, and great food without much of a wait. My dinner of choice was their Cuban Mixed Sandwich, made with roast pork, ham, and salami. It was large and crunchy with a buttery feel. Although I wasn't very hungry when I arrived, it was so good I made myself finish it while it was newly made instead of taking some of it home. I'm going to say what I almost always say with Cuban sandwiches, I wish it had more pickles. That's just me, not on the restaurant, I don't think my opinion will ever change how a traditional Cuban sandwich is made - lol. My wife also had a winner with their Brazilian Citrus Chicken. It looked fantastic, all tropical and everything. Thumbs up from my wife for the marinated chicken. We just missed the live music, which I believe they are currently offering 4 times a week. Once the season arrives and business picks up that will probably increase. Cha Cha Coconuts has a fun feel and is a long time St Armand's destination. We are glad we stopped by.

We had a very good dinner on the patio. The service was very good. We enjoyed the nachos as an appetizer. The shrimp was really good.

Came here for lunch on a Saturday and Klee were able to walk right in to get a table. The service was pretty quick and our server was very nice! The portions were big enough I was able to split a sandwich and feel full. The Buffalo chicken was perfectly spicy!

We stayed in Lido Key for a few days recently. One evening we walked over to St. Armand's Circle. We wanted something open air, casual and not pretentious and that's exactly what we got. I ordered the Grouper Tacos and they were so good! We recommend!

This place was really very hard to review!! All the other Elites said it's really terrible but let me tell you a different opinion! It's something to try and if you couldn't agree with me, then put your own review! The 5 STARS ONLY FOR THE 2 ITEMS I LOVED AND FOR THE HARDWORKERS SERVERS WHO WORK THERE! I went to this place only because we turned down at Columbia ( yes I won't sugarcoat it!) , we easily got 2 tables to fit our 6 people group! I looked at the reviews before, looked at the menu and I was totally avoiding the place! Not a single reason for me to go! I was almost mad at my group for not waiting 90 minutes to get our table at Columbia! Yeah it's just 90 minutes! Lol Then this what actually happened! Very nice VERY BUSY server helped us, I got a burger with no bun (Keto diet) and half Tony salad option! My group got different items and one of them was the VooDoo ribs! I almost told them not to order it because usually Ribs are only good at BBQ and smokehouses!! It turned out that the VooDoo ribs was PHENOMENAL and Tony's salad is not a salad! It's either a cool drug or a day dream!! The last place to eat before going to the airport was ChaCha Coconut again and this time it was our choice willingly and intentionally!! But be very careful with your Expectations!! 1. These are literally the only good items at this place: VooDoo Ribs and it's sides - Tony's Salad and the Chicken Quesadilla , the burger wasn't bad but not impressive! I tried to add grilled shrimp with my salad the next time ( I had it on the side) and I really regretted it! It was very very bad tiny small size bland shrimp! Come on! You can do better than that! For any other items on the menu, TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK! Lol 2. It will be one of the easiest places to get a table at but they are SUPER busy and that make servers very busy and they don't stop at your table too much to refill your beverages and stuff! Not the staff fault and honestly I wanted to give 3 stars to bring the OWNER'S attention but I really don't wanna hurt the good work of the staff! They are really super nice but super busy! PLEASE HIRE MORE PEOPLE!

4 of the 6 of us got horribly sick Don't order the mahi mahi. They said it couldn't have been their food. I will never chance that again. EVER

I have a personal struggle with places with ratings less than 4 stars...It's like you walk by, place is packed, people look like they're having a good time, but my fellow Yelpers tell me it's meh. I'm torn. Every. Time. So our stomachs got the best of us and we grabbed a table for apps and drinks before our dinner reservation at another nearby spot. Yelpers don't lie. 2 stars for sure. Maybe 2.5 if I could. Our rum runner and red sangria were fine...nothing special. And our coconut shrimp and "Carribean sweets" (aka sweet potato fries) were also nothing to write home about. I guess if I'm being real picky too, its not super exciting to see multiple appetizers served with the same spicy coconut mustard sauce. Especially when it wasn't THAT good to even be worthy of being served with so many things. Equally disappointing was that the fries were served in a paper cup thing. Like huh...felt baseball park-ish or something. Was it done for drinks and apps? Sure. But would we return? Nah.