Star Fish Company

Worth the wait. You wait in line to order. No need to grab a table while you’re in line. It flows perfectly. It’s cash only but they have an ATM with $1.50 fee. Now about the food. Fresh and delicious. The seafood chowder was like stew there was so much seafood. Scallops, crawfish, and big chunks of some kind of fish. Maybe swordfish. It’s in a red sauce and you get it when you place your order. Once your order is placed, the food comes out pretty quick. I had clam strips that were nice and sweet. I ordered the large portion but would have been fine with the smaller even though I ate it all. It came with 2 hush puppies and Coleslaw and I picked fries for my side. My husband had grouper tacos. He said they were really good. They don’t come with hush puppies or coleslaw. I gave him some of mine. Don’t avoid going here because of the line. It’s worth the wait.

We had a great meal today at Star fish / dockside! We had the crab cakes, scallops and sautéed shrimp. We each ordered the light portions which was just the right amount of food! The hush puppies were also a nice added touch (and SO GOOD). To wrap up our meal, we had key lime pie for dessert which was so delicious. To note - the restaurant is cash only so make sure you’ve got cash on hand. If not, they have an ATM inside to use in case you forget. Would definitely come back here again!

The freshest fish you will ever experience! It was so good, we went back the next day! While it is a small, unassuming place in a fishing village on the Intracoastal, the fish is fresh and delicious. I suggest getting there early as there is a line to order your food. Once your order is placed, the food comes in a very reasonable amount of time! It is stone crab season, I had the large stone crab claws the first day and came back the next for the swordfish and stonecrab chowder! Everything we had was delicious including the hush puppies! You will never have a fresher fish meal! Enjoy!

Excellent seafood and the stonecrab chowder is to die for. Very tasty and will be back the next time we're at the beach. Please note depending on how lucky you are, you might be waiting anywhere from 10-20 just to order. The food itself doesn't take that long to come, maybe 10-15 mins? But the view is amazing so there's plenty to look at while you wait. Also note they are cash only. I dont recall if they have an ATM nearby so plan ahead.

I’m a tampa native and I do this thing anytime I’m around the beach. Find a good grouper sandwich. I looked for about two hours to find the perfect place and I found it! They source their own local seafood and have a warehouse right next door that cleans, skins and filets them on site. Off the beaten path is always a great sign. I ordered my typical fried grouper sandwich and Nicole who was extremely friendly, recommended I try American cheese on it… and you know it really added something to the meal! I’ve never put cheese on a fish sandwich in my life but I would say definitely try it once and definitely try this place out. Very friendly staff, outdoor seating on the water and cold beer! It truly doesn’t get much better than this. 10 out of 10 hands down!!

An amazing old Florida experience. Sitting on a dock eating fresh stone crabs cracked so perfect that no crackers are needed. Seafood does not get any fresher. Order from the counter, food is delivered in a white box as you enjoy the views of Sarasota Bay and one of the last of the old Florida fishing fleets. Expect to wait to order and to get your food. My favorite place to eat Seafood and so glad it is where I live. Check the Board for Specials in addition to the regular menu. There is also a fish market. Bring cash, no credit cards accepted.

A must stop for seafood lovers if in the area. Never disappoints. Unassuming, not stuffy, not "fancy", just very reasonably priced good ol' fabulous seafood right out of the gulf. 👍 Be aware, it is cash only, although there is an atm on site.

Hidden gem for seafood! I can’t believe I’ve never been here before. I got fresh oysters and a delicious scallop & shrimp platter with great coleslaw and cheesy grits. Casual, rustic waterfront place with picnic tables on a dock. Cash only. There’s an ATM on site but it wasn’t working the day I went.

Starfish is a must see every year for us! Food is amazing and it is great to sit next to the water!

2025 Visit Star Fish Co has hot to be my favorite place for Hushpuppies and Grouper Nuggets. Also tried the Cheesy Grits on a recommendation from friends...they were very good but I don't have anything to judge them against so I'm going with my friends statement that they're the best! Actually, this trip the Grouper Nuggets weren't on the menu but when I ordered Dana said that they were available and that she remembered me ordering them last year....I asked her how the heck did she remember that! She said she can't remember names but she remembers people and what they order!

Star Fish never disappoints. This place (from what I've seen) stays pretty busy. The line to order takes some time but it's pretty easy to find a table as the order time to food time is staggered enough. If not, then find a big enough table with a small group and ask to join, like someone did today with us! :) We've been here in the summer and winter. Views are great. Food is great. And if the weather is nice, it'll be a great experience. If you don't have cash on hand, there is an ATM onsite.

If you want fresh sea food by the water with a gorgeous view and are obsessed with hush puppies, this is the place for you! They catch their fish right there and cook you some delicious fish sandwiches! The grouper sandwich with the hush puppies is sooo good! Can't wait to go back and try more. Also while daytime is relaxing and fun. Night time is super romantic and beautiful! There's a market you can even buy fresh caught fish from right at the restaurant. This is a CASH ONLY place so be sure to bring some and if you forget use the ATM out back. Decent amount of seating and parking but it's not a huge place so keep that in mind. This place is a hidden gem and totally worth it!

We enjoyed lunch here on a Monday. The line is long for ordering- cash only. We waited 40 minutes to order. The restaurant is on the water with outdoor picnic tables. The wait was worth it! After we ordered our food arrived in less than 10 minutes. We had grouper, cheese grits, and broccoli. The meal comes with hush puppies. All the food was fresh and delicious! Definitely a casual place- will come again!

I really don't want people to know how good this is. Cash only, wait is long so don't expect anything less. Staff is super nice and amazing so be nice back. Picnic tables/ sunny deck so wear a hat. Food is insane, simple box lunch style, beers flow and low key. Leave your negativity at home and sit back and enjoy the crowd. Best peel and eat around. Blackened mahi mahi insanely good. Tap beer choices- yuengling, goose, bud.. they do have a cash machine and full fish market. So so goo

We were looking for a great seafood shack with a great outside dining space...and found it in Cortez! The food was hot, fresh, and delicious! Our group of 3 ordered the gulf shrimp and clams, and the seafood was so tender and everything was delicious... but the views stole the show!

Star Fish Co seafood restaurant is a perfect place to enjoy the gulf view. Tables are all waterside and located outdoors. They have lots of fans and part of the tables are directly under a roof. Some of the tables are located on the floating dock with umbrellas. Not a bad location anywhere. It is walk up to order and the staff calls out your name to deliver your food in a box (which is honestly part of the rustic charm). The staff is always friendly and are helpful in recommending menu items if you are not sure what to get. I ordered the gulf shrimp fried hearty meal - DELICIOUS. Came to the table piping hot. Lots of shrimp, tasty coleslaw, yummy hushpuppies and the grits - now they were perfection. This is the perfect place to bring out of town guests to experience the gulf and fishing life in Cortez. NOTE: only form of payment is cash

Great fish shack. Outdoor seating only, but fear not; there is decent coverage from the sun. Come before the lunch or dinner rush to snag a good table, but check the hours. The large fried gulf shrimp platter is a delicate serving of delicately fried shrimp with cole slaw, two hushpuppies, plus one side. The hush puppies are perfectly fried, not too dense, with a touch of sweetness. The cole slaw was a dud, but let's be honest, that's not why people are coming here. I got the cheese grits, which were creamy and smooth. Wash it all down with a cold beer or a cup or refreshing and crisp wine A must when in the area!

Yes, food and atmosphere = 5 stars. Be PREPARED to wait! At least an hour, you can get drinks to help Pass time. Meet people & shoot the sh*t in line to pass the time.

Really neat place on the water for some fresh seafood. Wait was around 30 min to order another 25-30 to get our food but absolutely worth the wait. Some of the best food we've had on the island, we will be back! Don't forget your cash because it is cash only but they do have an ATM on site.

This has got to be my favorite seafood red in Florida. The atmosphere is one of a kind and the food is absolutely amazing . I have been here many times and have left a happy man every time. I bring my friends from out of town here when they come visit. It is truly a unique Florida experience. The gulf seafood is cooked to perfection. One of my all time favorite restaurants.

Love this location but the food has gone WAY down hill. Sautéed items were more like steamed and flavorless. We had a large party and basically ordered one of everything and no one on our party really liked their meal. We usually come once a trip and this was very dissapointing.

I was excited to take my mom, aunt, & son here for dinner last weekend. It's a super casual, dockside restaurant with great water views. We loved watching the birds patiently wait for handouts from the kitchen dumping their fish scraps. But the food was a disappointment. I ordered the garden salad with blackened grouper. It was nothing exciting, with iceberg lettuce as the base. But the main offense was the filet of dry, overcooked fish that topped it. Such a disappointment from a restaurant that should excel at perfectly cooked fish. My Mom had the clam strips & she later admitted they were just ok. My son had the shrimp & grits, & it was steep at $23 for the plate. Honestly, with so many better places in the area for seafood, I really can't recommend this place. The view was fun, but not worth returning.

Cute seafood shack on the water, all outdoor seating however there are huge fans so we stayed cool. It's counter service (there is a small bar too) and cash only. The smoked mullet dip was large and came with saltines. The fried oyster po'boy was good except it only had 6 oysters and lots of cocktail sauce, which I was not expecting (tartar or remoulade would have been preferred).

We visited by boat last week + were impressed. We split a po boy, clam strips + hush puppies. Others in the party got the grouper nuggets and being from New England, I have a high bar for seafood. I would absolutely go back here again when in the area!

Yep! This is the place to be for amazing, fresh-as-heck seafood right on the water. Sit at one of several outdoor tables amidst docked fishing boats. Window service, food is served in crisp white boxes. I got the crab cake sandwich - huge, lots of crab meat. He got the grouper sandwich - grilled, generous piece of fish. Added bonus - the Fries - crispy, hot, salty. Cash Only! Cant wait to go back, recommend.

The food was great. We ordered crab cakes with sweet potato fries and coconut shrimp. Our food was out within 5 minutes. It was fresh and good. All seating is outdoor on the dock. You can watch the birds from the tables and view the water. It is CASH ONLY though. I highly recommend stopping here for a quick meal that is reasonably priced.

What a great find!! We went here twice on our vacation. We had the stone crab chowder (amazing), blackened grouper tacos (outstanding), and blackened grouper sandwich with sweet potato fries (excellent). The wait is very long if you don't go right when they open. The view is incredible! The service is fantastic, everyone was so friendly and upbeat! Highly recommend for food, view, and service!

I used to go here all the time. Way before all the tourists found out about it. But the last time I went I was very disappointed. I always get the Grouper Tacos Grilled. They were fresh and excellent. In fact you can watch the dude filleting the grouper through the kitchen window and sometimes you'd see him give what remained to the pelicans and other birds. It was nice sitting at the picnic tables or at the bar. Now the Grouper in the tacos are pre-made breaded and spicy I was told that was a cost cutting move. Well it did cut costs because I no longer go there. Too bad. I loved this place even with annoying mid-western-values people feeding the birds disregarding the signs that tell you not to. Plus I always like giving local establishments my business. Better grouper can be found at New Pass Grille and even Hurricane Hanks.

Great local seafood spot on the water. Lots of people seemed to know each other but were still very welcoming to us strangers. Sat at the tiki bar, had the steamed clams, fish dip and stone crab. All excellent. Got there at noon on a Saturday and walked right in. By 12:30 the place was packed!

Killer grouper meal (a small is 6 oz filet, choice of potato or slaw and 2 hush puppies). Fried was lightly breaded - the kind that doesn't leave you feeling guilty after eating! Also, grouper tacos were great - hearty portion with chunks of blackened grouper in flour tortilla and toppings. Great view of bay and fishing boats. The pace and vibe of service (straightforward, order at the counter and listen for your name to be yelled).

This place was excellent and great for the price! You order at the counter and it is cash only, so be prepared! My boyfriend got the grouper sandwich and I ordered the large mullet platter. It was so much food and delicious. The atmosphere is great because you are right on the water with all the fishing boats in Cortez!

I've been to Starfish a few times before and have never been disappointed !! But today I brought a friend who has never been Veterans Day about 2 pm. Paid $30.00 plus tip for "just ok" grouper nuggets and a $10 CUP of stone crab chowder (also just ok). Sweltering hot we sat at a picnic table without an umbrella- moved to the bar in the shade Flies everywhere and the garbage out front absolutely stunk. I don't think I'll be back Was quite disappointed today $$$$$$ I'm sorry to say...

I wish I would've taken pics of the delicious food, but you just need to experience it. Service was fast for how busy it was. Great dockside seating. Fresh. Fresh. Fresh.

Food fucking takes for ever, holy fuck it's not that hard to make fried food it's been an hour and a half they need to figure out the service

What a friendly atmosphere here at this unassuming restaurant. All the seats are outside and you order your food by the window. The weather was lovely today so it was nice sitting there. We ordered a dozen raw oysters and a meal that had a variety of fried seafood. The Cole slaw was great and the seafood incredibly fresh. I wish this place were closer to where we live because I'd be there often. Remember it only accepts cash. There is an ATM machine inside in case you need one.

Best meal while visiting Anna Maria Island. The only negative was that the oysters were very small.

This place has fresh seafood, great location and really good service. The ambiance is very casual and a pretty good view in the bay.

There is a reason this place fills up quickly. The seafood is some of the freshest in the area. Prices are very fair for the amount of food received. Perfect breezes while eating on the picnic tables with umbrellas out on the dock. Be sure to bring cash and your patience for waiting in line if you don't show up early.

This was a wonderful first time visit for my wife and I. The setting and the food were definitely worth the wait on a busy weekend evening. I heard so many glowing testimonials from long time returning guests while waiting in line to order. Places like this are few and far between and are to be treasured. Thank you for a memorable evening.

Great food, great views, awesome weather! It's not the cheapest lunch, but if you're in the area, then go!!! (Just make sure you block out some time, because it's not fast food lol)

This was our all time favorite about 5 years ago. We still love the atmosphere and beautiful views dining on the water. Family came into town and requested we eat there. The portion sizes of each meal were a lot smaller than I remember. Now, I order the same dinner EVERY time I have eaten there. Which is about 10 or 15 times now since we've moved here. I guess after Covid, a lot of establishments have changed here in Florida. My point is, the shrimp dinner I have always enjoyed, has gotten much smaller. The breading was barely there and the hush puppies were much smaller than I remember. Even the jumbo shrimp looked smaller! The order of fries was minimal. Completely forgot to put our Coleslaw in the boxes. When I opened my box, I was so surprised to see the visible difference of food as opposed to years before. It's been about a year now since we've been here. Our visiting family was happy with the experience so I guess that's all that matters. And there wasn't a crumb left. We got the last piece of peanut butter pie too, delicious! I'm not telling you not to eat here because the experience is wonderful but I hope that my next visit comes with the delicious portions of food that I remember. Maybe an off night possibly? Not sure. Honestly, I remember when we had a hard time finishing our dinners because of the large portions. We ALWAYS order the large portions of the dinners that are served here, and I suggest that if you have a hearty appetite, order the larger portions and enjoy the view!

We were fortunate enough to be staying a few houses away from Star Fish! Best meal we had while in the area- perfect fried shrimp, peel and eat shrimp, hush puppies.... Everything! But the real show stopper was the Star Fish itself, it's how places are supposed to be- not pretentious just real people and real food. I plan to walk over again tomorrow

We wanted to like this place after seeing the yelp reviews, and it was recommended by a local. Unfortunately, it wasn't enjoyable. My clam strips were more like tiny pieces of breading without clams. I got them because I'm a yelper and looked at the pictures from past reviews. In the photos, I saw giant strips and decided I would try them. What I got looked nothing like the photos. My husband liked his meal, but our friend said his Mahi sandwich was overcooked. It just didn't meet our expectations based on the almost perfect reviews. Maybe it was just an off day for them. We did come an hour before they closed, so perhaps that was it.

If you go any where in the Anna Maria area, this is a must stop. It is all self serve and all CASH. The food and the atmosphere is why you come to the island. The people behind the bar are friendly and helpfully. The beer is ice cold and the view you could sit there all day long.

Cash only! Order at the counter and enjoy your meal at the dockside picnic tables. We enjoyed a good selection of fresh oysters, and the fried capt sampler. All of the food was excellent! Not overly greasy. Hush puppies were a little dry and only come with drawn butter. Overall great beach meal and will be back!

I wanted so badly to give this place a 5 star review, but the customer service that we received was just not great. We got there around 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Waited in line for a couple minutes and a lady took our orders. We ordered the mahi dish and the mahi fish tacos as well as a couple of beers. We went to sit down at our picnic table on the dock and waited...and waited...and waited. Around 30 minutes later we go up to see what was taking our food so long and we come to realize that it was an hour wait for food and that we were told that when we ordered. No, if it was an hour wait we would have went somewhere else. We go back to our table and decide to sit on a swing for a bit and one of the workers took down our umbrella at our table...clearly our drinks were there, so not sure why he felt the need to close down our table. We then asked him to bring back our umbrella and went back to check on our food a second time. The guy plopped the umbrella back and then rudely came up and said, you have to put it up yourselves. Okay, bro, calm down. Ill put the umbrella up myself don't get huffy with me because you took our umbrella. After we asked about our food the second time, there were two boxes that came out with the name of Frank. My friend hopped up and shouted "over here!" But apparently there was another Frank and they ended up getting our food instead. At this point, we were pretty pissed as its been a long time and our food was just given to the wrong person. My friend goes up to the bar and asks for our money back as it was ridiculous waiting and then seeing our food go to someone else. As we walked away from the counter with our money, the lady rushed our to go orders out to us which was extremely nice of them to do. The food was decent and I am sad I did not have any pictures to share but overall, will not be going to this restaurant again.

Recommend both the restaurant and seafood market - everything is fresh right off the boat - loaded up on Stone Crab Claws, Shrimp,and Grouper. Highly recommend - will be back to load up soon - all staff provide great service!!

I really thought it would be a "tourist trap" but it's good!! The seafood were juicy and seem fresh. The sea scallops were huge and weren't over fried. Over cooked sea scallops is the absolute worst. It down poured before we got there so line was short but I hear it could be quite a wait. The combo is enough for two especially if you're getting something else that's not fried. There are a few picnic tables with a over hang. If it rains it's sort of game over lol. Cash only establishment!!!!

Always the best. Call ahead if you are in a hurry. Fresh fish and seafood with great sides.

Takeaways: Expensive, average fish shop, AMAZING view and atmosphere, good daily specials, recommend for tourists! Food: The food here isn't anything crazy. Your run of the mill florida coast fish and burger spot. Definitely expensive for what you get, but hey that's AMI for you. They do have daily specials which are WAY better bang for your buck! Service: Service is great! Everyone is really friendly and informative! Ambiance: THIS is why you come here! The place is built entirely on the tip of a pier. You can fish, eat, hit the bar, and enjoy your meal with a view all at this place! Worth it for tourists.

Can never go wrong going to Starfish Grill. Fresh tasty food and cold beer. It's worth the long wait. Cash only. If you forget cash they have an ATM. Staff is excellent!!

The food here was on point. I got raw oysters and blackened mullet. Each was top tier quality. Their meals are served with hush puppies, fries and coleslaw. Each of which are as delicious as the last. The hush puppies are my favorite. Im not a big fan of coleslaw, but I always finish theirs. An important note: their tartar sauce is the best I've ever had. The service is as described. It's a walk-up window where you wait in line to place your order but once you get there you're greeted with the nicest and homeiest customer service I've ever experienced. The ambience is unmatched. You sit on the water while you eat, watching fishing charters go out and fisherman bring in their daily catch. Do NOT feed the pelicans. I've seen it happen (they don't leave you alone). I will be returning here every time I get the chance to. Thank you Star Fish Co!

Excellent selection of fresh fish, and everything was incredibly tasty. A lot of outdoor seating, but it can get packed, so you still may have to wait a bit for a seat. Had the grouper, mahi mahi, and peel n eat shrimp. Very large portions for a decent price. Only thing to keep in mind is that they are cash only, and when we went, all of their ATMs were out of order, so just make sure you bring enough cash.

I sooo wish they'd open a restaurant away from the water. The food is always delicious but bring cash!! The flies ruin it for guests but it's outside by a fishing pier so it is what it is! Go try it at least once before taking anyone else's review seriously. The food is some of the best seafood you'll get!

I had to get my seafood fix in while in Florida, so I stopped her for an early dinner. It wasn't too crowded when I arrived (4:30pm on a Saturday). I went with the Star Combination Platter and ordered some hush puppies on the side. You tell them your name, and then they bring your box of seafood out and call your name when its ready, and deliver it to your table. I opened my box and here is how it was.............. Star Combination Platter- Pretty large platter! It came with some fried grouper, fried shrimp, fried scallops and fried oysters along with cole slaw, 2 hush puppies and some fries. The grouper was awesome! Sweet, flaky, perfectly fried! The scallops and fried shrimp were great too. Nice and sweet and the perfect amount of chew without being mushy. The fried oysters were just ok (I dont like fried oysters to begin with, so that may be on me...if you DO like fried oysters, they were fine). Fries were lukewarm and didnt eat many. Cole slaw was super watery/mayonaisey looking..didnt even try it. The hush puppies weren't the hottest, but they were very tasty and dense. Solid seafood dinner right on the water. Would definitely come back if I lived in the area. That grouper, shrimp and scallops were fantastic!

Food was fresh but scallops were steamed I think. Certainly not sautéed as described. Super basic place with food served in boxes and cash only paid when ordering at bar.

Our family has been going to Longboat Key every year for the past 30 years. We usually stop and have lunch on our way in. This year we stopped at Star Fish. The outdoor seating area was well covered and they had plenty of fans setup which made it comfortable even at 2:00 in the afternoon in July. We loved the fish camp vibe. I had the blackened grouper rueben with cole slaw as recommended by the cashier with sweet potato fries and both with DELICIOUS. My husband had the snapper and the kids had the grilled grouper sandwiches and everyone enjoyed everything- we could tell it was all super fresh. The cashier was super informative about the choices and made great recommendations. We can't wait to go back.