DINING VisitSPC.com/Dining $ Most dishes under $15 $$ Most entrees under $25 $$$ Most entrees more than $25 WATERFRONT CADDY’S • Treasure Island; $ • Not many places carry the same toes-in-the-sand allure as this Caddy’s location, which overlooks the Gulf of Mexico on Treasure Island’s Sunset Beach. The local mini-chain has made casual, waterside, beachy eats grouper nuggets, crab cake dinners and shrimp baskets. It’s also a popular party spot with frequent live music and the rooftop bar, which can get lively at all times of the day, has the best seats in the FRENCHY’S ROCKAWAY GRILL • Clearwater Beach; $$ • Frenchy’s restaurants in Clearwater and Dunedin, this is beachfront dining at its best, right on the Gulf of Mexico and the sugar white sands of Clearwater Beach. Favorites include the grouper sandwiches, onion roll dressed with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and tartar sauce. It’s a matter of personal choice and crunchy crust, lightly seasoned and grilled, or coated in Cajun seasoning for an extra kick. If stone crabs are in season, there’s really no better way to wind down from a day on the beach than with a pound of cold claws and some sweet mustard WOODY’S WATERFRONT CAFE AND BEACH BAR PALM PAVILION • Clearwater Beach; $$ • A great option for beachside eats and killer sunset watching, this Clearwater Beach institution (since 1926) sits directly on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Frequent live music performances, a full bar where cocktails receive heavy-handed pours and a wooden wraparound deck lend the space a casual, seaside vibe that’s just as nice to pop in for a few drinks as it is to while away a lunch or dinner for several hours. The kitchen delivers a consistent spread of both seafood dishes – fried grouper cheeks, wasabi scallops – as well as a large selection of entrees ranging from smoked barbecue ribs to PACIFIC COUNTER SALT ROCK GRILL • Indian Shores; $$$ • At this long-running Indian Shores spot, the dock-to-restaurant line is literal: Peek outside to the dock below and you’ll probably catch one of the owners’ kitchen also boasts a large selection of hand-cut steaks, all USDA prime or choice grade beef, which are aged for weeks before grilling to order over natural oak and citrus wood. The wine list is impressive and the restaurant’s cellar features an extensive collection. The space recently underwent a full renovation inside, but the outside patio deck overlooking the Intracoastal waterway is still the best spot to close out an evening. TEAK/PIER TEAKI • St. Petersburg; $$ • Encompassing an expansive 26-acre entertainment district, the new St. Pete Pier includes several waterside restaurants with fantastic views, but nothing beats the rooftop scene at Pier Teaki, which offers an unparalleled 360-degree vista of the TIKI DOCKS SKYWAY BAR & GRILL RUSTY BELLIES WATERFRONT GRILL • Tarpon Springs; $$ • While checking out the historic Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, take a stroll down the busy Dodecanese Boulevard until you hit this waterfront spot, which sports a large outdoor patio with views of Tarpon Bayou and Anclote River. A tiki bar features rum-heavy spins on Trader Vic tiki classics while the restaurant’s proximity to the docks is a nod to the owners’ focus on fresh, Florida seafood. Steamed Cedar Key clams, peel-and-eat shrimp including grouper, American snapper and fried and downtown St. Pete skyline and Tampa Bay. While the upstairs tiki-themed lounge features bar snacks like tuna bowls and pretzel bites, more elevated options themed restaurant Teak, where composed plates include a lobster-topped surf and turf burger and TIKI DOCKS SKYWAY BAR & GRILL • St. Petersburg; $ • The Polynesian-themed bar and grill in St. Pete’s Skyway Marina District sits inside the Maximo Marina and sports a sprawling waterfront setting with plenty of outdoor seating. The food 78 AMERICA’S BEST BEACHES
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