Are you on vacation and looking for the best Indian Rocks Beach restaurants at which to eat during your stay? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered from breakfast to dinner, with our list of the best restaurants in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida.
Indian Rocks Beach is a small city on the west coast of Florida. It was once the playground of Tampa’s elite, being only a half-hour drive from Tampa International Airport.
Like many of the best small beach towns on the Gulf of Mexico, Indian Rocks Beach is known for its pretty beaches and natural beauty. It’s a great place to get away if you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing town on the water.
There are many fun things to do in Indian Rocks Beach, so you’re going to have to fuel up well! Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or are going out for a special occasion, Indian Rocks Beach restaurants cover all palettes. However, they are all delicious!
Of course, being right on the ocean, some of the best food in Indian Rocks Beach is seafood, but there is so much more than that! If you’re wondering what to eat in Indian Rocks Beach other than seafood, there are many restaurants in Indian Rocks Beach that cater to a variety of palettes.
12 Best Indian Rocks Beach Restaurants You Must Try
Guppy’s On the Beach
One of the best Indian Rocks Beach restaurants has to be Guppy’s on the Beach. (It is actually my family’s favorite of all the places to eat in Indian Rocks Beach!)
Focussing on small plates and seafood entrees, Guppy’s is one of the most popular restaurants on Gulf Blvd in Indian Rocks Beach, FL. Folks particularly love the battered grouper sandwich and shrimp and grits. Guppy’s also does a great lobster “escargot”, which is small pieces of lobster in warm herb butter.
However, if you don’t want some of the best seafood in India Rocks Beach, Guppy’s also serves meat and poultry entrees, salads, burgers, and pasta. It’s all still some of the best food in Indian Rocks Beach!
Guppy’s is one of the best restaurants in Indian Rocks Beach for dinner. They even do an early dinner special menu, offered from 4 pm to 5:15 pm.
Indian Rocks Cafe
If you’re looking for Indian Rocks Beach restaurants that serve breakfast, head to Indian Rocks Cafe. This cute little cafe is a great place to start your days in Indian Rocks Beach.
Order a breakfast sandwich, pastry, or quiche to have on your way to the beach. If you’re looking for something lighter, try a smoothie with flavors like peanut butter and banana or pineapple and kale. (If you’re feeling fancy, try the Hydrating Orange Creamsicle smoothie!)
Of course, Indian Rocks Cafe serves coffee as well. Whether you want it hot or cold, Indian Rocks serves a great Peruvian filtered coffee, and they have plenty of non-dairy alternatives.
Indian Rocks Cafe is a great place to sit down for a while if you need to get some work done while sipping your coffee. They have free wifi and plenty of outlets!
Kooky Coconut
Another of the most popular Indian Rocks Beach restaurants on Gulf Blvd is Kooky Coconut. This fun, tropical-themed restaurant is a great place to get lunch in Indian Rocks Beach, and it is just steps away from the 8th Avenue beach access.
Take a break from the beach, and enjoy a bite to eat on Kooky Cocout’s outdoor patio.
Kooky Coconut serves up everything from sandwiches and hot dogs to tacos and burritos. People particularly like their Cuban sandwiches, which come with a side of chips.
Kooky Coconut also has 32 flavors of ice cream to choose from! Order your favorite flavors by the scoop, in a sundae, or in a milkshake.
Slyce Indian Rocks Beach
If you’re looking for pizza at Indian Rocks Beach restaurants, you definitely have to try Slyce. Here you will find some of the best dining in Indian Rocks Beach.
With three locations in the area, Slyce is one of the best pizza places in the Tampa Bay area. Slyce is known for their artisanal pizza pies and live music.
Slyce has so many pizza options that it may be hard to choose! Select from their menu of specialty pizzas, like the “Greek”, which features ground sausage, feta, spinach, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and mozzarella. Or you can choose to build your own- pick your cheese and your toppings.
Slyce also does an excellent brunch in Indian Rocks Beach. Come on a Sunday and try their famous breakfast pitchers while sharing a pitcher of Bloody Marys or Mimosas.
Salt Public House
At Salt Public House, you can find not only local beers, but great food as well! With big garage doors that open to let the sea breeze in, Salt Public House is another of the Indian Rocks Beach restaurants right near the beach. It’s a great new pub to grab a bite.
Salt Public House serves up classic pub food like chicken wings, burgers, chili dogs, and some particularly good sausage rolls. However, they also serve up some delicious French Onion soup and deviled eggs.
Come for happy hour and enjoy $8 cocktails like margaritas, rum runners, and mojitos!
While you wait for your food, have fun playing games like checkers and Scrabble.
Keegan’s Seafood Grille
Another of the best Indian Rocks Beach restaurants for seafood would have to be Keegan’s Seafood Grille. After all, their motto is “Eat Fresh and Eat Wild” and they live up to it. Freshly-caught fish makes for the best Indian Rocks food.
Keegan’s Seafood Grille has been serving some of the best seafood in Indian Rocks Beach for over 35 years! They are known for their grouper and serve it grilled, blackened, or fried in the form of grouper bites or in a sandwich.
Keegan’s Seafood Grille also makes some awesome She crab soup, Key West conch fritters, and grilled octopus!
Villa Gallace
If you’re looking for authentic Italian amongst the Indian Rocks Beach restaurants, head to Villa Gallace. Once a Circle K convenience store, Villa Gallace is now a family-run Italian restaurant on Gulf Blvd in Indian Rocks Beach.
Villa Gallace was founded by father and son duo, Pompeo (who was born in Calabria, Italy) and Luigi Gallace, and they really do make you feel like part of the family. Luigi will stop by your table to say hello and check on everything.
People love the eggplant rollatini and veal saltimbocca, which features prosciutto, provolone, mushrooms, and a white wine demi-glace. Of course, being in the Tampa Bay area, Villa Gallace also offers a popular grouper cartoccio in a spicy marinara sauce.
VIP Mexican American Cuisine IRB
For those looking for Tex-Mex cuisine amongst the Indian Rocks Beach restaurants, you’ll find it at VIP. This Mexican American restaurant has everything you need to fill that craving!
VIP’s sister restaurant in Treasure Island has been owned by the same family since 1993. Originally they only served three kinds of meat: ground beef, shredded beef, and chicken. Today you can find everything from carnitas to Mahi Mahi!
Start your meal with some chips and guacamole (and one of their strong margaritas) then move on to tacos, fajitas, or burritos. VIP’s specialty tacos include flavors like “Buffalo Shrimp” and “Cajun Fish”. VIP also serves “wet burritos, ” which are covered in red sauce and melted cheese.
The outdoor patio at VIP is a great place for either lunch or dinner in Indian Rocks Beach!
JD’s Restaurant & Lounge
JD’s Restaurant & Lounge is probably one of the most lively of the Indian Rocks Beach restaurants. With live music every day and night, JD’s is the place to come if you want to dance!
Before you get to dancing though, you’ll want to have some food and drink. At JD’s, they serve the usual bar fare as well as seafood entrees. Try some blackened grouper or shrimp on skewers. If you want something a little “extra” try the bacon-wrapped scallops!
Drinks cost happy hour prices from 11 am- 6 pm, so it’s a great place for lunch in Indian Rocks Beach.
Whether you have your meal while sitting inside under the twinkle lights and fishing nets or outside on the patio, feel free to dance or just sing along!
The Original Crabby Bill’s
One of the most family-friendly Indian Rocks Beach restaurants is The Original Crabby Bill’s. Serving up American classics and some of the best seafood in Indian Rocks Beach, Crabby Bill’s has been an area institution for almost forty years!
Take a seat at the bar in the main dining room where you can watch oyster shuckers work right in front of you! Or you can sit in the outdoor seating area called the “Loading Dock” where you can catch live music every day. (The Loading Dock is also pet-friendly!)
Crabby Bill’s has an extensive menu, and everyone in the family is bound to find something they like. True to their name, some of the most popular menu items are the crab leg crevices and the stone crab claws, when they’re in season. They also serve gator tail as an appetizer!
Crabby Bill’s also does an excellent brunch in Indian Rocks Beach! Try the Crabby Benedict or the crispy French toast sticks dusted in cinnamon and sugar, warm syrup, with Nutella on the side.
Casa Italia Restaurant
Another of the best Indian Rocks restaurants for Italian is Casa Italia on Gulf Blvd. Located right across from the beach, this quaint Italian restaurant serves freshly made pizzas, pasta, and a variety of seafood specialties.
The owner, Chef Tony, is originally from Albania but lived in Genova, Italy with his wife for many years. Now they have been living, working, and serving Italian food for the past twenty years.
Some of the most popular dishes at Casa Italia are the veal piccata and the chicken picatta. They have every kind of pasta you would want at an Italian restaurant, like fettuccine alfredo, carbonara, penne alla vodka, and seafood linguini. However, Casa Italia also serves the most delicious gnocchi around!
PJ’s Oyster Bar
What would be a visit to Indian Rocks Beach without a stop at PJ’s Oyster Bar? One of the most popular Indian Rocks Beach restaurants, this family-owned and operated business has been around for almost thirty years.
From gumbo to coconut shrimp, PJ’s is full of seafood options. Try a Mad Maddy combo, where you can pick two mains, such as grouper, flounder, cod, crab cakes, or scallops. Order oysters by the dozen, whether steamed or on the half shell.
If seafood isn’t your thing, fear not. PJ’s also serves chicken wings, salads, pasta, steak, and ribs.
Of course, you can also just swing by PJ’s Oyster Bar for a drink and enjoy it at the tiki bar outside. For a truly tropical feel, try a mango rum runner or a strawberry margarita.
Whether you are looking for seafood, Italian, or Mexican, you can find it all at Indian Rocks Beach restaurants. There are many family-owned and run businesses that you’ll be supporting, and that will make you feel taken care of while serving you delicious meals.
No matter where to eat in Indian Rocks Beach you decide to have a meal, we hope you enjoy your food!
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