Southwest Florida Seafood Shacks
Travel Guide to Three Quirky and Casual Must-Eat Restaurants
Jul 30, 2008
A complete Florida vacation includes fresh seafood and Southwest Florida offers plenty. This travel guide lists three moderately priced seafood shacks near the Tampa Bay area. Begin in Bradenton then travel south down Interstate 75 to Venice and end in Punta Gorda.
Travel to Bradenton, Florida for Linger Lodge Restaurant & RV Resort
Al Roker called Linger Lodge one of the top five weirdest restaurants in the U.S. (2003) and Forbes Magazine listed it as one of the top 10 unusual restaurants in the world (2007). Linger Lodge’s unusual collection of dead animals on the wall and roadkill menu makes it weird and unusual. Listed entrees include Swirl of Squirrel, Woodchuck Steak and Bat Cocktail. Daily specials are served and dependent on what the truck drags in.
Don’t worry, Linger Lodge’s roadkill menu is just for fun. The real lunch and dinner menus include Alligator Bites, Grouper Sandwich and Seafood Jambalaya. Enjoy a meal on one of the two outdoor patios overlooking the Braden River or inside to take in the unusual collection of stuff on the walls.
The lodge began as a camp in 1945. Linger Lodge is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Call for specific hours of operation. The resort is located about an hour south of Tampa on Interstate 75. (7205 Linger Lodge Road, Bradenton; Tel: (941) 755-2757)
Travel to Venice, Florida for Snook Haven Retreat
Follow a dirt road through the backwoods and find an Old Florida fish camp sitting on the Myakka River. Gator Bites, Southern Fried Okra and Seafood Combos are served up with live entertainment almost every evening. October through May the Gulf Coast Banjo Society practices at Snook Haven every Thursday between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Dining is available indoors and décor is simple but the food is outstanding. Outdoor dining on picnic tables under umbrellas provides a scenic view of the Myakka River. Be cautious when walking around the fish camp which opened in 1948. Snook Haven claims to be home of the killer turtles, rumored to be descendents of extras from a 1930s Tarzan movie shoot.
Snook Haven is open daily for lunch and dinner, call for specific hours. The fish camp is located no more than a 90-minute drive south of Tampa on Interstate 75. (5000 Venice Avenue, Venice; Tel: (941) 485-7221)
Travel to Punta Gorda, Florida for Peace River Seafood
Housed in an old Florida Cracker House (Cracker Houses are an architectural style from the 1840s to 1920s made from wood and symmetrical in structure with steep roofs) this seafood shack’s waterfront view is a small fish pond next to the outdoor seating area. But travelers don’t eat at Peace River Seafood for the view, it’s all about the seafood-dominated menu and Old Florida, casual ambience. Florida seafood including blue crabs, shrimp and fish are brought in daily by 17 crabbers and fishermen.
Peace River Seafood is known for its blue crabs. For first time crab diners, wait staff will demonstrate how to whack, crack and eat them. The restaurant also serves a different soup or gumbo each day but arrive early, only one pot is made and usually by late afternoon, it’s gone.
On weekend nights, sit outside to enjoy the musical entertainment. Indoor seating is available, too. Take time to see the petting zoo with goats, chickens and rabbits or chat with the resident parrot on the patio.
Peace River Seafood is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Arrive by 7 p.m. for blue crabs. The onsite seafood market is open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The restaurant is located less than two hours south of Tampa and less than an hour north of Fort Myers on Interstate 75. (5337 Duncan Road, Punta Gorda; Tel: (941) 505-8440.)
When planning a Southwest Florida vacation, include a visit to a local and authentic seafood shack. Linger Lodge, Snook Haven and Peace River Seafood are funky, quirky and casual seafood restaurants serving delicious and fresh Florida seafood.
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