Crabby Bills Clearwater Beach

Went to Crabby Bills for an impromptu dinner last night. Can’t beat the pricing. Local beer on draft. Had a seafood bucket with the best snow crabs I’ve had in a long time. So good we got a extra cluster. Live music too and nice views from the roof top deck. Oh and corn hole.

Great location, even though parking in that area right now is kinda frustrating. We had a beautiful view of the beach and ocean, perfect spot for a sunset dinner. The staff was on point and courteous, and they had sidewalk chalk and games for the kids right next to where we sat. WINNER! The food was perfect, even my 8 year olds kids order of pasta alfredo was insanely delicious. The adult beverages were out in record time, along with the appetizers we ordered. We will definitely be back for more next time

Crabby Bill’s has always been one of my favorite spots to eat. The crab legs are always my go to — you just can’t go wrong! Their conch fritters are great and the dipping sauce they serve with them is really good. So good, I use it to dip the gator bites in as well. If your stopping through, make sure you save room for dessert — I highly recommend their key lime pie!

I give Crabby Bills 5 stars for a few reasons… A little nostalgia because it was my first seafood place I went to when I came to Florida but they are also what completely reminds me of Florida. Beach location, seafood, drinks, music, fun and a relaxed atmosphere. Their crab and corn chowder may not be homemade but it is damn good. Though their food may be a typical menu it is always good and fresh. I have taken several friends visiting here and have had so many great memories.
They have several locations to choose from, all of which have a different feel which is I think it great.

It’s apparently a Clearwater staple restaurant that didn’t disappoint!
We tried the alligator tail app and an array of entrees that were super good! The service was great and the atmosphere was super beach appropriate!

So I’m on VaCa down here in Clearwater with my wife and 3 kids, girls 11,7,2…we hit this place 2 times, located in front of the beach, for breakfast and 1 time for dinner, great… friendly staff and kid friendly. As a parent you know, if you can keep the lil ones occupied, you and the Mrs.‘s can keep smiling… the food was great, loved the breakfast burrito! The kids really like the Toodles pancakes.
Papi

Service: friendly, prompt, courteous, outstanding.
Outdoor seating: sunny and breezy. Very comfortable.
Kitchenware: nothing plastic. All real stemware, flatware and dishes. YAY! Lends to tastier fare and friendlier to the environment.
Cold beer in a real glass: bonus!
Downside: the server recommended Crabby Bills «hearty portions» of grouper in the meals and sandwiches. I was hooked then later disappointed to find this meager fillet dwarfed by a mega bun. Big expectation, diminished value.
Flavor: fair for both meals. Grouper sandwich (noted above) Philly chicken (OK bun, lightly seasoned smothered in cheese)

This is only a review on their oysters because that’s all I ever eat from here. They have the freshest, best tasting oysters ever! I asked our server what type of oysters they were and she didn’t know but said she would ask someone. She never came back with the answer but that was ok. Oysters, D-​E-​L-​I-​C-​I-​O-​U-​S! I promise you you will not be disappointed!

So if you really like seafood and are visiting this area of Florida, Crabby Bill’s is a pretty fun place to stop. Be warned, during peak times and peak tourist season, it gets really crowded, and parking IS an issue. We visited during a peak time and for lunch and wound up waiting about 45 minutes, which was not horrendous but still. When we left around 2:30, there was no wait. So coming during a non-​peak time could really pay off.
A note on the parking: The parking around this restaurant sucks. But there’s a trick to it. The host stand will sell you a parking pass for the whopping sum of $ 1. The permit is good for like an hour and a half or something like that. You put it on the dash in your car and then can park anywhere in the lot right in front of the restaurant where there’s a meter. Makes it WAY easier. Best thing to do is have your driver drop off a passenger to run in and get a pass and then troll the lot for a spot.
So once we were seated we had a great time. Our waitress was great. The cocktails were great and beachy (and tasty). We had crab cakes (good), crab legs (everything you want) and I had the lobster roll, which was fabulous. Fries were perfect, sides were good. A+ for the food. Going for lunch, it was actually pretty reasonable. I think it was something like $ 140 for the five of us. We would definitely go back, even though it’s a touch on the touristy side. That was OK given how we were being all touristy and stuff at the time.

So we decided to hit Crabby Bills and as crowded as it was once you get your meal it makes sense. Our wait time was ½ hour but by the grace of god ½ hour turnt into 10 mins [Winning]. We were seated upstairs and I see what some reviews meant by waiting on your waitress/​waiter. It’s safe to say once you get your food you pray you don’t need to ask for anything else. But when you do get your food OMG!!! We started it off with creamy crab and spinach dip [Yummy]. From there our entrées for the Mrs. she ordered the key west grilled combo, our son had the cheese qusedias and I the grouper sandwhich with fries. Can you say yuuummmmmmy! The only problem you might have here is the wait to be seated and the missing waitress/​waiters. After that the food is simply delicious and the drinks aren’t bad either.

Came here on a beautiful day with a friend around sunset for happy hour. Took us about 5 min tops to get seated on the patio, which was impressive because the place was slammin’. They let me bring my little lapdog with me on the patio.
The waiter took forever to come to the table and then took forever and a day to bring us our drinks (and our food, and our check). Interesting given that when he actually was at our table, he yammered on for days. My glass of house pino was $ 3 or $ 4 and her mega beer was $ 4 or $ 5.
We ordered the gator bites, which were deep fried and delicious, served with a side of reddish tangy sauce. They sat about as you’d expect fried balls to sit, but neither of us had regrets. They were great and I’d order them again in a heartbeat.
This is a solid generic beach bar with a solid generic happy hour. Will certainly return.

They fried up the fish we caught after a trip on the Super Queen Fishing Charter for $ 8. Came with French fries and cole slaw. Can’t beat that. Drank a Dosarita, which is a pint glass of margarita with an upside down bottle of Dos Equis sitting in it. Interesting idea, but I didn’t really like it. Didn’t quite go together. But all in all, they cooked the fish I just caught for a fair price. Worth the visit.

Busy Saturday afternoon on a pretty warm day so the place was slammed when we arrived. Lucked into two seats at the bar and ordered. At the time they had one bartender behind a large L shaped bar and he was running himself to a frazzle trying to keep up.
Had happy hour pricing on drafts and well drinks during our visit to that was great. Had a grouper poor boy and mahi mahi tacos. Both were pretty good. Fries were scalding hot when the food arrived (you’ll be amazed how often that isn’t the case in a lot of places). Took a while for the food to arrive but under the circumstances that was understandable.
Overall a pleasant experience. No real complaints.

Let’s start with the food. I had the blackened grouper, which was incredibly tasty. It was heavily seasoned with herbs and spices but did not destroy my palate. The grouper itself was fresh, flaky, and a little sweet. The sides were pretty typical fare… the fries were fairly crispy but also soggy at the same time on the inside. The coleslaw was very creamy and a little too sweet for my liking. I also got a perfect piña colada which did not taste fresh at all, but was still pretty good. I felt like it was overpriced especially given the very casual location. My husband got a steam pot which wasn’t cheap but also had quite a lot of seafood in it. The snow crab in the bucket really tasted sweet and delicious. We liked the cheesy grits, which were not too mushy or gritty.
The interior was clean but consisted of your typical Florida tourist kitsch. There is a small gift shop in the lobby. We got excellent service from our waitress, which I was not expecting. Others have commented that the service was average or subpar. But that was not our experience… the server was personable, prompt, knowledgeable, and all-​around everything I look for.
Overall, a solid choice in Clearwater Beach. Probably could do better, but definitely could do worse.

I really enjoyed coming here, eating upstairs where I had a nice view of the harbor and a distant view of the beach. This is exactly the perfect beach themed restaurant I want to eat at when visiting the beach.
Food: Pretty good
Service: Fast and friendly staff
Cleanliness: A
Pricing: Fair
Military Discount: Yes ma’am/sir!
Wheelchair accessible: Yes and there is even a small elevator
All around a pretty good place to stop in and eat.
If there would have been live music and the food was incredible, I would have given the extra star rating.

Finding a seafood place that is not horribly overpriced is a rarity. I would think especially so in a touristy place like Clearwater. And I was there as a tourist…
Tip: You can purchase a 2 hour parking voucher for $ 1 at the hostess stand instead of having to pay the meter in the lot nearest the restaurant. However, you will probably not have much (or any) time left for walking around after you finish dinner.
The ambiance and decorations are cutesy and definitely feed into the tourists dining there. But it was cute. And clean. And decorated for Christmas (I was there in early December). Our waitress was fairly attentive, there were a couple of times we ran out of water/​drinks but not more than a few minutes. And it was fully seated where we were.
I ordered the Key West Grilled combo and it was a large amount of food! Everything tasted great and I liked the variety. The yellow rice and black beans is a very good side item! The person I was having dinner with ordered the Seafood Combo specifically because she was in the mood for crab-​cakes and she really enjoyed it. I was very, very full when we left.

Crabby Bills was extremely touristy, but unlike most places within a block of the beach, this was pretty good.
This review is based on food, service, cleanliness, and overall experience.
I started with the Volcano Gator Inferno bites because they claim these to be super spicy and even have a no refund clause on the menu. I was thinking these things were made from ghost peppers and were gonna burn my face off after all the hype. I was a little disappointed. They were a little spicy, but I would place them on the medium scale. I wouldn’t even place these as hot as jalapenos. Also, there is no half portion. I just wanted to eat a few because no one else was going to try them with me, so I had to order this giant appetizer for myself. No big deal, I ate them all.
My entrée was the blackened grouper sandwich, and it was really delicious. From what I’m told, the grouper is bought fresh daily from the fishermen coming in [from the Gulf] that day. I really enjoyed my sandwich. Not only the fish was fresh, but the lettuce, onion, and tomato were also crisp. I also had a bite or three of the Mahi Tacos; another fabulous entrée! I tried the calamari, but it was unremarkable.
Our server was fast and friendly, and didn’t disappear for long stents. The dining area was as clean as expected from a decades old restaurant. I was borderline between three and four stars, but my grouper was so good, I decided to bump it up to four.
Overall, a great place to have lunch, in a great location, with a traditional beach seafood atmosphere.

I should give them 1 star for the green beans, but I’m going to look past it and give them 5 stars. Canned green beans… blech!
We got here around 5 – 5:30 and were seated within a few minutes. The waitress was very nice and helpful, though she should have warned me about those God awful green beans.
I ordered the broiled seafood platter and got the green beans and side salad with it. The green beans were described as being cooked with bacon and onions. How could that get screwed up? Right? The food came out timely, starting with the salads. The mango vinaigrette dressing was surprisingly good. The entrees came later and I was immediately taken aback by canned green beans. But I figured they’re cooked with bacon and onions, how bad could they be? Wretched is the most apt word I can think to use. I hope the manager reads this and does something about this green bean atrocity. The rest of the meal (fish, shrimp and crab cake) though was phenomenal. If I lived in the area, I would come back regularly.
The prices are good. My entrée was in the $ 18 – 20 range, which in Miami would have been $ 30.
The menu is very diverse and has something to please everyone.
My good deed for today will be to warn people not to order the green beans though. You’re welcome in advance.

Everyone told us that if you go to Clearwater you have to go here. We went to location in the circle, and got there right around five. Seated quickly but there was a huge wait by 5:30.
Great kids menu with lots of seafood choices. Get drink, side and dessert for only $ 6 or can upgrade to crab or lobster for $ 12. The kids menu alone gets them five stars.
Our two friends both ordered crab legs. The husband ordered seafood platter and I had key west platter. The friends loved their crab but one of their legs were all half empty! When mentioned to the server a manager came over and offered to bring more, but it was done in a way that made it seem like we were trying to scam them. Which we weren’t. But they brought replacement and it was fine.
The key west platter was delicious, with the highlight being the fritter. Little spicy, great crunchy exterior.
Don’t order the southern green beans though. They taste like canned beans. Suppose to be cooked with bacon and onions and didn’t see either.
So managers attitude and the beans would normally make them a four. But kids menu, good service from server and the fact that even though they had a wait they never rushed us, even when we lingered, gets them a five.

What is particularly great about this place is you can have the freshest fish ever by chartering one of the nearby fishing charter boats, catch your own fish, and have Crabby Bill’s cook it up for you which they are more than happy to do. Otherwise, if you dine here, my tip would be to stick with whatever they are offering in mahi mahi or grouper.
Their raw oysters, generally from Louisiana are pretty good too but their side offerings of rice, beans or whatever I’ve generally found to be rather blah belly fillers.
Yes, it’s very touristy, but if you’re reading this you’re probably a tourist too. But just because it is touristy doesn’t mean it can’t be a fun, rather enjoyable place.
It also has a great location located directly across from the street from a marina and the Calypso Queen tour boat.

Wir haben zwar für einen Montag 25 min warten müssen, das spricht ja schon für Crabby Bill’s und wir würden auch nicht enttäuscht dies hier ist wirklich sehr gut und alles frisch!

Super endroit ! Toujours un groupe de musique en terrasse. Stone crab very fresh !!