Woodys Waterfront Cafe and Beach Bar

Good food in a great location. Pretty good deals throughout the day. Shame about the toilets tho…

Great happy hour deals, great prices. On Sunday they have Martini specials and Bloody Mary specials, what else could a girl ask for. :-)
Woodys clientele seems to be the older locals but that’s ok, I usually go there with a group of friends and everyone there is very nice.
The service is great, they are attentive and friendly. I’ve never had an issue with serviceand I’ve gone to Woodys here and there for about 15 years.
This time I had a couple drink specials and the blacked chicken sandwich, I forgot the name of it. It was sooooo good. It had bacon and cheese on and a lot of but it was a bit too much for me so I took some of it off. If you love cheese and bacon, you’ll be in heaven. The size of the chicken sandwich is amazing, it ginormous (I’m exaggerating but it is big). I ended up having to cut it into quarters in order to eat it .vety flavorful, hot, and juicy. It comes with Cole slaw but I wasn’t a fan so next time, I’ll see if I can substitute it out for something else.
Great place to grab a bite, have a drink and enjoy the view… it’s on the water.
In case you’re not aware, it’s cash only but they do have an atm inside with a nice $ 4 fee, so bring cash.

Happy hour deals and dolphin sightings are a win/​win for me. I’ve been going to St. Pete Beach for years and didn’t make it here until my last trip, but I will definitely be back. It’s right on the water so its great for sunsets and one of the best spots to see dolphins from the beach.
The happy hour deals are only valid at the bar, which fills up pretty quickly, but the prices are reasonable, anyway. The food was also better than most beach fare.
It seems this place is full of regulars, so you may not get the same friendly treatment they do if you’re a tourist, but still a great place to check out.

I can only rate on the atmosphere, drink pricing and service during this brief experience, all of which were good! We arrived following a gluttonous meal (AYCE Snow Crab) across the street at the Oyster Shucker and decided that we want to return hungry next time (we entered this place right by a tray of food being delivered to a table) and we saw burgers, grouper sandwiches and fish plates that all looked appetizing despite being gorged with Crab Legs from across the street!

½ price margaritas/​martinis/​manhattans all day Sunday… Wednesday $ 5 tequila
So far we went here 3 of the four nights we here in St Pete. The view of the water /​sunset can’t be beat. The drink specials are pretty amazing. We have had a different server every time and each one was so pleasant, patient and nice. We had peel and eat shrimp — pretty good. Next we had the fish special which was a huge serving of haddock — delicious — and so far my favorite — blackened grouper. This is my favorite place so far and I know we will be back.

Great place to have great food, great, drinks and excellent wait staff. Tip your waitress!

Decent spot to grab a quick bite before heading to the beach. There was plenty of parking and this restaurant is directly on the water located at Blinds Pass (although there is no boat parking). Important to note: CASH ONLY, but there is an ATM inside.
The menu has several fried options including buffalo shrimp, clams etc. Food was ok but I did notice a beautiful seared tuna salad that looks like a must try.
Overall just an ok experience, service was friendly but food wasn’t anything spectacular.

This was maybe my favorite lunch spot of our vacation. You really can’t beat eating fresh seafood out on the water. The restaurant was busy and lively, but our server was still friendly and efficient. I had the big fish special, which was an enormous piece of deep-​fried haddock for only 10.95. The beer batter was perfect; crispy, hot, and actually flavorful. Couldn’t have asked for a better lunch on the beach.

Cheap happy hour! The shrimp and seafood nuggets are the best! We had 3pitchers of beer, 1seafood nuggets, 2baskets of fried shrimp and a basket of fries for less than 24 bucks! Have to sit at the bar, which is always crowded. Locals and tourists alike. Eric is the best bartender, we always try to tip him well!

Stopped by here yesterday after a horrendous experience at Rum Runners. The place looked super shady when we pulled up and I seriously had some doubts walking in. However, everything here was fantastic. We got great seats right on the water and showed up right in time for $ 5 specials on the top shelf tequila. The service was great: super friendly and surprisingly fast. The food was phenomenal for what was offered, prices were decent especially for the location, and everything we ordered came out with almost no wait time. We will definitely return here regularly and plan to bring some of our family and friends when they fly down to visit.
Only complaint is that the place is cash only, otherwise it would be a 5-​star rating. It’s great that there’s an ATM on site, but that’s a devious way to make a few extra bucks on service fees. It’s literally free to order a Square Reader and take credit/​debit payments from customers, especially in a vacation area where people aren’t usually trying to carry cash on them.

I usually would give this place a four star rating because sitting outside with a nice view and good food, I leave feeling refreshed. Today I couldn’t acquire a shaded outdoor picnic table because they let some jerk take up the whole table for himself, so my party of four sat inside.
Everything was fine but when my waiter picked up the check and my cash (it’s cash only here), he asked, «do you want change?»
I told him yes but wanted to say, «I gave you $ 70 for a $ 48 check, and unless you gave me a blowjob under the table, NO, I don’t think you deserve over 40% tip!»
Maybe I’m just crabby today…

Don’t bother with this place…
Friendly waitress and a nice view of the inter-​coastal, but mediocre food was poorly presented on top greasy wilted lettuce (styrofoam plates with plastic utensils). Overpriced «stuffed» fish fillet was over-​cooked with a decent flavored crab mix sprinkled on top. Onion ring sides were greasy typical bar food quality. Gumbo was more tomato soup than anything else. I came to Florida’s coast expecting to find seafood better than Red Lobster, but was very disappointed here.

The place was crowed but they provided excellent service. The food was great, Maui sandwich and shrimp basket, both excellent. Fries and coleslaw was tasty as well.
Very pleased with the experience !
The food, service, and atmosphere were great

Wonderful location right on the water. Buffalo shrimp very good but fish and chips not so good. Spicy fries very good but fish was greasy and over cooked. Service good but slow when busy.

During a previous Florida stay, our daughter’s family took us to a quaint, rustic waterfront bar and grill. Five or so years later we returned to the area for a vacation and remembered the little bar. We found it on a weekend night and couldn’t park within a few hundred yards it was so crowded. We opted for another night.
We returned on a windy, blustery evening so the place was not overly crowded and the wind being what it was we had to forego the outside seating view. The service was quick, efficient and very helpful. We ordered our drinks, received them and gave our order. We had the Fish ‘n Chip special and fried shrimp.
They serve a full compliment of beers and a sampling of wines. The food was unremarkable, the drinks were what one would expect. I’m sure if we ordered their signature dinners we could evaluate the food more critically.
Other reviewers have complained of watered drinks and the «cash only» policy. We were made aware of the cash situation and, being in business myself, I understand and respect the policy. And to watered drinks, since we had wine and beer we can’t address that issue.
Others have mentioned the parking lot. Guys, it’s a rustic place. That and the view are its calling. All said, it’s our kind of place — Laid back, rustic, reasonably priced, no pretense with good old time area food. We loved it and will return when in the area and there is room for us.

My favorite thing about this place is the view of the water! Which is only reason we went twice. Their food is not bad. The drinks are inconsistent and didn’t seem to have enough alcohol. I had 2 rum runners and I usually only need to drink one to get a buzz, and I didn’t even have a buzz at all from 2. When asking questions about the menu, the server actually told us, «it depends on who is making it» and said something not so nice about a new guy in the kitchen. The service was slow but they were pretty busy.

What Happened, Woody’s?
This beach bar has been a family tradition in my husbands family for over a decade. Since I’m a newcomer, I can only speak for the last 4 years.
The first two years we came, we could both eat with a beer each for $ 25, and now the prices are up to the point where it’s $ 40 with a tip for lunch for two entrees and two drinks, and the food is nothing fancy.
The servers don’t care. It’s mass produced beach food but they sure were friendlier in years past. My husband and I went twice this trip — and we’re just so disappointed. The food used to be better (I so very miss the grouper) and the folks friendlier.
Having said that, it’s a great location and the beer is cold, so it’s worth stopping in for a drink and a snack, but save your pennies for dinner over at the oyster shucker or crab daddy’s.

Haven’t been to Woodys in many years, so when I asked the bartender if they had grouper, he gave me a passive aggressive answer with a touch of attitude by saying, «we haven’t had grouper in over 7 years». Just saying we don’t carry grouper anymore would’ve worked just fine.
I had the blackened Mahi sandwich with no bun and it was really good, nice portion of fish and even the coleslaw was very tasty. Beer was ice cold and I had a nice overall experience, great place to meet and chat with people from out of town.
The only negative thing is they still don’t take credit cards which really is ridiculous in 2015, seriously they need to quit being cheap and making people use their ATM for a $ 2.50 charge. So make sure if you go there bring plenty of cash.

We’ve been coming to this area for a few years– and every single time we eat out somewhere, desperately seeking out wonderful food and great atmosphere — my wife and I look at each other and say to each other «why the hell didn’t we just go back to Woody’s»
The food is absolutely wonderful and fresh and expertly prepared. I, nor anyone else I have gone to Woody’s with, has ever had anything but an awesome meal.
You want a beautiful piece of fish– this is the place
You want some awesome apps– this is the place
You want a perfect drink on the breezy water-​way– here!
Great service? GO FRIGGIN’ HERE!!!
Makes a great romantic evening on the water or the perfect place to go with the whole family .
Their menu is not huge, but it has just the right stuff, and everything they do, they do well.
Sure, try other places– but at the end of the day– you are just gonna wish you went back to Woody’s

I give Woody’s two stars instead of one because it’s on the water, they have a decent amount of parking, the burgers are good and they have good beer specials. Other than that, while it’s a nice place and typically full of nice patrons who are fun to talk to, it just doesn’t deliver in most other areas and there are better places on St Pete Beach to go to, and it’s cash only. I mean really? Here we are in 2015 and you don’t accept credit cards? I get it, the fees, but any reasonable business can negotiate that down into the 2% range (excluding Amex) and why turn away customers over 2%? There are probably a multitude of ways to save the 2% elsewhere in the business.
Anyway, you’ll find Woody’s has a ton of local retirees present most days of the week, but especially Sunday and Monday when they have a lot of drink specials which include $ 3 house margaritas. That can be a good thing if you like meeting all kinds of interesting people from all over the place, but it’s not a 20-​something hang out kind of place so don’t go there expecting a ‘beach bar’ vibe.
They have very good beer specials on Sundays and Mondays, so if you’re a beer drinker, that’s your time. The house margaritas are weak and taste a bit like lemon lime gatorade, so even though they’re only $ 3, I’d keep the $ 3 in my pocket and head on up to VIP Mexican in Treasure Island where you probably get three or four times the booze in their $ 5 margarita.
The food is average. What I recommend not ordering is the Ahi Tuna dinner. It looks fantastic, but I’ve had it four or five times now and three of the times the fish tasted a bit aged, and not in a good way; had a very not so fresh aftertaste to it. The fries, spicy fries and garlic fries are all great. Their burgers are pretty good, but don’t hold a candle to Willy’s Burgers & Booze across the street, so if you’re a burger snob and don’t mind being a block from the water instead of on the water, Willys is the better choice. Their seafood is decent but Oyster Shucker, also across the street, is better, and they also have a view of the water and outdoor seating, so again, Woody’s comes up a bit short. Their peel n’ eat shrimp are okay, but Crab Daddy’s a block down is better.
The parking is in unpaved lots on either side of the building and unfortunately has no markers whatsoever, which is not the best situation when a lot of the patrons are elderly. You’ll find cars just randomly parked at all angles and all distances away from each other, so it can make you very nervous about whether or not someone is going to misjudge whether they can fit in next to you.
On weekends there’s often a one man band that plays; he’s entertaining so that is one plus for visiting during the crowded weekend times.
Service has been kind of random for me. Sometimes you can sit for quite a long time, other times it’s great. I recommend the bar if at all possible.
So, to sum it up, there’s just one thing after another where Woody’s is average for a particular thing and someone else close by does it better. Better margaritas, VIP. Better burgers, Willys. Better seafood Oyster Shucker. Better music options, Crab Daddy’s, Toasted Monkey, Jimmy B’s, PCI Bar. Better water view, Jimmy B’s, Bongos, Brass Monkey. Better overall menu, Madaelina Cottage. Better straight boozing with locals, Swigwam.