What a wonderful dining experience! The food was absolutely excellent--everything was delicious and beautifully prepared. The service was outstanding, with friendly and attentive staff who made us feel welcome throughout our visit. And the view was simply amazing and made the experience even more special. Great food, great service, and a beautiful view--what more could you ask for? We will definitely be back! read more

Backwater Fins - View of water - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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The food was incredible we had the crab bisque with the extreme bites. Our main course was a Seafood Alfredo which we shared (recommendation their portions are nice sized). And the wife has a Backwater Lemonade and it was good. We sat outside with a nice breeze looking at the water and listening to nature. The service was great and the people were really nice. When you're up here come by and enjoy. read more

Backwater Fins - Alfredo Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Wow. What an absolute legend of a place. Some of the freshest and best seafood I've ever had. Service was excellent and very quick. The atmosphere was just perfect for the restaurant. read more

Backwater Fins - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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Very nice. William was our server and he was excellent. I had the jalapeño cornbread and red beans and rice while the hubs got a burger, all very good. Pretty spot on the water. Plenty of parking. read more

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Food and service was amazing and the location is beautiful . We have been back several times now

Went here for lunch this week, cute little place off the beaten path...they offer daily specials and offer waterfront dining as well..ordered a Combo of Clams and Shrimp and they offer a choice of side items..Chose the dirty rice and slaw ..food and service were excellent and food was served piping hot...Shrimp were delicious and Slaw and Dirty Rice as well..Clams were hard and were little tiny crumbs and pieces, would pick another choice for this combo next time.... read more

Backwater Fins - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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We rode our bikes from sweet citrus acres Rv campground and were so happy to have stopped here for lunch. We sat at the bar, service was great, so was the food. And the view was so peaceful out the back windows onto the water. read more

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Wonderful restaurant & food! One of our favorites & great atmosphere! Their service is always good.

We look forward to this restaurant on an annual basis. Last night we went there. I always have the steamed pot, they took it off the menu. Such a bummer that was such a great meal like I said it's something that we look forward to every year. The items on the menu that were available and its place did not hold a candle. The server was excellent. She knew her stuff and was very tentative The atmosphere in the restaurant again was superb. Really miss the great food that they used to have. read more

This out of the way spot has a beautiful view and the onion rings were amazing...those are the only reason I gave 2 stars. The rest of the dinner was a nightmare. We went for the bacon wrapped shrimp which we never received. My friend ordered her burger medium and it came well done, she never ate it. And our server, well let's just say I could have served myself better. She showed up once to take our orders and we didn't see her again for the rest of the meal. No drink refills, no passing by to see if we needed anything, nothing til we said something to the manager. And the restaurant was not crowded at all. We won't be going back, to worth the long drive. Plenty of other places on the water with great views to choose from in the area. read more

Just a great spot to grab some fresh seafood and views. Will B recommended our first experiences- stuffed Cajun angels and Grouper bites! Fabulous. Onion rings were huge! Great service and first time visit! read more

Backwater Fins - Onion rings - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Great place - was introduced to this place in 2022 by some great friends. Been there about a dozen times and never disappointed. Frequently visit on friday for the all you can eat fish. Great place, food, value, and amazing service. read more

Great food and service... Tucked away on a back road that you think you may start to hear the banjos playing lol read more

Backwater Fins - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Great service Delicious food Fish is fresh and oysters are delicious.Although the second time we went there, they were not as huge. dirty rice is delicious coleslaw is delicious read more

This restaurant is about 5 miles down a windy road to Ozello. They have seating outside and in. It sits on a beautiful backwater bay. They have music and karaoke. Drinks are good. Service is good and friendly. We always start with the crab balls . They are large and plenty of crab. The crab soup is also delicious. I got the all you can eat fish . It was lightly breaded and good. You must try the Cajun angels bacon wrapped shrimp. So good. read more

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Absolutely, amazing food!!! Loved this place!!! New favorite!!!! Will definitely be back when I'm back in Town!!

My friends and I went to Backwater Fins after a day of scalloping. We had an array of items, some of our favorites were the crab soup, the stuffed cajun angels and the conch fritters. I got the Hook, Line and Sinker, it was good and was just the right amount of food! The atmosphere is relaxing and there was a nice view of the water. Great little casual place to hang out after a day on the boat! read more

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Stoped in for lunch ordered grouper bites , fish dip and bacon wrapped shrimp. Was all excellent will visit again read more

This place is a hidden gem. I mean hidden deep in the gulf coast marshes of Ozello. The food was nicely prepared. The price matched the portions provided. Shrimp scampi had a lot of shrimp on a small bed of noodles. The fried haddock, shrimp and grouper were lightly breaded so you could taste the fish. The crab cakes and hush puppies were nice also. The crab legs were a good size unlike what you would find at a chain restaurant (red lobster). read more

Beautiful sunset!!!! Food was delicious and fresh. Service was wonderful. And I met the local kitty at the door!

This place is so good !! every time i have been here , the food was so good . I've been here 7 times . the waiters are always so sweet . theres live music on Fridays , its a gorgeous view. 11/10 experience. read more

Backwater Fins - clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

I love it when I can give a great rating. This is one of those times. I had about the best burger ever there today. 10/13/25. It was huge, tender and juicy. The tomatoe was actualy ripe and ruby red. The bun was fresh and lightly toasted. The fries were hand cut and tender. The server was friendly and service was good. We definitely had a great dinning experience there. read more

We were looking at a house on Ozello today and were hungry after! We spotted Backwater on our way out and gave it a try! From service to food, it was fantastic! The view was incredible! We started with the smoked fish dip. It was serviced with crackers, tortillas and sliced jalapeños. It had the wow factor!!!!! Next, we had our entrees: the shrimp basket and a side of coleslaw and the grouper sandwich with onion rings. The shrimp were huge and freshly breaded! The grouper was a thick fillet! And, omg, the onion rings!!! We know where we'll be going all the time, once the house transfers!!! read more

Cute little place. Server was nice...however, the food was lacking in flavor. Specifically the seafood boil. There was next to no seasoning. As if it was boiled in water then sprinkled lightly with paprika. The fried food was standard. The seafood boil was a major let down. Even my ancestors were disappointed. read more

we were visiting family locally, being from Ohio we definitely expect the seafood to be exquisite and expect to pay for it, but this incredibly quaint out of the way place did not disappoint at all. incredible food, service, hospitality. The prices were not over the top at all. Very awesome experience!!!! read more

While a few miles off Hwy 19/Commercial Way, what a great spot. Knew we hit a keeper when 10 locals all walked in. Met friends for lunch and the food was outstanding. I swear my scrimp platter tasted like lobster. The server was hopping but did a great job with the rush. read more

Now if you are willing to go off the beaten path this is a place to stop at. We sat on the deck in the sunshine overlooking the water. Really peaceful. The service was very good. For starters we got the Stuffed Cajun Angels and Extremer Crab Bites. Both were different, delicious and fun. For our main courses we got a Fins Reuben Sandwich and a Seafood Alfredo. Portions were huge and both were amazingly tasty. I would certainly recommend them and would go back if we end up in their area again. read more

I'm sure that this place doesn't advertise nearly enough; they are so far off the beaten path that most people would have no idea that it exists, if they were passing through the Crystal River area. It's worth the drive if you have the time. Their blue crab bisque (a sort of chowder), is amazing. They also have really good crabcakes and shrimp appetizers. read more

Excellent crab chowder. It's a casual place. Waitresses friendly and the food is good. Also tried the crab cakes. All good.

The Crab Bisque was the best I've ever had! Crab cakes and ultimate burger were fire too. The vibe and atmosphere is so dope. Definitely a hidden treasure. A local suggested it, so you know it's good;) Really cool drive to get there, off the beaten path. We went after crystal river springs - solid day read more

Backwater Fins - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

We came here after an exhausting day of scalloping. This place was highly recommended by our boat captain. It did not disappoint. Everything from the appetizers to the entrées were amazing. I ordered the crab cake, and I am generally a harsh critic since I am from the Maryland area. Even though it did not taste exactly like the crabcakes back in Baltimore, it was really good, well-seasoned, and I would order it again. Our waitress was very nice and treated us like we come there every week. They also have karaoke in the main room which is exciting. We came in during dinner and did not have a long wait. Everyone loved their food. I will definitely come back here the next time I am in the area. read more

Backwater Fins - Appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

The service there is top tier some go out of there way for you and get to you quickly the bar and view is amazing as well. They never burn or over cook food and it is always delicious. The bar has some great options and flavors they can mix up for you and they will have a football game for everyone whenever they can. read more

Backwater Fins - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Was very good, serving sizes are great! Our server was wonderful and took great care of us. The food is tasty with lots of local flavor :) lots of local fresh f fish! read more

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I drove an hour North of Tampa to the small fishing village of Ozello to check this place out, and was not disappointed. We sat outside by the water, and had a ton of steamed shellfish, corn, and red potatoes dumped in a glorious pile on our table. My only criticism is that I would prefer more seasoning. But, I'll make the trip again, because I saw others get chowder, gumbo, and bisque that I just have to try. And, the onion rings I saw on the next table were huge! read more

Backwater Fins - Seafood Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Very disappointing. We waited 15 min before anyone came to get our drink order. Our dinners were substandard. Fried haddock was undercooked, limp. 2 grouper dinners were overcooked. Shrimp scampi was in oil not butter. read more

Food was fabulous and had it been less windy and a bit warmer the patio would have been better to enjoy it all.

Ordered a fish Reuben on rye bread. Order came out, grilled fish on about half the sandwich with a melted slice of cheese. No sauerkraut, no dressing. $19.75. file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/d8/08/C3CDF424-5ACB-4DAA-A8ED-21EAE58B1518/IMG_0775.heic read more

Service was great hower the renowned stuffed Cajun angles which tasted ok gave me and my friend serious gypo guts the next day. Unfortunate, must have been old stock that had been upcycled onto our plates. read more

Off the wall place on the water. Food was fantastic. Had their burger. Incredible. Small place unassuming but the food was great. I don't think anyone would be disappointed. Dive bar. Sure. Drinks were very good also. read more

Great service and sitting outside on the patio was a great way to end our busy day out on the water!!