Really fun atmosphere with tons of outdoor seating and live music. You can either order at the counter and seat yourself or there's another part of the restaurant where you can be waited on. We ordered at the counter and everyone we interacted with was friendly despite them being busy. As far as the food-- my husband got shrimp tacos with homemade chips and I got fried catfish with beans, potato salad, and Texas toast. My husband said the tacos were good but he wished there was some more boom boom sauce. I tried his chips and I thought they were good, but needed a little salt. They have salt and pepper + sauces in a certain area so that is an easy fix. My fish was delicious. I'm from the south and I thought there was no way the fish would be comparable. However, the breading was perfect and it definitely had just come out of the fryer. They gave you a lemon to squeeze on top which I also appreciated. The potato salad was absolutely delicious 10/10. The beans were good, but they are sweet (more like brown sugar baked beans). I like my baked beans more savory. My husband loved them though. Texas toast was buttery, but definitely had been sitting under a heat lamp. I didn't care-- still thought it was good. The fact that the food is good and fast once you order is pretty miraculous considering how busy they were. read more

Snook Haven - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

I am super sad this place is closing! This was truly one of a kind, old school Florida, BBQ , Brews, and Live music type of place. Right up my ally. It's situated off a winding river in Venice that I think connects to the Ocean. We went on Sunday and it was PACKED! Wow! The bluegrass band was great and people were seated at tables, and their own lawn chairs so obviously they came prepared. The people working the place were very nice and they have a good well oiled system as far as ordering and your order coming out. Now the food was not cheap, but it was some great BBQ. We got the shredded pork and the Texas Brisket and my dad said the brisket was some of the best he has ever had. They have pitchers of cold beer with the frozen metal cubes in the center. And even though it was a hot day, we thoroughly enjoyed our food and drink. Not to mention the river that is located right next to the venue. It was great scenery to sit and be around the water even though it wasn't the ocean. I hope you all know how great this place is and get to try it before it goes away. I think countdown is 60 days. To the owners: This place will be missed and I am sure you have heard that from 1000s of people. Thank you for serving the community and creating a great atmosphere for us to enjoy read more

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I came here while on vacation with my parents, fiancé, and a friend. We had a great view of the ocean up on the deck, listened to the band, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. We all ordered drinks, I got a drink that was like mango and piña colada. It was pretty good not as sweet as I expected it to be. I also ordered pork nachos. It was very filling and tasted great! Unfortunately due to my seafood allergy I couldn't eat anything cooked in the fryer so be aware of that if you have any seafood allergies. Our server was pretty average but was accommodating to my allergy so I definitely appreciated that. Overall I had a great time and definitely will be back! read more

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Service--spectacular. Our waitress was great and took wonderful care of us. Ambiance--right on the river. This was a lovely spot. Live music. Outdoor seating, if you want it. We could have fed the gators! Food--it was good. It was not spectacular. It was tasty and thrown together quickly. I've had better and I've had worse. We enjoyed it, but it could have been better overall. We were satisfied with it. Nothing spectacular to write home about. read more

Snook Haven - Fried Green Tomatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

Unique vibes and amazing food! Where else can you take a swamp tour and see a bunch of cool gators and then have some delicious barbecue? We opted to sit outside in the serviced area to take in the swamp vibes. Derrick warmly welcomed us and kindly helped me decide between the different sides, which all sounded amazing. I opted to get corn on the cob and baked beans with my ribs, which were delicious. The corn bread though really stood out as well. We also had the sweet potato fries as an app. These were delicious but I'd recommend pairing them with a barbecue sauce instead of the herby sauce they came with since they're seasoned sweetly. read more

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Snook Haven has a special place in our heart. When visiting family, going here became a tradition. Service is friendly, food was tasty and of course the ambience is exactly what you want in an outdoor barbecue restaurant where you eat picnic style while enjoying live music. We had a great time, and made new memories. Can't wait to come back. read more

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I went to Snook Haven for the very first time today. They will be closed forever starting tomorrow. I wish I had not taken so long to come here. I have lived in Sarasota County, FL for 10 years now. I rolled up at 6pm. Most everything was sold out. Beer included. It is an absolutely beautiful place, and actually very easy to get to. The Folk who work there, are beyond nice & friendly. The customers are mostly older Folk in their 60s-90s. I am 55. If you are a "Southerner" you will be happily surprised that most customers are from Massachusetts and New York, and so you can have interesting conversations with people you may not regularly meet. Like if you went to Montauk, NY and everyone there was visiting from Charleston, SC. I was there with my golden retriever and red jeep. The pulled pork was better than anything in Sarasota County, 10/10. Slaw 9/10, Mac/Cheese 8/10. I will absolutely go back, if it ever re-opens. It is seriously the prettiest area of the river. Kid friendly, Family friendly, I was the only one there with a dog. It is best not to bring your dog, however. It is not a wild/crazy vibe like most dog places are. Much more low-key. First time there in 10 years, and I love it. read more

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Good food. A bit pricey. Good Entertainment And boat ramp access. It is a great place to bring the whole family. Child friendly outdoor arena. Great music and available parking. read more

Very good food. We had Taco's and a few drinks. Workers were friendly and service was fast. They had a single gentleman singing and playing music with great sound. Heard closing its a shame because could could tell a fun place for locals and snow birds. read more

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What a gem! We are staying on the west side of Venice - saw the flags for Snook Haven on our drive in - decided we had to check it out. Driving west on Venice Ave - when you get to State Highway 777 - aka River Road - yes - you keep going west. There's some construction going on - so the intersection may be built up soon - but in April of 2024 - Venice Avenue becomes a two lane gravel road west of 777. Keep going! We pulled in to the first parking lot we saw - which was near an unused "picnic house". Walked another 1/8 of a mile to the restaurant - no big deal - but there is a closer parking lot. I believe that Snook's is a former fishing camp - thus the out buildings - and the bathrooms being in their own separate building. The place definitely qualifies as "quaint". You can eat inside for table service - or order from the counter and sit at one of the many picnic tables outside. We opted for outside so we could enjoy the music from the quartet of guys playing their own arrangements of a number of popular songs from the 60s to the early 2000's. enjoyable. But enough about ambience - what about the food? I enjoyed the Camp Salad with pulled chicken and their blue cheese dressing. The salad had a variety of greens - not just iceberg - white onions, carrots, red cabbage, tomato slices, croutons and shredded cheddar cheese. Well done - and the blue cheese paired well with the pulled chicken. Rick opted for the pulled chicken platter - with delicious garlic bread, baked beans and the healthiest portion of Cole slaw I have seen in quite a while. They have quite a selection of draft beers from local as well as national brewers. We each enjoyed two cold beers while we dined and listened to the music. All in all a great evening at Snook Haven. read more

Snook Haven - Snook Haven Tuesday night entertainment - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

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Not being big meat eaters, we visit Snook Haven for the ambiance, not the food. The food is okay-- but eating on the river and listening to live music is a fun time! Service was good with a smile-- and the live music entertaining! Ordered the pulled chicken sandwich and the kale salad. The pulled chicken had nothing on it-- no lettuce or tomato or sauce. They do have a few sauce options outside though-- so that helped! The kale salad was flavorful with pickled onions and a raspberry dressing. We always try to visit once on our vacations to FL--will miss this place, as we heard they are closing up in 180 days! read more

Snook Haven - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

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Funky spot, great barbecue and great service. I was visiting my daughter so decided to come based on previous reviews from fellow yelpers. They had live music, plenty of parking which was very organized. Plenty of seating both outdoor and indoor. They have some seafood offerings but mainly barbecue. Beer and soft drinks available with free refills on the soft drinks. They do have a children's menu as well. We sat outside overlooking the river. I had the brisket with homemade chips and baked beans, my wife had the brisket sandwich and my daughter the brisket tacos. The brisket was tender and smoky, they have different kinds of barbecue sauce at the table. Overall it was a great meal and experience. read more

Snook Haven - Outside seating - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

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2nd visit. Went tonight because Mom knew one of the music members. It's a one-of-a-kind location. Had brisket sandwich, burger, and a beer. Brisket was very generous serving. They have many specialty beers, but I stick with Miller Lite. Staff display great attitudes, reflexing it's a good place to work. read more

The atmosphere was laid back and they had live music. Lots of outdoor seating. I ordered the salad with pulled chicken and it was just okay. My husband had the shrimp tacos and he felt the same, it was just okay. The server was professional and friendly. There was a raccoon wondering about the property. I personally did not care to see that happening. I did not feed it. lol. I'd be willing to give it another try. I'd say probably best for getting a beer and listening to their live music, which it looks like they have every night. read more

Good bbq food, nice location, very jungly, watch for alligators. The two meat platter was good and filling, Mac and cheese was a bit bland but everything else was spot on. Servers were very friendly and helpful. Had some live music going on as well read more

Awesome food, service and scenery as always. A quick visit before the shutdown! Had fried green tomatoes, pulled pork and sausage, and an excellent brown ale! read more

Hush puppies - YES! Very authentic. Fried Green Tomatoes - also a resounding yes! Especially with the dipping sauce Blackened catfish - SO good! Garlic bread - decent Baked beans - flavorful! Collards - sadly a meh. Tastes like smoked rubber. Desperately needs some malt vinegar Gator bites - SO good! Tastes like chicken ;) Chicken wings - looked fantastic! And I'm told they taste just as good as they look! Veggie burger - I'm told it's okay but kind of soggy Cobb salad - good Big bootie brownie - YUM!!! Big brownie that's dense, flavorful, awesome whipped cream, and....bonus points: comes HOT! If you're looking for real southern food this joint won't disappoint! Very filling and generally quite tasty. read more

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Cool dive bar type atmosphere. Yummy Mahi fish tacos. The raspberry spiked lemonade needed some alcohol in it

What a hidden little gem. We were told by this place by our realtor when we moved to this area. We had driven by it many times and if you don't know about it I can see how you miss it. It's nestled down a beautiful tree line dirt road that ends in the cutest little area full of picnic tables, music and string lights. It felt like we were in summer camp. It's really old Florida here, just like it was when we were kids. There as nothing fancy about this place. But the music was great. The food was good and the service was friendly. The only issue I had was roaming baby raccoons but that comes with the area. read more

Food, service, and atmosphere all amazing! We will be back! Right on the water. Beautiful views read more

Snook Haven - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

Love this bit of old Florida. We always have a good time here. Looking forward to seeing the renovations.

Everything's good especially life! Ipso Facto, Deus Vult! "It is because God wills it!" read more

Positively the worst restaurant I have ever been to. So over priced I added a picture of the large gator bites $18.95 they were hard to chew the sauce was nasty I get these a lot when we eat out at other places cost $5 less on average and trice as much. Dinner was a catfish dinner one half a filet. My wife had the same thing if I had to bet money it was not catfish. $80 for the whole meal I would not eat here if I were you. My daughter in law had brisket there was hardly any smoke ring on the meat. This place is a dump. read more

Snook Haven - The larger portion $18.95 lmao - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

The food and service was wonderful. The band was great too! Tuna and wrap with turkey and bacon great delicious!

Great sunsets. Live music. Boat docking. Good food. We have been visiting Snooks off and on for two years and have seen the place evolve. The owners have changed and the most notable improvement has been the food. It has gone from sort of passable bar food to actually really good food. I don't think the menu has changed since the menu is the same but that execution has been several notches above what it was. The atmosphere is simple, casual, typical SW Florida fish camp with mostly picnic tables and no air conditioning but it is so charming. Prices are reasonable for a waterfront place on Lemon Bay with spectacular sunsets. They have live music on the weekends which is fun. No cover charge. Try this true SWFL fish camp when you feel like having a good time that is laid back and comfortable. read more

If you're in the Venice area, put this place down as a must-visit. It's such a unique restaurant, being out in the woods with tall trees all around you, along with a river that runs beside it where you can rent a canoe or kayak to paddle on. There's also a store to buy souvenirs and live entertainment on various evenings. We arrived on a Sunday evening at 5:00pm and it was a little busy, but nothing crazy. We found out that the area to the right of the place is for hanging out at the picnic tables and ordering your food at the counter. Inside and at the back (with a view of the river), you receive full service. Our server was friendly and quick. She brought us a couple of cans of beer and we enjoyed the view of the river and the boats passing by on it. We then ordered their specialty, BBQ, and chose an appetizer of smoked wings (6) and a platter of three meats and two sides, ribs (2), smoked wings (4), beef brisket (2 pieces), and coleslaw. The ribs were not fall off the bone type, a little on the tough side, but tasty. The brisket wasn't anything to write home about, but the smoked wings really shined; excellent flavor. The coleslaw was good, but very sweet. Our food arrived barely warm, they need to work on that. Overall, it's quite the experience dining here. We will definitely be back. read more

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This place was very popular, so it must be fairly decent. However if you're new, and aren't aware of the (somewhat chaotic) process they follow, just know that every waitress will treat you like you're an idiot. Can't speak to the food because we left. May give it one more shot, but honestly Venice has so many great food options we may just skip this one. read more

We have eaten here a couple times, and the food is very good. we always get one or two meat platters and this time had the barbecue nachos as an appetizer and they were very tasty. The barbecue sauces that they provide are wonderful and you can't beat the ambience with seating along the river or out front when they have live music. Definitely an "old Florida" feel. read more

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Still just the most amazing food! The service is always top notch and the place is un describable! It's old time Florida on the bio! Love it! read more

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we went to the restaurant and everything was tasty with good prices, there are 2 taxidermy alligators on the walls and its fun to eat there. We took the pontoon alligator ride what a fun time! There were plenty of alligators to see and the woman that gave the tour was interesting and professional she gave the 3 of us the front seats and let my son hold the big alligator head. I will definitely be going again if not just for the restaurant. read more

Great atmosphere on the water a bit like deliverance. My wife was almost scared about going in but we did and oh how much fun, we sat outside overlooking the water. It was very calming. It has the old Florida feel to it. The service was fantastic. They had a variety of craft beers, my wife enjoyed the Raz wheat and blueberry wheat beers. we split the smoked chicken wings. They were quite possibly the best wings I've ever eaten. We will definitely bring our friends back to this hidden Paradise. Oh by the way did I mention they had a guy playing the banjo outside. read more

The service was great, our waitress was so friendly and attentive! The food was so yummy, we got the fried catfish dinner, pulled pork, and Smokey Joe! All were amazing selections, loved the collard greens and potato salad sides!! The view was also amazing and serene! read more

Snook Haven - View - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

The atmosphere is great and the servers were friendly and the environment near the restaurant is amazing. This is definitely a place to go for drinks and live music; as far as the food goes... it was mediocre at best. I would probably give my meal a 6/10. There was barely any pulled pork on my sandwich the chips were clearly under a heat lamp for a while and the macaroni needs some seasoning added to it. I will be back again for the music and cold beer; but I wouldn't really recommend this place to others for good food. read more

Snook Haven - Fried okra - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

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Fun atmosphere to take grandchildren and visiting guests to Venice!! The service was outstanding by our Waitress who was extremely pleasant and helpful and saw that the young children had a fun time!! The food was good and entertainment enjoyable!! Definitely will go back!! read more

This place is terrific. Totally a hidden gem. Fun and funky little Old Florida place secreted on Myakka River, right by it!!!!, and they rent kayaks and canoes. Fun for the whole family even if you're just eating or just boating but do both. The food is really good. And they only have one dessert, a big Brownie and whip. Very good. Best mac and cheese anywhere. Yummy BBQ. Beautiful view outdoor seating. Screened seating. And indoor seating. Everyone was very friendly. They have live music sometimes too. Follow them on IG or FB or whatev. I can't say enough nice things about this eatery. Family friendly. Craft beers. Fair prices and yummmm. My daughter said she wanted to come back before we even finished. Smart cookie. read more

Snook Haven - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

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The one star is for the food: A party of eight, we ordered spare ribs, pork nachos, shrimp tacos, macaroni, baked beans, etc. basically everything on the menu. We can honestly say it was the worst barbecue ever. And we are barbecue experts. I especially want to shout out to the nastiness of the shrimp tacos. Three tiny little frozen shrimp in a taco. It tasted like cardboard. And the mac & cheese? Came out of a box. No big loss this place is closing in March. read more

After kayaking the Myakka River stopped in for a beer and some music. band played till 5pm. Great end to the day. read more

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Fun place with rustic camp atmosphere and terrific food! We had the pork nachos and they were great! This restaurant makes 4 types of house made barbecue sauces-so of course we had to try them ALL! The nachos are the perfect vehicle for this! The pulled chicken sandwich is delicious! Tender and juicy! It was served on a Kaiser roll that did not fall apart which is an added bonus! We also shared a meat platter-brisket, ribs and pulled pork. Each one was fantastic! The brisket was tender and had a nice, crispy charred edge. The ribs were good too-had a nice dry rub on them-the perfect vehicle for more sauce!! We can't wait to return down the dusty, dirt road to eat here again!! read more

Fun atmosphere. Banjo band was entertaining, and food and drink were great. We'll be back again and hope that the remodeled restaurant is as fun and interesting as. read more

This restaurant had very good food and gave the old south atmosphere. Sad to hear they're actually closing it and remodeling