Great place to go sit by the water and enjoy a 'Drunken Monk' sweet potato with a friend. My dad really enjoys the large seafood plates, but I wish they had a larger variety of salads or lighter fare. One of my top five restaurants to take friends/family in the Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area plus the name is great! read more

So happy we found this place!!! Excellent service, Amber was a fabulous waitress. Everyone we passed or came in contact with was so friendly. Food was amazing also!!!! Live music was playing outside and just sitting on the river was great!!!! read more

I grew up in Brevard County and have moved all over the country as a member of the military and for my current career. I was in town to visit family and we wanted a place to eat good food on the water. Party of 14, would not accommodate when we requested seating with a water view. Restaurant was empty on a Thursday afternoon. One excuse after the next on why they couldn't do it. We offered to sit at 3 separate tables with 3 separate checks, they wouldn't do it. I have never experienced anything like this. Needless to say, we left! read more

We had heard good things about the one in Sebastian inlet, so we thought we would try the one in Melbourne. I am wishing we had stopped in on Saturday so we could enjoy the live music longer. The food was awesome, the band "Daytrippers" was good and had the crowd dancing. My fiancé and I will definitely be back when we are in the area again! Love the name too! read more

Good food fast service. Great location awesome view of the river. Bread was hot . Flounder was light and cooked perfectly. Mashed potatoes could have been better, but still creamy. Hubby ordered the Cuban sandwich he really enjoyed it. Kristen our server was friendly, sweet and fast on her feet. Definitely will be back to try more of the menu. read more

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First night in Melbourne and this restaurant was recommended to us by the front desk at the hotel we were staying at. So glad we ate there, food was good, service was good and the view was beautiful. read more

Squid Lips - Seafood Near Me - Melbourne, Florida

This was a big disappointment. But after reading some of the bad reviews, I know why. First, the ambiance of this place is not welcoming at all. This place really needs a new make over. Coming all the way from New Jersey, I was so not impressed. We definitely have better looking establishments down the shore. Secondly, I could tell by the taste of the fried calamari that the oil it was friend in was old and is not changed on a daily basis. I had the stuffed shrimp which is definitely not stuffed shrimp. It's really shrimp scampi topped with crab and lobster stuffing. Not impressed at all. To top it off, the taste was bland and I had to add salt and pepper to give it a good enough taste to be edible. I originally ordered the shrimp and grits, but sent it back. This is supposed to be one of there signature dishes and popular. I don't know why it is. It was far from being cooked good. It was as if the cook just threw a bunch of slop together and laid it over top of grits that by the way were not cooked properly for those of you that have grown up eating grits, you would understand. So, if I were you, I would spend my money elsewhere. Think they need to get there cooking skills up or replace the cooks they have. The only reason I'm giving it one star is because of the view on the ocean and also because our waiter Ben was great. He was attentive and made sure we were good. He provided excellent customer service in my book as he did a great job. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ABD MONEY. SO NOT WORTH IT. I WILL NOT BE RETURNING. read more

Squid Lips - Shrimp and Shrimp And Jalapeno Jack Cheese Grits, NOT GOOD AT ALL - Seafood Near Me - Melbourne, Florida

The one in Melbourne is sorta dirty looking. The one is Cocoa is FAB!!! The views are nicer too Think the foid is good in both read more

Location was great but the food a little tasteless. My scamp/alfredo dish could have used some more garlic or other spices but I couldn't put my finger on what. My nephew had fish and chips which were the best of the three meals we had. The fish and chips were excellent. The outside was nice and there was a live band playing. Overall a good place to have a drink and watch the band. Maybe while enjoying an appetizer. I'll go again. read more

Just like the reviews before.. awful food and awful management. Completely disorganized and unprofessional. I've tried this place a few times, but I am completely disappointed every time in the service. You could drive an extra 5 minutes (to beachside) and pay the same amount for a better experience. read more

Great food, great ambience! Waterfront views, piers, and outdoor bars. Music? You bet, the place is jammed. Still no DOORS or Led Zeppelin, but we keep asking. read more

Terrible food. Come for the view and a drink. The food is overpriced and not good at all.

Country songs , and delicious cocktails, the food isn't the best but good ................................

The first night we tried this place we had the bacon wrapped scallops ... oh my gosh - sooooo good!! We had a gentleman suggest the seafood lasagna so we went back the next night and I am so glad we did. The seafood lasagna is off the charts--- amazing!!!!! I did everything I could to get this Texas girl the recipe:) The atmosphere was great as well ! Julie was an awesome waitress and we will go back if we are in Melbourne again and suggest everyone to go if they have the chance. read more

We went here today for the first time for lunch. I can't believe we were never there. It's on The River. It's a beautiful location & a great local place to eat. That can be as important as the food. You can eat inside, in two different spots, you can eat out side in a large covered area, you can eat outside at tables in the sand & umbrellas right on the water. The food was very good! We want to try dinner there. read more

Breakfast Brunch is unbelievable seriously if I could eat more I would have I thought my tastebuds have seen it all but the day I tried their Banana Foster French toast I thought I died and went to heaven. Mother of god I want to live here! read more

Incredible food & beautiful view! Definitely recommend the lobster/shrimp Mac & cheese.

Fun happy hour on the beach, live music, good drinks and appetizers plus decent prices. Would suggest for anyone who likes a casual atmosphere! read more

Shame on you! If I could leave 0 stars I would!! I called squid lips at 11:30 AM on Sunday feb. 24. I wanted to find out if the deck was wheelchair accessible. My mother is 97 and in a wheelchair. I wanted to take her to a seafood restaurant with a view of the water. I was informed that the there was a wait for inside dining. Not what I asked. I asked again about accessibility on the deck. I was told that maybe we could find a place but that it was open seating. I tried again. Could the hostess possibly arrange a table on the deck that was wheelchair accessible. Again she said no. Really? Squid Lips obviously is not interested in anyone with a disability. The lack of cooperation was stunning. I will NOT be considering squid lips in the future and will post on sites for those who are differently abled. read more

Fun fun fun! But of course it Can get hot because... the fun is outside. They book fun bands on the regular. It is fun to pull up on the boat and dock and pop in for a lunch and a brew then float on the water. The chairs in the sand are low Adirondack chairs that are difficult for some people to get in and out of. read more

Had lunch there and it was just OK. That goes for both the food and the service. Really nothing special. Nice water view.

Florida is awesome. I just moved here and this place is Florida through and through. They have outside "beach" type seating even though it's on the river. They carved out a beach like area! It's so awesome. I love Florida!!! Me and my wife fell in love with this place. Amazing read more

I always really enjoy going to Squid Lips. The food is always good, the service is always very helpful and pretty quick, and the location is really nice. I love the complimentary bread they provide, it's got this pineapple taste to it but it's not overpowering or really sweet, it's just right and I definitely recommend trying a slice with some butter. When I come here, most times I order the Cajun Bacon Shrimp Alfredo pasta. Great portion size for the price, perfectly seasoned, cooked very well, and the flavors are always on par. I recommend trying this pasta dish if you haven't already! Literally my only complaint about this place is the hostesses. You could be standing up at the host stand for such a long time while they are either there looking down at something not paying attention at all or noticing you but joking with coworkers and not giving you the time of day. This is usually a common occurrence when I come here, but honestly I don't find this to be hugely impacting on the quality of the restaurant. Also just as an FYI, this place does get packed pretty often it can be a hit or miss to get a parking spot, honestly the best time to come is in the afternoon. read more

Three stars because of the ample free parking lot, waterfront with some nice view of Indian River, wide open space restaurant with some interesting Florida decor. I had the "Our Salad" with grilled tuna and it was a big disappointment. The greens and lettuce were not fresh and they were drowning in the salad dressing. It was a soupy salad and the tuna was not cooked right as I asked for medium, it was well done chewy and hard to swallow. I would go to hang out but I would eat somewhere else first. read more

Squid Lips - Seafood Near Me - Melbourne, Florida

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Love the atmosphere. The food is great a little overpriced but you are paying for the view

Went here for my birthday the 1st weekend in August. The view on the deck is outstanding, but being steamy August, I remarked it was quite hot. The server immediately offered to move us inside, which was awesome! So many times, servers hate to move tables in such situations because they are moving the customer out if their section, thus losing the tip. Not here, our comfort was on the top of the list and he got us a seat with an awesome window view! We had the Coconut Battered Onion appetizer...nice! 2 of us got the Shrimp Caesar wrap and one the Seafood Enchiladas, all terrific. Also the decor is terrific. Had a wonderful birthday meal here! read more

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Came here with my boyfriend on an unusually chilly evening we spent in Melbourne Beach. We didn't know the area well, didn't want to spend a lot, but also didn't want drive through. Reviews pointed us vaguely in the direction of Squid Lips. Ambiance: We found ourselves in a cavernous family restaurant, decorated with memorabilia and photos of bygone days and some historic information about the hotel that used to occupy the lot. In spite of the full parking lot, there was no wait for a table and we were seated quickly and efficiently by a distantly polite hostess. Quickly, we could see what kind of a place Squid Lips is: This is not a place for couples or small groups of friends. This is the place you take your aging parents who hate any kind of cuisine outside of their comfort zone. It is where you take your children because there's plenty of stuff on the menu for them, and the tables are spaced out enough that they won't be making a huge scene and knocking into the people next to you every 5 minutes. This is probably the place you go to for Happy Hour after work with the coworkers you don't like much. Service: Our server was friendly enough in a very brusque way. She was nice about explaining the menu and letting me know about the no-substitutions policy, but she spoke quickly and stiffly, like she had a million better places to be, or maybe she needed to go get the next table's food out of the microwave before it burned or something. The only time she smiled or made eye contact was when handing us the bill. Food: I ordered the grilled mahi in ginger apricot sauce with sides of "vegetable of the day" and au gratin potatoes. I was initially disappointed to find out that I couldn't sub my potato option for the maple baked sweet potato listed on the menu under "sides," until I saw the woman at the table next to ours digging into a sugar-topped baked football. They grow 'em big in Florida, I guess! My boyfriend got the Caesar salad topped with seared ahi, and we ordered conch fritters to split as a starter. The fritters were pretty good--not too much grease, flavorful, a heavy conch to breading ratio, and they came with a nice spicy sauce for dipping. The waitress dropped off a loaf of what she called pineapple coconut bread at the same time, though we found no actual coconut or pineapple in the sweet, yeasty loaf. It reminded me of a large King's Hawaiian sweet roll (which is not a bad thing). My boyfriend's salad came out as a bowl of fresh Caesar dressing soup mixed with a light sprinkling of Romaine and blanketed with parmesan cheese. The ahi floating on top of this mess was nicely seared but otherwise unremarkable. The sweet apricot sauce on my mahi was coated on more thickly than I would have liked (and also more sugary than I prefer), but otherwise it tasted fresh and spicy with a strong char to it. Not unpleasant. The sides were where the dish really fell apart. The vegetable medley: bland and overcooked. The green beans were simultaneously squeaky and soggy, the carrots and broccoli had no bite to them whatsoever. It took a healthy grind of pepper and salt and two lemon wedges to make them palatable enough to eat. The au gratin potatoes were without a doubt made by chef Betty Crocker, and then reheated. Eating this dinner was exactly like eating at a backyard barbecue hosted by an aging relative who stopped learning how to cook the day they got a microwave and a Costco card. Their idea of fresh and exciting is baked Alaska, or ketchup spiked with a little Tabasco sauce. They would absolutely love Squid Lips. read more

We went to this restaurant with my son and his fiancee. After reading the reviews, I did not expect too much. As to the food, it was average for seafood. The fish fingers appetizer was quite good, with the breading very crispy. I had the grilled grouper, which was just average. While if must have been fresh, it tasted frozen. My wife had muscles, which were edible, nothing special. And then the surprise. At the end of our meal I saw either a large mouse our small rat run under a table next to the kitchen near us. I immediately told our waitress who ran off to find someone. Finally, someone claiming to be a manager asked why we wanted a manager. When I explained what I saw, she acted somewhat in disbelief. When I insisted, she said they definitely did not what that and she would be sure someone took care of it either that night or tomorrow. This is the first time I have seen such a thing in a restaurant for as long as I can remember. The attitude was much too cavalier given the obvious seriousness of what happened. I certainly would never go back. read more

If I could give this negative stars, it would be too good for this place. The male manager was courteous, and let us know that it would be a 10 minute wait to sit outside. When we finally sat out on the sand, everything went downhill. First our waitress passed us completely a few times. I find it hilariously odd how many people who works have that kind of attitude. And then complain about not making good tips. We had to find a lovely brunette hostess who helped us out and got us drinks. Finally our waitress comes and is so distant and discombobulated that she made us feel like we were bothering her. I don't eat out to feel like that and I don't believe anyone else does. A very sweet young man served us our food. What was our waitress for again??? I also have to doubt that locals frequent here regularly because they can get much better tasting food for half the price. If they do come here often, it's because they don't know good food from dirt. $8.99 for tough, rubber calamari? $13.99 for a dry, hard mahi sandwich? $8.99 for semi-decent grilled chicken? We waited so long for our waitress that we had to go FIND her to pay. The black cherry glaze saved the bland meats. The seafood tasted like they didn't clean them before cooking. I threw away my leftovers because I had a stomachache. It was just disgustingly not worth it. There are other places that are smartly priced for the area, and have waaaaaaaaaaaay better food. I expect this kind of crap from one of those pretentious tourist traps on South Beach. read more

Finally got around to popping in and while not overly impressed - it certainly wasn't bad. My 4 star is really 3 1/2. The location is obviously fantastic. Right on the river they even have a dock, though some people pull their boats right up to sand. The building is the old Oleander Hotel which later was most known as Conchy Joe's. They have a more formal dining section, an indoor bar kinda spot and right on the water service (our choice naturally!) It is a casual atmosphere (including beach slags wearing thong bikinis - not while I'm trying to eat please!) and a mixed crowd which keeps things entertaining. They had a mainly seafood menu which pretty much consisted of appetizers. Between the 3 of us we ordered the fish taco (they use fried mahi & according to the face my bff made I'd opt away from the accompanying sauce), corn flake crusted chicken strips (comes with a honey mustard - a bit greasy but not the worst), chicken wings which we really liked they were basted & cooked in a really great sauce and my love chowed the fish strips (also corn flake crusted & mahi) which came w/ a basic tartar sauce. Unfortunately for him of the 6 strips only 2 were not over cooked - which is not a good thing for mahi. Our server was ehhhh, she really only paid attention to us when we'd already finished our meal (Do you want another drink, do you want another drink - every 90 seconds. I get you're trying to increase the tab but it was pretty annoying). She had no control over how long it took for us to get our food but as it was over 20 min she prolly shoulda at least bothered to say hi. It's a great little spot to meet up w/ friends, take the family out to eat and a definite must for any of your visiting relatives. read more

Man...where do I begin! The service was excellent!!! The restaurant is amazing love everything about the decor and the frigging prayer boxes they have if you need a boost of encouragement!!! The food was cooked perfectly it was so good!! I got to taste their fried shrimp and that was cooked perfect! I had the seafood lasagna and oh my goodness the goodness on that plate ! I recommend this place 100% everyone in our party was pleased and trust me it was a big party! We were there for a woman's retreat!!! read more

Food was fine but over priced drinks, atmosphere was as of a lake house in the bar area. Outside bar had live music. Do not get the squid lips bloody, just get the house only diff is with out the gross poop filed chewy shrimp. Also the outside bar u can smell the garbage can. read more

Squid Lips - Seafood Near Me - Melbourne, Florida

Claims to be "where the locals go". At these prices I am a little dubious of that claim, BUT I could see why they would. Strongly reminded me of The Starboard in Rehoboth Beach, DE, in a good way. Food was reliable fast seafood fare, the standard fish sandwich (tuna with LTO) was tasty with the black cherry pepper glaze. My friend got the abaco fish sandwich which was delicious, but giant. And in our opinion over cheesed (fish+cheese is just weird). Then again, as good as it was, making the abaco sandwich that big means after all of your friends steal bites, you will still be left with enough to eat. Outdoor seating area was excellent. Fans and misters kept the heat and the mosquitoes manageable in the August Floridian heat, and I imagine at night in the dry season I will be spending lots of time relaxing on that deck with a few drinks. read more

Sometimes you just want to sit by the water and have a great meal on a Sunday afternoon. Which would pretty much describe any Sunday for us. I've been reading the reviews for Squid Lips for some time now, but it's a 30+ minute drive and when the 'sometimes waterfront feeling' hits, we just go to the port a few blocks away. Today we head down to Squid Lips, mostly because of YELP reviews. We were not disappointed. We sat outside next to the water, ordered ice tea, scallops for an app and kicked back. It's off-season, so it wasn't crowded. The tea was fresh brewed, the app was great. I ordered the mahi ruben and my wife got the tuna sandwich. The service was quick and attentive and the food was served quickly and was fantastic. It really had everything you want in a casual river-side setting. My wife said "I'd love to spend the whole day here." This says volumes. Solid four stars. For us, what props it up to 5 stars is the water access. The restaurant has it's own dock for small craft, and next to it is a county dock with free dockage for 8 small craft. We usually run our dinghy from our boat to shore, and sure enough, there was a small beach that formed from the end of the causeway granite rocks, to where the restaurant coquina rocks started, just the perfect size for six or seven dinghies to come ashore. No wonder this place is popular with the local sailing community. The restaurant is located on the Indian River, which is part of the ICW (intracostal waterway), so a cruising sailor could drop anchor offshore and run in for a great meal. For us, that means FIVE STARS. We salute dining facilities that cater to the boating community. While were were here, two small craft came over from Merritt Island/Indian Harbor Beach, tied up and came in for lunch. We will come here again, both in our boat and on land. It looks like it'll be a fun place at night with a band. Their calendar seemed full of activities. For a casual dining beach bum, this is a perfect place for us. read more

Amazing atmosphere and service. Delicious food and drinks. I can't say enough great things about this place. Our family loves this restaurant!! read more

My pork was so severely overcooked it looked, smelled, and tasted like charcoal. Drinks were overpoured, and the service was very slow. My boyfriend got the cuban sandwich and it was good. The waitress was nice. read more

When we lived in Sebastian we went to the Squid Lips there all the time. So we were so happy relocating close to the Melbourne location. It's a weekly stop for us. Food is almost always right on, ya service can be iffy but I worked in restaurants before in my life and know that sometimes things can get behind or you may have an off day, so I just sit back and enjoy the view. Lunch specials are a good deal during the week and there is almost always a coupon in my email for BOGO or 20% off or something. It's a great location. Before moving to Florida I had never seen a "sand bar" style place. It's a great way for the whole family to enjoy some live music and drinks and relax. Their beach area is nice and the breeze from the river is perfect for hot days! For food: I only get anything grilled. The oak wood taste and smell is amazing and honey lime sauce is the best one. Their wings are always really good. Teriyaki Garlic are my favorites. The raspberry tea is delicious (I mix it with half unsweet since it's a bit on the sweet side). They do have valet on weekends and it is worth the couple bucks to pay the guys. They are super nice and usually chat with us while we wait for a table. Any of the bad reviews seem to be with issues the people have personally versus with Squid Lips themselves and are typically from granola yuppie artsy fartsy places. If you are truly unhappy with service/food/ etc that it makes you feel like it worth a one star rating speak up and say something! Trust me, I have and it's ALWAYS been taken care of to the point that I can confidently leave a fantastic review. Give Squid Lips a chance and take it for what it is. A cool eclectic place with a beautiful view and tropical breezes and good food. read more

Squid Lips is one of those places you look forward to. Their laid back atmosphere and great service is what makes them top notch. I LOVE that they have LIVE music. The bands are always entertaining and it makes for a great night of dancing and drinking! The outside bartender Tommy is absolutely awesome. He knows what a bartender is SUPPOSED to do. Super friendly, he's quick, he's cracking jokes and full of personality, and this past Saturday was the best drinks we've had in a long time! We've been long time patrons of SquidLips and we plan on keeping it that way!! You MUST try the Cuban sandwich. It's just as good as you'd find in Miami! The Conch fritters and Calamari are really good too but that Cuban sandwich is a winner EVERY time!! Squidlips is the place to be whether you feel like dining inside, dancing outside with their AMAZING local bands, or just hanging out in the sand by the river watching the boats go by. read more

AMAZING SUNDAY BRUNCH!!!!!! I would go every Sunday and partake in that amazing Bloody Mary bar every weekend if I could!!!!!!!

I loved this place! My boyfriend and I were out in Melbourne for a wedding and decided to stop by for lunch. I am so glad we did. The service was friendly and a table overlooking the water was exactly what we needed to escape the horrible hotel food! We started off our meal with delicious conch fritters, which weren't too greasy. I had the peel n' eat shrimp with a side salad and my boyfriend had the fish and chips. Both of us could tell the seafood was fresh, and everything was cooked to perfection. While we were dining, we saw several dolphins playing in the water from outside the window! We wandered outside to take pictures and look at the little beach-type atmosphere outdoors, where dining is also available. Overall, this was a great experience and I would go back. read more