This place was recommended to us after kayaking to see the manatees, we asked for a spot with a water view, and this was the place to come. The building nearby is currently under construction, but surely the location would be much more welcoming once the construction is complete. We ordered the smoked fish dip to share, and I had the fish and chips. The smoked fish dip came with round crackers. I liked that it had a hint of smoky flavor without being overpowering. I'm always a fan of fish and chips, and the portion was generous! The only downside was that the fries were placed under the fish, so by the time I got to them they were a bit greasy and soggy. The view is truly a great selling point -- we spotted birds, fish, and what we believe were dolphins! read more

Waterfront Social - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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The food was really good. The service was exceptional and the atmosphere well, what can you say when you're looking out on a beautiful bay? We ordered, fried gator tail, my husband had a tuna poke bowl and I had the grouper bites with an order of french fries. Everything was very good. Service was quick friendly and from our table we saw the beautiful Kings Bay and it was so pretty.. we didn't realize we could sit at the tiki bar, which was right down the path and sit closer to the water, but we'll have to come back to this place and try that out. It's all the same food both places. Everything we ordered you had a choice of fried, blackened, or grilled Our server came back three times to see if everything was good was very attentive and everybody there seemed to work like a team, which makes it nice. .Our total bill came to $69. If we would've used cash, we would've saved three dollars. They also have a gift shop with a bunch of different shirts and Stuffed manatees. You also can book to take a cruise right there out on the bay or to go swimming with the manatees. There is also an attached hotel in boat docks. We will definitely be back there!!! read more

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This is such a great, waterfront spot. Staff is beyond friendly. Plenty of space inside and at the bar, but we opted to catch the sunrise on the covered, heated patio, and that was absolutely the right call. Service was quick and efficient. We had wine, with the cheese curds app, and then followed up with a salad with blackened mahi (huge portions) and the crab cakes with rice and veggies. Everything was well cooked and great quality. We were tired so we took a piece of peanut butter pie to go and that was the perfect end to the meal. It would be great in warmer weather, to really take advantage of the tiki bar vibes! read more

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Stopped in the day after Thanksgiving. The atmosphere was clean and quiet, and the staff was friendly. The blackened grouper bites and the fish from the fish & chips were the highlights--cooked perfectly. However, the sides were a letdown. The fries on both our plates were cold and dry. I also ordered the mahi tacos, but the ratio was off; way too much slaw for the size of the tortilla. The burger and cheese curds were just okay. Good service, but the food was a mixed bag. read more

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This was my first time visiting this restaurant, though I've heard it's a local favorite. It's located right on the water, which gives it a really fun, relaxed ambiance and a cool overall vibe. The restaurant did seem a bit understaffed, but everyone on the team was extremely friendly and attentive -- they made sure to check on every table often. And it being the 26th we totally understand. I ordered the mahi-mahi tacos, which were excellent. They were packed with fish, had great flavor, and the portion size felt very fair for the price. My family ordered the poke bowls and really enjoyed them as well -- they looked delicious. Overall, it was a great meal in a great setting, and I'd definitely come back. read more

Waterfront Social - Blackened Mahi Tacos (3) - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Very good grouper sandwich with a side salad. The waitress was friendly and attentive. read more

Waterfront Social - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

This was our first visit to Waterfront Social. We were greeted by a very friendly hostess who showed us to our table on the deck overlooking the water. Our waitress was great checking in on us throughout our dinner. We had the amberjack special grilled which was perfectly cooked and delicious. Our daughter had the crab cakes and said they were very good. She even ate the Cole slaw commenting I usually don't like Cole slaw but this was good. This cost to crystal river we have tried new restaurants and are glad we did having new places to add to our list for future visits! read more

After my wife's visit to the orthodontist, we were looking forward to lunch at Waterfront Social after reading positive reviews about the place. When we plugged the place into our GPS, we were taken to a dusty parking lot across from an active construction site. Apparently, a hotel damaged by last year's hurricanes is being restored/renovated. We saw the sign for Waterfront Social and walked thru this tunnel-like structure that opened up to views of Kings Bay. We were seated outside with good views of the water. Upon being presented with the menu, my wife ordered their Classic Fish and Chips ($19.75) and I tried their Blackened Grouper (market price which turned out to be just under $30) which was served with Coconut Jasmine rice and broccoli. Service was fairly quick and we were served our meals soon enough. My first impressions were that the rice looked mushy like it's been cooked with too much water and how the grouper portion size was on the small side. Upon tasting the rice, its mushiness was confirmed and lacked any coconut taste. The grouper was fresh and flaky and had good flavors...wished there was more of it. My wife thought her fries weren't served hot and the fish had too much batter, but otherwise tasted decent. We really wanted to like this place and were hopeful we've found our "go to" lunch place in Crystal River. The views were nice but the serving portions and misses on food execution (ie mushy rice, not hot fries, and abundant batter on the fish) coupled with the lack of value all contributed to a 3-star rating for us. The search continues. read more

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Sure, I knew what to expect, but this is a restaurant attached to a hotel that recently had some hurricane damage. They are rebuilding and it looks great. My husband and I were looking for some place new for us to eat and I let Yelp spinner do the thing and we ended up here. When we first arrived. We decide we wanted to sit inside with the air conditioning, it was actually cooler sitting outside and we had the best view. Crystal River is truly one of the most pretty places on Earth. The food was very tasty. My husband had their special which was blackened, Amber, Jack and two sides, I had a huge Caesar salad with shrimp. Sadly, the salad was not something to write home about. Though. My husband did enjoy his fish. We would definitely come back here again, especially during the summer and sit outside watching people. Enjoy the amenities this area has read more

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Food was so good! Great vibe! Tiki bar has live music on Tuesdays and you can book a sunset cruise on the Kings Bay! read more

Waterfront Social - With a sunset cruise! - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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We sat right in the water on the other side of the bar. Very nice server. I had the grouper sandwich which was huge. My wife had salad and grouper bites. Food was very good and the view was great! read more

Waterfront Social - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Had dinner at Waterfront Social during a weekend trip to Crystal River. And we arrived after got dark, so I don't have any feedback on the views, but the service was friendly and our food came quick. Maybe a bit too quick for the entrees, but we managed. The dressing on the Cobb Salad was excellent with a bit of a kick. My husband enjoyed his Smash Burger. I had a bite and agree that it was good. But the real winner was the Reese's Pie. I had been craving Peanut Butter Pie, and this hit the spot perfectly. read more

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Lovely little waterfront restaurant. We stopped for dinner after a long day of driving and had a very nice time. Every employee was friendly. We shared an excellent salad. Fiancé loved his clam chowder, and I enjoyed the cheese curds. Pumpkin martini was the best part. read more

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Christian our server was amazing! Very attentive...and on their game!! Food was really fresh and so delicious. Views over the water were very nice and peaceful. The drinks were fantastic....I mean.....really good!! I enjoyed not one but two Royal Floridian cocktails with my Waterfront Cobb Salad topped with Blackened Mahi. I also enjoyed the grouper bites (blackened). For us gluten free folks, they had a lot of gluten free options....but....not a separate fryer so if you can't tolerate cross contamination be careful when ordering. read more

Waterfront Social - Waterfront Cobb with blackened Mahi. DELICIOUS! - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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Not a bad spot! Our tour guide recommended this spot and we had to check it out. The ambiance is at a side of the Crystal river where the manatee and dolphins reside. (We saw a dolphin!) it had beautiful views and a relaxing lunch by the water. The service was great and he did so good with our table. The food was decent. The views made it a million times better! read more

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Service subpar Food subpar Atmosphere subpar Our family of five was neglected by the server. Took our order and never returned. Atmosphere had big screen tvs but lacked cleanliness. read more

Waterfront Social - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Nice place off the water to grab a bite. I had a Cobb salad and fish and chips- both quite delicious. Our server was helpful and attentive and did a great job of staying on top of everything. We sat at a table on the patio closer to the water, so we had a nice view while we ate. read more

Looks can be deceiving. It's a very old building that looks run down, but beautiful patio eating area. Food was good and service was excellent. We'd eat here again, it's very casual and chill. Coconut shrimp and sauce was fantastic! read more

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Sucker for a waterfront patio spot and this delivered. We stopped here for lunch when we arrived in Crystal river. From the parking lot, it doesn't look too exciting. Once you enter, you soon find Another beautiful waterfront restaurant with seafood and delicious beverages. They have a small shop inside right when you walk in. If you walk past you run into the host stand. They have inside and outside seating. We opted for outdoor seating. We ordered the Mahi tacos, tuna poke bowl and kids smash burger. The Mahi tacos and smash burger were excellent. The poke bowl was a little bland, lots of rice. I did like that it had avocado and seaweed salad but prefer a bowl with less rice and maybe split with half lettuce. They have excellent French fries! We opted for margaritas and they were delicious. Not your typical syrupy margarita, these were light and fresh. Go with the strawberry marg with the tajin rim. They have another area that's considered their tiki hut. Both areas have bars. An excellent spot to catch island vibes and relax. read more

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The service was fine- no complaints there. And we arrived near sunset, which was lovely. However, the outdoor seating was full, so we were seated inside. Still a nice view though. Some of the food was good enough: my kids enjoyed their burger and mahi fish sticks as well as the (overpriced) gator bites appetizer. I wanted the fish and chips, but they were out of the haddock, the tuna, and the prime rib. Anyway, three of us at the table ordered fried shrimp, and none of us enjoyed it. I think I ate 3. It was overcooked, rubbery (the batter was chunky), not hot enough, very little flavor, and the fries were just meh. Asked for tartar sauce, and I did not recognize what they brought out. It tasted more like some kind of Caesar dressing. The clam chowder was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. We tried the peanut butter pie and caramel cheesecake (apparently neither made onsite), and they were delicious, especially the cheesecake. read more

Loved the service, and food. Great atmosphere and outdoor seating. Lots of cocktail options- however I wish they could have a made a healthy fresh margarita without all the pre mixed ingredients. read more

We loved the atmosphere and friendly staff. It was lovely sitting by the water. The crabcakes were wonderful. Clam chowder was just average. Fish tacos were good. My hubby thoroughly enjoyed his Philly cheese steak. read more

I love all the wonderful options for food, today I decided to go plain with the butter noodles and they didn't get a thing wrong about it! I love all the beautiful decorations and layout of the place. Service was amazing and super fast! read more

We were hungry after a day of kayaking and decided to get some waterfront views at Waterfront Social. The location was beautiful and sitting on the water for our meal was exactly what we needed! The blackened mahi tacos were actually much better than I expected! I chose the garlic butter corn on the cob for my side dish but should've just kept to getting the fries. The cheeseburger was filling but the sauce on it was overpowering and the bun fell apart. Server was friendly and food came out quickly! read more

Waterfront Social - Blackened Mahi Tacos (3) - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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We are on a mission to try several local restaurants vs repeatedly going to the same place! However, a couple we have repeated We were immediately seated, however things got exceptionally slow from then on. We ordered the Hot Honey Chicken salad (was really good!) and the Pork Wing entree. We patronize another restaurant that we love the pork wings. These, unfortunately, missed the mark, BIG time! They were dry! It was like they were made, then re-heated It took us forever to get our check! Maybe 20-30 minutes after we finished our meal, we just sat there. Really no reason to go back, but for the view! read more

This place was suggested to us by the riverboat tour we took prior to eating here. My husband had the Tuna Poke bowl which was packed with all the toppings that a good poke bowl has. It was delicious and quite filling. I had the Philly sandwich and fries. Again quite delicious and packed with meat with the right amount of onions and cheese. Our server, Christian, was friendly and checked on us often yet let us enjoy the ambiance of the patio. He refilled our drinks without us asking which was really nice. He cleared our plates promptly. He was so nice and was just an overall great server. We enjoyed eating by the water and will definitely return when we are back in town. read more

Waterfront Social - Tuna Poke Bowl - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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Had a delicious meal with my daughter who is from NY and appreciates good food. The coconut shrimp was perfect and drinks were excellent. Service was friendly and efficient! read more

Great view on the water. The moment we arrived we saw Dolphins. And the sky was beautiful at sunset. The staff were very friendly and attentive. We ordered the dolphin sandwich with fries and it was great! read more

Waterfront Social - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Actually nice staff and amazing service! Food was well cooked and tasted very yummy! Awesome place

Great fish and chips and poke bowls. Nice view. Lots of construction going on outside as unfortunately the area is building all over. Great service and nice people. read more

Second visit and fell on Happy Hour- drinks were 1/2 priced! Totally enjoyed our "snacks" at the "Tiki Bar" with great food, drinks and service! read more

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We found this place on Google and decided to give it a try. We live about a half hour away and had family in from up north and wanted to find something unique.... Oh wow, were we surprised, in a good way, at first, we thought we were pulling into the wrong location due to nearby construction, then we spotted the tunnel to the entrance. The service was awesome, the food was incredible (I had the shrimp po-boy,my brother had pork wings, & our spouses had poke bowls --- all were spectacular), and the drinks were spot on....but the best part was the overall vibe.... incredibly relaxing, both in the main building, and at the second bar along the water. Out of all the places we went over the 4th of July weekend, this was, by far, our favorite. read more

A very nice place to stop for lunch. Service by Avery & food was impeccable! Clam chowder was homemade! read more

Waterfront Social - Clam chowder, strips & quesadilla - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

The food here was okay, but on the pricey side. I think this is a place you come for the view of the river, which you also pay for. The outdoor seating definitely has a nice view of the river. Our server was friendly and attentive. I would eat here again for the view. read more

Waterfront Social - Crab cake appetizer - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Exceptional service from Eden at Waterfront Social Café! I had such a great experience at Waterfront Social Café, and Eden was a huge part of what made it memorable. From the moment we arrived, Eden was welcoming, attentive, and incredibly professional. She checked on us at the perfect times for our group of 5, made thoughtful recommendations, and made sure everything was exactly the way we wanted it. On top of the great service, her positive energy and genuine attitude added so much to the experience. It's rare to find someone who balances friendliness and efficiency so effortlessly. The food and atmosphere were already wonderful, but Eden's service truly pushed the experience to a 5-star level. If you visit Waterfront Social Café, I highly recommend asking for her--she'll make your visit even better! read more

I had the fish & chips (fries). Overall, not bad. Our view of the bay was excellent from a table close to the water. The piece of fish was a good size, but the batter was awfully thick and heavy, and served on top of the fries. I was thinking if we go there again, I'll ask to have the fries on a separate plate from the fish........altogether just too much grease. The waitress was excellent. The tartar sauce seemed to be homemade and when mixed with ketchup was great for both the fish and the fries. My wife enjoyed her fish tacos. As is typical, the music was too loud! read more

Everything was just ok, the view was better than the food. Started with 2 bowls of clam chowder because reviews said it was great, it was just ok & $9 or $10 Wife has crab cake meal it was fine, mashed potatoes were pretty good. Me & 1 son had shrimp pasta, pasta was tasty but small portion & shrimp were tiny & the quality that you get in your grocers freezer. Middle son had fish & chips it was greasy but a large portion. Last son had the smash burger & liked it. The staff was all VERY young, so not very attentive. Waitress never came back to refill sodas. Bill was about $180 after tip w/ no alcohol read more

Waterfront Social - View - Bars Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Came here to eat after a recommendation from our manatee snorkeling tour guide. Highly recommend if you're searching for a spot to eat seafood in the area! The service was phenomenal. I was a little chilly outside and they asked if I would like the fan turned off, after that the temperature was perfect. They have outdoor heaters as well for when it gets chilly. The service was prompt and accurate. It was lovely sitting outside on the patio while watching the sunset. All of the food was delicious and brought out quickly. We ordered: 2 Rum Punches, Gator Bites, Salmon Poke Bowl, Blackened Shrimp Poke Bowl, and Key Lime Pie. I highly recommend trying the gator bites, they taste like juicy chicken nuggets. The seafood all tasted fresh and delicious - you have the option of requesting raw or cooked salmon in the poke bowl. The key lime pie tasted great as well and was plated nicely. Thanks for the delicious dinner Waterfront Social! read more

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Looks super run down from the outside (especially if you see it from a boat like we did) but the food was good and so was the service and it is more than nice enough inside. We had the fish dip, gator bites and grouper bites. All good. Kids had the chicken tenders. The other kids' options were "fishy" like shrimp and some other seafood based things. So maybe call ahead if the chicken fingers won't work for you kids. It did for ours. Deserts were also good. Peanut pie and chocolate cake in our case. We are definitely coming back. read more

Nice outdoor seating with great views. Ask what "market price" is before accidentally ordering a $28 sandwich though.