Cool restaurants accessible by boats

Updated: 7/28/23

Leland, aka Fishtown, courtesy of Captain Bill Crandell of C-Worthy Charter Fishing 

This picture in the August issue of Bon Appetit magazine caught my attention and inspired me to write this post. Chef Mario Batali wrote about his visits to Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan, and how he and his wife loved it so much that they ended up buying a 1920s fish camp near Traverse City. The chef talked about the food scene and the tranquil life on the peninsula. Fishtown, a former commercial fishing port in the 50s, is now a cool lakeside dining spot.

Over the years, we've taken our boat to some exciting and delicious dockside restaurants. Here are some memorable ones, in no particular order:

Warren's Lobster House, Kittery, Maine

Old Mai Thai (top left, with the blue canvas)

We used to drive an hour to Kittery to get our dose of retail therapy at the outlet mall. Before heading home, we would stop at Warren's. Their salad bar is legendary. The seafood - fried clams (with bellies), steamers, clam chowder and lobster - were to die for! Warren's has 75 feet of free docking space. The last time we came, we had tied up at the Prescott Park Docks in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a 12-minute walk across the bridge.

Phillips Seafood Restaurant, Baltimore, Maryland

Mi-T-Mo docked at Phillips in Baltimore Inner Harbor

Rich with maritime history, culture and cuisine, the Chesapeake Bay is a wonderful cruising ground,  with countless places to drop the hook. We spent two summers exploring the rivers and its picturesque towns. Blue crab lovers will be delighted with the abundance of crab houses in this region. One August found us docked at Anchorage Marina. What a great marina and location! We enjoyed hanging out with cruising friends on Chandelle and their friends on the unique Mi-T-Mo (an army transport boat converted to a  liveaboard/cruising boat). We had a blast at Phillips Seafood Restaurant, where retired jazz musicians entertained us one afternoon (video follows).

OLeary's Tiki Bar and Grill, Sarasota, Florida

We fell in love with Sarasota when we anchored here one February. These days, you have to pay for a mooring. You can take your dinghy to this tiki bar to chill and unwind (you can read our fairly recent review on Trip Advisor here). There' s live music at lunch and dinner every day of the month. OLeary's is located at Bayfront Park, across from Sarasota downtown. This artsy and friendly city has much to offer!

Burdines Waterfront, Marathon, Florida

Manatee drinking from our boat

Located in the middle Florida Keys, Marathon is a boater's paradise. Not only can you get up close and personal with nature (manatees, dolphins and birds), you also get the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. Many cruisers stop here en route to Central America or the Bahamas, whether waiting for a good weather window or waiting for parts (there's always something to repair on the boat!).

Spending one February in Marathon gave us the chance to frequent Burdines Waterfront, which had the best fish sandwich and fries. And incredible sunsets.

Old Marco Lodge & Crab House, Goodland, Fl

A laid-back fishing village, Goodland is quintessential Old Florida. The historic Lodge dates back to 1869. The restaurant has changed hands at least two times since we last stopped here. We were anchored in Goodland, which by the way, is very shallow. Boating friends turned RVers spending their winter in Marco Island, came over in their center console runabout to take us to the restaurant (excellent grouper fingers!) When we returned, Mai Thai was swarmed with gnats all over the window, curtains and lights. Fortunately, these tiny black bugs did not bite, and they weren't very active. We spent the night killing them with masking tape (literally taping them) so as to avoid making a mess!

Outback Crab Shack, St Augustine, Florida 

Remote, rustic and swampy are words that aptly describes the Outback Crab Shack. Located on Six Mile Creek off the St John’s River, Outback Crab Shack offers a dock that stretches for more than a quarter mile, inviting you to tie up here. Before and after your meal, you can let the birds, alligators and turtles mesmerize you for hours.

We had the Low Country Boil with blue crabs. Low Country Boil is a one pot meal that is usually cooked with shrimp, sausage, potato, corn and seasoned with Old Bay. Our only complaint was that the blue crabs were not as meaty as their Chesapeake cousin. 

Sadly, the crab shack closed after Hurricane Mathew, a category 5 storm, came through in Oct 2016.

Lake Guntersville State Park and Lodge, Guntersville, Alabama

A nice boat ride on our friends' boat took us to Lake Guntersville State Park in northeast Alabama one fall day. There is free docking, but you have to call ahead to arrange for a ride up to the lodge that sits atop Taylor Mountain. After lunch at Pinecrest dining room, we wandered around the lodge. The state park has 6,000 acres of natural woodlands with trails for hiking and biking. There is even a golf course. The view of the Tennessee River is spectacular. 

View of the Tennessee River from the lodge

There were other dockside restaurants we patronized, but these were the most memorable. Bon appetit!

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday.

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Somewhere (on the lake), Guntersville, Alabama	Port of Call: Marco Island, Florida	Port of Call: Sarasota