Star Fish Company — Restaurant in South Bradenton

Ok I’ll start with the bad and end with the good.

Our party of 11 got here at 11:09. For a 11:30 opening. We were ticket 8. This put approximately 40 orders in front of us. Getting there almost 30 minutes before opening.

The ordering system is completely jacked. No matter what size your party is, just go to the bar and order immediately. You don’t have to wait in line for nearly an hour and you immediately get taken care of. The system is very broken. We watched as 20 people just ordered meals as the rest of us are in line for 45 minutes. And we were there first! Don’t have an order priority system, and not give priority to those they get their first!

There are no refills no plain cups of water to drink. This is a very small complaint, but with children, you can wait up to an hour before your children even get a cup of water to drink. Just something to consider.

I have grown up in the seafood industry and something everyone should understand is that mullet is a very strong flavored fish! It is not everyone’s taste at all!. Historically, It was a fish that was left over that nobody else wanted. So do not get this fish thinking it’s going to be light on flavor! Smoked is always a great way to try this fish - IMO.

The good.

All of the sauces are absolutely outstanding. Hush puppies are outstanding, and almost all of the sides are outstanding. The french fries are totally average, but like I said, there’s so much great sauce to dip it in. It really carry the weight.

The quantity of shrimp and seafood you get with each sandwich is incredibly respectable and taste very good and very fresh.

Softshell crab, well, some people do not like this, was cooked to absolute, perfection, lightly battered and fully flavored. These guys definitely know how to cook, softshell crab.

I respect with the establishment is trying to preserve and the business they are trying to get to local Fisherman for that alone. I’m not going to put pricing as a negative. Supporting local economies with local resources is the name of the game.

Overall, I would give this place 3 1/2 stars. But since I have to choose, I will go up to four. I don’t think I will go back for a long time due to the weight and the horrible ordering experience but it was a Cool area and...

This delightful throwback to another era should be a "must visit" for anyone traveling to the Sarasota/Manatee area. The second you turn off the main highway, you encounter the old style cottages of a Florida that has all but disappeared. The weathered wood and thicket of pines and palmettos open to a view of the bay and the quaint, gulf-dappled Star Fish Company.

Walking from the parking lot to the restaurant, I was struck by the time-worn fishing boats with nets drawn and dangling, wandering chickens, a great Australian pine populated by a murder of sea crows, screeching gulls fighting over bits of bread, the view across the beathdth of the bay, and the wafting, mouth-watering aroma of deep fried sea food.

All this before I had anything to eat, and, quite frankly, if the food would have been ordinary, I would have still recommended this establishment based solely on its ambience. But I assure you, the food is out of this world good. I was with a group of 8 people and we sampled a good portion of the menu and everything was excellent.

Their dining room is an array of sturdy picnic tables strewn across the dock and shore open to the sun and bay. You place your order, cash only, (they have a cash machine on the premises), and your meal is brought to your table packaged in a rectangular box and the experience of opening that box and being struck by the fragrance and sight of clams, shrimp, fries or slaw will astound you.

I would give this place ten stars, a thousand stars if I could. It's...

My friends and I have talked about going here ever since they moved to Bradenton, and it did not disappoint!

We couldn't decide what to get so we ordered two of the Cortez Specials which included 2 entrees (you pick) and 2 sides. We also got an order of the coconut shrimp and stone crab claws. I had never had stone crab claws and although they appear small, they are very meaty! I ordered a small appetizer portion, served hot, and would definitely get them again.

I also really enjoyed the grouper (blackened) and coconut shrimp. The crab cake was my least favorite - it was good but not crabby enough, if that makes sense! Everything is super fresh and flavorful.

We went on a Sunday afternoon and the wait in line was about 15 minutes. Server was super nice and helpful when I panicked at the amount of choices when ordering (fried, sautéed, hot/cold, sides?!). They have a decent beer selection and I enjoyed a cold one while waiting for food. The wait was about half an hour, but it went by quickly because of the view. It was nice to sit outside and watch the boats and look for dolphins (we didn't see any). There is only outdoor seating available, but we were able to snag a table pretty easily.

Overall, prices are reasonable, service is friendly, and food is amazing! Don't hesitate, just go :)

Heads up, they are cash only. There is an ATM...