Rusty's Seafood and Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Cape Canaveral

We ate lunch here today. The first question I asked our server (CC?) was if the key lime pie was the real thing and not some cheesecake. She looked me in the eye and said "it's not cheesecake, we make it right here, I've eaten it a lot and it's not cheesecake". Later, I ordered it for desert and it was CHEESECAKE. She then proceeded to argue with me about what is or isn't key lime pie. "Well, it has lime in it and I'm from Florida" was her defense. It was nasty whipped cheesecake, almost no lime flavor. No graham crust and no condensed milk. Whipped cream instead of meringue. We sent it back. When I ordered drinks, I asked for a mango-colada. She argued, telling me I wanted a daquiri. I explained: mango, coconut, rum, ice. She insisted that is called a daquiri. (A daquiri has fruit, lime, rum, ice.) She brought me mango juice in ice, with a splash of rum on the TOP (not mixed in) and zero coconut ($12 for that and still not what I ordered !). They did the same to my sister's frozen margarita. The coconut shrimp was amazing - the one very good item. Except the 2 more that we ordered to-go had spices that we were allergic to (so much for compliance). They got thrown out at home. Then my scallops were another argument. I asked for pan seared in only butter. She said "OK, grilled". WHAT ? I repeated in detail, and she told me "we call that grilled". Then she backpedaled and called it Scampi. I explained I do not want scampi, just seared with butter (scampi is a butter & white wine sauce). She brought me scallops in a BOWL of buttery soupy SCAMPI. I ate two and gave up. $35 for 6 nasty scallops !!. I asked for steamed broccoli, she brought me charred broccoli with seasoning on it that I was allergic too (see a pattern yet ?). I spoke to the manager on the phone when I got home, to let him know how his server behaved. He mostly interrupted to get defensive, instead of listening. He admitted their "key lime pie" has cheese whipped into it (cheesecake) but in his reply below he calls it "authentic key lime pie". (FYI key lime pie is key lime juice, condensed milk, , meringue. There is no cheese). He also defends his server who flat-out lied to us on multiple points. Yes, he refunded the price of the scallops. He defended the wrong drinks saying "we only have premixed, so they couldn't make what you ordered". Why wouldn't you just tell me this before you bring the wrong drink ? Clearly the management (the owner/owner's son?) is the problem here. I will never...

If you’re looking for a great place to have some amazing seafood, you’ve found it here at Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar. As opposed to some of the other restaurants down the street, Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar has a quiet, laid back attitude about it with nightly entertainment. We were privileged to have Jim Mitchell play from 5-9 on a Wednesday evening. We were also able to get a table outside right next to the water in the port. If you’re lucky enough, you just might just see a cruise ship come or go. Or watch a full moon rise in the east down the channel (as we did 10/20/21). And on that rare occasion, you might be able view a rocket launch or one of the SpaceX recovery ships return with a booster on board. Ok, so the place sounds great, but what about the food, right? It was excellent!!! We started off with an appetizer of Seared Ahi Tuna. The way the tuna was presented made a world of difference in enjoying the meal as well. Spot on Rusty’s. I myself had the Mahi dinner, Jamaican jerked, along with some homemade mango salsa and a bowl of beans and rice. Perfect, just what I wanted. My date for the evening had three fully stuffed Tacos. She chose the Mahi-Mahi, which were medallions wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with fresh salsa, crisp cabbage, cheese and topped with an avocado cream sauce. There was so much, she had to take some home with her. She said it was great for breakfast the next morning too. Then came desert, what a treat. We ordered the Baked Fudge Brownie Ala Mode. It was heavenly. Just the right combination of everything. Well done. And just before we left for the evening, a couple from California, their last night here before returning home, sat down at the table next to us and she stated she had Googled for a place for crab legs. Well, you know how that ended. Hope she enjoyed. If you do happen to visit Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, be sure to ask for Dave as your waiter. He was there on top of everything during the entire meal. He was right there just when you needed another drink or desert. That’s the way service should be. GREAT JOB DAVE! It was a...

I, 100%, cannot recommend Rusty's enough. Seriously. I eat at a boatload of different types of restaurants in an even bigger boatload of locations and settings every year and Rusty's is, unequivocally, #1 on that list.

We've cruised out of Port Canaveral several times and we discovered Rusty's on our first one and have planned a day around having dinner there on every visit.

Situated directly on the water, it's an absolutely fantastic place for a meal. There's a large outdoor seating area with wind shades (for windy days), and views of the entirety of the port and the docks directly across the water where recovery ships bring back rocket parts from launches.

Rusty's menu is huge and it's really, REALLY hard to chose. I find the best way to start is with an ice cold draft craft beer...local preferably.

I can highly recommend the fish tacos and the Grouper. The Grouper (photo included) was cooked to perfection and seasoned (I had blackened) beyond just right.

The service has always been great. The servers all seem to be having a great time and to love what they do. (Then again, who wouldn't be happy working right next to the water?). We've never had to wait an unreasonable amount of time for our meals (even on a Friday dinner), and Kevin (our most recent server) was spot-on with drink refills and menu recommendations.

On our most recent visit there was a gentleman on the stage playing guitar and singing. It lent a fun, laid back element to an already great experience.

Kevin also informed us that if we were to ever go on a fishing trip and caught something, Rusty's will process and cook the fish for you for only $7.99 a pound. That, alone, makes me want to do that very thing the next time we head to Port Canaveral for a cruise.

One of the highlights of our pre-cruise routine is our visit to Rusty's. Whether for a late lunch or dinner, it's on our Must Do list. Now I just need to book a cruise that leaves from...