Crabby's On The Pass — Restaurant in Treasure Island

The only thing it's got going for it, is that it has probably one of the best views since it's on the water. Well, let's also add that the parking is easy compared to trying to park at John's Pass. We'll give them that too. I'm sure on the weekends though it's much more crowded and parking is a little bit more full no doubt. I'm a local so we go often to different places. Happened to be my birthday and my dearest best friend was taking me out. It was during the week and it was quiet which was nice, just what we wanted. We got a nice table indoors, a/c was good, and enjoyed thoroughly being by the big picture windows which provide an amazing view of the water and the bridge along with the comings and goings of the boats. Lucas the server was very friendly with us and animated, talked to us quite a bit which was good. Shared with us though how he wants to GET OUT OF FLORIDA (which, really, shouldn't he just play along with the theme of "it's so beautiful here, the water, the dolphins, etc.) Nope, he hates the heat. Then told us about his trip to Vegas and watching all the people (he likes people watching) drunk, throwing up and such everywhere to which I said that's sounds horrible or whatever something to that effect, trying to lighten and end the conversation, but to Lucas, he thought it was great. He liked watching them he said. My friend and I both looked at each other cuz we're not kids and to look at us (one of us is so old we have to use two canes, clearly we're not hard core party people, we didn't even order drinks for my birthday). The visualization of his story we thought was distasteful and too personal and main reason being we're waiting on food, and, well, picturing people throwing up and him liking it is not what we want to be thinking about......Come to find out Lucas also likes to use the f word, quite often. I ordered the Caesar salad which was delectable.. the dressing was really good and on point with the anchovy flavor but what it missed was lemon wedges just to give a little bit of a fresh brightness to cut through and compliment the heaviness of the dressing. Adding 5 or so lemon wedges helped it taste delicious. Nothing special was done for my birthday which is fine I know other places do recognize you (Harold Seltzer's/rewards club) when it is your birthday. I'm sure if you will probably do do something to recognize patrons birthdays, it would be best to confirm your guest's birthday by the validity of their IDs and their driver's licenses so as to not be overwhelmed by everybody saying it's their birthday! Actually I've taken other people out to this location for their birthdays as well and again nothing. That's okay. We didn't go there for that. We went there to be able to sit in the a/c, have a meal, relax, soaking in the waterfront view and enjoy one another's company. And we did. I definitely would have rated it a 5 in terms of the atmosphere because of the waterview and the location but our experience and atmosphere was dragged down a bit by the unnecessary f bombs and unnecessary stories. Btw. Used to be a Gator's patron for many years. I remember a great date I had there 30 years ago with a hockey player, so I do have great memories of that location/waterfront spot. This experience won't stop us from still coming back to you all. At some level, we're glad the server liked us enough to feel comfortable with us to share, or maybe, he's just so brave and that's his personality. We think it was a little of both. ...

Oh, Crabby's on the Pass, let me regale you with a tale of shrimp scampi pizza and shrimp and grits that will have your sides splitting with laughter. Brace yourself for a super funny review!

So, picture this: I strolled into Crabby's on the Pass with an appetite as big as a whale, ready to conquer the realm of crustacean concoctions. And boy, did they deliver! The shrimp scampi pizza was like a taste explosion in my mouth. It was so amazing that I almost considered quitting my day job to become a professional shrimp scampi pizza taster. Each bite was a flavor carnival, with the shrimp dancing on a crusty stage of garlicky goodness. It was a party in my mouth, and everyone was invited!

Now, let's talk about the shrimp and grits. These bad boys were so good, they should come with a warning label: "Caution: May cause uncontrollable foodgasms." The shrimp were plump and juicy, and the grits were as smooth as a dolphin's backflip. They were a match made in seafood heaven, a duet of flavors that sang in perfect harmony. If there's a foodie version of the afterlife, I have no doubt that these shrimp and grits would be on the menu.

But let's take a moment to address a small calamari calamity: the lack of tentacles. Now, I ain't no little sissy, and I believe calamari should come with all its glorious tentacles intact. The rings were fine and all, but where's the fun in that? I'm all about that crunch, that satisfying snap that can only come from a fearless tentacle. So, Crabby's, if you're listening, please bring on the tentacles and let us unleash our inner Kraken!

Now, let's talk about the views. Oh, dear heavens, the views! As I sat there, munching on my seafood delights, I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the breathtaking scenery. The water glistened like a disco ball, and John's Pass across the way was like a siren calling me to seafood nirvana. But hold onto your crab crackers, folks, because if you're lucky enough, a big boat might just go by, and you'll witness the majestic Bridge go up. It's like a real-life spectacle, a show that makes you forget about your shrimp-induced food coma.

And now, my fellow adventurers, let's talk about the ultimate act of bravery at Crabby's—the buckets. These buckets are not for the faint of heart, my friends. No, they are for the super venturous souls who dare to embrace their inner pirates. Picture this: a bucket filled to the brim with alcohol, like a treasure chest overflowing with liquid gold. You can sip, slurp, and savor your way to paradise, all while basking in the seaside ambiance. It's the ultimate escape, a one-way ticket to a land where worries are left at the door, and happiness is served by the bucketful.

So, my fellow seafood enthusiasts, if you're in the mood for a bellyful of laughter and a feast fit for a sea captain, Crabby's on the Pass is the place to be. From the shrimp scampi pizza that will make you want to quit your day job to the shrimp and grits that will induce foodgasms, this place knows how to tickle your taste buds. Just remember to demand those tentacles in your calamari, soak in the stunning views, and if you're feeling adventurous, dive headfirst into one of those epic buckets. Cheers to laughter, seafood, and the pursuit of a hilarious...

"Nothing special", What we all agreed about this place. It's got a unique location where you can watch the boats go through the pass and dedicated parking across the street from the restaurant. That's nice. The location is large, and you have your choice of sitting inside outside or at the bar. There's a gift shop as well as an ice cream counter inside the location.

With so many locations, you would think that the food would be better, but having the mahi mahi 2 ways, both blackened and grilled, left this feeling nothing special about the food. The fish was served flat on a plate with no sauce, no embellishment, nothing, just fish. Having steered clear of the market price items, which were many of the fish on the menu, my server wasn't interested in describing the menu or any of the market pricing. It would be nice to have the market price for the items marked that way as a supplement to the menu. It leads me to the question of is it market price because it's fresh caught or just because they can change the prices ad hoc.

I stuck with the mahi mahi, but it seems to be of the pre-portion and frozen variety, not fresh. It came out of the kitchen medium-warm and drier than average. That leads me to believe it was a frozen filet. Having it Blackened, flavor is expected, but it had little flavor to mention.

The vegetable of the day was broccoli, which seemed to be a little overcooked for my taste. Black beans and rice are literally just that, black beans and rice. Garlic mashed potatoes, not really sure if there was garlic in them or not, but are average mashed potatoes.

The atmosphere included outside seating and a live guitar player. The general atmosphere seems to be one more of a bar, with average food than a restaurant that has a bar in it. Entertainment was not bad, although it was loud enough that you couldn't talk during the performance, although, I'm sure that depends on the proximity where you're seated from the amplifier.

The service, my server in particular, seemed to lack interest in my table as well as bringing out the food hot. In general, I felt unwelcome. Maybe he was just having a bad night. So, benefit of the doubt here.

The portions were minuscule compared to the pricing of the menu so keep...