Gary's Oyster Bar & Seafood

This business is unclaimed.

Owners who claim their business can update listing details, add photos, respond to reviews, and more.

#2 of 14 Restaurants in Lake AlfredAmerican, Bar, $$ - $$$

What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Gary's Oyster Bar & Seafood

Review

At a glance

Closed now

See all hours

Website

+1 863-956-5055Improve this listing

About

Features

CUISINES

American, Bar, Seafood

Meal types

Dinner

PRICE

$$ - $$$

FEATURES

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Parking Available

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Takeout

Television

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

660 E Alfred Dr, Lake Alfred, FL 33850-2312

Parking Available

Is this a seafood restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Save this restaurant

Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 4:00 PM

Sunday

3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Monday

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tuesday

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Wednesday

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thursday

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Friday

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Saturday

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Contribute

Write a review

Upload a photo

Ask a question

4.1

211 reviews

Excellent

104

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

srsimpkins1

Dayton22 contributions

Great find.

Feb 2024 • couples

What a great find. The steamed oysters and cold beer are amazing. Honestly this is a hole in the wall kind of place. Don’t come here expecting white table clothes and crystal glasses. But if you love A great bar then sit at the bar and watch Hunter pop open steamed oysters. Order a whole bucket of steamed oysters or you’ll find yourself wishing you had.

Written February 25, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

William Johnson

Fort Wayne586 contributions

Get there early

Feb 2025 • family

Found this place on one of our "day trips" in the area. Read reviews that stated that they place filled up quick, so we arrive at a little after 4pm, the time that opened and it was already filling up with patrons. The bar was full, but we managed to acquire a table quickly. Our waitress was prompt and was very helpful with walking us through the menu. I started my meal with the chargrilled oysters that were very tasty. My entree of Florida fried snapper was excellent. The filed fish had a great seasoning and was thin fileted, just the way I like my fish. The only downside was that I got a baked potato instead of the red potatoes, but did not diminish anything from the meal. Wife had the grilled shrimp dinner which was very good. The earlier note on getting there early was wise advice as they were people waiting for tables when we left. Gary's is a laid-back place with great food which I would recommend highly.

Written February 17, 2025

Phillip T

Auburndale32 contributions

Great dinner!

Dec 2023 • couples

We love Gary’s but have not been in a while. Let me tell you, tonight’s dinner was perfect! We sat at the bar and had the chargrilled oysters with dirty butter as an appetizer.. OH MY! They were delicious!!! I then ordered the fried lobster dinner and my husband ordered the fried snapper dinner. Both were fresh and delicious. We chatted with Drew (stepson to Gary who recently passed) and feel the restaurant has been left in good hands. Great place, delicious food, worth the trip to Lake Alfred.

Written December 15, 2023

John K

Florida603 contributions

Very popular with the locals

Nov 2024 • couples

It’s popular with the locals as this is a staple in this town Passing by on a regular basis I never noticed until my wife passed by and there was a line out the door right before opening at 4pm About a week later we arrived in a Friday night, and you can see a crowd all local people a place where everyone knows your name as we are knew to the area, just making an observation We had shrimp cocktail, gulf shrimp cooked to perfection, it’s one of my favorite We both had New England clam chowder very good and it was not overpowering with salt The red snapper was as cooked perfectly from the griddle and my wife’s scallops sautéed were excellent The server reminder me of Carla from CHEERS, we are not local she may have had us pegged for out of town visitors She was ok, no personality she wanted to get out of there not very friendly she did the job, nothing more Overall great food served hot

Written November 20, 2024

Bob V

Milwaukee24 contributions

WOW! A new favorite

Dec 2022 • none

We recently moved to Lakeland, Fl and were looking for a sit-down restaurant that serves raw oysters. Thanks to a local restaurant and food review site (Polk County Restaurants & Reviews) Gary’s Oyster Bar & Seafood House in Lake Alfred, Fl was highly recommended. We went on a Friday night at 5:00 to avoid the dinner rush and were seated immediately by a warm and welcoming hostess. (Sorry, we forgot her name). WOW! This place is fantastic! We requested to be served by Hanna per a recommendation. Hanna came and greeted us like we were the most important people there. Ordered cocktails (Tito’s Vodka & Tonic Tall) and she brought them out promptly. Although a little unusual, served in a tall Styrofoam cup. Not a problem, just prefer glass. We asked about the raw oysters, and she gave us a few suggestions. She was spot on! We ordered a dozen which were perfect size, brine and sweetness. For the main course, we ordered the broiled seafood sampler to share. Snow Crab Legs, Steamed Shrimp, Gulf Flounder, Sauteed Scallops with salad and a substitute of their onion rings for the baked potato. All were done to perfection. Especially the scallops, which most places can’t seem to get right. Prior to our main course coming out, we were visited by Drew, who is one of the owners. He welcomed us and made sure if we needed anything, to just ask. After the great meal, Hanna suggested the Key Lime Pie. At this point we were stuffed and could not eat another thing even though Key Lime Pie is my favorite. Before leaving, Drew gave us a nice send off. We now know why they’ve been in business for 44 years. Great food and excellent service which is hard to find these days. Thank you, Hanna, Drew and our hostess for a wonderful evening. We will be returning frequently and bringing our friends and relatives.

Written December 12, 2022

John G

200 contributions

Great Local Place for Seafood

Mar 2021 • none

A group of 5 of us visited last night, 2 returnees and 3 newbies, The three newbies went on the recommendation of the two veterans and were well pleased. We had a variety of items. The oysters on the half shell were fresh, plump and juicy. The fried lobster appetizer served as an entree for the returnees. The seafood gumbo and crab cakes were delicious and full of seafood. The Tuesday night special was all you can eat peel and eat shrimp (hot or cold) for $20 and was well worth the effort (don't forget to ask for "dirty butter" for dipping). We all thought the hush puppies were very good, slightly sweet but not greasy or overcooked. And yes there is a surcharge for credit cards (which I am told is a custom in many Florida restaurants). And yes the staff is maskless. If these are a breaking point for you, don't go to Gary's. But you'll be missing some great seafood.

Written March 31, 2021

Jessica C

Clarksville28 contributions

Great Oysters & Prices

Aug 2021 • family

We really enjoyed our visit. The oysters were huge and tasty. Everything else we ordered was also delicious. Not to mention the prices were great. The guy shucking our oysters and taking care of us was friendly and knowledgeable of his products. The key lime pie was one of the best I’ve ever had!

Written August 30, 2021

larry t

Ruskin5 contributions

Excellent

Aug 2021 • couples

Me and my girl had an excellent experience here thanks to Andrew and Dave. We started with oysters on the half shell and gator tail. We were sure to dip everything in dirty butter. So amazing. We finished with shrimp scampi, scallops and king crab legs. This little place cranks out some serious food while making you feel like family. Such an awesome experience.

Written August 7, 2021

Lakerspud

Rockford513 contributions

Never Got to Eat

Feb 2020 • family

Stopped here with a party of eight on a Sunday night. Parking was difficult and ended up in front of of a home near the back of the property. When we put our name in, the main dining area was full and occupied before we came in. After a very lengthy wait the waitress/hostess came over and said the our party wasn’t even close to be seated and then proceeded to tell us that the people in the dining room had just been seated and they would be ordering soon. So basically we were put on the waiting list with no hopes of being seated before closing, forcing us to leave and find another place to eat at a late hour. We don’t like being told a story that we knew was not true. The waitress did comp the two beers my sons ordered. The place fell short of the majority of the reviews we read on here and their Facebook page. We won’t be back.

Written February 16, 2020

Bob K

7 contributions

Fun Times and Good Food

Feb 2022 • none

A causal atmosphere with good service and good food. The ambiance is classic roadside dive, the servers are fun and efficient. Our table of 6 enjoyed the oysters on the half shell and the bacon jalapeno cooked oysters. The Fried Green Tomatoes and Clam Chowder were very good as well. My fried clam strip entree was good, clams were larger pieces, not overcooked. We enjoyed Gary's so much we ate here twice during our month in Bay Lake.

Written April 19, 2022

Disneymad123

Winter Garden16 contributions

1st and last visit

Aug 2020 • couples

We came here based on reviews. We started with the lobster bites. They were tasty, but we really don't think it was lobster meat. When we took the breading off, the pieces of meat were curled up just like a shrimp or langostino. The fried shrimp was ok, but I had to remove most of the vein and the breading needs more seasoning. Fried flounder was tasty, but same issue with breading. FF had no salt and broccoli with cheese was a bowl of broccoli with a slice of American cheese nuked on top. Hush puppies and cole slaw not bad. The kicker came with an automatic "check out fee" being added to my check. I was told this was a credit card fee as posted on the door. There is NO sign about a fee on the front door. The door with the sign is the MEN'S bathroom!!! As a female, I don't go reading the signs posted on the men's room door, sorry Gary. This was a definite miss and on the positive side, I don't have to ever worry about paying the BS fee again!!!

Written August 16, 2020

Randall P

9 contributions

Really great seafood, priced right, first class service

Oct 2023 • couples

They were very busy when we arrived, but were seated almost immediately and our server (Jennifer) was at our table quickly . Our drinks and appetizers came out promptly and were excellent. Our meals were brought to the table just as we were ready for them. Everything that we ordered was freshly prepared and delicious. Jennifer was attentive to our needs as well as the many others that she was serving. If you are looking for great food and awesome service this is the place to go to.

Written October 27, 2023

Bill F

Haines City19 contributions

Why do they charge extra for paying with a credit card?

Mar 2020 • none

We dinned here last night. The atmosphere was dated but well maintained. The seafood was average. The prices were on the high side. When I attempted topay the bill I with my credit card I was informed that there would be 3.5% added to the bill because I was paying with a credit card. I have never encountered this in my life when dinning at a restaurant. If they are that desperate I will not be retturning and will spread the word. $93.00 for two people plus 6.51 because I wanted to pay with my credit card!

Written March 6, 2020

Isthmuse

Madison250 contributions

Disappointing

Jun 2021 • none

I ordered the fried clams. The menu states "made with our own special breading". My guess is that these are purchased prebreaded and frozen. Nothing special here. The coleslaw was just past its prime and was not super fresh. Will not be returning.

Written July 21, 2021

T9778MXandrews

Auburndale9 contributions

Low Profile...Great Seafood!

May 2020 • none

My wife and I just had dinner out for the first time since mid-March and Gary's Oyster Bar and Seafood was perfect! Cool rustic sports atmosphere and Robin took great care of us. First the appetizers were amazing, The Louisiana Oysters were sweet and fresh both on the half-shell or parmesan charbroiled. Shrimp and fried lobster were very good. But, the Blackened Grouper was the best! Good side and onion rings.

Written May 24, 2020