Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar

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#69 of 907 Restaurants in Sarasota$$ - $$$, American, Bar, Vegetarian friendly

+1 941-349-3885+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Mon

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Tue

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Wed

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Thu

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Fri

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Sat

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

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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.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

2,749 reviews

#69 of 907 Restaurants in Sarasota

Travelers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, American, Bar, Seafood, Soups, Vegetarian friendly

“Food was ok the butter for the crab was runny and no taste also I was trying...”

“We had a File fish sandwich ($19) and their Crab salad ($14).”

Large groups, Bar scene

“Love the "tiki" bar scene.”

“The food was good, lots of seating, outside tiki bar has music.”

Location and contact

1200 Stickney Point Rd, Sarasota, FL 34242

+1 941-349-3885

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Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?

Yes

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About

Family friendly seafood restaurant on the South end of Siesta Key known for the World's Best Clam Chowder!

PRICE RANGE

$10.00 – $25.00

CUISINES

American, Bar, Seafood, Soups

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Beach

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4.0

2,749 reviews

Excellent

1,137

Very good

923

Average

461

Poor

150

Terrible

Jared K

St. Augustine49 contributions

Good but pricey food

Jun 2020 • none

Went with my family to get some close-by seafood while on vacation in Siesta Key. The Good It's very family friendly and if you order a kids meal it comes served on an upside down frisbee which is cool. All but one of my kids ordered burgers which they all enjoyed their meal, as well as their in house root beer. The appetizers! We got crab cake appetizer was really good and the remoulade sauce was even better. Also the fried cheese curds were delicious. Cheese grits. They use a white cheese and was pretty good, although I'm used to cheddar. The staff was all very nice and our waitress did a great job. The Bad Food is a bit overpriced but this is probably because it's geared for tourists like myself and the fact that they are easy to access than going over the bridge into Sarasota. I ordered scallops and shrimp and it was cooked properly but not much flavor, aside from the tartar sauce which was actually pretty good. My wife ordered the mahi mahi fillets ($24) and they were definitely dry, which was a disappointment considering the price. We both got veggies which was green beans and baby carrots which was nothing special. If you're looking for something that is decent and close by then this is your place but if you are looking for really good seafood I would look elsewhere, as this is meant for tourists like myself :)

Written June 4, 2020

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.

ILoveBourbon

Frankfort817 contributions

Fun atmosphere, good service and yummy seafood

Jan 2020 • none

I am not a Siesta Key regular, but did visit a few weeks ago for the third time over the past 15 or so years. We did not happen to go there on a karaoke night, but the last time we were there we did.........and it was the best karaoke experience I have ever experienced - one guy tore off his shirt singing Bon Jovi! But for this experience, we sat at the larger bar in the back. The bar tender did a great job serving us, and we were a bit complicated as we had friends coming and going and ordering at different times. I had a cup of their famous clam chowder, and loaded it down with black pepper for my personal taste. It is great and chock full of tender clams. My main dish was an a la carte lobster, steamed to perfection. Curt's is family friendly, good prices and an all around fun time!

Written February 3, 2020

KPOrlandoFL

Orlando2 contributions

Used to be better!

Jun 2020 • none

This is always one of our regular stops when visiting Siesta Key. We have been coming for years. Clam chowder is still great. But we're always hoping for a great grouper sandwich. Note there is absolutely no seasoning added, so if you want flavor, you need to add the tartar sauce. I would love to just enjoy without. The grilled sandwich we got recently was grilled, but burnt. Not a great way to add taste.$60 for a not so great meal. Also, weren't practicing great COVID 19 precautions. More tables outside, but tables inside, still close together. Large groups were gathered, no face masks worn by servers, just gloves. Paper menus, but community ketchup, mustard, salt & pepper. Just FYI for those who are concerned. We will be staying away for now, unfortunately.

Written June 17, 2020

mike h

Taneytown35 contributions

Just left this place been

Jan 2020 • couples

Just left this place been a customer here for 15 years. As most places on SK quality and service has deteriorated and tonight was no exception. Chowder is exceptionally good if it is moderately hot and not just Luke warm. $20 for pound of shrimp that was soggy and very difficult to peel, overcooked. The drink prices are ok, but will not come here for anything except the chowder. This is a tourist haven.

Written January 17, 2020

jann

Johnston73 contributions

On Balance, Average

Feb 2020 • none

Captain Curt's is your typical old-school beach seafood restaurant, with all of the associated plusses and minuses. The peel and eat shrimp were excellent, as was the selection of draft beers. However, the mahi mahi in the mahi mahi salad was thin and very overcooked. Where we were seated in the back room, the smell of fried seafood was overwhelming, but I guess that's not too surprising given how much fried seafood they sell.

Written February 11, 2020

Joshdent

New Haven610 contributions

Fun place for the family

Dec 2019 • none

This is a fun casual seafood shack right at the bridge on Siesta Key. It's a nice place to bring the kids because you sit at an indoor picnic table, the seafood is great, and the kids meal is served in a frisbee which you then get to keep! Kids love to come back for the frisbees which change every year. Lots of items on the menu, all of them good. The orange octopus next door has the best ice cream. Also, I like that this place has its own parking lot.

Written January 18, 2020

Ereina

Charlottesville248 contributions

Wonderful New England clam chowder

Jan 2020 • family

We went only because they brag about their NE clam chowder. We were so happy with it (we are from Connecticut so it’s a favorite for us). Tons of clam bits and heavy cream. Hardly any potatoes and no bacon (yay!). The rest of our meal was good. We ordered shrimp & scallops, snow crab, boom boom shrimp (tastes like buffalo wings), fried calamari (we don’t recommend), 3 kids meals and Sangria (too strong - you can get a much better one at Longhorn Steakhouse). The parking is very limited and we had to pay across the street.

Written January 24, 2020

Companion737416

Fairfield20 contributions

Great New England clam chowder

Feb 2020 • none

Every year this is our first stop when we arrive in Siesta Key after a ten hour drive. Always crowded but always good and worth the wait. Very casual atmosphere, picnic tables and very friendly wait staff. Their fried oysters are one of my favorites along with, of course ,their clam chowder. Sometimes we go their for lunch just for the chowder and you can even buy a chowder kit to take home, which we always do. The parking is the only down side of going here, very limited and always full.

Written April 25, 2020

Robin P

Land O Lakes113 contributions

Drink don’t eat!

May 2020 • couples

On vacation in the area and looked like a good place to get a bite to eat. Really nice outdoor bar. Just don’t eat there. Tried the boom boom shrimp and could not find any shrimp anywhere felt like you were just eating a glob of fried something or other. Also had the fish and chips. Hardly any fish and was not good. Disappointing!

Written May 16, 2020

LoveSiestaKey

Milford19 contributions

Good Food But A Bit Expensive

Aug 2021 • family

Clam chowder is as advertised- always great! The peel and eat shrimp were good, but was disappointed when it came with pre-packaged cocktail sauce! Home made cocktail sauce would have made it awesome. Our file fish and grouper baskets were very good, but always comes with too many fries. Prices tend to be high as well.

Written August 8, 2021

luzimmcm

Littleton43 contributions

Do not listen to nay sayers.

Oct 2019 • none

Hubby and I rented a place in Burnt Store Marina for a a month. Every week we drove up to Tampa to pick up a new set of friends or relatives. Every time, on the way back to Burnt Store, we had the same routine: Stop in Siesta Key. We ALWAYS stopped here for our friends’ first walk on the beach, first cold beer, shrimp cocktail, and clam chowder. It’s nothing fancy. Full of tourists. But who is complaining. The Florida vibe, food, and music are just what people are looking for.

Written August 29, 2020

Joan B

Venice325 contributions

Loss it's touch

Oct 2020 • none

Spent the day at the beach and was reminiscing about Captain Curt's. Now, none of us have been there for a few years. I mean we used to park next to the building were the umbrellas are now. We were saying how good everything was and let's stop on our way home. Boy! what a difference, and NOT in a good way. Of course we all ordered the clam chowder, after all that's their draw in. Was very good, lots of clams in my (opinion) could have used a wee bit more seasoning. Five of us ordered various dishes. One friend ordered yum yum shrimp, comment from her,( terrible). All it was was medium shrimp with yum yum sauce poured on, anyone can do that. Second friend had grouper sandwich comment from him,(not good). My husband ordered peel and eat shrimp, first the server totally forgot the order and needed to be asked where they were. Upon getting them, they were in his words (the worst he's had. Absolutely No flavor). They were not cooked in any seasoning and had NO taste. I got the crab sandwich, well I was expecting lump crab, but it was minced in with other ? my comment, (not bad, but not going to ever order again). All and all it has NOT gotten better with the years, but has fallen to the degree of just another mediocre restaurant for tourists. Well, our search is back on to find a really good restaurant to go to when we're in Siesta Key.

Written October 17, 2020

NewYorkTransplant

1 contribution

One of Our Favorites Is a Favorite No More

Oct 2020 • none

We have been a steady customer (once or twice per visit to The Key) for over 20 years and always looked forward to it on our yearly visits from up north to Siesta. I am sorry to say that our visit early last March just before Covid hit and last week (October ’20) will probably be our last. I look forward to a Hurricane (the drink) once per trip. Not available. I ordered what turned out to be the worst tasting Margarita ever, instead. Our appetizers and soup came and were finished before the first round of drinks arrived. My kids always enjoyed the corn fritters. No longer. They are not available. I always ordered the red potatoes. No longer. Not available. Both combination platters used to be available fried. No more. In fact, scallops are not offered fried in a combination platter or separately. I settled for fried shrimp. It could have been from a box in the frozen food section from Mrs. Paul. The wait staff did not seem to be happy in their work. Finally, the electronic billing system does not allow for a customer-convenient way to split the bill. All in all, this was a completely unsatisfactory visit to what used to be a highlight of our stay. No more. We will not be back.

Written November 2, 2020

Sarah M

Winter Park58 contributions

Disappointing

Jun 2020 • family

Came for a late lunch to Captain curts. Disappointing. It took forever to get a drink of water, meal took over 35 minutes to arrive. The fried Grouper was cooked too much amd was very dry also the fries were barely warm. We did have the pretzel appetizer which I do have to say was great!

Written June 19, 2020

Champagnefluffyduck

Sarasota29 contributions

Ignored!

Jul 2021 • couples

This place has declined…perhaps it is the new help…we waited 10 minutes before being acknowledged and offered a drink. The drinks came quickly enough but we weren’t asked if we were ready to order. We ordered 3 fried seafood items…the menu leans heavily toward fried. What arrived were fried beyond recognition and I defy anyone to sort out which item was which. Truly disgusting. We were never checked on to see if everything was alright, we were never offered a second drink. I had to go to the bar in order to get our check. Do servers really believe they can just sleepwalk through service and get 15-20% because it is extremely expected?

Written July 10, 2021

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