Redington Beach, Florida holds a pretty special place in our family. My wife’s family has been coming down every June since the 80s, and I’ve been making the trip with them for almost 20 years now. It genuinely never gets old. They have a condo right on the beach, which means you go down the elevator, the pool is right there, open a gate, and you’re standing on the sand. It’s hard to beat.
We missed last summer because Hurricane Milton did a number on the building we stay in. There was some real damage, and rather than rush down before everything was sorted out, we waited. They’ve done a great job getting everything back in shape, and this year we were finally able to get back down there. It felt good to be back.
I’ve written about Redington on AntiFoodie before. If you want a look at what breakfast is like in the area, check out my review of Sweet Sage Cafe, which is right up the road and well worth a morning visit. This time around though, I wanted to highlight two dinner spots. One is new to us, and one is a place we keep coming back to year after year.
The Trip at a Glance
- Backwaters Grill & Tavern (North Redington Beach, FL): the relaxed local alternative to the big steak and seafood houses. Order the grouper sandwich.
- The Friendly Fisherman (John’s Pass Boardwalk, Madeira Beach, FL): Gulf seafood since 1978, still run by the Hubbard family. Delivers every time, and dinner is the move.
- In-N-Out (Murfreesboro, TN): a stop on the long drive home.
- Good for: A Gulf coast beach week, families, seafood without white tablecloths
Backwaters Grill & Tavern (North Redington Beach, FL)
Backwaters has been a fixture on the Tampa Bay coast since their original Sand Key location opened around 2000. The North Redington Beach location, sitting right on Gulf Blvd at 17307, is the newer of their two spots. It wasn’t there the last time we were in Redington in 2024, so this was our first visit to this location. The original Clearwater/Sand Key location has been around long enough to have a loyal following, and based on our dinner, it looks like this newer spot is carrying on that reputation just fine.
We went to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. We’re almost always down in Redington around her birthday, so we usually pick one night for a nicer dinner. Normally we’d head up the road to Salt Rock Grill in Indian Shores, which has been a go-to for us for years, but this time we wanted something a bit different. Somewhere with good food but without the full steak-and-seafood formal dinner vibe. Backwaters fit that exactly.
The space has a large covered outdoor patio in the front and a medium-sized dining room on the inside with a long bar running along one side. It’s more casual and local-feeling than somewhere like Salt Rock. Not a white tablecloth situation, just a solid neighborhood restaurant where you can sit down and have a good meal. The service was attentive without being hovery, which is all I really ask for.
The Appetizers
We started with a few things to share: fried calamari, fresh oysters, and the smoked fish spread.
I’ll be upfront about this. I’m not eating the oysters and I’m not eating the smoked fish spread. Oysters have never been my thing, and smoked fish spread doesn’t do much for me either. So my appetizer experience here was limited entirely to the calamari, and I’m good with that.
The fried calamari was exactly what you want from fried calamari at a Florida seafood spot. Lightly breaded, not rubbery, served with the right sauce. I didn’t have any complaints. If you’ve had good fried calamari before, this is that. Easy order.
The rest of the table seemed happy with the oysters and the smoked fish spread, but I’ll leave those evaluations to people who actually eat those things. I was already two drinks in from the pool anyway, so I wasn’t in full food critic mode.
The Grouper Sandwich
When I’m in Florida, I try to skip my usual burger and actually take advantage of what the state does well, which is fresh seafood. I went with the grouper sandwich, and it was a great call.
The sandwich was big. Generously portioned. The grouper was flaky and cooked perfectly, and the breading had a really satisfying crunch without being heavy. It came with a side of coleslaw, and the whole thing just tasted like exactly the right meal for a warm Florida night. I could eat that sandwich every day we’re down there and not get tired of it.
The rest of the group liked their food too, though I honestly couldn’t tell you what everyone ordered since I was more focused on my own plate and the next drink than cataloging everyone else’s entrees. What I can tell you is that nobody complained, which is a good sign.
The Verdict on Backwaters
Backwaters Grill & Tavern is a solid spot and a good call if you’re looking for something more relaxed than the big steak and seafood restaurants in the area. It has the right mix of atmosphere, good food, and local feel. We’ll definitely be going back.
The Friendly Fisherman (John’s Pass, Madeira Beach, FL)
The Friendly Fisherman has been at John’s Pass Boardwalk in Madeira Beach since 1978. That’s almost 50 years of serving fresh Gulf seafood at the same waterfront location. The Hubbard family has been running it since the beginning, and it shows in the way the place feels.
We’ve been coming here for years on these Redington trips. If you’ve ever been to a classic old Florida fish house and felt immediately at home, this is that place. It’s rustic. It’s showing its age in certain spots. The decor is what it is. But the service is always warm, the food is always good, and there’s something about eating upstairs on the boardwalk at John’s Pass that just feels right.
This time we went on a Monday afternoon, rolling in around 11:30am. We were essentially the only people there at that hour. The bar downstairs has nice outdoor seating with good views, but it was in the 90s outside, so we took the upstairs dining room. Smart call.
Appetizers at The Friendly Fisherman
We did four appetizers between the group: Fried Mozzarella Squares ($9.95), Gator Bites ($14.95), the Captain’s Corn Fritter Basket ($8.95), and the U-Peel Shrimp ($16.95, 1/2 lb, steamed and served with Old Bay and drawn butter).
The fried mozzarella squares were great. You’re really not going to go wrong here. Good cheese pull, perfectly fried, no notes. Order them.
The corn fritters were fine. They come out like a dense, fluffy little fried dough situation, topped with powdered sugar and served with honey. They taste decent, but they’re kind of like a donut that shows up at dinner. I could have passed on them entirely, especially since my entree also came with corn fritters on the side. That was just too many corn fritters for one meal. Skip the app order if you’re getting an entree that includes them.
The U-Peel Shrimp were not for me, but my mother-in-law absolutely demolished them. She peeled and ate every single one of those shrimp with the kind of enthusiasm you only see from someone who truly loves what they’re eating. Based on her reaction alone, those shrimp are worth ordering.
Now, the gator bites. I’ve had alligator one other time in my life, at my brother’s bachelor party in New Orleans about nine years ago. I remembered them being really tough and gamey, not my thing at all. And nothing has changed. Gator is just chewy in a way that starts to feel like you’re eating a piece of gum. The breading is fine, but the meat is tough and takes forever to get through. That’s just what gator is. It’s not the restaurant’s fault. We ordered them mostly so the kids could say they tried alligator in Florida, which they did. They thought it was okay. I thought it was exactly as chewy as I remembered.
Entrees at The Friendly Fisherman
My wife and my son went with a pound of snow crab legs ($32.95) and they both loved every bite. They cracked into those things like they hadn’t eaten in a week.
I went with the Fish and Chips lunch plate ($20.50). One note here: the lunch option only comes with one piece of fish instead of two. If you’re hungry and want the full portion, the dinner plate ($23.99) is probably the better call and only a few dollars more.
That said, the fish itself was outstanding. It’s cod, fried in a homemade beer batter, and it was exactly what fish and chips is supposed to be. Flaky cod, great batter, served with coleslaw and fries. The tartar sauce here was better than what I had at Backwaters. I’d reorder this without hesitating.
My only gripe was the extra corn fritters that came on the side of the plate, which I’d already had too many of as an appetizer. But that’s a self-inflicted problem. Don’t order the corn fritter basket as an app if you’re getting a platter.
The Verdict on The Friendly Fisherman
The Friendly Fisherman delivers every time. The food is consistently good, the service was great even on a quiet Monday morning, and it’s one of those places that just feels like real Florida. Dinner would be the move if you want more of a scene, since the lunchtime crowd on a weekday is pretty sparse. But either way, it’s worth the stop every time we’re in the area. If you’ve been doing the seafood circuit around the Redington and Madeira Beach area, it pairs well with places like Crabby Bill’s in Indian Rocks Beach, which is another solid seafood option a few miles up the coast.
A Quick In-N-Out Stop in Murfreesboro, TN
We drove down to Florida this year from Chicago, so on the way back we stopped in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and found a newly opened In-N-Out Burger. Since we don’t have In-N-Out in Chicago, my wife is always excited to get one when we’re somewhere that has them. She is a genuine fan.
I am not.
I’ve always found In-N-Out to be overrated, and this visit didn’t change my mind. If anything, this was my worst In-N-Out experience yet. Something tasted off about my burger. My best guess is either a slightly burnt bun or some burnt ketchup on it, but something wasn’t right. I couldn’t really put my finger on it.
I genuinely want to like In-N-Out. I know people love it. But I’ve had it a few times now and I just don’t get the appeal beyond the novelty of not being able to get it back home. Maybe that’s the whole thing. Maybe when you can get it whenever you want it stops being special. Whatever it is, it’s still not for me.
All in all, it was a great trip back to Redington. Backwaters is a welcome addition to the area and worth checking out if you haven’t been. The Friendly Fisherman is as reliable as ever. Get the fish and chips, get the crab legs if you’re with people who love that, and skip the corn fritter app if your entree already comes with them.
Redington Beach FAQ
Where should you eat in Redington Beach, Florida?
Backwaters Grill and Tavern in North Redington Beach if you want something more relaxed than the big steak and seafood restaurants, and The Friendly Fisherman at John’s Pass in Madeira Beach for fresh Gulf seafood on the water.
How long has The Friendly Fisherman been at John’s Pass?
Since 1978. That is almost 50 years of Gulf seafood at the same waterfront spot on the John’s Pass Boardwalk, and the Hubbard family has run it the whole time.
What should I order at Backwaters Grill and Tavern?
The grouper sandwich. It has the right mix of atmosphere, good food, and local feel, and we will definitely be going back.
Is The Friendly Fisherman better for lunch or dinner?
Dinner is the move. The food is consistently good either way and the service was great even on a quiet Monday morning, but dinner is when the place is at its best.
Is Redington Beach worth visiting?
For us it is a family tradition going back to the 1980s. The condos put you right on the sand, and the food scene around Madeira Beach and John’s Pass is real Florida rather than tourist filler.
