Cedar Reef Fish Camp in Venice

I was incredibly surprised with this place. The seafood does not cost an arm and a leg, but rivals the quality of a seafood place priced three times as much. Great atmosphere, we were able to watch the sunset while we ate. Our waiter, Stu, was very friendly and knowedgeable. Don't miss this gem if you are in the area!

Another great Florida treat. Fresh fish and seafood, all excellent. Personal suggestion is the Shrimp and grits made Nawlins style with andouille sausage, bacon, and caramelized onions. More than enough to share. And this damn biscuits they serve are to die for. Save room for key lime pie.

Great service. Come as you are. If you like fish this be place is for you. Ask for Devon, great server. Saturday afternoon late lunch was great. Good value for the dollar.

Great food. Excellent selection and service. It is so nice to go to a restaurant where they are happy that you came. Even on Christmas Day the servers were welcoming and professional. I didn't feel like I was putting them out by making them work. It was a very nice meal.

Very nice hard working staff that both own and the staff there are very nice also! And food is awesome as well!! The only issue I see is that they need a bigger place, because it does get busy ad the chef's Ned more room also!

Service was very friendly. Mostly fried seafood selections. Their breading for the shrimp and oysters was "crunchy" as they mix in corn meal. I like it, but some may not. Their fries are also coated to make them crispy. The biscuits they offer at first are a little overlooked and dry. The calamari and peppers were a little overlooked and had the same crunchy batter coating. The slaw was ok, but a bit on the warm side (expected cold and crisp). The flavor of the food was not awful, and their side sauces are pretty good. Not sure if this is the best seafood Venice has to offer so we will keep looking. We rated it average, but if you like mostly fried seafood it is not bad. We wanted to try the fish dip and wings but they were out of both. They do offer several non-seafood selections and have lunch specials each day. The tea is ok.

Wow! This diamond in the rough was the best seafood we ate while we were in Florida. Despite the strip mall location, this place more than makes up for it with the food. First off, the $10 bottle of wine drink special was a great deal. Then came the amazing calamari and gator bites. Those breaded delights were devoured in no time. The main courses sealed the deal with, no joke, the most orgasmic meal I have eaten in my life. The lobster lasagna is so outstandingly delicious that I was silent and grinning like a fool the entire time I ate it. The creamy lobster cream sauce with layers of cheese, noodles, and sea scallops was a flavor explosion with every bite. I paid three times as much for lobster tail elsewhere with nowhere close to the flavor. The key lime creme brule and peanut butter pie was taken to go, and also noted as extremely delicious. Definitely a must go to place if nearby.

Amazing food! Friendly staff! Ate there 3 nights in a row and could have gone back again :-)

Excellent as usual and we were ordering from a limited Hurricane Irma menu. Our doggies also enjoyed their meals. Everything was fresh and delicious!

Not our greatest experience. A seafood place, but no clams. Music loud. Waitress could hardly remember anything - she asked if we wanted cream with coffee, we said no & she brought a slew of creamers, forgot what I ordered & had to come ask me again, said the fish wild be lightly seared but it came fried. Never saw her again after food dropped off. One review here said reasonably priced, but not sure what they must have been comparing to. Food taste was ok, nothing to write home about. We didn't finish food or take it home. But manager did take one meal off check because we didn't eat it, that was nice of him.

Great selection, specials change regularly, good down home food.

Don't let the location fool you. This place is the real deal for seafood. Scallops were delicious. Crab cakes tasty and packed with meat. Onion rings were crunchy and good - made with red onion! Wedgie salad very good, but perhaps a bit to much bleu cheese dressing. Alligator chowder was okay.

First time here, but I'm ticked off. I want to rate it higher than 5 stars, but can't. Food was great and I think we had the best waiter we've ever had (Stu).And to top it off, we got to pet a golden retriever just outside the restaurant .. a perfect evening. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Really really good rich boy. Our waitress was super. But the other support waitress was not that good. Def recommend the shrimp rich boy

The food here is excellent. The prices are reasonable. I have eaten here several times and each time the food is different. I have never received a bad meal here. The wait staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Wonderful small local eatery.

Horrible!!! Do not ever go there. Fish and chips in every cheap fast food place is more tasty than here. Worst place for kids. Very expensive and unhealthy food! Everything deep fried to charcoal. Crab lasagna is disgusting. Orlando French fries are worst I ever ate. Place is ugly with piece of white paper on the top of the table. Paid more $ than we paid in Carrabba's Italian grill which is real restaurant where food was great, delicious and fresh. Please do not waist your money.

Incredible food with a fun and frienldy atmosphere. Good portions. Reasonably priced. And lots of delicious options. Glad we discovered this place!

Great food and service

Always delicious! The crab cakes are pure, delicious crab meat.... absolute heaven. Friendly staff, outdoor seating and a doggie menu!! I love cedar reef. One of my favorites.

Family friendly, excellent service and fantastic food. The server was knowledgeable about the menu and made excellent recommendations. She was friendly, attentive and even offered to replace an item my picky son decided he didn't like (it was fine, he's just picky). The crab cakes were outstanding, probably some of the best I've ever had. The food came out very quickly. Will definitely return, was a hit with both my kids as well as with me.

Food seems pricey but the quality is great. The atmosphere is very good, although it's kind of tight inside during a lunch/dinner rush. Great seafood, and great staff.

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge food snob especially when it comes to seafood.As a native Floridian I only want fresh local seafood!They delivered on the black grouper, gulf shrimp, real homemade clam chowder!Everything I ate was made by hand, Fresh!They also have an exception beer and wine list to compliment the food.

Nice place. Lots of tables, lots if diners but its quiet. Smells like a seafood place when you walk in and tastes great. Prices are reasonable.

Large portion Fish Tacos. Delicious although fried. Jimmy stopped to let me know if I wanted an other preparation method, let the wsit person know. I returned Friday for their delicious, although thin Clam Chowder. I will be back.

Went here for a special occasion. Heard great things. My blackened grouper tacos were grossly over seasoned and salted. About half of it tasted like it was scraped off of a very dirty grill. Barely edible. The waitress didn't check on us until after everyone else finished their food. When I complained, she explained that if I didn't want blackening seasoning, I shouldn't have ordered it. Very rude. She charged us for everything and never apologized. We will never return

Fish was cooked correctly. Presentation was very nice. Flavors were distinct with good range between mild to spicy which were fish tacos and southwestern grouper bowl. Lunch prices were reasonable. Friendly and attentive staff. Very clean. Will return.

Best meal we've had in Venice so far! Oysters Tamiami, salmon BLT and key lime crème brülée. Service was top notch. We will be returning!

The food is always good. Prices average. Always a positive impression.

I love the alligator chowder! And lobster lasagne is delish. It's small with lots of funky artwork. Many beers and wines to choose from. Say Hi to chef Dean!

Just plain fantastic. If you like fish and friendly people come here. The owner is extremely personable, and offered us much finer wine then we ordered because he was out, at the same price. Food is exquisite, and is different depending on the daily catch.

Good food. Friendly service. Was there for lunch. Portions are adequate.

Decent seafood but nothing that great. The crab cakes were super salty and fishy. The crab legs weren't too bad, but spindly so barely any meat on them. The peanut butter pie thing is pretty much a peanut butter cheesecake. Or at least that's exactly what it tastes like

We were staying in a friend’s condo for a week and asked a local for a recommendation. She told us about Cedar Reef Fish Camp. What a great suggestion!! Don’t let the exterior fool you. It is located near Publix in a strip center off Tamiami. I had the Cedar Plank Salmon which is their signature dish. It was incredible! My friend had the blackened redfish which was also delicious. Our server, Jon, was so helpful and patient and did a great job. We would go back in a heartbeat.

This place offers the best seafood around. The servers are friendly and the prices are average for the area. The have outdoor seating and a doggy menu for the fur babys.

More upscale than I was expecting. Casual feel but above average dining experience. Great seafood both times I've eaten here.

A great place to eat. We had the Fried Shrimp. Reasonable prices and a great staff. Will recomend to my friends.

Reading the reviews might have psyched me up for a great experience, but it was just OK. Staff was friendly and they went above and beyond giving us free mini cupcakes. But the food was just not up to par. Maybe the kitchen had an off night. Everything was overcooked which is better than undercooked I guess.

Best clam chowder and lobster rolls! Great friendly service and reasonable prices.One of our favourite places to eat during our 6 month stay in Florida.

We loved this restaurant! We ate their with our kids. Even our waiter remarked at how quiet our table was. He was worried. I told him when 3 kids are quiet at the table...it's not because the food is bad. It's because everyone is so busy enjoying their food they don't have time to argue! Lobster Lasagna was delicious as was the Crab Stuffed Shrimp. The sauces surrounding both were close to gourmet! Our last night out on vacation and we chose well in restarurants.

Outstanding food! Taking something simple and making it delicious! Outstanding service as well. First time here, will definitely be back!

Great food and dog friendly with their own dog menu!!how cool is that!!

Swordfish Mountain was delicious. Place was packed but service was excellent and fast. Came here two nights on the row.

Disappointed in this trip. From the other reviews it sounded good. I got sirloin marsala, it was over done and very fatty. My husband got ribs and said the meat wasn't good quality. Our daughter loved the fish and chips. Crab legs were over cooked. Waitress was nice.

Nestled in a shopping center, it's easy to overlook this local hidden gem. Being from the east coast of Florida, where the most popular places to eat are big chain restaurants, it's nice to eat some real fresh food. The crab cakes were delicious, fresh and loaded with real crab. Make sure to try the Volcano sauce as well, it's tasty stuff. Lastly, if you still have room, try the peanut butter pie. It's home made, but regardless of its origin, it was really, really good. The service was friendly and personable (we had a guy named Bruce who served us). Moderately priced quality food; I highly recommend this place.

Excellent service. Best fish house in these parts. We have enjoyed Cedar Reef for years and NEVER been disappointed in service or menu. I love the shrimp and grits and fish tacos.

Nice atmosphere and very nice staff. May be me but one of my pet peeves is frozen french fries ..... Fresh are just so easy to do. Pico was amazing but without it, the fish tacos were unfortunately uneventful. Chicken volcano sandwich was delicious though.

Consistently good place to grab some seafood. One of my favorite casual gems in Venice. I highly recommend putting the lobster sauce on anything you get the chance to.

excellent service salmon the best in Sarasota country. Joe fabulous chef.

Best fish (swordfish!) tacos ever! Great food and friendly staff. Highly recommend this little gem of a restaurant

Last night I ordered the Reef Debris Seafood Boil and LOVED it! I was pleasantly surprised to see how much crab and shrimp was included with the clams and mussels. Everything was cooked perfectly and the seasoning accented but didn't overpower the flavor of the seafood. Even the coleslaw was uniquely flavored and was prepared without using too much sauce - a big pet peeve of mine is runny coleslaw. I will DEFINITELY be back!