8 Great Indian Rocks Beach Restaurants and More

In this article I cover my favorite Indian Rocks Beach restaurants along with local bakeries and Indian Rocks Beach’s first craft brewery. I also suggest some favorite restaurants near Indian Rocks Beach.

Indian Rocks Beach entrance
Indian Rocks Beach entrance, photo by Julie McCool

Whether you eat at these restaurants, get carryout to take to your vacation home, or order to-go food and take to the beautiful beaches, you will be eating where the locals eat when you choose to visit these fantastic restaurants in Indian Rocks Beach.

Where is Indian Rocks Beach?

Indian Rocks Beach is located on the Florida Gulf Coast, a few miles south of Clearwater Beach. The small town of Indian Rocks Beach is 45 minutes from Tampa airport and 30 minutes from St Pete-Clearwater airport.

Indian Rocks Beach is one of our recommended favorite family Spring Break Destinations and is a great day trip from Tampa.

For more Indian Rocks Beach info see Things to Do in Indian Rocks Beach

Below are our favorite Indian Rocks Beach restaurants and suggested menu items to order at them. When you visit, let them know you read about them on McCool Travel.

Keegan’s Seafood Grille

Try the fresh seafood (grouper as always is our choice) and desserts (homemade key lime pie and locally made rum cakes) at Keegan’s Seafood Grille. I love that they serve items not found at other IRB restaurants, like conch fritters, octopus, and she crab soup. The extended happy hour (12-6) offers some favorite Florida craft beers at half price.

Beach Waves Grill

The grouper at Beach Waves Grill is really good. In fact, Beach Waves Grill is one of our choices for Best Grouper Sandwiches in Florida.

blackened grouper sandwich at Beach Waves Grill Indian Rocks Beach
Beach Waves Grill is one of the best Indian Rocks Beach restaurants

Beach Waves Grill occupies the spot of the former Thai Pan Alley, on 23rd Avenue. I love sitting at an outside table in the mid afternoon sun and enjoying $2 draft beers and a bowl of their tasty corn and crab chowder while waiting for our blackened grouper sandwich or grouper platter.

McCool Travel note: The Beach Waves Grill key lime pie is really good also.

Guppy’s On the Beach

Florida lobster and grouper are the specialties at Guppy’s On the Beach in Indian Rocks Beach. Our favorite items at Guppy’s in IRB are the grouper piccata, grouper tacos, and everything grouper! But their shrimp and grits, oysters, and so many other dishes look so amazing. But I always choose grouper, so far. What is your favorite Guppy’s item?

grouper tacos at Guppy’s IRB, one of the best restaurants in Indian Rocks Beach

Jake’s Coastal Cantina

outside seating at Jake's Coastal Cantina IRB
one of our favorite restaurants in Indian Rocks Beach is Jake’s Coastal Cantina

I love the daily 2-for-1 specials at Jake’s Coastal Cantina. Our favorite daily Jake’s specials are $2 taco Tuesday, $5 quesadilla Monday, and 1/2 price burritos Wednesday. Jake’s is now across the street from its original longtime location. It is now in the building that formerly housed Lulu’s.

daily special sign at Jakes IRB
check out the daily special at Jake’s Coastal Cantina IRB

Everyone loves Jake’s but if you have not been to the new location, you gotta go. Jake’s Coast Cantina’s new location has a fun new vibe and offers much more selection. Jake’s now serves a lot of specialty cocktails and build your own margarita options. But the same classic salsas and chips accompany all food orders. I love Jake’s!

McCool Travel note: there is a nice small public park at the 5th Ave beach entrance, about a two minute walk from Jake’s. It is a nice spot to enjoy your carryout order.

The Original Crabby Bills

decoration at Crabby Bills IRB
Crabby Bills is one of the iconic Indian Rocks Beach restaurants

I tried the Nashville hot grouper sandwich here at the Original Crabby Bill’s and loved it. Crabby Bill’s cole slaw might be the tastiest in IRB and I recommend it over the fries.

I also tried a blackened grouper sandwich and a grouper reuben at Crabby Bill’s and enjoyed both. But they do serve more than grouper!

Oysters, fresh seafood (local catches but also catfish, salmon, and more), and much more attract families, groups, and couples alike. The outdoor dining/drinking area at Crabby Bills is livelier and the large indoor dining room circles a U-shaped bar in the middle.

Order a salad topped with blackened grouper if you cannot decide on what to order.

Crabby Bills also has a location a few miles south in St Pete Beach. The Crabby Bill’s family manages many restaurants I like in the area, including Jake’s Coastal Cantina and Seabreeze Island Grill.

Kooky Coconut

current temperature sign comparing Florida with cold cities
fun sign at Kooky Coconut reminding you why you love Indian Rocks Beach in the winter

Savor an excellent Cuban sandwich at Kooky Coconut in a tiki hut themed building on 8th Avenue. While Kooky Coconut offers a half-dozen varieties of pressed Cuban sandwiches, I prefer the traditional (Tampa Cuban) version. Tacos, quesadillas, burritos, burgers, and dogs are other popular menu items. 30+ flavors of local homemade ice cream are a sweet follow up to any meal or a popular stand-alone order.

Groupers on the Gulf

Tucked into a strip mall, Groupers on the Gulf was a less than reliable place for basic seafood items but I think they have changed menus and maybe management/staff. I have had their peel and eat shrimp, grouper tacos, and more; those items that were OK but not front of the memory good. Last visit they gave me the skimpiest slice of key lime pie and that sticks in my mind. But I gotta go back and give Groupers in IRB another chance.

Sandy’s

Sandy’s is a great spot for classic and basic breakfast and lunch fare. I love the breakfast home fries (the addition of thyme makes them yummy) along with a hearty omelette. The servers are friendly and experienced, the tea and coffee are on point, and the decor is fun. Sandy’s is located in the small center with Beach Waves Grill and Cafe de Paris Bakery.

Pajano’s Pizza

The best carryout pizza in Indian Rocks Beach might be Pajano’s. I like their location four miles south in North Redington Beach behind Burrito Social. There, at Pajano’s Pizza and Taphouse, they are set up better for dining in plus they have two dozen craft beers on tap.

Slyce Pizza Bar

People visit Slyce for their artisan stone oven pizzas but they also serve salads, sandwiches, strombolis, calzones, and more. The Slyce brunch features Belgian waffles and breakfast pizzas—definitely worth a try. Individual slices, I mean slyces, are large enough to spill over a regular sized plate. Just the way I like it.

large slice of pizza from Sylce IRB
large slice at Slyce in Indian Rocks Beach

Cafe de Paris Bakery

At Cafe de Paris Bakery, next to Beach Waves Grille, enjoy authentic French artisan sweet treats like crepes, quiche, croissants, and other bakery items, along with salads and soups. The owners/chefs operated a bakery in France for 20 years before moving to Indian Rocks Beach.

Pipo N Betty’s Bakery

Pipo n Bettys Bakery IRB
Pipo n Bettys Bakery in Indian Rocks Beach

Located in Jake’s Coastal Cantina former space, Pipo N Betty’s Bakery is a welcome addition in IRB. It is a perfect stop for morning tea or coffee and a pastry (the pistachio muffin is good) before driving over the bridge to the mainland. If you have a little more time, try a breakfast sandwich on a croissant or cloud bread.

Anecdote Brewing Company

colorful manatee tile mural at Anecdote Brewing IRB
colorful manatee tile mural inside Anecdote Brewing IRB

It is so wonderful to have a local craft brewery in IRB so that I do not have to go all the way to Mad Beach when craving a fresh brewed pint. Anecdote Brewing Company has a rotating menu of eclectic brews—a taco themed lager was on tap on the date of publication. New for 2024, Anecdote now has a small kitchen, with a focus on paninis and wings.

McCool Travel tip: buy an Anecdote Brewing gift card and save 10% (a wonderful gift for yourself!).

Also visit other Florida Gulf Coast Craft Breweries

Restaurants Near Indian Rocks Beach That I Like

  • Seabreeze Island Grill in Redington Shores has amazing food specials until 6pm and drink specials all day. The $3 margaritas are premixed but the basic $5 margarita is our recommendation. Seabreeze is also on our US Gulf Coast Seafood Trail. On our last visit, a sea gull snatched the top bun from my grouper sandwich, so be sure you do not lean back too far in your chair (as I did).
  • Next to Seabreeze is Nachmann’s Seafood Market. Their smoked salmon fish spread is their most popular item but I love their steamed and spiced Gulf shrimp.
  • Burrito Social is a little further south along Gulf Drive and has superb margaritas along with tasty modern Mexican food.
  • Indian Rocks Fresh Market in Largo is a superb produce market with prices lower than Publix (on many items) and much better quality and local freshness.
  • Ward’s Seafood in Clearwater is another seafood market near Indian Rocks Beach. Along with the seafood market (with fresh grouper and other local and shipped fish), Ward’s has a galley kitchen to prepare scrumptious dishes. It is hard to order anything except blackened grouper but the specials (like fried oyster po’ boy) always entice and sometimes convince.
  • The Pie Factory in Largo does sell more than key lime pie but I have only had their amazing key lime pie! When driving to your Indian Rocks Beach vacation home (or otherwise heading back to IRB from the mainland), stop at The Pie Factory and buy a whole pie.
  • St Pete Bagel Co in Largo is worth going to when you crave the real thing, NY style bagels.
  • Mad Beach Brewing is in the Johns Pass area of Madeira Beach, about 8 miles south of Anecdote Brewing. It is much larger than Anecdote and operates as a full brewpub restaurant. They have a much larger variety, also, with porter and stout offerings in addition to IPA, lager, and such.
  • Sculley’s Restaurant in Johns Pass is a reasonable dining option. Sit waterside and enjoy the views or grab a spot in the humongous waterfront bar. The fun factor is high here, if you like crowds.
  • Frenchy’s in Clearwater Beach is a much more likely option for us (than Johns Pass) when I occasionally leave IRB. Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill is right the gulf front beach and it is totally worth waiting for a table as close to the sand as possible. As with all our favorite seafood places, order the grouper! Frenchy’s is on our Gulf Coast Seafood Trail and is one of the Best Tampa Restaurants.
  • I have tried two Largo Thai restaurants (Pan Thai and Thai Basil) and Thai Star in Madeira Beach but am looking for better ones. Any suggestions?

Phew, anyone hungry? Please let me know which places to eat in Indian Rocks Beach are your favorites, especially if I did not list them.

Looking for the best Indian Rocks Beach restaurants? Here are our favorite Indian Rocks Beach restaurants and suggested menu items to order.

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