Where to eat in Seminole, The Gulf Beaches, and Largo I have lived in Pinellas County, Florida for 37 years. My Dad moved us down here from Warren, Ohio in 1971.
This is a tourist area, and soon the snowbirds and tourists will be here. Maybe you will even want to visit? One warning though, the traffic is bad. But the sunshine, sunsets and great food is plentiful.
So seeing how I know some good spots to eat around here that are not the big chains, I thought I would share my favorites with you. I'm going to concentrate on mainly on Seminole, Largo Indian Rocks, Indian Shores and Redington Shores, though I'll have to mention a few restaurants in surrounding cities. There are many, many other great places to eat throughout the area, just ask the locals. But these are some of my favorites.
Steak
For steak, there is no beating E&E Stakeout, at the corner of West Bay Drive and Indian Rocks Road. Hands down, they have the best steaks around. I have eaten there many times, and I have yet to have a meal there that was not excellent. They are a little more expensive than the national steak chain, but I don't mind paying a little more for this quality. The steaks are very tender and full of flavor, and they are cooked exactly how you want. I also understand the rack of lamb rules. The wait staff is professional and attentive without being in the way. It is real nice inside also, though it can get noisy if you sit in the section that has tile floor. Overall, it is very tough to top E&E. Overall, this is an excellent restaurant.
For the big spenders the place to go is Bern's in Tampa. That is the place to see and be seen, and it will set you back 3 figures for 2 literally the second you walk in the door. It is worth it though, from what they tell me.
BBQ
Sonny's, just north of Ulmerton on the west side of Seminole Blvd. Sonny's gets a little bit of a bad rap around here, and I cannot figure out why. I go to this location a lot, and the baby backs are always killer. You get a big rack, they have that real nice smoke ring, the flavor is incredible, they are fall apart tender, and the price is real good. These are excellent ribs. I have also had the chicken, and that has been really good also. I love this place, especially when it is all you can eat. My one complaint? They don't have collards, which every BBQ place should have. There are many other great BBQ places in the area, and one that stands out is Kojaks House of Ribs, on Gandy Blvd in Tampa. Excellent BBQ in a no frills atmosphere.
Pizza
Charlie and Millie's, on Seminole Blvd in Largo. Thin crust, a tad sweet, crunchy, and the pizza itself is just incredible. I can't describe it, the pizza is that darn good. If you visit this area, just go there. My brother and I call it "The Magical Pizza". It is that good. They have been here forever, and the place looks like a dive, but this is the best pizza around here. My brother and I get at least 1 pie a week from them. Other good pizza is Beach Pizza and Delosas. Beach Pizza also has pretty good subs. If you MUST order a chain pizza, go with Papa John's on Park Blvd, across from Seminole Mall.
Speaking of subs, Publix has the best subs. Though there are other great subs around here, like Seminole Subs, you can eat a Publix footlong, and though the sub is huge, and you are stuffed after eating the whole thing, you will be begging for more. And their secret? The bread, the best supermarket bread in the area. And save a buck or two, just go for the Publix brand meat on the sub, buy a soda and chips with the money you save.
Seafood
Okay, there are a ton of great seafood places here. I could write a book about them. I love seafood, though I'm not a fan of clams or oysters. I pretty much love everything else though. And I'm going to throw in one place to avoid.
First there is Guppy's, on Gulf Blvd in Indian Rocks Beach. Their seafood is always fresh, and when they have it, the customers go nuts for the hogfish. I have only eaten there 2 times, and both have been great. It is a nice, but casual place. I guess I should mention my brother works there and the chef and I graduated high school together, but we don't know each other. When a place is busy on a Wednesday night in August in this area, that is a sign that the restaurant is pretty good, if not great.
Then there is PJ's Oyster Bar, right near the light at Gulf Blvd. and Walshingham. PJ is also a parrot they have inside the place. A lot of fried stuff, along with grilled and blackened dishes. They have pretty much everything, and the grilled or blackened grouper is pretty darn good. This is also a very touristy place, so y'all will want to visit. There are dollar bills stapled everywhere in the restaurant from people around the world. Cool place, though sometimes the draft beer can be a little warm. Oh yea, you must have the gator nuggets. If you like chicken, you will like gator, though it can be a little chewy.
A couple of blocks away is Crabby Bills, a local institution. I have not been there in a long time, but it has always been the place to go. Jimmy Guana's, just up the street from PJ's, is also a good place to go. To the south on Gulf Blvd is Leatherbacks in Maderia Beach, also a good restaurant. I have been there 3 times, and have yet to be disappointed. Steak and seafood, a good waitstaff, and a pleasant atmosphere, how can you go wrong?
The one place to go on the beaches? Salt Rock Grill. No description needed. Just go. And make sure you have plenty of money. Located in Indian Shores.
Last, but not least, The Lobster Pot, in Redington Shores. This is a World Class restaurant. I don't need to say any more.
The one to avoid? Shells. I went there one time and was not impressed. I guess other people were not either, seeing how they have filed for bankruptcy. Not the worst meal I have had, but not all that good either. I will say they do give you a lot of food.
Italian
There are a zillion good Italian places around here, but I will just stick with these 2 places.
Villa Gallace, in IRB on Gulf Blvd. You can't miss it. Just excellent Italian food, and the place is always packed. Prices are a little high, but that is okay. Friendly staff, and the place has been there for at least 10 years, so you know they are doing something right. I do hope they use better spinach now though, Popeye would have had a fit with the stuff I was served. Hey, I love spinach, I guess I was just expecting baby spinach for the price that was paid.
The Pizza Shack, on Indian Rocks Road, just a couple of blocks north of Walshingham. Yea, it is a pizza place, but they also serve up hearty Italian fare at a small price. The portions are huge, so you better bring your appetite. They also have an all you can eat at lunch time. Very good food in a cozy and very friendly setting.
Bars, Pubs, and such
Note: If you have a family, go to these places before happy hour ends at 7. If you are over 21, enjoy the fun at night!
Now these bars have some some great food, to go along with beers on tap like Newcastle, Guinness, Harp, Fosters, Yuengling, Killians, and other great beers, plus bottled beers like Sam Adams or Blue Moon. And they also have the usual suspects when it comes to beer.
Niagara Tap, is just a block north of Walshingham, on Seminole Blvd, in front of Winn Dixie. I have been going there since 1996, and it is my favorite place, where I watch the Steelers games. Along with my fellow Steelers fans, there are the Bucs and Bills fans, and you will see a stray Chiefs, Giants, Jets, Lions, Vikings, Eagles or Browns fan. Get there early on a Sunday during football season. During the week, there is poker and some of the best karaoke around. A small place, and it can get crowded fast, but everyone is friendly. There is a great mix of people, from professionals to the real blue collar folk. The staff are super friendly. Food is really good, especially the burgers, nachos and wings. They also have a top-notch digital jukebox and great speakers, plus they have NTN Trivia. Smoking allowed inside, full bar, and the NFL and hockey packages. And prices are really good. Plus they have Yuengling on tap. 'Nuff said.
Red Lion, just a great beach bar, right in the heart of IRB on Gulf Blvd. Killer Sheperds pie, footy on the telly, and a good draft lineup. This is a must visit. I think smoking is allowed, but I could be wrong. Every time I go there, I lose a day or so. Don't worry, I take a cab. Full bar.
Another great one is Mickey Quinn's. They have 2 places, one right down the street from me on Park and 131st Street, and another in Indian Shores, take a right over the Park Blvd Bridge and go down a mile or so. A great lineup of beers on tap, excellent food, plasma tv's everywhere, spacious, clean, and the staff is very friendly. The fajita's are especially good. A few pool tables and a jukebox. Smoking allowed, full bar. I have a lost a few days here also. A cousin from back in Ohio, Crean, almost lives at the beach location when he is visiting.
Moonigan's at Oakhurst Plaza, in Seminole. This is a family sports pub, think of Beef's, but nicer. The bar is custom built by the main owner, and is very nice. One of the bosses LOVES to fish, and that is where part of the menu comes from. Tv's everywhere, games for the kids, and the floor is painted like a football field. The grilled red snapper is possibly the best fish sandwich I have ever had. If they have the grouper also, order both! They are huge filets, seasoned perfectly, and grilled or blackened to perfection. The wings are top notch also, as are the burgers. They have a Mammoth Moon burger, if you eat it in a certain amount of time, you get a free t-shirt. Prices are good also. The usual suspects are on draft, but they do have Amberbock, and a few good bottled beers. Service can be spotty at times though. Non-smoking, beer and wine.
Rose and Crown in Largo, and English/Scottish pub. Yes, everyone gets along!. This is another super place, on Walshingham, right before the road turns into Ulmerton. This place has been around for years. I used to go a lot to the old location, and a few years back they moved even closer to me. This is a big footy bar also, and they have many great beers on tap. The inside is great for a meal, and they have an outside patio with another bar where you can smoke, and it is more of a bar atmosphere. The food is really good, English and Scottish fare a little Americanized. The fish and chips were especially great the last time I was there. And their Sheperd's pie is excellent also. And yes, you must put malt vinegar on your fries(chips). Smoking allowed on the outside patio.
Time Out, located at the Y intersection of Oakhurst Road and 137th Street N. Good enough food, with just limited bar food at night. The wings are real good though. This one I can walk to in 10 minutes. Real nice place, big, and games for the kids. Also a nice mix of customers. Pool tables, air hockey, dart boards, digital jukebox, plus much more. They have the NFL ticket, and it is another spot for Steelers fans. Yep, there are a ton of Steelers fans around here. Older crowd during the day, and younger crowd at night. Smoking and full bar.
Tom Foolery, behind Wendy's at Indian Rocks and Walshingham. Not sure of the food yet, but it is a great place to have a few beers. Smoking is allowed, and they also have the NFL ticket. Plenty of tv's, and it just has a real good vibe about it.
Gooses, behind Checkers at Walshingham and Indian Rocks. I haven't been there for a while, but knowing how the owner is, I know the food is still good. The nachos are loaded, and the wings are about the best around. Excellent sandwiches also, plus a good selection of beers on tap. Smoking allowed, full bar, NTN, video golf, dart boards and NFL Ticket. Gooses can be noisy and a little rough during the prime drinking nights though. If you have a family, best bet is to go before 4pm.
And I have to mention the Friendly Tavern, right next door to Beach Pizza and 7-11. It is the ultimate tourist trap, especially at night. Go during the day, spend 10 minutes in the joint, then you can tell every one you went there.
Oh yea, if you go and see the Rays at the Trop, you must have Mike's Italian sausage, on the 1st and 3rd base lines, on the main level. It is just one of the little stands. Plain or loaded, it will be the best $6.50 you spent, but I suggest loaded. And please, do not put ketchup on it!
So there you have it, if you ever visit the Seminole/Largo/Beaches of Pinellas County, you know of some of the best places to eat. Like I said, there are many other great places, and sorry I had to leave so many great places out.
Timothy Watson
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