On the water restaurants
 

Hello,
We have relatives coming in from out of town. We would like to take them to a special restaurant on the water. We have already taken them to Gator Joe's.
I read about Black Water on St John's River. Have anyone tried them?
Any suggestions or input would be appreciated.

Thanks, jullie

Don't forget Stumpknocker's. It's a small river but it is water and the food is very good.
Bon Appetit

Pisces Rising in Mt Dora, not right on the lake (across the street) but great lake views and very good food.

I'll "endorse" both The Blackwater Inn and Stumpknockers. The only problem with either of them is the distance from TV. Both have a great atmosphere and great food, too!

I cannot comment on Pisces Rising because I've not been there, but it does carry a superior reputation!

SWR
:beer3:

Thanks
 

Thanks everyone for your input.

Blackwater is very worth while the almost two hour drive. Stumpknockers is closer and more of a dive (not drive) but is oh so good. The flying fish in Mt Dora is over priced.

Try JC's Lobster Pot on 44 outside deland. It is always packed. havent been there in awhile, hope it is still open.

http://jcslobsterpot.com/

Julie,

In my humble opinion, in these parts, "special" restaurants and "on the water are mutually exclusive". Although I have never been to the JC Lobster Pot I can make some educated past experience comments about some of the other recommendations:

There is absolutely nothing special about any of the places you've been directed to. (Have to admit my description of special may be a bit different than others as I don't like Dives, Motorcycle stops, mediocre food etc). Also need to tell you that The Blackwater is two hours away only by Golf Cart and less than an hour if driving at a reasonable rate within the speed limit in a car. Actually, of all the ideas you've been given, The Blackwater is probably the best of all "the special on the water" places referenced. I say this only after assuming that you view Gators Dockside as "special".

The are a lot of "not on the water " places I'd prefer to take my guests to.

Good luck!

re: water seating
 

the new cody's opened were the former up the creek was. They have lake side seating, and if they like steaks they'll love it there.

We have relatives visiting for the holidays. My choice was a half day in Deland, but we wound up driving to the Blackwater Inn, Astor, FL--on the St. John's River. (They advertise in The Daily Sun.) It's about an hour's ride through the Ocala National Forest. Blackwater Inn doesn't open until 4:30 PM but Williams Landing, a casual place right above Blackwater Inn was open for lunch. There's really nothing to see or do in Astor. Should have went with the original plan to visit Deland. If you're ever curious about Blackwater Inn, skip it. There are similar offerings on the water that are closer. Hurricane's comes to mind.

We love to eat at Crackers in Crystal River (less than an hour away). Food and service is good, beautiul waterfront views, and lots to do during the day prior to dinner (deep sea fishing boats leave from there, manatee tours are offered by many operators, you can rent canoes or kayaks from many places, scuba and snorkeling excursions, etc.).

Hey borisj. Your assessment is right on the mark. (that's a pun) Following these recommendations may get you near water but that's where the culinary experience will end. Mediocre is the proper descriptive adjective.

Cracker's in Crystal River the Grouper fingers are fantastic.

The Freezer in Homosassa go on Sunday they have fantastic shrimp and chicken wings.

restaurants on the water
 

We enjoy J.J. Boondocks in Howey In The Hills...on Little Lake Harris. A little hard to find, but if you look up their website, it will give directions.

J.B. Boondocks
 

Here's the web site:
http://www.jbboondocks.com/

I really like Pisces Rising in Mt. Dora. And I really like Cedar Key. What I hate is sitting on a deck at dusk on a swampy river. The Mosquitos are the size of golf balls!

Barefoot:

A word of caution about Pisces Rising.

My street went there for our monthly get-together 12/2. Service was a complete and total disaster, food was mediocre at best.

Granted, it was Mount Dora's Christmas Walk night, so the place was packed, but no one, I repeat no one, should have to wait more than an hour after ordering to receive mediocre food!

Let me add to the suggestions for on-the-water dining.

1. Exceedingly low-key but great fun: Gator Joe's, over-looking Lake Weir in Ocklawaha. Best for a casual lunch; sit out under the tiki-huts, over the water. May be crowded with bikers during Daytona's or Leesburg's Bike Weeks.

2. Decidedly upscale, but worth every penny: Al's Top Shelf, over-looking Lake Dora in Tavares. Thursday-Sunday only. Superb food and service; excellent for a large group. There's a low-key venue on the ground floor that caters more to the burger and fries crowd!

SWR
:beer3:

That's disappointing news. Any restaurant can have a bad day, but you'd think Pisces would staff up to handle the Christmas crowds.

On a cheery note, it sounds as if you picked a great street to live on!

Congratulations swrinfla! This thread has been in existence since 10/23/2009. After about 26 month you have the distinction of being the first person to actually recommend a place on the water that's worth going to. Al's Top Shelf fills the bill and is the right answer to the question raised two years ago. The rest are all joints that rely on the fact that many among us seek out lower cost venues where they do not realize that mediocrity rules supreme.You won't find the same clientele at Al's top Shelf. It's a lovely location but has scary prices on the menu. No wonder so few of us are familiar with venues such as Al's, Jeffery Paul's Chophouse, Ricks Prime Steak House and the like, whether they are on the water or not. Actually, lunch at Al's Landing the lower level comfort food restaurant you mentioned is a far better solution for getting a decent meal in a nice water setting than any of the other except for Al's Top Shelf.

I didn't even realize that this thread was over two years old. That being said, I think your post comes off as rather opinionated (not that there is anything wrong with opinions--we all have them--I just take offense that you seem to think that your opinion is the only one that carries any weight). To state that "many among us seek out lower cost venues where they do not realize that mediocrity rules supreme", comes across as rather snobby and is insulting to lots of folks.

The original poster (and others who read this thread since looking for a nice place to eat "on the water") did not ask for a gourmet experience, a 5 star rated place or anything of that ilk. They wanted info on a nice place on the water.

From personal experience, I can say that Crackers is a great place to eat after a full day of scuba diving or snorkeling with the manatees. Five star? Hardly, but the food is fresh and well prepared. Fresh Apalachicola oysters, fresh grouper, and fresh caught lobster have all been excellent--well prepared and well presented. Not fancy, but a nice meal served in a beautiful environment.

Lest you think I am one of those ignorant slobs who is incapable of "realizing
mediocrity," I have eaten at some of the finest dining establishments around the world (and by the way, "lower cost venues" are not always synonymous with "mediocrity")and have written restaurant reviews for a mid-sized (circulation of 125,000) newspaper for three years.

Hope I am not offending you, but I had to toss out my $.02.

And, Black Water, Gator Joe's, and the many others previously mentioned are worth checking out.

.

Crackers is good. :coolsmiley: