Restaurant Review: Cooters Restaurant And Bar In Clearwater, FL

Looking for a great place to eat with a down home Florida vibe? With a fun atmosphere and delicious food, find out why you need to check out Cooters Restaurant and Bar in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Thanks so much to Cooters for hosting our group. All opinions are 100% my own.

If you’re looking for a taste of old Florida in the heart of Clearwater Beach, a visit to Cooters Restaurant & Bar should be at the top of your list. Centrally located and within walking distance of Pier 60, this family owned restaurant has a down home feel with delicious food and drinks to go along with it.

Cooters Restaurant And Bar

With a relaxed vibe and fun atmosphere, Cooters is perfect for dinner with the family or a night out with friends. When I hosted a blogger retreat recently, this is where we kicked off our weekend and it couldn’t have been more perfect. We’re all busy moms running our own businesses so we don’t get much down time…we intended to make the most of it!

Cooters is just the kind of laid back place I love to go when we’re on a beach vacation. This family owned restaurant  has been a staple in Clearwater Beach for 25 years. It’s easy to see why it’s a popular spot for both local and out of town visitors.

Sangria Pitchers & More

Since a girls weekend starts with drinks, we tried the ever popular pitchers of sangria. This was my kind of drink, since I love wine to begin with. After that, it was time for some shots.

I traded in shots for wine years ago but how could I turn these down…they were in cute, light up shot glasses. Plus, these were really good. I had the Scooby, a sweet, creamy shot topped with whipped cream. I may not be able to drink tequila anymore but these were right up my alley.

We were making our own happy hour but Cooters has one of the best happy hours on the beach from 3-6pm every day. Not only do they have deals on beer, wine and other drinks but they also have discounts on oysters, wings and shrimp. I could make a meal on happy hour shrimp and oysters (and I may just do that next time!)

Appetizers at Cooters Restaurant

Next up were the appetizers! I couldn’t get enough of the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms. Filled with crab meat and smothered in cheese, these disappeared almost immediately.

You also can’t go wrong with Cooters Famous Wings. You can order them mild, medium, hot or even Hotter ‘n Hell. If you want something different, try the Honey BBQ, Buffalo or Tequila wings. Just looking at these makes my mouth water!

Served with toasted garlic bread, the hot crabby shrimp dip is one of the house specialties. Crab and shrimp are baked in a creamy spiced cheese sauce and served piping hot.

Cooters Entrees

The appetizers were so good that I could have just lived on apps and sangria all night. However, there were way too many tempting dishes on the menu to do that.

The She-crab soup was another favorite. It’s a crab lovers dream with snow crab, king crab and blue crab mixed in a creamy soup and drizzled with sherry.

Famous for their crab legs, Cooters was even voted “Best Crab In Tampa Bay”. Just look at the size of these things. They were packed with crab meat and tasted just as good as they look.

Cooters is great for kids too. From the fun decor to the lively atmosphere, the little ones will fit right in. The kids menu has all the traditional favorites from grilled cheese to mac & cheese, plus extras like shrimp and snow crab. Not only that, the kiddos get to take a frisbee home with them.

If you’re going to be in Clearwater from October 25-28th, you have to head to Cooters for their 25th Annual Stone Crab Fest. It’s a Clearwater Beach tradition with live music, drink specials and of course, plenty of crab. They’ll have boatloads of fresh Florida stone crabs along with  king crabs, dungeness crabs and more at discounted prices. I may just have to bring my hubby so we can get the giant Cooters Crab Feast Platter…he just has to promise to share!

Our group had an amazing time. The service was fantastic, the food was delicious and it goes without saying that we enjoyed the drinks. It’s also walking distance from many of the Clearwater hotels (though you can always hop on the Jolley Trolley). When you want a taste of old Florida with a laid back atmosphere, just head to Cooters to find it!

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