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Cortez Florida: Charming fishing village, perfect place for classic seafood shack

Editor's Note: This story was written prior to Hurricane Helene. For visitor information in areas impacted by Helene, we encourage you to read Hurricane Helene Florida: Gulf Coast damage report and visitor information.

Finding an authentic Florida fishing village seems like an impossible quest – unless you can travel back in time.

To my surprise, though, that’s just what you’ll find in Cortez.

While today it is surrounded by modern sprawling Bradenton, Cortez, Florida, started as a rural community of fishing families in the 1890s. Descendants of those settlers still live here and a few dozen of the original little cottages are still homes to proud Cortez residents. There are still commercial fishing operations here, some dating back many decades.

The view at Star Fish Company includes an iconic fish shack on stilts that appears on all the Cortez Florida marketing materials. (Photo David Blasco)
The view at Star Fish Company includes an iconic fish shack on stilts that appears on all the Cortez Florida marketing materials. (Photo David Blasco)

Cortez has a funky old Florida feel, like the best of the Florida Keys. But it’s really quite tiny with a limited selection of things to do. Basically, there’s a small, free maritime museum; a few blocks of a cute, historic cottages, and some picturesque scenes along the waterfront.

There’s a really good reason to visit, though: To eat in one of the classic casual Florida fish shack restaurants that dot the shoreline.

Crab traps piled nearing the working waterfront in Cortez Florida. (Photo Bonnie Gross)
Crab traps piled near the working waterfront in Cortez Florida. (Photo Bonnie Gross)

At these restaurants, you’ll eat outdoors with views of the water while pelicans, herons and egrets gather photogenically nearby. (On our recent February visit, a flock of 50 big white pelicans were loitering on a sandbar off the fishing docks on the southern shoreline of Cortez. Gorgeous birds!)

Since seafood is shipped all over the country from the docks in Cortez, this really is a place to find the freshest seafood.

If you consult Yelp or TripAdvisor, you’ll see a half dozen competing seafood spots, all based on a similar premise – an open air fishing dock/marina atmosphere and a variety of fresh fish, simply prepared.

We’d long heard about Star Fish Company Restaurant, one of the top ranked spots, so that’s where we headed at noon on a Sunday.

At the fish shacks in Cortez Florida you’ll eat outdoors with views of the water while pelicans, herons and egrets gather photogenically nearby. (Photo: David Blasco)
At the fish shacks in Cortez Florida, you’ll eat outdoors with views of the water while pelicans, herons and egrets gather photogenically nearby. (Photo: David Blasco

The Star Fish restaurant is an outgrowth of and is adjacent to the large seafood wholesale company that was founded in the 1920s. Its current owner opened the small waterfront restaurant in 1996 and its fame has grown.

Star Fish has perhaps 15 tables overlooking a beautiful expanse of water and  mangrove islands in the northern end of Sarasota Bay. The view includes an iconic fish shack on stilts that appears on all the marketing materials for Cortez fishing village.

At Star Fish you stand in line to order your meal at the counter and it gets delivered to you in a to-go box  with plastic utensils at your table. At peak times during the winter season, the line can take an hour. We waited about 30 minutes to order, with one member of our group holding down a table, sipping a beer and enjoying the scene.

If you’re in a hurry or want to be waited on, Star Fish is not for you. (Blame Emeril Lagasse for featuring Star Fish in his TV series.)

Star Fish in Cortez Florida has perhaps 15 tables overlooking a beautiful expanse of water and mangrove islands in the northern end of Sarasota Bay.
Star Fish has perhaps 15 tables overlooking a beautiful expanse of water and mangrove islands in the northern end of Sarasota Bay. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Was the food worth the wait? We would enthusiastically answer yes. We rated as exceptional everything we tried – the seafood chowder ($6), the seafood salad ($12), the blackened mahi sandwich ($17) and the smoked mullet ($11), which we took home to use in fish dip. We weren’t in a hurry, we enjoyed the company of our tablemates and our time at Star Fish was an experience, not just a meal.

There is a small outdoor bar serving the variety of beers and wine to help pass the time.

Be warned: Prices are reasonable, but Star Fish is cash only.

Right at the causeway that takes you from Cortez to Anna Maria Island, you’ll find Tide Tables restaurant, a seafood restaurant with a mighty reputation for super-fresh fish and great views. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Right at the causeway that takes you from Cortez to Anna Maria Island, you’ll find Tide Tables restaurant, a seafood restaurant with a mighty reputation for super-fresh fish and great views. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Star Fish is just one of your excellent choices in Cortez, however.

We walked around the peninsula checking out other waterfront restaurants, each of which had outdoor seating and great views.

Right at the causeway that takes you from Cortez to Anna Maria Island, you’ll find Tide Tables restaurant, a seafood restaurant with a mighty reputation for super-fresh fish and great views. (Tide Table currently occupies the No. 1 ranking on both Yelp and TripAdvisor.)

Tide Tables does offer table service and people rave about the grouper, fish tacos and mahi. It has an ideal location overlooking the wide Intracoastal and causeway. Since it faces west, it is ideal for sunsets.

Swordfish Grill, another popular waterfront fish shack in Cortez Florida.
Cortez Kitchen is another popular waterfront fish shack in Cortez Florida. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Tide Table and Star Fish are in the top two spots on most lists, but there are actually other well liked seafood spots in Cortez too. Read reviews of Cortez restaurants on TripAdvisor.

Keep in mind: the poor little fishing village is plagued with giant traffic backups. The only through street in town is the causeway to Anna Maria Island (just five minutes away) and when the drawbridge opens, you have no choice but to be patient.

Historic cottages in Cortez. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Historic cottages in Cortez Florida. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Planning your visit to Cortez Florida

Most people who visit Cortez are probably staying on Anna Maria Island or visiting it. It’s a great Old Florida locale with a wonderful beach. Here’s a Florida Rambler guide to Anna Maria Island.

We stayed in Cortez at a waterfront cottage where we saw dolphins and white pelicans from our private dock and walked to all the seafood restaurants. It’s this property on VRBO. (Florida Rambler receives a small fee if you book this property, but we wouldn’t recommend it if we didn’t love it)

Florida Maritime Museum

  • 4415 119th St W, Cortez, FL 34215
  •  (941) 708-6120
  • The museum is small but free and visitors give it good reviews. It tells the history of Cortez and includes shells, ship models and changing exhibits. It is located in the restored 1912 Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse. Volunteer docents make the visit memorable for many. Parking is adjacent. Nearby is the 1890 general store and post office, which was moved to this location from its original waterfront site.
White pelicans gathering off the waterfront in Cortez, FL. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
White pelicans gathering off the waterfront in Cortez, Florida (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Star Fish Company Restaurant

  • 12306 46th Ave W, Cortez FL 34215
  •  (941) 794-1243

Tide Tables Restaurant

  • 12507 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34210
  • (941) 567-6206
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Alan Blackburn

Thursday 3rd of February 2022

These are some of the best places to eat fresh seafood that you will ever find. It is as layed back as anywhere that you will ever see. Beautiful views of the water and boats. It is like going back in time. If you are in the area it is a must to see and eat there. You won't regret it.

Anne

Sunday 26th of January 2020

Hi Bonnie, I always enjoy reading yours and Bob's stories about the many picturesque and natural places we have here in Florida. The picture however that is labeled Swordfish Grill in this story is Cortez Kitchen and Swordfish is on the other side of the little inlet there and shares the same parking lot. They are owned by the same family who also have the fishing fleet that goes out from the east end of the village. Much of the seafood served at this end of the village is locally caught. It is also one of the largest mullet processing centers in the world.

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