Al & Stella’s Italian Cafe
Italian – 483 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
Homemade pastas… yum, yum. The owner is from Italy and puts a lot of love in the dishes always fresh and always tasty. I love the tortellini. Nice ambience. Free parking behind the building, Pelican Pointe.

Angelo’s Pizza
Pizza – 650 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $
This is where we go for take-out pizza. My favorite is the thin crust. Get it and take it the beach for sunsets.

Backwater’s
Seafood, Steakhouse and Sandwiches/Subs – 1261 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$
Portions are large. People rave over the bacon scallops.

Beach Shanty
American and Breakfast/Brunch – 397 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater $
Great name and great location across the street from the Hilton. It is your basic breakfast place. When we feel like a treat we go for the pancakes (special recipe) with the strawberries and whipped cream. It is like strawberry shortcake. Try the BLT wrap with feta cheese for a fresh lunch.

Beachcomber
American, Seafood and Steakhouse – 447 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
A classic restaurant. The food is very good. If you have a multigenerational crowd it is a good choice as it is a little old school. The service is usually great and the menu classic American. The coconut cream pie is a must.

Bobby’s Bistro
American, Seafood and Pizza – 447 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
This charming little backdoor bistro is the Beachcomber’s sister restaurant. It is one many visitors do not find since the entrance is in the Beachcomber in the parking lot. The setting is intimate and the food is exceptional. The Boursin Burger is actually the best on the beach. But the dinner options range from salads, to steaks to escargot.

Brown Boxer
Pub Food – 483 Mandalay Avenue, Clearwater Beach $
The newest restaurant on the beach and still working out the kinks. The place to go to watch sports with cheap beer.

Bua’luang Thai
Thai – 608 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
Delectable Thai food, It is always very fresh and high quality.

Caretta’s on the Gulf
American and Seafood – 500 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$$$
Located in the Sandpearl, the décor and setting are ideal. The food is very good, a good choice for the special occasion.

Cesare’s on the Beach
Italian – 794 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$$

Clearskye Cafe
American and Breakfast/Brunch – 490 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$$
One of our favorites. The food is excellent. The owner is local and on-site a lot of the time and really cares about quality. With a friendly, casual atmosphere, they serve a delicious breakfast, lunch OR dinner. Go for Wino Wednesday with half price bottles or Happy Hour runs from 2:30 pm- 6:30 pm with half price appetizers and drinks. I have also had one of the smoothest tequila’s ever there (well maybe it was because it was one in the morningJ)

Clearwater Wine and Bar Bistro
Mediterranean, Wine Bar and Tapas – 483 Mandalay Ave., Suite 113, N Clearwater Beach $$
A fantastic place to sit outdoors and people watch on Mandalay. The owner is often there and can offer insights on new wines that fit your taste. They have a Yappy Hour where locals bring their pets once a month. It is the place to go for a light meal, excellent wine and people watching.

Columbia Restaurant
Spanish, Cuban and Latin American – 1241 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$$
Looking for a unique place, this is it. The Columbia opened its doors in 1908 in Tampa in the cigar manufacturing district. This restaurant maintains the same history. With many recipes that date back to the early 1900’s, the meals are wonderful. Try the white sangria, made tableside. We prefer sitting indoors here.

Cooter’s
Seafood, American and Pub Food – 423 Poinsettia Ave, Clearwater Beach $
A local hang out. The only reason I go is if you went deep sea fishing and they are cooking the fish – have it Buffaloed (like the chicken wings) or for the entertainment of watching the locals. Although we do have some visitors who go there every vacation and spend hours everyday watching sports…..I do not get it.

Crabby Bill’s Seafood
Seafood – 37 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater Beach $
Crabby Bill’s Beachwalk
Seafood, Caribbean and American – 333 S. Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach $
If it is fresh and (sometimes) local fried seafood you are looking for this is the place. The onion rings are thin and crispy. The place is intentionally nothing fancy, with seating on wooden benches. Some of my relatives from the mid-west go here 2-3 times each visit.

Dunkin Donuts
Donuts, Breakfast/Brunch and Coffee – 1261 Gulf Blvd, Sand Key $
If you are from the northeast and you need your daily coffee fix, here you go.

Frenchy’s Rockaway’s
7 Rockaway St, Clearwater Beach $$
Frenchy’s Salt Water
419 Poinsettia Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
Frenchy’s Original
41 Baymont St, Clearwater Beach $$
Frenchy’s South Beach Cafe
419 Poinsettia Ave, Clearwater $$
A local, beachy favorite. Fundamentally, all the menus are the same but prices are a little higher at Rockaway’s. Right on the sand, Rockaway’s has the best view and is the busiest and can get loud. It is great for sunsets or late night and almost always has a band playing. Be prepared to go early / late or wait up to 2 hours for a table. If you are up for a party, go for the Rum Runner – but only do one and walk home….they are lethal. Saltwater is where I always go for the crab soup – the best anywhere. Personally, I do not prefer the Original as it is a small location. South Beach is the newest.

Forlini’s
American and Italian – 435 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$$

Greek Town Grille
1230 Cleveland St Clearwater Downtown $$
An authentic Greek restaurant with everything including the flaming cheese and “opa!” You get large portions, beautiful atmosphere and friendly staff. If you want good Greek food, go here. On Tuesdays they offer one lamb chop get the second for half price.

Gondolier Pizza
Italian, Pizza and Burgers – 674 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach $
More like a Greek restaurant with a little bit of everything. The food is fast and good and will be a good choice when no one can agree on what to eat. The place is welcoming and comfortable.

Island Way Grill
American, International and Seafood – 20 Island Way, Clearwater Beach $$$
It keeps us coming back. Whether we sit outside on the back patio or inside we always seem to have good time here. The food is excellent and the service . The seafood is their specialty. Try the Frankie’s Tuna Sushi. They have early bird specials every day, two meals for $20.10. The portions are smaller but include salad and dessert. There are drink specials too – $3 wine, $4 mojitos and martinis. You must be seated by 5:30.

J B’s Islander Café
American – 432 Poinsettia Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
Ignore the décor. If you can get past the stuff on the walls that looks like it has not been changed since 1976, you’ll find the food ok. We prefer breakfast. The potatoes are thin slices and fried. The JBs and Greek omelet’s are good. Sit outside and skip the décor.

Jimmy’s Fish House
Seafood – 521 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$$
The best thing about this place is their location, drinks and nightly music. So we recommend going for the Pina Colada or Mojito and the Bang Bang shrimp appetizer before going somewhere else for dinner. The outside seating is perfect overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Just be aware if they are busy, the kitchen is usually slow. It is a great place to take the kids as they can be kids and enjoy themselves.

Kiku Japanese
Japanese, Asian and Sushi – 483 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
If you like sushi, this is your place. The owner is here all the time and oversees the top quality of the food and service. If you choose you can dine Japanese style at a lower table. We have never had a bad dish here, in one word, delicious.

Lobster Pot
American, Tapas and Seafood – 731 Bayway Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$$

Lenny’s
21220 Us-19 N Clearwater
A bit of a drive. Located 1 block north of Gulf to bay on Hwy 19. We go here a couple of times per month for breakfast. Huge menu and a danish basket comes with most meals.

Maggie Mae’s Sunrise Cafe
Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch and Sandwiches/Subs – 1261 Gulf Blvd, Sand Key $$
We go here often for breakfast and enjoy their fresh biscuits. You get lots of food for the money. It can get busy for breakfast, sometimes there is a wait. You can even eat out back overlooking the Bay.

Mandalay Grill
Modern American – 500 Mandalay avenue, Clearwater Beach $$
Sometimes the place gets a bad rap. You will often find it busy with a late night crowd. Watch for Marla, the owner who has been in on the beach for 25 years, and her dog Poo Bear, often sitting outdoors part of the scenery. We love their sliders and homemade potato chips.

The Palm Pavilion
American and Seafood – 10 Bay Esplanade, Clearwater Beach $$
In my opinion nothing fancy, food is okay but the location is perfect. Huge outdoor deck and you can usually get a table with a fantastic view. They usually have music and a lot of locals go here for happy hour.

Post Corner Pizza
Pizza, Italian and Greek – 431 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$

Serious Cookie
Coffee and Desserts/Ice Cream – 483 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach $$
A little hole in the wall. And when you walk in you may think there is not a lot here. But there are two musts. 1) the cookies – big enough to share and 2) the brownies – usually cooked to perfection with a gooey inside….mmmm.

Shephard’s Waterfront Restaurant
Buffet and Seafood – 619 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$$
Truth is I am not a buffet person, so…….what do I say? I know people who come here every trip to Clearwater. If you want all you can eat and this includes crab legs it is the only place to go. How is that? Let us know and I’ll revise the review.

Shor
Seafood – 301 s. Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach $$$$
The setting so, so. The teak tables and chairs look like they belong outdoors (probably intentionally). But the food is top notch. This is really one of the best meals I have had on the beach from the salad to the calamari to the seafood. It is expensive, but you are into the chef gourmet type dishes this is your place.

Tan’s Chinese
Chinese and Asian – 432 Poinsettia Ave, Clearwater Beach $
A cheap place to get take out Chinese. We get it at the office a lot, but do not eat there. All I can say is it is better than it looks.

Tate’s Island Grill
Modern American – 500 Mandalay avenue, Clearwater Beach $$$
Located on the beach at the Sandpearl the food is very good and priced for the setting. The menu more typically burgers and sandwiches with good quality. It has an outdoor fireplace so on the slightly cool nights it makes a nice setting.

Yanny’s
1258 S Highland Ave
About 4 miles from the beach. We love Yanny’s. The french toast is a treat and like nowhere else. And you can get real, homemade hash browns.