Best Restaurants on the Water in Fort Lauderdale

6 Best Restaurants on the Water in Fort Lauderdale to Get to By Boat

Written by Boatsetter Team
March 4, 2022

Last Updated on July 24, 2023 by Boatsetter Team

Fort Lauderdale is a beautiful place to explore by boat and live the South Florida lifestyle. However, while spending the day on the water, chances are you will want to look for a place to dock your boat and grab something to eat. Well, you’re in luck. Fort Lauderdale, along with most of South Florida, is home to many unique waterfront restaurants, which you can get to by boat. 

Take a look at these six popular waterfront restaurants, perfect for boaters to dock-and-dine.

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1. Coconuts

Buffalo Rock Shrimp

Coconuts restaurant allows boaters easy access to dock their boat and stroll right up to the bar to grab a beverage. This restaurant provides uninterrupted views of Fort Lauderdale’s Intercoastal waterways in a premier dining location in South Florida. 

Patrons enjoy watching boats cruise by while sipping on finely crafted cocktails and enjoying mouthwatering seafood plates. Coconuts is a popular place for locals and visitors wanting a dining experience in a fun and relaxed atmosphere with fantastic food options. 

Coconuts offers a lunch and dinner menu, with a brunch menu available on Sundays. The menus feature everything from appetizers to soups and salads to sandwiches. The menus also include assorted dinner items and desserts. Popular menu items include 

  • Sashimi Tuna Salad
  • Crispy Oysters 
  • Lobster Club
  • Key Lime Pie
  • Crispy Snapper, 
  • Buffalo Rock Shrimp
  • and coconut cheesecake

2. Rustic Inn Crabhouse

Rustin Inn Lobster roll

The Rustic Inn Crabhouse serves up some fantastic seafood platters and is a popular place for a casual dining experience. This restaurant services more than 161 tons of crab annually, along with other forms of seafood, including shrimp, lobsters, mussels, calamari, clams, and sea scallops. Many boaters like to dock their boats, grab a beverage, and enjoy items from the raw bar. The Rustic Inn Crabhouse is accessible from the Dania Cutoff Canal next to Broward’s Boaters Park. 

The Rustic Inn Crabhouse has dinner, lunch, kids’, beverage, and dessert menus. The lunch and dinner menus feature appetizers, raw bar selections, lobster rolls, sandwiches, and entrees. Not to mention the restaurant’s world-famous garlic crabs. Popular menu items include

  • Old Bay Spiced shrimp shell on “You Peel’ Em,” 
  • Fried frog legs 
  • Fried alligator 
  • New England clam chowder
  • Hot lobster rolls

3. Shooters Waterfront 

Crunchy coconut shrimp shooters

Shooters Waterfront is the place where you can dock your boat at sunset and enjoy some time on the shore sipping on cocktails and enjoying a decadent dessert. This restaurant provides patrons with dockside views, fresh seafood, live entertainment, events, and a weekend brunch. In addition, shooter Waterfront is the place to go for one of the best happy hours accessible by boat in Fort Lauderdale.

Menus available at this location include a wine list, cocktails and beer, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, a happy hour bar menu, a raw bar, and a kids’ menu. There is even a special menu for your furry friends who enjoy boating with you.

 Shooters Waterfront menus include lunch and dinner options, with an array of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood entrees, and desserts. Popular menu items include 

  • Smoked fish dip
  • Crunchy coconut shrimp
  • Chicken pesto flatbread
  • Crab Louie salad
  • Assorted sushi
  • Grilled soy-ginger glazed salmon
  • Vegan pipian Verde
  • Grilled ribeye steak

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4. Southport Raw Bar

Grilled Oyster South Port Raw Bar

The Southport Raw Bar is the place to go with no docking fees and a beautiful view of the surrounding area. This restaurant features a fantastic menu with king crab legs and delicious cocktails. This location is the oldest raw bar in Fort Lauderdale, and they sell more oysters than any other restaurant in the area. Southport Raw Bar is where to go when looking for fresh, raw seafood and a unique menu like no other in South Florida. 

The Southport Raw Bar is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including menus full of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, hoagies, patio grill items, seafood specialties, the raw bar, and chicken specialties. 

Popular menu items include 

  • Boneless fried chicken tenders
  • Grilled oyster
  • Mahi-mahi 
  • Beer-battered fish and chips 
  • Philly chicken hoagie 
  • The famous damn good burger

5. The Pirate Republic Seafood and Grill

calamari pirate republic fort lauderdale

The Pirate Republic Seafood and Grill provides patrons with a convenient docking area, a unique Disney-esque look, and mouthwatering food and beverages. 

This restaurant takes pride in serving some of the freshest seafood in the area, including oyster and crab, flavored with exclusive spices creating an unexpected flavor. 

The Pirate Republic Seafood and Grill offers appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, fresh seafood, pasta, chicken, pork, and beef creations. Popular menu options include 

  • Wild blue shrimp
  • Fish ceviche
  • Calamari
  • Steak bites
  • The pirate bowl
  • Snapper towers 
  • Mahi-mahi
  • Bacalao 
  • Octopus
  • Anegada lobster trio
  • Ubatuba shrimp

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6. The Historic Downtowner

salmon burger downtowner saloon fort lauderdale

The Downtowner Saloon is a popular destination in Fort Lauderdale, famous for its Sunday Brunch. Before heading out onto the water, pull into the dock at this restaurant and enjoy something to eat, such as some of the finest seafood dishes, sandwiches, and desserts in the area. Dining at the Downtowner Saloon is a magical experience offering fresh eats, live entertainment, and classically crafted cocktails. 

Menus feature soups, chowders, starters from the sea, salads, tacos, sandwiches, hand-crafted burgers, seafood, steaks, ribs, and desserts. Popular menu items include 

  • Fish tacos
  • Smoked fish dip
  • Salmon burger 
  • Ragin’ Cajun sandwich 
  • Gulf shrimp platter 
  • Prime rib

The best way to explore these waterfront restaurants is with a local Boatsetter boat rental. Rent various pontoon boats, fishing boats, sailboats, catamarans, deck boats, and more!

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