My family and I had an excellent dining experience at The Waterfront Restaurant. The atmosphere is very relaxing with lots of beach decor and a beautiful view of the water and Anna Maria Pier. The service was excellent with a quick turn around. For appetizers we ordered: lobster bisque, calamari with peppers and cheese in a Thai chili sauce, and a strawberry arugula salad. We really loved all of these dishes! Our dinner orders included the salmon lunch special, blackened shrimp, Caesar salad, and the portobello sandwich. All dishes were packed with flavor. I really loved the pineapple Cole slaw side as an option. Very refreshing!

This is definitely the best place to eat on Anna Maria. I can't say that that's a great compliment because the island restaurants are really not that good, frankly. However, this really is a good place....great choices. Even better service.

The Waterfront Restaurant and Craft Bar was everything we hoped it would be: Crazy good food and beautiful atmosphere in a wonderful location. This restaurant and bar were by far the best part of our trip to Anna Maria Island. The wait was long and worth it. We arrived on a Sunday evening and the wait was promised to be over an hour with later guests given a 2 hour wait time. No problems - There were many comfortable benches and chairs to wait on the covered patio with nice drinks and extensive wine and craft drink choices from the bar. Sitting on benches at the beach across the street was also really nice. We started with drinks including a really nice house made white Sangria that was light, fruity and bubbly along with a Clear Slate German Riesling that was sweet like a Moscato but with more depth while enjoying the nice breeze on the patio. We them moved across the street to watch the sailboats from our bench. Our table on the patio gave us nice views of the water with a perfect breeze under warm rope lights. There were many nice appetizer options but We chose to get the Pretzel crusted Mahi Mahi Entree from the Daily Special Menu and the Wasabi Crusted Yellowfin Tuna served on a Bacon Kale salad. Both of these dishes were unbelievably good and a must try for fish lovers. A shared side of the Mable Glazed Bacon Brussel Sprouts took our meal to the next level along with the house bread served with a crazy good Balsamic and Herb spread. We finished our meal with two very special desserts: a flourless Chocolate Ganache Torte (as good as it looked) and the Toasted Coconut crusted Key Lime Pie which was the best I've ever had. Our server Savannah was very helpful in making meal choices and she definitely steered us to the right food for us. We look forward to our next trip to Anna Maria Island for this foodie Heaven.

Very cool place with a view of the Bay. The restaurant is well decorated inside as well. Now for the most important part - the food. The Pork Belly and Scallops was delightful. Everything was cooked perfectly. My wife had the shrimp and grits and they were flavorful as well. The wagyu was excellent as well along with the mashed potatoes. Well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The kids steak bites were excellent as well. Staff were friendly and attentive.

While spending the day on Anna Maria Island, we stopped by for a light bite, and I'm so glad we did! The location is fantastic--you can see the water just across the street, creating a perfect island vibe. Plus, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. We started with the calamari, which was perfectly crispy and not overly chewy--so tasty! The sangria was also delicious and refreshing. I couldn't resist ordering an espresso martini, but it was missing a bit of sweetness and didn't quite hit the mark (hence the one less star). Thankfully, our server worked some magic by adding Baileys, which saved it! To top it all off, we had to try the crème brûlée, and it did not disappoint--absolutely delicious! And I have to mention the bread--warm, toasted just right, and so good. Overall, a great stop with beautiful views and some standout bites!

Love the Waterfront! The food is always delicious. Great menu selection of seafood and non-seafood options . If you like Fried Green Tomatoes you will love these and the pimento cheese served to top them is delicious! Inside and outside seating options. This is a favorite so be prepared for a wait during peak hours (they do not accept reservations). It's a typical FL casual atmosphere that's laid back and easy. The service every time we dine has always been great!

Come here for a more upscale beach al fresco dining experience. This doesn't mean dressy, just a fresh menu, a solid bar selection, and great service (thanks, Dave!). Catch of the day sandwich was a grouper. It was recommended to get fried and it was was fresh and delicious. Lobster bisque was also a pleasant surprise. Dave was outstanding and helped us best navigate the menu.

Waterfront remains as good as ever -- perhaps better! We were so glad they were open this week after the hurricanes. They've repaired the inside/renovated and it seems like nothing ever happened -- except the inside got a lighter paint refresh, new light tile flooring, and it really jazzed the place up. And the food is as top notch as ever. The service was great. They accoadated our large party of 10 well both visits in the past week. Very kid friendly and nice options on their menu for families. Get here early or you'll be waiting a while peak times, as there's still no reservations even for large parties. The fruiti de mare still stands out as the one of the best seafood pastas I've ever had including in Italy. It's well balanced -- not too creamy or acidic. The seafood is plentiful and all cooked just right. A nice al dente noodle. Amazing. The pork belly and scallop dish was new to us this trip. The pork belly are two long thick strips glazed in gojuchang. The accompanying kimchi and fried rice is surprisingly great. The rice is not too greasy or heavy and the kimchi is light, flavorful, and has great bite. Wow. Keep thinking about it. All the food dishes are a hit. You can't go wrong eg Tropicale salad. I missed their Bay Cooler and 1944 Mai Tai. All the cocktails. Still refreshing and substantial. Given the price hikes around the island, the restaurant isn't that expensive anymore. So an even better deal! Any visit to AMI is incomplete without a trip to Waterfront.