Where to Eat

Cedar Key clams, chowder, casual waterfront lunches, and one historic dining room.

The working coast on the menu

Cedar Key's aquaculture industry gives local hard clams a place on area menus. Look for steamed clams or chowder, and ask which shellfish are local that day. Restaurant hours and menus can change; check directly before making a special trip.

Watercolor of two people harvesting and sorting clams on a working boatWaterfront restaurant setting in Cedar Key
After the outing

Annie's Cafe

4.6 ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, clam chowder, crab cakes, and hearty breakfasts anchor the menu at this casual café near Cedar Key’s waterfront.

Open map
Special dinner

Island Hotel Restaurant

4.6 ★

Inside an 1859 hotel, the dining room serves seafood, steaks, and its signature hearts-of-palm salad amid historic murals and period furnishings.

WebsiteOpen map
First-night pick

Tony's Seafood Restaurant

4.7 ★

Three-time world-champion clam chowder headlines a seafood-focused menu that also includes fried fish, shrimp, oysters, and crab cakes.

WebsiteOpen map
Casual meal

Steamers

4.5 ★

Overlooking the Gulf on Dock Street, this casual seafood grill serves steamed clams, oysters, fish, burgers, and cocktails with indoor and outdoor seating.

WebsiteOpen map
Breakfast / coffee

2nd Street Cafe

4.6 ★

Breakfast brings burritos, French toast, baked goods, and coffee, followed by sandwiches, wraps, salads, and rotating daily specials at lunch.

WebsiteOpen map
Local icon

1842 Daily Grind & Mercantile

4.8 ★

Coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, baked goods, and locally made merchandise share the shelves at this café and mercantile on Second Street.

Open map
Restaurants

The Prickly Palm

Breakfast and lunch span pancakes, omelets, sandwiches, salads, and seafood, served in a colorful downtown dining room with a shaded courtyard.

WebsiteOpen map

For a historic dining room, the Island Hotel Restaurant offers a different setting from a casual cafe meal. Annie's Cafe, at State Road 24 and 6th Street, serves diner-style breakfast and lunch; check current hours before visiting.