One of our favorite things about St. Pete Beach restaurants is how legit culinary stars can still maintain hidden gem status; serving up incredible dishes for years on end without ever losing their character, charm and exquisite taste.
Snappers Sea Grill, located at 5895 Gulf Blvd, has been a St. Pete Beach stalwart for nearly 30 years, and it remains one of our favorite places anywhere in Tampa Bay for a fantastic and splurge-worthy dinner. The sister restaurant of 1200 Chophouse, Snappers combines modern takes on seafood classics with a “Big City atmosphere,” creating a casual elegance in a can’t-miss dining experience.
Owned by a local fisherman, fresh seafood is, of course, the biggest highlight of the menu at Snappers. However, their in-house dry-aged steaks have some serious star power on their own, and their delectable house-made desserts are downright unskippable. Pair any of it with a glass of wine, and you’re in seaside heaven.
Of course, if you’d like to combine it all, our favorite treat is the surf and turf, featuring a chef-cut ribeye and twin lobster tails. Perhaps no entree on the beaches will leave you happier, though we do recommend saving at least a little bit of room for dessert.
While the surf and turf is a go-to for us at I Love the Burg, the Wasabi Crusted Tuna is the most popular dish on the menu, and it has been a favorite among loyal patrons for years. The dish stars a wasabi-soy marinated and panko-crusted tuna over a Citrus Buerre Blanc with a potato puff pastry and stir-fry vegetables, served rare – medium rare. Yum!
Other favorites include the fiery Fra Diavolo lobster pasta, blue crab-stuffed portobellos, stuffed Gulf grouper, and of course, a massive plate of snapper cooked your way. Plus – and perhaps this is the best part – Snappers is incredibly affordable fine dining in this time of rising prices. Coconut shrimp ($12.95) and blue tuna ($16.95) make for excellent starters, while the mahi mahi ($21.95) and salmon ($21.95) round out the long and excellent seafood menu.
And for those who like a drink with dinner, we highly recommend the Snappers Wine Down Wednesdays. All day every Wednesday, guests receive 40% off on any bottle of wine under $60. That’s a deal we’re happy to take.
The beaches’ best early-bird special
Late lunch? Early dinner? Or perhaps just some pre-dinner snacks and drinks?
No matter the occasion, if you find yourself hungry early in the night, Snappers Sea Grill is your No. 1 spot. Their Early Bird happy hour runs from 4-5:30 pm every day, and it may just be the best deal on the beaches. 
Get a basket of jumbo Caribbean coconut shrimp for $9.95 if you just need a snack. Want a full meal? Any of their entrees are served with salad or coleslaw and a slice of key lime pie, with options such as the coconut cashew mahi-mahi served with mango chutney, grilled banana, and potato in puff pastry for $17.95.
You can get a full broiled and glazed salmon dinner for $15.95, or go for a massive plate of blackened chicken alfredo linguine for $15.95. A full North Atlantic lobster tail dinner can be had for $23.95, while a supremely satisfying plate of pub-style fish and chips will only run you $14.95 during Early Bird.
Snappers Sea Grill has been a St. Pete Beach favorite for nearly 30 years, and it’s with good reason that this local gem is going stronger than ever. See the full menu here, and stop by Tuesday-Sunday beginning at 4 pm. You don’t even need a reservation.
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