"The Island Grille & Raw Bar: Tierra Verde’s Ultimate Waterside Restaurant "
"The Island Grille & Raw Bar is to Tierra Verde what salt is to pepper, meatballs to spaghetti, and so on. It’s a staple restaurant for many island residents and locals and I’m certain that it gets its fair share of beach traffic, especially from those who have spent the day at Fort De Soto. It’s actually the perfect spot to grab a bite after a morning on the beach – which is precisely what I did. When getting to and from Fort De Soto, you drive directly past the restaurant which makes it ultra convenient. The restaurant is situated right off the main drag close to the causeway and neighbors the Residence Inn hotel.

The vibes are laid back and casual throughout the whole restaurant. If you really want to slip into island time, request a table outside or belly up to the covered bar which is situated by the water-side pool and tiki bar. The atmosphere out in this area is lively with the sounds of splashing and what sounds like the ultimate Margaritaville playlist in the background. It’s quite upbeat and mood-enhancing in my opinion. However, it is hot during these warm summer days so until we get through September, I recommend sitting out there near a fan during the day or perhaps waiting until the evening to enjoy a patio beverage and meal. Though inside dining is always a sure bet. In addition to the large bar that extends outside, their roomy restaurant also possesses plenty of tables and high-tops as well as seating at a raw bar.

The entire staff at The Island Grille is very hospitable. During my visit I opted to sit at the outside bar and Jordan took fantastic care of me. Because I was there as soon as they opened at 11:00AM, it was not too busy yet and I had the opportunity to chat with Jordan a bit about the menu, recommendations and favorites, etc. She guided me through the whole menu and ultimately helped me decide what to order. Spoiler alert, she didn’t lead me wrong, that’s for sure.

One of the focal items on the menu at the Island Grille is of course oysters, especially being as they have a raw bar. I’ve had a number of the oysters in the recent past there and they are always a home-run. Jordan pointed out that the char-grilled oysters are especially popular with patrons – which was no surprise to me as I can attest to the fact that they are delightful. In fact, during my recent lunch the woman sitting next to me at the bar had some of the garlic butter and parmesan char-grilled oysters and I heard her rave about them on several occasions.

Because I have enjoyed the oysters myself on more than a few occasions, I opted for a different menu journey this visit, that was heavily influenced by Jordan, since I had her expertise during my lunch. She shared that in addition to the char-grilled oysters, the Ahi tuna, Grouper reuben, Old Bay shrimp, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and the chicken wings are also quite popular with guests and all happen to be favorites of hers. I could not, of course, eat all of that but I did attempt to put a dent in her list of suggestions."                 stpetersburgfoodies.com