Sharky’s On the Pier

Just had a preflight lunch at Carrabas at Tampa airport. Totally exceeded our expectations! Server HEATHER was fabulous. So pleasant and her suggestions were spot on. Minestrone soup had tons of chunky veggies. Michael had caprese salad that was beautiful. I had a panko crusted chicken which was yummy. Best of all was the blackberry sangria. Not sure when we will pass this way again but would definitely return!

The food was excellent and the service was fantastic! The restaurant was completely full but the hostess and wait staff were fast and efficient. The Grouper Fish & Chips were cooked perfectly and had amazing flavor. We also had the Seafood Chowder which had a beautiful presentation and incorporated everything the menu described and more. The sushi was delicious and presented beautifully. The Rainbow Roll was absolutely delicious and was very fresh. Highly recommend stopping and see the beautiful water view and walking the pier.

Large and busy. Good place for a casual experience and great for families. Big menu with a lot of choices. Good service with great organization of all the moving parts. When I was there they had a pretty decent cover band playing dance favorites. Worth visiting.

Great location, tourists and locals, very good food but pricey. My grouper sandwich was great — clearly a fresh catch. Dad’s grilled grouper was served with a nice vegetable medley and my son’s seafood dish included bay scallops, shrimp, mango and cashews. We dined «in season» which means the outside seating with perfect views of the Gulf sunset was already full by 530p when we arrived. Parking is ample and staff interaction ranged from robotic (greeters) to friendly (waitress). Will return.

Gorgeous view overlooking the pier, perfect view for watching the sunset as you have a few of their delicious cocktails. The first night we went we had the bartender John take care of us… lots of laughs and even better drinks! We were too full to eat on our first visit here so we had to come back a second time before our vacation ended to try their food since every plate looked delicious. We also heard everyone raving about their sushi. Needless to say when we came back we were even more in love with this place. Simon was our waiter and also made us laugh throughout the entire meal. Not only is every dish perfect and looks so good you don’t want to eat it but the staff has such character and really makes the visit more enjoyable.

Love the Seafood Nachos!
It can get a little crowded and first come first serve. My Mom mentioned they wont seat you unless your whole party is onsite and made her wait outide in the cold once. Other than that its decent food for a decent price.

Very good restaurant. We had the cheesy beach bread as an appetizer and it was amazing. A little bit spicy but very good. The Alfredo pasta was delicious — very creamy. The clam chowder was very tasty — a good level of potatoes and clams. While the vegetables and sides got all mixed up the service was great; our waiter was very nice and cheery. Loved the setting — we got to sit outside and there were heaters! Music played — someone was on a mini stage singing and playing the guitar. Overall, great atmosphere, great food, and a unique restaurant.

Service-​3
Food-​5
Cleanliness-​2
Potential to return-​4
Overall-3.5
This was our first visit from being out of town with our four friends who live in the area. Getting from the outside to the inside dining room was a bit of a challenge and walk, not terribly user-​friendly.
Our server was friendly not really responsive and pretty slow about refills and clearing plates.
The food was INCREDIBLE! Hot, fresh, and so very tasty. Great job!
I’m not sure about the women’s restroom, however the men’s restroom was extremely filthy smelled like urine and have lots of ants in it. I’ve always said if you’re unable to take care of the little things like cleaning the restroom and you’re not able to take care of the bit big things.
Overall it is a place would like to go back to again if we come back into town as the food was remarkable.

Great spot on the beach… Next to the pier. Great clam chowder and pina coladas! Fish tacos looked good… Crab cake sandwich not so much.

This is a family favorite for us. whenever we do a reunion. The service is good, fun environment. Our server this time was a bit of a smartass but not enough to make an issue of. We recommend this place to all groups and kids.

I only ate here because I was hunting shark teeth on the beach out in front of this place and I was hungry. It is definitely very touristy… On-​site gift shop, grass Tiki hut, and a distractedly indifferent staff.
I have to admit that the blackened grouper sandwich was fresh and nicely seasoned. My waiter, Roger, was a peach. But he was definitely the exception to the rule here. There was a slight drizzle as often is the case here in sunny Florida. I listened to the waitress on the table next to me scare off at least four different parties of people that wanted to sit outside because «she didn’t want to have to worry about moving them inside when they got tired of the rain». Ewww.
Even though the sandwich was excellent, I would steer clear of this tourist trap and find another suitable spot. Although if you’re looking for a place to have an overpriced alcoholic beverage on the beach, this place might be your spot. It does offer a great view of the public fishing pier and the gulf. I say pack a picnic lunch — or dinner — and enjoy it on a blanket on the beach below.

I went to Sharky’s on 11÷14÷15 for dinner while visiting family in Florida.
If you go to the restaurant expect to wait. Although, the restaurant has a plethora of tables; it is a restaurant with fantastic view (which always draws a crowd). I waited for about 45 minutes for a table inside on a Saturday night. It was somewhat easy to «waste the time» by the sitting on the beach and watching the sunset.
Our waiter was nice but I would have to rate the service as average (which partially might be due to the fact that the wait staff seems to be juggling multiple tables). As an example of our average service, the food was dropped off without some basic condiments like tartar sauce. It was quickly corrected when I finally flagged down our waiter (so the service wasn’t terrible).
I would also rate the food as average. I found one of my pieces of fish tasted a little sandy (like it hadn’t been washed properly). I felt a little nausea after my meal. I can’t determine for sure if it was the quality of food or the deep fried portion of it (which I will take full responsibility for ordering).
In a nutshell, if you’re looking for ambiance Sharky’s is a great pick but don’t expect to be blown away by their service or quality of their food.

Delicious food and amazing Sunsets! You must check this place out if you are in Venice.

This place came highly recommended but did not live up to its reputation. I think the location is mostly why everyone likes it.
While our service was good the food was very average. The crab cake was just blah. The coconut shrimp were ok. Did not care for the mango pineapple sauce that came with it.
Overall, not a good value for money. You are paying for the location.
They do have an upscale eatery upstairs called Fin. Might give that a try just for the location, And just for drinks.

Awesome atmosphere on the beach in Venice. The frozen drinks are the best! If you are looking for more upscale with an incredible view be sure to check out Fins their adjoining restaurant.

View is gorgeous – right on the beach. Pier for walking.
The grilled grouper is meaty and woodsy. We even had ratatouille, which was a first. Salmon, mahi, and grouper had mushroom sauce that was yummy.
The manager checked in with every table.

I came with pretty low expectations based on the prior Unilocal reviews and was pleasantly surprised (by the food, at least).
Service is not the best. The hostesses and bartenders we encountered were a little rude and snippy. The staff puts off negative vibes and seems unhappy, stressed and annoyed by all the customers. However, our waitress was sweet so that helped make up for it. The outside area is also nice and laid back with a great view of the water.
Margaritas are strong and good. Not the best, but good enough. Again, it helps that my expectations were low.
Ahi tuna appetizer was delicious. Perfectly seared with a yummy sauce.
Clam chowder was also good.
I got the lobster stuffed flounder with green beans and mashed potatoes. The stuffed flounder and green beans were very good. Mashed potatoes were alright, seemed like they had been sitting for a while.
Boyfriend got the crab and shrimp au gratin. It was very tasty but really rich. A full serving of this would have been too heavy for me, but it was really good as an extra topping on my fish. New dish idea?!
Our dining companions ordered the Captain Sharky’s Platter and the Macadamia Grouper. They seemed pleased enough but not blown away by their dishes.
Would give 4 stars, but I have to deduct a star for the unhappy staff and the prices, which were a bit on the high side.

I feel like this joint is a must when visiting the area. They have wonderful food and atmosphere, but I will admit the service it not the fastest. To make up for that the servers are very nice and helpful!
I enjoyed a Friday night dinner here so the place was very packed, but I did love the experience with the live band and your choice of outdoor or indoor seating by the pier. Like I said before this place is a must!

Went diving at Venice Beach two weekends ago… and decided to try Sharky’s on the Pier for lunch afterwards. I had the deep fried grouper sandwich (one of my favorite sandwiches)… and it was mushy and tasteless. Huge bun, small filet… and unripe tomatoes all smothered in a nasty tartar type sauce. Yech! Girlfriend had the Blackened Mahi sandwich, and she says flavor was ok, but the bun was very soggy (and her tomato was not ripe either). Wait time was reasonable (I guess… 25 minutes, which is ok for GOOD food! Here… maybe not! Seemed way overpriced too!) Service was ok… although the waiter seemed a bit rushed!
I did not order a beer (or three) with it… maybe it would have tasted better if I was inebriated… most of the other patrons seemed to be shooting for that!
Next time I dive the Venice area, I will go find a McD’s or a Burger King before I will eat at Sharky’s again (and I strongly dislike McD’s and BK!) :)
But hey… maybe you aren’t as picky as I am… so have fun!

Let me begin by saying, view is gorgeous. It’s right on the beach, overlooking the water, and there is a free pier where you can walk out and see more of the beautiful sights. That, in and of itself, makes this place great. The food portions are decent, and my salad was very tasty. When busy, the wait can be long, but we had no problem this time. The food is slightly over-​priced (although my salad wasn’t too bad). Remember, you’re paying for the view.
Our server was friendly. We ate outside (how could you eat inside on a beautiful, sunny day?), but there is also an indoor section. The outside section has an overhead covering, so the sun isn’t in your face while eating. Nice little tiki bar too.
I thought pigeons were an urban thing, but there are pigeons here. Because we had outdoor seating, birds sometimes feel they have the right to join in on the fun. One accidentally stepped on my mom’s foot while we were eating, and she screamed. Note to the pigeons: leave the beach to the seagulls!