Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar sits on Sarasota Bay in Cortez, a village that has been working the water since long before the condos arrived. The Cortez Historic District joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, and the fleet is still there. Dinner comes with that backdrop: grouper, blue crab cakes, shrimp and grits, seafood platters, plus burgers and steak for anyone in the group who doesn’t do fish.
The tiki deck hosts live local music through the week, and happy hour runs Monday through Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunset is the obvious draw, but a weekday lunch delivers the same bay view with far less company. The restaurant is at 4628 119th Street West, close to the bridge to Anna Maria Island, and boaters can dock at Mile Marker 49.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and dinner reservations are available online, which matters on weekend evenings in season. Whether you’re planning a beach day, a boating run or a night out with out-of-town guests, Cortez offers something the newer waterfront spots can’t manufacture: a real fishing village. Where’s your favorite spot to eat by the water on the Suncoast?
