Salt Shack On the Bay

What a cute gem located right on Tampa Bay! Visited 11:30 on a busy Saturday, but still had great service! The cocktails are a great price, with most being $10.50, but specifically the pina colada was delicious! I loved the toasted coconut and felt like it had the perfect coconut pineapple balance. The gator bites were fried perfectly and paired nicely with the gator sauce. The island chicken sandwich was super flavorful, but a tad dry. This would be such a cute place to visit during sunset to get drinks and dinner. Would definitely recommend!

OMG! This was just what the doctor ordered. I felt like seafood so this is the place we went. First off, the view is amazing. It was a bit windy and the sun was starting to set and behind clouds so a little cool but not bad. We had 2 servers as we got there right at shift change and both were fantastic. Super nice young ladies. We started with the calamari rings and we're pleasantly surprised with the fried banana pepper rings. The sauce, I don't know what the name of it is, was really good. It was not a typical marinara sauce but great flavor to it. The entire dish was fantastic; perfect amount of batter. For my meal I chose the half pound peel and eat shrimp steamed and seasoned which tasted like an Old Bay seasoning as well as the fish bites. Again both items absolutely perfect. The fish was lightly breaded, nice little fish nuggets if you will. It normally comes with tartar sauce however I don't use tartar. They did have a hot sauce on the table that was actually really good with it. The peel and eat shrimp were large and cooked perfectly. The seasoning was succulent. Again both items super good and I ended up bringing about half of both home.My husband had the crab cakes dinner, which all of the items were amazing. The question in the one photo of his with the crab cakes is the little brown nugget looking things which tasted kind of like caramelized plantains or sweet potatoes. The description on the menu does not say anything other than Coastal vegetables. But they were really good; not too sweet but yummy.We also enjoyed a couple of drinks and overall really enjoyed the meal, the service and the atmosphere. This is definitely a place that we could go to again!

Ventured to Salt Shack last evening to meet some out of town friends who wanted to grab a bite. Grabbing a bite is the nice way of saying "we waited for 50 min on a Wednesday night because the place doesn't take reservations". Salt Shack is actually a lovely outdoor facility with wellkept tropical landscaping and great views of Tampa Bay. We chose "first available" otherwise I probably wouldn't be writing this review at 4:59 on a Thursday - I'd still be waiting for a seat near a warm outdoor heater. But that's not what we got. We were seated on a picnic bench below an umbrella with zero light in the lower section literally a stones throw from the water, it was pretty cold but we made do. Just behind us and up a level was the bar and bar seating with cozy outdoor heaters- but none for us. We sat there most of the evening pondering what it would be like to have a nice warm heater. Alas- we mustered through the chilly air. Shucks! The saving grace of the night aside from being with our lovely friends- was Sebastian our server. What a lovely young man- polite, caring, great conversationalist and sense of humor- a 23 year old who is really on his job! Like really attentive! We ordered a few beers and a cocktail- and my husband asked for coffee- well they had coffee but no creamer...??? Really? Ok- because creamer is as hard to come by as eggs these days? Then he asked for a hot tea and guess what? No hot tea- but they had iced tea- which had to be hot at one point to brew iced tea- ya get where I am going with this?? Anyhoo off Sebastian went and our drinks returned along with bottles of Fiji water (we asked for bottled water) and ordered a few apps. Coconut shrimp and naked wings. Both arrived in good time and both were what I would consider pretty typical for a waterfront- bar/type -tropical -feeling touristy place. Nothing spectacular but they were ok. I will say the banter with Sebastian continued and was really a highlight of the night. Now for our entrees - I ordered the New Shrimp Burger with fries, hold the lettuce- on a brioche bun with tartar sauce. One of our lady friends had the grilled chicken, my husband and our other lady friend had the crab cake sandwich. Grilled chicken was a hit, crab cake sandwiches were "meh" and the shrimp burger came with no tartar sauce. I asked the runner who brought us our food for the tartar sauce. He said he would grab it and be right back. Well about 2 min passed and so did he -twice- passed right by our table with no sauce, came to the table and grabbed our empties- no sauce. I am like- does he have a twin or is he that dense? Soooooo- as expected Sebastian saved the day and grabbed me some sauce in like 10 seconds. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Dense Dude passed by a few more times- no mention of tarter sauce. So on to the sandwich- it was "ok". Tartar sauce was like nothing I had eaten before, it was "ok", but the tomato was the consistency of an avocado- mushy. Not crisp and ripe, but kinda pink and mushy. The fries- I could literally count them- and I think the kitchen did too because those of us who got fries with the meal had like- maybe 15-20 each of various sizes, shapes, crispiness, and yes- limpness- no pile of fries here. Maybe they were rationing those too like the creamer for the coffee- wait a second, there was no creamer. Never mind.So the food overall was "ok" nothing to write home about and nothing that would warrant us to return any time soon. While the company was enjoyable, the location was actually nice and Sebastian was amazing- the food was lackluster and dull. It's a shame that here in Tampa we don't have a great selection of fabulous waterfront restaurants. I truly believe that if Salt Shack stepped it up a bit in the food department they could have a winning combo, but judging by the super casual- college bar-esque atmosphere I don't think that is on the horizon and maybe, maybe ownership just doesn't care about that and that's fine too. I should have guessed what to expect when we parked a mile from the entrance and there was no valet service to be found once we got to the entrance.

If you want a tropical lunch spot on the water- I found it. What a great place. I had a fantastic waiter, maybe the greatest one I've ever had. Very friendly, interested in making sure we were enjoying the food, and ambiance. We sat right on the water, overlooking the bridge. It was perfect. The cutest addition were the cute little cats that roamed around the tables - they never jumped up or bothered anyone- they just scared away the annoying seagulls/birds. I really loved my lunch and the drinks were SO yummy.

Stopped here on a suggestion from a fiend and was so impressed! Everything about the salt shack was amazing; the service, the food, the atmosphere and the prices!The good. 2 of my buddies ordered the catch of the day (triple tail) and got melt in your mouth perfect seared fish over rice and veggies. I ordered the fresh grouper basket and some gator tail and couldn't be happier with how tender and fresh it was. The service was fast and friendly and the relaxed tiki bar vibes were perfect.The bad. It was packed on a tues but we only had a 10 min wait. Even better they have a nice lounge area and text you status updates. Awesome system!The ugly. If you want amazing food at a very good price with fast and friendly service, Salt Shack is the place to be!5/5 stars!!

Came here for my bachelorette dinner while in Tampa. The vibes of this place are amazing. You are having dinner while on the water! Unfortunately, we got there later than expected, and the sun had gone down so we could not look out on the water, but it was still an amazing experience. The food was also phenomenal. I got the fish tacos, which were so flavorful and not fishy at all. I also got the coconut shrimp which were so good and came with a really good dipping sauce. The prices were also very fair. I can't wait to visit this place the next time I am in Tampa.

A hidden gem in the middle of no where lol. When I first got here I was skeptical as to why salt shack on the bay came highly recommended to me... dang was I super judgey for that. Don't judge a book by its cover!Salt shack on the bay is its own oasis. You step out of a construction zone and step into paradise with water views. My group was immediately greeted by a staff member and seated. This establishment offers indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for indoor seating however the entire place is open air which I loved. Service throughout was great! Our server checked in on us the perfect amount of times. It gave us time to look over the menu, chat and enjoy each others company. I started out with a speciality cocktail annnnd I forgot the name of it and what was in it, FAIL. However I can say that the 2 drinks I had were refreshing and had me buzzing. For food I started with the lobster bisque which was creamy but a little too salty for my liking. Next I shared the mahi tacos as well as the catch of the day (red snapper grilled). OMGGGGGGG, the fish was cooked and seasoned to perfection. It was full of flavor and delicious. The sides that came with the catch of the day were the perfect side dishes for this entree. The maduros were sweet and yummy. The rice was flavorful and the broccolini was cooked perfectly.

Great atmosphere and plenty of servers. This place knows that they are busy and back it up with staff. Fresh fish and seafood. If you are from out of town or a local this is a place you want to hang out and have some drinks. Live music the whole time we were there. The musicians play from the back of a boat. Place is spread out, well decorated and right on the water. I will post my photos. I'll be back. Thanks to our servers Jessica and Maria they were awesome

Located out in the spit south of Tampa in what appears to be an area that was once industrial and now transitioning to a more residential/commercial spot. This restaurant is huge. So much seating and most of it outdoors makes this a place I expected to be swamped. It was busy but maybe 50% of capacity. Indoor and Outdoor bars. Lots of great spots to sit and eat and drink and enjoy the water. We had a fish platter and shrimp and fries along with salads and multiple drinks. Oh yah we had a conch starter that was tasty. Out the door it was $160 for two so not a cheap spot but we spent a lot on booze. Service was friendly and attentive. Food came quickly and the options were decent. Oh yah, it's dog friendly so we were able to bring the dog and let her lounge and enjoy as well. She gave it 4 stars too. The only thing that would make it 5 stars would be an improvement in the parking area and some enhanced food options and the shrimp basket was a little anemic in terms of quantity.

If you are looking for a restaurant/bar with an open-air, beach vibes and possible views of the water, this should be an option. Such a cute beach concept. From the entrance, shipwreck where the live musician performs to shell waiting area with lounge chairs. Be prepared to wait if you go on a Saturday between 7-9pm. Our wait was 50mins. Lots of people and large parties waiting.The drinks are great but The Shack piña colada stood out! There is a "verbal" kids menu so just ask if you need it. I had the grilled gulf shrimp. It wasn't a large portion for $26 but it did satisfy and it was tasty. If you are on the hungrier side, I would recommend the Rasta Pasta. Overall, I would come back.