Cracker's Bar & Grill   

502 NW 6th St
Crystal River, FL 34428
352-795-3999
www.crackersbargrillandtiki.com

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Few restaurants, even Florida restaurants, offer patrons both a parking lot and 14 boat slips, depending on the choice of vehicle guests use to reach this popular spot. That Crackers does should give you an idea of the atmosphere here. Sitting on Kings Bay, this place has proven a favorite for sailors, and for landlubbers who just like the view. The restaurant gives the shorts-clad crowd three places to dine: indoors, outdoors on a deck, and in a climate-controlled tiki bar. Plenty of people come to really chow down: the restaurant is known for its large portions. Local seafood favorites such as clam chowder ($5.50), fired calamari ($4.95), grouper sandwiches ($6.85) and fresh oysters ($12.75) highlight the long menu, but you can find plenty of meat treats as well, running from burgers to French dips to baby-back ribs and sirloin steak. Bar food (think nachos, wings and the like) is also a draw. Crackers lives up to its family-friendly reputation with a kids' menu. Don't feel that you're not welcome if you're only in the mood for a meal. The full bar is in itself a draw for people who want to while away a weekend afternoon. Three televisions in the tiki bar play all the hot Tampa Bay area games. Live musical entertainment is offered Friday and Saturday from 8PM until midnight and on Sundays from 1PM to 5PM. Expect to hear rock-and-roll, oldies and acoustic sounds. Finally, if you're just visiting and want to get a better view of Kings Bay and the surrounding areas, you might want to take one of the cruises Crackers offers daily. You can expect to see manatee, osprey, and the translucent waters for which Crystal River is known. -- Laura Spinale