Lisa Browder

After a morning spent at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, I drove down Gulf Boulevard in search of lunch. I settled on the Seabreeze Island Grill, mainly because it seemed bigger than some of the other little places and I thought that might mean more choices. But there are lots of options within spitting distance of the sanctuary. I would suggest checking them out.

Seabreeze Island Grill sort of looks like a tiki bar from the outside but has an expansive interior, much larger than I’d imagined. They have a friendly staff and my waitress, Abi, was personable and attentive. But then again, since I was the sole patron at noon on a weekday, I should get lots of attention, right?

Well, okay, that’s not entirely fair. Two other people showed up while I was there. But that was it.

The place has an awesome view of the water, complete with majestic seabirds perched on nearby posts. You can sit inside and cool off or enjoy the water view from the outdoor deck. There are plenty of shaded tables so you won’t get sunburned. They even have their own dock for boats to drop off patrons. Why then, weren’t they packed?

Now listen. I’m no connoisseur of haute cuisine to be sure and didn’t really expect it to blow me away. I knew it wouldn’t have a Michelin Star rating. But I did expect it to be tasty.

I ordered the fish tacos. The menu said they included lettuce, pineapple, salsa and lime cream ($15). They were amazingly bland. I wasn’t sure how you could make pineapple tasteless so I picked out a piece and sampled it. No, no flavor.

I thought maybe things would improve if I dipped the tacos in the lime cream. Not even that made any discernible difference. The lime cream looked and tasted suspiciously like mayonnaise. I gave up. Instead, I ate the French fries. Those were delicious but I essentially paid $15 for them.

Seabreeze Island Grill is located at 17855 Gulf Blvd. Their number is 727-498-8688. They’re open 7 days a week from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm. The menu is online at http://www.seabreezeislandgrill.com.