The Pickled Pelican Bar and Eatery

Went to the Pelican for lunch, had a excellent experience. The salmon was fantastic. The red potatoes were perfect and the clam chowder was on point. Our server was very upbeat and pleasant. Easy going atmosphere and delicious food, can’t go wrong. I will certainly be eating here again when I visit.

We found ourselves in Cedar Key one hot summer day, very hungry and tired. Of the few restaurants in town, we came to the Pickled Pelican. It’s your standard, greasy, casual, seafood dining joint. It wasn’t crowded (the entire town seemed kind of empty, actually) and we had an upstairs table. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly, the place was small but clean & cozy, and the food (burgers and shrimp baskets) was good with generous portions. It was a little bit expensive for what it was, but they don’t have too much competition in this touristy town. They also serve water in giant mason jars, which I love! No issues, no complaints. If it’s not terribly hot, you can also sit outside on the patio and enjoy the view, while laughing at the birds that try to swoop down as they’re blocked by thin nets overhead. If I’m back in Cedar Key, I’d get lunch here again.

We travel to Cedar Key and continue to explore the food and beverage, enjoy the ocean, bicycle riding and sunsets. This trip we tried the Pickled Pelican. As Cedar key is known for its Clams I ordered Clam Chowder and Steamed Clams. The chowder was so thick you could eat it with a fork. Not what was expected and not very good. The Steamed clams had white wine and marina sauce. Not my choice but how they served them Sauce tasted like the inside of the can it must have come from. We tried the Lima bans and rice side as it was a specialty. Beans were large, well prepared but almost tasteless and hidden in a bowl of rice. Hamburger was just another burger. I generally pass on bad reviews but given a choice you should consider Steamers or The Deck if on Main Street in Cedar Key. Lots of Inn Dining rooms scattered about the streets of Cedar Key and maybe a wise choice.

Was in Cedar Key for my birthday with a group a friends and we decided to eat here. I ordered the fried oysters and the first few were good but then came the one with grit still and that ends it for me. One member of our party here meal was completely forgot to be put in so her meal came out 15 minutes past everyone else. The only reason the place gets 3 stars is cause it’s right on the water and that just calms a person.

Begrudging, angry waitstaff, botched orders and the saddest, ill looking cut of grouper I have had the misfortune laying eyes upon.
I could give you the blow by blow but suffice it to say it wasn’t a pleasant dining experience to the tune of 100 $.

Great seafood and outdoor patio by the ocean! Will definitely be back. Great service as well :)

Good food & service when we stopped for a very late lunch. Clam chowder obviously homemade. Generous portions-​I ordered a combo of fried oysters & shrimp. Shrimp were delicately battered! Oysters were smallish, but tender & tasty, and so plentiful I couldn’t finish them all. I almost cried!

My girlfriend and I went here looking for a slightly romantic end to a day in Cedar Key, but were disappointed with our experience at The Pickled Pelican. We had to relocate due to a table full of screaming little kids, which didn’t affect the star rating, but there were also other things that were less than desirable…
I was not impressed with the quality of the food here. My girlfriend and I got the Zuppa Di Pesche (mixed seafood stew) and the SeaFarer’s Combo (fried mixed seafood), which were about $ 24/​each, and both were very overpriced. The portions were pretty decent, but I’ve seen comparable meals go for $ 12 – 16.
The quality of the Zuppa Di Pesche was horrendous. The broth of the stew was much too watery, and 3 of the clams were not open. Even I know that any clams that do not open should not be served. If someone were to pry these clams open and eat them, they could easily become very sick.
If you must go here, make sure you stick to the food that is hard to mess up (burgers and fried food).

New and much welcomed, restaurantin Cedar Key. The fried green tomatoes are the BEST I’ve ever had! We thought at first it was a bit pricey but the portions are huge. We had the Zuppe de pesce and the steak salad. The steak was tasty and tender with lots of extras in the salad. The Zuppe was a monstrous portion of clams, shrimp, grouper and scallops and seasoned perfectly. We practically licked the bowl clean. Too full for dessert, oh darn I guess we’ll have to come back

nice place to go when in Cedar Key

Saturday night around 8pm and we got the last 4 top in the house. Server was right on us and drinks came quickly — yummy sangria!!! The girls ordered the crab bisque and aside from the fact that it wasn’t hot & I had to pick a few shells out of my teeth, the flavor was good and there were huge chunks of crab in it. Guys ordered the peel & eat shrimp & the shrimp scampi — huge portions which we happily brought home! Was hoping for some music — no ambiance at night and we closed the place down :(