Tampa Bay has plenty of great tiki huts, waterfront bars, and fish shacks, but not all of them are directly on the beach.  But what about the spots that have direct access to sand and waves? Here are a few of our favorite local restaurants and bars that are truly on the beach. 

PCI Beach Bar & Snack Shack 6300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-367-2711 Live on vacation mode all day long at the Beach Bar & Snack Shack that is part of the Postcard Inn in St. Pete Beach. The restaurant offers a variety of tasty options with poolside service and a solid drink selection. Photo via Postcard Inn on the Beach/Facebook
Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill 7720 W Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, 813-281-0770 With its own private beach and Causeway locale, Whiskey Joe’s is one of Tampa’s most visible beach bars. You can brave Ben T. Davis, or pay a small fee to access Whiskey Joe’s beachside bar and party area. Photo via Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill/Website
Rowe Bar 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881 Located inside of The Don CeSar Hotel, the Rowe Bar is one of the best places to eat, and have access to a private beach. Grab a hand-crafted cocktail and a bite of the tuna tacos or goat cheese fritters to savor the Gulf. Photo via
Caddy’s Treasure Island 9000 W Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, 727-360-4993 Ka’Tiki is a classic, no frills St. Pete beach bar, and it sits about 20 feet from the sand. Photo via Caddy’s Treasure Island/Website
Jimmy B’s Beach Bar 6200 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-367-1902 Located in The Beachcomber Hotel, Jimmy B’s keeps the vibe alive with two stages for live music and recurring local artists like Phoenix, TL Jentgens and The Jeremy Thomas Band. Its wooden deck provides a space to either sit and relax or get up and dance. Photo via Jimmy B’s Beach Bar/Website
Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar and Grill 6100 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-360-7041 Charlie’s promises killer tacos, delicious food, boozy slushies and live entertainment for its guests. It also has daily drink specials catered to every taste palate and offers weekend brunch and live streams of NFL games on game days. Photo via Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar and Grill/Instagram
Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill & Bar 10 Bay Esplanade, Clearwater, 727-446-2642 Located on one of America’s top beaches, the very-;aid back restaurant offers quick quick bites ideal for a beach day. Try their gator bites and wasabi scallops while sipping on one of their specialty cocktails. If you need a place to stay, The Palm Pavilion Inn is located a few steps away just in case the drinking gets a little too out of hand. Photo via Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill & Bar/Facebook
Frenchy’s 7 Rockaway St., Clearwater, 727-446-4844 It’s going to be hard to spend a day at Clearwater Beach and not walk past at least one Frenchy’s. Heck, if you spent a week you could hit a different one almost every day. Frenchy’s has six different locations spread across Clearwater Beach and Dunedin Causeway, serving fan-favorite dishes like its Cajun grouper sandwich, island shrimp tacos and seafood pot pie as well as local craft beers and frozen rum runners. Photo via Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill/Website Credit: Photo via Frenchy’s
Ocean Flame 619 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727-442-5107 Located at the Shephard’s Beach Resort, Ocean Flame offers a variety of American breakfast meals steps away from the sunshine and Gulf. Photo via Shephard’s Beach Resort/Facebook
Harry’s Beach Bar 5300 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-363-5125 With an updated menu, this bar offers live entertainment and signature cocktails like the Harry’s Hurricane and The Harry Navel, as well as a selection of craft beer and food. Its direct waterfront views promise a good time either at the beach or at the pool of its home hotel, the Sirata. Photo via Harry’s Beach Bar/Website
Bongos Beach Bar & Grill 5250 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-360-1811 Dip your toes in the sand with a drink in hand in the Bellwether Resort’s Bongos Beach Bar & Grill. Enjoy live music and play cornhole and giant Jenga while you wait for your food and take in the fresh sea breeze. This is a perfect alternative for those not able to afford Bellwether’s other restaurant, Spinners Rooftop Grill. Photo via Bongos Beach Bar & Grill/Website
Caddy’s Madeira Beach 14080 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach, 727-308-7888 Jaw-dropping sunset views, jamming live music, cabana rentals and award-winning beach food can all be found at Caddy’s on Madeira Beach. Enjoy fan favorites like grouper nuggets, crab cake BLTs, buffalo chicken wraps, sunshine shrimp tacos, chocolate mudslides and cucumber mojitos. Photo via Caddy’s Madeira Beach/Website
Caretta on the Gulf 1738, 500 Mandalay Ave no. 100, Clearwater, 727-674-4171 In addition to its standard menu, Caretta also offers all-natural, organic offerings with expertly paired wines. With indoor and outdoor seating, Caretta’s vibrant atmosphere provides the perfect setting for an evening on Clearwater Beach. Photo via Caretta on the Gulf/Facebook
Hurricane Seafood Restaurant 809 Gulf Way, St. Pete Beach Look for the colorful and vibrant beachside building. Hurricane’s tropical feel allows guests to enjoy an epic roof-top sunset or an upscale dinner on Level Two. Some of its signature dishes include salmon, Old Bay peel ‘n’ eat shrimp and calamari strips. Photo via Hurricane Seafood Restaurant/Website
Paradise Grille 6850 Beach Plaza, St. Pete Beach, 727-560-5399 This restaurant couldn’t be any closer to the water with tables just steps away from the water. Make sure to wear sunscreen as it doesn’t offer indoor seating. Paradise Grill offers classic American treats and a wide selection of drinks to choose from while enjoying a family beach day. Photo via Paradise Grille/Facebook
Salty’s Island Bar & Grille 5500 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 800-249-1667 Located in the Tradewinds Resort, Salty’s has games, serpentine sofas surrounding fire tables, hooded chaise lounges, Adirondack chairs and plenty of umbrellas for the ultimate chill experience on St. Pete Beach. It offers an all-day dining menu with specialties like their Sesame Seared Tuna and an exquisite drink selection featuring their best-seller, The Island Escape. Photo via Salty’s Island Bar & Grille/Facebook
Sloppy Joe’s On The Beach 10650 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island With extra large and shareable American-Caribbean entrées, Sloppy Joe’s offers a great setting to get together with friends. Located at The Bilmar Beach Resort, the restaurant offers one of the best views of Treasure Island Beach, plus its directly on the sand. Photo via Sloppy Joe’s On The Beach/Website
Ikki Woo Woo’s Tiki Hut at the Thunderbird 10700 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, 800-367-2473 Grab a seat on the outdoor deck and take in the views at the Thunderbird Beach Resort’s Tiki Hut Bar. Tasty cocktails and frozen tropical concoctions of all flavors are offered for those ready to unwind and relax on the beach. Photo via Thunderbird Beach Resort/Facebook
Spa Beach Bistro 501 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, 727-623-9877 The world is your oyster when you visit Spa Beach Bistro’s centric downtown St. Pete location. Located on the new St. Pete Pier, the restaurant offers easy to eat meals to enjoy as you walk along the city’s main attraction, which is just a few feet away from the nearby Spa Beach. Enjoy a family-friendly environment with a splash pad and a giant playground located on each side of the building. Photo via Spa Beach Bistro/Facebook
The Getaway 13090 Gandy Blvd. N, St. Petersburg, 727-317-5751 Tiki hut bars are in abundance on this list–but are the others approved by Netflix reality stars? This one was featured in the since-canceled “Selling Tampa.” Soak in the sights over coconut shrimp and a mai tai. Photo via The Getaway/Facebook

Sofía García Vargas, born in Colombia, South America and raised in Costa Rica, Central America, is a journalism student at the University of South Florida and Editor-in-Chief of The Crow’s Nest, USF...