FishLips or Grills ? Port/Cape Canaveral

[Jimbo]

Which is a must do if we only have time for one?

 

Jimbo:)

[tulch]

Of the two, I have only been to Fishlips. I expected a lot, based on discussions on these boards. I was very unimpressed. The only real positive was spotting the restaurant as the ship pulled out of port and being able to say, "Hey, that's where we ate yesterday!"

[snelsonbrown]

Which is a must do if we only have time for one?

 

Jimbo:)

 

If you don't like bread and salad with your meals and service that is slow - go Fishlips

If you like having bread, salad and good service AND good food - go Grill's or Rusty's

 

Sorry for such an abrupt answer, but guess too many times of trying Fishlips "just one more time to see if they improved" I finally realized there were better places/

 

Now there have been many folks that have enjoyed all the restaurants at the Cove - Grills is most of the time crowded and the weekends music is very loud - BUT I am much older than the adults that go there and they all seem to be having a great time - could be I were wishing I was that much younger and could join in :) - Great food -

 

Anyhow I am sure you will get your answer without any problems

Which ever one you go to - you will have a great time

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

PS NO I DO NOT HAVE IT AGAINST FISHLIPS = I just enjoy salads and bread with my meals without having to pay almost $8.00 or more for it. Thats all :)

[Jimbo]

Looks like both Rusty's and The Grill are very close to each other. I'm sure we will pick one of them.

 

We are also renting a car from Hertz which I believe is nearby also. W are in port from 10am to 10pm.

 

I'm sure at the rental agency that they close at 530pm or 6pm, do you know how we can get from the car rental agency back to the ship. Most likely won't return the car to around 8pm.

 

Any ideas what people do in this situation?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Jimbo:)

[Crazy4Koko]

Grills is a favorite here, too.... great views of the port, for sure!

[Jimbo]

Also want to drive to one of the Airboat Tours in the area, anyone have a favorite that is less then a 1 hour to get to from the port?

 

Jimbo:)

[suezyq50]

Grills has more of a party atmosphere, nice way to start out your vacation. Fishlips also has live music. Being they are so close together, check out both.

[Johncn]

Also want to drive to one of the Airboat Tours in the area, anyone have a favorite that is less then a 1 hour to get to from the port?

 

Hi Jimbo,

 

This thread seems to be about Fish Lips vs. Grills.

 

For airboat recommendations you may want to see this thread that contains information from myself and several others...and in which you also asked pretty much the same question ;-)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1283393

 

Maybe give it a bump?

 

Regards,

 

Johncn

[sailor21]

GRILLS. The yellowfin tuna was great and the atmosphere was REALLY COOL.

[Jimbo]

Hi Jimbo,

 

This thread seems to be about Fish Lips vs. Grills.

 

For airboat recommendations you may want to see this thread that contains information from myself and several others...and in which you also asked pretty much the same question ;-)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1283393

 

Maybe give it a bump?

 

Regards,

 

Johncn

 

John have you heard of the Airboat Rides at MIDWAY in Christmas, Florida? Would that be further away then the one you recommended(Lone Cabbage Fish Camp & Twister), there also is another one called Grasshopper Airboat Eco-Tours that launches from Lake Poinsett Lodge and Marina, at the end of Lake Poinsett Road, which is approximately 1/2 mile west of Interstate 95. South of State Road 520.

 

Which one is closest to the ship in Port Canaveral?

 

Jimbo:)

[STARFISH*4]

If you like having bread, salad and good service AND good food - go Grill's or Rusty's

 

 

 

 

PS NO I DO NOT HAVE IT AGAINST FISHLIPS = I just enjoy salads and bread with my meals without having to pay almost $8.00 or more for it. Thats all :)

 

oh me too LOVE SALAD and BREAD we might just have to TRY one of these places...THANKS SHIRLEY:)

[Clay Clayton]

Wish I had of paid better attention to Shirley before our recent trip...very unimpressed with Fishlips...

[arpie05]

I love Fishlips. We go when we are there (about one weekend every other month). Hated Rusty's! It was really gross. We went to Grills for Sunday brunch and it was okay. It was a bit pricey for what we got. Fishlips has specials - Wednesday night is Fish and CHips, $18 all you can eat. My teenage son got and I tasted the fish and it was so good. My brother in law likes the Fish Market place closer to Grills, I found them rude when we tried to purchase as they were closing so not a fan.

We used always eat Milikin's but the quality has gone down hill in the past year, not worth the trip.

 

We just ate there 10/13. I had at Fish Lips the Tilapa Sandwich and it was great. My friend had the seafood skewers and she still talks about how great they were. The spinach dip is good. The service is fast. I think of it as a local Appleby's.

[arpie05]

If you are looking for a good breakfast place - Portside Galley is AWESOME! A total greasey spoon. The chicken fried steak is so worth the calories - something I rarely indulge and it is worth it! Pork chops are great too. THis is one of those places that you order for breakfast all the things you want to but never do. Corned beef Hash. Biscuits and Gravy!

[Capt_BJ]

for what it is worth . . .

 

Grills is popular enuf with the locals to justify their opening a second location a few miles south of the port. The typical wait to get in the new location on the weekend is 30 minutes . . . I'm thinking if the other places had as much business they too would expand but I may be wrong.

[English Tim]

They'll be a lot of Crazy Dreamers in Fishlips on Friday night, so it better be good as my reviews are always forthright! :D

[Duck111]

I have been to both more then a few times and I believe they really make the port. There is nothing better then getting there a day early to watch the ships leave knowing you will be on one of them the next day!! Great party atmosphere!:eek::p

[Johncn]

Hi,

 

There are many options for dining in the area.

 

We go to both Grill's and Fish Lips. The upstairs and indoor / outdoor deck at Fish Lips is more informal and fun / loud than the downstairs...like a different restaurant, really. The food is good. There is a singles scene some nights of the week.

 

Grill's is always packed, and has very good food. Lots of locals, families and singles. Outdoor area is rowdier, inside quieter. Watch the "ramp follies" on weekends to see locals launch their boats (and sometimes their cars and trucks ;-)).

 

I've only been to Milliken's Reef twice. It was OK, but more expensive. Rusty's used to be better (in my opinion) and less expensive a few years ago, but I still eat there now and then.

 

All have live entertainment that is advertised in the Beachside Resident:

 

http://thebeachsideresident.com/calendar/

 

There are also some other good places in Cocoa Beach that I frequent for live music and inexpensive food. Just depends what you like. The link above has many options not normally mentioned on these boards, and only 10 - 12 minutes away from the Cove at Port Canaveral down A1A.

 

Finally, the Portside Galley is the best inexpensive breakfast in the area. No frills, but good food and friendly service.

General Florida seafood advice: Tilapia is a pond-raised freshwater fish always frozen, and usually from Asia (Philippines and Thailand). It is almost never a local species in US, and is certainly not a saltwater "fresh catch" in Florida....but is marketed very carefully as "catch of the day" and so on:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaculture_of_tilapia

 

When in Florida, try to order what is likely to be caught locally. Seasonally the species I catch from MY boat include mahi mahi (dolphin fish / dorado), wahoo, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, grouper / snapper families, and spanish mackerel.

 

Although I don't fish for them, shrimp, crabs and oysters (probably from Gulf) are all local species in our area. Shrimping under the causeway bridge to Port Canaveral from the mainland is great, and people will park campers there for a week or more catching shrimp at night with shrimp pots and nets, and packing generator-powered freezers full in their RVs ;-)

 

Hope this helps,

 

JTC