Rod and Reel Pier, Waterfront seafood restaurant and pier in Anna Maria Island, US.
Rod and Reel Pier is a seafood restaurant built on a wooden pier at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, Florida, sitting directly over the Gulf of Mexico. The structure reaches out over the water, and most tables are positioned close enough to the railing that you can see the waves below.
The pier was built in the early 1900s and is one of the oldest wooden structures of its kind on Florida's Gulf Coast. Over the decades it survived several hurricanes without losing its original form.
Local fishermen bring their catch directly to the kitchen, so the seafood on the menu comes straight from the Gulf that same day. Sitting by the railing, you can sometimes watch boats return from a morning on the water.
Seats along the railing go quickly, so arriving early gives you a better chance of getting a spot right over the water. On windy days the pier can feel cooler than expected, so a light layer is worth bringing along.
Dolphins and manatees swim beneath the dining room floor often enough that spotting them during a meal is common rather than rare. A table on the water side means looking straight down at them through the gaps in the wooden planks.
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