Best Seafood Restaurants Near the University of Central Florida in Orlando

Best Seafood Restaurants near Oviedo and the University of Central Florida in Orlando

Seafood in the Orlando area near the University of Central Florida and Oviedo is unexpectedly hard to find for visitors. We've heard about many seafood places along the coast and ran into a fabulous place on the St. John River, but it's taken awhile to sort out where our favorite seafood restaurants are based on repeated visits. Here are my picks for awesome seafood:

Hugo Joe's is the Best Place for Oysters and Bands
1802 West Broadway Street, Oviedo, FL - (407) 359-3366

Hugo Joe's isn't really a seafood place per se, and to first time visitors, it might seem like a scary motorcycle bar den of iniquity or something. My husband loves their raw oysters-currently $10.99 per dozen, a rise of $1.00 due to the oil spill with likely worst repercussions to follow. They also serve fried fish and shrimp cooked in a number of ways and my husband's favorite crab cakes and a seared sesame coated ahi tuna that's to kill for, says my husband. My favorite is the Friday offering of French dip sandwiches. They also own a pizza place in Casselbury from which they get pizza, lasagna and other Italian offerings. Service is good, the restaurant is well-lighted, and the staff friendly. Several beers on tap. Average meal for two runs about $40 or less.

Joe's Crab Shack is the Best Place for Steamed Seafood Buckets
4659 W 1st St, Sanford, FL - (407) 323-0934

Except for the rather pricey experience, average meal for two runs about $60-75, the Crab Shack is sure to please anyone that visits. My favorite is their fried shrimp. Their specialty's are a variety of buckets that include red potatoes and corn cob along with your choice of sausage, lobster, crab, shrimp, crawdads and more. They also have clams and mussels. We first tried a Joe's Crab Shack in Corpus Christi, Texas and were happy there, too. They have cool t-shirts and fun drinks and a staff that's required to line dance every forty-five minutes to the Joe's Crab Shack song. Several beers on tap.

Straub's Seafood has the Best Sunday Dining Atmosphere
512 East Altamonte Drive Altamonte Spgs, FL - (407) 831-2250

Straub's Seafood compares well with Joe's Crab Shack in price, average meal for two runs about $60, but the service and restaurant are much quieter and a bit more formal with linen napkins instead of the bibs you get at a Joe's Crab Shack. It makes it a lovely Sunday brunch sort of place with upscale offerings-my husband had halibut stuffed with crab and cheese sauce, I stuck with my usual prawns. Both were very tasty and the staff was very efficient and friendly. Several beers on tap.

Boston Seafood is Great for Quick Casual Dining
6860 Aloma Avenue, Winter Park, FL - (407) 678-2107

Boston Seafood has great, tasty, quickly served seafood in plentiful proportions. Their style of service is a little tough to deal with since you order and pay at the door and if you want a second beer, you have to get a new bill. Service is very good. Beer is offered in the bottle, Bud being a popular choice for most. Most seafood is served basket style. My husband was a little disappointed that their oysters were cooked and not raw. We had fish, prawns and fried clams and were very happy with our experience.

Red Lobster Delivers Up Lobster and More
3552 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL - (407) 896-3657

We didn't much like the Red Lobster in Altamonte Springs, the food quality and service were not quite up to par. Alternatively, the Waterford Lakes Shopping Center Red Lobster has been very efficient and all of our meals prepared well. Red Lobster is a chain restaurant and has any seafood offering you might name on the menu. They allow you to select one to three types of seafood and put it together in a lunch or dinner sized meal. Their wonderfully smelling bisquits are always a disappointment to me because they have cheese in them which I skip. I keep hoping they'll offer an alternative for the dairy intolerant. They also have raw oysters, which most Red Lobsters do not and they are not listed on the menu, be sure to ask.

Miller's Orlando Alehouse has a Different Flavor
477 East Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL (407) 331-6611

Orlando Alehouse is a good runner up place for oysters and they have a few seafood offerings, jambalaya that is quite tasty and not worrisomely too hot in spiciness, and a great lobster tail special. Orlando Alehouse has a bar atmosphere, many bar food offerings, and usually draws a good clientele. Service is always terrific and they have many beers on tap. Orlando Alehouse is another chain restaurant, but you eat where you can.

We've not exhausted our search for good seafood. We've tried one or two others and haven't had a chance to return for a second taste so I skip listing them. We also haven't yet tried many of the sushi places. I'm pretty sure that most people will have a good dining experience at most of these.