Waterfront Restaurants in Sebastian, FL: Top Spots

The Riverfront Strip

The densest stretch of waterfront dining runs along Indian River Drive, where the lagoon is wide enough to feel like open water and the fishing boats still outnumber the pleasure craft. Squid Lips anchors the southern end at 1660 Indian River Dr, its docks and decks built for the kind of afternoon that starts with the tide and ends with the sunset. A few blocks north, Mulligan's Beach House at 806 Indian River Dr holds down the family-friendly end of the strip, and Tiki Bar & Grill at 1109 Indian River Dr does exactly what its name promises—open air, water view, cold drinks.

Further up the same road, Earl's Hideaway Lounge at 1405 Indian River Dr has been a working bar for decades, the kind of place where the regulars know the bartender's name and the band sets up in the corner. Mo Bay Grill at 1401 Indian River Dr sits practically next door, and Crab Stop of Sebastian at 1550 Indian River Dr brings the seafood market approach to the waterfront. Blackfins at Capt Hirams Resort at 1606 Indian River Dr operates out of the resort complex, and Sebastian Saltwater Marina Restaurant at 1732 Indian River Dr finishes the run at the marina end, where the charter boats tie up between trips.

Beyond the Water

Not every meal in Sebastian needs a dock line. Country Ham N Egg Restaurant at 478 US-1 is where the pre-dawn crowd goes before the boats leave, and Sebastian's Roadside Restaurant at 10795 US-1 has been feeding travelers on the old highway since before the interstate changed the route. Ay Jalisco Sebastian at 1814 US-1 brings inland Mexican cooking to the US-1 corridor, while Vic's Pizza Italian Restaurant at 1140 US-1 and Giuseppe's Pizzeria & Italian Cuisine at 935 Sebastian Blvd cover the Italian end of town. Ruby Tuesday at 13675 US-1 is the chain option, and McDonald's at 13395 US-1 is there if you need it.

The Skydive Question

Skydive Sebastian at 400 Airport Dr W is listed under bars and breweries, which tells you something about how the place operates. The airport is a few miles west of the water, but the jumpers land on a grass strip and the bar does a steady business with both skydivers and spectators. It is not a waterfront restaurant. It is, however, the highest-rated establishment in town at 4.9 from 2396 reviews, and if you want to see Sebastian from the air before you eat it from the table, this is the only place in town doing that.

The Town Behind the Tables

Sebastian was a fishing village as early as the 1870s, at the confluence of the St. Sebastian River and the Indian River Lagoon. The settlement was named for Saint Sebastian, and while the town later dropped the "St.," the river kept it. Incorporated as a municipality on 6 December 1924 and as a city on 18 May 1925, Sebastian has grown to 25,759 people with a median age of 57.6 years. The median home value sits at $281,700, and the median gross rent is $1,414. Of the 12,891 housing units, 774 are held for seasonal or recreational use—snowbirds, mostly, and weekenders from Orlando.

The unemployment rate is 8.5 percent, and 29.5 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median household income is $68,863. These are not boomtown numbers. They are steady, working-town numbers, and the restaurant scene reflects that: no white-tablecloth pretension, no $40 entrees, just food and water and the occasional treasure hunter.

The Pelican Island Factor

Three miles north of the restaurant strip, Pelican Island was declared the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States in 1903. The island is a pelican rookery, closed to foot traffic but visible from the water, and the refuge headquarters on the mainland has a boardwalk and observation tower. It is worth the detour before or after a meal, if only to remember that the lagoon was here long before the restaurants were.

The Annual Anchor

Every November, the Sebastian Clambake Lagoon Festival takes over Riverview Park for three days: seafood booths, historical re-enactments, a kids zone, and the Clammer Jam. The Sebastian Clambake Foundation, founded in 2002, has given more than $1,000,000 back to local charities. It is the closest thing the town has to a signature event, and it draws both locals and visitors to the same waterfront the restaurants line.

What to Do With This

If you want the classic Sebastian waterfront meal, pick a spot on Indian River Drive and let the tide set the pace. If you want the working-town version, hit the US-1 corridor. If you want to jump out of a plane first and eat after, Skydive Sebastian is the only place in town that can arrange both. None of these places are hidden. None of them are secrets. They are just restaurants on a river that has been here since before the treasure fleet went down, and they will be here after the next storm blows through.