Last Updated on January 22, 2022 by Marybeth
There are Florida towns that make everyone’s* list of Top 10 Most Beautiful and Most Popular Towns to Visit Right Now and then there is this glorious subset of Florida towns that don’t make those lists.
Key West, we love you, but so does everyone else. St. Augustine, yes, you are beautiful, and rich with history, great restaurants, and beach day options. Miami – well. No need to give more press to these delightful places, since *everyone else (major media outlets, upscale travel magazines, and all Florida-loving Instagrammers) is already lauding them.
Enter Steinhatchee to this glorious subset. Steinhatchee IS the top spot – along with Homosassa and Crystal River – in the US for catching bay scallops, and a plethora fish are caught inshore and offshore here: grouper, snapper, tarpon, sheepshead, sea trout, redfish, bluefish, Black Sea bass, Spanish mackerel and more. Scallop season in 2022 is July 1 – September 10.
Even if you don’t enjoy fishing – and I am not particularly good at it (mostly I just soak in the sun, the view, and the mesmerizing bobber-watching when my husband and I are out on the water with a couple of fishing rods) – Steinhatchee offers old-Florida charisma, just perhaps at a slower pace than you may be used to. Hike, bike, paddle or horseback ride at Steinhatchee Falls. Steinhatchee is located in Florida’s Big Bend, on The Hidden Coast. Both of those terms are intriguing enough to put this little town on your future must-visit list, don’t you agree?
The Hidden Coast Magazine‘s tagline is The Last of Old Florida. That, too, is calling to us. Visit while you can – it’s the last.
We visited recently and just found out that the 14th annual Fiddler Crab Festival is happening soon: February 18-20. We’re tempted to go back for this! To explore this little town more, get more pics, and participate in a crab race and the Swamp Water Restaurant Cook-off contest. (The only thing holding us back is the 4+ hour drive from our little off-the-radar Florida town…) There will be live entertainment, fireworks, fishing tournament with cash prizes up to $500, river tours, beer & wine garden, vendors, parade, and a poker run. Admission to the festival is only $5; some of the other events require an additional fee to participate. Visit the Steinhatchee River Chamber of Commerce for more details.
The main reason this little coastal town of under 2,000 residents has been calling my name is the Sea Hag Marina & the Shacks at Sea Hag! Shacks, in particular. If you follow us on Instagram you’ll see I have a (healthy!) obsession with vintage places to stay all around Florida. There is just something about opening the door to “your” little home away from home, revealing an interior that someone else has made cute, cozy, and clean. We always say when traveling in Florida we spend most of our time outdoors, but where we lay our (often sandy, sometime tipsy) heads at night matters, too.
STAY
Sea Hag Marina & the Shacks at Sea Hag
Sea Hag Marina is one of the largest full service marinas in the Big Bend area, and the closest to the Gulf of Mexico in Steinhatchee. The marina offers service and repair, boat rentals (twenty-two 24′ Carolina skiffs, read more here), ship’s bait & tackle store, gift and dive shop, and an on-site tiki bar!
Sea Hag has a detailed list of what you might catch, along with the history of the deposited soils rich in minerals forming one of the most productive eco-systems in the world, read about that here.
And now onto those Shacks!
Some of the shacks were built in 1940, and are “plain and simple,” with a window unit A/C, comfortable beds, and a bathroom. With all the restaurants in town, if you can’t cook “worth a lick,” you won’t need a kitchen. Some of the smaller shacks have a gas grill cook shed instead. Others offer a microwave and full size fridge. A number of shacks offer full kitchens. There are multiple configurations / numbers of bedrooms for you to choose from for your stay, including modern “hotel rooms” that are attached cottages and have full kitchens, contemporary flooring and bathrooms. From 1/1 original shacks, up to a 5/6 (Goliath Grouper) and a 6/3.5 (Scallywag Shack); visit the Sea Hag website to choose the shack that suits your needs. Bring the whole extended family, or have a romantic stay for just the two of you.
The grounds are shaded and peaceful. When we were there we enjoyed just strolling around under the palm trees (admittedly, to look at everyone else’s shack!) and we didn’t hear anything beyond birdsong. Not even raucous children splashing around in the swimming pool!
Some of the “shacks”:
Rates for the Shacks range from $99-139 for a 1/1 (depending on the season) to $309-459 for the largest Shack, the Goliath Grouper, which can accommodate up to 19 people! Minimum night stays are required for some of the Shacks.
Some other options for lodging in Steinhatchee:
Stately lodge built in 1927 with luxurious rooms and a fine dining restaurant located in nearby Cross City.
Voted Florida’s Most Enchanting and Romantic Hidden Retreat, set on 35 acres; rent a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom Victorian, Florida Cracker, or Georgian architectural style cottage with contemporary amenities. Activities include tennis & basketball courts, swimming pool, fitness center, community docks, scuba diving and fly fishing opportunities, kayak and scalloping rentals, and more.
Steinhatchee River Inn and Marina
Full service marina with docking, boat lift, boat rentals, and marina store along with deluxe suites with fully equipped kitchens, or rooms with kitchenettes. A riverfront cottage is available, as well as RV sites.
Riverfront, finer dining than you might imagine in a little fishing town, with a fascinating history beginning back in 1934. Book a room or suite with kitchenettes or mini-fridges and microwaves, or a 3/2 cottage with a full kitchen. Vacation rental homes are also available, as well as RV sites.
DINE / DRINK
Crabbie Dads Bar & Grill
Or is it Bar & Spirits? As much as I like to pat myself on the back for my epic researching skills, I couldn’t find out exactly what this Crabbie Dad calls himself… no website (that I could find) not much on Facebook (but Facebook won’t let me look around a whole lot anymore, as we are no longer on the platform.) Reviewers love the dive bar atmosphere, friendly staff, 2 full bars, good food (“outstanding fried grouper sandwich”) and one said “great try instead of the obviously more popular restaurant across the street.” Located at 118 1st Ave. S. (Right across the street from Roy’s.)
We didn’t eat here but perusing the large menu made us hungry, and wishing we were staying longer so we could eat here (and at ALL the restaurants on our list.) Multiple options – from gator bites, fried pickles, chicken wings, fish spreads, southern fried chicken salad, she-crab soup, to pasta, handhelds, steak, and homey sounding entrees like seafood pot pie, Andy’s Shrimp & Grits, and something called Mullet Filet and Backbone. We will be back to check it all out! You can stay here, too; see above.
Another shack in the Hatch! “An absolute gem!” Gator bites, corn nuggets, fried mushrooms, but also more serious dinner fare like tuna steak, rib eye, lobster, grouper, snapper (fried, grilled, or blackened) and low country boils. Check Kathi’s Facebook page for daily and weekly specials.
Arrive hungry! Generous portions, homemade donuts and biscuits made fresh daily. Southern cuisine breakfast and lunch: try their steak and cheese on Texas toast, shrimp & grits, country fried steak. Burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads. Housed in an adorable yellow cottage! Check McDavid’s Facebook page for daily lunch specials.
When a place has been in business since 1969 we know it’s doing many things right. Waterfront – come for the sunsets! You’ll find some menu items popular in the area – gator bites! – but also coconut shrimp, bang-bang shrimp, crab & sweet corn chowder. Entrees include many seafood choices, chicken, and steak. Sandwiches and salads, plus a children’s menu. “I just had the best grouper sandwich I’ve ever eaten.” “Great food, pleasant people.”
Specializing in chicken, pork, ribs, Angus beef burgers and smoked mullet and more, smoked on a giant smoker/grill using Black Jack Oak & Hickory. Meat lovers, are your mouths watering right about now? “The sweetest people and by far one of the best places to eat in Steinhatchee.” “Pirate food truck atmosphere.” Sounds like our kind of place!
Circling back to what this town is all about – fishing and scalloping – we want to make sure you’ll have the best info for fishing charters and guide services for your visit. Visit FishingBooker for a comprehensive list of extraordinary angling options, with contact info and reviews.
Have you visited the sublime little fishing town of Steinhatchee? Let us know in the comments. More importantly, what shack did you stay in?
Steinhatchee is located on Florida’s Gulf coast, about an hour and a half southeast of Tallahassee, and the same distance west of Gainesville.
