Owen's Fish Camp -Downtown SRQ

Owen's Fish Camp -Downtown SRQ

516 Burns Ct, Sarasota, FL 34236, United States

+1 941-951-6936

Seafood restaurant
(4296)
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About This Place

Nestled in the heart of Sarasota’s historic Burns Court, Owen’s Fish Camp - Downtown SRQ offers an authentic seafood dining experience that feels like a cherished escape to a coastal hideaway. This inviting seafood restaurant serves up a delightful Low Country-inspired menu, featuring an array of fresh, expertly prepared dishes that embody the vibrant flavors of the Gulf Coast.

The culinary highlight here is unmistakably the Low Country Boil for Two, a generous, steaming spread of snow crab legs, shrimp, mussels, clams, Andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn that invites you to dig in and savor the sea’s bounty. Complementing this centerpiece are tempting favorites like the Camp Basket Fried Oysters and the rich, spicy Shrimp & Grits with smoked sausage — each bite perfectly balancing crispy textures and bold, comforting flavors. For those seeking something lighter yet decadent, the Lobster Cobb Salad with crab, shrimp, avocado, bacon, and egg refreshes the palate with fresh, layered tastes.

The restaurant’s commitment to quality shines through every dish, whether it’s the delicate, perfectly blackened market fish served with your choice of savory sauces—brown butter hollandaise or lemon-caper butter—or the crowd-pleasing Hot Crab Dip, a cheesy king crab delight paired with Ritz crackers. If you’re a fan of cocktails, be sure to try Murph’s Famous Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters, which burst with flavor and add a playful kick to the meal.

What truly sets Owen’s Fish Camp apart is its unique and welcoming atmosphere. Housed in a historic old Florida home, the space cleverly uses every nook—from cozy indoor rooms to breezy porches, patios, and a charming backyard—to create an eclectic, homey environment. Diners often remark on feeling as though they’re enjoying a meal at a dear friend’s house, surrounded by warm woods, inviting textures, and relaxed, unpretentious vibes. Whether you find yourself seated under the canopy of trees outside or inside soaking up the local charm, the ambiance is perfectly tuned to a laid-back, yet vibrant seafood feast.

Guests consistently praise the attentive and knowledgeable service, noting how the staff expertly guide diners through the menu with thoughtful recommendations without ever feeling intrusive. This balance enhances the experience, making each visit feel personal and effortless. The popularity of the spot among locals and visitors alike ensures a lively, bustling atmosphere, often buzzing with conversations that mirror the joy found in every dish.

If you’re craving an uncompromising seafood adventure wrapped in genuine Southern hospitality and a charming historic setting, Owen’s Fish Camp is a must-visit destination. The freshness of the seafood, the bold yet comforting flavors, and the unique, inviting environment come together to create a memorable dining experience that both seafood aficionados and casual diners will cherish.

Service options
Outdoor seating On-site services Dine-in Delivery Takeaway
Highlights
Fast service Great beer selection Great cocktails Great coffee Great dessert Great wine list Live music Serves local specialty
Popular for
Dinner Solo dining
Accessibility
Assistive hearing loop Wheelchair-accessible car park Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
Alcohol Beer Cocktails Coffee Comfort food Happy-hour drinks Healthy options Small plates Spirits Wine
Dining options
Lunch Dinner Dessert Seating Table service
Amenities
Bar on site Toilet
Atmosphere
Casual Cosy Historic Lively Trendy
Crowd
Family friendly Groups Tourists
Planning
Usually a wait Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards
Children
Good for kids High chairs Kids' menu
Parking
Free of charge street parking Free parking lot Paid parking lot Parking
Pets
Dogs allowed

Opening Hours

  • Monday
    04:00 PM - 09:30 PM
  • Tuesday
    04:00 PM - 09:30 PM
  • Wednesday
    04:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Thursday
    Closed
  • Friday
    04:00 PM - 10:30 PM
  • Saturday
    04:00 PM - 10:30 PM
  • Sunday
    04:00 PM - 09:30 PM

Map & Directions

Visitor Reviews

  • Robert Rhodes
    1 month ago

    Excellent variety of dishes served in an interesting, eclectic location that feels like you're dining in an old friend's home. This historic old house uses all the rooms, porches, patios and backyard to create a unique dining experience for everyone. Service is exceptional and the quality of the seafood is exceptional. For starters we had the snails and chorizo in wine sauce over grits appetizer that is our favorite new dish for 2025. Our mains included the cornmeal crusted catfish dinner and the "naked" fish selection of scamp. Both were rockstars for us. Live music in the backyard starts at 5:30 PM which is about the time the restaurant begins to get busy. However wait times for a table are pleasant out back where you can order a few appetizers and drinks while listening to the band to pass the time. This is definitely a destination restaurant of you're in the Sarasota area.

  • M. H.
    1 month ago

    Sooo Owen’s Fish Camp was on my list to try when visiting Sarasota and I’m glad we made it! My mom loves seafood, so whenever she visits me, we make it a point to check out a seafood spot. Walking up, you definitely get those fish camp, local vibes. We arrived “early” and it was already packed, but luckily found some seating. Our waitress was patient and helped guide us through the menu. The decor matched the theme perfectly, and outside they had a big backyard area with live music and another bar. There’s also a store connected to the restaurant with different items to browse. We truly enjoyed our food, left stuffed and sleepy! My only feedback is that the dishes were a little heavy on the sodium. The seasoning was good, but at times the salt was noticeable. It didn’t ruin anything, just something that stood out. If you’re in the area, this is definitely a spot not to miss! What was ordered: Oysters Rockefeller w/ Crab, Spinach & Hollandaise = delicious Hot Crab Dip = very good & loved the Ritz crackers pairing Naked Fish w/ Beans & Collards = flavorful, but a bit too salty Cornmeal Crusted Catfish w/ Spicy Collards, Grits & Brown Butter = fish fried perfectly, collards salty, but grits were spot on

  • Annie Malka
    1 month ago

    Owens Burns Court will not take reservations and they only seat full parties - I knew that going in. We had a large group that I was happy to seat at different tables. Outdoors has larger tables but it was darn hot when we went. 6 of us showed up - got a table right away at 5pm on a Monday. Little bit later 5 more showed up and luckily got a table right next to the other one! Then our last 2 stragglers arrived as they were driving from further away and they got seated right near us in the bar high tops area. Service was wonderful - Brandi was awesome, front of house were ingenious in suggesting the high tops at the bar so we could all be close by. Food came out super fast and hot. Everyone was served at each table together. We were trying to make a 6:30pm movie at Burns Cinema next door and had plenty of time to move our cars and get tickets. Everyone enjoyed their food - Corvina, Scamp, Trout, Crab Cake, Shrimp Salad, Jambalaya, so much more - all was perfect - and always fun. Music starts at 5:30pm and the outdoors area is super cute, when it's a wee bit cooler.

  • John
    1 month ago

    We hit Owens Fish Camp during our recent vacation and it did not disappoint. While not on the water, the ambience, covered by trees and nature while tucked away near downtown, was great. We sat outside on a warm summer night. The service was really good. We had everything we needed and yet the servers weren’t intrusive. It was our first time to Owens and they gave great recommendations on what to try. We started with the Gumbo and Crab Cake appetizers. Both were flavorful and the crab cake was over stuffed with breading. For entrees we went with Shrimp Baskets & the Fresh Catch plates with Scamp and Grouper with Butter sauces. The fresh was cooked perfectly (meaning not over) and you could taste the freshness. We ended up splitting a Key Lime Pie for dessert. Everything went well and we will certainly be back on our next trip. There’s also a mercantile shop connected to the restaurant to kill time while waiting for a table. We were there mid week and there wasn’t live music but next time we’ll try on a weekend to hear some tunes. All in all, highly recommend Owens Fish Camp for a great all-around dining experience.

  • Christopher Curtis
    2 month ago

    We found Owen’s Fish Camp as it is a location nearby the botanical gardens holiday light show and what a great find it was! Katherine our waitress was lovely, attentive and knowledgeable about the fresh catch and gave terrific recommendations! We both had the Scamp, mine was blackened, topped with hollandaise and cooked to perfection! My wife had her fish seared and finished with lemon caper butter, as Katherine suggested! She described her meal as “The best fish I have had in years!” The dirty rice and succotash held to the theme with the blackened Scamp and were so delicious they could have been mains! The fried cherry pie dessert sounded amazing but that will have to wait until some other day!

  • Charles Wu
    2 month ago

    The hype is real. No reservations and no wait list as stated on google maps. Went on Sat night about 615p and waited about 40 min. Was directed to the backyard which served some small bites. Had grilled oysters which were great. had some house cocktails whiskey lemonade and bourbon tea which were not bad. Plenty of seats with a live performer. Met 'Beaver' who said he was the OG. He had taken our orders at the grill/drinks area and came around when it got less busy there asking if we needed anything. He gave us some tips on what to order and he was spot on. The best thing was the chicken fried lobster tails. Should have ordered 2 orders. The garlic snails were also good. Nice sauce served over mashed potatoes, all coming in a bowl. Had peel n eat shrimp. tasty but didn't realize it was cold. Would have been great warm. Should not have gotten the hot crab dip. Kinda fishy tasting and wasn't that good. I did like the ritz crackers. I ordered the low country boil for 2. Was quite good. Gave you a good amount of shrimp. Most of the clamshells were empty and only could find a few lying around. Mussels just ok. potatoes were very good. I should have gotten the order of crab legs by itself and also something else. Gumbo was good. No okra tho. clam chowda was great. My son had jambalaya, good but not as good as New Orleans. His fiancee had pasta that was great. Wife had Scamp grouper that was excellent. Server Claudia was very nice. Kind of quiet. And Beaver came around again! Asked how the food was. I told him everything was great except the Crab dip. He said, "I never told you to get that" He was great and added to our wonderful evening. I will definitely tell my friends and come back next time i'm in town.

  • David Shaffer
    3 month ago

    We were told we would love it and the "tellers" were right! Friends told us we would love this place and they were not wrong. Lively and welcoming atmosphere with a center courtyard replete with live music on a Sunday night. Waited about 20 minutes for a table. Atmosphere is fun but loud. Be aware if you are looking for a quiet spot. Our server (Morena?) was efficient and friendly. I had a fish of the day choice "Skamp" which was explained as a fattier, high end grouper. It was buttery and delicious. The most amazing thing was my snails appetizer in garlic sauce with grits. Unbelievable! Never had anything like it. Everyone enjoyed their meals. We will return. FYI - Parking is kind of a hassle but you can park on the side streets nearby.

  • Kristen King
    3 month ago

    What an amazing dinner we had! The old Florida fish camp vibe was so fun. We got there a bit early so we browsed the store they just opened next door. Morgan was our server and she was great! Very attentive and knowledgeable about what to order. We had the triple tail fish seared and it was amazing! The hollandaise sauce was good, but we got it on the side. The fish was so great you didn't even need it. The garlic smashed potatoes were also delish. Definitely recommend the mussels as well. If you're in Sarasota and like seafood it is definitely a place to check out.

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