SQUID LIPS

Does SQUID LIPS keep a clean kitchen? Yes — an A grade, 100/100, at its most recent inspection on May 18, 2026. Inspectors cited no violations.

Its most recent inspection on May 18, 2026 came back clean. Diners give it 4.2 across 3,706 reviews. It's a Seafood spot in Cocoa Beach. Menus here flag vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, and other dietary options.

A · 100/100 · among the cleanest kitchens in Brevard County

Get directions Call (321) 783-1350

Restaurant details

Health grade
A (100/100)
Violations
None recorded
Address
2200 S ORLANDO AVE, Cocoa Beach, FL
Cuisine
Seafood
Categories
Seafood restaurant, Grill, Bar, Restaurant
Price
$20–30
Rating
4.2 stars (3706 reviews)
Neighborhood
Avon Court
Seats
300
Phone
(321) 783-1350
Website
Official website
Photo of SQUID LIPS
Photo: Squid Lips

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.2 Community-sourced rating 3,706 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

64% of reviews here touch on how guests are treated, more than any other theme. Where how guests are treated comes up, the rating that follows averages 4.1, so it reads as a strength. How food arrives is the next most common subject, in 20% of reviews (averaging 3.4).

5 stars is the modal score, given by 14 of the 25 reviewers who rated. The split is 18 positive to 3 negative across 25 rated reviews, with 4 in the middle.

Against that, the kitchen inspects well — an A (100/100), nothing cited at the most recent DBPR visit. That inspection was on May 18, 2026. The trend across inspections is decline. That puts it ahead of 100% of graded kitchens in Brevard County. Nothing was written up at that inspection at all.

Both measures agree, which is the least complicated version of this page. The individual reviews are below, newest first, if you want the raw material.

Our own analysis of 25 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 30, 2026

    Beautiful sunsets over the Bannana River.

  • June 28, 2026

    Have to nevermind the smelly restaurant before the restaurant, lol need to sort that out, make it a museum or something if it's not nice as a place to eat. Service was good.

  • June 28, 2026

    Overall rating of three stars because the food, while good, overpriced for what you’re getting. I’ve paid the same price for quality seafood in other places on the east coast. This place is not where you want to go for great food. Sunset views are likely what’s keeping this place afloat.

  • June 27, 2026

    Our first stop when going to Cocoa Beach. Seat outside on the patio with a great view. Can be a little warm. Food is good and staff is friendly. Been going here for years.

  • June 23, 2026

    Great vibe, awesome view and food...

  • June 22, 2026

    Our 2nd visit with my daughter, her husband and our 2 grandchildren. Excellent visit, friendly staff, fast service, the seafood selections were all good. No problems with Squi to Lips - we will be back again. Awesome - first time to Cocoa Beach and first time to Squid Lips - NOT disappointed. The Conch was good, the Coconut Shrimp was good and the Baked Stuffed Flounder was excellent. No host waiting and no server waiting. Overall, we recommend Squid Lips.

  • June 21, 2026

    Nice place my favorite bar I been to in coco so far good vibes nice young and older crowd mix

  • June 21, 2026

    It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the food is excellent. I had the seafood lasagna which was cooked to perfection and the right portion size. Also had coconut shrimp for an appetizer. Again, perfectly fried; sweet and crispy. No need for the dipping sauce.

  • June 21, 2026

    Just off A1A on the Banana River is a worthy place for lunch and dinner, parking is free, and sure from the outside it is understated. Indoor and outdoor, terrace dining available with beautiful views of the River and setting sun. Dolphin pods and a school of well fed catfish to amuse the kids and adults, feed the fish from the dock. Service was efficient and friendly, place is capable of small to large groups and couple's. Menu is extensive, salads, burgers, seafood, poke bowls, steaks and more all prepared from scratch. Mahi Oak Grilled Fish sandwich was delicious, along with the New Orleans Sea Bass pan sautéed with sweet pecan praline was delicious. Mike’s Key Lime Pie tops off a delicious meal -recommend. Really worth a visit and enjoy good food at reasonable prices, with amazing views. It's going to be on my list of local places to eat for sure.

  • June 20, 2026

    Kate was our bartender/server Definitely highly recommended She was very helpful & amazingly friendly My wife & I loved the atmosphere & service...will be back soon... Great food !!!

  • June 20, 2026

    Liked it the crab cakes were an issue. 24$ for one but you get one on a burger for 19$ and the burger alone. 32$ for 2 I skipped it.

  • June 19, 2026

    All great! Excellent parking, food, service and views for my wife and our 4 kids.

  • June 15, 2026

    My husband and I tried this out and despite its name this place is amazing! They had some of the most interesting food we’d ever tried, the service was great and the wildlife you can see is so fun. We will 100% be coming back!

  • June 15, 2026

    The service was great and the views are nice. I bit warm inside and too hot to sit outside. The food was good.

  • June 15, 2026

    Great food and service. Views to die for!! We saw several groups of dolphins close to sunset!! We will come back.

  • June 13, 2026

    Restaurant was dirty and smelled but we decided to give it the benefit of the doubt because they could accommodate a large party. First our pretzels came out rock hard. Like to the point they couldn’t even be ripped. The second batch was good. However, we ended up leaving because there were literal BES BUGS crawling out of one of our seats. Told management and they were flabbergasted. Will not return.

  • June 13, 2026

    We enjoyed a great atmosphere, perfectly prepared meals and the best service and to top it off waterfront sunset views. Carlos, the manager has it dialed in on this establishment. I highly recommend everyone to check it out.

  • June 13, 2026

    Awesome way to end our trip before heading back to SC. Beautiful river view and great service. Only thing I would add is an open sign out front. We had four cars pull up and ask if the establishment was open when we headed back to the lot. I feel business would benefit from it. We’ll be back.

  • June 11, 2026

    This place is such a vibe ✨ the food was good, staff is friendly and even with a little rain, everything was perfect. Is a nice place to have a dinner. There’s also some fish food machines

  • June 10, 2026

    Absolutely amazing food experience I wipe recommend coming here!! The host Petra was so very helpful and made my experience great very pretty girl

  • June 9, 2026

    Great views. Great service. Food was ok. Better experience in Sebastien.

  • June 9, 2026

    It was so hot where the bar was it was hard to eat. Won't be going there again. They lost 16 people.

  • June 8, 2026

    Service was great, food was even better. We had fish n chips basket and the shrimp basket. Both were excellent! If you want seafood this is a must. Menu looks like they have anything though.

  • June 8, 2026

    The drinks were terrible & the food was just ok. Our waitress couldn't help with any questions we had about food or drinks & was unconcerned when we said our drinks sucked. Beautiful view of the Banana River but everything else was....meh

  • June 8, 2026

    Thought this would be a great place for dinner...fun atmosphere & water view. Unfortunately that's all it had going for it. Service was extremely slow; we even had to go up to the bar ourselves to get our drinks refilled after waiting a significant amount of time after food was brought out from kitchen. In addition food was not good...my medium rare burger was "soggy" & completely pink making me question if it was even warm. Attempted to eat it without the bottom bun (too wet)but couldn't stomach more than half. Husband's chicken livers were overcooked & completely dried out. He tried to eat them with ketchup, which he doesn't like, because it was the only "sauce" option on the table but couldn't finish his meal either. All guests in our party drinking alcohol (3 of 6) said their beers were warm and by the time our server finally came around again after almost an hour, it was also no longer Happy Hour so prices were no longer discounted. Final straw for us was the women's bathroom 🤢 Definitely would not recommend this SL location & personally will never be back.

Overall Score

80 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 40/40
    Grade A
  • Dietary transparency 20/20
    7 options listed
  • Community rating 17/20
    4.2★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 3/10
    Declining, 20% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 9 PM
Tuesday
11 AM to 9 PM
Wednesday
11 AM to 9 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 9 PM
Friday
11 AM to 9 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 9 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 9 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. May 18, 2026 · Complaint Full

    Call Back - Complied

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 0 basic

    No violations cited.

  2. May 5, 2026 · Complaint Full

    Warning Issued

    4 high-priority · 2 intermediate · 9 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition
    • 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
    • 06 — Potentially hazardous foods properly thawed
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage (×2)
    • 10 — In-use food dispensing utensils properly stored (×2)
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×3)
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized (×2)
    • 23 — Nonfood-contact surfaces clean
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 35 — Insects/rodents/pests; outer openings protected against pests
  3. January 28, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    1 high-priority · 4 intermediate · 8 basic

    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage (×2)
    • 10 — In-use food dispensing utensils properly stored
    • 11 — Employee health knowledge; no ill/symptomatic employee present
    • 21 — Wiping cloths; clean & soiled linens; laundry
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
    • 23 — Nonfood-contact surfaces clean
    • 25 — Single-service and single-use items
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
    • 38 — Lighting provided; fixtures shielded or bulbs protected
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training
  4. July 9, 2025 · Complaint Full

    Call Back - Complied

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 2 basic

    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×2)
  5. July 8, 2025 · Complaint Full

    Warning Issued

    3 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 4 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition (×2)
    • 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
    • 06 — Potentially hazardous foods properly thawed
    • 13 — Clean clothes; hair restraints; jewelry; fingernails
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×2)
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: May 18, 2026