Lone Cabbage Fish Camp

If I were reviewing only the airboat ride, I’d give it five stars. We thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Saw several alligators. The captain said this the first time in two weeks for good sighting due to cool, rainy weather. The captain was very friendly and informative. He suggested we try gator tail since we never had before. In fact, he said Lone Cabbage was the only restaurant where he ate gator.
Now comes the review of the restaurant. It was a lovely warm day and people were eating on the deck. We were told by the air ride ticket lady to sit anywhere and we would be served. There were two waitresses who did a great job pretending we were invisible. After 20 minutes, hubby got up and went inside to ask for menus. He received the menus and after another 10 minutes we decidedly to leave. So we will never know how good gator tail. And would not recommend anyone to go there. There’s lots of other good restaurants that give excellent service and food. There’s also other airboat ride companies in the area to try.

What a dump ! ! ! Great place for lunch and looking at the river.
Low key setting where you can seat yourself. So if there is a table by the river, it’s yours.
The cat fish nuggets are lightly fried and tasty. The hush puppies are like ones you read about but usually cannot find. Go figure, somehow the star of the lunch plate at The Lone Cabbage is the coleslaw … creamy and crunchy.
Oh yea, there is a great river view and friendly wait staff.

**PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE TWISTER AIRBOAT RIDE ONLY**
After visiting the Dinosaur Store in Cocoa Beach (which we found unimpressive), we needed to find something to do and fast as we had three baby goats (kids) in tow. While visiting Florida, we knew we wanted to see a gator (on our own terms) and my wife quickly searched the area for alligators. She found the Twister Airboat Rides and read a few reviews suggesting that this place was great because there was little wait time. We can attest to the fact that we waited no more than 10 minutes and we were off. Our guide was extremely friendly and did his best to find us a gator despite the frigid (for Florida) temps. Gators aside, if this is your first time in an airboat, please know it was well worth the money for the ride alone. It was truly an experience in and of itself.

Stopped by after an airboat ride on the way back to cocoa beach… stop by for a local spot to grab some fried gator and frog legs!

Was in the mood for some gator so decided to give this spot a try. Airboat rides are available but we stuck to the food today. We were seated promptly and our drink order taken right away.
I ordered the combo which included gator, frog legs, catfish, coleslaw, fries, and hush puppies. Our meals were delivered in a reasonable amount of time. The gator was delicious on its own and strangely went well with cocktail sauce. The catfish was very tasty and went well with tartar sauce. The frog legs were the best tasting and expertly prepared. I dont order them often but these were exceptional. Cole slaw and fries were very good. The hush puppies might be the best I have ever eaten. They were moist on the inside with the perfect crisp on the outside. It also had a sweetness to it but just the perfect amount.
I will definately be back for more.

I have visited The Lone Cabbage on many occasions over the years, most recently on a Sunday afternoon when live music is offered. This is a fun, super casual place where the crowd includes locals and tourists, friendly bikers, families and customers of all ages. The place looks pretty much like a shack and there’s no need to get all dressed up. There is a small dining room but most people prefer sitting at picnic tables outside on the deck. The food is mostly fried but I have to say they have the tastiest fried fish with fries, hushpuppies and slaw you can get anywhere. I don’t usually eat Swai but it fries up to be a big, mild fish filet with an extra crunchy batter coating. I could never get fish to turn out like that at home. The alligator is good, too, so if you’ve never eaten alligator you should try it. If you’ve never been on an airboat you should try that too! Service is friendly and the band played an enjoyable mix of mostly classic rock and country. Prices are reasonable and the LC sits right on the St. John’s River where you can watch alligators floating by. A little slice of Old Florida for everyone to enjoy.

Just a fabulous pit stop on the way to and from Orlando. Ordered a burger today, it rocked! Ordered a Budweiser, it was ice cold. Watched a large gator swim by. Just a beautiful spot. Thank you!

We came for the fish fry and I wanted to try the gator. They have adequate shaded parking for motorcycles, which is a plus, and some strange looking huge birds walking around, another plus with me. We all had the catfish special, which was delicious, but was a little affronted by our waitress when we asked about substituting the beans for french fries. She could have been a little more pleasant when she told us no, maybe even just suggest we could order fries ala carte if we wanted. But other than that we were happy with our meal and the surroundings. We will definitely be back when family comes to visit to take them on an airboat ride and stay a little later to listen to the music. Oh, the gator does happen to taste just like chicken!

This is a Sunday so there is live music (every Sunday starting at 1:00) with a very good band playing a mix of country & rock. The crowd is a mix of tourists in for the airboat rides, families with small children in search of gators, and motorcycle enthusiasts (mostly couples) on day trips from Orlando vicinity.
We are here by invitation for a birthday gathering. So I am stepping outside of my box to a new experience. Upon arrival I think how cute this place is to be in the middle of swampland.
It is actually a hot June summer day, 97 degrees, as I write this. But there is a breeze/​cross wind coming through this open air restaurant. There are also ceiling fans, but yes it is still very hot. A Full bar is available as is table service. The menu offers burgers, fried food, and basic salads. This place delivers exactly what one would expect from a fish camp /​airboat dock.
We had very nice helpful service. The food is decent and the buckets of beer are reasonable. The birthday boy (77 years old) went for an airboat ride and had a blast.
For all this it gets 3 stars, which to me means it met all expectations.

This is a bit off the beaten path, and while there are other airboat options, this is probably the most true to form.
The drivers have lived here forever, and know the area like the back of their hand. They’re very knowledgeable, and our driver was surprised we were able to see any gators that morning– since they only come out to sun– and it was a bit cloudy that morning.
They have a restaurant/​bar area where they have a full menu and bar. Pop comes out in cans with a glass of ice, no pop machine here. The hushpuppies were definitely the star of the meal– I’ve never tasted a hushpuppy so sweet and delicious. I would go back just for that!

We went to Lone Cabbage for lunch and sat at the bar. The food was good but the staff all seemed like they really didn’t want to be there. The bartender was inattentive and was more interested in chatting with other staff than taking care of customers. We watched as our food sat in the window for several minutes while the bartender talked to the other employees… Finally after the bell that indicates food is ready rang twice one of the servers brought us our food… We won’t be going back

If you want good service and reasonably priced food I would recommend their sister restaurant, Norman’s in downtown cocoa. Felt like the server didn’t want us there and made us feel uncomfortable for the family gathering we were having. Food is more expensive here and mediocre compared to Norman’s. We are local and won’t be back. They can take advantage of the tourists we are not interested as locals.

I’m new to the orlando area (about 6 months) and I like exploring new roads on my motorcycle. Well, I was out one day and was running out of gas so I got off the 528 and onto the 520 and headed east. I hoped I would run into a gas station soon. Along the way, I saw this place to my right, just over the bridge at the St. Johns. I didn’t go there thay day but I definitely made it a point to go my next outing. I’m so glad I found this place. The ambience is calm and soothing and outdoorsy all at once. They offer air boat rides regularly and seem to do quite well with that side of the business. Otherwise, there is a bar and restaurant where you can eat indoors or outside. I always choose outside. They have some of the best Mahi Mahi sandwiches I have ever had! Delicious! And the gator tail is pretty tops too! The seating and some Erving outside is calm but yiu will be surrounded by tourists and locals from around the USA. They have wooden benches and tables (be careful for spiders) and if yiu sit by the water, you can see the fish feeding along yhe surface, the occasional gator out a bit, and the locals floating by on their boats. It’s NOT a marina… but you do see people floating up and down the river. Prices are very fair and they have a couple different types of beer :) I love coming here and everytime has been friendly and welcoming. I definitely recommend this place if you’ve never been on an airboat and/​or if you want to do/​try something different (gator/​frog legs/​fish/​etc). Give it a try!

I was born and raised out near Lone Cabbage and enjoy their food every time; particularly the Swai which is a Japanese cat fish. The waitresses are always friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxed.

Great place! Our guide went to great lengths to ensure we saw alligators and provided a fun ride. His name was Kenny and he was very knowledgeable and friendly. Best $ 25. I’ve spent in awhile my kids will never forget this experience.

Service was great everyone was very friendly. Tried the fried gator thought it was really good never tried it before. Boat ride was really fun and peaceful we picked a great day to go. Overall it was a great experience would go back again!

Good place off the beaten track. Of course everything here is fried. And when I go to a dive type bar I expect that.
Very much a local hangout with bikes everywhere on the weekends.
To the hipster that was afraid of exposing her parents to the biker culture, GET over it and go back to eating tasteless vegan crap. Yes there are a lot of bikes on the weekend but the combined income of most of these people would surprise you.
Haven’t done the air-​boat ride yet but I am planning on taking my grand-​kids the next time they are in town.
Those of you that commute between Orlando and the coast stop by and have dinner one day after work.

Wow just wow… am so glad I choose to do this. At first your skeptical because you want to see alligators. It’s not guaranteed you’ll see any but our boat driver Kenny knows where to go… this guy is very informational about the surroundings and has great stories of his own which made the trip even better. I will be returning when I visit Florida again. Thanks so much Lone Cabbage for a great adventure.
Our kids really enjoyed this. Family of 5 and it’s well worth the $$$$
DONT FORGET TO ASK FOR KENNY ON YOUR NEXT BOAT RIDE!!!

To tell you the truth I have passed this place many times over the years on drives along S.R. 520. So many times I would say almost countless.
State Road 520 It’s a great cut-​off from I-​95 to the 528 Beeline (BeachLine) or all the way to S.R. 50 East Colonial Drive. Orlando to Cocoa or any other points to South Florida.
Way back in the day I’m sure I stopped in for a drink or two but most of the time I am just flying right by on that big 4 lane rd. at 65 to 75mph.
Lot of times I have passed by thinking I ought to stop. oh I am in too big a hurry… oh it looks too busy… etc.
Well the other early evening after a day of sitting around the pool sunning and boozin’. I found myself with a hankering for seafood. Now ya know when you have a hankering for a particular food you have to really search the database in your head for just the right place.
Seafood in Orlando is a funny beast as it is, you would think since most of the state is coast, Orlando would have some good Seafood spots and yes there are those that would have said Red Lobster or Winter Park Fish Co. or Lee and Ricks or Victorio’s or Mitchells or etc. etc… You get the point.
I was really looking for that hole in the wall, way out of the way place, that would have seafood and great outdoor atmosphere that was not a chain place.
Not really sure why Lone Cabbage popped into the noggin but it did. From that moment I decided to head out of O-​Town and give a real old Florida place down on the river in the middle of nowhere a try.
From downtown Orlando it’s about a 45 minute drive. Now you are gonna read in some of the other reviews it’s a Biker Bar, It’s a Dive Bar, Local Rednecks Bar, it looks seedy, It’s a hidden gem, They only serve Fried Seafood, yadda yadda yadda.
They are all right… it is all of that. Which in my book is GREAT and something different, not the same ol’ same ol’
If you want a real Florida Cracker experience off the path, hidden gem, along the river full of real Florida fish and wild Gators and Airboat Rides and really GREAT Fried Seafood and Drinks! Do like I did and head out there and have lunch or dinner. Take the motorcycle, take the bike, take the scooter, wear your $ 4.99 Tractor Supply hat and cowboy boots, swim suit and tank top or the Daytona Bike Week T-​shirt you bought at CVS, open the sun roof or convertible top on the car and just GO!!!
The evening I was there it was very laid back. It was a mix of travelers, Local types and people from Cocoa and Melbourne.
We sat inside for dinner but they have a huge deck that overlooks the river perfect for drinks or dinner and or nature photo’s.
Also on the outside they have a huge covered area that can feature live music ya know for when the bikers are there! Lots of parking, for trucks, cars, bikes and RV’s.
Anyway having never eaten there I looked over the menu which included about every local Florida seafood concoction you could think of including a few non fried dishes and decided on the pictured Tilapia Sandwich, which is fried LOL! I will tell you it was huge, fall apart fresh, and it was very, very good.
My overall experience was shock! I cannot believe I have passed this place so many times over the years that from here on out, It’s in the rotation for good fried seafood, it’s in the padded my drive time to include a stop, it’s a my guest from out of town want a «REAL» Florida experience go to place.
I will say from my drinks, appetizer, to my sandwich one of the best Hole in The Wall dinners I have ever had.
Service was that mix of local, surly, good with the repartee kind of server! Everything was cooked perfect and served in a timely manner.
At the end of it all I am so glad I went out there, and like I said really cannot believe I have waited so long all these years.
It was great, and I highly recommend to try if you really want that way out in the middle of nowhere old school real Florida vibe.

Stopped for lunch and an airboat tour, loved the captain, the atmosphere was totally casual — good food I had the catfish, huch puppies and swai.
The airboat ride was the highlight of the trip, saw lots of gators, great scenery and learned about the trees, wildlife and gators from the captain. I’d go back for sure!