The Thirsty Gator

Never previously been here before, so my friend told me to follow behind him to the location. When he turned into the plaza, I thought he was going to mug and rob me. it seemed shady with people hanging outside in front of the businesses. lol. But honestly it wasn’t that bad.
When we went inside the establishment, it was actually quite cozy. We sat at the bar and was greeted warmly by the staff, possibly the owner as well. I was here for the oysters, and boy were they oysters, rather plump and juicy on the most. And I’m not a fan of shrimp, but I tried one of my friends rock shrimp and they were actually quite tasty, not overly seasoned.
They also have the TouchTunes jukebox where you can use the app and pick songs. We played a few songs while we ate and downed beers, pretty relaxing night!

I’m disappointed with this place. After reading good reviews I thought I would go and check it out. They have great oyster prices. However those oyster left me sick to my stomach. Also I ordered the gator burger stupidly assuming it was made of gator meat, but behold it was just a regular burger. I don’t eat red meat so I couldn’t eat it. It was slow on a Sunday and I had to get up from the table several times to ask for things. The worst is definitely this terrible indigestion I’m currently experiencing. I even tried to force myself to puke! Hopefully these 2 Peptos will do the trick. Ugh won’t be going back!

Definitely a dive, but for the price definitely a 4 star. Can see myself going there after a hard day at work, but not for a night out with friends. Raw Oysters were good, but the Rock Shrimp was delicious — actually liked them more than lobster meat, more flavor and a lot less expensive but be prepared to peel them.

Stopped in here one night with my cousin because we were looking for a new place to have a beer. We found this place on Unilocal.I was not impressed. It is in a shady looking parking lot with a few shady looking people (not bar patrons) hanging around outside. They only have a few beers on tap. I think they were bud light, miller lite, coors light and yuengling. Not much a selection. They do have rock shrimp which is hard to find and was pretty good. The waitress was friendly. This bar is most certainly a Florida Gators bar as could be noticed by all of the décor throughout the bar. I didn’t find anything that would draw me back to this bar…

OYSTERS AND BEERS! YAY~! This is definitely not a fancy place and more like a hole in the wall kind of bar scene. I loved the ambience as everyone in there is so friendly and nice. Its almost like, everyone knows everyone’s name~~CHEERS! haha. This is my first time trying rock shrimp as I am not a local living in Florida. I must say it isn’t WOW for me. I am guessing it might just not be my cup of tea :) However, the freshness of oysters were SUPERB. Not to mention the friendliness of both the staffs and the other customers just makes the experience THAT MUCH BETTER. I love the whole comfy, homey and friendly bar scene with the pool table and darts on the side. The beer selection was not bad either. I will say I wouldn’t mind going back there again just for a afternoon or late night snack of oysters and beers. Kind of want to try the clams too~~~UmmmMMmMmMMm.

I come here for the cold beer and oysters! The décor is all Florida Gators and a total dive. I know the parking lot is a bit sketchy but don’t let it stop you from the delicious food inside! I always sit at the oyster bar and split a bucket or two of raw oysters with my husband. The staff has always been very friendly. Wednesdays they have 75 cent oysters! They do not have a fryer so the fries and wings are baked. They have electronic dart boards and a pool table. Definitely a place worth checking out if you are a seafood fan like me!

I was mood for wings so we were looking for Unilocal and find this place. We ordered wings and oyster. Both very good. Service was good also. Décor old and everything about gator but clean. Nothing smell bad or anything. We will back.
By the way don’t tell anyone we are big FSU fun!!!

This place leaves the pretension at home.
If you are looking for something fancy I suggest you go elsewhere.
This place is all about its oysters and beer.
While the décor is old, worn, and outdated, it is clean.
When you enter you are greeted by the waitress as you would be greeted into her home. It is all smiles and treated like you are part of the family. It seems like this is a popular place for their regulars. But even the regulars were still friendly to us newbies.
Oh did I mention the oysters were good? We came for the oysters (unfortunately there are not many affordable oyster bars anymore) and were pleasantly surprised with other menu items.
The rock shrimp were cooked and seasoned perfectly. They serve them peel and eat so you have to work to get at your food a bit (unlike how they are split for you at some other joints). Once you get to that shrimp though, it is well worth it.
Wings were cooked and seasoned perfectly. I think they were fried. Just the right size and lots of flavor.
SEC channel on TV. This is gator country. Keep that in mind if that sort of thing bothers you.
As for beer — don’t look for craft beer here. But I guess you don’t have to drink fancy beer every time you go out :)

Been coming here on and off for a few years whenever I am in town because a friend of mine still goes and he worked here in our college years, late 1800’s. The staff is awsome and polite, the owner is a former Gator Football player, albeit I don’t know how famous back in the 80’s. As for kids, well, it is calm but it is a bar. Food is good. A dive with good food and good prices. Apalachicola oysters on Friday!

Like most of the other reviews mention, this place is a little sketchy on the outside but don’t be fooled!!! The inside is still dive bar-​ish but the food is amazing! My boyfriend and I had an oyster craving and this was one of the first places that popped up when browsing the Internet for oyster bars in Orlando. We ordered a dozen oysters, ½ pound of rock shrimp, and some fries and we were far from disappointed. The oysters were plump and juicy (and served with an entire roll of saltine crackers!) and the rock shrimp were flavorful and delicious. The French fries were baked instead of fried and they were awesome as well! We were pretty much the only ones there since it was early (just before 6 pm) so the service was very quick! Definitely recommend this place, it is fantastic!

My husband and I were looking for a place to sit and eat some fresh oysters like back in the old Orlando days where there was an oyster bar on every corner… Looked on Unilocal and saw lee and ricks and then the thirsty gator popped up. Most of reviews stated how great the oysters were but that is seemed like a scary area. We decided to take a chance were delighted to find this hidden gem! We walk in and there it was just the good old days in Orlando a bar with a oyster trough at the base buckets of beer on ice ! We were in heaven! Lisa the waitress asked us what kind of beer we wanted, I comically said kona big wave and she kind of laughed probably thinking «where does this girl think she is» I had a corona light and it was ice cold and delicious! Tim the owner was at the bar shucking the oysters along side his employees! He was a friendly guy and gives off a genuine kindness that you don’t see too often in locally owned bars anymore. We got a bucket of oysters steamed they were from appalachiacola (Tim brings them in fresh more than 3 times a week) what we loved is that a soon as you order they give you your pack of saltines, multiple hot sauces, a serving of delicious horseradish and cocktail then they shuck the oysters right in front of you! They have a special a couple nights a week where they are 75 cents an oyster. We also had some wings which were good. Talking to some of the other patrons who stated the rock shrimp and burgers were awesome. What we found pretty cool was that a lot of the patrons had been coming for oysters for many years! This will now be our go to place for oysters ! Don’t read the old reviews that say it is not clean or that it is in a scary area. I have lived in Orlando my whole life and didn’t feel scared at all. Go eat some oysters you will not be dissapointed!

I know why they call it Thirsty Gator… Because they leave you thirsty. Literally, my husband had to go to the convenient store next door to get something to drink when we left. The service was bad and the food was sub-​par. The only reason why I didn’t award this restaurant with zero stars is because the oysters were good. My husband’s over priced wings were «eh» and the chips & salsa were of the high school football game concession stand caliber. The oysters are NOT enough to get me to come back.

No stars I can’t judge the food or service.
The degenerates hanging out side of the liquor store beside gators make me feel uncomfortable leaving my new truck unattended. But we walked in and smell the dirty greasy filthy odor. Like it hasn’t had a proper cleaning in years. So we turn over after a minute looking at the menu and left before a waitress or waiter could come. Just couldn’t deal with how dirty it was and the smell.

Do not be fooled by the looks of this joint.
The oysters here are the best in town. They’re huge, they’re fresh, and they are very fairly priced. The snow crab is also a must. (pulls right out of the shell.)
It doesn’t look like a place you’d want to eat raw oysters, and you might even question your sanity at first, but trust me when I say it’s safe.
There isn’t any liquor and the beer selection is exactly what you’d expect, but that’s ok. You could go for a glass of their crimson wine in a chilled plastic chalice if that would better suit your fancy, but once the bartender starts shuckin those big fat oysters, nothing else will matter.
If you’re lucky you’ll get to hear the regulars tell tales with the bartender about other regulars, reminiscent of the Old Gregg episode of the Mighty Boosh.
I don’t know if it gets rowdy during handegg games, since it is a sports bar, and they seem to prefer the Gators (not a sports surgeon here, but just a guess), since I wasn’t there during any gaming times.
If you’re in the mood for oysters, don’t pass up this beauty. Though DO stay away from Black Lake during a full moon.

Best oysters I have ever eaten. Full of flavor… The Gator does it right! The Rock Shrimp will knock your socks off!

I’m a big fan of hole in the wall spots and this one is the epidemy of that style. At first glance we were apprehensive but decided to give it a try. Thank goodness we did. The gator burger was delicious. The oysters were fresh, the beer was cold. It’s really a cool spot and I would definitely chill there again if there was a game on.

Honestly, I was a bit terrified to dine here because it’s situated in such a sketchy area. The restaurant it self is a bit shabby and unpleasantly dim. Nonetheless, the food was absolutely sensational! Oysters were juicy, plump, fresh, and very decently priced. The wings were freshly baked, perfectly seasoned, and absolutely scrumptious. I also posted a photo that my friend Crystal took of the oysters and wings. By far, one of my favorite places in Orlando to go for oysters and wings.

I feel bad for the review from Chicago that missed out on the food. poor decision with the gas station nuts!
The oysters are fresh, the burgers are delicious and the beer is cheap. The owner and servers are incredibly friendly and they are passionate about their Gators! The atmosphere is that of your local neighborhood pub. Everyone crowds the bar for game day and its always a good time. The place is a bit run down but those who frequent there do not seem to hold high standards. I do wish it was in a better part of town but its a convenient drive and always my first choice for oysters.

If you want oysters this is the place to go. If there are good oysters available, they will have them. Someone said dingy. No way! That is called charm and comfortable homey ambiance.
All sports fans are welcomed there, although I get the impression they favor the Florida Gators. I love to go there, blow up the juke box, down some pitcher and gorge on oysters. They always welcome guests with a smile and thank you on the way out.
If you go any place else for oysters, you are making a mistake.
If they have rock shrimp, then it is your lucky day.

First I’d like to say that I love Thirsty Gator. The food there is phenomenal — particularly the Oysters and Rock Shrimp. Everything is cooked fresh. The prices are super fair. And the service is impeccable.
But here’s why I give it 3-​stars. I think the owner needs to wake up and really invest in the place. The inside is really shabby — well below dive bar status. The TV’s are old. The place looks dirty. The blinds are broken. It’s really dark and dank. There is zero atmosphere. While the location is safe, there’s nothing on the inside or outside to attract you in or get you to stay after you’ve had your food & beer.
Personally I am not into Football but I like the food, which is why we keep going. But as a place to hang with friends, I wouldn’t go there as it’s just shabby. The place needs to be cleaned. Signs updated. Insides given a rethink. Maybe the owner should consider calling in Bar Rescue… I would hate to see this place go. But I can’t imagine unless the owner really makes a commitment at attracting younger folk like me in, it will die. Seems a shame with all the students living near by. The area is in transition but the lack of the ownership’s desire to move forward will hold this place — and his profits — back.