At Woody’s River Roo, I’d let Sunday lunch run a little long

A lunch with room to become an afternoon

Some dates need a reservation, a pressed shirt and an answer to “what are we doing afterward?” This is the kind I’d keep loose: lunch by the river, something to share and enough time for the music.

Woody’s River Roo sits on the Manatee River in Ellenton, at 5717 18th Street East. Its outdoor dining and tiki-bar setting give the outing a clear direction before anybody opens a menu. For Parrish readers, this is a nearby riverfront option, not a restaurant tucked inside town.

The restaurant’s calendar lists On The Rocks from noon–4 p.m. Sunday, September 20, followed by Sebastian Tenorio from 5–9 p.m. I’d choose the earlier set for a long lunch or the later one for dinner. There is no need to turn the gap between them into an endurance event.[1]

My starting point would be the shrimp

I’d start with the coconut shrimp appetizer: $14.99, served with sweet Thai sauce. That puts something shareable on the table while the larger dinner debate sorts itself out. The smoked mahi spread, also $14.99, comes with saltines or corn chips and offers a different route if everyone is already leaning toward fried seafood for a main.

For the main course, the grouper tacos caught my attention. The menu lists them at $19.99, grilled or blackened, with pico de gallo and cabbage. The side choices are fries, tropical slaw or applesauce.

My order would lean toward blackened grouper and slaw. I’d keep that combination in mind alongside a shrimp starter. If the table goes for both appetizers, I would save the heroic ordering for another evening. Sharing is allowed to remain sharing.[2]

Why I’d keep this one casual

The appeal of this outing is that it gives the afternoon one place to settle. A meal and a live set can carry the date without adding a second destination just to make the plan sound impressive.

I’d also choose the time before choosing the food. Someone who wants to listen to a full set will have a different afternoon from someone who wants an early meal with music in the background. Neither needs a complicated itinerary, but arriving near the end of the set when the music was the point would be a shame.

And yes, this can simply be lunch. We do not have to promote every basket of seafood into a major life occasion.[1]

The useful details

Woody’s lists Sunday–Thursday hours of 11 a.m.–midnight and Friday–Saturday hours of 11 a.m.–1 a.m. Those are business hours, not a promise that the full kitchen serves until closing. The phone number is 941-722-2391.

The official menu and music calendar are below. The September 20 sets give this weekend its hook; the riverfront meal is the reason to keep Woody’s on the nearby-outing list afterward.[1]