About Us

ABOUT SWAMPY’S RESTAURANT

Welcome to Swampy’s Bar & Grille in Dunnellon, Florida. Looking over the beautiful Rainbow River from our restaurant deck, you can enjoy and understand the inspiration which created Swampy’s. It is the raw beauty of the Florida river swamp with a few extra conveniences added – Swampy’s great food and drink.

If you arrive early enough, you may observe the family of otters that swim, eat, and live right here at Swampy’s river bank.  As early afternoon arrives, you view local residents and tourists lazily floating down the river in tubes, kayaks, canoes, and a few boats. As the day ends, and the sun sets, you may again observe the family of otters venture out to enjoy their river dinner, as you enjoy yours.

Swampy’s opened its doors in the summer of 2012. Many share our enjoyment of dining on the river. In this case it is not just water, but a clear river fed by the Rainbow Springs.  We are located 6 miles directly downstream, which allows you to clearly see bottom of the river right from our deck.  The Rainbow River averages 23′ deep in the middle. You can actually observe the brim, largemouth bass, and turtles as they swim by. The original building, built in 1935, was constructed as a home. Eventually it was converted to a restaurant. When the building became available in 2012, we envisioned a great place to share the beauty of the river and nature. However; something was missing, there was simply not enough room to enjoy the river dining experience. So we built a covered deck and outside bar. Within a year, we had more people wanting to enjoy the experience than we originally anticipated. An additional deck was added, along with picnic tables in the grass area. So come enjoy great food, cold beverages, and cocktails, in a casual relaxing river atmosphere.

OUR BACKGROUND

Carlos Sanchez, owner, created the menu that blends the ambiance of Swampy’s with the river surroundings by combining his culinary skills, with typical dishes independently known in the Cajun, Country, and Soul food genres. For many of us, just specializing in one category proves to be a difficult task.  But for anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Carlos, it is easy to see how he is able to create a menu in which you leave thinking that you just discovered the next generation of “comfort food”.

Carlos enjoys sharing his background and experience. Prior to joining the Horse and Hounds Restaurant team, he worked with the Harrys culinary management team. Additionally, Wendell Landry, business partner and owner, his wife Cathy, and over 100 professionals make up our entire restaurant family, which include the Horse and Hounds and The Crazy Cucumber in Ocala, Florida.

Our family is key to the experience and success at Swampy’s. Lisa Beitia, our General Manager and Moises Marrero, our residential chef and culinary manager, make up our Swampy’s management team. We are very blessed to have them and the entire Swampy’s staff.