Nicknamed the "Fishing Capital of the World," Florida is filled to the brim with great seafood restaurants.
On the Treasure Coast, they range from casual tiki bars to upscale gourmet restaurants to small eateries that also have a market where you can buy fresh seafood to take home and cook yourself. Some are "dock and dine" restaurants you can take your boat to, and "hook-and-cook" restaurants that will prepare the fish you caught.
Many are waterfront restaurants , and marine or nautical decor is often the backdrop to menus that commonly feature such local fish as tuna, cobia, wahoo, snapper, grouper, swordfish and mahi-mahi (dolphin fish).
October is National Seafood Month, a time to celebrate the ocean's bounty. Here are the best seafood restaurants in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
Click on the links for more TCPalm reviews, articles and photo galleries of these restaurants.
All things food: Roundups of the latest reviews, inspections, new and best restaurants
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
Squid Lips
Squid Lips has three Florida east coast locations since first opening in 2004. In Sebastian, the overwater grill sits at the end of a dock on the Indian River Lagoon, with open windows offering a nearly panoramic view. The indoor and outdoor seating is first come, first served. It has a dock, so you can come by boat or car, and live music. It's known for bacon-wrapped scallops and offers a variety of classic seafood dishes, sandwiches and poke bowls as well as clams, shrimp and oysters. The other two locations are in Melbourne and Cocoa Beach.
1660 Indian River Drive, Sebastian; 772-589-3828; website
The original Daytona Beach restaurant now has franchises across Florida and Georgia, including two Treasure Coast locations. The Sebastian location is on the Indian River Lagoon, where you can stroll the dock to enjoy the water. Founded by the Buckner family, the restaurant is known for its garlic crabs, but offers an assortment of other classic seafood dishes.
- 1550 Indian River Drive, Sebastian; 772-571-6767; website
- 89 Royal Palm Point, Vero Beach; 772-257-5221; website
The Fishack bar and restaurant was opened in 2011 by Chef Mitchell Weiss and his family, who have been in the restaurant industry for over two decades. The atmosphere is casual and colorful, with indoor and outdoor seating. The made-from-scratch menu has a variety of seafood dishes, po boy's, tacos, chowders and raw oysters. Specialties include crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crusted sea scallops, fish and chips, and the Shackterranean mahi.
1931 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach; 772-770-0977; website
Ocean Grill
Waldo Sexton constructed the building Ocean Grill is in over 80 years ago. In 1941, the restaurant was built on the sand dunes only 200 yards from the Atlantic Ocean. It embodies an eccentric aesthetic, decorated with iron and Spanish antiques mixed with a fine dining element. In 1965, the Replogle family moved from Milwaukee to lease and operate the restaurant. Now, the family's second and third generations run the restaurant that has shockingly withstood many brutal hurricanes. It has a gift shop and boardwalk down to the beach. Open for lunch and dinner, it serves "famous seafood entrees," including Nova Scotia sea scallops, baked stuffed shrimp, jumbo lump crab cakes, Coquilles St. Jacques, a Maine lobster roll and crab au gratin.
1050 Beachland Blvd., Vero Beach; 772-231-5409; website
ST. LUCIE COUNTY
12A has a rustic atmosphere on the Indian River Lagoon at Fisherman's Wharf, with outdoor seating to enjoy the view or indoor seating to stay cool. Owner Owen Hartley offers an extensive list of appetizers, including bacon-wrapped shrimp over grit cakes, house-made smoked fish dip, tuna sashimi, lobster mac and cheese, cracked conch and fried oysters. There's also salads, pastas, soups, sandwiches, a variety of entrees and house-made desserts.
22 Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Pierce; 772-672-4524; website
Cobb's Landing in downtown Fort Pierce has a casual, tropical atmosphere with outdoor patio seating overlooking the Fort Pierce City Marina. It is open for lunch and dinner, serving fresh local seafood and Angus beef as well as daily specials. You'll find a variety of tacos, salads, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, bowls, non-seafood options and platters, as well as craft cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. There is live music daily. Active military, veterans and first responders receive 20% off with a valid ID or badge.
200 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce; 772-460-9014; website
Crabby's offers two stories of dining with views of the Fort Pierce City Marina and surrounding Indian River Lagoon. The menu features items including Crabby's baked oysters, a shrimp boil, a calamari Caesar salad, seafood pasta, easy-peel shrimp, bairdi crab, red gulf grouper, fish and chips, the Key West combo, Pacific Rim tuna, grouper tacos and hand-tossed pizzas. It also offers rumrunners, margarita buckets, frozen drinks and an assortment of other craft cocktails. There is live music most Thursdays through Sundays.
2 Ave. A, Fort Pierce; 772-252-5672; website
Since first opening in Juno Beach in 1994, the Thirsty Turtle now has five more franchise locations in St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties. There are three on the Treasure Coast, with a fourth coming soon to Jensen Beach, according to its website. The menu features an assortment of appetizers, fresh fish, salads, pasta, Southwestern-flair items, soups, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, wings and non-seafood items.
- 108 N. 2nd St., Fort Pierce, 772-465-4696; website
- 2825 S.W. Port St. Lucie Blvd; 772-344-7774; website
- Express : 2849 S.W. Port St. Lucie Blvd., 772-207-5489; website
- 1899 N.E. Jensen Beach Blvd., no phone listed, website
Kyle G's Oyster & Wine Bar offers a variety of seafood dishes, cold-water oysters, middleneck clams, sandwiches, salads, craft cocktails and a curated wine list. It also offers daily food and drink happy hours.
1724 S.W. St. Lucie W. Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-807-1220; website
MARTIN COUNTY
Dolphin Bar sits on the Indian River Lagoon and offers a dock to arrive by boat, a daily happy hour, Sunday brunch, trivia night on Thursdays and live music on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The menu features soups, salads, an assortment of separate lunch and dinner entrees, as well as different lunch and dinner fresh catch options.
1401 N.E. Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach; 772-781-5136; website
Crawdaddy's was opened in 1998 by brothers Mark and John Kren, who've lived in Louisiana. The food has a Cajun flare and the restaurant has Mardi Gras decor. It has won awards, including Best Restaurant in Jensen Beach five years in a row, Best Restaurant in Martin County three out of five years and The Stuart News' Gold Award with best food and live music. Specialties include the New York strip steak, the Moulin Rouge, jambalaya pasta, shrimp Creole, clam chowder, gumbo, traditional jambalaya and crawfish étouffée. It's also famous for its hurricanes and margaritas. There's live music Thursday through Sunday, with indoor and outdoor dining, plus a tiki bar.
1949 N.E. Jensen Beach Blvd., Jensen Beach; 772-225-3444; website
In the mid-1920s, the St. Lucie Hotel annex was moved to its current location, where it suffered extensive hurricane damage in 1949. After serving numerous businesses, the building was restored and became the restaurant it is now in 2014. Every seat in the house has a St. Lucie River view. Menu highlights include the calamari, scallops, lobster crunch sushi roll, New England clam chowder, sriracha-dusted salmon, and the crab, spinach and artichoke dip.
49 S.W. Seminole St., Stuart; 772-266-4586; website
Bob and Tracy Davis opened Sailor's Return after 27 years in the cruise ship food and beverage industry. Part of the Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage , it offers St. Lucie River waterfront dining and two bars. Menu highlights include scampi, ahi tuna nachos, pimento crab and shrimp dip, a seasonal salad, pineapple snapper, pecan-crusted halibut.
625 S.W. Anchorage Way, Stuart; 772-872-7250; website
Fin & Flame is part of a two-generation, family-owned restaurant group that has been tied to the Palm City culinary scene since 1994. Menu highlights include shrimp and crab mac and cheese, lamb lollies, shrimp and grit cakes, pistachio-crusted black grouper, bourbon-glazed salmon and short rib ravioli.
3208 S.W. Martin Downs Blvd., Palm City; 772-220-4745; website
Formerly Twist Tuna, the Manatee Pocket restaurant in the Port Salerno waterfront district is now under Two Georges' management. The waterfront restaurant has an outdoor bar and outdoor floating dock, plus live music. There's a whole sushi menu, raw bar items, soups, salads, sandwiches, tacos, pasta, pizzas and specialty entrees.
4290 S.E. Salerno Road, Stuart; 772-254-4278; website
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Here are some of the best seafood restaurants on the Treasure Coast
Most Popular
Comments / 0