A List of North County Restaurants That Will Cook Your Catch
By David Rolland
Florida is a hotbed for fishing. We’re a peninsula; everywhere you look there’s coastline for fishermen to take advantage of. They say give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach him how to fish he’ll eat for a lifetime. But, it fails to mention anything about cooking lessons in that fishing class. Since fishing and cooking are two completely different skill sets, we figured a guide of local restaurants that will cook your fresh catch could be useful.
Frigate’s Waterfront Bar & Grill
At Frigate’s you can arrive by boat or by car with your catch in hand — but hopefully it’s coming from off the boat. Their menu focuses on Florida-Caribbean cuisine and serves lunch, dinner and a Sunday brunch. Every weekday features a happy hour from 3 – 6:30 p.m. serving $4 wells, $4 house wines, and $3 domestic bottles and drafts. You can also often enjoy live music from under their palm trees while they grill up your fillet.
400 US-1, North Palm Beach
frigatesnpb.com
Thirsty Turtle Seagrill
This Juno Beach staple is willing and eager to cook up your catch for you. But, even if you had an unsuccessful day at sea, their website boasts, “We offer the freshest fish, filleted in house daily, cooked and served to your liking.” And, adds for good measure, “For the landlubbers, we have the best wings in all South Florida.” Every Friday and Saturday night they host live music. Their happy hour is seven days a week from 2 – 7 p.m. with reduced drink prices and the offer of $6 for a dozen steamed clams.
13981 US-1, Juno Beach
thirstyturtlefl.com
Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill
Opened in 1989 by Ross Matheson and his wife Mary Beth, Captain Charlie’s is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Lunch hours are from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 – 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). The restaurant is especially proud of their wine menu to accompany your catch. Their website denotes them as being a 16-time winner of the Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence.”
12846 US-1, Juno Beach
captaincharliesreefgrillfl.com
Johnny Longboats
This Singer Island restaurant and tropical bar is named after a local fisherman who would be proud to have his handle on a restaurant willing to cook other people’s catches. Supposedly, Johnny was a poor fisherman who after the 1928 hurricane worked day and night to ferry marooned people from the island onto the mainland. The restaurant offers lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., is open an extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights, and opens at 8 a.m. on the weekends. Their daily happy hour from 2 – 6 p.m. features half-off well drinks, beers, and house wines. It also includes discounted appetizers including nachos and shrimp, if you’re looking for a snack.
2401 N. Ocean Ave., Singer Island
johnnylongboats.com
