Eating BIG in the Treasure Coast

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Exploring Southeast Florida's Less Visited Region  

In all of my years of visiting South Florida I'd never ventured north into the Treasure Coast until just recently. The Treasure Coast being the coastal region north of South Florida. When you leave Palm Beach County going north you enter the Treasure Coast which consists of Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. Popular towns include Port St. Lucie (the largest), Fort Pierce, Hutchinson Island, Jensen Beach, Stuart and Vero Beach. I got as far north as Fort Pierce on my two visits, both of which really surprised me. I loved the laid back lifestyle and all the colorful buildings that feel like Old Florida. It's way underdeveloped compared to it's neighbor to the south. The area is home to over 96,000 acres of parks and conservation land as well as the most biodiverse lagoon ecosystem in the nation. It's an outdoor paradise that extends beyond the beautiful beaches giving way to world class biking and kayaking backdrops. Each of the towns has a bit of a different feel to them. I really took a liking to Jensen Beach which is a colorful little community with character. I could totally see myself spending more time around here whether that's visiting the area or living there. Color me impressed. 

Florida's Colorful Treasure Coast 
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Chuck's Seafood Restaurant (Fort Pierce) 

Our first stop is a local landmark for fried shrimp. Chuck's is a prototypical Florida seafood shack. It's got the dimly lit mahogany bar, a carpeted dining room and outdoor seating on the water. I stopped here specifically for the shrimp with a beer and some sun. There's plenty of seafood options on the menu but the fried shrimp are by far the most popular menu item and rightfully so. I got the appetizer which comes with five large pieces of fresh shrimp split down the middle giving them an usual shape. It works well as it splits into three perfect bites. I really liked these with the cocktail sauce while a couple of gratis hush puppies were better than many I've tried. I imagine I'll be back for that shrimp. 

Fried Shrimp at Chuck's Seafood Restaurant 
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Sonora Eats (Fort Pierce)

I came across a couple places in Fort Pierce that helped restore my faith with Mexican food in South Florida. Then again this isn't quite South Florida so maybe I shouldn't be hopeful. But Sonora Eats gave me reason to further explore the Mexican spots in the Treasure Coast. The name of this place caught my eye as Sonoran style Mexican food is typically found out west. The menu features quite a few intriguing options including Sonoran style hot dogs plus made on site flour tortillas. As much as I would've liked to try the hot dog I couldn't pass on the burritos which come four to an order with your choice of meat (or mashed potatoes) and refried beans. I got them with machaca which is a dried and rehydrated beef commonly consumed in Sonora and I also got a Sonoran style taco with steak and cabbage and pico on flour. The steak could've been better but everything else was awesome. 

Sonoran Style Mexican Food at Sonora Eats
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Super Taquerias (Fort Pierce) 

I was intrigued with this place because ribs were commonly mentioned in the google reviews. Super Taquerias has a handful of locations scattered across the Treasure Coast and one in South Florida (Jupiter). I think this Fort Pierce location is the original and also the most popular due to the bbq they smoke on the side of the building. I watched as locals shuffled in and out of here with the majority of them there for the ribs and or chicken. I decided to try a lunch special with ribs which comes with two extra meaty well smoked ribs. They had just enough chew to them to where they weren't fall off the bone tender but they were far from tough. Ribs come served with a handful of made on site corn tortillas, rice and beans, grilled onions, salsa and lime. I wish we had a spot like this in Chicago. 

Mexican Barbecue at Super Taquerias 
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Shakra's Deli (Jensen Beach)

I always research the local sandwich scene when looking up restaurants in unfamiliar places. That's how I found Shakra's Deli. They've been slinging sandwiches to the people of Jensen Beach for more than 50 years. The Roast Beef Supreme or RBS for short is their most popular. They put thinly sliced made on site roast beef in a sub roll and top it off with a homemade Burgundy wine gravy and melted provolone cheese. This was a sandwich worthy of it's status as one of the best of the Treasure Coast.

Roast Beef Supreme at Shakra's Deli 
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The Magic Oyster Bar (Jensen Beach) 

Life took me to the Treasure Coast like Black Sam Bellamy on the hunt for silver and gold. Except I was on the prowl for a different type of treasure - the quintessential Fish Shacks of Florida. They can be found throughout the Sunshine State but mostly along the 1,350 plus miles of coastline. While some of these Florida Style Fish Shacks are found right on the water most of them are often hidden within the strip malls that line the streets. They’re real local type spots in a state flooded with tourists. The further south you go the more “Floribbean” the food gets, drawing influence from the diversity of the regions population, produce and seafood. You can most always find a signature dish made with locally caught fish. At The Magic Oyster Bar that’s a heaping plate of panko and horseradish crusted grouper with garlic smashed potatoes topped with Myers’s Rum butter sauce and frizzled leeks. Another major component of Florida Fish Shacks is Happy Hour which is served daily here. We drank locally brewed Treasure Kolsch while popping Bam Bam Shrimp and slurping buck a shuck oysters from up the ocean in Virginia - all served with sunshine. Magic Oyster is an ideal Florida fish shack. 

Seafood at The Magic Oyster Bar 
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Burny Pit Stop (Jensen Beach)

You can spot French Canadiens throughout South Florida during the winter and apparently they flock north to the Treasure Coast too. Burny Pit Stop is a Quebec style Casse-Croute or a French Canadian style fast food joint. They make hot dogs, burgers, and poutine. I could tell from the pictures that the poutine was the real deal from the thick fresh cut potatoes that they use so I stopped in for an order. I appreciated the fact they had a few different sizes including a mini which was enough for a taste. I enjoy poutine but it's not something I want to eat a ton of when I have it so a mini was perfect. 

Poutine at Burney Pit Stop 
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Ian & Kye's Pizza (Jensen Beach)

Chicago style pizza is having it's moment right now. I'm not talking about deep dish but what's become known as "tavern thin" or square cut pizza. It's the preferred pizza of most Chicagoans and many parts of Florida too including Jensen Beach. That's where you'll find Ian & Kye's which opened in 2020. They make a pretty good Chicago style thin crust and there's a fun open air bar across the street with cheap drinks where you can wait while they make your pizza. It scratches the itch.  

Sausage Pizza at Ian & Kye's
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Fantini's New Haven Style Apizza (Stuart)

If you're an East Coaster that prefers their pizza cooked in a coal fired oven and and cut into triangles you might want to check out Fantini's New Haven Style Apizza in Stuart. The owner of this place learned his craft at the legendary Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven. When he moved to South Florida he brought his New Haven pizza making skills with him and opened his own place which seems to stay busy. I got a small sausage with banana peppers and thought it was pretty good though it's similar to the previous stop in terms of it being more of a replica than the real thing. 

New Haven Apizza at Fantini's 
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Twistee Treat (Stuart)

If this place looks familiar that's because it's part of a franchised chain of ice cream restaurants, founded in 1983 in North Fort Myers, Florida. Twistee Treat restaurants are characterized by buildings shaped in the form of  ice cream cones. The original company went into bankruptcy in the early-1990s and started selling off the buildings which soon made their way across the country (there's one in Peoria). In 1996 a new Twistee Treat company was formed and today they have more than 30 locations across Florida. This one in Stuart was a good stop on a rather hot and humid day. 

Pineapple Dole Soft Serve at Twistee Treat 
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Frank 'n Stein (Stuart)

With so many East Coasters living in Florida there's some good hot dog stands down there too. Frank 'n Stein in Stuart is an old Roadfood favorite that's been serving the area for more than 40 years. You can feel the age of the place inside. Step up to the U-Shaped counter and place your order for grilled natural casing Sabrett frankfurters served up with ice cold beer. The description of the chili dog specifically mentions no beans so that was my pick over the classic New York style red onion sauce.

Chili Cheese Dog at Frank 'n Stein 
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Tausha's Seafood (Stuart)

There's tons of fishmongers throughout Florida and some of them sell prepared food too. Tausha's Seafood Market is a family owned place that felt like a general store with seafood being the focal point. Huge coolers labeled with the fresh catch they hold line the walls and they have a large selection of beer and wine too. You can also get fried seafood and soups and sandwiches here. The fresh fried shrimp was plump and lightly breaded with a really nice bite. It was clearly made with care. 

Fried Shrimp at Tausha's Seafood Market 
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King Neptune Restaurant (Stuart)

Last up we enjoyed a very Florida forward lunch at this very Floridian seafood shack in Port Salerno. King Neptune is a small old school spot with extra fresh seafood. It has a bit of an old Florida diner feel to it with the regulars and the waitress on a first name basis. First up was a really flavorful bowl of seafood bisque followed up with a plate of the Buffalo fried shrimp and a 1/2 a pound of the cracked conch. Aside from a Cuban sandwich there's perhaps no other sandwich more associated with Florida than the Grouper Rueben. It's a spinoff that replaces corned beef with grouper and it works really well. King Neptune makes a textbook version although the fish is fried whereas I prefer it blackened. Not pictured: $4 drafts of Yuenling. Like I said in the beginning of this post - I love old school Florida style fish shacks and this was one of the best I've come across. Since 1968. That's it for this trip!

Seafood at King Neptune Restaurant 
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Also of Interest: Eating BIG in South Florida

See ya next time @chibbqking