GRANT — We arrived at The Old Fish House on a recent weekend night just as the skies opened up and a heavy rain started to pelt us on the walk from the parking lot.
Fortunately, the restaurant wasn’t busy and we were able to get a table outside under the covered deck that offered a great view of the marina and Indian River Lagoon beyond.
The view and the bobbing boats made the heavy rain easy to ignore. That was helped along by the draft beers – Stella ($4), Bud Light ($2.25) and Yuengling ($2.25) – we ordered while we combed the menu and kept dry.
For appetizers, I picked the roasted mussels ($10), my wife ordered the pressed Cuban bread ($3), a friend opted for the clam strip basket ($7) and the Florida tomatoes ($2).
While waiting for the appetizers, a read of the menu informed us that the Old Fish House – which dates back to 1916 in one fishing reincarnation or another – has weathered a number of hurricanes including Floyd, Irene, Frances, Jeanne and Wilma.
I’m a real fan of mussels and order them as often as I can. The roasted mussels dish was one of the finest treatments of the shellfish I’ve come across.
More than two dozen mussels roasted in an iron skillet with paprika, olive oil and lemon. They were delicious. The plump, meaty mussels also attracted the forks of some of my companions who seconded my enthusiasm for the shellfish.
The basket of Cuban bread was served with mango butter and a real treat. The bread and the guava butter were a great combination and quickly disappeared from the table.
The clam strips were lightly fried and sweet and came with cocktail sauce for dipping. Personally, I’d prefer a tartar sauce.
For dinner I went with the fried oyster plate $17, a companion got the red snapper plate ($21), my wife – a vegetarian – opted for the 513 salad ($7) and another companion picked the shrimp platter.
One thing I liked about the menu was the rounded numbers. No $17.95 or $14.95, numerals that basically tuck another buck on the bill and can rapidly add up during an evening out.
My fried oysters were beautifully fried and came with cocktail sauce. For sides, I picked the plantains and cole slaw.
I enjoyed the plantains but really appreciated the cole slaw because it was muscled up with coconut and pineapple.
The ingredients elevated the Old Fish House’s slaw far above any other slaw I’ve picked through over the years.
One of our companions was very satisfied with her fried shrimp platter, calling them succulent and beautifully done. She also really liked her lagoon salad which was a mix of bacon crumbles, almonds, raisins and tomatoes. In fact, it didn’t really look like a salad at all.
“It looks like a loaded potato disguised as a salad,” she said, before smiling and giving it a thumbs up.
Her husband was equally happy with his choice of red snapper. He pointed out there was no skimping on the size of the filet which was moist and flaky.
My wife felt she made a good choice by picking the 1513 salad.
“I thought it was one of the most perfect blends of a number of simple ingredients,” she said. “This was a fabulous salad for summer.”
Those ingredients included tomatoes, red onions, iceberg lettuce and green olives tossed in a Cuban vinaigrette dressing and topped with gorgonzola cheese.
After appetizers and our entrees, we decided we could go home without dessert.
Dinner for two with drinks, appetizers and entrees will run about $55 per couple plus tip. The view is free.
The Old Fish House – located about six miles north of the Sebastian River Bridge on the east side of U.S. 1 – offers a full bar. The restaurant is not part of the Old Fish House Restaurant chain in Palm Beach and Broward counties.
