Restaurant review: Waterfront restaurant offers 'beach cool' outdoor deck dining

Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

Have you made a New Year’s resolution? Perhaps you vowed to change a habit beginning on New Year’s Day, but your resolve has already lapsed. Resolutions are difficult to maintain. No judgment. Just reality.

I like to make new year’s wishes. Or intentions. They seem to be less arduous than resolutions. In 2024, I wish to dine more often outdoors at the Treasure Coast’s waterfront dining establishments. So, on New Year’s Day, that’s exactly what I did.

Although Island Beach Bar & Restaurant is nestled in Ocean Village, a gated community of homes, it is open to the public. Stop by the gate, tell the guard where you are headed, receive a parking pass, and head east until you can drive no further. The restaurant occupies a perky spot with a sunny disposition located on the beach.

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At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce, the large indoor dining area is decorated in turquoise blue and light wood.
At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce, the large indoor dining area is decorated in turquoise blue and light wood.

There is a large indoor dining area decorated in turquoise blue and light wood. To the right of the entrance, there is a large bar. Walk through the dining room to another bar, more casual and tiki-like, with high ceilings, plenty of TVs, and a view of the water. I had a wish to fulfill, so we sat outside on the deck with a view of mangroves, scrub and the lure of the ocean beyond.

Starters include oysters, shrimp, conch fritters, Brussels sprouts, and pimento cheese dip. Entrée choices are plentiful. Pizza, pork chops, fish, seafood, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and burgers are among the selections.

We were celebrating the new year with old friends, so we started with avocado deviled eggs ($12). Sliced eggs were filled with a creamy piping of avocado, topped with bits of chorizo and cilantro, then drizzled with sriracha. We also ordered bang shrimp ($15), which was lightly floured, tossed in a Thai chili sauce, topped with sesame seeds and a trickle of wasabi. Both appetizers were very good. The shrimp was crunchy and not too spicy.

At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce, the crab cakes are lump Maryland-style crab combined with breadcrumbs, spices and mayo. The sauteed exterior yielded tender and flavorful cakes with a tangy remoulade sauce on the side.
At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce, the crab cakes are lump Maryland-style crab combined with breadcrumbs, spices and mayo. The sauteed exterior yielded tender and flavorful cakes with a tangy remoulade sauce on the side.

One friend ordered crab cakes ($29), which were tasty. Lump Maryland-style crab was combined with breadcrumbs, spices and mayo. The sauteed exterior yielded tender and flavorful cakes with a tangy remoulade sauce on the side. The dish was served with French fries and creamy cole slaw.

Another ordered scallops ($36), which were beautiful. Succulent sea scallops were pan-seared to a bronze caramelized crust and served over perfectly al dente Parmesan spinach risotto. A sweet mango chutney was a pleasant accent to the seafood.

The hubby ordered jambalaya ($26), which had been recommended by our server. Cajun-style rice embraced Creole spiced jumbo shrimp, chunks of chicken and andouille sausage. The flavors were bold and satisfying. A giant corn muffin complemented the dish.

At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce,
At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce,

My dinner was chicken piccata ($23) because pasta is always on my wish list. A large chicken breast was lightly floured and sauteed, then piled on a tangle of linguine in a buttery lemony white wine sauce. The chicken was luscious and tender, and the lemon flavors were prominent, giving the dish a creamy fresh tang.

Island Beach Bar & Restaurant has a great food and drinks menu with plenty of choices to please all. Our server, Gianna, was very attentive, and our food was served timely. The restaurant features happy hour specials as well as brunch on the weekends, including (just saying) a hangover burger.

Island Beach Bar & Restaurant evokes in its patrons a sunny, carefree attitude like a vacation resort on the beach. The deck offers the opportunity to sit outdoors with a view and although the water is beyond the dunes, the casual dining is “beach cool” and accomplished my wishes.

At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce, the deck offers the opportunity to sit outdoors with a view. Although the water is beyond the dunes, the casual dining is “beach cool.”
At Island Beach Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village in Fort Pierce, the deck offers the opportunity to sit outdoors with a view. Although the water is beyond the dunes, the casual dining is “beach cool.”

Island Beach Bar & Restaurant

  • Cuisine: American

  • Address: 2400 S. Ocean Drive, Hutchinson Island

  • Phone: 772-409-4677

  • Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

  • Alcohol: Full Bar

  • Online: islandbeachbarandrestaurant.com

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at Lucie@theloveofcooking.com

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Waterfront restaurant review: Island Beach Bar, Fort Pierce, Ocean Village