Keep the vibe alive and get your snook on: Snooks Bayside in Key Largo offers some of the finest waterfront dining along with breathtaking views of the sunset.
Snooks started in 1994, and owner Roni Hammer said it’s always been part of the Florida Keys tradition. As a notable restaurant in the Upper Keys, Snooks went through some major changes following a catastrophic fire in 2010 that burnt it to the ground.
“This a relatively new venue for us having been here several years now,” Hammer said. “It’s a new home so to speak. It’s been excellent as it’s been very popular with locals, visitors and snowbirds.”
Patrons frequenting Snooks can expect a beautiful restaurant with every table featuring a good glimpse of the sunset. Hammer says tables by the water are highly sought after, and she also notes the sunset celebration where a random person is selected to pull a rope to sound the antique ship horn.
“People come and make reservations and specifically ask to be able to do that. That’s quite the tradition here,” she said.
Snooks’ menu boasts fresh ingredients, from daily local catch to certified angus beef and chicken dishes. Open for lunch and dinner, start off with an appetizer such as the seared, rare blackened mahi tuna. It’s served with mango salsa, sweet Thai chili and wasabi dressing and topped with wonton noodles. As for a drink, try a Snooks original in the “XXX” Rum Runner. It’s made with several rums, banana and blackberry liqueurs, lime and orange juices and grenadine and served on the rocks. Patrons also won’t go wrong with the Snooks blueberry mojito muddled with fresh blueberries, lime and mint.
For the entrée, try the pistachio crusted yellowtail. The tasty and mouth-watering entrée is served with mango salsa, chili and burre blanc. With red potatoes and green beans on the side, people will leave satisfied and wanting to come back for more. Or try the coconut mahi mahi that’s dredged in sweet coconut with Key lime sauce. Finish with several dessert selections that include turtle cheesecake, chocolate peanut butter pie, Key lime pie and a chocolate toffee mousse.
“We have lots of different varieties,” Hammer said. “We do yellowtail, hogfish, mahi mahi, triple tail, cobia, tuna, and all kinds of shell fish. Of course we have stone crab and we also do steak, tenderloin and New York strip.”
For more information, visit snooks.com.
