In 2002, Florida Keys restaurateur Bobby Mongelli opened the Hogfish Bar & Grill, a funky Keys-style emporium overlooking the water at Stock Island’s Safe Harbour Marina. Fans of the iconic spot can celebrate its 22nd anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 30, with a free concert starring legendary singer/songwriter Mac McAnally, along with additional members of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefers Band.
Since its inception, the thatch-roofed Hogfish has become renowned for its mellow “old Keys” atmosphere and colorful clientele as well as its full bar and menu fare. Notable patrons over the years have included entertainer Jimmy Buffett and his fellow musicians, congressmen and senators, celebrity chefs and a group Mongelli characterizes as “cool people from all over the world.”
The anniversary concert starts at 5 p.m. with entertainment by Keys troubadour Howard Livingston and his Mile Marker 24 Band.
Three members of the late Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band are scheduled to perform. All are longtime musical cohorts also famed for their individual careers. They are singer, songwriter and guitarist McAnally; composer and percussionist Eric Darken; and chart-topping songwriter and performer Scotty Emerick.
Located at 6810 Front St., the Hogfish occupies a section of Stock Island that has a vibrant heritage. A ferry that once connected Key West and Havana departed from a dock across from the bar, and local lore says Safe Harbour was a staging area for the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961. Today, the Hogfish salutes that heritage while adding its own flavor to the area.
“It’s an old working waterfront blue-collar bar and restaurant, and people say they love it because they can sit and relax – feel like they’re part of the community or feel like a local,” Mongelli said.
There is no cover charge for the anniversary concert and celebration.
More information is at hogfishbar.com.
