Since fishing is neither a vocation nor avocation for me, I might be forgiven for not having Little Jim Bait & Tackle in Fort Pierce on my radar as a restaurant to try. But recently, someone told me about this place and every time I drove past it, I could easily see the place was packed. So we decided to stop in to see why.
The site was a Navy guard shack in 1944, but the restaurant has been open only four years. All dining is outdoors, on the water, and the only indoor space is the bait and tackle shop and a food truck-like building in which meals are prepared.
The rustic bar and dining areas are on a covered wooden deck adorned with license plates and beer and liquor signs. This is the quintessential place to sit at the bar and order a beer or a frozen boat drink. The evening we were there, a band was set up in the corner and people were dancing and enjoying the music.
On the Boat Again:Jake Owen films latest video at Little Jim
Being that it’s a bait shop too, there are two menus: one for fish and one for people. We sat down to watch the boats, listen to the music, and check out the menu. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to try the chum, croakers or sandfleas. You can imagine my embarrassment when it was pointed out that I was, in fact, ordering from the bait menu. Never mind.
The people menu is Florida-style bar food. Among the appetizers are boiled peanuts, smoked fish dip, chips and salsa, and peel-and-eat shrimp. The rest of the menu consists of salads, cold subs, tacos, sandwiches and burgers.
There is a whole menu of the aforementioned boat drinks. Admit it. When was the last time you had a rum runner, Bahama Mama or Goombay Smash? Little Jim also serves wine from their “canned wine selection.”
We started with onion dip (¼ lb. for $8 or ½ lb. for $16). The dip was traditionally prepared and served with a large basket of potato chips.
One of us ordered the tuna melt ($14), which was a special that day. A generous portion of tuna salad was piled onto ciabatta bread and topped with melted cheddar cheese. Another friend ordered the blackened mahi po boy ($14), which was flavorful although the fish was a little dry. The toasted hoagie roll was smeared wall-to-wall with tangy remoulade sauce and packed with fish.
Hubby ordered the BBQ mojo pork sandwich ($14). The savory garlic, sour orange and spices of the mojo infused the shredded pork nicely, but a little extra sauce would have enhanced the sandwich. I ordered the Philly steak sandwich ($14) and really loved it. The sandwich was constructed with sauteed onions, peppers, sliced steak, mayo and melted provolone on a hoagie roll. The roll was tender, and the blend was very tasty.
Little Jim Bait & Tackle is the kind of fun, easy, casual place where you can come as you are — by car or by boat. No shirt, no shoes, no problem. Even some of the band members were barefoot. The wait staff was laid-back but efficient. The playful T-shirts they wear are emblazoned with a slogan welcoming you to the “Sh** Show!” — which is the name of their India pale ale.
This is a great time of year when the weather is pleasant to relax, grab a bite and a drink, and chill dockside at Little Jim’s.
Little Jim Bait & Tackle
- Cuisine: American
- Address: 601 N. Causeway, Fort Pierce
- Phone: 772-468-2503
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday
- Alcohol: Full bar
- Online: littlejimbaitandtackle.com
Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at [email protected].