Cheri Alberts

Review of Sharkys On The Pier

If you don t live in the Venice area, a trip to Sh...

If you don t live in the Venice area, a trip to Sharky s on Venice Island is a bit of a haul, but definitely worth it for a pleasant beach-side atmosphere and great seafood. We came in late on a Friday night and spent our short wait for a table walking down the adjacent pier, which was a nice way to relax before a good meal. With the nearby area under construction, sometimes it s easy to get turned around if you ve never been there before, finding your way through the restaurant then out to the pier, but in moments we were enjoying the night breeze above the water. When we were seated, our table was beachside, and was not plagued with any of the problems you would imagine would come with the territory (bugs, sand). We were close to the reggae cover band, and while it was entertaining and a little loud, it added to the island-style atmosphere rather than diminished it, and tables further away or inside are always a possibility.

The Food

Our waiter was able to recommend a light frozen drink, the Mango Bango ($6 predictably loaded with rum and mango) that we both enjoyed while waiting for our food. Although we were tempted by the Brie and Apple pizza, we instead chose two appetizers that seemed to be Sharky s take on traditionals the Cabo Calamari ($11.50) and the Cheesy Beach Bread ($7.50).

The Cabo Calamari was good, with its pico de gallo and jalapeno vinaigrette topping of a traditionally crusted and fried calamari, and wasn t too spicy for most people. The bottom of the dish lost that breading from saturation with the other ingredients, but it was definitely good while it lasted. The Beach Bread was also tasty, as it featured a flavor of green onions and herbs rather than the standard butter and garlic.

For dinner, I chose the Macadamia Grouper and Coconut Shrimp ($21), and it was the best decision I could have made. Although the menu touts it as a petite fillet of Grouper, mine was enough to take home later, and was baked well-done with a crisp Macadamia crust that infused the nut flavor through the whole fish. The shrimp were butterflied large and were crisply breaded, and the whole dish was tied together with a tasty and sweet mango salsa that worked perfectly. My sidekick chose the Lobster Stuffed Flounder ($19), and it came as several small fillets stuffed with Sharky s lobster and artichoke dip.

The flavor was rich, and the fish was tender without being too overdone or soft. Her side of rice was creamy to the point of almost being a risotto, which was another pleasant change from the standard pilaf most restaurants dish out. Although the desserts weren t really featured on any of the menus or table cards of specials (aside from Key Lime Pie), our waiter was able to provide us with a variety of choices, from which we chose the Chocolate Double Trouble ($6), which was a dense chocolate mousse cake with a layer of hard chocolate in the middle and a crust that had almost a saltiness to it that complimented the sweet flavors very well.

Overall Impressions

Sharky s was definitely worth the drive to the island, and the setting can t be beat long pier, quiet night-time beach, island music and decor and fantastic seafood that steps outside the box a little. Although we were there for dinner, they have a large lunch menu, and the idea of having a well-prepared sandwich waiting for you after a morning of fishing off the pier is certainly appealing. Don t let the nearby construction daunt you there is a great dinner waiting, and the setting will only get better as the weather cools off for the winter. And we don t know if they all do this, but our waiter adorned our to-go boxes with fun drawings of sea creatures, which was a funny and warming touch. Hope you get the same!