We have so many great restaurants in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and Juno Beach, my husband and I never really have to think of driving any further than a couple of miles to dinner. Of course, now and again we drive (20 -30 minutes) to West Palm Beach, Hobe Sound, Delray Beach and Boca Raton to try other restaurants but we generally agree that our “neighborhood” restaurants are just as good, if not better so, why drive so far?
Then, about a year ago, some friends recommended we try the then new Hog Snappers Shack & Sushi restaurant in Tequesta. We kept putting it off because it was “too far to go” – about a 10-15 minute drive – it’s only about 7 miles but lots of stop lights along the way! Since our friends kept raving about Hog Snappers we eventually decided to give it a try one evening and see what all the fuss was about. Well, let me tell you, they were not exaggerating! We are now totally addicted to this wonderful restaurant: the food, the ambiance, the servers and the owners dedication to their dreams!
A great little restaurant
It’s a small, casual restaurant but very inviting with its tropical theme and island music. They serve a good selection of reasonably priced wines and beer and the menu is huge! So many appetizers, salads (7), soups (8), sandwiches, entrees (fish and meat) and sushi to choose from. You’ll never be bored with this menu! Hog Snappers has a great menu – everything is so fresh plus it’s very reasonably priced and the atmosphere is great. You don’t come here to dine, you come here to eat!
On our first visit we ordered a salad to share, a sushi dish (JC Lopez roll) to share and then two entrees. We quickly realized this was way too much food for two people but it didn’t stop us trying to finish everything – it was so incredibly delicious! The salad, the Mixed Salad, has become one of our favorite salads and it’s hard to visit the restaurant and not order (and share!) it. The first main course I tried at Hog Snappers was the Crab Crusted Hog Snapper ($23) – it was absolutely delicious! The generous portion of lump meat crab, topping the freshest, tastiest piece of hog snapper I’ve ever eaten, sat atop a very generous portion of lobster mashed potatoes and perfectly sautéed asparagus – totally awesome! The sauce is delicate and not at all overpowering as many sauces served with fish can be. I’m not a fan of heavy, rich sauces and this is just perfect – you can taste all the individual flavors of the fish, crab, lobster and vegetables – just as it should be!
Since our first visit to Hog Snappers I’ve totally fallen in love with the Bouillabaisse soup – order a “cup” for just $8 – a very generous portion. Try everything: the crispy fried Hog Snapper ($23), the huge Hog Snapper Sandwich ($10), the ceviche (which is unbelievable!), several of the sushi dishes. Oh, and by the way, don’t think this is just a “fish” restaurant. Hog Snappers serves great burgers, the best Argentinian Churrasco and awesome Rack o Ribs – I’m not a big meat eater but all my friends and family are and they love these dishes, especially the Churrasco.
Other entrees include Whole Key West Hog Snapper, Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, Cedar Plank Salmon, Paella, Delmonico Steak and an unbelievable dish, Tequesta Seafood Feast, that includes crab legs, lobster, clams, mussels, dolphin, soft shell crabs, scallops, squid, red skin potatoes, corn on the Cobb – the menu warns “be ready to get durty”! and they mean it – the dish is enormous!
Of course it’s not just us that love Hog Snappers – the place is jammed with people of all ages at all times of the day. They are open 7 days a week. Of course being so popular has its drawbacks … at dinner time, you may have to wait 20-30 minutes since, being such a small restaurant, they can’t take reservations. Like a lot of other people, we’ve become smart and will either go for a late lunch around 2pm or an early dinner at 5pm or just be ready to hang out and wait outside – after all, it’s so worth it and we meet such interesting people all the time. There are plans to expand the restaurant into the bay next door but, in the meantime, be patient if you go at the most popular hours.
Owner/chef, Arthur Rivaldo, has been in the restaurant business for many years in New York, Washington, DC and now in Florida. He wanted to open a restaurant that featured food that most people enjoy hence the snapper and sushi combination. There’s definitely a Latin/Caribbean twist. His partner and fiancee, Melanie Varquez, opened Hog Snappers in August 2009 and they haven’t rested since! But they came to have fun and provide good food and something different for the community and that’s exactly what they’re doing!
Now of course a weekly trip to Tequesta is a must – don’t be surprised if you see us there much more frequently – we can’t get enough!
Feb 2011
Filed in Jupiter Area Attractions & Dining, Marion Suro
Tagged With dining in tequesta, hog snappers shack & sushi, homes in jupiter, jupiter restaurants, marion suro, palm beach county restaurants, palm beach county sushi restaurants and tequesta restaurants
