THE TWISTED TUNA: LOTS OF SEAFOOD, ALCOHOL, AND A BAHAMIAN SPECIALTY AT THIS WATERFRONT SPOT JUST OUTSIDE PALM BEACH COUNTY
The Cost -$50
The Atmosphere – Located in Port Salerno, not too far from Jupiter Island and just outside of Palm Beach County in neighboring Martin County, The Twisted Tuna is a large waterfront restaurant with multiple bars and indoor and outdoor seating. It is a very casual eatery that is mostly frequented by people living in the surrounding areas since it is relatively far from any of Florida’s main tourist attractions. One of the reasons that you can tell that it’s customer-base is mostly locals is that the outdoor tables are generally empty in December even when the temperature is a beautiful 72 degrees Fahrenheit because those that live in the area think it is too cold to sit outside. However, the best part of The Twisted Tuna is its outdoor seating so make sure to sit outside if you can.
Boasting over 10,000 square feet of space in its two-floor, indoor-outdoor restaurant, The Twisted Tuna calls itself “the largest family-owned and operated waterfront restaurant on the Treasure Coast” of Florida. With three large bars and a list of drinks that includes 24-ounce souvenir cups and 45-ounce bowl drinks, many venture out to this eatery solely for its bars and snacks. However, I resisted ordering one of the Caribbean-style cocktails and decided to focus solely on the restaurant’s other specialty, seafood.
The Order – Cracked Conch and Sunset Salmon.
The Great – The Sunset Salmon was the better of the two items ordered for dinner. A fresh piece of Atlantic salmon with a light cornmeal batter that is pan-seared along with mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, and tomatoes in a white wine lemon butter sauce, the dish was the most expensive one on the menu at $29, but it was worth it. The fish was fresh and quite good though it was cooked to about a medium level of doneness, overcooked for a pan-seared fish. However, the salmon was still good and when combined with the vegetables that were also prepared in the tasty white wine lemon butter sauce, the dish was very enjoyable.
The Good - It isn’t often that you see conch, a typical sea snail dish common in the Bahamas, on a menu and so it had to be ordered. The Cracked Conch at The Twisted Tuna is prepared Bahamian style, fried with a lemon wedge and a dipping sauce on the side. The restaurant’s dipping sauce is a typical Caribbean calypso sauce that has both sweet and spicy notes, though The Twisted Tuna’s homemade version is not very spicy. The dipping sauce is pretty good, and the conch is nicely done but you don’t get too much of its flavor because it is deep fried; for those that are a bit squeamish about trying the sea snail dish, its fried preparation actually makes for a good way to ease yourself into eating conch because you don’t feel any of its slimy texture.
The Verdict – To be honest, upon walking into The Twisted Tuna and seeing the gimmicky-looking drinks and souvenir cups, I didn’t think I would enjoy the food and certainly didn’t think it would be worth the price. However, when you factor in the amazing outdoor waterfront setting, the availability of the hard-to-find conch, and the quality of the food, the meal was a solid value, and it was a pleasant dining experience that I was far from disappointed with.