Hurricane Hole - Stock Island

I walked over a mile from my hotel because the photos and reviews of this restaurant looked good - and it did not disappoint! The portions were large, the food was delicious, and the service was excellent. I enjoyed it so much that I went back the next day. I was greeted enthusiastically from across the restaurant by the same employee who had taken my order the day before. She even remembered my drink of choice and had it at my table almost as soon as I sat down. The fish tacos were fantastic, the location was nice, and the employees were friendly and efficient. I highly recommend this place!

Pros: Fast service, generous portions, reasonable prices. Cons: Overly salty dishes, would prefer beer served in glassware rather than plastic cups.

I stopped at this restaurant on my way back to Fort Lauderdale from Key West. It's a charming place by a boat dock, though the water isn't very nice. They offer outdoor table and bar seating. The service was okay, but when we ordered the shrimp boil, the shrimp were not properly cleaned and deveined. Trying to clean them ourselves resulted in a messy situation, so we sent it back and ordered the mussels instead. The mussels were delicious and served steaming hot. We also tried the conch fritters, which were very tasty and came with two unique aiolis. The bathrooms were clean, and there was a parking lot in front that was nearly full when we arrived. Overall, I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to dine here, but it's worth a stop if it's on your route.

We stopped for lunch this time at the Hurricane Hole. The catch of the day was yellowtail snapper. The chalkboard also announced that It 's too hot for soup! They 're not wrong. It 's been very hot for October. Despite that we dined outside because our child adores the black red pirate ship . The sign was up to please seat yourself so we sat in a shaded spot where we could watch the play area. The service was fast, and the right level of attentive. I chose the catch of the day in panko and what I received was highly seasoned with light flaky texture. Everything was nicely cooked and not especially greasy, as fish and chips often can be. The tartar sauce is a great counterpoint to the seasoning in the panko. Husband has a Caesar salad with blackened catch of the day. He loves yellowtail.

Love this place! Great location with the marina. We've tried a lot of items over the years but I tend to go back to my favorite- catch of the day Reuben or tacos. The sandwich is big enough for two to share although we prefer one each and eat the leftover late night or for breakfast the next day. Pro tip: They do have some fly repellers so ask for one when you first sit down as the flies will come as soon as your food arrives, you are outside after all.