Hungry Tarpon Restaurant Reviews and Press
“Simple, homespun fare in nature’s finest setting---what could be more savory than this?”
“Previously a breakfast-lunch stop only, this eccentrically decorated marina fish shack now stays open for dinner, too. During the day, fare remains much the same: meal-size sandwiches, well-prepared seafood baskets, conch fritters, and similarly simple but appealing beach bites. At night, though, the chef offers a surprisingly ambitious menu that includes French-influenced retro specialties like yellowtail snapper amandine, seafood crêpes, and rich, creamy lobster Thermidor. Or, for lighter eaters, there’s sparkling fresh conch salad. One particularly nice touch: Those without the facilities (and-or the desire) to cook can bring their catches to the chef, who'll cook it in a variety of preparations and serve it with well paired accompaniments. Whatever you eat, the meal's highlight remains the same: a stroll down the dock to feed the 50 to 100 wild tarpons that gather there.” - GAYOT.com
Our customers rave….
“The Hungry Tarpon at Robbie's is the hidden jewel of Islamorada. The restaurant changed management about a year ago for those who have eaten there in the past. Chef Joseph is the head chef and he is PHENOMENAL! My in-laws live in Islamorada so we visit quite frequently, and not only is this the our favorite place to eat, it is also an extremely good value which can be hard to find in the Keys. We went night fishing on the Partyboat at Robbie's (which is another can't miss experience)and took our sizeable catch to the Hungry tarpon the next night. Chef Joseph prepared the fish 6 different ways and served it "family style" to our party of five on a large platter with Carribean rice and fried plantains. There are no words to describe...We left stuffed to the gills (pun intended) with plenty of leftovers to take home. Even my brother-in-law (very picky eater) was raving about the food.
If you go...make sure to try either the Coconut Crème Brulee (chef specialty) or the Coconut-Banana Cream Pie (won the Taste of Islamorada). Both are unbelievable.
Overall - the Hungry Tarpon is a great place to eat and get a taste of "authentic Keys".
“Chef Joseph is talented, hospitable and gregarious; what more can you ask of a French chef? He turn the Keys' bounty into masterfully delicious seafood creations. The non-seafood diner will find equally good meat dishes. It's the perfect blend of France and the Keys...”
“An unassuming treasure”
“We were pleasantly surprised by this place. It's known as the place to go to feed the tarpon off the dock, so we expected it to be touristy and feared the food might be mediocre. Instead, we had one of the best meals of our stay on the Keys.’
"You walk in to find a funky little unassuming diner. We sat at the counter because all the tables were taken, and found out it's the best place to sit in the restaurant. We watched french Chef Joseph whip up his excellent food on the tiny diner set-up more appropriate to typical short order fare.’
We had the ceviche and fresh yellowtail specials at Chef Joseph's recommendation. Both were excellent. We also tried their award-winning banana-coconut cream pie. Again, excellent.
The wine list was good and not too expensive. Chef Joseph was charming and legitimately proud of the food he was turning out.’
‘I would highly recommend The Hungry Tarpon to anyone.”
Read more unbiased reviews here from Trip Advisor