The Fat Snook

Wet jerk pork ribeye

Mahimahi special

Blue crab

Seafood charcuterie

Amuse bouche

Menu

Exterior

Bar

Interior

***** (5 stars)

This restaurant is certainly the gem of the space coast. It’s a truly fine dining restaurant in what is a bit of a wasteland.

We started with the seafood charcuterie, which turned out to be our favorite item of the night.  While the octopus terrine wasn’t particularly flavorful, all the other items–salmon rillette, smoked fish pate–and the accompanying salads and relishes were wonderful.

The blue crab was also excellent. The single soft shell crab topped an amazing piece of cornbread.

My wife’s wet jerk pork ribeye was very good, better than the mahi mahi fish special I had.

The space is relatively small, which keeps noise levels reasonable, and it is nicely decorated.

Service was amazing, We were impressed by all the servers’ interactions with their guests; our server, Michelle, was particularly excellent.

The wine list is a bit limited, but there are many excellent choices, and the value is good, particularly for the top end bottles.

The Fat Snook
2464 S Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 784-1190
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-fat-snook-cocoa-beach

The Mango Tree Restaurant

**** (4 stars)

We’ve been going here for the past twenty years or so, and the place has improved over that time, especially after the ownership change about four years ago.

Live piano music has been replaced by very pleasant guitar music, which seems to make the space a bit more intimate. Certainly the volume level is perfect, allowing conversation, yet providing a great listening environment.

The window into the kitchen seems a bit disconnected from the rest of the ambiance, but this really affects only the table right in front of it.

The bartender here is fabulous, and gave us one of the best bar experiences we’ve had, encouraging us to sample different exotic liqueurs and concocting drinks from scratch, the old fashioned way (pun intended). I will return specifically because of his great service.

The Mango Tree Restaurant
118 N Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 799-2600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mango-tree-restaurant-cocoa-beach

Fat Kahunas

**** (4 stars)

If you’re looking for good food right at the beach in Cocoa, this is the place. It’s not just your typical fried fish hut, but an excellent restaurant with a range of offerings that is an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

We particularly enjoyed the coconut shrimp appetizer and the wedge salad. The entrees were also good, with a massive plate of “Malibu” chicken — chicken covered with cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms.  I was a bit surprised that there was no tartar sauce for the fish and chips. Side dishes, which come with the entrees, were also very good, especially the coconut rice and the cole slaw.

Pricing is extremely reasonable for the great quality and large portions.

Reservations are really important. This restaurant has only five inside tables, and two more outside, so plan ahead, or come at an off time!

Fat Kahunas
8 Minuteman Cswy
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 783-6858
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-kahunas-cocoa-beach-2