The Fat Snook: Restaurant review

Macadamia nut-crusted flounder at the Fat Snook in Cocoa Beach (Credit: Peg Hinely, special to Metromix)

The Fat Snook 
4¾ palms (out of 5)
Where: 2464 S Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach
Hours: 5:30 p.m. until the last customer leaves, daily
Info: Call 321-784-1190.
More: Reservations are highly recommended, especially for weekend visits. For a romantic dinner date, request a table in the candlelit side room and score some points. 

The Fat Snook on State Road A1A in Cocoa Beach is housed in the kind of building you’d easily pass without a second notice, if not for the quirky name that hints something more interesting may be waiting inside. And it does.

The interior of the Fat Snook is as artsy, eclectic, tropical and creative as the menu. The attention to detail in both the décor and cuisine is obvious, but not contrived. From the dark blue ceiling and rustic wood floors to the giant chalk drawing of the namesake Snook in the main dining room, the casually hip surroundings set the tone for what’s about to come.

Upon our arrival, we are immediately greeted by the hostess and seated at a table in a relatively new section of the restaurant. We’re at one of only four tables in this intimate area, which is lit in part by a wall of candlelight.

With selections and descriptions like “Yucca Mofongo” and “Grouper Cheeks Escovitch,” the small but impressive menu may seem intimidating at first glance, but stick with it. 

The food is heavily influenced by the Caribbean, but American favorites are also given a modern twist. The name may suggest a seafood restaurant, and while there are five seafood dishes to choose from, there is also a nice mix of pork, poultry and beef items as well. Vegetarians may be disappointed, as there is only one vegetarian entrée offered: free-form goat cheese lasagna.

After taking quite some time to decide, we finally settled on starting with the Grouper Cheeks Escovitch ($9) and Lobster Bisque ($7). Presentation of both dishes was superb, but the grouper was especially impressive. Perfectly seared and served with an arrangement of julliened vegetables in a sweet sauce, the delicate fish was perfectly done. 

The Lobster Bisque was smooth and creamy with just a hint of sherry. In this version of the classic bisque, there was no lobster meat, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Salads are included with all entrees. I chose an iceberg lettuce salad with candied slivered almonds, mandarin oranges and vinaigrette. The salad was crisp and nice. The caesar salad my husband chose was true to the classic rendition, garnished by shavings of fresh parmesan. 

For dinner I chose one of the specials of the night: Macadamia nut-crusted flounder served with forbidden rice and carambola and dragon fruit salad ($31). My husband opted for the Cuba libre pork belly accompanied by the aforementioned yucca mofongo and jicama salad ($29). 

Both dishes looked beautiful; presentation is something the Fat Snook has mastered. Getting a description of the pork belly dish out of my husband was a bit difficult, as he was too busy eating it, a sure sign of approval. Yucca mofongo is a mashed mixture of yucca, broth and seasonings, an unusual dish, but it complimented the pork well. The candied lime zest helped cut through the fatty dish nicely.

The thicker-than-expected piece of flounder was just slightly overcooked, making the meat a little dry. But the black heirloom rice had a delicious nutty taste and soft texture. The carambola and dragon fruit salad didn’t add much to the dish.

We finished the night with a slice of chocolate cake, which was just as you’d want chocolate cake to be: dark, rich and chocolatey.

Located in a town known for it’s laidback casual nature, the Fat Snook welcomes and embraces its home, but adds a little class and a lot of great food to the mix.