Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill

My husband had fettuccine seafood marinara. It was fabulous. It had homemade pasta. I ordered a small portion of seafood mac and cheese and it was to die for! We’re on to dessert… I’m assuming it is just as good as dinner wise. I would definitely come back!

This restaurant was recommended by long term FL residents as their favorite in the whole state… I agree. A nondescript smallish place in a strip mall doesn’t speak volumes but the food is excellent!!! You have to arrive early to get a seat (hopefully at the bar) and I mean at 5:00pm. We watched 5 line cooks work their butts off trying to keep up with the orders… shared 4 «small» dishes… plenty of food AND the fried oysters may have been the best I’ve ever had. When we left there were around 20 people waiting to get in.

All time greatest seafood restaurant EVER. great wine list to match. great service. make a reservation. worth the wait. I LOVE THIS PLACE

We really wanted to like this restaurant. We were looking for a good fish sandwich or fried fish for lunch. The food was okay, not great.
I had fried grouper with french fries. The fish was good. French fries were awful. No flavor, no salt. Tasted like frozen, unseasoned fries. We also had the ceviche, which basically was a sweetened guacamole, with a few pieces of fish buried in it. To their credit, they took it back and took it off our bill, which I always appreciate a restaurant not making it your fault if you don’t like the food.

Even with reservations we had to wait 30 minutes for our table — a testament as to its popularity.
Two of us shared grilled calamari — very tender — not over cooked as can happen. For entrees we had fried shrimp — delicious. Veggies needed a little help.
Fried fish platter with black beans and rice –was very good and plenty to eat. Mixed seafood over linguini with with a light garlic sauce was very tasty but can remember it’s name.
Service was adequate but server was rushed due to busy night.
Atmosphere was casual in a strip mall.

Ambiance/​décor-​3
Service-​5
Food-​4
Strikeouts-​0/​3
We came here for lunch and orders two deep fried oyster sliders, and a quesadilla with shrimp, mahi mahi, tomatoes, cheese and topped with avocado/​chipotle sauces. For dessert we order key lime pie.
Everything was a hit! The oyster sliders tasted so good, though the sauce was a bit too strong and over powered the oysters. There was a lot of oysters though and lots of flavour if you ate it separately. The quesadilla was so flavourful for each bit too, but the sauces and cheese covered up the fish taste even with the chunks of fish and shrimp inside. Overall, I was very happy and my taste buds were more than satisfied.
The key lime pie was very average though and could get that pie anywhere for that price. However, I feel like I can keep coming here everyday and trying something new and it’ll taste just as amazing. This place is potentially 5 star material! Come here to eat lunch and dinner! I will for sure next time I come to Florida!

DO not let the exterior fool you. This place looks horrible and if it weren’t for my overwhelming hunger, I would have driven away– I’m so glad I didn’t. This weird place is amazing. We ordered sautéed flounder and a fish special with sage brown butter sauce and both were incredible. The place was packed and the service incredibly slow, but it’s such a cool spot that we didn’t even mind. They also kept dropping off free bowls of coleslaw, which is never a bad thing. For dessert, we ordered a pineapple, mango and apple crisp which again sounds weird but it’s one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to visit family again in Jupiter so I can stop by this place again.

I’m not quite sure why there are so many good reviews about the Reef Grill. I visited with my family last night with high hopes, but left very disappointed.
We walked up to a crowd standing outside and in the bar three doors down. The wait was over an hour. I’ve always heard great things about the food and judging by the crowd, we decided to stay and see what the rave was all about.
We ordered the calamari and shrimp bake for appetizers. First of all, the calamari was frozen and the sauce was out of a can. Totally nasty. The shrimp bake was even worse. It was 3 shrimp in a cup with canned tomatoes and dried spices. It left an awful after taste.
We were hoping our entrees would be better. We ordered the lobster, shrimp and scallop Mac and cheese, linguine with clam sauce and the fish tacos.
The Mac and cheese was very confusing. Judging by appearance, it wasn’t a Mac and cheese. Where was the cheese? The sauce was very watered down and had no taste. They would be better off calling it a dish of rigatoni with a light sauce.
The linguine and clam sauce was more like linguine with toilet water. Again, it was a watered sauce and with absolutely no flavor.
The fish tacos were just embarrassing. How hard are fish tacos? First of all, use the correct tortillas. The ones that were used were for burritos, not tacos. If you are going to use the big tortillas, fill them appropriately so there isn’t so much shell. Second, a good taco is always slightly toasted. These were just taken out of a package and thrown on a plate. The filling was pretty blah. They were dry and the flavors lacked any sense of excitement. Try using smaller tortillas, toast them, and throw in some flavorful ingredients.
On a positive note, the service was good. Our waitress was attentive, which was impressive with the restaurant being so busy.
The group consensus was that we either chose the worst 5 dishes on the menu or all the hype was really for nothing. Everyone left feeling quite ill. One family member even threw up in the car on the ride home. I’m just so aggravated we wasted our time and money here.

Incredible!!! Ask for Susie for your waitress she was amazing!
We started with the tuna spring rolls and a special «tortizza» with shrimp, goat cheese and mushrooms. Both were delicious, but the tuna spring rolls were a standout. Crisp shell, tuna was rare and the dipping sauce… yummy!
Had the sautéed yellow tail snapper over a bed of veggies and rice and beans. Fish was awesome, very fresh sautéed in a light sauce. And the rice and beans were a great addition.
Also had grilled shrimp salad which was also delicious.

Don’t really get the hype of this place and all the five stars. Nice atmosphere and nice server but that was pretty much it.
There was only one waitress serving the whole restaurant (came here for lunch) and she seemed very overwhelmed.
I ordered the Dolphin Reuben with French fries. French fries were good. The Dolphin was overcooked and dry. And there were just something about the Reuben that seemed off that I can’t put my finger on. Not impressed.

Did I seriously just try Blueberry Oreo Ice cream? What an amazing restaurant this is! If you’re into seafood, you gotta come try this spot. I ordered the Fried Oysters, Grouper Cheek, and Ceviche which I shared. I took a bite of the Asian sesame Tuna and fell into a trance. The menus are handwritten daily for a reason, whatever comes off the boat is what’s on the menu. If it isn’t fresh, it’s not on sale. I love the service. Yes, I know it’s packed but that only means the food is worth the wait. Fresh ingredients compiled with a taste of the ocean is what you’ll get here. Don’t be fooled by the little shopping center it’s in, this place is a total beachy gem. Keep in mind, the restaurant has different seating for the lunch and dinner menu. Next time I come, I gotta get the Hogfish.

The Tuna Tartare and the Shrimp and Grits are both imaginatively prepared – think nouveau American cuisine – and exquisitely flavorful. In fact, they are two of the best dishes I have ever had at any price, anywhere. The staff – including the owners Ross and Mary Beth – are the friendliest folks around and made this first time customer feel like a regular – and regulars abound. Fantastic food, a fun time, and eminently affordable. Don’t forget to finish your meal with a scoop of homemade Tropical Vanilla ice cream!

Everything we had today (dolphin Reuben, yellow fin tuna salad sandwich, cole slaw, fries, and kids chicken tenders) was very good.
When we walked in my Mom said «This doesn’t look like a place where you would get good seafood.» Well it just goes to show you can’t judge a good seafood place by its cover… err I mean exterior. It is not very pretty on the outside, and the inside is your typical divey seafood joint. I for one appreciate a good dive.
The fish is fresh, and so are the prices! Give this joint a try.

Don’t be fooled walking in to this place. It looks like a hole in the wall dive bar, but … Man. This place is incredible. By far our favorite place that we ate at during our visit. Between my wife and I we ordered lobster mac and cheese which was creamy, full of delicious seafood and a great size to be split (although I could have smashed that thing solo). She went with a Bahamian Snapper which was served whole and I wish I could have stole her plate. I went with the Hog Snapper and it was super flavorful and delicious. I have to hand it to Captain Charlie’s because most seafood places don’t really put anything special in with their sides but everything on my plate was seasoned uniquely and delicious.

Lunch at Captain Charlie’s:
We usually go here for dinner and it’s great! Today we decided to have lunch. We were not disappointed! It was delicious! We had mixed seafood on capelinni pasta. Wow! So delicious! We had rum banana coconut cake for desert… the best lunch that we have experienced in a long time! We highly recommend!

Whoa Whoa Stop the Clock! What a gem. Casual and the food is exciting, fresh and delicious. Spacious enough inside, lots of tables and a long bar. Was there on a thurs nite about 630ish and was able to get a booth no problem. Good thing because this is a locals type place and it filled up in a hurry.
started with calamari app. big fresh lightly fried rings with a tomato sauce. fresh and clean tasting
I had the golden tilefish for 2 reasons. Its my favorite to eat and usually difficult to find. they offered several preparations of which i chose sauteed w side of mixed veg medley and black beans and rice. Thick, flaky, tasty and perfectly cooked are the only ways to describe the fish. Loved the steamed healthy medley, it wasnt drenched in butter which i thought was a pleasant surprise. My brother had the same entrée but with yellow and rice and he was just as happy.
My nephew had the whole grilled snapper. head to tail is how it arrived and what an impressive looking dish. all left at the end was a display of clean bones. the kid ate the crispy tail as well, just couldnt get enough of that cooked critter
cant wait to go back and try out all the other menu items. they have a super selection of fresh fish as well as some pasta dishes on a regular menu
highly recommended!

We have been going in for early dinners on our way home from work and always enjoy it! Service is great, everyone is friendly and helpful in making selections. The food is always fresh and good. This is one of our go to places for lunch or dinner!
I love the casual beachy feel of the place that anyone in any attire would feel comfortable! The beer selection on draft includes Florida micro’s! The blackbean side dish is full of flavor, don’t pass them up!

This is one of my favorite places to eat and I could easily eat here every day! The food is fresh and everything I’ve ever had is delicious! I especially love the blackened dolphin/​shrimp quesadilla and their wrap specials that change daily are amazing!
Make sure to get there early. This place is always packed… when you have such good food there’s no such thing as a slow season!

Excellent food… Very fresh… The menu is broad and everything looks delicious … The people are very friendly and the environment is relax to come with friends or family
Highly recommended…

I come to this area of Florida typically in mid-​winter, because a family member has a place nearby in Jupiter. I am «food-​obsessed», and some of you may know exactly what I’m talking about. (In the midst of eating lunch, my mind is already thinking about what to eat for dinner !) Suffice it to say, I’m down here for the warm/​sunny weather, fully aware that I’m not vacationing in a «foodie» destination.
After a week of tiki themed establishments that close at 9 PM and offer sweet potato crusted fillets of fish, it was a pleasure to find a restaurant that delivered on both the service and the food. Unilocal reviewers had cautioned about the wait, so we went late on a Monday night, and were seated with no problem.
The menu (s) regular/​specials were exhaustive. Captain Charlie’s has everything from salads and sandwiches to seafood, pasta, and meat main courses. The selection of local seafood was outstanding, however if you are feeling the red meat urge, check out the combo plate of grilled marinated duck breast, quail, and lamb chop (for 2 people). Perfectly cooked, and beautifully served.
Our server (think her name was Susan) had been working there for 26 years. She was extremely attentive, helpful, and down right pleasant. And here’s a surprise, the owner was actually «on premises» the night we were there, discreetly watching the food come out of the kitchen as well as the service. It’s no wonder they have managed to stay open for as many years as they have.
We navigated to the restaurant (using Google Maps GPS) after dark. The good Miss Google was way confused. She sent us in circles. We ended up calling the restaurant and had them guide us in. Not easy to find in the dark… and of course, it’s in a mini strip mall Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill was well worth the GPS confusion, and one of the best food destinations in this part of Florida.