Tarpon Bend

Tarpon Bend Restaurant Review:

Like its older sibling in Ft. Lauderdale, this spacious, casually stylish resto-lounge is intended by its three owners (who also run Broward’s Himmarshee Bar & Grille) to evoke the vacation-time vibe of a fishing trip --- fresh fish included, just not the fuss of fishing for them. Actually, the hangout is more famous for its camaraderie and creative cocktails (like the Mamasita Martini, a vodka-based strawberry-sour apple concoction) than for its food. The extended Monday-Friday happy hour (3 p.m.-9 p.m.) is famous. But the menu features simple seafood dishes plus salads and several meat items that satisfy. Try the fish tacos, stuffed San Diego-style with a battered filet, chipotle cream, avocado and tomato; super-crispy calamari, served with savory Asian spicy chili garlic sauce; or coldwater oysters from a daily-changing raw bar selection. Desserts are limited to brownies, Key lime pie and, the winner, an old-fashioned apple cake that's more like à la mode warm bread pudding. Wine and beer lists are limited, but include bargains like import brews priced the same as domestics; most come for cocktails, anyway.