The Boathouse Kitchen

The Boathouse is a shed on pilings at the east end of the Riverwalk that stored nets and outboards until June Castellano turned it into a kitchen with a dock. The menu is short and changes with the boats: smoked fish dip with saltines, a grouper sandwich on a soft roll, shrimp from Fort Pierce, a fish of the day grilled or blackened, a burger for the holdouts and a key lime pie that is sharper than most. Beer is local and the wine list fits on a card.

Half the tables are on the dock under a tin roof with the river a few feet below, and the other half are inside with the fans going. Boats tie up at the dock for the length of a lunch, which is how a good part of the regulars arrive. Lunch is easy; dinner in season needs a booking or a willingness to eat at five.

It is loud, friendly and unpretentious, and the pelicans on the pilings know exactly what time the kitchen scrapes its plates. Come by water if you can; the dock is the best table in the house.

Good to know

• Lunch is easy; dinner from January to March needs a booking.
• Boats tie up free for a meal; four slips, first come.
• The dock tables are first come; ask for inside when it rains sideways.
• Children’s plates and high chairs are available.
• Walk from the Riverwalk lots; there is no parking at the door.