A Minted Location day guide
Dock & Dine in Stuart & the St. Lucie
Stuart is a dock-and-dine market with three distinct tables, and two of them publish their own welcome mats.
Downtown Stuart — the courtesy-dock quarter
Sailor's Return on Sunset Bay owns the plainest invitation on the river — 930 feet of courtesy docking right out front, in its own words, with 220 seats and live music behind it. A few minutes along the Riverwalk, the Stuart Boathouse and Riverwalk Cafe & Oyster Bar are downtown landmarks whose sites leave the tying-up to the city — and the city delivers: free daytime docking at the City Docks, sunrise to sunset, no charge. Check local dockage options for both, starting with those city docks and Sunset Bay next door.
The Manatee Pocket — the working harbor that feeds you
The Pocket is the densest dock-and-dine cluster between Jupiter and Fort Pierce, all of it under the harbor's no-wake discipline. Shrimpers Grill & Raw Bar has invited boats to its open-air docks since 1992. Two Georges Dockside Grille states its dock slips outright and keeps the live music going. The Pearl anchors the Fish House District, whose own marina takes vessels to 65 feet with showers and laundry for crews. And Pirate's Loft puts the bar right on the water at Pirate's Cove, whose 50-slip resort marina handles boats to 90 feet. The county's 36-ball mooring field sits in the middle of all of it, dinghy dock included.
Jensen Beach — follow the markers
The Indian River pair do their own piloting. Conchy Joe's publishes the most complete dock data in the region — a 225-foot dock accessible on both sides, a stated mean depth of 2.9 feet, and channel-marker approaches from either direction; draft accordingly. Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House posts its own by-sea directions a quarter mile north of Marker 224. Up on Hutchinson Island, Sauder's Landing sits at the Nettles Island Marina by its own account — confirm visiting dockage with the marina before you make it a dinner plan.
Before you go
The Manatee Pocket is a no-wake zone end to end, the crossroads turn at the inlet junction wants the Coast Pilot's 100-yards-south line respected, and Conchy Joe's 2.9-foot dock depth is a real number — check it against your draft, not your optimism. Bigger plans than dinner? The form on this page reaches the team that runs this river.
The stops, as their own docks describe them
| Spot | Where | Arriving by boat |
|---|---|---|
| Sailor's ReturnThe 8,000-square-foot, 220-seat waterfront room on Sunset Bay with two bars and live music — the biggest courtesy-dock welcome in the market, stated on its own homepage. | Downtown Stuart — Sunset Bay, 625 SW Anchorage Way | “930 feet of courtesy docking” right out front — its own come-by-boat invitation |
| Stuart BoathouseThe downtown waterfront landmark whose own site leaves the tying-up to its neighbors — the city's free day docks and Sunset Bay put you on its doorstep. | Downtown Stuart — St. Lucie River waterfront | Check local dockage options — the City of Stuart's free daytime docks and Sunset Bay's marina are steps away |
| Riverwalk Cafe & Oyster BarThe historic-district institution — raw bar and a 120-plus-bottle wine list in an old downtown building, a Riverwalk stroll from the free city docks. | Downtown Stuart — historic district, 201 SW St. Lucie Ave | Check local dockage options — the city's free daytime docks on the Riverwalk serve the historic district |
| Shrimpers Grill & Raw BarThe open-air dockside seafood grill and raw bar on the Manatee Pocket since 1992 — authentic, fun Florida dining in its own words. | Manatee Pocket — Port Salerno, 4903 SE Dixie Hwy | “Arrive by boat or land” — its own invitation, dockside on the Pocket |
| Two Georges Dockside GrilleThe big dockside bar on the Pocket with regular live entertainment — its Port Salerno page states the dock slips outright. (772) 254-4278. | Manatee Pocket — Port Salerno | “Pull up your boat” — dock slips available, per its own location page |
| The Pearl at Fish House District & MarinaWaterfront dining, galleries and a marina on one working-waterfront property — the old Fish House Art Center, now Fish House District & Marina. | Manatee Pocket — Port Salerno working waterfront, 4745 SE Desoto Ave | Operator's marina takes vessels to 65 ft — dockmaster publishes availability and rates; bathrooms, showers & laundry in the marina |
| Pirate's Loft at Pirate's Cove ResortThe bar downstairs and right on the water, in the resort's own words — dinner where the sportfish fleet ties up. | Manatee Pocket — Port Salerno, 4307 SE Bayview St | The resort's own 50-slip marina takes boats to 90 ft — call the resort for slip availability |
| Conchy Joe's SeafoodThe Jensen Beach institution with the most complete dock data in the region on its own homepage — length, both-sides access, mean depth and channel markers. Mind that 2.9-foot mean depth: shallow-draft arrivals only. | Jensen Beach — Indian River | Own dock, 225 ft long and accessible on both sides — mean depth 2.9 ft; arrive after Marker 219 (from north) or 220 (from south) |
| Dolphin Bar & Shrimp HouseThe Indian River Drive dinner house that publishes its own channel-marker approach — the by-sea directions are on the homepage next to the by-land ones. | Jensen Beach — 1401 NE Indian River Dr | Own Dock & Dine section with a by-sea approach — a quarter mile north of Channel Marker 224; arrive after Marker 223 (from north) or 224 (from south) |
| Sauder's LandingEstablished 2015 at the Nettles Island Marina on the Indian River, by its own account — the site states the marina setting, so let the marina confirm your slip before you commit. | Hutchinson Island (Jensen Beach) — Nettles Island Marina, 9815 S Ocean Dr | On the Indian River at the Nettles Island Marina, per its own site — confirm visiting dockage with the marina office |
Dockage notes are what each restaurant publishes on its own site — space is first-come and dinner-hour rafting is real, so hail ahead. Where a venue states nothing about docking, we say so rather than guess.
Planning more than lunch?
This run is our backyard — the same docks where we shortlist, survey and sea-trial boats for buyers. Tell us the mission and we'll tell you which boat, and which slip, it calls for.