Story and Photos by Melanie Kopacz
Ocean One Bar and Grille has been reeling in the customers since its debut in Royal Palm Beach last fall, hooking people with its savory menu of seafood, steaks and more, at an incredible value.
The restaurant sits lakeside along Southern Blvd. in the Southern Palm Crossing plaza. It features a huge open dining area with an aesthetic industrial feel, along with a 30-seat bar. Come for lunch, watch a game or have dinner.
Above all, it’s the hard-to-beat prices that create a fantastic value and great vibes. “The food is really good, and it’s not going to break the bank. The drinks are good — they’re strong. The food comes quickly,” Regional Manager Erik Conway said. “That’s what we’re known for — great food, amazing prices and good drinks.”
The menu offers a diverse selection of full-portion lunch items at a set price of $5.99, every day from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., which makes for either a great lunch or an early dinner. The generous portions come as a surprise to many when the food arrives.
Also, to the delight of many guests, is the all-day, every day premium drink price, set at $11 for three cocktails. It’s part of the never-ending happy hour, where people can mix-and-match or stick with the same drink.
“You don’t have to have the same three,” Conway explained “You can have a Cosmo, then wine with dinner and a chocolate martini at the end. We also have build-your-own. Three Titos for $13. Kettle is three for $11, and Grey Goose is three for $15.”
All beers, meanwhile, are $3.50 for both domestic and imported.
Grab a seat inside or out. There’s ample seating outdoors, whether it’s along the lake or inside the covered patio, with TV monitors and an indoor-outdoor fireplace. Or grab one of the large booths or tables in the dining room, which seats nearly 250 guests.
Lunchtime is a great opportunity to try many of the main menu items. Start off with the Crispy Calamari enrobed in a light breading and cooked to perfection, served with Wakame salad and Szechuan garlic sauce.
Ocean One Wings are the signature appetizer. They’re mahogany glazed and tender with sprinklings of scallions and sesame seeds. The Quesadilla appetizer can be enough on its own. It’s filled with grilled chicken, jack cheese, roasted peppers and caramelized onion, served with salsa and sour cream. The Ocean One Mussels also top the menu, smoked in a tomato chardonnay stew with a toasted baguette for dipping.
The hands-down favorite with lunch-goers is the Ocean One Fish & Chips.
“Big portions, prepared to order. It’s a whole filet,” Conway said. “We sell thousands a day between all of our locations.”
The fish is lightly crunchy outside while tender inside, paired with seasoned fries and creamy coleslaw.
The Grilled Salmon is also in demand, presented over a bed of mashed potatoes, house vegetables with lemon garlic herb sauce drizzled atop. For burger lovers, there’s the Half-Pound Sirloin Burger, prepared to your liking.
There are a number of flavorful salads, including the Breaded Warm Goat Cheese salad with toasted pine nuts, cherry tomatoes and sundried tomato vinaigrette. For chicken and pasta dishes, try the Chicken Parmesan or the Penne Pasta with chicken, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, caramelized onions and parmesan cheese pomodoro sauce.
There is an expanded menu at dinnertime. For a sweet and hearty dinner, try Executive Chef David Stein’s top creation, the Chef DS Snapper with a sweet southern twist. The pan-seared snapper is served over sweet potato mash with sauteed garlic spinach, hearts of palm slaw and a vanilla rum butter sauce. The Lamb Rack is also a must-try. It is Dijon herb marinated on top of a creamy bed of wild mushroom and asparagus risotto.
The Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass is a delicious blend of flavors, served with stir-fried baby bok choy, jasmine rice, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots and celery over a black rice vinaigrette.
A kids’ menu is also available with burger options, grilled cheese, pasta and more. Sweeten up the experience with dessert, like the popular Creme Brulee or the Ocean One Mexican Sundae.
The restaurant sees a high number of guests each day with a goal of serving each one in under 13 minutes. “People come here to hang out and have a great time,” Conway said.
This is the restaurant group’s sixth South Florida location, in addition to Delray Beach, Kendall, Davie, Dania Beach and Coral Springs. The original was started in Las Vegas by owner Tony Visone, who then brought the concept to the Sunshine State. He not only created the restaurant’s concept but also coded the software used to track its day-to-day business. Each meal served can be seen in a real-time ticker on the company’s web site.
It’s that sheer volume and hard work that keeps the restaurant growing.
“We’re getting shipments to us three to five times a week. We couldn’t freeze food or buy frozen food if we wanted to. We’re so busy. The same with shipments of liquor and beer. We have to keep up with it,” Conway said.
Ocean One Bar and Grille is located at 11111 Southern Blvd. in the Southern Palm Crossing plaza. For more information, call (561) 270-7373 or visit www.oceanonefl.com.
