The Husband came across Jolly Roger’s Grub & Pub on Instagram a few weeks ago and we had to check it out. It’s a pirate-themed restaurant in Tierra Verde, just a few miles from our house.
There’s a giant inflatable pirate welcoming you to the restaurant, so you immediately know you’re in the right place.
From the outside to the inside, they committed to the pirate theme and it was fun to just look around. There is a painted wall that makes you feel like you’re looking out a pirate ship and it’s really beautiful. The theme is well done, not cheap and tacky, and it creates a super fun and laid-back atmosphere. The tables either have really low chairs or are high-top style, so just be aware if you are going with someone with knee or back issues.
They have great specials every day. We went on taco Tuesday so I had to start with an Arggg-a-rita. It wasn’t heavy on the tequila or the sour mix, both of which I don’t love, so it was basically my perfect margarita.
We started with the Cap’t Mac’s Cheesy Pirate Balls. They were deep fried mac and cheese balls with spicy ranch and super delicious, especially the spicy ranch.
We also ordered the Parrot Legs and Wings (chicken wings). If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that the Husband and I have been on a quest in Buffalo to try the best wings, so we know good wings. These wings were some of the best wings I’ve had in Florida. They were super crispy on the outside and the medium sauce was the perfect blend of hot sauce and butter, the way wing sauce is supposed to be.
They won Creative Loafing’s Ultimate Burger 2022 so most of us ordered burgers. I don’t usually eat red meat or burgers but I felt like I should try it. I ordered the Queso Dip burger, a taco Tuesday special. It was two 4 oz smash burgers with fried jalapenos and queso dip and it was so freaking good. I actually ate the whole damn thing, which I never do with burgers.
My girlfriend visiting from Buffalo ordered the Big Booty Q Jooty burger and loved it.
My stepmom ordered the Six Swiss Wenches and their Mer-shrooms burger.
Everyone loved their burgers. You could tell everything was fresh and a lot of thought went into how they cooked the burgers and the paired the different topics to make the perfect burgers. In a year or so when I crave another burger, this is the only place I’m going.
My dad decided to be different and order the Davy Jones Deep Fried Ribs. It was four giant ribs, breaded and deep fried. They are usually tossed in sweet chili or BBQ sauce, but my dad doesn’t like either so he got them plain. I don’t eat ribs so I didn’t try them, but the meat fell right off the bone and looked super tender. My father liked them, but they weren’t really his style. We brought leftovers home to The Husband (he was doing a work CEU and couldn’t come) and he really liked them, especially after putting BBQ sauce on them. The mac and cheese that came with it was delicious.
In case you didn’t notice the theme, the menu is really fun and silly. Most of the items had cute pirate names to stay on theme, but the kids menu was the funniest of the whole thing.
Jolly Roger’s was a super fun and delicious dinner experience. I highly recommend spending the day at Fort De Soto beach, just a few miles past Jolly Roger’s, then heading here for dinner on your way home. It’s fun, casual, and tasty!