JB’s Fish Camp

Sweet Sunsets and Savory Seafood

After a few hazy days, we were gifted with one of those glorious sunny February afternoons that make NSB such a wonderful Winter retreat. I started the afternoon with a serene kayaking journey through the backwaters of the Mosquito Lagoon, and then headed to JB’s Fish Camp to soak in the sunset.

The waterfront restaurant is a New Smyrna Beach institution. John Bollman (JB) started his first business here 40 years ago, growing over the years to the point where it is one of Florida’s most popular waterfront eateries. Our party was seated on the outside deck, with a great water view. On this evening, we didn’t see any manatees or dolphins, but they are both frequent visitors off of the JB’s piers.

The sunset this evening was spectacular and there was a huge crowd on the pier capturing the moment on their phones. This time of year is the perfect time to take advantage of the generous Happy Hour (Monday – Friday 4-6 PM) to enjoy the sunset with a drink in your hand.

Our group started out with two popular appetizers. Both the rock cake ($9), and stuffed mushrooms ($8) came highly recommended and lived up to the hype. The plump mushrooms were stuffed with crab, and at JB’s, you need to enjoy at least one item with crab during your meal. The lightly browned rock cake featured freshly peeled rock shrimp in a traditional crab cake mixture, with their home made “Boom” sauce drizzled atop. Both were excellent.

We all selected different seafood entrees, and every meal was great. I enjoyed their original crab cakes ($18) with dirty rice. Others in our party enjoyed the Blackened Platter with grouper ($30) and shrimp, stuffed flounder ($24) and the Shipwreck Special ($27). JB’s seasoning has a nice kick to it, and added a nice flourish to the platter, while the nicely-sized flounder meal featured a delicious crab-based stuffing.

The Shipwreck Special was… well… kind of special. It is half seafood stew, half pot pie. Distinctive and delicious. The dish features shrimp, scallops and crab meat, smothered in a thick seafood broth, with steamed vegetables and a decadent white wine cheese sauce. It is a can’t miss offering.

We were stuffed, and passed on desserts, but we’ll be back soon to check them out.

NSB Insider Tips:

• Get there at least 40 minutes before sunset, as there are waits to be seated on most nice evenings.
• Grab a drink from the outside bar and soak in the sunset while you enjoy a little slice of old Florida on the river.
• Happy Hour features half-price well drinks and deeply discounted domestic drafts.
• Pair your trip to JB’s with a visit to Turtle Mound River Tours who are located on the South edge of the parking lot.

Bottom Line:

JB’s Fish Camp is one of the few New Smyrna Beach restaurants that are popular with both tourists and locals alike – and for good reason. Good food, good service and a killer view. We will be back!

Visit JB’s Fish Camp on their official website here.

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