It was a chilly Saturday evening in January when we dined at Pusser’s Caribbean Grille in the Shoppes of Veranda in Ponte Vedra Beach. The outdoor dining deck, which overlooks a pond and mini waterfall, was desolate as locals and visitors preferred the interior warmth. A1A is in the near-distance but cannot be heard.
Rich, dark-colored hues in the main dining area are warm and inviting the minute you step inside. The three-level dining room takes on an odd shape (think of half an octagon), though affords a great view from any seat in the house thanks in part to floor-to-ceiling windows. Interior accents include glass-housed corals, wooden ship models and various nautical necessities mounted to the walls.
The downstairs bar is off to the left when you walk in and offers several televisions and high-top tables to mingle over cocktails before dinner. The Pusser’s Company Store, located on–site, looks like a scene out of the tropics — lots of brightly hued tanks, nautical wear, spices, chutney and drink mixes. It is a must-visit before leaving.
Aside from winter in Northeast Florida, Pusser’s upper deck — home to more than a dozen tropical rum drinks and located above the dining room — is packed. Locals flock here on Sunday afternoons for rum, reggae, ribs, a little sunshine and an infamous Pusser’s Painkiller® — a blend of Pusser’s Rum, cream of coconut, and orange and pineapple juices — served on the rocks with a generous amount of nutmeg on top.
Upon being seated, the first thing we wanted to know about the year-old restaurant was where the name Pusser’s originated. Apparently the restaurant takes its name from Pusser’s Rum (recently named one of the 10 best rums in the world according to Forbes Magazine), first served on board British Royal Navy Ships in 1650. The name “Pusser’s” is just a corruption of the word “purser,” better known as the person in charge of the ship’s stock in the Royal Navy.
Our first order of business was a Painkiller, of course. Needless to say, we didn’t need another thanks to its potency and huge serving glass. It was good, even on a cool night.
Speaking of the chilly temperature, Pusser’s added a few down-home comfort food offerings to the menu for the cooler months. Dishes include shepherd’s pie, chicken potpie, and shrimp and grits. We noticed quite a few patrons enjoying the warmth of these dishes around us, but since we had heard about the island fare the restaurant has to offer, we opted for a seafood-heavy meal starting with a hearty appetizer.
The Chesapeake crab cake is one of four specialty items available as an appetizer. This hefty, pan-seared jumbo lump crab cake is based on an 1890s Annapolitan recipe and is topped with island remoulade and served over a bed of spinach. We finished every last bite. Other specialty appetizers, all generous enough in size to share, include island pork dumplings, Tortola “west end” wings and Pusser’s crab dip. The island spiced conch fritters were also very tempting.
My guest ordered a cup of Cuban black bean soup too, which arrived overflowing with chorizo sausage, ham and cumin topped with all the fixings. Mayport shrimp and roasted corn chowder is another hearty soup option.
There are seven salads from which to choose on the menu: garden, classic Caesar, iceberg wedge, Jamaican Cobb, sun-drenched tropical, warm goat cheese, and fresh Florida tomato and mozzarella. For an additional charge, all of the salads can be topped with jerk chicken breast, barbecue salmon, beer-battered scallops, grilled shrimp or crab cake.
For dinner, patrons can choose from nine Pusser’s favorites, three Pusser’s hand-cut steaks or nine island specialty dishes. Engulfed in the tropical ambience, we were still in the mood for seafood so we opted for the red snapper Ponte Vedra (Chef Chris DeLay’s native stomping ground) and the sesame-encrusted ahi tuna steak.
The snapper comes pan-seared and topped with mounds of sautéed jumbo lump crabmeat and béarnaise sauce. I could hardly tell there was even a fillet of fish on the plate because it was smothered by so much crab — really! I was in heaven and eventually found my fork in the snapper, which was just as delightful to my taste buds. Fresh vegetables and rice with black bean sauce accompany the dish.
My guest’s white and black sesame seed-encrusted ahi tuna steak was cooked to perfection. The thin steak was served over vegetable hash with a soy-ginger glaze and wasabi crème fraiche.
Other favorites include barbecued salmon tower, which is basted with Pusser’s Rum citrus barbecue sauce and topped with mango corn relish; olde English fish and chips; and bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers, also prepared like the salmon tower.
If you are in the mood for steak, Pusser’s offers an 8-ounce filet mignon, a 12-ounce Delmonico rib eye and a 12-ounce New York strip. All steaks are char-grilled and seasoned with Pusser’s steak butter and are served with a baked potato and vegetables. But one side dish worth substituting for is Pusser’s roasted garlic potato cake — a cross between a baked and mashed potato that will not disappoint.
The two island specialty house favorites are Trinidad smoked duck and Jamaican grilled pork ribs. The pork ribs are brushed with sweet Jamaican jerk sauce. The half duck is topped with ginger and a Grand Marnier glaze. We saw it being delivered to a table nearby and it looked and smelled divine. It’s safe to say that I will be ordering it when I return to Pusser’s in the near future.
Other island specialties on the menu worth mentioning include rum-glazed pork tenderloin, Cruz Bay papaya glazed chicken, curried chicken sauté and St. Lucia seafood pasta.
There is no shortage of desserts either: apple dumpling a la mode, Marina Cay mango sorbet, Key lime pie, Caribbean vanilla bean crème brûlée and a chocolate cake that would make even Paula Deen jealous — it is no easy decision. I would suggest ordering two separate desserts and sharing — that way everyone gets a nibble or two of each temptation.
Though a trek south down A1A to get there, Pusser’s is worth the drive. The best part of all is that no passport is required to eat and feel like you are dining on an island in the Caribbean. The only difference is no travel is required for this trip to the tropics — it’s in our own backyard.
