Captain Charlie's Original Reef Grill

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Neighborhood Tradition Built on Fresh Catch and Good Wine

Ross Matheson and his wife Mary Beth opened Captain Charlie's Original Reef Grill in 1989, just two years after relocating from Toronto — where Ross had already proven himself running the successful Duchess of Markham. Arriving in Juno Beach, he saw something others had overlooked. "This area is one of the biggest fruit and vegetable producers in the country," Ross has said, "and with an ocean full of fish outside your back door, the food here should be spectacular." More than three decades later, that conviction still drives every plate that leaves the open kitchen.

Floridian Seafood Done Right

The menu at Captain Charlie's leans into its geography. The kitchen works with local catch that shifts with the season, keeping the Floridian seafood on the plate as fresh and honest as the setting demands. Guests have praised everything from the fresh fish preparations and tuna sliders to the soups, coleslaw, and even the chicken wings — a range that speaks to a kitchen that takes the whole menu seriously, not just the headline dishes.

The Wine List That Keeps Earning Its Stripes

One of the most quietly impressive aspects of Captain Charlie's is the wine program. Ross hand-picks each pairing depending on available catch and time of year — an approach that earned the restaurant the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence nineteen times over. For a laid-back beach spot, that kind of sustained recognition is remarkable, and first-time visitors are routinely surprised by both the depth of the list and the reasonable pricing.

The People Behind the Experience

The restaurant's longevity owes as much to its team as to its founding vision. Chef Ryan Hritz now leads the kitchen and management, supported by a crew — Andrea, Kristen, Taylor, and Warren — that regulars mention by name in their reviews. The open kitchen, the easy atmosphere worthy of Juno Beach's coastal pace, and the consistency that keeps guests coming back since the 1990s all reflect an operation that has never needed to reinvent itself, because it got the fundamentals right from the start.