FishBones

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Fire Meets the Sea

FishBones in Lake Mary has earned its place among America's Top Ten Seafood Restaurants the straightforward way: by doing things right rather than easy, for three generations. The family-owned restaurant, part of the Talk of the Town group and led locally by Operating Partner Matthew Howell, holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — recognition that reflects the same standard applied to every plate that leaves the kitchen.

The philosophy is simple and uncompromising. Six species of just-caught seafood are flown in daily from the oceans of the world. USDA Prime and Choice beef is aged on-site for four to six weeks, then hand-cut daily by the management team. Everything that hits the grill — fish or steak — goes over a custom-built wood-fired pit burning Florida citrus and oak at 1,200 degrees. That fire is not a detail; it is the kitchen's defining tool.

What's on the Menu

The seafood program covers serious ground. Wild Alaskan Halibut arrives garlic-panko encrusted with beurre blanc; Gulf Grouper is pan-fried Française with capers; Faroe Island King Salmon is cedar-planked with a parmesan red onion aioli. Australian Lobster Tail can be broiled with lemon drawn butter or fried with orange blossom honey. The 1974 Original Fried Shrimp — made fresh the moment the ticket enters the kitchen — has clearly been on the menu long enough to earn its own timestamp.

On the steakhouse side, the wood-fired cuts run from an 8 oz Center Cut Filet Mignon to an 18 oz USDA Prime New York Strip, with Colorado Lamb Chops and a weekend-only 23-hour Slow Roasted Prime Rib rounding out the list. A dedicated sushi bar — offering rolls like the Lady Dragon and Spicy Double Tuna — adds another dimension that keeps the menu from feeling like a single-note operation.

The wine list, recognized by Wine Spectator, is extensive enough to complement both the seafood and the steakhouse selections with equal ease.

The Room and the Experience

The atmosphere draws on Key West — lively, warm, and relaxed without being casual in the wrong way. There is outdoor seating, a bar with daily happy hour, and several private and semi-private dining rooms available for business events, social gatherings, or catered occasions. The special events team brings over 40 years of experience to any format.

For a restaurant that has been refining the same core commitment across generations, FishBones manages to feel current rather than comfortable — a place where the seafood is genuinely fresh, the steaks are genuinely aged, and the fire under everything is genuinely real.