Grill's Seafood

By Tobin Bennison

They say the best way to judge a restaurant is by the customers it draws.
It’s a good principle to eat by, and one that can always be relied on when dining guides and Food Network recommendations so often fail. No Zagat or Michelin approval carries quite the same weight as seeing a large Italian American family enjoying pasta in a streetside trattoria or watching a line of hungry Mexican workers form outside a nondescript burrito joint.

There’s a reason why on any given day at Grills you’ll see hungry, weathered fishermen hunched over plates of steaming seafood on the outdoor deck. If anyone knows an expertly cooked fish, they do. And no matter how well it’s grilled or how tasty the marinade, a local fisherman will always appreciate Grills’ insistence on using only the freshest catch.

It should come as no surprise then, that owner Joe Penovich built Grills on 15 years experience in the charter fishing business. Despite having no formal restaurant experience, Penovich nurtured his dream of one day opening an eatery devoted to the flavors he discovered during his many travels.

“I was just out of college when I started delivering boats and taking part in fishing tournaments,” he says. “I was in the Bahamas and the Caribbean often and I was exposed to a lot of different foods and restaurants. I was always eating fish cooked in ways I’d never seen before.”

It was while working as a mate during a voyage to Venezuela that the boat’s chef cooked a freshly caught, 175-lb. swordfish on a dockside grill. That meal proved to be a defining moment for the young Penovich. “That was a catalyst for me,” he recalls. “When I later got involved in charter fishing here (in Cape Canaveral), customers were always asking me to recommend a good seafood place in the area. There simply weren’t any that stood out around here. I looked back on my past seafood experiences and imagined bringing that into a restaurant format at some point.”

Penovich put his dream on hold while he researched recipes and techniques. “I kept formulating recipes, asking questions and watching people cook. I played around with grilling fish, and through trial and error I found some things that worked.” He’d often invite customers back to his house to prepare fish with friends and family. “I found that many people didn’t even like fish because of poor first impressions. Back then, many locals had never heard of things like seared tuna or sushi. They’d never even had grilled fish for that matter,” laughs Penovich. “If it was grilled, it was usually too dried out to fully enjoy. Most fish was being cooked in a skillet on a stove-top.”

Eventually, through the aid of some loyal charter customers and the enlistment of longtime friend Chris Herrnkind, Penovich was able to bring his dream to fruition in July of 1997. “Chris and I really had no preconceived notions about how to run a place,” he admits. “All we knew was good food: fresh, consistent, high-quality dishes.” This devotion to excellence helped make Grills the popular beachside fixture it is today –- and transformed the face of the Port.

Locals hardly need convincing that Grills serves up some of the best seafood in the area. Yes, it’s always a good spot to take visitors, and it’s great for a laugh as you watch “the boat ramp follies” from their deck, but few residents remember what a great family-friendly eatery it is –- any time of the day or week. And even if you’re an avowed ichthyophobe, the people at Grills take your fears to heart and allay them twofold: by removing the “fishiness” you were scarred by from one too many processed fish sticks or that day-old flounder you over broiled, and by offering many other dishes that rival their renowned seafood items.
And those seafood choices come in vast, delectable schools: sushi (tuna, shrimp and California rolls), expertly seared tuna (spiced with either pepper or sesame seeds), fish and clam chowders (including a popular spicy Bahamian variety), shrimp, lobster, snow crab, clams, bacon-wrapped scallops, shark, and only the freshest, finest quality local “fish of the day” –- everything from tuna, cobia, wahoo, grouper and mahi. Rest assured that if it can’t be obtained fresh or doesn’t meet Grills exacting standards, it simply won’t be served. “I’d never put out a dish that I wouldn’t eat myself or serve my own family,” says manager Herrnkind. “Even people who claim not to like fish, love the fish we serve.”

As its name proudly confirms, Grills’ forte is island-style grilled fish; you’ll find nothing fried here. Whether it’s the trademark fish sandwich and fish reuben or one of their seafood specialty entrees, each is informed by Penovich’s broad culinary travels. Along with a selection of tasty kabobs (which can be added to any entrée) and a generous surf and turf combination, Grills offers 7 oz. steak filets, 12 oz. Delmonicos, sirloin, great hamburgers, classic sandwiches, chicken, and phenomenal grilled ribs, defying the old adage that land critters should never be ordered from a reputable seafood restaurant. In fact, Grills reputation as rib and steak experts has been growing apace.

What many people don’t know is that Grills also serves wonderful breakfasts seven days a week. Choose from breakfast burritos, heaping combos, tilapia and eggs, breakfast sandwiches, generous classics like eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, pancakes and specialty omelets, including a signature omelet filled with crab meat, shrimp, melted cheeses, chives and mushrooms and topped off with a Caribbean-style Hollandaise sauce.

Whenever you decide to go, Penovich, Herrnkind and the loyal Grills crew (comprised of friendly cooks, servers and bartenders) ensure excellent meals and a great, sun-filled time. “We’re always trying to move forward,” Penovich says. “I’ve learned that you have to keep a restaurant ‘living’ and growing. If you’re not looking forward, you’ll be going backward.” To that end, Penovich focuses on details and improvements like modern, pristine bathrooms, creative landscaping and, most recently, the inclusion of 29 new tables for the indoor dining area airbrushed by local artist/musician Chuck Crawford and built by Joe Twombly and Mike Meyer of Twombly’s Nautical furniture.

But if you’re looking for reasons to re-visit Grills (or even try it out for the first time), don’t just trust the palates of seasoned, local fishermen. Trust the steady stream of residents, tourists and families who’ve made it one of the Space Coast’s top dining destinations.

Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar is located at 505 Glen Cheek Dr.; Sunrise Marina in Port Canaveral. The waterfront eatery is open for breakfast 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., with lunch/dinner service beginning at 11 a.m. Apart from the draw of the popular dockside tiki bar and a wealth of tropical specialty drinks (as well as a full liquor selection and beer and wine), people come for the wide array of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, wraps, desserts, and steak and seafood entrees. View their entire menu on Grills website:www.visitgrills.com. Enjoy live music on the deck Wednesday through Sunday. Check the Resident Entertainment Calendar for details or call Grills at (321) 868-2226. Watch the fishing fleets head out and return from the comfort of their sunny deck or book your own fishing trip aboard the nearby Obsession Charters www.fishobsession.com; 453-3474 or 1-888-FISH-FLA).