Before you have a meal at Hogfish Grill, you must first wrap your mind around an apparently difficult concept — the name. It's a pun. Though a hogfish is a prevalent type of Florida snapper, the restaurant's concept of "deep-sea barbecue" soon brings another kind of hog to mind. In addition, do not confuse Hogfish with Mystic Fish, Rattlefish or, God forbid, Bonefish. This last one is the leviathan that seems to cause the most confusion with our friend Hogfish. Let me set the record straight. Bonefish Grill is an upscale seafood franchise co-owned by the casual steakhouse chain Outback. Hogfish Grill is a casual barbecue-cum-fish house developed by Frank Chivas, the man responsible for upscale eateries like the Salt Rock Grill and Island Way. Far more humble than his other endeavors, Hogfish Grill retains a flair for trends while delving into the homey, traditional world of the smoke pit. It's not your granddaddy's barbecue, but he may not notice the difference.Situated on the site of former Clearwater institution Young's Pit Bar-B-Q, The Hogfish Grill has been redesigned into a sleek, modern take on a log cabin, complete with gorgeous woodwork, elegant sinks, brushed steel and an array of sepia-toned prints extolling the adventurous (but devoted) life of cowboys and their adorable cowdogs. The dining area is large and has a tendency to get noisy, but seats a surprisingly small amount of people considering how large the restaurant looks from the outside. Overflow is welcome to dine on the attached patio, which looks out over … the intersection at Gulf-to-Bay and Starkey/Keene.
The drink menu has a few cocktails and a wine list organized by appropriate pairings with menu items, but I was intrigued by the beer selection: more than two dozen choices, both bottled and on tap.
Hogfish offers several appetizers, including a generously proportioned if rather bland dish of mussels ($4.99). Priced to move, the pot of seafood delivered several dozen mussels steamed in a dishwater-cloudy broth that held none of the promised "flash of key lime tequila" nor any of the flavor expected from the cloves of garlic floating in the pot. Much better was the sample trio of stews (tasting bowls of Brunswick stew, pork chili and seafood gumbo for $3.99). My favorite was the sweet Brunswick stew (I discovered Hogfish used simple sugar), though it lacked the traditional vinegar kick. The pork chili was tasty and perfectly serviceable, and the chunky seafood gumbo had the requisite smokehouse flavor and Louisiana kick. Each stew benefited by bite-by-bite comparison to the other two, and I thought the sampler platter was a much more interesting approach than the average "cup of soup."
By far the most interesting appetizer proved to be the BBQ shooter (99 cents). Touted as a "personal BBQ experience," the shooter was a mini-parfait of pulled pork, beans, coleslaw and sauce. Though I didn't "shoot it," I found a fork worked just as well. The shooter gave me a taste of what to expect in the entrées, and whetted my appetite for more barbecue.
The restaurant's entrée salads ($5.99/half, $8.49/full) are a standard affair, with a mountain of not-so-trendy chopped iceberg and romaine topped with the usual suspects: grilled chicken, blue cheese crumbles and bacon on one, corn, beans, tortilla strips and turkey on another.
To get the most out of the menu's barbecue entrées, I ordered the combo platter of smoked beer can chicken, St. Louis-style barbecue ribs and pulled pork ($14.99). Of the mix, I liked the smoked chicken best (though I'll admit it took me a moment to get over the rosy color of smoked poultry — it's thoroughly cooked, folks, it's just pink). The ribs didn't have enough meat on them for my taste and the pulled pork, though it possessed a subtle smokiness, was overwhelmed by the sharp, sour barbecue sauce that smothered the meat. I definitely preferred the pork that had avoided the sauce bombardment. A side of baked beans had an altogether more pleasant barbecue flavor. The entrée also came with a little bowl of coleslaw, which was passable, though it fared better when part of the small "shooter" mixture.
Another entrée, the meatloaf ($7.99), was served in a sizzling iron skillet topped with a tomato-based sauce, creamy mashed potatoes and crispy fried onion straws. Though flavorful enough, the meatloaf was a tad dry near the bottom where it wasn't doused with sauce or potatoes.
Unsurprisingly, the best entrée on the menu proved to be the pecan-crusted hogfish ($9.99). With sweet crushed pecans and the mild white flesh of perfectly grilled snapper, the dish had me in hog heaven. A "tower" of sweet potato mash sandwiched between layers of fried green tomatoes served as an inventive side dish whose tart/sweet mix provided both complexity and a gourmet-Southern flair.
Other side dishes with panache were the cone of deep-fried okra poppers with a side dish of spicy aioli ($1.99 for a good-size pile) and the stunning corn bread mini-muffins topped with gooey melted cinnamon butter (99 cents/half-dozen, $1.99/dozen). The texture and tastiness of these beautiful babies made me long for more baked goods on the menu.
I didn't have long to wait. Hogfish Grill reprised its shot-glass approach with dessert, and I tasted brownie sundaes, dirt cake and peach cobbler a la shooter for $1.69 per shot. The oversized shot glasses provided the perfect few bites for a diner stuffed to the gills with hogfish, and I managed to satisfy my sweet tooth without breaking the bank or the belly.
Hogfish is still a young restaurant, and between filling the traditional shoes occupied by Young's while also appealing to the audience likely to be drawn in by its connection to Frank Chivas' other endeavors, it'll be an upstream swim. But despite a few menu missteps, I think the little fish is up for the battle. Deep sea barbecue. Considering the area's (a) proximity to the ocean and (b) Southern roots, the idea is a no-brainer. With a premise that can't be beat and prices designed to appeal to wallets of all sizes, Hogfish is well-poised to distinguish itself. The "sampler" and "shooter" approach indicated a willingness to experiment with the menu, as well as play around with the mini-courses so popular at all the tapas joints springing up like mushrooms around town. Such innovation and whimsy will serve it well.
Freelance writer Diana Peterfreund dines anonymously and the Planet pays for her meals. She may be contacted at diana.peterfreund@weeklyplanet.com. Restaurants are chosen for review at the discretion of the writer, and are not related to advertising.
This article appears in Aug 25-31, 2004.