Fish and chips wins the trifecta at waterfront restaurant specializing in seafood

Often considered Britain’s national dish, fish and chips can easily be found on the menus of many Treasure Coast restaurants. England touts cod as the fish of choice for this main dish, but here on the Treasure Coast you’ll also find other varieties of sweet and tender fish.

While it’s important to consider the quality of the fish, many say the real trick is in the batter. Others say you can have great fish and batter, but it’s the oil — the cleanliness and temperature — that’s the key. I guess everyone is important.

I was served fish bathed – not once, not twice, but sometimes even three times – in a thick, lumpy batter before being fried. In these cases, it looks like a huge portion of fish falling onto the plate. Unfortunately, when eating it, the coating breaks and the portion of fish itself is not as impressive.

Don’t worry about all that at Blackfins Riverfront Grill, located in Capt Hiram’s Resort in Sebastian. Blackfins have absolutely mastered all three: fish, batter and oil.

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Diners’ choice of fish is delicately dipped in a savory beer batter and fried, resulting in a light, crisp and flavorful finish to the Blackfins Fish and Chips ($18). I chose soft, flaky mahi with fried potatoes (chips) and tangy coleslaw. Brilliant, as the British would say!

One of my guests had a fried cod sandwich ($15) made in the same delicious batter and served on a bun with lettuce, tomato and onion. Shamefully, but perhaps understandably, we were both caught talking with our mouths full!

The third diner at our table ordered stuffed flounder ($26) and was initially disappointed when it was served. The seemingly tiny fish starter was dwarfed by the large baked potato. Our unfazed server, Matt D., sensed the disappointment and offered to bring something else instead.

But after his initial heartbreak, my guest was glad he stuck with his original choice. Thin fillets of flounder were beautifully cooked after being stuffed with crab and rolled up tightly. Frankly, just a little more crab stuffing would have created a more impressive overall perception, but the taste was impeccable.

An order of crab toast ($12) had been a delicious appetizer for our party of three, providing two pieces of delicious, crispy, cheesy toast per person.

The vibe at Blackfins Riverfront Grill is casual and very Florida casual, with a large outdoor dining area on the edge of the Indian River Lagoon with beautiful water views. On this sweltering early Sunday evening, we chose to sit in the smallest air-conditioned space equipped with televisions to watch a game.

The Capt Hiram resort has bars, beaches and live bands if you want to have a drink before or stay after. There’s even a little shop called “Boatique” where I found one or two silly little gifts.

Blackfins Riverfront Grill

Maribeth Renne dines anonymously at TCPalm’s expense for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at maribeth.d.renne@gmail.com

This article originally appeared in Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant Review: Blackfins in Capt Hirams is on the Sebastian waterfront