'Tis the season - stone crabs have arrived at Fins at Sharky's! Their claws are ready and waiting to be devoured, so join us for lunch or dinner and get crackin.'

Our supply is replenished daily, which ensures that we have the freshest stone crabs in Venice, FL. They come in fresh off the boat, then we cook them right up so they're ready and featured on the day's menu! We have appetizer and entrée options available to meet your degree of hunger.

Stone crabs are a Florida specialty. It’s not a trip to the Sunshine State without them, so make sure to stop in! We won’t mind if you come back for more, either. Stone crabs are paired best with a handmade craft cocktail or glass of fine wine and the best Gulf views on the Southwest Florida coast.

Did you know that it’s only legal to harvest Stone Crabs during a specific time of year? That’s why they’re not available year-round. Stone crab season runs from mid-October to mid-May. The harvest is closely monitored to maintain the crab’s population. However, only a stone crab's claws are harvested! They're released back into the water to grow their claws back for future seasons. 

Though commonly termed “Florida Stone Crabs,” the luxury catch can be found anywhere from Connecticut to Belize. They’re especially populous in the Gulf of Mexico and around the Bahamas, in addition to South Carolina and Georgia’s salt marshes.

Here are a few more fresh & flavorful fun facts about stone crabs:

1. Their official name is the Crustacea Subphylum.

2. Sea Turtles, Grouper and Horse Conch prey on stone crabs. Stone crabs, on the other hand, prey on other crustaceans like oysters, mollusks or worms.

3. Stone crabs lose their limbs! They grow back, though. The process is called “molting.” The claw becomes larger and stronger each time it grows back, but it can take as long as a year. Stone Crabs will lose a limb if it’s damaged by a human or predator, or if the crab becomes sick.

4. How do you know if a stone crab is male or female? Females are “wide” while males are “tall.” This means that the female will have a much wider and rounder abdomen as opposed to a male’s, which is longer and narrower. Only males can be harvested.

5. Females can only mate after a molt. The typical mating season is in the fall from September through November.

6. It’s extremely difficult to determine how old a stone crab is. So, its age is determined by how many times it has molted. It’s estimated that, in wild and unharvested populations, males live between 7 and 8 years while females live between 8 and 9 years.

7. A stone crab’s size is determined by the length of its “propodus,” the large and immobile part of its claw. The biggest stone crab ever found was 148.9 millimeters, which converts to 5.75 inches. Wow!

Fins at Sharky's is open daily from 12 to 10 p.m. and offers a seasonal and daily changing menu featuring fresh local ingredients. Lunch (12 to 3 p.m.) and dinner (4 to 10 p.m.) are served daily. Fins Frenzy, our daily Happy Hour featuring light bites and amazing drink specials, runs from 4 to 6 p.m.

We’ll see you soon for a FIN-tastic meal! We highly encourage making reservations - give us a call at 941-999-3467 or visit our website to reserve your table.

Have an event or party coming up in Venice, FL? Fins at Sharky's now offers an exquisite Catering Menu, so let us take care of the fare!

Our new menu is perfect for company and office events, wedding receptions, birthday parties, holiday parties and more. We can host your special gathering in our spacious private dining room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, or we can deliver the party to you. Give us a call at 941-999-3467 to start planning your next big event.

View our Catering menu online HERE.

Please note that orders must be placed at least 7 days in advance of the event. Pricing may vary and menu items are subject to availability.

Venice Pier Group restaurants reaffirm their promise to uphold the highest health, safety and sanitation standards.

Venice Pier Group, which operates waterfront dining destinations Sharky’s on the Pier, Fins at Sharky’s and Snook Haven in Venice, Fla., has been awarded the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) Seal of Commitment, a respected health, safety and sanitation honor.

The Seal of Commitment is the FRLA’s highest designation for hospitality safety and sanitation standards. Bearing this seal is Sharky’s, Fins and Snook Haven’s pledge to their employees, guests and community that each restaurant meets and exceeds the FRLA’s designated health, safety and sanitation standards. Less than 70 restaurants in the state of Florida have received this recognition, and the Venice Pier Group restaurants are the first to receive this honor in Venice.

Venice Pier Group’s goal in achieving this seal is to ensure that, upon walking through each restaurant’s doors, guests have the utmost confidence that the establishment is safe, sanitized, and that its employees are well-trained to uphold these standards in a post-COVID-19 atmosphere.

“We have always believed safety and sanitation within Venice Pier Group to be a top priority and have held our standards well above the requirements of the industry,” said Justin Pachota, President of Venice Pier Group. “This is just another way for the public to know that where they are eating has been certified as the highest level of cleanliness.”

The FRLA Seal of Commitment achievement comes on the heels of the Venice Pier Group restaurants being recognized as the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in the Hospitality and Tourism category.

To qualify for the Seal of Commitment, Sharky’s, Fins and Snook Haven each underwent a thorough site inspection and had to meet designated restaurant health, safety and sanitation standards. Additionally, Venice Pier Group had to meet specific employee certification criteria, meaning that each employee holds a current food handler certificate and all managers have a current food manager certificate. Furthermore, all 265 Venice Pier Group employees attended and completed an FRLA COVID-19 Safety and Sanitation Course.

“The training provided not only focuses on the importance of safety and sanitation but also on how to create a great experience for our guests while managing those priorities,” Pachota said. “It reminds all of us our every action towards each individual can impact the guest and each other.”

The Seal of Commitment reaffirms the elevated health and safety initiatives Venice Pier Group set in place since reopening for dine-in services in May. The group’s standard operating procedures are of the highest level of safety and sanitation and include the following measures: screening employees and performing temperature checks daily, requiring all employees to wear face masks, highly encouraging guests to wear face masks while moving about the restaurant, providing single-use menus and digital access to menus via QR code, sanitizing common-touch surfaces between guests and nightly using hospital-grade disinfectant, sanitizing and replacing all condiments, salt & pepper shakers and other tableside accessories between guests, and adhering to all social distancing guidelines by spacing indoor and outdoor tables at least six feet apart, limiting bar seating capacity and installing barriers between booths.

Sharky’s on the Pier, located at 1600 Harbor Drive South, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Live entertainment plays at Sharky’s on Thursday through Sunday evenings, weather-permitting. Fins at Sharky’s, located at 1600 Harbor Drive South, is open daily from 12 to 10 p.m. and hosts a daily happy hour, Fins Frenzy, from 4 to 6 p.m. Snook Haven, located at 5000 E. Venice Avenue, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Canoe and kayak rentals are available Wednesday through Sunday at Snook Haven from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Photo Credit: The Scout Guide Sarasota)

“Lime Green Gin”
Milk-washed Plymouth Gin, green chartreuse, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, Aperol candy and a lime wedge garnish.

Fins had the pleasure of competing for the fourth year at the Sarasota-Manatee Originals “Set the Bar” Competition in Sarasota, FL! This time around, we competed in the Gin Category. Though we didn’t take home the gold medal, we had a blast standing alongside renowned local restaurants doing what we all do best.

The competition was tough, and each cocktail creation was stellar. The event benefitted the Child Protection Center, and it was an honor to support such a great cause. We’d like to thank everyone who came out to the event and voted. We hope you had as much fun as we did! And, we wanted to give a huge shout out to the Sarasota-Manatee Originals for planning, hosting and operating the event.

We call our house-made cocktail “Lime Green Gin,” which was crafted with milk-washed Plymouth Gin, green chartreuse, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, Aperol candy and a lime wedge garnish.

It was as bright green as its name and, yes – the Gin was “washed” with milk.

How does that work?

And, more importantly, what does that do?

Milk-washing is an age-old concept! It was often used in a classic recipe for “milk punch” in the 1700’s and 1800’s. Alcohol was mixed with the cocktail ingredients, then the concoction was added to hot, near boiling milk. Once the milk curdled, the mixture was strained in order to remove the curds.

Voila – a milk-washed cocktail.

Milk-washing results in visual clarification and overall preservation of the cocktail. The process removes most of the drink’s color and fogginess while it ensures that it’s protected from spoiling. The curds are what filter the cocktail, not what it’s strained through! If the milk-washed cocktail is stored correctly and kept cool, it can last for months.

During that time, alcohol was considered to be “rougher,” and milk-washing was able to help tone down its sharp – and harsh – flavor. When the process is over, the drink is much softer and clearer with a subtle milky feel to it. This is because milk-washing strips out the alcohol’s tannins, and tannins are what gives alcohol that jarring, astringent-like taste.

Today, milk-washed cocktails are not only a must-experience drink for guests, they make serving easy on bartenders – especially in high-volume and high-demand environments. For speed and efficiency’s sake, these cocktails can be crafted in large batches ahead of time and stored safely for future use. This also helps maintain the cocktail’s consistency, so each guest receives the same experience.

The next time you’re at Fins at Sharky's, ask for a Lime Green Gin and let us know what you think! We think you’ll love it. Fins is open daily for lunch (12 to 3 p.m.) and dinner (4 to 10 p.m.). We also serve craft cocktails, fine wines, locally-brewed craft beer and fresh, hand-rolled sushi from open to close! We highly encourage making reservations to minimize your wait time. Give us a call at 941-999-3467 or reserve your table online. If you’re in the mood for craft cocktail specials and lite bites, join us for our daily happy hour, Fins Frenzy, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.