The bar is built on a screened-in porch right alongside beautiful Eastern Lake, offering guests a gorgeous view in a relaxed setting. During the cooler months, the screens are covered with glass windows to shield the cold air but not block a bit of the view. Order from the long, old-wood bar or grab a seat at one of the tables and take in the breeze, a sunset or a game on one of their many big-screen TVs.
In the spring of 2014 new owners Jill McDonald and Sandy Thomas purchased the Old Florida Fish House. During renovations they found this scenic spot on the lake was being used for storage and office space.
“We thought, what a waste of this amazing view,” McDonald said.
So, the two set to work remodeling the space and building a new bar. Much of the bar is built from sinker Cyprus logs, wood that fell off logging ships over a hundred years ago and has been sitting in the bottom of nearby rivers ever since.
“I just think that’s so cool,” McDonald said. “It really has a great feel in there.”
While Old Florida Fish House is only open for dinner, The Porch is open every day of the week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
McDonald, a longtime restaurant and bar owner, has always dreamed of moving to 30A and jumped at the chance to take over the Old Florida Fish House and move here permanently.
The Porch was used as a venue for the 30A Songwriters Festival and McDonald said she hopes to get more live music during the summer.
“This is a perfect locals’ hangout spot,” she said. “It’s laid back and in a great setting.”
