Harry & the Natives is a casual restaurant with an eclectic, old Florida ambiance. Popular with locals as well as seasonal residents, it was opened by Jack and Pauline MacArthur in 1952 as The Farm but was renamed when their son Harry, a chef, and daughter Paula took over in 1989. The walls are covered with humorous (and slightly risqué) wooden signs, and most nights there’s live music on the stage adjacent to the large tiki hut dining area.

Portions at Harry’s are generous, and the service is fast and friendly. Sunday brunch is very popular here. The menu includes everything from a Belgian waffle, to biscuits and gravy, to the more exotic gator hash with poached eggs. The lunch and dinner menus include an extensive assortment of sandwiches, including hot pastrami and mahi Reuben. There’s also a good variety of burgers available such as the Bistro burger (blackened, with bacon, grilled onions and Gorgonzola), the Hangover (bacon, over-up egg and maple mayonnaise) and yes, even a fresh-ground gator burger.

In search of some down-home Florida cooking, my husband and I stopped in for dinner recently. We shared a satisfying fried trio platter—a combo of chicken wings, coconut shrimp and house-made onion rings.

Adrienne, our enthusiastic server, praised the burgers, so I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with the works, which was juicy and flavorful. My husband opted for the prime rib (a Friday dinner special), which was perfectly cooked and nicely marbled. It came with soup or salad and a side.

As for dessert, Harry’s is known for their Key lime pie as well as their Mississippi mud pie. Though we didn’t have room to indulge this time, it gives us another good reason to return to Harry & the Natives very soon.

11910 SE Federal Highway, Hobe Sound; 772.546.3061; harryandthenatives.com

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