Dinner can begin under a live oak and continue up into its branches. This New Smyrna Beach restaurant has built its upper-level dining and bar areas around the tree itself, giving a meal the unusual pleasure of looking through oak leaves while settling in with a cocktail or a plate of seafood.
The upstairs space has the casual, open-air spirit many people want from a beach-town evening, but it is not all flip-flop informality. Natural wood, the canopy overhead and polished bar-and-dining details give the setting a more finished look. Downstairs, the main restaurant shifts to a modern, eclectic interior.
That split personality makes a visit easy to shape around the day. You might stop upstairs for an afternoon drink and a few appetizers, book dinner in the main restaurant, or make an evening of the treehouse with live music in the background.
A seat among the branches
The elevated treehouse area is the memorable choice for people who enjoy a restaurant with a little visual surprise. Dining at the top of a real tree changes the simple act of ordering dinner; the view is filtered through the live-oak canopy instead of a row of storefront windows.
It also works well for lingering. The second-floor bar is a natural place to take time over wine, spirits or cocktails, and the setting can carry a visit from an early round of drinks into dinner and dessert.
Live music is often presented in the treehouse area, adding some energy without changing the place into a full-blown concert venue. On a good evening, it gives the room a pleasant rhythm while conversation and dinner continue around it.
Start with zucchini bread
The signature zucchini bread appetizer is an especially good introduction to the kitchen's playful side. It lands in that savory-sweet territory that makes people joke about having dessert before dinner, yet it is served as the opening course rather than saved for the end.
For a more traditional seafood-first start, the choices include bacon-wrapped scallops, fish dip, calamari and she-crab soup. Stuffed mushrooms and escargot add a couple of old-school restaurant touches to a menu that otherwise ranges widely.
There are also lettuce wraps, Buffalo wings and truffle fries for a table that wants to graze before choosing entrées. The breadth is useful when one person has seafood on the mind and somebody else is quietly hoping for fries and a burger.
Seafood, steaks and a few substantial detours
Seafood drives much of the menu. Shrimp appears in several forms, while grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, sea scallops, salmon, grouper and the swordfish stack offer plenty of ways to go from light to hearty.
The almond-crusted grouper and seafood pot pie take the menu in two different directions: one is a polished coastal entrée, the other a comfort-food turn with seafood at the center. The Admiral Platter, served with green beans and a choice of side, is another option for anyone ready to commit to a generously seafood-focused plate.
Steak is not an afterthought here. A filet, ribeye and Gorgonzola ribeye give land-based diners a solid lane, and pork chop is another alternative. One particularly appealing detail alongside steak is the Yukon Gold potato cake, crisp around its edges rather than simply another scoop of mashed potatoes.
House sauces are a recurring strength, including a barbecue sauce that has earned special notice. The house salad with ranch is a simpler companion, but sometimes a straightforward salad, a steak and a well-made sauce are exactly the right answer.
A restaurant that can handle mixed company
This is not a seafood-only destination dressed up with a treehouse. Burgers, salads and appetizers keep the menu broad, and children's options include pizza. That gives a family table more room to order without everyone having to be equally enthusiastic about scallops.
The available seating adds to that flexibility. In addition to the downstairs dining room and elevated treehouse, the restaurant has bar seating, booths, counters, a patio or terrace, and a private dining room.
The patio is dog-friendly, and canine visitors have received water and a meal of their own. Families with very young children have also found thoughtful help with an infant car seat, including a sling provided during one visit. For guests managing dietary restrictions or allergies, the restaurant has shown care in handling requests, though specific needs are best confirmed directly.
Save room for the last course
Dessert keeps the menu from ending too seriously. The S'mores Brownie comes with ice cream, making it the choice for a table that wants chocolate, warmth and a little bit of campfire nostalgia without leaving the dining room.
Oreo cheesecake is another rich option. The Key Lime Pie goes in a brighter Florida direction, finished with a crunchy, cereal-like crumble that gives the familiar citrus dessert an extra bit of texture.
With music nearby and the tree canopy overhead, dessert is a sensible excuse not to rush off. A final drink at the bar can work just as well if the table has already devoted its appetite to scallops, steak or that first round of zucchini bread.
A few useful details before going
Free parking is available in the restaurant's lot, though the ease of finding a space can vary. Reservations are used by some diners, and the particular seating area requested can affect the arrangement, especially if the treehouse is the point of the outing.
The upstairs treehouse and patio-style areas are exposed to changing weather. Rain can alter the experience or lead to a move downstairs, so the main restaurant is more than a backup plan; it is a distinct room with its own contemporary character.
For a casual visit, the upstairs bar can be enough for cocktails, a salad and a shareable appetizer. For a longer meal, the menu has the range to take a table from bread and fish dip through steak, seafood and Key Lime Pie without running out of reasons to stay a little longer.