#Snook haven park venice full#

VPG also owns Snook Haven’s famed Venice sister restaurants, Sharky’s on the Pier – which was voted as Florida’s No.

And, in early 2013, the restaurant reopened under its current management team, Venice Pier Group. The camp was complete with a boat ramp and a cook shack, which became the birthplace of our current restaurant! Since then, the Florida landmark has gained notoriety as one of the finest examples of “Old Florida” on the state’s Gulf Coast.Īfter the Myakka River was designated as one of Florida’s two “wild and scenic rivers” in 1987, Sarasota County purchased the property in 2006 and inducted it into its Parks system to further protect Snook Haven’s rustic beauty. He built a river house and five additional cabins along the riverfront, which still stand today.Īfter changing ownership multiple times throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Snook Haven was opened to the public in 1988 as a fishing camp. Seeking a private fishing camp, a New England entrepreneur who made his fortune as a “gentlemen’s products” manufacturer took over the property. The same striking, yet practical, characteristics that made Snook Haven the perfect location for the nefarious activities of smugglers and spirited ventures of Hollywood producers set the state for the site’s next occupants. The area became a staging site for film crews shooting multiple films, including the 1931 French Foreign Legion classic “Prestige” and 1938’s “Tarzan’s Revenge” starring Glenn Morris and Eleanor Holm. Its picturesque “Old Florida” landscape designated it as the perfect stateside location for filming exotic jungle movies. Sometime during this period, a Hollywood studio location scout stumbled upon Snook Haven. With additions of a still to produce moonshine and a mule path to distribute the felonious goods, Snook Haven’s most colorful role as a community watering hole was set in motion.

Just upstream from the Gulf of Mexico and located on a remote peninsula, Snook Haven’s concealed grounds became the ideal place for the property’s initial occupants to land and ship their illegal stock to a thirsty Floridian population. Seeking to unload contraband during the Prohibition era of the late 1920s and early 1930s, a league of smugglers discovered a hidden refuge along the shores of the Myakka River. The tables are adjacent to our main stage, which is a go-to option when live music is in session. You can also order from the window at the counter and take a seat at the picnic tables underneath our massive Spanish moss-draped oaks.

#Snook haven park venice full#

Of the 16 drafts we offer, many of them are locally brewed around Sarasota and feature favorites from JDubs, Motorworks and Big Top breweries, among others.įeel free to opt for full service by grabbing a table on the deck or patio with fantastic Myakka River views, or sit inside for some much-needed air conditioning. Lastly, don’t forget to check out our plethora of draft and canned beers. And, it’s not a visit to Snook Haven unless you start things off with an order of our signature Gator Bites, a true Florida favorite. In the mood for seafood? Not to worry, we offer multiple fish or shrimp dishes. Our Original, Sweet, Spicy Whiskey and Carolina Mustard sauce blends will cater to any taste.

We recommend you drench them in our house-made and well-loved BBQ sauces. Out comes juicy, flavorful and fulfilling meats, including popular options like pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef brisket, ribs and wings. We prep all of our meats on-site and smoke them in our state-of-the-art smoker daily. Snook Haven features an extensive smokehouse-style menu.