Hometown News Review

COCOA BEACH --- Strap on your bib and get ready to enjoy some great seafood when you visit Boston Beef & Seafood in Cocoa Beach. Boston Beef & Seafood is owned and operated by Charles Soffron, his wife Kimberly, daughters Hannah and Stella, and various other relatives. Bostonians like their seafood fresh and fried, and their beef cooked so slow it practically melts in your mouth. Fresh is the key word when it comes to describing the food. About the only thing you'll find frozen at this restaurant are the french fries, said Mr. Soffron.

In fact, the friendly restaurant owner is so serious about fresh seafood, he drives to the Orlando airport several times a week to pick up his next batch of seafood flown straight from his beloved Boston.

He's able to provide such fresh seafood because his family just happens to own a seafood company in Boston. And, he does have a slight edge on other local chefs because he just happened to grow up in a family that boasts the man who developed the "fried clams" of Howard Johnson fame.

"My grandfather came up with the concept of fried clams for HoJo's and helped them set up their first several hundred restaurants," Mr. Soffron said. "I think everyone I know spent part of their childhoods having fried clams at HoJo's on Friday nights."

He's right about that. I know my family always headed for the old Howard Johnson's in Melbourne for the Friday night clam test. The menu at Boston Beef & Seafood is packed with every kind of fried seafood including huge shrimp, scallops, oysters, belly clams and haddock and flounder.

The menu also includes the other Boston favorite of roast beef sandwiches that are served piled high on a bun with mayo, cheese and a special barbecue sauce from a favorite Boston restaurant that only he has been able to convince them to sell.

You'll also find burgers that are 100 percent steak burgers and a few chicken dishes such as wings, sandwiches and fingers. My husband and I visited on a Friday night so we could sample the Friday night lobster rolls the restaurant has become known around town for. But Mr. Soffron had other plans. In addition to the lobster rolls, he also whipped up a couple of bowls of his awardwinning clam chowder (his chowder won the "best of show" award at the recent Chowder Cook-off), a platter of fried seafood and a huge roast beef sandwich. He topped off the platters with homemade coleslaw, onion rings, french fries and tartar and cocktail sauce. Our entire table was covered with awesome food. And, I don't say that lightly. I've reviewed restaurants in Brevard County for more than 15 years and Boston Beef & Seafood served the best fried seafood I've ever eaten, anywhere. The batter is light and tasty and the seafood is fried to a nice golden brown. Every bite was another delight, but my favorites were the haddock (it was so flaky and light it was incredible), the shrimp and the scallops. My husband and I were so busy stuffing the fried seafood in our mouths we almost forgot all about the lobster rolls and the sandwich. But we managed to sample everything and the rumor around town is right, the lobster rolls were great. The soft grilled buns were stuffed full of fresh lobster in a light sauce with plenty of flavor. The beef sandwich, as I said before was equally as good with beef so tender it melted in my mouth. And the chowder was some of the best I've had in years.

My husband loved the fresh fried clams that were plump and juicy and the oysters. "Hey, I'm from Ipswich where clams are famous. What did you expect?" Mr. Soffron said with a big smile.

Other diners around us were just as pleased with their meals, all telling the family they would be back soon.