Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille has celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Jungle Terrace restaurant in St. Petersburg. Nestled on the waterfront on Boca Ciega Bay, right off Bay Pines Boulevard, the restaurant opened in late 2022, quickly becoming a popular destination for prime sunsets, sea breezes and Doc Ford’s award-winning Caribbean Rim-inspired food and refreshing cocktails.
“As the newest addition to our family, the Jungle Terrace location introduced even more residents and Florida visitors to Doc Ford’s great food and legendary hospitality,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, the parent company of Doc Ford’s and Dixie Fish Company. “For 20 years now, the Doc Ford’s name has been synonymous with bringing people and the community together and creating exceptional guest experiences.”
The Jungle Terrace restaurant, at 8790 Bay Pines Blvd., is the fourth Doc Ford’s location and the second in St. Pete, joining the St. Pete Pier restaurant, which opened in 2020 and was named the No. 1 restaurant in the country on Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats.
Beloved for mouth-watering sauces, spices and fresh seafood, including its signature Yucatan shrimp, Doc Ford’s celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023. Inspired by the title character of Southwest Florida author Randy Wayne White’s novels, the original restaurant opened on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida in 2003 and expanded to a second location in nearby Fort Myers Beach in 2009.
A local favorite for residents and visitors alike, Doc Ford’s is committed to ongoing growth and serving the community, supporting a number of important causes. Doc Ford’s has raised $1.2 million for the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel since founding the “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament in 2012. Its four restaurants have donated over $123,000 to Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers and John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete through the sales of specialty drinks.
HM Restaurant Group owns and operates Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the award-winning restaurants are renowned for delivering a legendary guest experience.