Stinky's Fish Camp: 'It's just what we needed'

NAVARRE — Ed Baker sipped his beer and laughed at some of the men who sat with him at the bar of Stinky’s Fish Camp on Wednesday night.

Baker said Navarre’s newest restaurant on U.S. Highway 98 offers something for locals and tourists.

“Navarre really needed another oyster bar,” Baker said. “With a city the size of Navarre and with the tourists we get here, we needed a restaurant like this.”

Stinky’s Fish Camp offers fine dining in a casual atmosphere.

The wooden building features pool tables, video games and an eclectic mix of sea-themed decorations, from a large alligator to a small mermaid posed on a shelf behind the bar.

“It’s a beautiful building, the atmosphere is gorgeous. It’s just what we needed,” said Navarre resident Clark Duarte, who also was enjoying a beer Wednesday evening.

Chris Sehman, co-owner of the restaurant with Don Moore, said he wanted to repeat the success of Stinky’s Fish Camp on County Road 30A in Walton County in an attempt to bring in something to replace D’Won’s Bayou Buffet.

After consulting with Stinky’s on 30A’s owner Jim Richard, plans began to form.

“I knew this would be the perfect fit for Navarre,” Sehman said. “I liked Jim’s food and they always had really good service, so I bought the licensing rights and he’s been consulting and helping us train.”

The Navarre Stinky’s opened Feb. 2.

“We want people to know that, regardless of the name, Stinky’s offers high-quality food and high-quality service,” Richard said. “You will always be greeted with a smile.”

Richard said the key to creating Stinky’s in Santa Rosa County was to copy the popular elements of his Walton County restaurant: a comprehensive alcohol menu, a large craft beer selection and seafood options.

Patrons can order hand-breaded baskets with oysters, shrimp, fish, frog legs or catfish for $9.95 to $15.95. The menu also features po’ boys, appetizers an oyster bar and entrees that start at $14.95.

“I needed what he (Richard) was doing and now we have it in Navarre,” Sehman said. “I’m looking forward to a great spring season that continues onward.”