Malibu Jack's is a wonderful place to eat, be

NICEVILLE — The menu at Malibu Jack’s restaurant in Niceville features a little saga called “The Story of Malibu Jack.”

It’s a cute tale about a fella who grew up a beach bum, went off to college at the urging of his parents and wound up traveling the world before settling down to open a restaurant.

Somewhere, there may be a Malibu Jack just like the one the menu talks about. You won’t find him, however, at Malibu Jack’s in Niceville.

Our Malibu Jack is a Londoner by the name of Tim Mann who “took a wrong turn and ended up in Niceville.”

He’s a garrulous fella with a cool accent, a wonderful sense of humor and more stories than that other guy could hope to tell.

He also makes bangers and mash any American could love, whip up fish and chips like they do across the ocean and prepare chicken or seafood with an artist’s touch.

The food

Mann takes great pride in his cooking and says he loves people who enjoy food.

He changes his daily specials … well … daily to fix “whatever suits me fancy.”

It’s all good. So good.

We started with Italian bruschetta, which had some of those fancy ingredients on it that I usually steer clear of. But this bruschetta turned out to be wonderful, feta cheese, artichoke hearts and all.

My entrée, ordered from the daily specials menu, was a parmesan-crusted flounder topped with a shrimp salsa served with island rice. Cooked to perfection, the white meat was tender and tasty. The island rice was unique, to a bumpkin like me anyway, and very much to my liking.

The young lovely accompanying me went with the gourmet sausages with spinach and asiago cheese served with mashed potatoes and a red wine gravy.

This Mann would explain later, is his version of the English delicacy known as bangers and mash. He’d fancied up its description a bit to lure American diners.

The cook earned kudos for his work on whatever it was he wanted to call the dish.

And you can’t go wrong with either the deep-dish Key lime pie or the toffee crunch pie. Sorry, doc, man does not live by low-cholesterol diet alone.

The atmosphere

Malibu Jack’s is tucked back at the end of the North Light Yacht Club Marina off State Road 20.

There is indoor and outdoor seating, and the indoor seating is enhanced when the two huge, garage-like doors are opened so that every diner is looking out over Boggy Bayou.

Mann even thought to bring in rocks smoothed by years in an Arkansas stream to hold down blow away items when the wind and the big doors are up.

The place is a monument to the seafaring life. There’s a mermaid hanging from the ceiling and a beautiful mosaic of a leaping marlin behind the marble bar at the back of the building. Beer and wine are served, and there are televisions over the bar, but Mann says, “My emphasis is on food, not booze.”

Never before had I been urged to check out the bathrooms at a restaurant, but our darling server, Kim, told us the Malibu Jack’s facilities are a must-see.

She was right. I’ll leave it at that. Go to Malibu Jack’s and don’t leave without scoping out the john. Really.

Mann likes to have a good time. He said he’s going to have shrimp boils and music on Sundays. He said he had a party on July 4 that he, the Englishman, called a “loser’s party.” His location, he claimed, was the best spot in Niceville to watch fireworks.

The service

I felt like I was among friends. We spent most of the evening tipping coldies and swapping stories with Mann.

Kim, the server, and her sister were as enjoyable to visit with as Kim’s boss. And in another first, I got a hug from the waitress on the way out the door.

A final taste

Mann said when he relocated from England to Mary Esther six years ago, “I didn’t even know Niceville was on the water.”

He said he fell in love with the location on the bayou the minute he saw it.

“When I saw it I said ‘This is perfect, it really is,’ ” he said.

He’s been open now for about four months. He’s hoping between the military, the locals and business from the marina he can make a go of it.

Malibu Jack’s, Tim Mann’s Malibu Jack’s, is a wonderful place not only to eat, but also to spend time.

QuickBites

Location

113 John Sims Parkway west

Niceville

Telephone

678-2836

www.MalibuJacks.com

Hours

11 a.m. 9 p.m.

Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. 2 p.m.

Handicap accessibility

Good

Children’s menu

Will cook to please

Price range

Dinner specials

$9 to $12

Sandwiches and salads

$8 to $12

Entrees

$10 to $14

Payment

Major credit cards accepted