For years, whenever we have had a hankering for fresh seafood and a change of scenery, we have wandered south down A1A to the next barrier island -- a drive of only about 15 miles and not many more minutes -- and dined at Chuck’s, located just across the south bridge from Fort Pierce on Hutchinson Island.

Chuck’s has been there forever, looking out over the Fort Pierce inlet. Both the views and the food have for the most part been great. We still remember the night not many years ago, when we arrived just as the kitchen was negotiating the purchase of a four-pound Florida lobster. We ordered it within seconds of its acquisition by Chuck’s, and that stuffed lobster is on our list of all-time best.

The past few years have not been easy times for Chuck’s. Peter Angelos, who bought the restaurant in 1986, sold it in 2004 intending to retire. Only months later came the hurricanes, which took out the restaurant part of the ramshackle building, leaving only the bar behind. During the months of legal wrangling that followed, it looked like Chuck’s might not survive. Angelos took the restaurant back in December 2005, but the battles with local government continued.

For a couple of years, Angelos served dinners in a white wedding tent erected where the old dining room had been. Now, that troubled period seems close to over. A new elevated dining room – with a covered deck overlooking the inlet – has been open for a couple of months, and Chuck’s is once again back to a state of busy normalcy (with the no-longer-needed wedding tent offered for sale for $7,500 on a sign in the bar).

On a recent Wednesday evening, no signs of difficult economic times were evident with both Chuck’s new dining room and bar area filled with patrons at 8 pm.

On this occasion, for an appetizer I enjoyed a dozen steamed clams ($10.45) – medium sized, succulent clams just right for dipping in drawn butter. My husband, who started life in Boston and seems determined to sample every New England clam chowder in America, ordered a bowl of Chuck’s ($4), a tasty, creamy offering that contained more chopped clams than found in most restaurant preparations.

Following house salads, which are included with dinners, we passed up both the shrimp entrées (a Chuck’s specialty) and the stone crab claws (one pound for $27.95, a very good price), and sampled two seafood entrées from that night’s list of specials.

I ordered the stuffed flounder ($24.95), excellent fresh flounder with crabmeat stuffing served over fresh spinach topped with hollandaise.

My husband had the macadamia crusted snapper ($25.95), a large, perfectly sautéed piece of snapper served with an extremely tasty mandarin ginger sauce.

For dessert, we once again enjoyed Chuck’s very good Key Lime pie.

This is not a restaurant for those seeking some of the fancier dishes to be found in Vero. It is also not a place that demands fancy dress. Even in the new dining room, the atmosphere might charitably be described as casual, and the bar area – where many choose to have their dinners – is more informal yet.

But even though the tables may not be covered with linen, the food measures up to that found in our area’s white-table-cloth restaurants. Simply stated, Chuck’s is a good place to go for good seafood, simply prepared.

I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com .

The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.

Hours: 4-9 pm, Sunday through Thursday (closed Monday); 4-10 pm, Friday and Saturday

Bar: Full bar

Address: 822 Seaway Drive (at the eastern end of South Causeway Park)

Telephone: 772-461-9484

Review first published: January 29, 2009