Openings: Okeechobee Steakhouse welcomes a classic seafood restaurant to the family

When the pandemic devastated his catering operations, Okeechobee Steakhouse owner Ralph Lewis dusted off an old dream he had for his event hall and catering space: a traditional fish house in the style of his iconic West Palm Beach restaurant.

The dream came to life last week, when Lewis opened Okeechobee Prime Seafood.

The 138-seat seafood restaurant has transformed the spacious building that sits behind the Lewis family’s steakhouse, which is deemed to be the oldest in Florida.

But preparing the restaurant to open had its own tremendous challenges, says Lewis. The pandemic-related shutdowns delayed supplies, equipment and building materials, he says.

“There were times when I didn’t think it was going to happen. It’s been stressful for myself, my wife and my parents, and it has definitely been a challenge for my managers and staff,” says Lewis, who hired 60 new employees for the seafood restaurant.

The renovation process on the former catering space and adjacent storage structure uncovered some long-buried treasures that would lend a more retro feel to the project. The old storage structure, known for more than 70 years as “The Barn,” was built by Lewis’ grandfather Ralph in 1950 to store the restaurant’s wood and charcoal. In 1975, the 700 square-foot structure became a storage unit for the growing steakhouse.

The Barn made its debut last week as a casual, open-air dining space that serves as a lounge area for customers waiting for tables at the new seafood restaurant or at the steakhouse. With a seating capacity of 48, it also will be a place for a quick drink or appetizer.

“We left the exposed ceiling in The Barn to give it that old look,” says Lewis.

More: Okeechobee Steakhouse family to open a traditional seafood restaurant

The ceiling look wasn’t the only vintage thing Lewis and his crew rediscovered in The Barn.

“We found some old milk cans that have been hanging in there since the 1960s, some old meat hooks from the 1950s and some vintage condiment racks to put on the tables,” says Lewis.

He says the “old memorabilia” stash helped reinforce the classic style he had in mind for Okeechobee Prime Seafood.

“We wanted to keep it as true as we could,” says Lewis, who had opened the catering and events space in 2017, when demand for those services was high.

Keeping it true to tradition also goes for the menu. Expect a range of fish and seafood offered in classic, fine-dining preparations.

“We’re sourcing as much local fish as we can. And although we’re a seafood-centric restaurant, we’ll have a couple of our legendary steaks on the menu,” says Lewis.

Indeed, he put Okeechobee Steakhouse’s filet mignon and cowboy steak (a Prime dry-aged, bone-in rib-eye) on the seafood restaurant’s menu. He knows many die-hard Okeechobee fans will expect some turf with their surf.

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Okeechobee Prime Seafood

Located at: 2888 Shawnee Ave. (behind Okeechobee Steakhouse), West Palm Beach

Hours: Monday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m., Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m.

The Barn, an open-air space that sits next to the seafood restaurant and behind the steakhouse, offers drinks and appetizers Monday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m., Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m.

Parking: Free valet service is available as well as self-parking. Pull up behind the steakhouse to find the valet.

About the Okeechobee family: The Okeechobee Steakhouse family of food concepts includes the 74-year-old steakhouse, the Okeechobee Prime Meat Market, which sits across a side-street from the steakhouse, and Okeechobee Prime Barbecue, located in the meat market's parking lot.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Okeechobee Steakhouse opens seafood restaurant in West Palm Beach