Tin Top’s laid-back, come-as-you-are atmosphere would never hint at the restaurant’s somewhat chaotic beginnings. When owner Bob Hallmark first opened Tin Top, the odds were stacked against him. Hurricane Ivan swept through barely a month after opening. Hurricane Katrina followed that. Then the market crashed a few years later. “At 50 years old, I opened the most failed business in the history of the business world: a restaurant,” he laughs. “And I opened on Friday the 13th.” All signs pointed to a short-lived restaurant. But it was just the beginning, and Tin Top is still going strong over 20 years later in Bon Secour.
And the demand is growing. After a move from its original location a few years ago, the restaurant thrives in its new perch on the Bon Secour River. With over 100 more seats than its previous location — not to mention beautiful water views and a time-tested menu — the restaurant is frequented by patrons riding up by boat and hopping out of cars for a meal. It’s a place as perfectly suited to enjoying drinks at the bar as it is to bringing the whole family for dinner. “Going into the move, I was hoping we could minimize the wait times a little,” says Hallmark. “That hasn’t happened. But it’s a good thing for us, and we’re proud to have people wanting to hang out for our food.”
Tin Top boasts what Hallmark likes to call “coastal soul seafood cuisine.” The sides lean into the soul food category, while seafood, steaks, sandwiches and pasta round out the entrees. Hallmark’s original focus upon opening was serving prime rib. Next, the restaurant began to age its own beef. Needless to say, both the surf and the turf options are plentiful. One of the bestselling dishes, the pecan-encrusted triggerfish, is served with a decadent house crawfish sauce. Oyster Fenton, the dish coined after Hallmark’s middle name, consists of sauteed oysters with steak butter and lemon, rosemary and pepper. If you’d like both oysters and steak, the Tender Fenton combines both. For dessert, the rich bread pudding is available in a few different flavors, and Hallmark swears by the key lime pie, which he says he would put against anyone else’s.
Throughout the years, Tin Top has been a go-to spot in Bon Secour, and with the new location, its popularity has only grown. “The word is definitely out, and I guess I’m riding a wave,” says Hallmark. “I’m humbled and appreciative.”
On the Menu
SAUTEED CRAB CLAWS
Available in half-pound or one-pound servings, these tender crab claws are sauteed in butter, then doused in a creamy alfredo sauce, topped with Parmesan and served with garlic bread.
TENDER FENTON
A unique combination of the best of sea and land, this dish features a 10-ounce filet topped with decadent oysters sauteed in steak butter with lemon, rosemary and pepper, and served with bread.
PECAN-ENCRUSTED TRIGGERFISH
The pecan coating gives this flaky fish the perfect amount of crunch and nutty flavor. The crawfish cream sauce is rich and indulgent, making for a perfectly balanced entree.
KEY LIME PIE
Freshly made by Tin Top’s pastry chef, this is not your ordinary key lime pie. It’s better. Vanilla wafer crust gives this dessert a fresh twist while the creamy key lime filling is the star of the show.
The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar • 17451 County Road 49 South, Bon Secour. 949-5086
Mon – Sat 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
