12A BUOY

12A BUOY is a quiet keeper — an A kitchen, 91/100, no fuss, last checked March 5, 2026.

On health score it's safer than 44% of St. Lucie County restaurants we grade. Diners rate it 4.5 from 4,237 reviews. Cuisine: Seafood. Menus here flag dairy-free, keto, paleo, healthy, and other dietary options.

Get directions Call (772) 672-4524

Restaurant details

Health grade
A (91/100)
Violations
5 total — 2 intermediate, 3 basic
Address
22 FISHERMANS WHARF, Fort Pierce, FL
Cuisine
Seafood
Categories
Seafood restaurant, Restaurant
Price
$20–30
Rating
4.5 stars (4237 reviews)
Seats
105
Phone
(772) 672-4524
Website
Official website
Photo of 12A BUOY
Photo: Geoff Moore

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.5 Community-sourced rating 4,237 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

Diners writing about this place keep returning to service. Reviewers who mention service rate this place 4.3 on average — it is working in the restaurant’s favour. Whether food comes out hot follows at 26% of reviews, where ratings average 4.0.

Older reviews score better than newer ones (4.2 recent against 4.8 earlier), so direction is worth weighing alongside the average. If you had to pick one number to represent this corpus it would be 5, the most frequently given rating (12 reviews). Behind those, what it costs is raised in 26% of reviews (4.0 average).

Against that, the kitchen inspects well — an A (91/100), 2 intermediate and 3 basic violations at the most recent DBPR visit. DBPR last walked in on March 5, 2026. Its inspection trajectory is upward over the records we hold. That puts it ahead of 44% of graded kitchens in St. Lucie County. The citations behind that grade include handwash sinks accessible and floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained.

With both signals pointing the same way, there is little to argue about on this listing. Everything above is computed from the 19 reviews reproduced below.

Our own analysis of 19 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 26, 2026

    Fantastic food, great old school waterfront low-key joint. The staff is great and the vibe is laid back. Highly recommend.

  • June 24, 2026

    Went here with a couple friends on a Friday night and had a really good experience. The seafood tasted fresh and was cooked just right, especially the shrimp and crab cakes. Portions were decent for the price and everything came out pretty quick. Our server was friendly and checked on us without being overbearing. The place was busy but still felt relaxed and comfortable. One small thing, my side dish wasn't very hot when it arrived, but they fixed it right away. Overall, I'd definitely come back when I'm craving seafood again.

  • June 15, 2026

    YEEE

  • June 14, 2026

    Food was delicious, brought my bf for the first time. Hannah K took an extra $20 for tip, but outside of that everything was amazing so we let her keep it. Just a FYI

  • June 8, 2026

    Heard really good things about this place. Kinda of disappointed. Ordered 2 shrimp baskets and came with 2 sides, charged for salad and baked which had two black bad spots in the potato.Scallops at market price, were, ok. Grouper was good. Peanut butter pie was so frozen we took it home and let it thaw out to eat. Key lime pie was good. For the price, I expected more! Waitress told us we could go somewhere else when our guest asked for a mixed drink, not realizing only beer and wine served there! Well, lunch possibly...dinner, not impressed. 250+ could have been better

  • June 8, 2026

    Very disappointing lunch experience. The fish portion was extremely small, and the Cobb salad was not fresh. The vegetables tasted old and wilted. The total bill was around $50, which felt far too expensive for the quality and quantity of food served. Overall, not worth the price, and I would not return.

  • June 7, 2026

    Great little hole-in- the- wall bseafood place.

  • May 31, 2026

    Not alot of parking, service was par, and the food was not good.

  • May 31, 2026

    First time here and let me tell you service was. Great over the top and the food was amazing. Definitely a place to go.

  • May 29, 2026

    Outstanding seafood restaurant with fresh-caught seafood, delicious high-end dishes, and excellent service. The food was fresh and flavorful, and while it’s on the pricey side, it’s absolutely worth it. They were also very accommodating to our kids, which made for a great family dining experience. Highly recommend!

  • May 27, 2026

    Simply delicious. Tripletail

  • May 27, 2026

    Excellent steamed clams in butter garlic broth.

  • May 23, 2026

    Amazing? The food is delicious. Manager last night was rude and condescending. When I complained about an item, the first thing he did while telling me I was wrong was to start touching my food. It really was one of the worst experiences I've had with a manager of a restaurant. Or server was great, but horrible customer service from the manager. I've been going since 2018, but I'm not sure I'll return.

  • May 16, 2026

    Food was excellent!

  • May 16, 2026

    Last night before we head north! And this is the only restaurant we’ve ate at (camping at KOA West). Thank you Lilly for a perfect date night!

  • May 16, 2026

    Food was good but it took 45 minutes to get. Suggest don’t put fresh fish on top of mashed potatoes. Server was awesome! Little pricey. Maybe add seasoning fries or sweet potatoes fries to menu.

  • May 15, 2026

    This restaurant was recommended by the wonderful woman at the visitors center and it did not disappoint. The staff was friendly, courteous, and attentive. Deana greeted us when we arrived with the biggest smile ever and our server Toni was the same and so informative, I even got a lesson on oysters and how the taste changes based on where they are from. The owner of the restaurant is from Virginia and when they say Maryland lump crab cake, they mean it!! Only here for another day. It going back for dinner before we leave. Now, they do get busy, so pack your patience and just sit back, relax, enjoy conversation as they may get a little backed up. We got there right when lunch started on a weekday so had no waiting involved but we had heard about the possible waiting involved.

  • May 14, 2026

    FANTASTIC! Wish I could remember the name of the lady at the Seven Gables House who recommended this place when I asked where she would eat. So happy and we went and definitely going back before we head out on our next leg of camping… no cooking for me!!😁Thank you Deana for a wonderful welcoming and for following up periodically…and for helping clean tables. That’s a team! Toni was a spectacular server and I loved her knowledge of different oysters… although I will eat them all. Conch chowder was chock full of conch. My shrimp were as advertised “ lightly breaded and flash-fried”. Thanks again Toni for leading me there vice a sandwich. And the FINALE, crab cake. Coming from a Maryland gal, she gave the cake 5 stars plus. She tossed the bread aside!

  • May 12, 2026

    Great food and service. The staff was very good. One of the best kept secrets. A great local gem for seafood.

Overall Score

81 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 40/40
    Grade A
  • Dietary transparency 17/20
    5 options listed
  • Community rating 18/20
    4.5★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 6/10
    Improving, 0% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 8 PM
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
11 AM to 8 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 8 PM
Friday
11 AM to 9 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 9 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 8 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. March 5, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    0 high-priority · 2 intermediate · 3 basic

    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×2)
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training
  2. October 2, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    2 high-priority · 3 intermediate · 4 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
    • 12 — Handwashing; employee eating/drinking/smoking practices
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided (×2)
    • 33 — Garbage and refuse; premises maintained
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: March 5, 2026