Jack Baker’s
Lobster Shanty

I. On the Banana River

What can be confirmed with confidence is that the Cocoa Beach location was already operating by 1987. An archived Florida Today newspaper page listed “Lobster Shanty” at 2200 S. Orlando Ave. in Cocoa Beach, placing the restaurant in operation in Brevard County by that year.

I could not confirm an exact opening date from a sufficiently reliable public source. For a website article that needs to stay precise, the safest wording is that the restaurant was operating by 1987 and continued for decades after that.

Sunset at the Shanty — the Banana River view that kept people coming back

II. The Waterfront Experience

The Cocoa Beach location was remembered for its waterfront dining experience as much as its food. Archived restaurant descriptions for this specific location mention lobster specials, raw bar offerings, seafood platters, and desserts including Key lime pie and cheesecake.

The dock at Jack Baker’s

Inside the Lobster Shanty

The outdoor terrace and dock seating were a signature draw. Dolphins would swim by during dinner. The koi pond greeted you near the entrance. It was one of those places where the setting did as much work as the kitchen — you came for the lobster, but you stayed for the water.

Dolphins off the dock

The koi pond by day

III. After Dark

The place had a different feel at night. The lights reflecting off the Banana River, the warm glow from the dining room, and the sound of the water made it the kind of evening out that people remember. It was not a flashy nightlife spot — it was a waterfront restaurant that happened to look its best once the sun went down.

Jack Baker’s at night — lights reflecting off the Banana River

The koi pond at night

Waterfront view from the Shanty

IV. The Closing

Its closure can be dated much more clearly. A local commercial real estate report published on October 27, 2015 states that after over 30 years of operation, the Cocoa Beach Lobster Shanty had been sold for $2,003,000. The report says the New Jersey-based operator Chef’s International, Inc. decided to close its two Florida locations and that the property would be renovated into a Squid Lips waterfront restaurant under new ownership.

So, based on what is confirmed, the Brevard County story is straightforward. Jack Baker’s Lobster Shanty stood for decades as a recognizable Cocoa Beach waterfront restaurant at 2200 S. Orlando Ave., it was operating by 1987, and its closure and sale were publicly reported in October 2015.

Remembering the Lobster Shanty

V. More Than a Restaurant

For many locals, though, the facts only tell part of the story. The restaurant also survives in memory. Public comments from people who knew the Cocoa Beach location help show what it meant. In a 2016 remembrance, a local Cocoa Beach broker wrote that it was “one of the few restaurants on Cocoa Beach offering expansive views of the Banana River.” In a 2013 TripAdvisor forum post, one visitor described it as having “decent food and a great terrace.” Those are not historical records, but they are useful firsthand reflections of how people experienced the place.

Today, the name is gone from Cocoa Beach, but for many in Brevard, Jack Baker’s Lobster Shanty remains part of the local waterfront story — one of those places that people still bring up when they talk about old Cocoa Beach.