How Robbie's Came To Be

Robbie and his wife Mona started feeding Scarface in 1976. Scarface appeared floundering in the shallow waters near the dock. Robbie saw the struggling tarpon and, thinking it had swum too shallow and gotten stuck on the bank, went out into the water to free it.

He lifted the fish and saw that the right side of its jaw was torn open. Hoping to revive the tarpon, Robbie placed it in the oxygen-rich shrimp tank and called old Doc Roach.

The doctor showed up with his wife's mattress needles and some twine, and Scarface became the first known tarpon with stitches. After several days of force-feeding, Scarface showed good recovery and weight gain. Six months later, he was released into the waters off the dock.

Afterward, Scarface continued to frequent the docks — sometimes bringing a friend. Soon, more and more of the fish began to appear. That's how the history of Robbie's started.

Today, more than 100 tarpon come daily to the docks, and visitors from all across the world come to marvel at the spectacle and offer these magnificent creatures a snack. Robbie's has been voted the #1 place in the Florida Keys that every tourist should visit.