Fodor's Expert Review Ernie's Bar-b-que and Lounge

Walls once plastered with philosophical quotes from a former owner have been scrubbed clean at Ernie's, where the menu proclaims conch is king, barbecue is a way of life, and the bar is open late. Fortunately for patrons, barbecue platters of pork or beef and conch chowder are both large and cheap. Bimini bread, sliced thick for sandwiches, is also sold by the loaf to go, along with racks of ribs and conch chowder by the quart. Seafood, salads, and burgers pass muster here, and there's a children's menu. Eat downstairs, or, if you don't mind the Federal Highway traffic buzz, take the stairs to second-floor open-air patio tables near a pool table.