At first glance, the idea of putting a restaurant inside Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, the recently opened fishing and hunting gear emporium in northwest Mesa, sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy joke.

You know, something along the lines of, “If your idea of fine dining is taking your wife down to the local bait and tackle shop … then you might be a redneck.”

Badump-bump.

If you’re thinking along these lines, however, the joke’s on you.

For somewhere among the night crawlers and varmint calls, amidst the camouflaged steering wheel covers and “I’ve got my head up my bass” novelty T-shirts, you’ll find one of the better restaurants in Mesa.

The Islamorada Fish Company features fresh seafood and wild game dishes — along with tamer entrees such as steak, chicken and pasta — in a rustic, Florida Keys-inspired atmosphere.

The restaurant’s decor is striking: A large fireplace with a circular stone surround is elevated in the center of the large, octagonal dining room, its verdigris copper flume soaring to the 50-foot ceiling.

Entire schools of fish — from sharks to swordfish to yellowfin tuna — hang from the softly lit rafters and are mounted on the barn wood walls. Any remaining wall space is covered with poster-sized antique photos of sports fishing and old-time rods and reels.
An enormous fish tank runs along one wall (which separates the dining room from the bar area). Windows and French doors along four other walls look out onto a soon-to-be-ready wraparound patio.

Islamorada’s menu is equally impressive. Meals start with a free loaf of sweet Bimini bread, and appetizers include such exotic offerings as conch fritters ($6.95) and alligator ($7.95).

I elect to start with venison-stuffed mushrooms ($8.95), four large caps filled with venison sausage, drizzled in cream cheese and smothered in Monterey Jack cheese. They’re tasty, but I wish they had a little more venison.

Moving on to entrees, the Grouper Portofino ($19.95) is a perfectly cooked piece of blackened grouper, topped with shrimp, in a creamy lobster sauce. No fishy taste here.

The same sauce comes on the delicious Key West shrimp pasta ($16.95).

For nonfish fans, I recommend the buffalo burger ($9.95), a half-pound of tender ground buffalo, covered with barbecue sauce and fried onions, on a semi-flat onion roll.

The fries accompanying the burger and the green beans with the grouper are only lukewarm, but these are the only small negatives in an otherwise excellent meal.

Be sure to save room for dessert: Islamorada’s thick-textured caramel Macadamia nut cheesecake ($5.45) is probably the best I’ve ever tasted.

If this is what they’re serving at bait and tackle shops nowadays, I need to do more fishing.

Islamorada Fish Company at Bass Pro Shops
Where: 1133 N. Dobson Road, Mesa (just south of Loop 202)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Appetizers $5.95-$12.95, salads $5.95-$7.95, sandwiches/burgers $7.95-$11.95, seafood $11.95-$19.95, steaks/chicken $10.95-$19.95, desserts $5.25-$5.45.
Info: (602) 606-5600 or basspro.com