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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area RESTAURANTS, Drive-Ins, Bars, Lounges, Liquor Stores, Clubs, Strip Joints, etc. Gallery - All Years - click to view >> Mike Gordon's Seafood Restaurant - click on image to view the gallery > 1960's - one of the dining rooms at Mike Gordon's Seafood Restaurant, 1201 NE 79th Street, Miami
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1960's From a postcard

1960's - one of the dining rooms at Mike Gordon's Seafood Restaurant, 1201 NE 79th Street, Miami

1201 NE 79th Street, Miami, Florida view map


My father and aunt loved Mike's and I always thought dining here in the 60's and 70's was a real treat. We continued eating there until they closed in 2002. During the tourist season and on weekends the wait for a table was lengthy but worth it. I remember one time we were sitting on the long wooden bench in the entrance hallway waiting for our name to be called and I looked up for a second and saw Bob Griese and immediately thought "That's the guy in the Sears commercials!" and then I realized he was the great young quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

In memory of Mike Gordon, who was quite a guy and quite a character, 1911-1993.

More information about the restaurant is at:
http://realpages.com/sites/mikegordonseafood/


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Bert Harris 01-Dec-2024 17:05
Bob Rich, when is that book going to be finished?
Bert Harris 01-Dec-2024 17:04
I have a dozen or so of the race boat pictures that hung on the wall at Mike Gordon’s. Mike was always gracious when I came in. I knew the hostess Barbara and even used to get free French fries from the original snack shack on the bridge side of the restaurant in the early 60’s. I will try to post some of those pictures. Most start out “To my dear friends Mike”
reinaldo cruz 19-Jun-2024 12:35
I work at Novie Iceland Smoke Fish and remember Mike very well,he brings king fish for smoking and make his famous fish dip,but only he will make it if he catch it,thats mean how great he was.
Dan 28-May-2024 20:53
My dad worked as a bartender at Mike Gordon's during the early/mid 60's. He used to bring home leftovers when he got off work around 2AM. We'd have them for breakfast the next day.
I just assumed growing up that everybody ate shrimp and hushpuppies for breakfast. :)
Guest 16-Feb-2022 15:55
grew up on Belle Meade Island in the 80's, group of us waterfront kids (baypoint to keystone/miami beach) all had whalers/makos to get around the bay to hang out, ski, fish, dive, camp out on beercan, etc...we used to motor by Mike Gordon's after a day out hydrosliding on the way home, and "moon" the early bird special diners sitting by the windows. good times!

Anyway, have fond memories of Mike Gordon's (and Fish Peddler) family special occasion dinners- the fried black grouper was the best..
Bob Rich 21-Jan-2021 19:42
Writing a book about the characters of Biscayne Bay. Would like to contact Julie Gordon.
joe 08-Dec-2017 03:53
i use to go here with my mom and dad who have passed away 2 years ago. i remember drinking blood mary's at the bar till our table was ready , at least an hour. I was only 16 and it was my first and still best bloody mary
Jeanne DeFalco 28-Oct-2017 03:29
We use to travel down the river by boat and dock at the restaurant... The crab meat au gratin and twice baked potato were my favorites. Loved that place!
David H. Brown 27-Jul-2017 10:45
David H. Brown, I ate at Mike Gordon's most Wednesday's for lunch in the 1970's and concur with the many tributes given on this site. I worked for Trent Hall, a local mechanical contractor who knew Mike well. He too would just sign his name to the cheque and be billed once a month. Can you tell me the name of the hostess at the time. She was there for many years and was a familiar face! Was she family? Regards, Dave
Don Boyd30-Dec-2016 03:18
Rich, thank you for your eloquent comments and giving us further insight into your uncle's life and your relationship with him. Mike had friends all over the world but particularly in South Florida and Miami and he is missed by many.

Elizabeth, I'm sorry for the 13-month delay but thank you also for posting about your dad Mike C and Mike G being good friends and your comments about the great food there. I'm feeling sad when I think of the good times there and not being able to go there anymore. : (

Don
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Richard Brandt 29-Dec-2016 22:21
Rich Brandt mike Gordon was my uncle,I had many wonderful times with him, when I visited Miami from New York. He took me on his racing boats, had me wash dishes in the restaurant let me help with prepping his race engines. He had two tennis courts at his house next to the restaurant that I played on & his house was spectacular. I ate at the restaurant every day, and remember Julie, & mikes wife Ann very well. I always had a great time at uncle Mikes, he was a great guy, & I am so glad he has been appreciated by so many & that we can share those wonderful memories that Mike enabled us to have.
Elizabeth Cowen 03-Nov-2015 20:33
My Dad, Mike Cowen, and Mike Gordon, were great friends. nth for our meals.All Dad had to do was sign the back of the check and he was billed once a month. My family ate at Mike Gordon's from the time it opened until just before it closed when my Dad got sick. It was a once a week treat to see the pelicans, watch the boats pass by and eat the best seafood in town. Great key lime pie and great ambiance. That restaurant was old Miami and gave me great family memories. Miss them both and the fried clams and fried shrimp!
Don Boyd13-Jun-2015 15:20
Frank, thank you for posting your memories. You and I are the same age (as of next month for me). It's a shame that Mike Gordon's is no long around but all good things come to an end at some point in time. If I were you I would go further east on 79th Street Causeway and on the left hand side is a waterfront restaurant called Shucker's behind a hotel that is more casual than Mike Gordon's and they have fresh fish. The variety of fish is nothing like Mike's was but what they have is excellent and the view is superb. Their website is down due to non-renewal a day or so ago but here's a review site for you:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34480-d803308-Reviews-Shuckers_Dockside_Bar_Grill-North_Bay_Village_Florida.html

Carlos and everyone else: thank you for posting your comments and your memories.

Don
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frank masino 13-Jun-2015 13:02
I was hoping against hope that the restaurant was still there. Was planning on taking my uncle as pay back for his 88th birthday this July. He and my aunt took me there for the first time back in 1968 , I was 19 yrs old and it was the first time I had ever been to Miami and the first "big time " in a "real, up-town" restaurant (even had to wear a jacket). It immediately became my favorite. Whenever there was a special occasion and they asked me where I'd like to go, Mike's was always my first choice. I'm 68 now and don't knopw where to go. F.Masino
Carlos Quinones 27-Jul-2014 01:55
Am so thrilled that mike Gordens memory is still out there, I worked 11 years for mike at the fish peddler and not only was he a great boss he was a great and beautiful person it was a sad day the day he past away all us unployees took it hard, he was like a second dad to us....wish I had some pics of him....
Guest 07-Jul-2014 18:12
Old Miami. Valet parkers were friendly and fun. Best service anywhere. Bring your boat into a pier, step in and get the freshest, best pan fried grouper anywhere. Hated to see it abandoned, vandalized and grafittied.
Kristin Lindh 26-Jun-2014 19:06
I knew Mike quite well in the 80s and he was an amazing man. I'm glad to see that so many people still remember him and his great restaurants!
larry 15-Jan-2014 01:06
I grew up on Treasure Island then Normandy Shores and as a little kid would watch the boat races and always rooted for Mike, did not know him, but ate many times at the restaurant and he was the local boat racing hero. FishPeddler had the best stone crab deal.
Jeff 06-Dec-2013 04:31
From what I was told...and perhaps Julie can verify this... the individual who opened up "Gordon's 7 Seas" restaurant in North Miami tried to capitalize on Mike Gordon's fame and had been sued by Mike Gordon because of that...
Don Boyd28-Oct-2013 04:45
Julie, thank you for the years of closure for both restaurants. It really helps to have accurate dates under the photos. Thank you for writing in and we look forward to your book being finished and published.

Don
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Julie Gordon 27-Oct-2013 23:04
Ok everyone- Mike Gordon's closed in 2002, FishPeddler in 1993. I was browsing the internet to see what was offered under "Mike Gordon Seafood" and this page popped up. Bravo, Mr. Boyd- thanks for keeping the memories alive. I have many of your postcards! In fact, I am writing a book about dad, Miami history and history of boat racing. Included will be oodles of old vintage photos as well. Thank you all for the kind, positive comments. Yes, dad was one of a kind-- I was blessed.
Guest 24-Feb-2013 01:42
Thank you Don. I was looking for a more definate date... I was there last month and noted that the whole building has been torn down. It was a sad moment.
Don Boyd31-Dec-2012 03:11
Meg, as stated above under the photo, I believe it closed sometime in the 1990's. I know his Fish Peddler restaurant on Biscayne around 86th Street was open in January 1987 because I had dinner there while my wife was about to undergo a C-section at North Shore Hospital and that Mike's was still open too. Someone, somewhere, will give us an actual year of closing in the future.

Don
Guest 31-Dec-2012 01:00
Hello Don. Thank you for this memory! I worked for Mike for many years and have some great stories! Can you tell me when it finally closed?
Meg Puente
Guest 27-Jul-2012 23:42
IN THE VERY EARY 1960S MY WIFE AND I VISITED MIKE GORDONS ON A TRIP FROM WASH DC--THE RESTAURANT CLOSED WHILE WE WERE FINISHING DINNER--MIKES DOG THEN JUMPED ON A BAR STOOL AND WAD GIVEN A MARTINI TO SLURP AT THE BAR--I WHIMSICALLY ASKED THE WAITRESS IF THAT WAS LEGAL IN MIAMI--SHE REPLIED--THATS OK--WERE CLOSED--J MUDD
Andre 09-Jan-2011 04:48
My Mom worked there during days in the 70's and she always took me to work with her in the mornings.
I had the privilege of knowing the Mike and playing with his daughter Julie in the parking lot before opening on her go karts and mini bikes along with playing on the new bridge - A kid could not have asked for a better playground !
Many voyages down to his house in Stiltsville aboard the Fish Peddler and great memories!
Bob H. 23-Oct-2010 12:51
I remember Mike Gordon from his boat racing days, in his ski boat the "Clam Digger." He was a fearless competitor, and did not slow down in the turns during the Pelican Harbor races. As I recall, Mike's nickname was "Mr. Flip," because he had flipped his boats at least twice in the early 60s. There was a photo in the Miami Herald of his boat coming down after going airborne in one of his races, with Mike bobbing in the water, after being ejected. The photographer had added a shark's mouth to the bow of his boat, and he was not injured.
Don Boyd02-Jan-2010 01:35
J. W., thank you for posting. I would love to add an image from the negative that you mentioned. If you can not find a place to make a print from it, which would surprise me, you can send it to me and I'll scan the negative and clean it up in Photoshop and send it back to you along with a couple of prints and I'll add the image to the site. Mike Gordon was good people and he deserves more exposure on this site. One of our best family friends was a buddy of his way back when and he was one of his best customers at his restaurant.

Don
J.W.Mosier 01-Jan-2010 17:01
My Dad worked at Mike Gordon's in the late 50's, early 60's, my sister in law and I just found a negative of my Dad standing next Mike's company car that read
Mike Gordon's Seafood Rest. We are looking for a place to get in developed. If so i will try to share this picture. I do remember us going to eat here. Looking out onto the bay was really cool. They had great food and yes Mike Gordon was nice to all of his customers as well as his employees.
Don Boyd20-Dec-2009 05:16
Clyde, thank you for the correction on the time period; I've changed it to the 1960's. More importantly, thank you for posting your great comments and memories, I think you were right on the money with what you said.

Don
Clyde Beck 20-Dec-2009 03:15
This is a picture of Mike Gordon's first retaurant at the 79th st causeway. This one burned down in about the late 60's. They built the new one and I went to work there parking cars in 1970 at night . During the day I worked at Chalks International airlines. We were so busy friday nights at Mike's we use to park over 700 cars.We started runing out of parking spaces so he bought the Texaco accross the street and made a parking lot. No one went to Joe's in those days. Everyone came to Mike's including Don Shula durning the Dolphins perfect season. He and his wife drove up in their big Dodge every friday when they were in town,sat at the same table and ordered stone crabs.We were Don's good luck charm. You had an hour wait all weekend. This was the best place on the bay to catch red snapper until they built the last bridge next to Mikes's. This was the the best seafood in all of Miami until Mike's death. If he couldn't find it fresh in Miami he had it flown in. I read an article in the 80's that both his restaurants made millions a year he could afford it. The best thing about Mike Gordon's was Mike Gordon. The man respected everyone who ever worked for him and always remembered you when you saw him years later. Mike Gordon and his restaurant are shurly missed.
Guest 20-Sep-2009 01:00
i remember coming here on vacation. it was the first time my daughter had lobster at the age of 5 back in 1986. took friends there in the early 90;s what a great place