Travel Channel spotlights East County's Linger Lodge

EAST COUNTY — Famed locally for its unique décor and pretend “road kill” menu, Linger Lodge Restaurant and Bar will soon make its mark on a national scale.

The crew from the Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” show visited the eatery July 26, to film a segment that will run under the title, “It Tastes Like Chicken.”

General Manager David LaRusso said the film crew arrived around 3 p.m., and began filming chef Rita Lewis as she prepared gator ribs, gator bites and frog legs.

“Rita walked the audience from the preparation stage through the final plating,” LaRusso said. “That filming lasted about two hours.”

The crew then extensively interviewed LaRusso about Linger Lodge’s history, menu and other topics, before interviewing customers at their tables.

LaRusso said he couldn’t have been more thrilled for Linger Lodge to be featured in the segment.

“What a great shot in the arm it is to all the hard-working employees here to have the Travel Channel choose Linger Lodge for a show,” LaRusso said. “As most folks who live in Florida know, off-season is challenging for most businesses and their employees. Any additional traffic the show generates is helpful in keeping our people working. It is also a great way to remind all our local friends that Linger Lodge is still here and a great place to eat and have fun.”

FAST FACT
Linger Lodge started in 1945 as a small fishing camp. It’s original two-story log cabin is said to have burned down in the early 1960s and was replaced with the odd collection of rooms that exist today.