Southern Seafood

I was looking for a fresh grouper lunch and found this place. What a gem! Great service by Susan and her cook and both are very knowledgeable about everything they serve. My grouper sandwich was excellent; fresh fish fillets alongside a healthy portion of sweet potato fries. They also sell their fresh catch and everything and anything you might need to host your own fish fry, seafood boil, or any combination there of. If you like fresh fish, you have to give this place a try. Enjoy!

Eat in at small counter or one picnic bench next to parking lot. Super fresh and big fish sandwiches. Sweet potato fries. Looks like most business is carry out. Terrific.

I saw the good Unilocal reviews so I figured I’ve give this place a try. As soon as I walked in I wanted to walk out. The place wasn’t very welcoming from the lights, atmosphere, and the employee. She seemed like was preoccupied doing other things and was stressed. We were the only ones in the store so it wasn’t like there was a big crowd. I asked for cheese on my grouper sandwich and there was no cheese, then I asked for ranch and she said they didn’t have ranch. Not a big deal but worth the mention. Another customer came in and I saw fish being cut on a board next to cleaning solution (open bucket and spray bottle). I thought that was pretty nasty. The bill for 2 lunches was $ 36 and I feel that is way too much for what you get. We won’t be coming back here.

Hard to locate if you are driving north, but as I was driving South on a Monday morning, I saw this place and noticed the lunch served sign. I tried to come with a group but darn it. they were closed on Monday.
The 3 ladies were very friendly and for a bit thought we would be the only customers.. but with only 6 to 8 seats, the 3 in our party were comfortable on the bar stools. They apparently go fishing each morning to get their catch so it is pretty fresh.
The parking situation is pretty slim with only 2 dedicated spots up front.
I ordered the blackened gulf grouper sandwich with Cole slaw. The side choices were fries, hush puppies, sweet potato fries and Cole slaw. The fish did taste very fresh and since you are on the counter, you see it made in front of you.
I was told the water was buy 1 get 1 free, so I took 2 bottles (1 for me… 1 for Terrance) but when paying… she said it was buy 1 get 1 free for each person? What difference does it make? So In reality we paid $ 1.25 each and to take the 2^nd bottle with us? Sounded absurd… and stated that we will take the 2^nd bottle when we come back.
We got the canolli which was pretty good. Susan stated that she gets the cream from Chicago and the ends were topped with pistachio granola.. healthy? Maybe.
The prices were pretty steep but then again we were on Westshore next to the elitists with homes on the canal.

4 stars for the quality of the fish, but pretty pricey for what it was.
I arrived around 1215 on a Thursday and was the only one there. It’s definitely more of a fish market as opposed to a restaurant.
I ordered a Diet Coke, grilled grouper sandwich and picked hush puppies as my side. For $ 17 it was pretty steep. The quality was good but I felt as though I could have gotten that same meal for a few bucks cheaper.
Based on that alone, I probably wouldn’t return since that seems a little pricey for lunch.

We ordered the ABC Scallops and also the Lemon Snapper. Followed the easy recipe and had delicious meals worthy of any fine restaurant. Highly recommend Southern seafood. Also got some of the pistachio cannolis which were amazing as well. Highly recommend Southern Seafood!

I stopped by here for lunch with coworkers who have never eaten grouper before. I’m happy to say it was everything I had hoped for. The grouper was the best I’ve ever had we also had a smoke salmon spread as a appetizer also excellent. The owner was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I can’t imagine how they could improve. Well done and Best of luck to you.
Thanks

This place is awsome, came here for lunch. The food is fresh, the service is one of a kind.
I will be coming here again. People if you are new to Tampa you can’t go back home with out tring this place out… A+.5 stars…

I can only speak to the lunch menu that they have, but I am a big fan of this place after my first visit. I highly recommend the Grouper Reuben, great sandwich. They also have a pretty solid selection of fresh seafood and even offer recipes to cook at home where they provide you with all the ingredients for a combo price.
Main downfall is that they do not have much parking as they share the lot with two other eateries, the lunch rush gets a little crazy. I will be back for sure!

I found this place by accident on Unilocal and had no plans to even drive to Tampa for lunch on my day off today but glad I did. Small no nonsense eatery with some really good grub and two very nice ladies behind the counter, great blackened grouper sandwich served with a smile.
Mike
Wesley Chapel

I enjoyed lunch here yesterday. My friend and I both enjoyed a shrimp po boy sandwich on cuban bread. The shrimp were large and the sandwich was very filling. The fries were also crispy and delicious as well.
This is a small fish market/​restaurant with only about 6 seats at a counter area. We went around 2pm so the lunch crowd was gone. It was just us and another man in the store.
The owner and another employee were the only ones working at the time. They were both very friendly and showed us the menu and also explained their gourmet to go dinner as well. The way that works is you order the items up to 3 days ahead of time. It comes with your main seafood entrée as well as a veggie, a salad and another item starting at $ 59.99 that serves a minimum of 2 people.
I enjoyed the place and had been wanting to try since I see it busy when I drive by during lunch time. However the menu is small and only for seafood lovers. Also, the ladies were very nice but a little slow when making our meals. Luckily, we were not in a hurry.
Overall though, I enjoyed this place and will return in the future.

Great hole in the wall lunch counter and fish market serving a limited menu of very fresh, very tasty dish. The owner was super nice. I enjoyed the grouper grilled over a fresh salad immensely. No frills, no tables, but fresh and delicious food. Hit the spot!

Excellent find! These guys have been around for two years but new management six months ago. Personally, I’m a huge fan of fresh fish and seafood. I ordered there grouper salad and calamari and it was great! They cook directly in front of you and you can see and taste all the fresh and local ingredients. I will definitely be back more often!

This is not a restaurant. This is a very small seafood market with a very limited selection of seafood that just so happens to have a counter with about 5 chairs where people can sit and order off a very small menu.
I like it b/​c the seafood is fresh and good, but again the menu is very limited and you can never count on getting a seat because there’s only 5 of them.
I recommend it if you are in the area and feel like having a fish or shrimp sandwich for 9 – 11 bucks.

This small seafood market off of Westshore Blvd pleasantly surprised me. Everything we tried was delicious!
Parking is limited and they can only serve about 6 people in their lunch bar. It’s mainly a seafood market that serves fresh Florida seafood. They also carry salmon and their salmon spread is worth trying!
I ordered the smoked salmon spread to start off with. It’s made fresh everyday and is served with crackers. I’m not a big fan of overly seasoned spread so I loved this one! The flavors of the salmon really came through and complimented the Greek yogurt nicely.
I also ordered the grouper Reuben with a side of hush puppies. They were served with a honey chili spread. It was SOOO good. The sandwich itself had a little kick as it was blackened but it wasn’t overpowering and the fish was perfectly flaky and juicy. The hush puppies were freshly made and just sweet enough.
The service was very friendly. We felt very welcomed in the small setting and they did a great job of informing us of all their options and getting to know us. While we waited they served us a bit of spiny lobster to try as it was the special. I almost walked out with several tails. Along with the a whole filet of smoked glazed salmon.

Southern Seafood recently changed owners. The previous co-​owner currently owns a seafood restaurant in Hudson, FL, and apparently he catches much of the fresh fish utilized in that restaurant. Supposedly he will still be providing Southern Seafood with fresh fish too. For seafood he can’t provide, the new owner intends to only utilize local Florida companies.
It’s a small place, with the cold case of fresh fish you see first thing upon entering. Further back, there is a lunch counter set up with 5 stools that face the check out register and cooking grill. Sodas and water are in a cold freezer up front, and you grab what you want. Different seafood sauces and seasonings are offered for sale in shelves along the wall. The menu was small, which I actually appreciated — do a few things, and do them well.
We both had the Grouper Reuben sandwich with french fries (they were out of hush puppies, and the only other option was slaw). I had my grouper lightly blackened and my companion had his Cajun-​style. I loved being able to see the cook cut the fresh piece of Gag grouper and season it right in front of me before it was put on the flattop. Fries, too, were dropped while we were waiting, and when they came out, they were sprinkled with Old Bay. Both the sandwich, and the fries, were delicious.
The cashier (who was one of the previous co-​owners filling in) was so kind and friendly. She gave us a sample of the mahi-​mahi fish spread they currently had available — and it was amazing! It had actual pieces of mahi-​mahi in it, instead of being blended down to mush. Really flavorful, and worth a trip just for that.
We were the only people in the place for lunch on Sunday, so make sure you stop in and give it a try. The food will be worth your while!

A recent talk thread in the Unilocal Tampa chats concerned fresh Florida seafood, and people were asking where is the best place to find really good fish and shellfish. Despite rumors to the contrary, fresh Florida seafood is not found in the frozen foods section of your grocery store in a cardboard box featuring some guy from Gloucester, Massachusetts wearing a yellow raincoat, or some kindly old grandmother hawking fish sticks.
No, if you want to find fresh Florida seafood you need to look for the fishing boats, and follow them to the closest seafood market.
That is exactly what you’ll find at Southern Seafood located along South Westshore Boulevard in between Bay to Bay and El Prado. This little seafood market and restaurant is located right next to the Gun Branch Cut off of Tampa Bay. As you travel south on Westshore, watch for the sign advertising the Westshore Center strip mall, and turn in there.
On the far end of this little strip center is Southern Seafood, and as their slogan advertises «From Our Boats To Your Kitchen». Owner Susan Micek and her team spend the day trolling the waters along the west coast of Florida looking for the very freshest of seafood to put into their refrigerated cases for sale. On the day I was there, the blackboard specials were advertising grouper, snapper, sea bass, mahi mahi, tuna, swordfish, shrimp, mussels, scallops, stone crabs, and much more.
The front half of the store is the seafood market with lots of fresh fish and shellfish options loading up the display cases. Basically if it’s on the blackboard then they have it in the coolers. The back half of the store is set up as a lunch counter with about 10 stools overlooking the grill. Pick your fish from the display case, and let them handle the cooking. You can order sandwiches, Po’ Boys, salads, and tacos.
Chef Dijon and I chatted about the various kinds of grouper that were freshly-​caught and available for purchase including red grouper, grouper cheeks, and the very delicious gag grouper which is a sweeter and milder-​tasting fish. I asked the Chef to make me a blackened gag grouper sandwich, loaded all the way with hush puppies on the side. While he was busy cooking I enjoyed a serving of their smoked fish dip with some crackers and chatted away with the Chef.
The fish sandwich was out-​of-​this-​world fresh. The grouper was served up golden brown and delicious on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. I added a splash of hot sauce, and sunk my teeth into something very tasty.
Southern Seafood is perfect for lunch, or an early casual dinner. They close up the kitchen about 6:30, so get there early.
If you’re looking for very fresh seafood in the Tampa Bay area, then Southern Seafood needs to be on your short list of places to try.

They own the boats and sell the freshest fish. Various groupers, snappers, shrimp & more. Place is open for 7 – 8 months. Go now before the Unilocal masses discover it.
Small kitchen in the back and run by DeShawn. Nicest guy. Cooks a great Shrimp or Oyster Po’Boy, snapper sandwiches, fish tacos… YUMMMMMMY yumminess!!!
No liquor license so being what you want or got a nearby liquor store a few blocks south

I came to Southern Seafood recently for a lunch tasting and was impressed with the quality of the locally caught fish. I first heard about the market at a tasting back in February at Pete’s Place in SoHo.
Pete, who is a co-​owner of Southern Seafood, told me he wanted to make a market that serves fresh caught fish in Tampa Bay and that he was sick of seafood places serving fish from around the world when we have great fish right in our backyard and after tasting the Fried Grouper Sandwich with fries ($ 13.99) at Southern Seafood, I can’t help but agree.
Each bite of the sandwich was pure bliss and the shrimp I sampled was 50x better than what I have been served in most restaurants in town. They also sell fish with prices ranges from around $ 10-​$ 20 a pound and I’m not expert — but I’d definitely like to cook some of this fish at home sometime.
I will definitely be back soon to try the Shrimp Po’Boy sandwich which my fellow diner ate because it looked absolutely delicious. Give Southern Seafood a shot, you won’t be sorry.

Great shop along Westshore Boulevard to stop for fresh seafood. There is a display case of the catches of the day that let you select what you want to dive and dig into, whether you are here to sit down to eat or take with you to cook.
Check out the hot sauce selection if you like to add a little heat to what you eat.
A chalkboard lists the daily selection of ready-​to-​eat fish dishes and sandwiches that you can devour at the counter (seating is limited) or opt to enjoy elsewhere. A Grouper Reubin and Crab Cake Salad, both served with cole slaw and hush puppies, were featured on a recent weekend visit.
The service is really helpful, the food is well prepared and everything I have tried has tasted great.