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A Few Fabulous Florida Fish Shacks

Every city in America has seafood restaurants that attempt to imitate the feel of Florida’s seafood shacks. They may have old wood and tattered license plate decor, but they aren’t the real thing. A real fish shack has a direct link to the fisherman; the nearer to the sources, the better.

Of course, the fish and all of the toppings must be fresh, local and tasty. The good news is that, despite a trend to demolish the old and replace it with the bland, there are plenty of wonderful fish shacks with devoted supporters all around the state. As a result, we’re still uncovering new ones and we want to continue to do so in the future. Here are seven of our favorites that are well worth a visit when you’re on the road.

Triad Seafood, Everglades City 

Triad may be seen on the piers where the best and freshest stone crabs in Florida pass by, and those on their way into Joe’s Stone Crab on Miami Beach, which is located directly on the Barron River. On the other hand, Triad has some advantages over Joe’s. To begin with, you won’t have to look for a parking spot. Even fresher stone crabs can be found at cheaper prices; however, you can expect stone crabs to be among your most expensive seafood. 

Triad is worthy to stop by at any time of year because of its fresh local fish, conch fritters, sweet potato fries and key lime pie, which are only available from October 15 to May 15.

Peace River Seafood, Punta Gorda

You might believe the best blue crabs originate from the Chesapeake Bay, yet Jimmy Beall disagrees, he’s the co-owner of Peace River Seafood and a veteran crabber in the area. And he goes to prove it five days a week with a fish shack that appears to be like a Florida seafood shack.

Peace River Seafood is situated in a 1927 cracker hut that is covered by a large old live oak tree. Though in the summer, there are newspapers on the tables, a parrot chirping on the porch and people cracking open their tasty crabs with mallets. Local Punta Gorda fishermen provide fresh seafood, and the market also serves as a wholesale market.

JB’s Fish Camp, New Smyrna Beach

You’ll have the idea if the crabs are fresh if the dinner for tomorrow is crawling around the restaurant at JB’s Fish Camp. Live crabs are cultivated until they meet their maker – you -courtesy of JB’s chefs. They are kept alive in a double-decker “runs”. When available, these crabs are local. Their restaurants have their own rented oyster beds, even if the oysters served here might come from Panacea or Louisiana. 

From the lagoon, it is where the fresh clams are often harvested. A lot of tourists come by boat or kayak from Mosquito Lagoon where they can see the place of JB’s pure fish shack setting tablecloth that is brown paper rolled out in strips. The outside deck oversees the Halifax River’s bays and islands. While the main attraction for the tourists is crab, other favorites also include the rock shrimp and the delicious crab balls.