Fat Willie's Fish Camp Restaurant might have once been the spot--on fire--but those days have passed. It now feels more suited to an older crowd with less emphasis on bold flavor. We ordered the Blackened Grouper Ponchartrain, Crawfish Popcorn, Gator Bites, along with coleslaw and green beans. Starting with the highlights: the crawfish popcorn was excellent while hot, though it became noticeably overcooked as it cooled. Still, it was the best item we had. The gator bites were also good fresh, but borderline salty. The coleslaw was solid--about a 7 out of 10--and the green beans were tasty, though a bit heavy on the liquid smoke. Now to the main course. The Blackened Grouper Ponchartrain was disappointing, especially for the price--generously a 5 out of 10. The portion size was decent, but the texture was inconsistent. The blackened areas not covered in sauce were dry and flavorless, while the portions in the sauce were moist but still lacked flavor, despite the heavy amount of sauce. As for the cream sauce, it was overloaded with butter, causing it to separate and taste overly oily. The garlic bread was similarly overdone--too much butter and overcooked. Overall, the meal lands at a 6 out of 10. Our server, Michell, was great--but even her service couldn't make up for the shortcomings in the food. read more

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Very casual spot. Food was served hot and fresh. The onion rings were delicious, cat fish and shrimp well seasoned. Staff were EXTREMELY friendly and attentive!!! Our server Infiniti was AWESOME, she was busy with a large party but definitely handled everything like a professional. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp - Catfish and shrimp with coleslaw, Hush Puppies and fried - Seafood Near Me - Valrico, Florida

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A great local staple for fried fish and gator bites 10/10 I would come at 5pm instead of 4:30 because sometimes perfection takes a little longer which is just fine with me we had catfish ponchatrain gator bites and a fried cat fish basket with fries and hushpuppies and everything was great also try their sweet tea is amazing read more

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The fried catfish and pontchatrain are the way to go! Coleslaw has the perfect amount of mayonnaise. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp - Pontchartrain catfish - Seafood Near Me - Valrico, Florida

The grouper Pontchartrain was amazing!!! The service was as great too. Been coming here all my life and it's always great!!

Made it to Fat Willie's yesterday and it was such an exciting visit! They opened at 4:30pm, and by the time we got there (4:50pm), the whole restaurant was already full! Luckily we were able to be seated quickly. Our server was amazing and gave good recommendations. It did take a really long time for us to get our food, but it was understandable because they had just opened and it was a full house. We shared gator bites and hushpuppies for an appetizer. The gator bites were delicious and the hushpuppies were good, but very salty for our taste. For the entrees we got loaded seafood pasta and the blackened catfish pontchartrain. The seafood pasta was so good and a great deal for the portion size! The creamy creole sauce that came with both entrees were to die for. To end our meal, we got the guava cheesecake which was a game changer. It was amazing and if we weren't so full, we would have ordered another one on the spot! Definitely would come back again. read more

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Southern atmosphere and southern style cooking. Laid back with a great atmosphere. Staff takes care of you.

Crab legs were great and plentiful. Great service too. Pricing are reasonable and good verity. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp - Sea food - Seafood Near Me - Valrico, Florida

If you're looking for fresh seafood YES. If you're looking for flavor NO. Disappointed AF. They literally took the scallops out of the package, battered them in flour, then threw them in grease. NO SEASONING. What a joke and a rip off. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp - The crowd is like the food. Old and bland. - Seafood Near Me - Valrico, Florida

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Everything Quiet out of the way place,with good food. Been here for years,and we hope for many more! read more

Neat little place tucked away on Front Street. Opened in 1975, love the ambiance... backs up to a beautiful wooded area. We celebrated a family birthday here - asked for a table downstairs near the windows but were told they were closing it. There were other people sitting down there, so not sure why we were told no. One of the main reasons we chose this restaurant was to sit downstairs and enjoy the view. Ordered the hush puppies as an app, and they are very good, but know that each meal comes with 2, so maybe try another appetizer. Fried Grouper PoBoy is tasty, but there's a lot of bread/bun involved - she left half the bun. Grilled Shrimp is a generous portion, a little heavy on the salty sauce. Fried Shrimp, Fried Grouper were both delicious. Love the coleslaw. Recommend trying one of the dishes with Ponchatrain Creole Crawfish Sauce - really delicious. Recommend! read more

Fat Willie's fish camp Fisherman platters great delicious seafood platters with fried Fisherman platters. Best food seafood platters. Oysters like litter pussies of the seven seas oceans friends , Sweetie Mermaids ‍ Romey Sweeties Rims Sugar Since 1976 ,Fat Willie's Fisherman camp Main Street Valrico Florida USA Open daily 5pm -9pm Best friend read more

It has been around since 1975. We have eaten there often when we lived Brandon. We were out there today and wanted something so we went in for a good lunch. Fried catfish, fried shrimp, grits, fries, Cole slaw and hush puppies. Service was excellent the food was delicious. Always good to be back for a good meal. read more

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Some of the best onion rings I have ever tasted. I love that they are thick and hand battered, not that dried crumbly crust that chokes eaters or the ones in which the entire crust falls off at first bite. These are big enough for several bites each, no dip necessary. I love the catfish however its pretty expensive for just one fillet. You can get a whole fried catfish fish for half this cost back in Texas. The gator bites were just not my thing. I didn't like the texture. It was like a chewy piece of chicken to me. It wasn't my first time eating gator bites, just my first time doing so here. The dips that came with them was disgusting. Basically like pink mayo, gross. Overall a great meal. Tonight was my third visit, but when the place was just called Willie's Fish Camp; why they added the "Fat" to the name confused me if I was going to the same place. read more

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Food sucked, service was worse. My wife ordered blackened grouper came non blacked. Sent it back the waitress returned in one minute either the plate with blackening seasoning on it. I ordered mahi blacken it tasted like it was freezer burnt. My guest had the greasiest haddock ever served anywhere. Save your money a go eat at the hospital cafeteria. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp is located in a beautiful lush area in Valrico. The oak lined roads overlap creating a canopy on the way there. This restaurant's outside is deceptive! When you enter you are greeted by Amanda, a family member who relays the 4 generation story of this iconic business. We sat in the "downstairs"which is only two steps down and has windows facing what looks like a preserve. The floors are wood and the ceiling is comprised of what looks like old rows of colorful strips of green and white slats. The restaurant was closed for about 6 months in 2020 for major renovation and Covid. The neighborhood missed this restaurant so badly that they created a "You Fund Me" to help them purchase tables etc. Now the restaurant is doing well but only open three days a week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They are facing the same finding staff problem as most restaurants are today. Dave had the fried oysters and they were succulent. They were accompanied by fries and coleslaw. I had the grilled scallops which were huge, grits and coleslaw. They were good too. We both weren't crazy about the slaw because it was very sweet. We finally ordered a basket of onion rings, which were deliciously battered with a hint of spice and served with a spicy orange dressing. Ellen, Amanda's daughter, was our gracious server. We think this restaurant is a real find, but would like to see some sides that were maybe vegetables or were not fried. We love supporting local community businesses wherever we may go! read more

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We stumbled upon this restaurant on our way home from clearwater and we were blown away. It exceeded any expectations my family had. We loved the gator bites and fried crawfish appetizers! I had the blackened catfish and it was so flavorful. Would love to comeback next time im in Florida such a hidden gem! read more

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My husband has been going to this place since he was a kid. Now we bring our kids. We love this place. It's definitely older and in the middle of Brandon/Seffner but the food is always great. I really enjoyed the blackened mahi mahi. read more

This is the third time in two weeks and everything is delicious. The catfish fried hard is my favorite dish along with the clams

I must say that I really enjoyed my visit to Fat Willie's this past Saturday. One of my Yelp friends had recommended it after a recent visit which prompted a reunion of another Yelp friend, and so it became 3 Yelpers enjoying a wonderful meal together. I have to be honest, but my last visit to Fat Willie's was over 15 years ago and I hadn't been back because it was so hard to find parking back then. Not because the parking lot is small, but because they have a huge local following. I mean, people have always lined up before they open just to get a seat. I remember parking across from the restaurant on Front St in the grassy area which is considered their overflow parking. So, if you don't find a space on their lot you can park across the street. Anyway, this is what I would describe as a true hidden gem. It's tucked away behind the CSX railroad track near the intersection of Valrico Rd and Front St. You won't see it from the road but the locals know exactly where it is. Everyone who lives in Valrico knows about this place and the community has actually supported them through a few ups and downs in a period of over 45 years. Yes, this place has survived a lot. They had to close briefly during COVID-19 but were able to reopen recently (and thank goodness for that). This is the type of Old Florida staple that should be preserved at all cost. I mean, it's literally a historical site for this town. It once housed the General Store and Post Office back in the early 1900's. You can read about this history on their website. There are also some very cool articles about Bill "Willie" Robinson and how his family and staff have kept his legacy going through thick and thin. A South Tampa Magazine article titled "Fat Willie's Fish Shack" from 2014 which talks about how he modeled his restaurant after a North Carolina staple called Jack Lineberger's Fish Camp. There was also a great Fox 13 news story that was televised in June called "Former employees preserving legacy of Fat Willie's Fish Camp" that highlights the loyalty and dedication of the employees who are basically their own family. You can't get better than this folks. Who wouldn't want to visit this restaurant after reading all of this? Okay, so now I feel the need to talk about my most recent Willie's dine-in experience. It was fantastic! A little different than what I remembered the first time. You enter and see all the historical articles on the wall which then leads you to a counter where you place your order and pay ahead. I'm okay with that, but I guess others are used to the old way. Also, they are only open on the weekends. Right now the hours are Friday & Saturday between 2pm and 10pm and Sunday between 12pm and 8pm. Keep that in mind if you plan on visiting. They will also be hosting the Valrico Village Exchange on September 19th. I'm totally looking forward to that event which will have many local vendors as well. Let's talk about the food! I loved it! I got the fried oyster basket which comes with a side (Grits or French Fries), 2 yummy hush puppies, and their homemade slaw. I also got the gator bites appetizer to share with my friends but mainly because I couldn't decide between the oyster or the gator. All of it was wonderful. They know how to do a fish fry. I mean they learned from the best and have been doing this for years. The special gator sauce was also pretty wonderful. Had a nice spice and tanginess to it. I also sampled the fried catfish, fried onion rings, and their locally made pies. All of them were standouts. Especially that fried catfish. Make sure you ask for lemon wedges to go along with the catfish. It doesn't need it, but it actually elevated the flavor even more. I can't stop thinking about that crispy and light cornmeal batter with the lemon. I was also impressed with how the fish stayed tender inside of that crispy layer. The best I've tasted in the Tampa Bay area so far. The cornmeal wasn't gritty either. Oh and the grits were also really good. The onion rings were also lightly battered and fried to perfection. They have blackened and grilled fish offerings that are also very popular. I'd like to highlight everything but this review is getting to be too long. There was even a patron that we met who has been going to Willie's since he was 7 years old (back in the 70s). What does that tell you? There's a lot of history here. You can see it through the many historical drawings and collections on the walls. Oh and did I mention the view in the back dining area, and hearing and seeing the CSX train go by as we were eating and talking? Also, everyone was friendly and helpful (staff, owner, family members, and local patrons). It's a true family run business. A true reflection of Willie's values and personality. Just go there and try it for yourself. Yes, I was that impressed by it all. read more

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Yep- I'm the girl that goes to the most popular seafood restaurant in Brandon/Valrico and gets a burger! But my foodie friends had the catfish (my husbands favorite there!), blackened grouper, gator bites and LOVED every morsel! We shared onion rings and key lime pie & Mississippi mud pie and every bite was spectacular! My Yelp buddies and I had the pleasure chatting with Roy- one of the owners, Amanda & Eric- Fat Willies son & daughter in law and Brenda & Michelle- 2 of the longest running servers at Fat Willies! We also chatted with one of the regulars that had been eating there since 1975! It was great hearing the history and the memories made @fatwilliesfishcamp and Valrico from the people that have lived it! Fat Willies Fish Camp is the Cheers of Valrico! read more

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This little place tucked away in valrico is just awesome. The staff is super friendly and the food is outstanding. The catfish and shrimp with grits is absolutely delicious. The union ring's are awesome. But my favorite is the blacken mahi mahi it is absolutely amazing. The only thing is the drinks. They give you a can drink with a cup of ice or a cup of ice for tea. They have the tea and limon aid on a table in the dining room. If you want some great seafood stop in and have a great meal. Mahi mahi is a must try. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp - Seafood Near Me - Valrico, Florida

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My husband loved the food Grilled and blackened ok. Not much diet food for me Fries and coleslaw. Coleslaw was small textured But ok. What ever he likes i Can find something that I can eat. Tempting to eat fries though. Prices ok just come paper plates and plastic ok? Beats cooking tonight. read more

The food was so bad on so many levels across all of the different dishes. 1. Seafood Medley Pasta I asked for this to be spicy. All of the seafood was bland. I don't understand how you can have a creole theme with seafood and end up with bland seafood. The seasoning was slapped on top of the dish as an afterthought. You can very easily tell all the seafood was heavily frozen. Scallops were cold in the center. Crawfish was tough and shriveled. Sauce tasted like nothing. Bundled coleslaw heavily laden with horseradish which was very, very weird. Friend got the same pasta but in the "Cajun cream sauce" variant. He "forgot" it in my fridge. 2. Hushpuppies I'm not sure how you screw this one up but they ranged from very burnt to undercooked. No middle ground. 3. Bread Too hard, almost tooth-breaking. 4. Key lime pie My wife had this one. Mentioned that it tasted store bought or something similar. I saw it in the fridge with just one bite either way. Who eats just one bite of pie? If you have a Louisiana flavor itch, roll your dice with Tibby's in Brandon or Cajun cafe on Fowler. $80 did not do it for me here. I'm terrified of the leftovers in my fridge. read more

I'm very sad to leave a negative review I heard such amazing things about this place. I did a pick up order arrived early and it was ready got home I'm less than 5 min away and all the food was ice cold. The breading was 90% off the onion rings and looked nothing like the photos I've seen here on Yelp. The slaw was opened and all over the bag just an overall bad experience we tried heating things up but it just wasn't good. Maybe it's a place you have to dine in. But as for you go orders this is the first and last time we will be going. For the price I expected better than what we got. The hush puppies were good though. read more

To say we were disappointed would be understated. Been going here for about 40 years. Looked forward to trying it again. Ordered takeout , had elderly visitors. Haddock for $18 had less fish than some kids menu fish stick dinners. Very very upset.Hate to say that we probably will not go back. read more

Fat Willie's Fish Camp - Haddock "dinner" - Seafood Near Me - Valrico, Florida

Lordy, Lordy, Lordy! "I declare, I could eat here till the cows come home." This is the REAL DEAL-- where good Old Florida recipes & hospitality meet 2021 welcoming palates. THANK YOU, current co-owners Roy & Chris, for keeping Bill & Mary Ellen Robinson's 1970's vision alive. Anyone who has a hankering for fantastic fried seafoods has gotta get over here "faster than a hot knife through butter"! Seriously, if y'all "can eat the north end of a southbound pole cat," Fat Willie's is for you. The Southern menu offers up 9 Appetizers (which include Gator Bites; Ellen's Onion Rings; Fried Pickles; Popcorn Crawfish; & two types of Hush Puppies, etc). Also available are 12 Fried, Grilled & Blackened Baskets-- Grouper; Salmon; Haddock; Scallops, Oysters; & Chicken, etc. There are 8 varieties of Po Boys; 1 "Bad Burger" (which I've been told is very good); 4 fried A La Carte offerings; 5 Children's Baskets; 2 traditional & YUMMY locally-made PIES (Key Lime & Mississippi Mud); & a variety of non-alcoholic beverages. THERE IS TRULY SOMETHING ON THE MENU TO PLEASE EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY! And if you're lucky, either Brenda or Michelle will bring your order to your table after you order @ the counter-- together, they have 37 years of service here. (See the pic of their smiling faces!) Mmm Mmm Mmm. I left Fat Willie's "full as a tick" after ordering a WONDERFUL Blackened Grouper Basket, complete w/ fries & hush puppies-- see pic. The Gator Bites (see pic) were EXCELLENT, as were the Fried Oysters. The lightly breaded Onion Rings (recipe complements of original co-owner Mary Ellen) were PHENOMENAL, outshined only by the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING Fried Catfish-- see pics of both! DELICIOUS slices of the two locally-made pies topped off our meals. My belly was "grinnin' like a possum eatin' a sweet tater." (Note: Two weeks later, I returned & ordered Grits. S0000 G00D. Hands down the BEST Grits anywhere!) Come in not only to eat, but to partake of true SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. Regular customer "Steve" occupies a seat at his favorite table every other week; he made his first trek here w/ his daddy in 1975. When asked what menu item he likes best, he gleefully replied, "Everything!" But according to Bill's friendly stepson Eric & Eric's lovely wife Amanda (in charge of social media), the Fried Catfish is the #1 Seller. Rumor has it customers are working hard to get Chris & Roy to bring back the popular grilled steak that diners enjoyed here for years. A little HISTORY: Happily married Bill & Mary Ellen opened this restaurant in 1975. A Florida boy, Bill's culinary training took shape @ North Carolina's Lineberger's Fish Camp after he graduated from Escambia High School in Pensacola. Bill died Dec of 2020, just days shy of his 80th birthday. It's believed he would be very pleased to know his nephew Chris & his former teenage dishwasher Roy (a close family friend) reopened this long-standing community favorite in March of this year. Family, as well as the Valrico community, came together to make the dream of reopening come to fruition, donating time & money; they assured the return of quality food & casual ambiance that Fat Willie's has been known for over the past 46 years. Both Chris & Roy hold other fulltime jobs, but together manage this impressive restaurant that is open FRIDAY THRU SUNDAY. Each proprietor is "busy as a cat on a hot tin roof"! Old Bill's most notable saying was "Keep plugging away," which is what Roy & Chris continue to do to assure patrons are consistently greeted w/ Southern charm; homemade sauces & breading; only the freshest seafood; sturdy portions; fair prices; & a restaurant interior whose walls are steeped in history rooted south of the Mason Dixon. When you stop in, be sure to check out the entryway photos & achievements dating back to that original grand opening of 1975. I drove from Pasco County to break bread w/ two wonderful Yelpers. I reckon I'll return here MANY a time w/ family & friends. Yes, it's THAT good. Here's to delicious local fare prepared & served by an impressive culinary family! I'm plumb hooked-- & "happy as a hog in a wallow." read more

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Fresh, delicious Florida seafood in a rustic, historic setting! Fried catfish is like pillows of heaven! Scallops are tender and huge. Hush puppies are hot and delicious! The building is very interesting at over 100 years old. It feels like stepping back in time. it's definitely off the beaten path if you want something different than big chains. read more

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Outstanding. ! Mahi & Grouper Blackened was FABULOUS. hush poppies , grits and fries were prepared very well. Great atmosphere Must go here! read more

Fast attentive service. Waitresses are great. The food is excellent, I recommend the po boys and the fried gator bites. Y'all are doing a great job! read more

All the food and service is great.i have been there lots of times.i love the fried oysters and catfish.i use to live behind there and walked there at least once a week or more.my daughter loves it .it has been awhile since I have been there but looking forward to going next week. I moved to Lakeland but still love to go there. It is well worth the drive. read more

I took my Neighbors there last night Thursday. The service was terrible. I ordered the catfish Ponchartrain. which was a fried catfish fillet, a couple of crawfish and soaked in butter. Order two appetizers before the meal. Everything came out at one time I will be looking for another seafood restaurant. read more

The food being mediocre was expensive in my opinion. The crack head lady sitting the next table over yelling wasn't pleasant when we were trying to have a nice dinner. The key lime pie tasted like seafood pie. I'm guessing they store it with the seafood. Gross The bathroom needs a major renovation, it was nasty! Won't be going back. read more

Hush puppies were over cooked and very salty. My daughter and I both ordered the Thursday pasta special. She had twice as much seafood on her plate than I did. It was supposed to be a creole cream sauce but it was mostly a tasteless butter/greasy sauce and the noodles were very gummy to where neither one of us ate the food. Very disappointed as I heard very good things about the place. read more

Best food , great caring staff , fun , comfortable restaurant, 40 plus years , don't miss it !

Many visits later, Willie's still deserves excellent ranking. Shrimp, oysters and catfish a favorite. Onion rings are best anywhere!. Service is top notch with friendly smiles and helpful attitude. Good value for quality seafood. Limited menu but done well. read more

If you love great seafood then you should go to Fat Willie's. the food is fresh and cooked to perfection every time. No heat lamp BS here. The service is impeccable.when you dine at Fat Willie's, it's like you are eating with family. Go,eat and enjoy. read more

this food knocked my socks off service is okay they told us we couldn't sit in the downstairs area but WHATEVER ambiance makes me wanna wrestle gators i feel like a country boy in there and the shrimp be fye read more

We return every time we come! Everything is great here. Sadly, no soft shell crab this time- but the blackened shrimp were a good substitute. And the service is always fantastic! read more

This one star isn't for the food, because we didn't get any, it's from the absolute worst service I've ever received. The service was downright embarrassing. First I understand they were busy. That's why this one star isn't about the 30 minute wait for a table or the 15 minute wait to get our drinks. So here is where the one star service comes in. Within that 45 minutes we had time to decide our drinks and order. We ordered; 3 colas, appetizer-Cajun hush puppies, battered cod w/ fries, blackened mahi-mahi w/fries, &chicken fingers w/fries. Simple enough you would think. So that first 15 minutes after we got our drinks I began to get curious where our appetizer went. I tried to flag our waitress, she came our direction, put down her head and looked at her notebook as she was too busy to stop and didn't see me. I attempted to flag her on her way back and she said she would return to our table in a moment. By now it's been 30 minutes since we placed our order, 1 hour in the restaurant. I approached the head waitress at the counter and explained there was an issue and we haven't received our food. She stated she would address the issue. Mind you we were seated 10 feet of the counter. Another 5 minutes goes by and my wife is getting upset because 2 other tables seated after us have received their entrees and refills and we so much haven't spoke to our waitress but once. By now our waitress is at the counter talking to the head waitress and I can hear the whole conversation. She didn't want to serve us and didn't even place our order. By now I walk up to the counter and ask the head waitress what the issue is, not letting her know what I heard. She looked me straight in the eye and said, " you need to understand, we are busy and the cook lost the order." I looked her right in the eyes and said, "if you're going to lie to cover your racist waitress be sure to whisper when they're seated so close to you." I let her know I heard their conversation and asked them what they have against brown people. I left them speechless but after an hour and a half they left us hungry. read more