We stopped by for a bite to eat. Started with baked oysters and fish dip.it was excellent. Lots of Beer choices for my hubby..... I had the special lemonade and Vodka great! Atmosphere was very layback and relaxed.... Kind of a throwback to the 70's. Staff was great and told us about the live entertainment on the weekends. The Grouper and Oyster sandwich's were really good. I am sure we will return!! read more

FIRST TIME HERE AND IT NEEDS A REVIEW! The ambiance inside and backyard is so fun! The colorful graffiti on the front is pretty cool! At first when you're not familiar with the place you may be a bit skeptical due to the way the property looks from the front and side, but don't let it deceive you! It's got awesome character!!! The service was spot on! So friendly, quick and super helpful! Made you smile and feel extremely welcomed! Our waitress (unfortunately we don't recall her name, maybe KeriAnn??,) was awesome! And Skipper came to our table to say hello, talked with us and filled us in on the nightlife and live music! The nicest people! Now the food......ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!! Oysters on the half shell AMAZING! Charbroiled Oysters on the half shell YUM!! Hush puppies OMG DELICIOUS! Gator Bites DELICIOUS!! Grouper Rueben INCREDIBLE!!!! Who knew that combination would be spectacular on delicious marble rye bread! Fried Green Tomato BLT UNBELIEVABLE! Smashburger GOOD. If I did that again I'd ask for it on the marble rye everyone else got. Key Lime Pie OMG! We could've eaten the whole pie! Absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Perfect balance of sweet and tart! Drinks....Highly recommend.... Lime in the Coconut Mojito! Pineapple Mojito! Amber Bach Beer! WE WILL BE BACK ON OUR NEXT VISIT TO THE TAMPA AREA!! Thank you Skippers Smokehouse for a great and memorable experience! "Table of 4 from New York!" Alison, Meri, Justin and Matt read more

Thursdays $1 oysters 3 dozen per person max sat at the bar. bartenders are great. youre surrounded by regulars and all the divy goodness. solid bar. good vibes read more

Skipper's Smokehouse - $1 oysters - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

great food, excellent service, funky, "shabby chic", and LIVE MUSIC! Key lime pie is not to be missed. Best onion rings in the world.

Here for Sunday Dollar Oysters and beer, what a deal, and live music to boot. We ate on the bar and outside afterwards for live entertainment. Had a Amberbock on draft, $4.50, onion rings, and Oysters on the half shell. The onion rings are really good here, so crispy crunchy. The Oysters were from Alabama, a nice briny taste which made up for being a tad small. Coming back again! read more

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Food was awful! More like a biker bar. We ordered fish spread which was awful. Then we had boiled shrimp which came with the shells on etc. hard to peel. The grilled shrimp was great but it only came with five pieces. Dessert was key lime pie which was good. For $50 we could have gotten a steak dinner! read more

Service was ok. But the food ? I ordered the crawfish mac and cheese. Tasted like box mac and cheese but the crawfish was awful. Absolutely no flavor not even salt, they were rubbery and dry and just placed on top the mac and cheese. Total regret. read more

Skipper's Smokehouse - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

My 2 friends and I had dinner before the concert earlier this evening. We sat inside and were seated nearly immediately. The service was slow but she was serving food over a huge area. 2 of us had the grouper. My friend had the pork and said it was ok. Skipper's, and that "concert scene," is a Must See/Must Do when visiting Tampa, especially if you want the genuine & authentic Tampa. You can't get any more "Real Tampa" than Skipper's. A true feast for your "vibing nerves." read more

Such an old favourite but sad to say not visited in a while due to only being open Thur- Sun. Since covid Really good and fresh oysters, seafood combo! cooked as requested, lightly fried. Lots of dips and sauces with excellent service. Need to visit more often and the prices are reasonable! read more

Delicious!!! We had gator bites, fried okra and a Dozen Oysters! Everything was great! The server was very nice! Also don't forget to try the hush puppies with guava jelly! read more

I love supporting local businesses and I love oysters mix those together and you have Skippers Smokehouse. They had really good raw oyster deals on Thursdays. You get one oyster for a dollar each. The oysters tasted fresh and really good. I also decided to get fried okra and they had the best fried okra and remoulade sauce (I'm guessing that's what it was) I've had. The service was really good too. I was greeted right when I entered and always made sure that I was good throughout my dining. The restaurant was a very chill vibe and I can tell that they have really fun on days where they have entertainment. I will definitely be back and bring friends! read more

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If you like oysters, I recommend their $1 raw oysters this summer on sundays. They have a very limited menu during the summer (zero clue why it's only like 15% of their regular menu), so that is a bummer, but oysters are worth it. If you would like full service, be sure to sit in the restaurant area. The tables near the bar area do not have table service, and the AC is not the best in that area. I had some wings (decently priced) with small pieces of celery. I just recommend getting extra sauce on the side since they are a little dry from being smaller. I wouldn't recommend the key lime pie only because it was overpriced for the size, but it tasted really good. We were a little shocked at how small it was. But I can't stress enough to go just for oysters, and you won't be disappointed. Bartenders are friendly and give quick service! read more

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~On-Vacation Micro Review~ Picture a smoke shack off the side of the road. Swamp trees and in the dark, who knows if a gator may pop out! All of that ambiance to say that this place is AWESOME. There's live music, a bar, and a restaurant. We are inside the re read more

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Wonderful dinner that never fails to hit the spot! Started with raw oysters. Then ordered a Grouper Reuben sandwich with hush puppies and Mac & cheese. Perfect dinner on a cool/ rainy night. Pedro and everyone behind the bar is always SO attentive and friendly. read more

Skipper's Smokehouse - Grouper Reuben sandwich, hush puppies, mac and cheese w/Old Fashioned Cocktails. - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Excellent service. Found this on a whim before going home and so pleased with the atmosphere, the food. Just a great place for a good drink and some excellent raw oysters and key lime pie. Keri Jane was our server and she was the best. Will be back when we visit Tampa again read more

The vibe is so fun and unique. I love walking around before and after eating just to look at everything! Great food! Great service! Love the fried shrimp! read more

An absolute staple in the Tampa area. Super quirky - art murals, bumper stickers, and off-the-wall knick-knacks everywhere. Kind of a Cajun bayou feel. Random cats roaming around, picnic tables in sand, and several bars to fetch a drink. Food is ok (it used to be a lot better) - fresh cut fries and fish dip are our go-to's. And the oyster bar in the side room is by far our favorite spot when not watching live music outside. Speaking of, the vibes of the live music crowd are fantastic... Grateful Dead / Jimmy buffet style vibes... shoes off, dancing with beers in hands, etc. read more

Researched as part of my 7000 mile 24 city food tour. Excited to try the promoter gator ribs from man versus good. Need setup. Has a beach bar vibe with a state in an outside portion. My server was fantastic! Ordered half dozen oysters which were solid. The gator rib platter came with hush puppies and 2 sides (I chose Mac and Cole slaw). Flavor wise...everything was great! However, I must say that the gator ribs while a nice smoked flavor, were very very tough. Like 2 hours longer on low and slow tough as one I couldn't even pull apart with my hands off the bone. Overall it was still a great value for $20. Just needed a longer slower cook IMO read more

Skipper's Smokehouse - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We were going to a show at the Orpheum and found Skipper's. Loved the ambiance inside and out, so much fun and so much to see. We were greeted and seated quickly and like we were old family here for a visit. Kerijane was our server and quite a delight. Made sure every question about the food or beverages was answered and was on top of our needs immediately. Everything was good, came out quickly and tasted heavenly. We had the gator, fish bites, okra and key lime pie. Left fully satisfied because of Kerijane and determined to come back in the fall for the autumn menu. read more

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Will return. The place is original, pretty big with an open air stage in the back. We went tonight for the Grateful Dead - decent performance by Uncle John's Band. I think it's John's 70th birthday. You can watch/listen to 'Uncle John's Band' (1979) on YouTube. The service at the restaurant is good, food is pretty delicious. We've the famous sandwich, chargrilled oysters, hush poppy - all are decent. We ordered their key lime pie but our friends devoured it - they said it's really good. read more

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We were visiting friends in the Tampa area and they brought us here. Super fun spot and the food was on point. I had some beers which were good and the service was decent not great. We had the smoked fish dip with crackers which was really good. We had raw oysters which were super fresh. We had fried green tomatoes and they were decent. My wife had clam chowda but it wasn't really what we were used to. I had the fried grouped meal with Mac and cheese and hush puppies and it was bomb. In all I would definitely go back but I would go later because they seem to have bands outside with an outside bar. read more

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Nothing was right ! Food tastes horrible! Drinks very expensive for the place! The servers were very friendly! read more

The service here is great, Julie is a nice lady. The mac and cheese is one of the best in the country as far as I'm concerned but yeah. The fried green tomatoes were more like raw green tomatoes. The crowd here is questionable, when we pulled in a man was shirtless in a top hat. I wouldn't really hang out outside but the oyster bar is cozy. Beer comes in plastic and is frat party quality. Be safe folkz. read more

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My friend and I stopped in, last night, and we had THE BEST waiter, Dave! He suggested the fish nuggets to start, and they were ah-mazing! Then, after discussing the menu's high points, he helped me choose the smash burger, and it did not disappoint. Throughout our visit, he kept our drinks filled and seemed to know what we needed before we had to ask (napkins, condiments, etc ). Although I usually go to Skippers for the entertainment outside, I'm so glad we chose to eat inside, because Dave made our girls' night memorable. read more

I went there for a concert to see Stevie nicks experience, and I ordered a drink ( sangria ) and some hush puppies and a peach cobbler. Well the drink was watered down and was a waste of $8.00 and the peach cobbler was cold and was not a cobbler. The hush puppies were good !!! I also had good service from the bar tender. But I wasted $20.00 for bad cobbler and a bad drink. The entertainment was great !!! I think maybe you need to make a real cobbler for the $6.99 for a small piece that you gave me. I am sorry to do this but I was not happy. My group of friends had better food , and I decided to leave. I wasted $43.00 for the whole night. The ambiance was fine. I am hoping the next time I come, I get better food !!!!! read more

Skipper's Smokehouse - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The food, music and atmosphere was just what I needed! So glad Skippers is still a place to go! It's one of a kind!

Unassuming from the outside, could be mistaken for past its time. However, the food is amazing and the staff are great! We're adding this to the regular rotation- the blackened mahi was top notch, and the smoked fish dip was really good too. Key lime pie is worth it! read more

Looks are deceiving because it's a great place! Food was great, service was fantastic and prices were very reasonable. I had boiled shrimp, fries, hush puppies and tried the fried pickles. All were great! Very casual and everyone is very friendly. We sat inside but you have the option of dining outside as well. read more

We're a party of four and all selected delicious items from the Mardi Gras menu (oyster poorboy, jambalaya x3, blackened grouper tacos, smoked gator ribs, 3 dozen fresh Alabama oysters, Beers and Hurricane beverages. Unfortunately, I was only able to capture a picture of the alligator ribs. Our server, Damon, was pleasant and on spot in taking care of our food orders. We dined in the restaurant area (reservation) of this establishment. Diners were all enjoying themselves. Us too! We then left that area and walked around the corner to hear the solo artist play music only to be stopped by some greasy unfriendly looking guy telling us that it would cost $15 each to enter that area. We just spent over $400 not including gratuity and the establishment couldn't comp something towards the music piece. No thank you. Oh, it's a Thursday evening. We had a good time. read more

Skipper's Smokehouse - Smoked Gator Ribs - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Skippers Smokehouse has a very rustic, backyard picnic feel to it. They serve everything in paper plates and bowls. The staff were very courteous. I started with a bowl of their chowder. This stuff was so thick I could have eaten it with a fork. It came with fish on top and it had a smoky taste to it (they smoke everything)! The Blackened Grouper Reuben is their signature sandwich that just happened to be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The Sandwich came with sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and they smoked the fish (they smoke everything). Overall the food was good but not great! read more

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This place is a gem!!! Everything we tried was delicious, try everything. Amazing prices. Great vibe. The fish is all so so so fresh, and the people who work there are very friendly as well. Highly recommend- can't wait to go back, and there is live music as well ! read more

Good drinks, atmosphere and food.. love the live venues and enjoy the atmosphere .. the staff is efficient and makes good recommendations

Awesome venue for live music. Fun atmosphere. A very unique and relaxed place to hang out.

The grouper was good: 7 out of 10 The price was great. Wait staff: great Cole Slaw: 3 out of 10 Fries (cold): 1 out of 10 Coke: 2 out of 10 On the edge on trying again. read more

Evidently I never updated my initial review for Skipper's and now they're closed for an indefinite period of time, possibly forever (thanks, COVID). TBH, I'm still crushed. I've visited Skipper's quite a few times since (and before) my original & embarrassingly brief review, so I thought I should write a new one even though no one can visit now. Hubs & I ended up here many evenings when we just couldn't decide where to go for dinner. They always had something for both of our moods. And the food was consistently good! Their cocktails were always decent, if not strong, and well priced, plus their beers were cheap as well. The dining area was a comfortable space for a couple or groups, as was their bar area... and I LOVED the cozy nooks. Outside offered a lot of great dining areas as well, especially for groups. Plus, the outside bar was handy. About 13 months ago, I enjoyed their Stone Crab Claws for the first time and they were SO GOOD. For context, my first taste of stone crab claws was literally four weeks prior (in Las Vegas - don't laugh) but we're not focusing on my FL-native-failure here. They also had great fried okra and fried shrimp. The Skipperdome was an incredible venue and felt very intimate. The sound was outstanding as well. In retrospect, of course I feel like I didn't see enough live music here. But I'm grateful for the shows I did see! I deeply hope this space endures, even In a pandemic context, because I still can't get my head around Tampa without Skipper's. Restaurant, seafood, bar, music venue... all of it. read more

We were served dried out raw oysters so hard they could have possibly been a week old rotting in a fridge somewhere. Absolutely gross. I heard they used to known for good food, but we can confirm that must have been a very long time ago! The place is very run down and needs attention. I guess it was a nice place, back in the day. read more

Well ive been here a few times and enjoyed whatever music was live. I think the food is very good but maybe a bit overpriced. I think the door charge is a bit high too. However, in a sea of Rock N Brews and Twin Peaks (which are also overpriced) a place with some florida roots and a rare live music scene is probably worth the extra dollars. This is a Tampa OG and a FL OG concert venue that yiu should check out, always good vibes here. read more

I have lived in Tampa for over 15 or is 16...maybe even 17 years now. I have drove past Skippers THOUSANDS of times. I used to live around the corner from it when I was in college....I have never had the gumption or slightest desire to go in...lol. I had some old coworkers who talked about it all the time...a not so secret hole in the wall but with good food. On my ever loving search for great oyster spots in Tampa...I decided to give Skippers a try and it was worth it. It was a little confusing finding the dining room because there are separate sections, it was kind of like a maze. Our server name was Kirt and he was AMAZING. He made us feel so at home and even sat down to explain the menu thoroughly and shared the history of the restaurant. We ordered a smogusboard of food, oysters, wings, fried green tomatoes, hushpuppies....and everything was served quick, hot and good. I wish the oysters were a bit bigger but I expect that not every place will have the huge oysters...but even my raw oysters were a tad bit small. Overall it was a good experience, it wasnt too packed. It is very much a place that is little fuss but serves good food. I hear they have live entertainment as well so that may be something to check out. read more

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Took my son here for lunch after a Busch garden day 1st time here for both of us we went in a Friday they opened at 3 friendly staff members GREAT FOOD there wahoo nuggets was great with there mango salsa therr hush puppies full of flavor especially with there guava dipping sauce yummy. They have live music I seen all age groups enjoying this place. Stop on in when in Tampa read more

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May I suggest: Some of the foods they offer is rather unique and hard to find in other restaurants, let alone at the price. Notable foods are crawfish, fried oysters, and gator tail. Some of my favorite dishes they have is definitely their Crawdaddy Mac n Cheese. Its a rather large portion of glorious, creamy, delicious macaroni and cheese crowned with a generous heap of blackened crawfish. In a world of seafood mac and cheese (and I've tried a lot out there) this one is KING. They also have in my opinion the BEST key lime pie around. I also love how I can catch a show and listen to some down home Americana bluegrass music after (or take my food with me). There's really no place like it in the Bay area. read more

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