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    The Ugly Grouper

    4.2 (2k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    The Ugly Grouper Photos

    Business Info

    THE UGLY GROUPER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Live music

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    Recommended Reviews - The Ugly Grouper

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    Grouper tacos
    Joel C.

    Fantastic stop. Seating is all outdoors so it can be hot sometimes but the shade and fans are adequate. It's very casual and sets a classic fish house ambiance. I ordered the grouper tacos and would get them again. They were fantastic, particularly with the fried cheese crust. Fish was fresh and well cooked. Toppings were fresh and flavorful. I got French fries as a side and they were well seasoned and freshly fried. My wife got the Angus Burger and it was decent. Not the best burger around, but I am a self proclaimed burger critic. She liked it well enough. Service was a little slow. It took about 25-30 minutes after we ordered for our food which was a little surprising since we were there for lunch and it wasn't that busy. Waters were constantly filled and server was kind. Overall, I highly recommend!

    Cheese logs
    Mike C.

    Service was awesome Not very crowded at 4pm The grouper reuben was ok - fish over cooked and chewy Cheese logs were good - not awesome Ambience was really good I just thing the food isn't great but ok

    Menu
    Denise D.

    Cute little spot on Anna Maria Island. They are known for their grouper so I had the blackened grouper sandwich that had a nice remoulade sauce on it which was a nice change from the usual tartar sauce. The portion was generous as it should be for the price of 25 bucks. Fries were fresh and hot. Diet Coke was flat, they brought another and it was flat as well. Okay, change that order to a Chardonnay please!! If you like fish as I do, they do a nice job. I saw the fried grouper nuggets and they looked like they could float my boat as well!

    Shrimp tacos
    Nicole B.

    I don't know where to start everything about this place is wonderful. The atmosphere the music the food especially the tacos. Shrimp tacos grouper tacos drinks are good. servers are friendly. It's a favorite.

    Grouper grilled, with cole slaw and Caribbean rice!
    Vernus S.

    Ambiance is awesome, not too loud, building not the prettiest but that's the motif, outdoors, bathrooms could use cleaning, a store available to buy local souvenirs especially Ugly Grouper souvenirs. Service was with a smile, appetizer (mozzarella cheese logs) brought out quickly and delicious. For an entree we got the grilled grouper dinner with cole slaw and Caribbean rice, all was amazingly delicious!! We will be back!

    Menu
    Jodie T.

    This was our first time eating here AND WE WILL BE BACK!! The place gives a beachy dive feel that's super chill. They had some games to play and someone was singing in their stage area. Our waiter was amazing and recommended their fan favs. I got the tacos and my son got the grouper sandwich. Both were delicious but the grouper tacos were on point! Everything we saw coming out looked delicious. There's a metal grouper made by a local artist. The waiter told us apparently the artist makes items like this out of trash he recovers from the ocean. We highly recommend this spot!

    Chyenne A.

    This place is really cool... nowhere quite like it on the island and that's saying a lot. Large metal fish statues and cool lights and music. Overall, everyone should come here just for the vibe alone! :) You see the waiters and waitresses working really hard because they're always packed... so things do get missed, like getting our food before the appetizer, or a drink never showing up from the bar. But the food is great and it's just a fun place to eat for nearly all ages - I'd say teenager on up. We had a large group of high-schoolers who loved it, and a group of chaperone mom and dads who loved it too. :)

    Ugly Grouper Sandwich
    Byron S.

    What an awesome spot! Thanks to Yelp on my search for a great lunch spot. We were there for a late lunch and were quickly seated. Rosie was awesome taking our orders and getting our drinks to us quickly. Between the grouper and Maui Maui sandwiches, grouper and shrimp tacos, it was all great. The area is all outside seating with plenty of umbrellas. Live music was going on during our visit and the large Ugly Grouper sculpture is amazing. Make sure you stop by and give they a try. Ask for Rosie! Enjoy.

    Ugly grouper
    Richard S.

    Nothing seems to have changed in our absence. We arrived for a late lunch; no crowd, same beachy feel and were seated right away. About what seemed like forever, our waitress arrived and asked if this was our first visit here. We ordered our usuals- me a pina colada (well made) and grouper tacos. My wife had ipa and grouper tacos. Both the fries and tacos remain very good. The only negative is the casual ambiance which some might enjoy. Today, some people brought their pets, other times, I have seem some pretty risqué outfits. Very casual setting but good food and drink across from the police station.

    Mel Z.

    We went for an early dinner and the hostess and our server were friendly and attentive. As for the food, it lacked flavor. We ordered the Coastal Clam Chowder (tasted like it was out of a bag and super thick), the Angus burger (basic) and the Mahi Sandwich. It is a convenient spot for a quick bite, but not what we were expecting.

    Cheese sticks and pretzel bites.
    Sara G.

    Food was honestly mediocre. The best part of our meal was the cheese sticks. So good! The pretzel bits tasted like they were microwaved. The grouper tacos were good. Pasta was okay. Fish and chips were whatever. The server we had did not smile. Once. No joke. And acted like it was a chore to even serve us. The best part of our experience was the ambiance. They had a guy singing music and there were things for the kids to do. On the flip side, one of the restrooms was not functioning. And the one that was, well it was gross. None of the high chairs had the straps to stabilize a baby. Beware of that.

    Local beer and Seedlip mocktail
    Gayle R.

    We stopped here for a late lunch while we're waiting to get into our condo rental. I had grouper skewers and a very delicious mocktail. We had very friendly service.

    100% outside seating.

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    18 days ago

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    27 days ago

    The grouper and coconut shrimp was the bomb! I can't wait to come back again. Sophia was our server and she was very good.

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    11 days ago

    Alivia was our waitress 10/10 she was phenomenal food was great too!! The quesadilla was out of this world

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    24 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Brittany J.

    Brittany J.

    Hi Pat, we do not have an Island Burger on our menu that has pineapple

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    2 months ago

    Stopped for a late lunch, served by Izzy, very sweet and helpful young server. The grouper tacos were huge and so good! We will return

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    The Ugly Grouper Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Ugly Grouper

    Has the restaurant added any vegetarian options? I looked at the menu and it doesn't seem like they have anything other than salad.

    I guess it depends if you're vegan, pescatarian or what type of vegetarian you are. If you're vegan I would say no there are not going to be any good options other than a salad. If you can eat fish,eggs and cheese you're fine but if you're vegan… Read more

    Hi there! We just got into town and only have a few days so I'm doing a stone crab claw search via Yelp. Are you offering any? If so, do you have the prep/prices available to…

    We do not have stone crab. I'm sorry!

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - The Ugly Grouper

    It was outstanding, Irada was super attentive and very helpful with recommendations and all our special requests.

    Mentioned in 51 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Tide Tables - Large grilled grouper basket

    Tide Tables

    4.5(1.1k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    This little unassuming spot was absolutely buzzing over an hour wait on a Tuesday and it's easy to…read moresee why. The marina setting is such a vibe, with dockside picnic tables, a tiki bar, and a small indoor space with a bar and a few tables. We were genuinely blown away by the quality of the food. Everything tasted incredibly fresh the menu says "caught and served same day," and it absolutely lives up to that promise. The blackened fish tacos were a standout and some of the best we've had. The Caesar salad dressing is made In house and is absolutely delicious! We added the blackened mahi and it was filling and delicious. I have mastered a homemade recipe and I'm hard to impress when it comes to Caesar . (We ordered it extra saucy) The only thing we didn't love was the grouper spread, but that was more of a personal preference--it leaned more toward a tuna fish style spread rather than the creamier version we were expecting. The service was great too, the waiters are obviously kept super busy in a spot like that but still managed to get the job done with a smile! Overall, this was easily some of the best food we've had in Florida in the 10 years we've been coming here for spring break. We'll definitely be adding this spot to our yearly rotation.

    First time here! Hostess was a bit snappy. Food was pretty good. Had the shrimp and it was…read moreamazing! Wasn't a big fan of the key lime pie. Had better at a well known spot on Pine St.

    Photos
    Tide Tables - Fried scallops

    Fried scallops

    Tide Tables - Grilled grouper basket (large)

    Grilled grouper basket (large)

    Tide Tables - On the water charm

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    On the water charm

    Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Tuscan Chicken w/ Rice & Veggies

    Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

    4.5(2.3k reviews)
    14.0 mi
    $$$

    BLUF: Consistently exceptional food and service located at a dry dock (dry boat storage)…read moreoverlooking the water. I love Dry Dock Waterfront Grill and I always visit when I am in the Sarasota area. Dry Dock is always busy so I am also sure to make a reservation in advance using Open Table. Typically we sit inside but I know the back patio is popular too. If your timing and patience is perfect, you can also get a nice a nice window seat in the dining room that has sweeping views of Sarasota Bay. The inside atmosphere is bright and airy and although airy often translates to loud, Dry Dock thoughtfully put noise dampening panels on the ceiling. As far as food, I don't think you can go wrong. I always get something with grouper whether it be an entree, sandwich or tacos. On my most recent visit I got the grouper filet with coconut shrimp because I had originally been eyeing up the coconut shrimp as an appetizer. Ultimately, we decided to get the rock crab claws for an appetizer which were good but more work than I planned even though they were pre-cracked. I felt like a Neanderthal trying to eat those crab claws in such a nice restaurant. No offense to the Neanderthals, of course! I have no idea what my husband had as it disappeared. After entrees, apps and bread, we were too stuffed for dessert. I think our server was Cari and she was awesome! Attentive, friendly, funny and quite possibly a mind reader and magician. She saw the hanger in my eyes and made bread magically appear. I hope I got her name correct because she was superb! Shout out to all of the great staff members at Dry Dock -we've never had a bad experience. I love Dry Dock and it will forever stay in my Sarasota rotation.

    Great location and views. Arrived for our reservation and…read morereceived a pager - to wait for our table. Drunk,man eating his dinner at the bar - was a deterrent to ordering a drink there Really average food: grouper poppers were way over breaded. Salads came - lettuce a cherry tomato and a slice of cucumber with a plastic cup of your dressing. The red snapper was overcooked Just boring food. Served was excellent. Very good service. Disappointed - not-

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    Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Upper floor

    Upper floor

    Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Tuscan Cream Pasta w/ Blackened Snapper

    Tuscan Cream Pasta w/ Blackened Snapper

    Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Pomegranate martinis

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    Pomegranate martinis

    The Ugly Grouper - bars - Updated June 2026

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