First the restaurant is so cute. There was seats in the sun, shade and at the bar. There was live music . The drinks were so good ! And the grouper tacos were delicious- the cheese crust was amazing but the grouper itself had great flavor. My husband had the grouper sandwich and loved it ! Bam was our server and made great recommendations. Best part not only is it dog friendly but they treated him to a piece of bacon !! If in the area you HAVE to go there ! read more

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Amazing food and service as always!!! We had 8 different meals and each one was very delicious!!! read more

The Ugly Grouper - Grouper tacos are a must. So tasty and large portions!!! - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

Fun place to go too - Everything was good - we all had the Grouper which was good Service was great ! read more

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. read more

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We had a great time at the Ugly Grouper! Seating is only outside, but they have plenty of fans to keep you cool. Our waiter was very friendly and gave good recommendations. The menu is great for those who love seafood and for those who do not want any. I highly recommend the tacos (any of them). The mango salsa is delicious and gives the perfect acidity to the cheesy taco shell. read more

The Ugly Grouper - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

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Amazing atmosphere!! A great time with family with the live music they have. The food was great! read more

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Grouper tacos are amazing definitely worth the wait time. Highly recommend the coconut shrimp as well......cheese logs looked great but don't wanna not poop for a month read more

Great food and service. It's really busy so I recommend getting a reservation early on

Great Lunch Experience!! Alivia couldn't have been more attentive and personable. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere here at the Ugly Grouper! read more

The Ugly Grouper - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

Place is pretty cool. You gotta go if you're staying on the island. In the summer it can be downright hot since it's all outside seating. The service was decent, but they were so busy it was tough for them to give us any special attention and that's fair. Food was acceptable. The quesadilla was a normal quesadilla. Pretty solid. Then I had a burger because I wasn't in the mood for seafood. Wife had grouper tacos. All in all, ok, but nothing exceptional. Prices are higher than what I feel it's worth, but it's in a major tourism area, so I get it. Overall worth a visit read more

We had a outstanding time at the Ugly Grouper last night. We had Rosie as our waitress and she knew exactly what we would like off the menu just from us asking a few questions! She was fantastic! And the food was delicious! Also the live music was great! I don't catch his name but he was so good. Played all the songs that I love!!! read more

The Ugly Grouper - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

Nice waitstaff, nice ambiance even though it's right on Marina Dr. Prices are a bit more than expected for portion size. And over $6 for a Yuengling draft? Food was good but didn't stand out. As has been the case in a lot of restaurants these, using a credit card will add 4% to the bill. Food seemed to take quite a while. Other tables seemed to get appetizers and the main course before us, despite those folks ordering after us. We ordered as soon as the server introduced themselves because we were so hungry. Server apologized for the wait and comp'd that entree. They realized the mistake and tried to make things right. Kudos for that. read more

The Ugly Grouper - 100% outside seating. - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

**Pre Debby, Helene, Milton Visit** Still one of my favorite places. Somehow my schedule cleared up giving me a free week day off. After dropping off the child at camp, I went to the beach for the day. Around 2p, hunger took over all my thoughts so I packed everything up for a visit to this wonderful establishment. Since it was only me, a spot at the bar was my destination. The bartender greeted me quickly and took my drink and food order. As I enjoyed my drink, grouper tacos, and book. There was a guy playing live music who played some great renditions of popular songs. It was a very tasty lunch with good entertainment. 02.02.25 read more

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The food was bland and overpriced. The "grilled fish" tasted like thawed out freezer fish. The Cole slaw was sweetened with crushed pineapple which was too sweet. We waited for an hour and were sorely disappointed. Service was good. read more

The Ugly Grouper was so good we ate there twice on our recent visit to AMI. So, you might ask why I only rated them 4-stars. Read on but it has nothing to do with the service. Expect a wait if you see people standing around. Both times we ate there, we had at least a 15-minute wait. This place is hopping!!! All the seating is outdoors, which would normally not be an issue except on the second visit. Obviously, they cannot control weather but if there is a solid rain, it shuts down half the seating areas. The service staff was incredible! We had Izzy the first night were there and unfortunately, I don't recall the servers name from the second night. They both did an incredible job. Waiting on many different tables and still able to keep up. They had several runners, so the food came out in a timely manner both times. The first night I had the grouper tacos, and they were absolutely delicious. I've never had tacos made quite like those, so it was a welcome deviation from the status quo of fish tacos. Night 1 was fantastic and that was the reason we came back a second time. The second visit is the reason for the 1-star ding. Everything started out OK. We had a little longer wait than the first night but that was fine. It had rained so we were understanding of the quandary. I saw a dish on the menu the first night we came that I just had to try. They had a seared ahi tuna dish and ahi tuna is one of my favorites. I do a lot of reviews on Yelp, and I am always most critical of my favorite dishes. Therefore, I had an expectation that a place called The Ugly Grouper would know how to properly cook seared tuna. At first appearance, it looked absolutely cooked perfectly but after the first bite, it became increasingly apparent that the dish had either been put too close to a heat lamp, or it sat out too long while they were preparing the other dishes. The tuna was seared about 1/8" around all 4 sides and perfectly raw in the middle. Absolute perfection in most cases. In this case, the center was warm. The other issue was the sauce. I have no idea what sort of sauce it was but thank goodness it was on the side. It was awful. Lastly, the bathrooms need some serious attention. The men's bathroom had a single toilet, and the urinal was missing from the wall. It needs a serious facelift. With everything I have said, I will summarize by saying that The Ugly Grouper is a must visit if you go to AMI. It would deserve all 5-stars, but buyers beware if you buy the seared ahi tuna. read more

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We had the most amazing service from Avery. She was the most helpful and kind employee. We are from out of town and were on the island. It was late and we found your restaurant and she was so happy to assist us in getting a ride off the island. She went above and beyond and it was her kindness that stood out. We were so thankful and appreciated her follow through in insuring we were taken care of. Thank you Avery!! You made our night and will remember you!! read more

Went during Happy Hour- 25% off Appetizers and discounts on beer and drinks. It was cold so we had a nice heater to help stay warm. Service was good, and the Calamari was really quite good. Settled on the Grouoer Nuggets, fried pieces of large Grouper with a dipping sauce. Lightly fried so no grease and went well with our drinks. As the sun set, so did the temperature and we decided to move on. Back another day when the temperature is a bit higher. read more

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The food was decent enough, but the Drinks are fantastic, and the atmosphere is fun and festive.

Really fun spot with great food and friendly staff. They have a lot of different choices too. We opted for blackened grouper and fried grouper sandwiches. The grouper is a large fresh delicious. Our server Jayden was smiling and very helpful Definitely the real deal for grouper read more

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We fell into the tourist trap! It's bound to happen when you're on a little island like AMI :) The cocktails were strong and tasty- not too sugary. The grouper tacos were FULL and tasty - perhaps not worth $26 for two but still did the trick. Mahi dinner was overcooked and the kids food hit the spot- no frills there. Service was lovely- a friendly waitress kept dinner moving at a good pace. We were sat next to the bar with lots of breeze and shade, enjoying the reggae music - plastic tables and chairs, dirty floor - standard beach vibes really. Overall, expensive meal for okay food. read more

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This place is filthy and food is actual slop. The fish tacos were made of chopped up scraps - nothing fresh about it. The whole fam was sick after. The 1 star is for the decent mojito. read more

We were not vacationers. We live 20 mins away and were in the area. The place is completely open with incredibly uncomfortable inexpensive lawn chairs for table seats. The menu was pricy. Coconut shrimp appetizer or fried calamari $22. That's a bit much. The food was fine but our meal was $96 for two people and we shared an entree. We will not return. There's got to be something better around. read more

Absolutely amazing! The grouper is about as good as it gets. The staff is super friendly and and for as busy as they are, it's great how fast they get things out. It's a master of fear in Ana Maria Island. read more

Delish grouper tacos and hubby had a burger. Wonderful!! Sam was our beyond fabulous lil gal that took fantastic care of us - she was above and beyond. read more

A classic place to visit while visiting AMI! Ample outdoor seating, tons of fans, and love music. 90% of the menu is fish (grouper mainly) so if you have picky eaters it might be rough fyi. Friendly bartenders who know what they're doing! read more

We showed up on a rainy Monday and it was busy. Mainly because they were only seating in the covered areas and it's only outdoors. They told us it would be a 2 hour wait but we could try the bar. Best decision ever. Went to the bar and a couple was leaving, perfect! We got our drinks and studied the menu a bit. The Polynesian boat sounded interesting. I wasnt sure how it would all taste together but glad I got it. It was a warm carved out pineapple with risotto, veggies, and grouper. The grouper was good and I think my first time having it. I like it better than Mahi Mahi. The seasoning was perfect. Everyone was so intrigued by this pineapple. They have outdoor games you can play off to the side. Which is also where the bathroom is located. This seems to be a very popular spot on the island. Very fun chill place! read more

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It was pretty crowded. Outdoors but there was plenty of fans to cool you off as well as umbrellas. I had the blackened shrimp pasta, it was VERY good. read more

The Ugly Grouper - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

Food: 3/5 We ordered everything our waitress recommended: the grouper tacos, the grouper with pineapple, grouper sandwich, fried squid, and crab cake crackers. Overall, the food was just okay. Nothing left us wanting another bite. The grouper tacos, in particular, felt overhyped. They're large, but the flavor didn't leave much of an impression. Service: 2/5 Our waitress was great, but the host/hostess experience really hurt the visit. We had a party of eight and were told the wait would be about 30 minutes, but it ended up being much longer. We weren't offered--or allowed--the option to sit at separate tables. When we asked about it, the hostess appeared visibly frustrated. The interaction felt unprofessional and suggested a lack of training and oversight from management. Ambiance: 1/5 There was a live band playing off to the side, which might be enjoyable in other circumstances. Unfortunately, the rest of the environment overshadowed it. The bathroom was extremely dirty, smelled bad, and the water barely worked, making it difficult to wash hands. It was also cold that day, and despite having kids with us, no one offered to move a heater closer. We also felt uncomfortable after being seated due to the looks we received. Overall, the atmosphere did not feel welcoming, especially for tourists of color. read more

Quesadilla really is the best you will ever have. Get it with Shrimp! If you're ordering to go, make sure to call before 5pm as they stop taking to go's after then. This is maybe the best spot on AMI! read more

Any time I'm out on the Island, I try to stop at the Ugly Groiper. Adam is a great server and very friendly. My iced tea glass was never empty and the food is fresh and delish! read more

Terrible experience. Server did not come back to check on us ever for over an hour did not care that he forgot multiple orders. Worst experience ever. Do not recommend read more

Atmosphere was wonderful. The live music volume was at the perfect level to talk and hear one another, but still enjoy live music. The drinks were a good strong and a good size. The grouper tacos were amazing. Overfull with fish! Kids played at the open area while they waited for the food and it was great! read more

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.

When on Anna Maris Island The Ugly Grouper is a must. The food is excellent. I tried the ugly cheese logs, the grouper nuggets and the Island Chicken Sandwich. Both were excellent! The service was outstanding. The atmosphere was casual. It's all outdoor seating with live music. It's very busy during dinner hours. I highly recommend this restaurant read more

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Everything was perfect! Considering it was a very busy Memorial Day weekend, hostess/wait staff were very accommodating and we only had to wait a short time before we were called. Place was hopping! If you're not up for a buzzing, semi- loud, upbeat vibe, may be this is not your place. But Sinead, our server, was amazing. She accommodated our somewhat particular whims in terms of our orders without eye rolls, etc. We ordered the nachos with added, pulled pork, as well as the fried green tomatoes with crab meat. All were exceptional. Would definitely recommend! Fun, kitschy, cool place to kick back. read more

We had a great experience! Great ambience and probably the best food and drinks we had in the island.

This is definitely a vacation spot for food and drinks. It's on the north side of the island and it is all outdoor seating. The servers were great! The food was good the kids loved it. The servers made an error with one of our kid's drinks and served her tequila. We notified the manager and he apologized and made sure she was ok. He ended up giving her a desert as part of their apology. The kids were ok and now have a story to share about their spring break experience. read more

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I loved this place!! Used to live in Tampa and just returned for my high school reunion. My bestie and I spent afternoon at beach and came here for early dinner and drinks. Wasn't impressed with their margaritas but the food was delish. My bestie got the grouper tacos and I got the grouper Reuben. I tried their special sauce they use on taco instead of thousand island and it was so so good. Will go back if in area again. Sinead our server was awesome and very patient with my chatty self!! Live music was playing as well. He was ok. read more

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

Absolutely love this place, couldn't be happier with the food and this place. We'll be coming back every visit to FL! Great friendly wait staff, the best seafood. Couldn't ask for anything else.. read more

The Ugly Grouper - Stuffed Shrimp and Grouper Nuggets - Bars Near Me - Holmes Beach, Florida

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