This Fish Sandwich Is One Of Florida's Signature Seafood Dishes

If you've ever had a perfectly cooked fresh fish sandwich — crispy on the outside with a moist and flaky interior — you know it's a hard-to-replicate experience. Even large chain restaurants have hopped on the fish sandwich bandwagon the past decade or so to accommodate customers abstaining from meat during Lent. But while fast food fish sandwiches can definitely be tasty, there's nothing like a fresh fish fillet cooked just miles from the source.

Down in Florida, alongside the Gulf Coast and through the Florida Keys, you'll find some of the Sunshine State's best and most iconic fish sandwiches. That's where grouper sandwiches are as easy to spot on a restaurant menu as a Baptist church in the South. It doesn't matter if it's a rundown beachside seafood shack or an upscale waterfront restaurant, grouper sandwiches in this area are downright delicious.

Grouper is a white, flaky fish that's versatile enough to be fried, grilled, or blackened. Tampa Magazine reported the first restaurant that promoted this sandwich was the Blue Dolphin Seafood and Steakhouse in Panama City in 1974. This 24-hour restaurant served up its fresh grouper sandwich for $1.65, alongside french fries and cole slaw.

These days, some of the best grouper sandwiches in Florida are served at Frenchy's Original Cafe in Clearwater Beach. The seafood restaurant offers fresh 4- or 6-ounce grouper fillets served beer-battered, grilled, Cajun-style, and buffalo-style, or as a unique grouper Reuben sandwich, which comes with sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese, served on marble rye bread. Frenchy's also offers underrated fried grouper cheeks on a skewer and grouper nuggets.

Other restaurants that receive praise for its grouper include Peg Leg Pete's in Pensacola, which offers a grouper BLT and nugget po'boy, among other options. Old Florida Fish House in Santa Rosa Beach and Star Fish Company (which doubles as a seafood market) in Cortez (a charming town with lots of fresh seafood) also serve up fresh grouper sandwiches that customers love.

One of the most interesting facts about grouper is its appearance on Florida restaurant menus is a relatively recent occurrence. Not long ago, the fish was considered lower end and used as bait for catching redfish in the early 1900s. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that grouper became a more sought-after seafood option in Florida — as its first appearance on the Blue Dolphin menu in 1974 indicates — with restaurants like Frenchy's following suit with its version in 1980. Now, this entree option is found all throughout the Sunshine State -– and if you're anywhere near the coastline it's a no-brainer to order and enjoy.