Cheap Grouper on the Menu? Give it a Close Look

Yes, the "Panhandle businessman" in the article might be Danny Nguyen in Panama City who was busted (and fined heavily) a year ago. I think he's serving time, too.
And after that, my little Port St Joe Piggly Wiggly had to do some quick rearranging of their "Grouper" labels. The stuff they were selling actually tasted really good, but it was basa, not grouper.
From what I hear, even basa is becoming rarer.
Regardless, the scariest thing is that you really don't know what you're eating, and even if you do, the fisheries in other countries might not have the same USA standards (for what they're worth).

This has always been a problem in Florida. I almost got arrested in SOFL years ago for arguing with a server while returning a meal because I KNEW it wasnt grouper. I am a big grouper fan and am not afraid to pay the price. I also have caught/cleaned enough of them to know the difference when served a piece of fish. Alot of restaurants do the same thing with amberjack, particularly on buffets. If its on a buffet, you can bet it IS NOT a fresh caught gulf fish. With the current bag limits on these fishes the fresh catch is sold before it leaves the docks and is never available at places where you dont see a local seafood supplier delivering. The local TV stations brought this to light a few years ago. Glad to see the state finally jumping on the band wagon.

Recently had a grouper sandwich locally and having grown up in a fishing family, it was definitely not grouper .. more like catfish of some sort... it was tasty but it wasn't grouper. This is why we feel more comfortable supporting local fish markets where we can actually see the fish first ....

With the prices of grouper now, in order to get a REAL grouper sandwich, it would probably cost you $25. LOL
*starts dreaming of the grilled grouper sandwich w/slaw at the BackPorch*

One of the PC tv news programs has done a series of reports on who is serving the real deal, and who is serving vietnamese catfish and calling it something else. So far it's mostly been PCB restaurants, but hopefully they'll do the same with SoWal and Destin in the future. I've heard a fair number of rumors about some big players in the local restuarant game who knowingly substitute and call it grouper. I'd love to see them called on it.

I've also been known to ask where a restuarant buys fish from. If it's Harbor Docks or Dewey Destin's, then they automatically get trust points from me.

A restaurant I used to fequent 10-12 years ago in Gulf Shores got busted using pollack for grouper; so this has been going on for a while. My brother-in-law has a charter boat and knows alot of the local fishermen. Evidently, grouper is so overfished that it's becoming hard to supply grocery stores with real grouper. He told me that if a store or restaurant has cheap grouper, then it really isn't grouper.

On a side note, I was at a restaurant in Pensacola before Christmas and asked the waiter, "What's your 'Fresh Catch of the Day'?" The waiter answered....Tilapia :confused:

"Fish-wise" it's really been going downhill lately around here :(
The days of the decent, affordable Grouper sandwich are over.

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Dewey Destin's only serves the real thing. If you want a no frills grouper sandwich I suggest you check them out.

:wub:DD

Whats next? Using a cookie cutter on imported whitefish to "create" scallops.

Whats next? Using a cookie cutter on imported whitefish to "create" scallops.

Nah....they usually use skate/ray for that. And HAVE been doing it for a while.