Meredith's Local Take
My favorite seafood market is just over the bridge on Perdido Key.
Fresh fish in daily. Prepared Gulf sides. Shrimp steamed on site. Two grouper fillets I grilled at home on Ono Island.
Perdido Bay Seafood is my go-to for fresh fish on the Gulf Coast. It sits in Perdido Key, Florida, just over the bridge that connects to the entrance of Perdido Key. I can be off Ono Island, over the water, and in that door before I have fully decided what I am cooking.
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The fish comes in daily. That is the whole reason I keep going back. I have never had anything but wonderful fish from this market. The staff is friendly and they pack everything on ice right there, so what you buy still feels like it just left the boat.
If you are looking at Gulf Coast real estate and trying to understand daily life here, this is the kind of stop that explains it better than a brochure. Dinner can still come from a counter, not a reservation.
The fish comes in daily. That is the whole reason I keep going back.
When you want dinner that still tastes like the Gulf, do you know which market to name first?
If I am sending a buyer, a guest, or someone who just moved to Orange Beach or the Key, this is the market I name first. Fresh fish every day, prepared sides when you do not want to cook the whole meal, and people who treat you like you belong there.
The First Look
Take a thoughtful look through the prepared case.
I also love the prepared side dishes. The cooler is stacked with the things that make a weeknight on Ono Island feel like you live here on purpose. I do not need all of it. I just like knowing it is there.
In the dips and salads: West Indies salad, Cajun Ruby Red, smoked tuna, smoked salmon, smoked grouper, original and spicy blue crab, blue crab queso, spicy shrimp dip, house cocktail sauce, tartar, horseradish, and pearl butter.
In the pots and sweets: seafood gumbo, seafood chowder, crab and corn chowder, Ruby Red bisque, jambalaya, coleslaw, potato salad, fresh picked crabmeat, key lime pie, Bushwacker pie, pina colada pie, and cheesecake.
A Simple Market Plan
How I shop Perdido Bay Seafood
Location
Just over the bridge at the entrance to Perdido Key
Perdido Bay Seafood is in Perdido Key, Florida, just over the bridge that connects to the entrance of Perdido Key. From Ono Island homes and Orange Beach listings, that is an easy, familiar run. You are not hunting a hidden lot. You are over the bridge and in the door.
The Counter
Fresh fish that comes in daily
I love all the fresh fish. I have never had anything but wonderful fish from this market. Grouper is what I reach for when I want a clean, firm fillet that can take the grill. The staff pack everything on ice right there.
From the Freezer at Perdido Bay Seafood Market
Coastal Seafood to Keep on Hand
I love that Perdido Bay Seafood Market in Perdido Key offers such an interesting variety of frozen seafood for creating a Gulf Coast meal at home. The freezer selection includes snow crab legs, Dungeness crab legs, mussels, clams, oysters on the half shell, crawfish tails, soft-shell crab and alligator tail meat. Shoppers may also find Ruby Red shrimp in two-pound individually quick-frozen packages—available peeled and deveined or shell-on—as well as Florida spiny lobster tails in large, approximately eight-ounce portions and impressive giant tails weighing around two pounds. These convenient freezer options are wonderful for everything from an easy weeknight seafood dinner to a festive Ono Island crab boil or waterfront gathering. Selection and package sizes may vary, so I recommend checking current availability when you visit.
As an Ono Island homeowner and full-time Gulf Coast real estate advisor, I enjoy sharing the local markets, flavors and experiences that make coastal living so distinctive. Explore more of the Gulf Coast lifestyle at SearchTheGulf.com.
This Visit
What I bought
Two beautiful grouper fillets, packed on ice. A pound of fresh Gulf shrimp, steamed on site. Their prepared cocktail sauce. I came home and grilled the grouper. It was fabulous. The shrimp were already done, so I put them on a plate with that sauce.
What if you only want dinner, not a project?
Have them steam the shrimp. Grab the house cocktail sauce. Grill the grouper when you get home. That is a Perdido Key run and an Ono Island evening in the same afternoon.
| Grouper | Two fillets, packed on ice |
| Gulf shrimp | One pound, steamed on site |
| Cocktail sauce | Prepared in house |
That cocktail sauce was probably the best I have ever had. You leave with dinner already halfway done, packed on ice, and you still feel like you shopped local.
Meredith
Recipe
Grilled grouper fillets, Ono Island style
Grouper is what I buy when I want a clean, firm fillet that can take heat without falling apart. These two from Perdido Bay Seafood needed almost nothing. Salt, lemon, a hot grill, and the discipline to leave them alone. If you already have my Ono Island barbeque shrimp or Gulf seafood paella bookmarked, this is the quieter weeknight version.
Ingredients / Serves 2
- 2 fresh grouper fillets
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Neutral oil for the grates
Method
- Take the fillets out of the ice and pat them very dry. Moisture is what makes fish stick.
- Stir the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, melted butter, salt, pepper and paprika. Coat both sides. Let them sit 10 to 15 minutes while the grill heats. Do not leave them in acid much longer or the fish starts to cure.
- Heat a clean grill to medium-high. Oil the grates well.
- Place the fillets presentation-side down. Do not move them for 3 to 4 minutes. You want a real sear.
- Flip once with a wide spatula. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Grouper is done when it just flakes and the center is still moist. If you have to fight it, give it another minute.
- Pull them off, rest one minute, and finish with parsley and the lemon wedges.
I serve this with the steamed shrimp and that house cocktail sauce. Bread, a sliced tomato, and you are done.
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A Real Estate Perspective
Why a market like this matters when you live here
Living on Ono Island means the ordinary evening can still feel coastal. A trusted seafood market is part of that picture, the same way a boat lift, a quiet canal, or a short run to the pass is part of it. Buyers often ask about restaurants. I also tell them where I actually shop.
Perdido Bay Seafood is the stop I trust: daily fish, a case full of Gulf sides, staff who pack it on ice, and shrimp they will steam while you wait. That is daily life, not a weekend performance.
Search all real estate listings on the Gulf Coast at SearchTheGulf.com, the Gulf Coast's premier website for Orange Beach, Ono Island, and Perdido Key.
Questions
What people ask me about this market
Where is Perdido Bay Seafood?
It is in Perdido Key, Florida, just over the bridge that connects to the entrance of Perdido Key. From Ono Island and Orange Beach, that is an easy run.
Do they steam shrimp?
Yes. I picked up a pound of fresh Gulf shrimp and they steamed it for me on site. I added their prepared cocktail sauce and it was fabulous.
What should I buy for a simple dinner?
Two grouper fillets, a pound of steamed Gulf shrimp, and house cocktail sauce. Grill the grouper. Put the shrimp on a plate. That is dinner.
Is this Meredith's favorite seafood market?
Yes. This is my go-to place for fresh seafood and fish on the Gulf Coast.
Explore the Market
Would you like to see what is currently available on Ono Island?
Search every active listing on SearchTheGulf.com, the Gulf Coast's premier website for searching all real estate listings on the Gulf Coast.
Prepared items change with what comes in. Confirm hours and steaming with the market. This guide reflects a recent personal visit. For listings or a local question, write Meredith at meredith@searchthegulf.com.
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