Good seafood is to be expected when you travel to and through the Florida Panhandle, but this is especially true when you go close to the Gulf such as when you take Scenic Highway 30A along the coastline. The Shrimpers Seafood Market is one of those classic Gulf Coast seafood joints and a favorite among both locals and visitors.
You will find the Shrimpers Seafood Market in Santa Rosa Beach right along Scenic Highway 30A. Theirs is a stand-alone building with a wide parking lot and bright red roofing.
Inside, you will find a small but open general area with a long counter that wraps along one side and the back side of the market. About half of this countertop was built with a recess where ice can be poured in and fresh fish laid out for display. Another part of the counter has a built-in display where you will find things like their daily-made Key Lime pies. On the opposite side of the business are refrigerator-style displays that feature frozen items for sale. Finally, you will also find display cases full of seasonings, to-go Styrofoam coolers, and select produce like potatoes and onions.
As you can probably guess, the Shrimpers Seafood Market is all about seafood. That frozen fish, fresh seafood, seasonings, and potatoes are all about helping customers put fantastic seafood meals on the dinner table. Their selection of seafood primarily comes fresh from local Gulf waters and includes shrimp, bay scallops, local oysters, and plenty of fish varieties.
Fresh and frozen seafood sold as-is is certainly the biggest part of the business at Shrimpers Seafood Market, but they do also boast a nice mix of homemade specialty foods that they make in-house. These specialty foods include savory soup options like Gumbo Bisque and Crawfish Corn Chowder as well as seafood pies like Crabmeat Pie, Crawfish Pie, and Shrimp Pie. Plus, of course, there is their famous Key Lime pie that gets freshly made every day and may just be sold out if you get to their store a touch too late in the day.
Looking for some hot seafood? No problem. You can order any of their fresh Gulf shrimp varieties and ask them to steam them up fresh with a mix of potatoes, corn, and sausage and your choice of seasonings. Unfortunately, at this time, this seafood market only offers boiled shrimp.
This easy-making food ready to order is one of the things that sets Shrimpers Seafood Market apart from a lot of the other small seafood stores you’ll find in this area. Another thing they offer, something a bit more convenient for just about everyone entering the store, is they take debit and credit cards without a surcharge. Many of the other places in this area either operate as cash-only or will only do credit or debit sales if you agree to an added surcharge.
This small business is generally known for keeping regular hours with a big seasonal exception. Historically, the owners behind Shrimpers Seafood Market have closed up shop during the winter months, but it appears that is a thing of the past. However, it is still a good idea to call ahead before planning a trip out to this market if you are traveling into the area during January, February, and March.
Insider Tip:
The good news for bread lovers is that you can go just one half of a mile west and find Crust Artisan Bakery which serves up fresh baguettes and loaves every day. Their rolls and baguettes are particularly great pairings with the thicker soups sold by Shrimpers Seafood Market.Â