Trophy Fish Fish House and Boat Drinks
Red Snapper Taco, with pineapple and red cabbage slaw, pickled onion, and mango-lime garlic and sriracha aioli
It is late Sunday afternoon, and we had a mood for seafood. Trophy Fish, a St. Petersburg fave for several years, opened its Tampa store in mid-2022 at 5901 Florida Ave., the former home of Bodega. I am constantly confounded in trying to find great local seafood, especially since Tampa is so close to the gulf.
The Trophy Fish bar and interior are nautically themed. Dress casually. The only seating is an outdoor covered patio like it would be at the beach.
As we walk in, the nautical theme immediately stands out. From hurricane warning flags and life rings on the wall to the porthole windows on the bathrooms and sky-blue paint accents, this place screams “beach.” A fishing tournament plays on the four flatscreen TVs over the bar. Seating is outdoor covered patio dining only and is first come, first served. We are immediately directed to the order window, where we are told to give a credit card and open a tab. Credit cards are the only form of payment accepted here, and once in the system, may be used at the order window or the bar. The moderate menu is packed with typical small bites from Hush Puppies, smoked fish spread to peel and eat shrimp. The main features are fast-casual style, where customers select a fish of the day, how it might be prepared-as a plate, a sandwich, a taco, or a salad, and finally, seasonings, sides, and sauces. Other entrées for the non-seafood eaters include portobello mushroom or barbecued chicken sandwich and a smoked shrimp burger. A big-ticket item of The Trophy Fish Boil ($65) for two is also available.
Trophy Fish order window where they start a house-wide tab with a credit card (the only form of payment accepted here)
Craft cocktails at the full-service bar are beach-forward and also have a strong nautical theme. Drink prices are in line with high-end restaurants.
Service is fast after ordering. Almost too fast. Our appetizers arrive within a couple of minutes, and 30 seconds later, so do our entrées. Something’s going to get cold. Next time, we order-eat, order-eat.
Fried Street Corn- 5 sweet corn cobettes with grated parmesan, roasted garlic lime aioli
We start with fried street corn ($8) and smoked fish spread ($15). I love Mexican street corn, so my hopes are high. This order comes with five short corn cobbettes tossed with grated parmesan cheese and roasted garlic lime aioli. The scoop of smoked fish spread is served with house-pickled veggies, jalapenos, and hot sauce with toasted garlic crostini. The salty smoked fish spread blends well with the sweet influence of the pickled vegetables, and the peppers and hot sauce add a significant zing afterburner!
Smoked Fish Spread with house-pickled veggies and hot sauce with toasted garlic crostini
Smoked Fish Spread with hot sauce, pickled onion, jalapeno, on a garlic crostini
The fish of the day is red snapper or mahi-mahi. My tablemate goes with a “no-frills” red snapper filet ($29.50) with pickled pineapple tartar sauce, Yucca fries, and pineapple cabbage slaw. It is a thin filet nicely cooked and falling apart on the plate. I select red snapper tacos ($29.50)-two garlic grilled tortillas with pineapple and red cabbage, pickled onion, and a fresh mango lime garlic and sriracha aioli. They have good flavor but could use some tweaking. In addition, these tacos should be served on a taco dish. These arrive very soggy from sitting in their juice.
Red snapper filet with pickled pineapple tartar sauce, Yucca fries, and pineapple cabbage slaw
Trophy Fish is open Wednesday through Sunday, with lunch being served on weekends only. The dress is beach casual. Prices for drinks and food are above average for Seminole Heights. Food is delivered to the table after ordering at the window, but there is no table service. If you’re in the mood for some beach bar food and drinks but don’t feel like fighting traffic and getting sand in your shoes, climb aboard the land yacht to Trophy Fish and try it.
