Fish House

From Pensapedia, the Pensacola encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Fish House logo
The Fish House in the Barracks Street Seville Harbour complex
The Fish House in the Barracks Street Seville Harbour complex
Cuisine contemporary seafood
Location Seville Harbour
600 South Barracks Street
Owner Great Southern Restaurant Group
Chef Jim Shirley
Slogan "If our fish were any fresher, we'd have to slap them!"

The Fish House is a seafood restaurant located in the Seville Harbour building at 600 South Barracks Street. Its more casual "sister restaurant" is Atlas Oyster House, also located in the Seville Harbour complex.

The restaurant was purchased in 1998[date uncertain] by the Great Southern Restaurant Group, which is comprised of four principals: brothers Collier, Will and Burney Merrill, whose company Merrill Land owns the Seville Harbour building, and Jim Shirley, who is the restaurant's head chef.

The Fish House's menu combines Southern dining staples with contemporary and Asian sensibilities. Its signature dish is Grits à Ya Ya, which features seasoned jumbo shrimp and a portobello mushroom sauce over a bed of smoked gouda grits. There are nightly and weekly features, including a "Thai night" every Tuesday.

A sushi bar is located in the Fish House's rear dining room. There is also a private dining room, the Bait Shop, available for private parties.

The building was heavily damaged during Hurricane Ivan, after which the restaurant underwent extension renovations, including the addition of a ceiling-height, 1,500-gallon aquarium dividing the main and rear dining rooms. It reopened in March 2005.[1] A 3,500 square foot outdoor deck, featuring a fully-equipped bar and a stage for performances, was added in 2007. More than $1 million reportedly went into its construction.[2]

Awards and media[edit]

The Fish House is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike and has received numerous accolades.

  • Florida Trend's Golden Spoon Award
  • Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence
  • Pensacola Seafood Festival:
    • Best of Show
    • Most Innovative
  • The Independent News's "Best of the Coast" issue:
    • Best Restaurant Overall
    • Best Seafood Restaurant
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Key Lime Pie
    • Best Selection of Wine by the Glass
    • Best Place to Take Out-of-Town Guests

On March 26, 2007, the Travel Channel aired an episode of "Bizarre Foods" that featured the Fish House's grouper throats and gazpachi salad (along with fried mullet roe from Chet's Seafood). Host Andrew Zimmern described the throats as having "better flavor than the filets themselves."[3]

Hours of operation[edit]

Every Day 11 a.m. till close Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday dinner 2 p.m. till close

References[edit]

  1. "The Fish House gets fresh look." Pensacola News Journal, March 26, 2005.
  2. Press release
  3. Travel Channel gets a taste of the 'bizarre' - Pensacola News Journal, December 15, 2006.

External links[edit]