skipper's smokehouse

we arrived before open on sunday. waited on the bench outside for their 1300 opening time. staff coming and going out the front door making preperations for beginning of budiness. . no good afternoon, how are you guys? no acknowledgement whatsoever.
we finally got up and went inside. the young lady told us to sit wherever and they'd be right with us. we sat. and waited. and waited. after 15 minutes of being ignored we left.
too bad as i was pumped to try the blackened grouper reuben. i refuse to beg for service. this was our first/last visit.

tremendous live music. let's see, derek trucks, hot tuna, damon fowler,
buddy guy, tab benoit, koko taylor...many more
famous performers have played at skippers. you don't need to be a music snob to enjoy the live music at this venue which oozes atmosphere.. great live blues,
grateful dead night every thursday night. top local performers...it's a must see venue.

requested the raw oysters on sunday 29 apr 12, 0 balance. requested the smoke mac and cheese, 0 balance also. gator tails, small portion and to expensive but tasty. did not like the gator ribs, did not like the taste at all, not even when is is drenched with the smokey bbq sauce. service is wonderful and the ambience very inviting. will return for the smokey mac and cheese and the oysters.

fried heaven in a basket!. the ambiance is true beach shack florida, so if you're looking for a quiet, romantic spot - go elsewhere. now, if you're looking for casual fun for the whole family...come down to skipper's smokehouse. besides it's legendary music scene, it has some great seafood selections.
i'll start with the delicious fried skipper's platter for $16.99 - this feast could feed 2-3 people easily with fried basa (a light, delicate fish in a cormeal crust - my personal fav), fried shrimp, fried calamari, fried gator nuggets (a tasty little treat if you want to try something unique), and fried oysters. whew! if that wasn't enough, it comes with a small sampler of smoked fish spread (which i thought i was absolutely going to despise and guess what? i am a true fish spread believer after skipper's!) and hush puppies and two sides.
i preferred the breading of the basa and the shrimp over the flour battered oysters and calamari, and the slaw was sort of bland. but the hushpuppies were great, with just a hint of sweetness and the conch fritters are these massive balls - much more breading than most conch fritters (although i liked it that way - reminded me of clam cakes back in rhode island) and those were served with a sweet and smoky key lime curry sauce.
i can't believe i was able to eat all that food and still have the ability to walk upright! huge portions, overall good food served with that home-made feel, and a groovy joint to take it all in.
you can come for the shows, but i wouldn't miss out on the food if i were you!

my husband took me here on a sunday afternoon. they only had one server waiting on a dining room full of people . we waited about thirty minutes for someone to take our order and fifty mins for our food. the food was ok the bill was sixty dollars. i would not recommend this place. a manager never came to the table to apologize. the only reason our oder even got taken was another server came on shift. never saw a manager.

fun kitschy florida place. awesome music venue. ive seen several concerts under the stars, beneath the trees dressed in twinkle lights on a warm summer night. hard to beat that.
but it's also a fun casual place to grab some fried florida treats. as previous reviews stated, parking can be a nightmare. get here early and on a non concert night, you should be fine as long as you dont mind a tight squeeze on gravel.
fried is what they do and do it best. fried fish, fried shrimp, etc. it's a no frills kind of place but the service is down home friendly and the beer is always cold.
the best deal is happy hour. cheap beer, cheap wings and cheap oysters. yes, i ate fresh, raw oysters here and they were darn good. the wings are hot and their hot sauce is no joke. waitress had to bring my hubbie wet washcloth for his sweaty head. but he loved every burning moment. feeling adventurous, we tried the bbq gator ribs. first bite good, saucy, tender. but after a few more bites pulling meat off skinny reptile ribs didnt sit well with me. (and im a full on carnivore) we ate more than we left behind, but honestly more because if you slather anything in bbq sauce it tastes marginally good. i would not order them again. also steer clear of the soft shell crab. the breading is gooey and puffy and just not good. shrimp, fish, wings, oysters and the grouper reuben and a bunch of beers and you're good to go!

great. been going since i was a kid. best oysters in tampa!!!! eve

really good place for some down home good southern seafood! excellent service and really quick turn around! we had fresh drinks in less than 2 minutes! gator ribs and mahi reuben were so good! great oysters! everything was very reasonably priced!! will definitely be coming back soon with friends!

nothing the food is horrible. yuck

definitely a unique place! no frills. no need to dress up. had crab legs.

by far the best key lime pie!! good to go for a good time and for comfort food.

quaint, quirky, and fun!!. it was my first taste of alligator. their smoked gator ribs were fall off the bone tender and delicious! the cajun crayfish were also amazing, as were the hushpuppies. the atmosphere adds so much . . . reminds you of a little run-down shack in the bayou, where the folks are friendly, the food is fantastic, and the music is superb!

i just had their "renowned" fried grouper sandwich. the bun was stale, the fish tasted frozen and overly fishy. their cola soda tasted awful, also. i know it's brought in from a local company, which i can appreciate, but it's no where near a coke or pepsi-quality product.

i called my order in thirty-minutes prior to picking it up, and i still had to wait ten or so minutes inside.

i'd like my $27 back...

needless to say, i won't be dining here, again.

gator ribs!. my husband and i went there for the gator ribs. they were good and tender. it's definitely a no frills kind of place and priced just right.

fantastic sea/bar-food. great atmosphere for a fun time.