Exploring The Shrimp Boat Docks: A Guide To The Piers

There are several shrimp boat docks across the United States, including in Fort Myers Beach, Tampa, Biloxi, Knoxville, and Hilton Head Island. These docks serve as a hub for the local shrimping industry, with some allowing independent shrimp boaters to dock, sell their catch, and purchase fuel. The shrimp docks vary in size and scope, from family-owned businesses to larger operations with multiple boats. Some docks are also associated with seafood markets or restaurants, supplying fresh shrimp directly to consumers or culinary establishments.

Shrimp docks in Fort Myers Beach

The Original Shrimp Dock Bar & Grill is a restaurant in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, situated in the heart of the shrimping fleet. It offers casual waterfront dining and entertainment, with live music nightly, happy hour deals, and daily food and drink specials. The restaurant serves seafood favourites and land-based delicacies with views of the Back Bay. It has received positive reviews for its food, atmosphere, and service, with specific praise for its shrimp dishes, including coconut shrimp and shrimp tacos.

The Original Shrimp Dock Bar & Grill is accessible by boat and has outdoor seating. It is open Thursday through Sunday and is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. The restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Indeed and is ranked #10 out of 69 restaurants in Fort Myers Beach on Tripadvisor, receiving a Travellers' Choice award in 2023.

In addition to the restaurant, there is also a shrimp dock near Fort Myers Beach that serves as an important part of the local shrimping industry. In 2023, the shrimp dock was damaged by Hurricane Ian, and financial aid was provided by the state to help redevelop and expand the facility at San Carlos Maritime Park.

Knoxville's shrimp docks

Knoxville is home to The Shrimp Dock, the city's premier fresh seafood market. With locations in Bearden, Farragut, and Alcoa, The Shrimp Dock offers a wide range of seafood options, including shrimp straight from the Gulf, wild salmon, and clam chowder. The market receives fresh fish deliveries from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts multiple times a week to ensure the highest level of freshness and quality for its customers.

The Shrimp Dock also has a kitchen that serves delicious seafood dishes. Their menu includes a variety of options, such as grilled wahoo, cod po'boy, shrimp po'boy, jambalaya, hush puppies, and fried okra. The kitchen operates during specific hours, and customers can enjoy their meals in a casual and friendly atmosphere.

The Shrimp Dock's Bearden location is at 5210 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. It is open from Monday to Thursday, from 10 am to 6 pm, with the kitchen operating from 11 am to 6 pm. On Fridays, the market is open from 10 am to 7 pm, and the kitchen is open from 10 am to 7 pm. Saturdays, it is open from 10 am to 6 pm, with the kitchen operating from 11 am to 6 pm. On Sundays, the market is open from 11 am to 4 pm, with the kitchen also open during the same hours.

The Farragut location of The Shrimp Dock can be found at 11124 Kingston Pike, Suite 111, Knoxville, TN 37934. It is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm. The kitchen is open from 11 am to 5 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 7 pm on Saturdays, and 12 pm to 3 pm on Sundays.

As for the Alcoa location, it is located at 321 S. Calderwood Street, Alcoa, TN 37701. The business hours are from Monday to Wednesday, 10:30 am to 6 pm, Thursday and Friday, 10:30 am to 7 pm, Saturday, 10:30 am to 6 pm, and Sunday, 10:30 am to 4 pm.

Tampa's shrimp docks

The Versaggi family has been in the shrimping business since 1912 and operates six boats that spend up to 30 days at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. Their process involves heading out from Tampa under the cover of darkness, as "shrimp typically don't like the light," according to fourth-generation shrimper Justin Versaggi. The boats use try-nets to catch the shrimp, which are then sorted by hand and flash-frozen before making the trip back to shore. Once back, the shrimp are sold to one of Tampa's two main seafood distributors or directly to customers from the "fish house" in 2-pound and 5-pound boxes.

Next door to Versaggi Shrimp is Superior Seafoods, a company with a similarly long history in the industry. Started in 1952 by Ernie Donini's father and uncle, the business is now run by Ernie and his cousin John, with Ernie's son Daulton also learning the trade. Superior Seafoods buys shrimp from boats and ships them wholesale across the country. Like Versaggi Shrimp, they also sell fresh shrimp directly to customers who stop by during the day.

The Tampa shrimp docks are still very much active, with customers able to purchase shrimp directly from the businesses located there. In addition to shrimp, these docks offer a range of other seafood options, including lobster, scallops, crabs, and more, providing a unique and fresh seafood experience to the local community.

Biloxi's shrimp docks

Biloxi, Mississippi, has a thriving shrimp industry, and its downtown commercial dock is the heart of it. The city dock provides 51 berths for the local commercial shrimp fleet, with more than 250 boats hitting the waters of the Mississippi Sound on opening day. Biloxi was once known as "The Seafood Capital of the World," and its seafood industry continues to be an important part of the local economy.

The downtown commercial dock is one of four area docks that offer space for commercial fishermen, mostly shrimpers. Here, you'll find a seafood centre with local fishermen selling directly from their boats to both locals and tourists. The shrimpers themselves might rate the opening day of the season as mediocre, but buyers eagerly fill the docks, with some purchasing hundreds of pounds of shrimp.

About 75% of Mississippi's shrimp harvest is brown shrimp, which are most abundant from June to October. In the fall and spring, shrimpers also bring in the sweeter varieties, white shrimp, and Mississippi pink shrimp. The white shrimp season usually begins in August and peaks from September to October, often producing the largest catches.

Biloxi's Vietnamese shrimping community runs some of the state's largest and most quality-oriented operations. Richard Gollot, a native Biloxi seafood dealer, was responsible for bringing Vietnamese shrimpers to the local industry in the 1970s. Today, these families run successful shrimping operations and sell their fresh catch directly to customers.

Hilton Head Island's shrimp docks

Hilton Head Island in South Carolina has a rich shrimping history and culture. The island's shrimp docks are located at the edge of Port Royal Sound, where several shrimp boats are based.

One of the most well-known shrimp docks on Hilton Head Island is Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks, which is unique as the only restaurant on the island with a working fleet of shrimp boats. The Toomer family, third-generation shrimpers, deliver their locally caught shrimp directly to the restaurant's docks, providing diners with an authentic and memorable dining experience. Hudson's serves over 70,000 pounds of shrimp each year, showcasing the local seafood in a variety of dishes, from shrimp boils to fried, pan-sautéed, steamed, broiled, and blackened preparations.

In addition to Hudson's, there are several other shrimping operations on Hilton Head Island. The island's shrimp docks are a bustling hub of activity, with shrimp boats coming and going and fishermen unloading their daily catch. The shrimping industry on Hilton Head Island faces competition from imported seafood and rising fuel costs, but it remains an important part of the local economy and culture.

For those interested in learning more about shrimping, there are several options available on Hilton Head Island. Visitors can sign up for lessons that combine shrimping, cast netting, and crabbing, or join a boat cruise that offers a unique perspective on the shrimping industry. The "Tammy Jane" boat cruise, for instance, includes educational elements with a marine scientist from the University of South Carolina Beaufort on board during the summer months.

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