Life Isn't Always Rainbows and Unicorns

Talya
Nov 11
3 min read

Situated just off the intracoastal waterway in St Augustine on the San Sebastion River lies a laid-back seafood restaurant called Grouper Shack. This eatery sits in a small marina with its own dock allowing for casual boaters to stop in for a quick bite to eat. It is secluded amidst the marsh grasses and tree line in a peaceful and relaxed setting, yet you can see far and wide if you are there for lunch. Grouper Shack is an informal dining experience. You place your order at the counter and a server brings your food out to your table. There is indoor dining and an outside deck with a bar centrally located serving both inside and outside patrons. While Grouper Shack is a simplistic dining establishment, the décor and layout of the restaurant is clean, warm, and inviting. For a small restaurant, they had quite a variety of options on their menu. In addition to their standard menu, they also offer specials like fresh catches of the day. We went with two seafood baskets, one with Fried Flounder and the other with Grilled Unicorn. Both were served with waffle fries and coleslaw. Now you might be asking, what the heck is Unicorn? Well, it is actually family to Triggerfish, but with a firmer texture like Mahi Mahi. This was our first time trying Unicorn. We both love the taste of Triggerfish, but it was not available that day. The Unicorn came out a beautiful golden-brown color, but unfortunately the flavor fell flat. In my personal experiences, I tend to find that chefs over season more often than under season, but on this occasion the Grilled Unicorn tasted pretty bland. The Flounder was also fried to a perfect golden-brown but also lacked seasoning. The waffle fries on the other hand were perfection. They had a crisp outside texture, fluffy inside and just the right amount of salt. The coleslaw had a good balance of sweet and tangy. Despite the letdown on the fish flavor, we were still impressed with the value for the money. St Augustine can get expensive when dining out, but Grouper Shack was easy on the budget for getting fresh local fish and a waterfront view. Not only did we enjoy the dining setting, but also the wildlife experience as we went for a stroll on the dock after lunch. We encountered a young manatee coming up for breaths in the boat loading area of the marina as well as various coastal birds sifting for a meal in the low tide marsh. We also got entertained by a local charter fisherman cleaning his Kingfish, throwing scraps to the pelicans below as they fought it out. Would we try Grouper Shack again? Yes. If you have ever cooked a meal, you know how difficult it can be to repeat dish perfection on a regular basis. Maybe it was just an off day for the chef. Only one way to find out. Gotta give them another try. After all, it is not every day you find something as unique as Unicorn on a menu.

Summary

Restaurant Name: Grouper Shack

Address: 230 Nix Boat Yard Rd, St Augustine, FL 32084

Service –Good

Food – Average

Portion Size – Average

Menu Selection – Large

Dietary Options – Gluten Free, Approximately 45% Biblically Clean

Cost/Value – Inexpensive

Ambiance – Relaxed, Outdoor Coastal Casual

Parking – Free. Limited.

Reservations/Waitlist – N/A