Eat Food, Play Games, and Be Merry at this Fun Restaurant! 

The Ugly Grouper is a unique restaurant as the entire operation is outside.  It has a ton of seats and a good choice if you have a large party of folks that want to have an informal lunch or dinner.  Currently, they do not take but you can see wait times on Yelp.  Most of the dining areas are under cover so don’t worry if it is raining.  There is an open area that is not undercover and has bunches of picnic tables, the iconic Ugly grouper sculpture, and various games for children or adults to enjoy.  My five-year-old son loves visiting the Ugly Grouper for two reasons.  He loves playing with the extra-large Jenga blocks and he loves the frozen drinks they offer.  The frozen drinks range from American which we call it superman because of the multi-colors to Dreamsicle.  It’s also a nice spot for the adults with small children because we don’t get the age-old question of “where’s the food” every two minutes.

The menu is pretty diverse for children and adults.  The child menu ranges from fried shrimp, spaghetti, or a peanut butter jelly sandwich.  Most hit the Ugly Grouper for their signature Grouper tacos.  The tacos are soft flour however they are fried with melted cheese to make them crispy.  Goes perfect with the coleslaw and blackened grouper.  Of course, the Ugly Grouper has traditional entrees along with a ton of sandwich choices to be included with sides of french fries, vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, and more.

Finally, the Ugly Grouper has a significant bar area, and of course, with all the games and large open areas, they take advantage of the space to offer live music most nights.  The Ugly Grouper offers wine by the glass, by the bottle, has a variety of bottled beers and they specialize in a ton of choices of yummy frozen drinks.  Frozen drinks like the Creamsicle Dreamcicle or Cherry red tide.  Lots of fun drinks to try while reconnecting with family or friends out in the Florida weather.

The Ugly Grouper is a great Holmes Beach restaurant to grab a bite to eat in a laid-back casual atmosphere.  It won’t take much time for this restaurant to be an institution on Anna Maria Island.  Be sure on your next visit to try the Ugly Grouper and grab a t-shirt or baseball hat in their on-site store to remember the experience when you return home.

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