Get ready for a fun little deep dive into one of our favorite dishes here at Captain Eddie’s: Gator Bites. We have a real advantage in Sarasota because we have access to all sorts of gator meat right in our own backyard.
We want to take a quick moment to remind everyone why you should try our gator bites.
Fun Facts About Gator Bites
First, here’s a few things you might not know about consuming delicious gator meat.
- It (mostly) tastes like chicken.
It resembles chicken but tastes a heck of a lot fresher, cleaner, and more tender than your typical grocery-store chicken meat. Some liken gator meat to a kind of hybrid of chicken and grouper (another seafood item we serve). - You mostly eat the rib meat.
Nobody’s stopping you from chowing down on the tail or feet, but we tend to like the savory rib meat the best. Many Floridians put gator meat in a smoker and cook it like spare ribs. We lean more towards deep frying them ourselves. - You CAN hunt for gators on a limited basis.
We know you’re itching to track down that neighborhood gator, show him who’s boss, and take him home for dinner, but there’s an important caveat. According to Florida law, with the appropriate permits, you can hunt for only two alligators per year. You better come to Captain Eddie’s for anything more. - Women like gator meat a little more than men.
Some restaurant owners estimate that women purchase about 60% of the gator meat they sell. - Where do you get gator meat?
Florida gator meat typically comes from farm-raised alligators. You can get whole gators, skinned gators, or gator parts.
But where can you really go to get gator meat?
Gator Bites @ Captain Eddie’s Seafood Restaurant
While we don’t sell you any un-skinned alligators, you’re more than welcome to try our freshly-prepared gator meat the next time you swing by for a visit. We always have some deep-fried gator bites ready for just $12.
It makes a terrific appetizer, but we also include them as a dinner combo selection where you can get two fried/fresh items for $22. Who wouldn’t want to pair some fried gator bites with some delicious coconut shrimp or clam strips?
Captain Eddie’s should be your top Sarasota destination for seafood items like gator bites, fried calamari, fresh Florida grouper, frog legs, red snapper, and our specialty gulf hog fish. Our various seafood platters and other entrees offer a huge range of dining opportunities that won’t let you leave disappointed. Call Captain Eddie’s any time at 941-484-4372 or go online to schedule a reservation.