Tropical Trader Shrimp Co. — Restaurant in Crawfordville

Shrimp Traders Review: A Hidden Gem Reopened

Tonight visited the newly reopened Shrimp Traders, and I have to say, it’s fantastic to have them back! The food was incredible, and the atmosphere is exactly what you’d expect from a beachside spot—casual, fun, and inviting. While I miss the beautiful aquariums from the past, the vibe is still very much on point, especially with their outdoor bar and seating area. Next time, I’m definitely eating outside—if only I wasn’t wearing shorts this time!

Inside, the restaurant is just as impressive. The walls are adorned with local photos, and the tables are a great size for large parties. The bar is beautiful, with stunning stools that have sunray designs on the back. Shoutout to the bartender for crafting a fantastic “mermaid water” cocktail—absolutely delicious!

Service was top-notch. Everyone was friendly and professional, even though I arrived pretty late. It was actually cool to see the staff cleaning up and prepping for the next day, including the oyster cooler near the bar.

Now, the food—wow. The blackened chicken Alfredo was perfectly cooked, and the hush puppies were honestly the best I’ve ever had. The garlic bread? Pure heaven. Fast service and every bite was a delight.

The bathroom was clean and spacious, easy to get into—always a bonus!

Overall, I can’t wait to return and try more dishes. Even though it’s a 30-minute drive from me, I’m definitely planning to make Shrimp Traders a regular stop.

If you haven’t been yet, don’t miss out on one of Wakulla County’s hidden treasures. So glad they’re back...

Only about 6 patrons were inside when we walked in for lunch. We sat as far away as possible. Sign on door did say occupancy was limited to 23 patrons per CDC guidelines. No one had masks on, except for the young woman who gave us our menus. Our waitress, no mask, took our order: broiled grouper sandwich (said all fish is local) on wheat bun with side of coleslaw, and husband ordered fried popcorn shrimp with French fries. Our waitress was sweet, efficient, and good at her job.

We used the bathrooms to wash our hands before our meal was delivered. Each is for one person. Mine had everything (toilet paper, soap, paper towels). Husband’s had no paper towels. A roll of paper towels was outside both bathrooms.

My grouper sandwich was outstanding! If you like grouper, do yourself a favor and get it here. I loved my sandwich. In fact, I ate most of it without bun and condiments. I wanted to savor every bite. The coleslaw was okay - watery instead of creamy - and it was good. I ate it all!

Husband liked his meal. It was not as good as mine, but it WAS good. The mild tater sauce and cocktail sauce are the best we’ve had. They make it here. No wonder! Husband shared hush puppies with me. Very tasty. French fries tasted fresh and crunchy.

Once again I’m withholding one star for pandemic precautions not taken. I’m venturing out even though I have pre-existing conditions, with fingers crossed that I stay healthy. Today’s meal was definitely worth the risk of “no required masks.” I’m going to be dreaming about this...

We had sorry service, we arrived last night (Saturday) at 5:30 PM. We got our raw oysters and asked our waitress twice for utensils so we could eat them, My niece got up and went and got us some. They were delicious. Gave our waitress our order and asked for my bill at 6:45 PM and when I finally got the bill around 7:00 PM we still had not received our dinner order and neither did my two nieces. I asked her twice how much longer would it be for us to get our dinner and it was it's coming right up. I watched as other tables that came in after us get their meals, eat, pay, and leave and we still didn't have ours. She asked my niece if she needed more tea, but didn't ask the rest of us. Never have I ever had such bad, bad service in a restaurant. She never checked on us and I try to be patient, but she was pushing my patient button when she didn't acknowledge us while we were waiting. I won't be back for their are other places that serve seafood and one is just above you at the bridge. My bill alone would have been over $100.00 last night. I paid our bill for the 2 dozen raw oysters and tea which was $60.21 and left no tip for she wasn't the best waitress. She did apologize, but it was a little to late for that especially us sitting there for one and one-half hours with no food. That's why I give you a poor review. Good luck to all your other patrons and hope they get their food before an...