Grouper & Chips — Restaurant in Naples

My husband and I are in Naples overnight for our anniversary. We stopped here for lunch on the way to our hotel because the reviews were great. We love supporting small local restaurants wherever we go! Unfortunately we were very underwhelmed by Grouper & Chips. We had the conch fritters for the appetizer and they were great. Big pieces of conch and nicely fried which made us excited for our meals. My husband ordered the Grouper Milanaise with linguine and I ordered the Grouper sandwich. Unfortunately our waitress forgot to put in our order, which is not one of the reasons I gave two stars because it wasn't a big deal, we were not in a rush, she apologized and comped our app plus she brought us two cups of their clam and Grouper chowder. The chowder was pretty fishy but it was comped so nothing to complain about. My husband's Grouper Milanaise was very good but it came out with rice and not linguine. The Grouper was nicely flavored but the rice was crunchy. My $20 Grouper sandwich was inedible. I tried it with and without the lettuce and tomato and even tried slathering on the tartar sauce but there was no saving it. It was extremely fishy and old tasting without any other flavor. The fries were OK so I ate that and left the sandwich. There were only 2 bites out of the sandwich & the waitress didn't even ask if there was something wrong with it or if we wanted a box before taking our plates. At this point I didn't want to complain because we had been there so long and it wasn't worth it to us. If we only had the conch fritters and the Grouper from the Milanaise I'd say it was good, but everything else overshadowed any positives. The quality does not match the pricing.

Also the dining area is very warm, uncomfortably so. We will not be returning on any future...

Okay I am adding this to my former five star rating review based on my latest visit. Just terrible!! Bought a friend (as I often do) as this WAS my favorite restaurant in Naples. Ordered dinner, grouper sandwich and grouper basket. IT TOOK THEM AN HOUR AND TEN MINUTES TO GET US OUR MEAL!! Asked three times, 'where is our food?'. Answer? We are really busy and have a lot of take out orders. This restaurant has four outside tables and maybe ten inside. Not a big operation. Other people sat down after we ordered, they ordered and got their food. And we were still waiting. Just terrible. I was so embarrassed. When the food finally came, it was as if they threw some of the grouper on top of some leftover fries. And the fries were cold. If I was there alone, I would have got up and left the food on the table. Not sure who is running this former gem lately, but it was an enormous FAIL!!

Anytime I am in the Ft Myers/Naples area, this is my go to place for at least one lunch or dinner. Period. Located next to a UPS mailing center in a strips mall, it is a bit on the small side, with four tables outside (adjacent to the parking lot...like right against the parked cars), with an additional eight or nine tables inside. The food is what you need to come for, namely the grouper. Delivered fresh (they tell me), you can order it any number of ways, and all of them tremendous. They also have a daily pasta and seafood special, which has been, in my experience, worth trying. If I have someone who wants to meet out for lunch or dinner, I always try and have them meet me here. I know I am probably dooming this place to become even more crowded than it is now (which can be very crowded in the high season) but I have to give props to this...

Food has always been good ..the fish and chips (fries) is always delicious.. hot out of the fryer, and is definitely some of the best tastings fish I've had in the area.. it's a heart busting meal, with the hot grease it's cooked in but you only live once ... The cole slaw is mediocre and if more finely chopped would be better.. the cost is higher than some places but the taste makes up for it .the service is hit or miss, been in to pick up and they've been really kind and helpful but also been in when there busy and they have been not so great , I'm sure being busy can wear one out so I'm letting it slide.. the atmosphere inside is not the nicest or best and I have since the 1st time dining in decided I prefer to order to take out ..just to small and busy to get good attention from your server..now I will say dining in off season is a much different experience... You have the attention of your server, friendly and helpful compared to in season.. so I prefer ordering inside and waiting for it, as I've also ordered by phone on more than one occasion and it's been wrong, and going inside guarantees your order is right and you have all condiments.. I'd definitely recommend checking them out and enjoy.. a tip since I've also discovered ( if you don't request ) the fish is cooked thru but on the light side which when taking out can be greasy and soft .. so I ask my fish be cooked extra crispy and I don't have that issue..just a heads up if you like it that way as I do.. in general you'll enjoy and be glad you...