Tampabay: 'Grouper' costs restaurants

Three Tampa Bay area restaurants have agreed to make sure they don't sell any more "grouper" that really isn't grouper.

The restaurants did not admit to doing anything wrong but will pay the state between $2,500 and $5,000 each.

"If they're not able to serve grouper they need to inform customers what they're actually purchasing," said Sandi Copes, spokeswoman for the Florida attorney general. "It's to make consumers actually know what they're purchasing when they purchase it."

The three restaurants are: La Teresita in Tampa, which used hake instead of grouper; Woody's Waterfront Cafe in St. Pete Beach, which sold emperor fish in place of its "grouper grope sandwich"; and the Casual Clam in St. Petersburg, which sold a grouper sandwich that turned out to be bream, according to the Attorney General's Office.

La Teresita agreed to pay $4,500 to reimburse the state for the costs of the investigation, plus $500 as a donation to the lab that conducted the tests. The other two restaurants each agreed to make $2,000 reimbursements plus the $500 donations. The costs for La Teresita were higher because the investigation took longer in that case, Copes said.

The Attorney General's Office is continuing to negotiate with 14 other restaurants that are alleged to have sold "grouper" that actually turned out to be something else.

Some restaurants previously have said they ordered and paid for grouper from their suppliers and didn't know how they wound up with something else.

But Attorney General Bill McCollum called the sales "a prime example of baiting-and-switching."

Investigators purchased fish at 24 restaurants and sent samples to a lab for testing. Of the 24, results showed 17 were not grouper.

The state investigation followed a story in the St. Petersburg Times that showed fish sold as grouper at several local restaurants actually was something else.

The restaurants that have not yet reached agreements with the Attorney General's Office include two Hooters restaurants in Tampa and one in Clearwater; and Winghouse restaurants in New Port Richey, Largo, Lakeland and Tampa.

Other restaurants the state is continuing to negotiate with include: Fish Tales, Sunshine City Grill, and the 4th Street Shrimp Store in St. Petersburg; the Seminole Family Restaurant in Seminole; Coquina Blue Grill & Bar and the Green Iguana Bar & Grill in Tampa; and the Oaks in Brandon.

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by rob	07/17/07 04:19 PM
Some down below mention the Hurricane, don't go there either, its a rip. Got tested and proved to be asian catfish I think. Also, had a friend who worked as hostess, and said they don't even wash the dishs etc before putting back on table.

by jack	05/15/07 04:53 PM
There's something very fishy about this story!!!

by John	05/10/07 10:00 PM
If you are not selling grouper, then don't put it on the menu. Just say fish sandwich. How hard is that.

by RestaurantOwner	05/10/07 12:51 PM
Fining these businesses is just terrible. I have sold other fish as grouper too and no customer ever complained. As long as the fish tastes good, who cares whether it is real grouper? Real grouper is too expensive for most folks.

by scot	05/02/07 08:08 PM
WOODYS will trespass you if you complain about food , or anything they think is trouble, go to OYSTER SHUCKER,next door, same owners, same grouper, or what ever china sent over cheap, right on, the place is a trap,tourist or locals, AVOID BOTH,!

by john	04/30/07 04:24 PM
1St of all going to Woodys is a joke ....just figures that they sell fake food as much as it does to complain about the fish to a none educated manager about it not being grouper...they "WILL" call the st pete beach police and have u removed.goodbye

by GG	04/12/07 02:59 AM
I think that people in general are to blame for this whole situation by demanding a fish that is over rated at best. I would rather eat Mahi or Snapper any day over Grouper. And why hasn't anyone investigated any of the suppliers anyways???

by Kerry	04/07/07 05:34 PM
Went back home to St. Pete to visit and couldnt find a grouper sandwich anywhere. I had to come back to Kentucky to get one. What a shame.

by Jason	04/05/07 08:42 PM
I'm dissapointed in the 4th street shrimp store. My family and I have been going there for years. Hopefully they can get this fixed....

by ml	04/01/07 09:28 PM
I belive Mike's Dockside in Hudson Beach also sells fish as Grouper that is not - we even asked if it was grouper and they said yes.....How many others are doing this?

by Mr L	03/31/07 09:55 PM
The State harasses the restaurants, what about the Billion Dollar Distributor that sold fake grouper to all of them? No fines or humiliation for them and their Publicly Traded Company. They're DNA tested grouper only marred the independent restaurants.

by Jan	03/28/07 06:14 PM
I was a loyal customer of Casual Clam for years, at one time their menu was sure to be local, fresh seafood. A grouper nuggets basket clearly NOT grouper was a big disappointment. Sad. These ppl know what they are doing. It is their livelihood.

by Mr L	03/21/07 11:00 PM
And what about the rest of ones still selling fake grouper? That's 90% of the restaurants in Florida. WhAT A JOKE

by Bob	03/19/07 05:05 PM
Don't blame the restaurants , Where are the federal food inspectors at the ports of entry , ? Just because a box comesin to Miami, and says grouper from Mexico , Crappy fish { Don't they check or are they to busy looking for Drugs, w

by Cyndy	03/18/07 10:30 PM
I am saddened by Woody's deceit...was one of my Dad's fave spots for a grouper sandwich and my fave place to go when I was just visiting...Dockside Daves and PJ's Oyster Bar are the best now. So long Woody's!

by Ralph Sitero	03/17/07 09:39 PM
I don't condone this practice. It does not surprise that they "bait & switch"! Unfortunately due to the proliferation of chain restaurants (and their massive buying power) some small independents feel that this is another way to stay in business.

by steve	03/17/07 08:55 AM
This crap has been going on for years.If they'd checked every restaurant in the area, before the scare,they'd find a ton more.I've been calling these cheats on the carpet for at least 20yrs.

by BaitGuru	03/16/07 03:36 PM
I guess if you want to get a good grouper sandwich, you need to come into the restaurant wearing a "Attorney General's Office of Food Inspection" on your shirt :).

by Karolyn Price	03/15/07 05:11 PM
Do you have a list of restaurants that did serve Grouper? Those are the ones that everyone should go too!

by Andrew	03/15/07 06:00 AM
Its about time. Its happening in other states also. I worked for a Market in MD. that sold tog/blackfish as grouper.

by Gator	03/13/07 07:22 AM
As a former seafood supplier owner I came across several instances where the restaurant would order a substitute for the grouper species. The main one was African Perch, shipped in as fresh fillets. Basically it is our snook and another way to sellit

by Salty Dog	03/12/07 11:05 PM
The fines levied are a slap in the face of those innocent tourists who have paid for FRESH GROUPER and swallowed garbage instead. Why not look at the real price paid, less the price charged, x's the number of sandwiches and years of violation=fine.

by Old Smelly	03/12/07 10:57 PM
All locals know you STAY AWAY from Woody's to avoid both an altercation and crap disguised & priced as "fresh" Grouper. This place is old tuna. Dockside Daves, Groupers & the Hurricane for tasty FRESH GROUPER. Bulldoze Woody's and expand the park.

by Bill	03/12/07 02:40 PM
Has anybody thought of investigating the suppliers whom these restaurants BUY their "grouper" from? It's not rocket science... these restaurants are NOT catching their own fish, they're buying it. Go after the suppliers; they're the real crooks!!

by tre	03/11/07 08:12 PM
Don't forget, restaurants are consumers too,& most in investigation purchased grouper from America's 3rd largest distributer, Sysco. Our government is supposed to be regulating & inspecting the USA food before its sold. Where do our taxes go again?

by Todd	03/11/07 07:53 PM
The more you publish these kind of articles the less the Grouper we will have in our Waters.Long Liners Please Stop Killing Our Gulf of Mexico!!!

by bill	03/10/07 08:03 PM
stevens, try your spell check too! for restaurants that weren't cheating, this had to hurt your business,and i feel your loss.

by Steve	03/10/07 07:54 PM
(Chris)You guarantee it!What a voice of authority,a waitress.Thanks for the biology lesson,sweetie,Seminole Family restaurant is a joke.As is Woodys,Fish Tales ,and all the other restaurants ripping off the consumer off. Thank you St.Pete Times !

by L	03/10/07 05:46 PM
I am very disappointed that Woody's being deceitful about serving inferior fish then grouper. It has been a popular place by the water, haven't been there lately tho.

by irving	03/10/07 05:43 PM
i've often wondered how in God's name that many restaurants in south florida could all be selling "grouper"when the M.N.R has so many restrictions on this species of fish I NEVER order "grouper" because i know i wont get "grouper" you been had!!!!!!!

by j	03/10/07 05:12 PM
I work at a Hotel and these are all now on my do not recomend list. I will tell the guest that they will rip you off, You do not pay for what you get. Simple as that.

by J	03/10/07 05:10 PM
I see they Paid the State Money, But what about the average person being ripped off, paying $9.99 for a "grouper sandwich" for something that costs them .50 a pound. They should reimburse the customers back.

by melvin	03/10/07 04:29 PM
these fines are nothing but a slap on the rist. They should at least be doulbled.

by Richard	03/10/07 03:41 PM
As a restraunt owner,chef,manager you can't determine what you have purchased??? Come on!!! Time to get your act together!! and who would want to comment after ripping off thousands of people. If you can't afford to buy it, don't pretend to sell it!

by Haven	03/10/07 03:40 PM
Give me the Hurricane's grouper sandwich any day. It's a classic!