Dixie Fish Company celebrates 10th anniversary

Dixie Fish Company recently celebrated 10 years of business with live music, free appetizers and prizes. Hundreds of patrons gathered to celebrate with the restaurant and community members.

This milestone represents the beginning of the current restaurant on Fort Myers Beach, while honoring over 85 years of history as a destination for the freshest seafood in Southwest Florida. Originally established on Fort Myers Beach in 1937 as The Dixie Fish Co., a wholesale and retail fish market, the award-winning waterfront restaurant honors its origins by serving the catch of the day and signature menu items, including apple moonshine-spiked mussels, grouper “cheeks” and Yucatan shrimp.

“Dixie Fish Company has become a staple on Fort Myers Beach, and it’s been an honor to serve our community these past 10 years,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Dixie Fish Company. “The restaurant carries on the tradition and heritage of the original fish house as the premier place for seafood and as a proprietor of the area’s culinary history.”

The first 25 guests in line to attend the celebration received a voucher for a free Dixie Fish Company shirt of their choosing. During the festivities, guests enjoyed free appetizers of Grouper Bites, Yucatan Shrimp and Fried Green Tomatoes. The restaurant also gave away three swag baskets filled with Dixie merchandise and one Palm City Brewing swag bag.

Offering open-air waterfront dining, live music most nights and a touch of Southern charm, Dixie Fish Company is a 2023 Yelp Top 100 Florida Restaurant and Tripadvisor’s No. 1 ranked of 74 Fort Myers Beach restaurants. Its buttermilk-battered fried whole fish, served the “Dixie way” with garlic butter sauce, was featured on The Food Network. Menu items are made from scratch and made to order.

Overlooking scenic Matanzas Pass, the restaurant offers a lively and vibrant atmosphere often accompanied by acoustic island-inspired music. With a tin roof, a wide-open windowless interior and waterfront patios. It was also the epicenter of the “pink gold” Gulf shrimp industry in the 1950s.

Today, Dixie Fish Company is a beacon of the deep ties to Fort Myers Beach’s historic commercial fishing.
In addition to peel-and-eat shrimp, a raw bar, smoked fish dip and a changing menu determined by the catches of the day, the restaurant also offers non-seafood selections, including salads, sandwiches and burgers – all best followed by a slice of homemade Key lime pie.

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the restaurant is renowned for delivering a legendary guest experience. Dixie Fish Company is located at 714 Fishermans Wharf, Fort Myers Beach. Visit dixiefishfmb.com or call 239-233-8837 for more information.