Between the Bread

I have already sung the praises of Peg Leg Pete's fried grouper sandwich, but one visit wasn't enough. So on my last trip to Pensacola, dad, Dee, and I took Andrew to taste the strange deliciousness of American cheese on fried fish.

Thankfully, Peg Leg's did not disappoint. We ordered two dozen oysters, an afternoon bushwacker, and a few fish sammies. I got the Cajun grilled grouper this time (below), and though the fish is just as succulent and buttery, the fried version still wins out.

I don't necessarily subscribe to the philosophy that everything is better fried, but Peg Leg's just knows how to treat a slab of battered grouper. The fish is so indulgently unctuous, like a buried treasure in a kaiser bun with cheese. Just trust me on this.

When I travel to my hometown of Pensacola for Christmas, I have at least two must-dos: shopping at Target and eating a grouper sandwich. This year, I got to do both in one glorious, hungover day.

Last year, I sampled the local favorite fish at two spots: a grilled grouper sandwich with fried green tomatoes at Fish House and a more downhome cornmeal-fried version at Marina Oyster Barn. Both were distinctly delicious. Since then, my mom has done some crucial grouper sandwich research and discovered what she thinks is Pensacola's best, at Peg Leg Pete's on Pensacola Beach. Want to know the verdict? Read on.