jtandlich's Profile
Two Bills Seafood - Dania Beach
ldkelley and others:
Two Bills Seafood is a wholesale operation with a retail store just steps from the dock where their boats come in daily to unload fresh catches. It is a nearly unparalleled fish-buying experience among South Florida markets if you are into picking out your own whole, fresh fish (caught that day) and having it custom cut to order. If not, stop eating fish...
Anyways, customers at Two Bills put on a plastic glove, grab a bucket and select their own whole fish from the coolers lining the near wall. There is a chalkboard by the gloves that lists the fish available each day. It usually lists 10-15 species of Atlantic fish from Florida, the Caribbean and South/Central America. The board always lists the country of origin for each fish and the vast majority of fish listed are wild caught. Whenever fish if from a farmed source, this is clearly listed as well. Typical prices for such fish as snapper, grouper (various types of each) and mahi mahi are $3.99-$5.99/lb.
One thing to know about Two Bills is that the only sell whole fish that you select. There are two butchers constantly gutting, cleaning and filleting (when requested) the fish customers select. After you have selected all your whole fish and put them in your bucket, the person behind the counter weights them for you. You pay for the cost of the whole fish, then can give them to the butchers for cleaning and custom cutting. Be prepared to find some small bones if you are asking for boneless, skinless fillets of very small fish, as removing all of them in tiny whole fish is difficult and can waste a lot of edible flesh.
They are also very friendly about helping you select the fish you want if you don't know what the species you want looks like whole or if you don't know how to pick a good one. Just be sure to speak up and ask for help if you need it because they won't offer it unless you ask. Two Bills also regularly has seasonal shellfish selections, including local crabs, shrimps and lobsters. Get there early or call ahead to assure they have what you want though, because shellfish goes quickly. They also have excellent conch.
(ldkelley, this next note is especially for you) Two Bills Seafood is the supplier for the nearby Captain Mike's Seafood. Virtually all the time, everything available at Captain Mike's is available at Two Bills for slightly less money. However, as a retail-only fish store, Captain Mike's also offers the benefit of selling pre-skinned, boneless fillets that some customers may prefer.
