5 Chain Restaurants With the Best Fried Gator
Fried alligator isn’t for everyone. But if you grew up in the south or spend a lot of time down in Florida, you have likely nibbled on gator bites or enjoyed an alligator tail basket at some point. Many consider the fried reptile a delicacy, likening it to a milder, chewier chicken. Where can you try some gator firsthand? Here are 5 chain restaurants with the best fried gator.
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen Fried Alligator
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen serves battered gator bites with a Cajun dip that keeps diners coming back again and again. “We get it everytime we go,” one Facebooker says. Another describes it as “spicy, fluid, and had a taste of lemon juice,” in a Reddit post. “Fried alligator was my absolute favorite thing about my first trip to Houston. I never imagined I would like it, but I was so happy I got to try it,” another Redditor says.
Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe Gator Bites
Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe serves gator in various forms. You can order the Alligator Tail Basket with “perfectly fried gator,” dipping sauces, fries, hush puppies, and a choice of one side, or the Alligator Tail Platter, with a “heaping portion of fried gator,” dipping sauces, fries, hush puppies, and a choice of one side. There is also a Grilled Alligator meal served over jambalaya rice & spicy Bayou Ouch Sauce, with green beans and garlic toast. “We had the gator bites appetizer both times and they were very good,” a TripAdvisor reviewer states “Grilled Gator – not the most photogenic dish, but it sure is tasty (and spicy!)” a Facebooker adds.
Gator’s Dockside Fried Gator Tail
When I was in college in Orlando, Florida, Gator’s Dockside was a popular sports bar with excellent drink specials and lots of appetizers, including Gator Tail, “Marinated gator tail hand-breaded and fried to a golden brown” served with “Gator sauce.” Yelpers maintain the app is ” the best thing” on the menu. Another calls it “excellent!” while a third describes it as “basically like chewy chicken, it was amazing and had a good crunch from the batter and they were seasoned well. The sauce it came with complimented the flavor,” another says.
Whiskey Joe’s Fried Gator Bites
If you visit a Whiskey Joe’s, don’t skip the Alligator nuggets, which come with fried garlic pickles, and chipotle mayo. Lots of Yelpers recommend them. “Try the gator bites which are served with fried pickles,” one Google reviewer says. “It’s like chicken but actually somehow more mild and slightly chewier, though the chipotle sauce it came with paired great,” another said. “They were great,” a third chimes in.
Drago’s Seafood Restaurant
Drago’s Seafood Restaurant is another popular spot for Fried Gator Bites, alligator tail meat with a remoulade sauce. “If you are in Louisiana and are near a Drago’s, I highly recommend going here for some terrific seafood!” one diner who ordered them shares on Instagram.