Big Daddy’s Seafood Market has all your heart desires
New business on San Carlos Boulevard features fresh local catches
By Nathan Mayberg3 min read
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Dana Gala, with a nice-sized grouper at Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach.
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Big Daddy's Seafood Market on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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For seafood lovers who haven’t yet found the latest Fort Myers Beach haven, be prepared when you enter Big Daddy’s Seafood Market.
Freshly caught grouper, red snapper, shrimp, king crab, stone crabs and scallops are among the Gulf of Mexico delicacies awaiting your visit on San Carlos Boulevard.
Rock lobster tails nicknamed “bulldozer” are also in the house.
The seafood at Big Daddy’s Seafood Market is all naturally wild caught – mostly from the Gulf of Mexico.
Just before the Matanzas Pass Bridge at the Fort Myers Beach Plaza located at 19051 San Carlos Boulevard are the catches from the Gala family’s newest shrimping boat “Big Daddy” and other local fishermen.
The Gala family, which was half of the Trico Shrimp Company for decades before Hurricane Ian came along and took out their boats, docks and market off Main Street, is entrusting the operation of the new market to Dana Gala – granddaughter of Chris and George Gala. Their “Big Daddy” boat is named after George. It’s the first boat the family has purchased to help replace the fleet they lost to Ian,.
“It’s going good,” Dana Gala said. “We are happy to be here.”
Gala, who is 25, said she has been around the family’s seafood operation since she was born. “This is home,” she said.
“All of our fish is from local charter (boaters) or our boat,” Gala said. “We pride ourselves in keeping it local and fresh.”
The smoked fish and smoked dip is also local. Even some of the seasonings and sauces inside the store are Florida made, or from the South. They include a number of seasonings and sauces you won’t find in most of the popular supermarkets or grocery stores. Among the seasonings, spices and sauces from the region include Everglades’ Rub, Everglades’ Moppin BBQ Sauce, Seminole Cocktail Sauce and Seminole Florida Stone Crab Sauce.
There is a whole collection from Georgia-based Braswell’s – from their Savory Salmon Seasoning to their Sesame Ginger Marinade and Sweet Bourbon Glaze.
Among the other wild caught fish you will find in the store is smoked salmon fillet and smoked mullet fillet.
“We try to keep it as local as possible,” Gala said.
Gala said her family has been in the fishing business for multiple generations. Before moving to Lee County decades ago and running shrimp boats from San Carlos Island, the family was based in Texas. They would split their time between the fishing seasons in Florida and Texas, before settling down full-time here in Lee County. Gala’s great-great grandfather was also a fisherman.
“We’re really grateful to be here. There is truly a labor of love going into it,” Gala said. “It’s just a matter of getting the word out.”
Big Daddy’s Seafood Market is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
