Mayport Shrimp: Jacksonville’s Local Catch Guide

Mayport shrimp is wild Atlantic shrimp caught near the mouth of the St. Johns River, where it meets the ocean, and Visit Jacksonville says commercial shrimping has shaped life in the historic village of Mayport for over 150 years. The biggest shrimp come in November and December, though fresh shrimp is available all year. Order it plain first and rate it by the dish.

Knowing what the shrimp is and how to judge it makes every plate on the trail better, and a few notes keep the best ones from blurring together.

What is Mayport shrimp?

Mayport shrimp is the local name for wild-caught shrimp landed at Mayport, on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Visit Jacksonville describes it as locally caught wild Atlantic shrimp, and says it can be white or brown and that both are equally delicious.

The word wild-caught matters to many diners. It means the shrimp was caught at sea rather than raised in a pond, and it often tastes sweeter and cleaner. Visit Jacksonville adds that it can be bought at fish markets across the country, so you do not have to be in the village to find it.

When is the shrimp at its biggest?

Shrimp is available fresh all year, according to Visit Jacksonville, but November and December bring the biggest and best. If you are planning a trip around the shrimp, those two months are the ones to choose, though sizes and catches vary with weather and the season.

Do not expect a kitchen to promise a size on a given day. Ask what came in recently and whether the shrimp are local. A server who knows the answer is a good sign.

How do you order shrimp and grits?

Shrimp and grits is one of the dishes Visit Jacksonville names for the local catch. It is a Southern plate of shrimp over creamy stone-ground or hominy grits, usually with a savory sauce that may include butter, garlic, bacon or sausage.

Taste the grits first: they should be creamy and well seasoned, not thick like paste. Then taste the shrimp, which should be tender with a clean sweet flavor, not rubbery. Ask what is in the sauce if you avoid pork or dairy, and note whether the plate arrives hot.

What are other ways to eat the local catch?

Visit Jacksonville names creative dishes at restaurants and fish camps, and a companion page on fish camps lists shrimp burgers, shrimp and grits, oyster po' boys and a Shrimp Louie salad on typical menus. Boiled shrimp, fried shrimp baskets, shrimp tacos and sandwiches are other common forms.

If you want the shrimp itself to shine, order it boiled or lightly sautéed. If you want comfort, order it fried. Try one of each across two visits and compare.

How can you tell white and brown shrimp apart?

Visit Jacksonville says the local shrimp can be white or brown and that both are equally delicious. The two are different species, and cooks and diners often describe white shrimp as sweeter and more delicate and brown shrimp as more briny, though that is a matter of taste. When a menu names the kind, write it in your rating. When it does not, ask, and compare the two on separate visits.

How do you judge shrimp quality?

Good shrimp smells fresh and tastes sweet. The texture should be springy, not mushy or tough, and the shell, if you peel it, should come off cleanly. A fried coating should be crisp and light, not heavy or oily.

Look for signs of care: shrimp that are not overcooked, seasoning that does not hide the sweetness, and sauces served on the side. If you are unsure whether the shrimp is local, ask. Note the answer in your rating, because it helps the next person.

What should you know about shellfish allergies?

Shrimp is a shellfish, and a shellfish allergy can be serious. Tell the kitchen about it before you order, and ask about shared fryers and surfaces, since cross-contact is common in a seafood kitchen. Do not rely on a label or a tag, and follow your doctor's advice.

How do you keep notes on your shrimp plates with Mosey?

Open the Mosey app after a meal and rate the dish, not only the place. The place and stars are the only requirements, and then you can name the dish, such as "boiled shrimp, white" or "shrimp over grits", add tags and attach a photo. A line on the sweetness, the texture and the sauce is the most useful part.

Make a list called Jacksonville shrimp and add one entry per kitchen. Invite a friend by link so they can add theirs, follow friends to see what they rated and saved, and tag the people you ate with so each can rate the same plate. The ratings page explains how dish ratings work.

The app's Dishes page is the other half of this. It shows what people are rating and liking near you, under Trending, Most liked and Top rated near you, so a plate of shrimp you rate becomes part of the picture for the next hungry visitor. When you want a quick answer to a craving, Top 3 asks where the best place for something is and lets you pick up to three places and rank them, kept in a private list of your own.

A rating also helps the people who cook: Mosey costs a place nothing to list, places keep more of their earnings than with high-commission apps, and there are no hidden fees for the place.

Where can you read more about Jacksonville?

The seafood guide covers the wider coast, the fish camps guide explains the casual waterfront tradition and the finding good food guide covers the rest of the city. See the Jacksonville page, the Florida page and the US food guides.

On your next seafood meal, get the Mosey app, rate the shrimp by the dish and save the best plate to a list.