Flounder’s Chowder House Pensacola

Flounder’s  On the shore of Pensacola Bay on the west side of Florida, a heartbeat from Alabama, Pensacola, Florida has just about everything that would attract visitors or residents to this charming, busy, clean and fun city. There are beaches galore, museums for everything from history to nature, amusement parks, zoos, historic cemeteries, a lighthouse, every water sport and activity imaginable and restaurants to fit any taste.

But clearly, the Naval Air Station Pensacola and Whiting Field are the life of a city that has flown under five different flags in its centuries old history.

NAS Pensacola , better known as the Cradle of Aviation, covers 8400 acres, was established in 1914 as the first naval aviation station and employees 16,000 military members along with another 8400 civilians. It’s home to the famed Blue Angels as well as the training ground for what are understandably known as the best helicopter pilots in the world.

The city not only welcomes, supports, and is supported by the Navy along Pensacola Bay, but boasts hundreds of businesses big and small, that exist, not because of the multitude of collegians who come here for spring break, but for the Navy personnel, their employees, and the families of all the civilian employees who work on or for the base.

Impossible to visit all the great restaurants, but on a recent visit to attend the Aviation Designation ceremony for a Navy lieutenant grandson, Flounders Chowder House is an absolute standout, not only for the excellence of the food and friendliness and efficiency of the staff, but also for its history, its size and variety of seating locations, and it’s very clever menu.

Coincidental as it may be, Flounder’s is not named for the fish that appears on the menu along with numerous other delicacies from the sea. It’s actually the family name of the founder, Floyd Founder, . It’s his big, worn and trusty retired shrimp boat, the Flounder, of course, that sits on land adjacent to the restaurant’s entry to greet everyone making reservations and sitting along the wall patiently waiting to enter and dine.

The Founders are big on good humor, clever décor and decorations and unique uses for old items. You’re drawn to marvel that 1,000-pound blue marlin hanging over one of the bars and admire the stained-glass windows here and there. You wonder about the former confessional booths retired from a church in New Orleans and can enjoy and think of prohibition history when you see the stills. If you’re outside for dinner, there’s always that sand volleyball court or the stage where there is most likely some concert or music of some sort going on,. But there are also tables, big and small to accommodate all size groups, that are cozy, comfortable, relatively quiet .

Regardless of where you eat at Flounder’s…and there are several different rooms, all clean, inviting, and spacious you’ve got to take some time to enjoy the menu before even choosing the meal!. Floyd Flounder, Founder, and his Family, love alliteration.

There are Flounder’s Fish Tenders, or Floyd Flounder’s Phenomenal Flounder Chowder, a specialty of the house. There are “Free range Gulf Fish From the wood Fired Grille, of courses Flounder’s Fried Flounder, and several Flounder’s Flash Fried Features of shrimp and oysters. For $23.99, ,you can order Floyd Flounder’s Flawless Full Flavored Florida Flash Fried Fish complete with hush puppies and Flash Fried potatoes. Of course there are Flounder’s Fowl dishes of chicken, and the list goes on.

The eight-page menu is complete with photos of fishermen, Felix Flounder and his dog, as he describes his faithful friend Fluke, Fred, Floyd and Felix Flounder setting up the beach volleyball area and some daring bathing beauties of the 1920s in their bathing attire.

There are also some cute ‘abuses’ of well-known quotations. Like Will Rogers saying, “I never met a flounder I didn’t like,” or Alexander Pope’s “Tiger Err is human, to Flounder divine.” Mae West’s “It’s not the Flounder in your life it’s the life in your Flounder” isn’t as well-known as a Patrick Henry’s Give me Liberty or Give me Flounder.”

For this blog writer of Veni Vidi Scripto, a favorite is “I came, I saw, I floundered.” And Abraham Lincoln’s “United we stand, divided we flounder,” which still carries a lot of truth even with the change of a word.

Whether you go for one of their Poke Bowls, Maki Rolls, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, or just want to enjoy a Flounder’s version of the state pie, the Key Lime, Flounder’s is a Must stop when visiting the Naval Air Station.

The food’s great, but the fun of the place makes it even better!

Flounder’s