Many people are interested in the actual smoking process.
Thee raw fish are laid on racks over a smoldering fire and red oak. Red Oak is very similar to the northern Hickory. The fish cook and smoke from 4-6 hours, depending on size and thickness of the fish. A few years ago, only smoked mullet and Spanish Mackerel were popular. Now many other kinds of fish are smoked and enjoyed. 

It was 1945, WWII was over and America was on the move and it was no different for Ted Peters and his family. He got into the fish business with his stepbrother, “Red Hot” who had come from upstate New York in 1931. While working at the Fisherman’s Co-Op at Madeira Beach FL, Ted Observed the fish smoking process where most were smoking in the woods or in the back yard. Ted said, “Put it out there where people can see that thing.” So he salvaged an old smoker and put it out on Blind Pass road in front of the Blue Anchor. The first restaurant he owned in the late 1940’s. He would run out and open the smoker so that people driving by could see and smell the fish spread out on the smoking trays. He knew that just as the sun and sand drew tourists to Saint Petersburg Beach, the smell of his fish smoking would bring customers to his restaurant.

In 1951 the “Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish” restaurant was up and running at it’s current location. Ted was joined by his half brother Elry Lathrop as a partner in the day to day operations. Tilla Lathrop “Mom” was a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen and is the creator of the German potato salad. Ellen Peters came up with the recipe for the Fish Spread. Betty Lathrop helped out too.When they all retired, the current owners, Mike Lathrop (Elry’s Son) and Ted Cook (Ted Peter’s grandson) were in place to take over having worked there at the restaurant since high school. Ben Cook (Ted Peters Great Grandson) & Richard Carroll (Ted Cooks son in law) Are overseeing daily operations after putting in years of hard work. While the family members of the Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish Restaurant spans five generations, so do it’s customers. You may often hear, “This tastes just as good as when my Grandparents brought me here as a kid.”