Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish History: The Story Behind the St. Pete Institution

Right after World War II, in 1945, Ted Peters and his family decided it was time for a fresh start. Ted joined forces with his stepbrother, “Red Hot,” who’d already made his way down to Florida from upstate New York. Together, they dove straight into the fish business.

Ted worked at the Fisherman’s Co-Op over in Madeira Beach, Florida, and something caught his attention. Most folks stashed their fish smokers out back, hidden away like some kind of secret. Ted thought that was backwards. “Let people see it,” he insisted. Why hide the magic? If you let that smoky scent drift out to the road, people would follow their noses.

So Ted brought out an old smoker and parked it front and center on Blind Pass Road, right in front of his restaurant, the Blue Anchor. Whenever the urge struck, he’d swing open the smoker and make sure everyone driving by could see the fish and catch a whiff. The beach tempts you with sun and waves. Ted figured the aroma of smoked fish could do the same.

By 1951, Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish found its home at the spot it still calls home. His half-brother Elry Lathrop joined as a partner, and Elry’s wife, Tilla—most folks just called her “Mom”—ran the kitchen. She’s the one who came up with the German potato salad recipe that’s still on the menu. Ellen Peters made the fish spread everyone talks about, and even Betty Lathrop got in on the action.

This is where my own story comes in. I was born in St. Petersburg in 1961, and my family spent plenty of weekends camped at those outdoor picnic tables, soaking up sun and salt air while seagulls wheeled overhead. That’s where I fell for their smoked fish—always with a slice of onion and the ripest tomato you could imagine. And if you weren’t in the mood for fish, you’d go for the burger. Hands down, best in town.

The family kept the place going, passing it down through the years. Elry’s son, Mike Lathrop, and Ted Peters’ grandson, Ted Cook, both grew up working there before they took over. These days, Richard Carroll—Ted Cook’s son-in-law—handles the day-to-day after working his way up from the bottom.

Five generations deep, and the restaurant’s still humming. The customers, like me, come back year after year, bringing their own kids and grandkids. It’s normal to hear someone say, “It tastes just like it did when my grandparents took me.”

A quick look at the timeline:

1945: Ted opens the Blue Anchor, a little seafood shack with a smoker, on Blind Pass Road.

1951: He finds an old smoker in a dump and moves to the current spot on Pasadena Ave S.

1950s: The place becomes Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, known for smoked mullet and that German potato salad.

2022: The St. Pete Catalyst covers the restaurant’s long family history and traditional red oak smoking.

2024: A Facebook post celebrates the old-school appeal and the classic methods.

2025: FOX 13 Tampa Bay features the five-generation family legacy and the restaurant’s ongoing success.

For more information check out tedpetersfish.com