Joe Patti's Seafood in Pensacola: The Place for Fresh Fish, Sushi, Gourmet Food

One of Pensacola's top visitor destinations doesn't require sunscreen, doesn't charge admission and is just as likely to attract locals as it is tourists.

Oh, and though it's family-friendly, the kids might be a little grossed out by the sights and smells.

Welcome to Joe Patti's Seafood, one of the Gulf Coast's most popular spots for buying fresh seafood, sushi, gourmet deli items, wine and more.

The first time you step through the main entrance to Joe Patti's, you might experience sensory overload. The customer area is likely to be packed with people, and often, there's not a square foot of space open at the main counter. Mid-store, someone is standing next to a customer-number machine, handing out paper slips to new arrivals one after the other.

Behind the counter, the scene appears just as crowded and even more chaotic: employees by the dozen are calling out customer numbers, fills bags with heaps of fresh Gulf shrimp, gingerly picking live crabs out of a cooler, or weighing thick fillets of grouper, tilapia, flounder, scamp and other fish, fresh- and saltwater. Farther down, staring out through glass cases from beds of ice are the weird, fishy eyes of whole mullet, sheepshead, catfish, snapper and more.

And then there's the strong, pervasive, but not unpleasant aroma of fish - fresh, not fishy, but definitely a scent of the sea (which laps up directly alongside the Joe Patti's property).

As frenzied as the operations might seem, service at the store is well-choreographed and efficient: take a number, browse the selection while waiting, tell the employee who takes your number what you want, wait for everything to be weighed and bagged, then head to the checkout counters in back to pay and have your purchases packed in ice for the drive home (they'll also pack in airline-approved coolers for those visiting by plane).