Groben's Closing

[Longboat]

I was sorry to read this:

Groben's Seafood in Northwest Philly closes after 135 years in business

They had been around seemingly forever. Don't know where I'll get my oyster po' boys now.

[sputnik]

That sucks so bad.

[bungee]

Wow.

Thats bad news on a bunch of levels...

[BishopOfPHL]

This is seriously depressing. In over 100 trips there we've never had a bad piece of fish/shellfish from that place. What a huge loss. I'll miss getting fresh crabs from there in the summer.

[Geno]

I have only been living in Mt Airy a little over 2 years and have never gone there. I thought it was a fish store, didn't realize they sold dinners. Was it just takeout or could you eat there? I feel like I missed something.

[Longboat]

I have only been living in Mt Airy a little over 2 years and have never gone there. I thought it was a fish store, didn't realize they sold dinners. Was it just takeout or could you eat there? I feel like I missed something.

They sold fish both wholesale and retail on one side of the business and prepared meals (mostly fish) on the other. There really wasn't any place to sit and eat on site; it was all take-out. Sounds like it was the wholesale part of the business that did them in, with restaurants they supplied going out of business and leaving unpaid bills. The take-out side was always busy when I was there.

[daguerre]

It's very sad to see such a historic business close. My great grandmother went to the previous location in the early 20th.
They were done in in part by the prepared-food operation, which I personally found to be lame. Oyster poboys? Worst I've ever had, and with a few casual questions it became clear they just didn't know any better. The lady doing the cooking admitted that she didn't like seafood. The huge oysters are for stewing, not frying.
And the fisheries are crashing, which makes seafood-buying a different transaction than from a couple of decades ago.
I sound preachy. I wish they hadn't had to close.

[adamgram]

I feel bad that I never went in. I always walked past and said "that place looks awesome" and continued on my way. I suck.