We love Sandbar! The service is always friendly, the food is good, and the beer is cold--honestly,…read morewhat more could you ask for after a day at the beach? We especially love the picnic area outside. It's the perfect spot to kick back, enjoy the breeze, and settle in for a while. The whole place has an easygoing beach vibe, and everyone makes you feel welcome. It's the kind of place where you come in thinking you'll stay for one drink and suddenly realize you've been happily hanging out all afternoon. We'll definitely keep coming back!

I picked this place solely on the colorfully decorated building and patio seating. All of the…read moreservers are eye candy so that's a nice ambiance. I ordered a Grilled Shrimp Taco with no sauces. and it was the bomb. It makes me want to come back again but I might have to try the chicken next time. She ordered the Guacamole and Chips and said it was good. We have to come back for sure.

Our food tonight was exceptionally good!!! We had a fish dip for an appetizer and then we each had…read moredifferent entrees. The rosemary & cream sauce for the fish if the day was flavorful & yet not overpowering the fish. We had an informative server who knew the menu well.

**INITIAL REVIEW**…read more When it comes to the restaurants within Downtown Melbourne/Melbourne Main Street, I often stress that the ones on the edge of the river and/or marina are some of the best ones if you want a meal with a view. The Mansion and Chart House come to mind. The one my family wanted to go to was Ichabod's Bar & Grille. Unfortunately, its popularity exceeded its capacity and the waittime was over an hour. Ergo, we went to their sister location on Melbourne Beach, the one right across from Paradise Beach. Maybe, I was expecting a bit more as the Melbourne Beach location is the newer location meaning it had the OG to learn from, but it did not live up to that standard, at least the one I had in my head. Though an address is provided, this Ichabod's Bar & Grille - which I will shorthand simply to Ichabod's for the remainder of this review - is located as a stand-alone business right across the entrance to Paradise Beach. Ichabod's surely has that look of being a dockside restaurant despite being "landlocked," but good luck parking nearby. The parking situation has always been bad around the area. Inside, the seating is limited in which the majority of seating seems to be at the two bars. I guess Ichabod's is catering to a certain demographic pertaining to who dines inside. Outside, there are more tables for families and groups. That is where my family and I sat for our meal. Our waitress Jordanann, God bless her soul, was the only waitress working. She was running around like a chicken with their head cut off as she served everyone both inside and outside the restaurant. Despite her situation, she remained focused and kind. I definitely gave her a big tip for how hard she worked. As for the food, it was... well... okay. I always get fried fist fillets whenevere I come to a new seafood restaurant, along with crab cakes. There was shell in the crab cake, which I find to be a bit of a norm with a little piece, but there were some thoroughly recognizable pieces in my mouth when biting right in. And the fish, well... it was... okay. Not the best fish I ever had, but not bad where I would not finish it or at least take it home. Other food my family ordered includes the Mahi Sandwich, Our Burger, Shrimp Wrap, Caprese Burger, Jerk Mahi Plate, and the Jerk Shrimp Plate. Overall, the initial visit was very lacking. Though I do not fault the waitress herself, I do fault the restaurant for only having one waitress for this shift. I assume they are having a troublesome time keeping staff. I will definitely come back and give them a second chance. Can't just say Ichabod's is what they are over one visit, but for this initial visit, this is the kind of rating I would give them. If they improve over an average, i will reconsider changing the rating and updating the review.

Birthday weekend celebration in Melbourne. This popped up on places on the water. Very nice…read moreatmosphere. Went for lunch and sat at the outside bar downstairs. Busy, but not too crowded, bartender was excellent. Started off with a vodka martini (was going to order oysters). Ordered the beet salad to start and it was huge. Roasted beets, tomatoes, and blue cheese w/frisee lettuce was very good. Next appetizer was the fried green tomatoes. Huge, crispy and lots of them. Crab meat and remoulade on top was just right. They had imported oysters from New England (Wellfleet) so ordered a 1/2 dozen to go with my martini. Excellent presentation and taste. Next was the peel and eat shrimp. Big and not overcooked. The cocktail sauce was good, with lots of horseradish. On top of all the good food was the atmosphere. More like a resort than a restaurant. Great view of the river. Highly recommended and will go back next time I'm in town.

The food was very delicious. I would go again in a heartbeat. Service was nice and our waiter was…read morereally friendly and made it a great experience. The ambiance was casual and laid back

I been here twice within a 1-month period to give them a fair run. Malabar Mo's is a cool little…read morebar that today house that's converted to a commercial location. Malabar Mo's is known as our local biker bar the night's I was here I really didn't see any motorcycles or bikers or maybe I did and they're in regular street clothes. The food here does not stand out in any way it's pretty average but there's really nothing wrong with that at all. Is it cool local spot close to the river with local people who work and live in my town some of which I recognize and I've seen around. The service here is always good. The food comes out fast and it's very presentable. Nothing bad to say about this whatsoever. Now the alcohol is my biggest complaint. I simply ordered a vodka lemonade and I thought the drink was really strong but I didn't even get a buzz so ordered another one and thought it was really strong again and it wasn't. The next morning I realized from the headache I received but the drink wasn't straw but the vodka must have been below the well it was so low grade. The only other vodka that's ever given me a headache like that after two drinks is ABC house brand and Smirnoff. I'm not sure if it was Smirnoff but it did taste really strong for one ounce of alcohol mixed into a regular 8 oz cup so whatever it was it was undoubtedly cheap. Second time I came here I was up with a party of seven people. The waitress was able to handle our table without any issues. She checked in frequently and gave us regular updates on the kitchen and what was going on with the food and the staffing. Every employee I've contacted at this location has been friendly. I wouldn't necessarily call this location a date night restaurant but it's definitely safe for casual time. Let's just say it's not a first date location if you're looking for a romantic candlelit dinner with flowers on the table. If you're close by it's really not a bad spot to stop and have a drink I possibly need some local that's also a good spot to sip on your drink and listen to the crazy banter from a crazy Palm Bay residence at the bar. If you've been in town a long time these people will often tell a story to each other and you'll find yourself smiling and nod and remember the good old days out in da bay.

If you like drunks dancing next to your table, lesbians trying to pick a fight with anyone as they…read moremake a spectacle of themselves on purpose while no one does anything about it, I guess the atmosphere is for you. I'm not an alcoholic and didn't expect 2 loud mouthed intoxicated, heavy set women to invite themselves into my conversation at my table. It's an obnoxious pirate costume event and a poorly managed business. Socializing is not possible in this atmosphere. I watched some elderly band who didn't play well and the singer had no voice. I thought maybe they were donating their time? Every song they played sounded just like the last song. Since everyone was too bombed to aim properly in the bathroom, they certainly didn't notice. The key issue is no one here gets a limit on alcohol consumption. It's a DUI hot spot. The riffraff are obviously regulars here. The food is awfully overpriced for what you get, the water is even worse, and nowhere near a full menu to order from. Waitress looked overworked and do not smile. A horror show on weekends. I know it's not a classy place like you get downtown in Melbourne, but the owner should be responsible when serving alcohol without any limits and asking big mouths to shut up so others can enjoy a conversation at their table. I know for a fact two individuals who left this bar completely intoxicated and one lost a leg, and the other lost a foot riding home drunk on Malabar Rd. Ask any cop about it. My scenic view is the backside of a gas station. so we split and rode south, Rosie's has a a gorgeous view of the river for less money I dumped on this dive. The patrons have good hygiene, and can spell hygiene too.

I love this restaurant's food... but the secret liquor store downstairs is a hidden gem!! They have…read morethe most incredible selection of liquors that you can't find anywhere else. Scotches that I know I've personally purchased in Scotland bc they don't sell them in retail here. Gins we've seen around the world, but actually not in this country. Same with tequilas and mezcals. An incredibly sophisticated prosecco and wine selection. I don't know who is doing their procuring but never let them go! Shopping there is literally like getting to go around the world collecting all the bottles you'd never find at your local liquor store. LOVE IT!! And yes, the food is pretty fantastic. We came before, during, and after COVID, and I have always been impressed. Even in the terrible COVID years of staff and food shortages, the bartenders and management worked their bottoms off to keep the place running smoothly and not disappoint their customers. The upper patio has great views, too. We'll be loyal forever.

NOPE! Damn, I should have listened to the other Elites. This place kind of sucked. And I have…read morewanted to go here for years, but kept forgetting about it. Food, service, and overall feel, meh. Let's get into this. Clocked in at 1:00 pm. Clocked out at 2:15 pm. Frankly an hour for some Burgers and a sandwich is a bit extreme. Certainly we could have overlooked the service, but the food was just OK. But as far as the service, sure one server for the whole place, it's gonna be epic. NOT! I was also a little put off how limited the menu was. Then again, I'm pretty sure they want you in the tavern part, not the dining part. I had the special Avocado GoGo. It was bad bad. You can see from the pictures not much in the way of avocado. They should have called it an olive tampanade with a slice of cheese. Yeah one. At least the olives were good. My wife had the Mansion Burger. It was good. Very sloppy and who doesn't like a sloppy floppy burger. The fries came out cold, no biggie. When we mentioned it, they brought us two giant bowls full of fries. They were great. All in all meh. Now, if you drink, you want to visit their tavern. That looks so cool. Go there for that.

My sister came to visit from NY and we decided to eat and have a drink on the Rooftop. We chose our…read moretable and our waitress Hannah was great. She immediately came over to greet us and give us menu's. She returned to take our drink order and was so pleasant. We then ordered the BBQ Chicken Flatbread and chicken sandwich with fries. It was all delicious. The view of the Melbourne Airport were so nice. They had a musician playing music which was excellent. Great vibe for social events.

The view was beautiful and the service was decent. The food took a while and wasn't hot when it…read morecame out, plus my chicken was dry. My husband's slider was pretty good though and since it was the daily special, it came with fries. It was also a reasonable price which made it even better. Plastic chairs are not our thing but the area around the fire looked nice. The drinks were inconsistent, one looked and tasted good, the second one had no garnish and tasted like they also forgot the alcohol. I doubt we'll go back.

What a disappointment. For years before I moved to this area Blackfins was one of my favorite for…read morebreakfast and dinner. We moved to Melbourne Beach in Jan 2025 and still everything was good. Some changes in dishes we determined were just food costs cuts. This year my son and his family came and we had an early dinner. My 3 yr old granddaughter was excited to go to the shop that was usually by the hostess stand. It was relocated but now had nothing for children. The service was slow but we thought maybe it was busy since it was tourist season. The food was just fair. Last night was my birthday and of all the restaurants in town I chose Blackfins. What a mistake. Walking in was dangerously slick since they had flooding from earlier rain. We were sat in a small booth by the window. We had to walk out of the way since a dog that was a size of a horse was sprawled out on the floor. Our table was absolutely disgusting! It was dirty and sticky and the coasting of shellac had apparently gotten melted and was sticky and black. Even the seat was dirty and I ended up whipping away pieces of paper on my seat with my hands. Everything including my arms stuck to the table. It took awhile for a very young person with zero personality come to take our order. We gave him a drink and appetizer order. I was attempting to forget about how disgusting the table and the large dog was with the view. The drink that didn't have enough ice although I requested a tall glass with lots of ice arrived with the appetizer. It was good despite being served with greasy fried saltines. When I attempted to start eating a very large Woodstork was fishing on the rocks when the people with the large dog started throwing crackers at it..despite signs everywhere not to feed the birds. It then came up to the window and came too close for me to eat since it was eyeing our food. My husband sat still, told me to do so as well and was holding a knife should it attack. After 15 minutes it finally went away. Now our food was cold. We complained to the waiter but all he could offer was, "Thank you for telling me." No offer to relocate. Our main meals came. Both of our fish were way overcooked. Mine was dry and not edible. My husband's was dry but he didn't complain since my birthday dinner was basically ruined anyway. Forget the dessert I just wanted out of that dirty sticky area. So sad! I will have to find somewhere else to take me and my family.

Late night dinner with the wife at Blackfins Riverfront Grill. It just started raining and some of…read morethe outer tables were getting wet so we took refuge at the center bar and met with the bartender who provided two of his favorite meals and we took his advice. As we waited under ten minutes for our meal, the wife was in awe of the choo choo train the circled the bar above our heads, a cool addition that goes a long way. Grilled Shrimp Skewers and NY Strip French Dip. OMG the shrimp were awesome with the crispy carrot wedges were a nice side. Drenched my NY Strip hoagie into the french dip since I love it soggy and it was perfectly flavored. The french fries were plentiful and seasoned well but not as crispy as I would like. The restaurant sits on the river but since it was late there was no view, but we were able to hear the live rock n' roll music coming from the stage at the Sandbar. The clean gender assigned bathroom was gorgeous with green ocean themed epoxy flooring, lizard skin walls and bamboo partitions. It was a WOW effect upon entry.

Great first experience!…read more Server Jose greeted and seated us. Was so friendly, throughout the visit. Never missed a beat, everything on time, and always with a smile. It's absolutely gorgeous inside and out. I don't know who did the remodel, but they addressed everything we did not like about the previous establishment. The new booths and layout make it intimate and exciting at once. The colors are fresh, and the faux-wisteria pops everywhere. Super photogenic interior. The way they divided the dining area into two areas (a booth-only half and bar half with booths, hightops, and bar) is spot on. Everyone will get what they want in terms of dining indoors. The patio has been refreshed, also! Clean seating. A giant quad TV (that was on sports with low sound today) as well as some other smaller tvs have been mounted all around. The fire pit is still there, thankfully! They've put awnings up that help block even more sun/heat - thank you!! And they put high quality LARGE umbrellas on every table not under the patio cover. Well done! The food is SO good! Y'all know this Texas girl is always missing Tex-Mex from back home. Well - this is the new spot to fill that void! Expect to find most of what you're usually looking for when getting Tex-Mex, minus the tortas, fundido, and cochinita pibl that can be harder to find in the area. Also didn't see any menudo or pozole, either. A Texas girl can only wish! What we did have was spot on!! Queso with chorizo (thick and super seasoned as you'd hope), fajitas with the usual accompaniments (delicious beans that tasted homemade and not from a can), and blue corn sopes with Al pastor. Let me tell you - those sopes were legit! Pretty sure they're making the sopes in-house. They paired really well with the beans, pork and pineapple. They were topped with micro greens which was a beautiful touch. Did I think they might need a touch of salt or heat? Yes... but that's probably just my personal preference on this dish. The only thing we didn't love was the sopapillas. So far we haven't had any sopapillas in the area that are like what we'd get back home. The best kind are the ones that are made from a fresh dough - they puff up huge and become a big hollow pillow. These were what we've had at other places in the area - a flour tortilla that has been fried. That may be fine for a lot of people... and kids... but it's not really what sopapillas are at all. Still looking for them, and I'm not going to ding them for that because I've yet to find a single Tex-Mex restaurant in the area with REAL sopapillas. We can't wait to return! Maybe someday they'll upgrade the sopapillas, but if not? They're still better than most in the area and I'd still come for everything else on the menu.

Newer location beachside. Replaced another Mexican place…read more Interior is bright and the tables and booths large. A bit claustrophobic with all the "plants" hanging from the ceiling. I can imagine they will be dust magnets as time goes by. The chip and salsa were fire. Ordered up some shrimp enchiladas. They were ok but they shrimp were all chopped up. Whole shrimp would be better. No really char or seasoning on the shrimp themselves. The rice was unremarkable for it had no flavor. The highlight was the avocado salad/pico/ I don't know. It needed a squeeze of lime to balance the richness of the avocado but very good. Son's tacos were meh at best. To quote him no flavor at all. His beans were watery and the Mexican rice remarkable for lack of flavor too. He also liked the avocado salad. Chimichanga was large but the flavors were not wow. It came with queso on the side because the kitchen forgot to put it on. They do have a bar with TVs so maybe there are happy hour specials. Maybe not. They do have a military discount of 10% for the member who served. Not the whole check. I love technology but the iPad menus did nothing for me. They hand it to you opened to whatever special they are pushing. Our night was "skirt steak" that the hostess kept calling "steak skirt". I guess Lady Gaga was the chef. IYKYK. You have to back out and find the table of contents then pick each one and scroll down. Nice pictures but hard to survey and share or capture to study later.