Word of mouth, if it's good, restaurants can thrive from it. And that's what happened in this case when an acquaintance mentioned the Blue Water Bay and how good the shrimp dinners are. Our brunch experience definitely confirmed that, with a tasty twist on Cajun cooking. My husband tried the Earlton Hash. A tasty combination of shrimp, andouille sausage, a creamy hollandaise sauce and done wonderful tiny potatoes all topped with a fried egg. This dish made for a memorable brunch. He topped it off with a bottle of beer to connect the two eating periods. I opted for the French Toast. It was tender and moist. It came with very crispy bacon. The dining room is nicely furnished with stained glass sea life. They also showcase artwork for sale. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. However, the kitchen is a bit slow in service. Side note-the restrooms, while functional, could use work. And for those looking for liquid refreshments there is an attached bar, with seating behind a full wall . read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Earlton Hash - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

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I've been here many times, and it was good on most of them. But this time, it was totally different. We later found out they had been closed recently due to bad health dept inspection. This day, the server ignored us when we were sitting 10 feet from the kitchen. We could see her back in the kitchen gabbing with another employee. We had to ask for literally everything. She never came on her own to ask how we things were. The dining room was not busy, only about 5 tables in the whole place and she was not the only server. To make things worse, there was a cockroach crawling ACROSS OUR TABLE. Right there on the nice white table cloth. It was not there when we arrived. It came with either the appetizer or the piles of napkins and cutlery they brought to the table. But still we stayed to finish our meal. To top it off, the key lime pie for dessert had no more than a quarter inch deep of filling. The filling was tasty, but good grief, they should not charge full price for that. The employees I saw looked like a different bunch from the ones I had seen before. It's obvious (from repeated closures by health department) that they spend too much time goofing off and not enough time cleaning. As many good memories I have of Blue Water Bay, I will not be going back unless it changes management. I can't imagine the owner approving of this terrible condition. read more

So why is this Nasty place still open!?? Orange stickers all over the doors again and closed, Let me guess more roaches and food not up to temp, ate here one time when I moved here and that was the last time! Disgusting servers and all around nasty staff! They should condemn the building! Gross all around! read more

Another amazing experience at blue water bay today. The shrimp and fish were amazing. Would not change a thing. They have become our go to for great fried seafood in north Florida. I'd put them up against any of the coastal favorites. Service is impeccable too! read more

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Just left Blue Water. How awful! Everything.....service, food, length of time to get food, food temperature, I could go on. I ordered the "creamy" escargot. It had a funny taste. It tasted like hard booze. No "creaminess" to it. They said it was wine and butter. The toast points were baguette toasted on one side. When you put it in the butter, it went immediately soggy. The server offered to pour cream in it. I sent it back. Didn't ask if I'd like anything else. My husband ordered the lobster bisque. He got a huge bowl (he should, it was $14.95). It was good. We ordered the blue crab and artichoke dip. The dip was good if you could dig through all the cheese. The tortilla chips were very greasy. I ordered clam chowder to go. It was freezing in there and we couldn't take it any longer. We waited a half hour for that clam chowder. Ridiculous! Then she brought me medium styrofoam cup 3/4 full, Luke warm. Chowder ($12.95). $54.00 out of pocket. We will never go there again. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Clam chowder with lots of grease on top. - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

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Server was super accommodating and the food was super yummy! I definitely recommend trying this place out whether you're a local or just driving through! read more

Service was good.Food was very nasty.Food should never be a hit or a miss in a place called a restaurant. Food is very expensive these days.I am sorry, I even walked in the doors to blue water bay.asked what the bay fish was,I was told it is swai,Swi is not a bay fish it is a nasty farm raised fish very bad to eat. It seems most of thier fish is farm raised.Search Swi fish before you eat it .my experience at blue water bay was very bad. read more

Blue water Bay has been around for a long time. I used to really enjoy the all you can eat on Friday and Saturday night. That aside, they serve great shrimp dinners! You're gonna love it. read more

We are so happy with the quality and variety of great food at Blue Water Bay! We've been there several times, are never disappointed, and the wait staff /bartenders are all so nice. Although we were newer people to the area, we were welcomed:-). read more

We went for the Fathers Day Buffet. All the food that was out was AMAZING! The swordfish and the salmon were incredible. We were a bit disappointed there was nothing in the brisket pan or in the ribs pan until we were about to leave. We were full by that time but would really have liked to try both items. We were there nearly an hour. The service was top notch. Our waitress was very attentive. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated. We will be back. Back staff needs to be a bit more attentive to the items on the Buffet line. read more

We stopped by this place Mother's Day for the buffet and it was great! The seafood, brunch was amazing. It's a place I routinely suggest to people for special occasions. read more

This is a hidden gem!! The food is great. The service was great, way more than I could eat for the price. read more

We thought we would give this place a try since we were in Melrose. The ambiance is casual with most people eating in the bar/dining area as opposed to the bigger dining room on the other side of the bar. Perhaps it was because we were having a later lunch, but looked mostly of locals. We basically ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes and the "Lumpia" appetizers. And we also ended up sharing the Grilled Shrimp Quesadillas that came with a small bed of shredded lettuce with salsa on top and a side of sour cream. The portions are more than enough to fill you up. Our food was beautifully presented and each dish looked very appetizing on their plates complete with sauces and dips, but ultimately the flavors just weren't there and everything was just Meh. We were hoping to at least be WOW'ed with an amazing sauce or yummy dip to pair with the blandness of the food, but this was not the case either. We had no prior expectations. Even asked for a side of ranch dressing for the FGT hoping that it would add some flavor and it just didn't quite hit the mark. The lumpias (6 pieces) were served with a side of basic bottled sweet chili sauce. Not my restaurant - not my decision, but that appetizer should be left off of the apps menu. Just no. And the grilled shrimp in the quesadilla and whatever was on the tortilla itself was a bit on the saltier side, but still the best of the three items we had ordered. Their menu is truly all over the place and not sure if that works. The service was friendly as there was only one server covering the tables and that did not bother me one bit because we were in no rush whatsoever. My issue was that the food - all of it - was average at best. Not terrible, but not good enough where we would want to go back for lunch. Maybe there's a dinner menu that would blow my mind or that one menu item that we didn't order, but should have.....??? If so, do share. I would be curious to know. read more

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We got the calamari, scallop pasta, and the Mexican style grouper. Both the scallop pasta and calamari were lacking in flavor. The calamari needed salt at least. The scallop pasta especially did not have any taste. The sauce was a cream based sauce and I expected it to be similar to Alfredo but it literally just tasted like they only used cream and forgot to add any seasoning or cheese. It was very disappointing. The grouper, however, was actually good. The fish and the sides that came with it tasted good. The grouper had better seasoning and had a good fry. The salsa and beans paired well with it. Very flavorful and not imposing. Overall the service was attentive and friendly but we waited about 40-50 mins for our entree since the restaurant was busy. read more

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Absolutely love this place. Food is amazing. Service is wonderful! Live music throughout the week making for perfect ambiance. Stop by and enjoy. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

I've been here for lunch before and was impressed. As a local upscale, excellent menu and wine list restaurant, it is a surprising gem in a rural neighborhood. This is probably why so many locals are here every few days and most tables have a bottle of wine accompanying their dinners. The atmosphere is casual without a hostess on the side where people are seated in the proper dining area, but the bar side is first come first serve with consistent regulars. We started at the bar and moved to the booth so my friend could see the local musician. That was an added bonus. The musician was Andrew Harvey and his music was soothing, sorta background, but yet made you want to sing along. The menu is large and varied. With classic gator for the tourists, escargot for the elites and salmon/steaks/wings for everyone else. Our food arrived timely from when we ordered, everything was exactly as ordered and we enjoyed gator nuggets, wings, salad, steak and veggies and I decided on a Salmon & Brie plate. Waitress checked on the table, drinks were refilled accordingly and the musician played requested music. All good! I recommend to others and even though it is one of the more upscale menus in the area, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Great for friends, groups, couples and hungry people! read more

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We were staying in an air BNB by the lake and decided to stop in for a birthday dinner. My husband and I shared the fried platter. It is HUGE. It could have easily been shared with 4 or more people. We took over half of it home with us. The service was great and the atmosphere was nice enough for a casual date night. The dessert was my favorite! It was some kind of chocolate cake and I could have eaten a whole cake by myself. It was SO GOOD. Don't miss it. read more

We called to placed it over the phone they said it was gonna be one hour wait. We got it within 30 mins. For $70 sea food platter for 2. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

I love BWB!! From Gainesville, its a short drive to Melrose for dinner. The food is always really good, it never disappoints. The ambiance is really cool and I love the decor they have. I also love that they host live music. My favorite dishes are the shrimp quesadilla and the dinner for two. The dinner for two is my favorite dish ever. It has everything you need for dinner: protein, veggies, and pasta carbs! Yummy! My only address for improvement would be to have a drink menu. I know they have some specialty drinks, but with the prices that the food menu reflects, I think a drink menu would be nice. They would even charge some extra bucks for those specialty drinks! :p read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Dinner for two : baked! So good - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

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Blue Water Bay has been a hit or miss over the years. The service is usually good for me and the company I am with. The atmosphere has always been a favorite of mine, as why I keep coming back. Kinsley was our Server and she did her job with great pleasure. She handled our food issues with the kitchen directly and quickly. The rice was well over cooked but the main entre on top was delicious. The gator tail was cooked to my liking, but people have a different taste for gator meat. The kitchen staff is near the dining area and were very professional and quick. Many entres in my past have been delicious with Blue Water Bay and I will continue to be a customer. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Gator Tail Dinner and Shrimp & "Crawfish Tails" mash over rice - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

Saltiest food in Florida- we've now heard friends say the same thing! Such a shame. Otherwise food, service, Old FLA good. But PLEASE cut the salt! read more

I've been going to Blue Water Bay for 35 years. In the last year, the quality of food had diminished. The steaks, appetizers, seafood, is often not cooked at the quality it use to be. It was less than Applebees quality but at high prices. Two of our family members got sick from the food. It seems the food is not fresh. The meat taste like it was frozen for days and reheated. Yet the charges are fine dining charges and the expectation is to have a fresh steak or fresh fish without the freezer taste. I ordered the Salmon and Bree. The salmon was not properly prepared and the fruit melody was 5 strawberries and a ton of blueberries. The crab artichoke dip tasted like it was prepared days ago and sat in a zip lock in the freezer for days then reheated. Gross. I miss the old Blue Water Bay. With FRESH food that is prepared properly without shortcuts. Not the microwave tv dinners but back to that place we went after boating all day. Fresh never frozen meat. Fresh ingredients. Better quality that matches those high prices. Wait staff was extraordinary and always wonderful. The atmosphere is wonderful. The issue is 100% the food preparation. Can't wait until the good quality food returns. read more

Even though we loved our server, the food was mediocre. We arrived at the restaurant around 230. The dining room was not full, but they asked us to sit on the bar side. We ordered fresh pork rinds as an appetizer. My husband ordered the fried fish with roasted potatoes, and I ordered the Cuban sandwich with fries. We waited quite a long time but our server kept checking on us. We got our meals and then our appetizer. The fish was good but my sandwich was more like a ham sandwich with weird white cheese. It definitely wasn't Swiss. The pork rinds were delicious. We won't return because the Friar restaurant next door is much better. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Cuban - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

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Aaaaah .... here again! This time we're trying their NEW Sushi Bar which we're told is Wednesday and Thursday starting at 5:00pm. This may change depending on the popularity of the Sushi Bar. Well based on what we had, if quality is the only determining factor, I believe they will be very busy and need to add more days. If Melrose is ready for Sushi they will do fine! The Sushi Bar Manned by the Master Sushi chef Kenny-san who has worked and trained in other popular places we have visited such as Dragon Fly in Gainesville. They do a very nice job there too, however, this could be the case where the student surpasses the teacher ... We had the Seared Crunchy Roll and the Red Dragon Roll. The Seared Crunchy Roll was very good with a creamy cheese taste. The Red Dragon Roll is Tuna on Tuna VERY GOOD! As dessert we had the FISH TACOS with sauteed spinach. We Love their Fish Tacos here ... Everything they do here they do well! As usual the service from Lori and Whitney was friendly and efficient! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK GUYS read more

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Overview: 5/5 This is about a 40 minute drive for us from Alachua, but we'll worth the trip. If you want to try a "hidden gem" in a small town this would be it!!! Ambiance : 5/5 It's a no frills atmosphere that caters to both a "bar" crowd and a "dining" crowd. Can accommodate large parties and small intimate couples Food/Drink 5/5 I was ABSOLUTELY blown away by the wine selection at this place. From the very reasonable house wine $7 to high end (Caymus - $350). We opted for middle of the road "Molly Dooker" Shiraz. We started with a Brie and fruit appetizer. The wine went fabulously with our Rib-eye steaks cooked to perfection. We finished it off with a chocolate cake that was the best id ever had. And I'm not much of a dessert person. I'd just take the drive for the cake!! Service : 5/5 Post pandemic this is one area that restaurants have struggled with but this place nailed it. Enough servers and staff to keep the meal moving forward. All were pleasant and competent. Conclusion : We will definitely be back! read more

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Been wanting to try this place due to recommendation from friends. Read all the reviews, and had middle-of-the-road expectations when we went in, so they didn't disappoint. Stood in the entrance of a mostly empty dining room for nearly 10 minutes before we were told to just sit anywhere we wanted. Picked out a table and got menus,and server showed up for beverage orders. Full bar, but nothing on tap, so a Yueng Ling it was, for me, and mama stuck with water. Took a little longer than I thought necessary to open a beer, pour it into a glass and bring it to my table, but maybe the bartender was super busy. Placed our orders and settled into our chairs awaiting our dinners. I got the large (20 piece) shrimp dinner with fries and mama did the lobster bisque on the recommendation of the server over the clam chowder. 35-40 minutes later, out came dinner. The shrimp were the standout here, fresh and flavorful with good cook and very good cocktail sauce. The fries on the side were limp and slightly mushy, and the bisque was unremarkable. Bisque got better after the addition of some salt and pepper, and the fries were edible with a firm ketchup dunking. Server was rather inattentive (read: missing) and had to be requested multiple times to get boxes and take our check. Had better service from the young lady that delivered our meals and got us ketchup and more cocktail sauce than our assigned server. We'll probably be back one time to see if it was just an off night, but a miss there takes it off the list. read more

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The dining area was nice and the waitress was nice. The prices were fairly decent for today's market. We got the blue crab and artichoke dip and we did not care for it but it wasn't bad. The grouper tacos and fried jumbo shrimp were delicious!!! The Philly sandwich was not great, def would not order it again, the meat was tough and stringy. They had nice fish-vibe decor and a bunch of local artists paintings on the walls. Overall a nice place to eat. read more

If you're looking for a leisurely meal and not being rushed, this is the place. Entree's were delicious and plentiful. Dining room was clean and not busy when we were there. read more

Come here for the food not the ambiance. We sat outside to enjoy the beautiful day. Outside patio could definitely use some TLC. Power wash the cement and clean up the garden beds. Just looks like a neglected space. Server was great. Very attentive. The 1/2 & 1/2 tea was fresh and the Cuban sandwich was delicious. Nice shaved pork and sliced ham. My husband chose the blackened grouper tacos and really enjoyed them. Overall a great food experience. Would have been a five star but because the outdoor dining environment could have been better I docked a star. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Blue Water Bay - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

Just in this little town for a short stay, needed a good fish dinner during Lent. But at 4:30PM they were already out of Grouper? Huge bummer! So I went with the etouffee. Now, I've had etouffee all over the country including NOLA, and I'm used to it having slight variations....but this....this was very different. It showed up in a much darker, thicker, richer sauce, with sliced zucchini (I think), some yellow squash and possibly a few yellow bell peppers mixed in. And of course the typical seafood in it. I also noticed it was over brown rice, not white. Its an expensive dish, one of the most expensive on the menu and I thought to myself, what have I done? Well, shame on me. It was different than any etouffee I've ever had before in appearance, flavor, and texture. Not at all bad....just very different. I still cant adequately describe the flavor other than its unique in a very good way. I also was pleased with the portion. Just enough to where you push yourself on that last bite and then its gone. You feel VERY satisfied and no pesky boxes to forget on top of your car! As for my waitress Cheyenne, well this lady was sweet as sugar and very attentive. She even got my stupid jokes - so bonus for that. I cant speak for the rest of the menu, but clearly this kitchen is not afraid to bend the culinary rules in a good way, and I have mad respect for that. Kudos to whoever dreamt up this recipe. All staff were fantastic and very welcoming. Thanks for the great experience, I'll be back again someday (and you better have my Grouper next time - LOL!). :) read more

Food is good, but the kitchen seems incapable of turning out food in under an hour. Both times we have come recently we sat for 45-60 minutes after ordering before the food came out. This last time we were one of three tables in the dining room. Ordering at 1:45 we didn't get our food until nearly 3pm, so basically ruined dinner plans. We stopped here as a convenient place on the way back to town, but could have been home and eaten long before we finally got our food. Unfortunately won't be coming back to be fooled a third time. read more

Hadn't been here in a while. We got the fried green tomatoes app, excellent, served very hot and nice sauce. My wife got shrimp quesadillas and I got the fried fish, very nice. I got the red beans and rice for a side and it was really good, nice pieces of spicy sausage. Probably helped it was Wednesday a little after lunch, service was great. Wish they were closer. read more

My absolute favorite restaurant. Great food, and the drinks are top notch as well. Friendly service... but what keeps me coming back year after year is the food. Buffett is top notch but I'd recommend checking out the specials. read more

Good food. Good service and friendly atmosphere. Stop in for their Taco Tuesday as well. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Smoked fried ribs - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

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Very nice restaurant with consistent quality of food and service. Relaxing place to eat with nice atmosphere in Melrose, fl.

Looked forward all year to getting back here. It was still good but I had a bad experience with lunch today . The smoked chicken wings as a appetizer was delicious. The blue cheese accompanying it was just as good. Fried oysters were delicious and fried fish equally fantastic. However the smoked chicken thigh and sausage gumbo was the worst dish of slop that I've ever been served in a Resturant. It was smothered in so much brown gravy that was over salted (I usually add a lot of salt -so for me to say it was salty-says something) it also tasted like the chicken was spoiled-all 3 of us agreed to that. It was probably why it was a lunch special and covered in so much salty slop - I meant gravy . It was gross. The brown gravy did not resemble at gumbo I've ever had ( I even asked if I had had received the wrong dish) our waitress replied " no mam- that's how we make our gumbo" she was very nice so I didn't want to be a "karen" and complain . I just put my dish to the side and ate the lemon from someone else's plate to get the spoiled chicken taste out of my mouth and memory. I owned a deli and catering service so you can tell when a meat has turned - this had turned . Also the outside of the restaurant sitting area really needed to be cleaned & power washed , place was looking rough . Power wash the black mold off the outside tent and tables . If you're going to have potted plants piled up at least clean the cigarette butts out of them and weed and dead head your plants. Very disappointing experience. I'd still eat here but just order fried food instead- & I would STAY AWAY FROM THE CHICKEN special. up date in review...7 hours later the revenge of the chicken started with hives and a few hours more the vomiting started . I was so sick for a few hours . I had a feeling it was the chicken. read more

Good service, good food, surprising wine list and a dessert worth the drive. Try the Gator Sausage appetizer (fire grilled and bit of spice). The Sour Orange pie is definitely worth the drive and not something you'll find easily anywhere else. Two thumbs up. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - 10oz ribeye - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

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Love the food. Would love even more if they offered delivery! So far, the few times we have tried, it has been excellent! read more

Been a staple in Melrose and Lake SanteFe for over 20 years. Great food, great atmosphere, great bar, great service. Not far from Gainesville. read more

Blue Water Bay Restaurant - Great bar area - Seafood Near Me - Melrose, Florida

Even though I'm a fried seafood connoisseur, I have to say that I've had the best fried shrimp here ever! The one caveat we had was that our hush puppies were burnt but everything else was great. Their prices are pretty decent especially if you get the family meals. Small place but a good atmosphere. read more