Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Blue Water Bay Restaurant

    3.8 (174 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Blue Water Bay Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    BLUE WATER BAY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Blue Water Bay Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Leah A.

    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.

    Calamari
    Ying Z.

    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.

    Heather J.

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

    Side Salad.  Cold and crisp!
    Dawn H.

    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!

    Laura T.

    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.

    Menu.
    Tim F.

    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.

    Gator Tail Dinner and Shrimp & "Crawfish Tails" mash over rice
    Dakota A.

    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.

    Dinner for two : baked! So good
    Carly W.

    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

    Cuban
    Kim S.

    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.

    Salmon and Brie Platter!!
    Marcia F.

    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

    Rib eye steak done to perfection

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Luca T.
    1
    20
    12

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leah A.
    1357
    1420
    20688

    3 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Ying Z.
    0
    19
    26

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Heather J.
    151
    70
    120

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Dawn H.
    93
    62
    139

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 3
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jami
    0
    1
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nina S.
    0
    33
    17

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 2

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great food, friendly staff,never disappointed, the seafood is off the hook delicious and appetizers are crazy good

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley M.
    174
    311
    387

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    The food was excellent ,as was the ambience. Service was very good. I went on a Sat night and they usually have a live show

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great food and great customer service! First time here with our guest and we all loved it. Recommend the platter meals. Tons of food

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Blue Water Bay Restaurant

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Pops Southern Buffet - Buffet

    Pops Southern Buffet

    2.9(11 reviews)
    31.4 mi

    Well I was in the area and had a hankering for something different. Stopped by Pop's and they had a…read morespread that would make your eyes pop out! Nice comfortable setting that used to be a house at one time I believe?? We sat in what I think was the patio but it was air conditioned, so I was happy! Then while there, Pop comes out and tells us we are all going to stand for the National Anthem!! How nice!! A true patriotic restaurant!! I had a steak with a baked potato, cooked to perfection! Came with an all you can eat salad bar! My grandson had all you can eat seafood bar which he had to have the crab legs as well. He loved it!! He had sweet yes and I had my favorite unsweetened tea! Truly a good decision to stop. So if you're in the Salt Springs area, stop by, you'll be glad you did!!

    My wife and 4 inlaws went to pops today 3/12/25 for the third and last time…read more The first 2 times was great and my mother in-law wanted to go back. So my wife took all 5 for dinner today and she said it was so bland and tasteless that she will not go back. 4 of the 5 customers said the same thing. The one positive person would eat anything. The quality is no where near what it was the other times. She also noticed pop was on sight, too. So he has lost control of the kitchen. Good things can't last forever. F.Y.I. I went by where the new Bradley's is going and the worker said they SHOULD BE opening by the end of April. YES!!;!!!! F.Y.I.

    Photos
    Pops Southern Buffet - Buffet

    Buffet

    Pops Southern Buffet - Yummy crab legs!!!

    Yummy crab legs!!!

    Pops Southern Buffet

    See all

    Southern Charm - Plate one from Checker Friday night buffet

    Southern Charm

    4.5(256 reviews)
    46.6 miMandarin
    $$

    Food - is probably the best home cook meal you will receive in Jax. Art (the chef) cooks right in…read morefront of his audience. He's engaging and makes sure to get to know each of his guest. He also does a customary walk around to each table to serve his special of the day. It's family friendly and inviting. Service is excellent. There is a person attending to tables with good old fashion southern hospitality. I truly felt like I was invited to the family cookout of someone else. Ambiance it's a truck stop. I can't say that this place is clean or you should wear your best clothing. I had a moment of should I stay or should I go while I was there. This would be the only reason not to give the 5stars Price $15 for Kids $25 for adults. I only paid $40.

    I knew about SC from previous Yelp friends. Although I've never been, the post for Easter brunch…read moregrabbed my attention. Art posted on Facebook that the Easter brunch was still open to seats. They only accept cash, but I found it difficult to find the price. Not sure if this is intentional. After I went to the ATM, I panicked because they closed at 2pm. I was greeted by Art, and where to pay. He said "grab your plate, and enjoy yourself first!" After I picked what was left, ham, fish,green beans and greens, max n cheese and chicken, someone asked if I'd like tea or soda with my meal. I was brought a big cup of sweet tea. The new plate of shrimp and fried green tomatoes was brought to my table for myself only! Another worker brought over a brownie and carrot cake. We discussed Art's contribution to the area at 70 years old. He is truely a gem. He said they pride themselves on southern hospitality. At the end, all this great service and food piled high (all you can eat and more) was only $15. I gave $20, which included a tip. I filled my tea at least three times ;) 4/4

    Photos
    Southern Charm - Trailer Trash platter.  Shrimp, fried green 'maters, rough-cut french fries (beneath the shrimp and 'maters) and a pork sammich.

    Trailer Trash platter. Shrimp, fried green 'maters, rough-cut french fries (beneath the shrimp and 'maters) and a pork sammich.

    Southern Charm - Family time with Art.

    Family time with Art.

    Southern Charm

    See all

    Kountry Korner

    Kountry Korner

    4.5(40 reviews)
    49.2 mi
    $$

    If you want authentic southern cooking (greens, cornbread, fried chicken, etc), this is it. Real…read morelocal spot with daily lunch buffet. When I went, it had two types of fried chicken, meatloaf, and a number of sides. Everything was REALLY good. I'm not a big fried chicken connoisseur. But, if I'm having it, this would be a contender for top recipe. If you are on a road trip or find yourself in Lake City, this unassuming little spot is worth a try. My family enjoyed the food and still comments about what a find this is. Overall: Highly recommended.

    What a wonderful hole in the wall to find during a Vaca trip see you friend. Looking for some place…read moreto pop in and eat and we'd heard about this place that we thought we'd give it a shot. It's a typical little neighborhood Cafe with a breakfast buffet and menu ordering. I had the two-egg breakfast with bacon, toast with tater tots (out of hash browns). I requested eggs to be cooked over medium and they were absolutely perfect!!! I was thrilled because this is not a typically happens when I order this type of egg. That tater tots Tasted like they were cooked in fresh oil and the bacon was amazing. A friend ordered the same except with home fries and a hot cake. She was a little bummed at the home fries as they were just sliced & just not what she expected. Her eggs and bacon were also amazing and her hot cake was wonderful. Coffee was nice and strong with good flavor. I visited the restroom and although the building is obviously old it was very clean. Crystal was our server and she was warm and engaging. 10/10. I will definitely visit again when I'm in the area!!

    Photos
    Kountry Korner - Restaurant

    Restaurant

    Kountry Korner - Two eggs over medium, bacon, tater tots and sourdough toast.

    Two eggs over medium, bacon, tater tots and sourdough toast.

    Kountry Korner - Restaurant

    See all

    Restaurant

    Colt Country Cafe & Buffet

    Colt Country Cafe & Buffet

    4.1(14 reviews)
    25.1 mi

    Whenever I wanted grilled, fried or broiled COLT, I go to the COLT CAFE!…read moreThey will serve 'em up with succotash, greens, raw (sushi style) or any way you want 'em!! The colts are all local, grain fed and free range. Do yourself a HUGE FAVOR, HOSS and go into the Colt Country Cafe. Tell 'em "SLAPPY" sent ya'. They also have all you can drink Natty Light on Friday night for only $4.99. Food, service, hospitality and AMBIANCE!!! :) :) :)

    Colt Country Cafe & Buffett in Reddick is a small-town look and feel place with some big down-home…read moreflavor! Only open until 2pm everyday, they have quite the salad bar and buffet table: homemade meatloaf, fried chicken, sausage (links and patties), eggs, home fries, biscuits, gravy, rice & sausage, ham, roast beef, chicken and dumplings and on and on. My wife and I stopped in this morning and what a great, little-known treasure. It's worth the drive if you are looking for some solid, down home southern cooking. Such flavors! I've had to edit this review three times because I keep going up and trying other stuff from the buffet! The mac & cheese! The green beans, complete with pieces of bacon! So good! Peach cobbler, banana pudding with chucks of banana in it and chocolate pudding with pieces of chocolate chip cookies in it! The prospects of what this place could do with a dinner menu make my mouth water. However, don't everyone rush up there at once, I almost want to keep this little piece of heaven to myself.

    Photos
    Colt Country Cafe & Buffet
    Colt Country Cafe & Buffet
    Colt Country Cafe & Buffet

    See all

    Blue Water Bay Restaurant - seafood - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...