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Chef’s Bistro 30A

4.8 (147 reviews)

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CHEF’S BISTRO 30A ATMOSPHERE

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Happy hour specials
Outdoor seating

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Custom poke bowl
Claire S.

Our lunch at Chef's Bistro was one of the best meals we had while visiting the area. Our waitress was very sweet and accommodated our requests. All of the ingredients for the poke bowl were fresh and delicious, and my husband also enjoyed his sandwich. There were many other menu items I would want to try when we return. The restaurant is pretty small, and the atmosphere is casual. There are a few tables outside, which I'm sure are needed as I'd imagine this place fills up fast at peak times.

Ceasar Salad
Jacob D.

I think they're in the process of moving perhaps because there's another location in the same shopping center that points you to this location. However this is an absolutely wonderful beach town bistro. Exactly what I'm looking for when I want fresh seafood by the ocean. If you don't read any further, just know that this is a must try. They got a few tables inside and about the same outside so space might fill up quick. The air conditioning on the inside wasn't working at the time I don't believe, so we opted to seat outdoors. It's wasn't an issue. Some island music makes the heat go away. Also helps when regulars are leaning over to tell you how great the food is. Our server was so lovely and helpful. Very earnest and willingly to answer any questions we had about the menu. Chef Justin every made an appearance, he was delightful as well. The food here is so thoughtfully prepared, the crab cake was big and crabby and just barely holding together, more of the stuff you want and less of the binders and flour. The bed of slaw it was on was the perfect compliment, the exact right amount of texture, sweetness, and lightness to balance the dish. The fish here was cooked perfectly. My red snapper was a good size portion along with all the other pieces to go with the Mediterranean style that I opted with. Could go on about every detail, but Absolutely will come back and recommend.

a man holding a plate of food
Jody L.

You have to go here. Chef Justin food is AMAZING!! I've eaten in places all over the world and this place ranks at the top. The depth of flavor and textures in my Grouper New Orleans was the best meal I've on the Emerald Coast. My wife had the Crusted Grouper which she is still raving about. Oh, and the best ever cheesy grits. You would never guess by looking at the outside they produce happiness for your mouth on the inside. Our waitress made our experience fun and was very knowledgeable about Chef Justin's food. Very well done Chef Justin and staff. We will DEFINITELY be back.

Grouper piccata style
Jenny L.

Stopped by this cute little place on our quest to find good restaurants we haven't tried. First of all, don't let the casual, cool, beach vibe fool you. When you enter, you think it's one of those cute little sandwich-burger places. It was hopping for a Sunday evening and the server was bustling to keep everyone happy. Be prepared to have your taste buds shocked and amazed! The dinner menu offers many high end options, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. I had the grouper prepared piccata style. Every bite brought pure joy to my taste buds. Hubby had the Cajun Tortellini with grouper. Another work of art! The price is a little more than you would expect from the unpretentious vibe of the restaurant. But the deliciousness and portions are well worth it. It's actually the perfect blend! You can have the best of both worlds. A five star meal, that you can enjoy in your shorts or beach wear. Sometimes after a day on the beach, the last thing you want to do is go home and get dressed up for dinner. Pure genius for this area! We would love to see a little bigger happy hour menu. We can't wait to return:)

Entrance
Lauren M.

This was the best meal of my trip, by far. The ceviche was tangy with a hint of spice, served with a bed of crispy tortilla chips. Bright and crisp. The Thai shrimp and scallops was warming and filling, like comfort food. I can't wait until next year to go back. This was the best meal of my trip, by far. The ceviche was tangy with a hint of spice, served with a bed of crispy tortilla chips. Bright and crisp. The Thai shrimp and scallops was warming and filling, like comfort food. A free drink. I can't wait until next year to go back.

Gulf Ceviche
Makenna E.

I stopped in for a quick bite to eat (around 4:45pm) before I had to be somewhere. It was easy for me to get a seat. Knowing I didn't have a lot of time, I ordered the Gulf Ceviche. It came out quickly and was pretty tasty. I think it could use a few more pieces of fish for the price as it seemed like I had ordered almost an exclusively chips and salsa dish. The chips were light and tasty.

Part of the menu with our dishes.
Melissa T.

Found this little gem scrolling through Yelp so thanks! I love going to off the beaten path restaurants that come highly recommended. This one did not disappoint. Chef's Bistro is located off of 30A on a little side street. We had no trouble parking but it was off season so who knows. As we approached we saw a chalkboard outside that said "Free Cocktails " tonight. We were even more excited to try it! This is an unassuming place. It's small with some wooden tables. There is one table with a nice padded banquette & that's where we sat on this rainy rare desolate night. You might want to call ahead for dinner during the busy season. Idk if they take reservations. Our server a lovely young man from Jamaica started us off with some cocktails. I ordered the margarita & that was the only disappointment of my experience & since it was free I'm not going to take it into consideration. My husband's mixed cocktail was good though. The menu here is Cajun inspired as the chef is from Louisiana. The chicken curry caught my eye as I love curry & don't have a chance to have it on a regular basis. I as for it with just a touch of spice. If you do not like spice then this is NOT for you. It was pretty spicy & I couldn't feel my lips but it was delicious. It was accompanied by a big timbale of rice and a side of the most delicious, beautiful looking fresh carrots I've ever tasted. My husband's dish was the winner. A large piece of blackened grouper atop tricolored tortellini with large shrimp in a Cajun cream sauce served with a large piece of garlic bread. This was a large dish & easily could have been shared but my husband ate it all saying it was fabulous & worth the price. When glancing at the menu the prices do seem high for a little luncheonette looking type of place but the food is superb & the portions are solid. So do take that into account. They do serve breakfast as well as lunch. The lunch menu & the prices are considerably less than dinner. I'd highly recommend when you've had enough of the typical seafood places on 30A to give this place a try.

Filet Oscar (filet with crab cake and hollandaise) with seasonal vegetables and smashed red potatoes
Stephanie F.

Great place! You wouldn't look at the place and think such an amazing caliber of food would come from it. This chef knows his food. Simple food cooked and seasoned perfectly. Delicious pretzel bites unlike any I've had before. Best steak I've had in my life! Cooked perfectly medium. Even my rum punch was perfectly balanced. Worth. Every. Penny.

Red Snapper topped with Ahi- Tuna over rice
Jerry A.

This was the first time eating at Chef's 30A Bistro and can honestly say I might not eat anywhere else! We were planning on going to Surfing Deer but decided to try here instead. We love the Surfing Deer but can tell you the food here wins hands down!! We now live here part of the year and am so glad we found this hidden gem. I had the Red Snapper topped with Ahi- Tuna..... Bon-Appetite!

Lasagna
Jane P.

An intimate space with a laid back ambiance, Chef's Bistro 30A delivers on food and service. Our table enjoyed ceviche, Thai shrimp and scallops, lasagna and a special that included a perfectly prepared 8 ounce filet topped with a crab cake. Everything was delicious!

Cheese Cake Bites

Incredible food ! Lived here full time for 3 years & it's probably the BEST anywhere, seriously ! Free Cocktails is a plus; ) Owner Justin has got it goin' on !

Fish, rice,
Jack M.

The best fish I've ever had, incredible waiter. The fish was so good, the sauce was amazing, and the saled was great. If you haven't eaten here before, it's a MUST. 12/10, waiter is very nice and helpful

Ribeye
Leighanne L.

Yum yum yum both my ribeye and husbands lasagne were both very tasty, great portions and the food was well seasoned and still warm! Will def be ordering again!

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Thank you Jody I’m glad you enjoyed!

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Thank you come see us again soon

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Thank you Jerry I’m glad you enjoyed

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Thank you Barb! It was a pleasure serving you

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Glad you enjoyed Jessica

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You might not believe this, but this is probably the best meal we have had on 30a and we've own a condo for years here Wow!

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Thank you Steve! We hope to see you again soon

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Page 1 of 4

Ask the Community - Chef’s Bistro 30A

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Had a great time with the family at Bayou Bills last night. Wife and daughter had seafood boils…read morewith crab legs and shrimp and really enjoyed them. I had the crab cakes and shrimp which were also really good. Our server was great and the atmosphere is a throwback to the old Florida restaurants I enjoyed with my grandparents when I was a kid.

The food is decent, though not somewhere I would consider for a special occasion. We have dined…read morethere several times when visiting town and have generally found it to be an average restaurant. On our most recent visit, after a six-hour drive, we decided to order takeout. When we received the bill, it seemed higher than expected. Upon asking for clarification, we were told there was an 8% "packaging fee," which exceeded the local tax. This charge was not itemized as a packaging fee on the receipt--only listed as "8%"--and there was no explanation provided. Since it had been a long day and our order was already prepared, we chose to proceed with the purchase. What concerned us most was that this fee was neither disclosed on the website nor mentioned when we placed our order. We only became aware of it after questioning the total. Greater transparency would have been appreciated. If such charges were clearly communicated in advance, customers could make informed decisions. While we understand that restaurants operate with tight margins, unexpected fees leave a negative impression and ultimately influenced our decision not to return. We have enjoyed the food in the past, but at this price point, we would likely explore other options that we feel offer better overall value.

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Came here with a few of my girlfriends. Our visit started off extremely well! Sat quickly and the…read moreserver was very nice/attentive. However, we received (and finished) two of our appetizers before we got any of our mixed drinks from the bar - so I asked him where they were and he told me he forgot to ring them up. It was really busy so I was trying to be understanding but another 10 to 15 minutes, went by and we still didn't receive them. At this point, I was very irritated and I asked him where are our drinks and he told me they were ready on the bar..... Then, one of my six friends did not get her meal at the same time as us either because he also forgot to ring that up. I am very understanding as I have worked in the food beverage industry for over nine years BUT what a margarita is $15 I don't wanna get it once my steak is delivered to the table. I want to enjoy it while I wait for my food. He was very nice, but it was frustrating that he forgot to ring up things two separate times. I would've ordered more than one margarita if I received the first one at a decent time. Again, I understand mistakes happen, but it's still frustrating when you're spending decent money. I got the surf n turf with filet & scallops with the crab cluster. Steak & crab was delicious! The scallops were a little overcooked but still good. I do wish my loaded potato was already dressed so I didn't have to do it. Lot of parking available. Nothing special about the ambiance here, but the food is decent. We split the fried cheddar bites and that was good. Hush puppies are good too! Hostess was super nice. She brought us extra silverware when the bus boy took our forks. They sang me happy birthday which was also nice - I got to choose between key lime pie or brownie with ice cream.

----- -----…read more Phenomenal Fish 'n Seafood - - - - - - - - March, 2024 Visit - - - Great seafood from the market, to take home and prepare yourself. Great oysters from the restaurant. - - - We visited Santa Rosa Beach for spring break, in March, 2024. We stayed at a rental / airbnb, with a kitchen that was located near the beach and equally close to... Goatfeathers. We had not known of this part of 30a until this trip, so we didn't know of Goatfeathers until we arrived. We looked and saw positive reviews so, for our first dinner my wonderful wife visited and picked up some seafood which was so good that we had dinner each night with seafood from Goatfeathers!!! From the market / store, we enjoyed: - seafood gumbo, with shrimp, scallops and crab from Goatfeathers - seafood Jambalaya with shrimp and scallops, from Goatfeathers - mahi for dinner, from Goatfeathers - shrimp with butter and flavors on rice - so good! from Goatfeathers The staff is friendly and welcoming and helpful! The sign shares "Oystermania" and our daughter and I visited and enjoyed two dozen one afternoon... so nice... relaxing sun on the beach, a short walk for VERY tasty oysters - served with lemon, Louisiana hot sauce, horseradish, and crackers - and then back to the beach... a wonderful afternoon. Thank you, Goatfeathers, for providing such good food on our trip ----- ----- -----

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Chef’s Bistro 30A - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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