We boated to this fun restaurant/bar where our captain knew many of the local colorful guests at the bar! The lighting and music set a mood for fun. The 40-50 min wait time was daunting but an amazing waiter John found us an indoor booth that was super comfy and less than 30 min wait! John also guided us thru some great dinner choices including oysters raw and steamed/peel and eat hot shrimp! The best choice was our key lime pie which was very light and citrusy-a spin on a classic ! Different recipe so ask questions before you order! We all loved it-4 forks all agreed! A congenial happy evening for sure with a beautiful breezy boat ride back to our house. read more

This place was just ok. Got the mussels and shrimp boat as an appetizer. Mussels were good, but the shrimp boat was this gelatinous mess of cheesy goop with random bits of peppers, tomatoes, and about 5 shrimp thrown in. That was a $16 fail. For dinner we got the fried meal with trigger fish and clams, the pounder flounder, the trigger fish grilled and blackened, and the blackened shrimp dinner. Only the flounder dish was a hit. The blackened shrimp were watery and tasted old. Plus, the blackening flavor was non existent. Same thing with the blackened trigger fish. The flavor just wasn't there. The fried coating on the other fish was salty and the clams were meh. For the $250 we paid, only the drinks were a hit. No one said they wanted to come back again. Not sure of all the high ratings. In addition, our waitress forgot our salads, so the food came out with them. I know it's COVID, but can't say I'd ever come back. read more

Vacationing here again and have eaten here several times and it was packed on this Easter eve. They had a prime rib special which was outstanding. As ordered and no skimping on the portion. The fried shrimp was not to my liking, heavy battered and overcooked, my salad and veggies were tasty. Raw oysters were good per my husbands extreme knowledge of these little mollusk. read more

I enjoyed the she crab soup. I have a small appetite but plenty to eat and was satisfied. The soup was a wee bit salty for my taste. Brought my little chi-wi with me. The server made sure she got a bowl of cool water right away. I especially enjoyed the breeze from the river and the fact that I didn't have to breathe any cigarette smoke. (I'm very sensitive). Nice place for lunch read more

One star due to the lack of communication and organization with the hostess stand and staff. I called to make reservations the day before and was told they only do call ahead and to call an hour before you want a table which is fine. So I call the next day at 5:20 and the hostess tells me that they stop doing call ahead at 5:00. WTF? This was never mentioned the day before. We were told there currently was not a wait so we hopped in the car and drove down and by the time we got there a wait had developed. We were told 15mins so no big deal but as we were waiting my wife witnessed someone walk up and be seated who said "we have reservations" and two call aheads who were seated before us which increased our wait to around 30mins. Also outdoor seating is seat yourself which again we were never told. Clearly the staff at the hostess stand needs to be educated on the restaurant policies so everyone is on the same page. Once we were seated it took a while for our server to approach us. The poor guy was doing his best running around all over the dining area. The restaurant seemed understaffed. We ended up ordering immediately and I'm glad we did because our entrees took forever to come out. Soups, salads, and bread arrived quickly though. As far as the food quality it was average...no one was wowed by anything and it's a little on the pricier side. My spiny lobster was approaching being well over cooked and a little tough. I would give our server 5 stars...he was excellent, kept our drinks full and he kept us updated on the status of our food. He also continually checked to make sure we didn't need anything and to make sure our food was up to par. He was the best part of the experience. I just can't get over the incompetence at the hostess stand. To talk to two different people and be told two different things and have key information left off was not a good first impression for potential customers. With so many other good options in the area I doubt we'll be back. read more

Down the Hatch - Spiny lobster tails...over cooked and a little tough. - Seafood Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Crappy is a fish.., It is also this restaurant. From the dismal greeting at the door to the horrific "food"...Yup Crappy However if you drink and like a nice outside patio to watch scenery on and off the water.. then there ya go. O and service is not an action word here In fact customers seem to be annoying and unexpected. Trust me this is like that train wreck you can't look away from...I'm 3 hours older and $75 bucks poorer..FOR LUNCH with 3 people and no drinks. Don't do it! Ps: No COVID here, it's a miracle but masks are NOT worn by anyone hosting, waiting on,or cooking for you... so there's that. read more

Highly recommend the Shea soup... as well as the Poke Ahi. Delicious. Staff is friendly and courteous!! Will be back. read more

Down the Hatch - Outdoor seating with a view! - Seafood Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Our waitress was great. We enjoyed watching a manatee from our window. The only negative is I could smell the fishy smell from my shrimp and pasta dish very strongly read more

Great setting by the river. Lots of open air dining. Server was helpful, though not always attentive (though it was very busy). Big problem was the food quality. Wife ordered fried oysters and all were overcooked and two had turned bad. What an appetite killer! Fish of the day dinner was just OK. Mgt did comp the oysters. Won't be back anytime soon. read more

Smoked fish dip is incredible & highly recommend the Poke Bowl! Live music, great food & sunset to top off the evening--what more could you want? read more

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great service and ocean views but the food was TERRIBLE. I was there with 3 other people and no one liked their $130 food

Cool vibe, cool place, great atmosphere and great food. Drinks were on point. Can't go wrong there.

Disappointing at best. Good points are the staff. Very friendly and accommodating. Waiter kept our glasses full, and checked on us frequently. The place has an ale house vibe... nothing special. The food took an age to show up and was at best meh, and worst inedible. We ordered the stuff flounder and it was awful. Teeny tiny (literally) little flounder bites (3 of them) which despite being a joke of an entree, was like leather stuffed with super salty crab stuffing with an aftertaste that only the lemon could knock out. 2 in our party had it with the same results. Another had the salmon sandwich which she described as lousy. Prior to ordering a guest at the table next to ours warned us not to order the prime rib because of how bad it was... so it wasn't just our table with the terrible food. Our waiter didn't hesitate when we told him, and immediately removed it from the bill and got us something else (which was also just meh... not great). Basically, great service with bar food. read more

The food is always spot on. The service couldn't be nicer and the view on the river is so calming. Saw some manatees tonight.

I would have given a better score. But unfortunately the last time we were there the service was horrible. Plus I didn't like the fact the waitress rolling her eyes at me. I asked a simple question. Why did we receive our dinner and didn't get the appetizers that we ordered. I don't mind mistakes. But I do mind getting an attitude when I question my order. read more

Food was wonderful, drinks were good and cold, service was quick. Very enjoyable, love watching the water! We will be back!!!

I have had very good experiences here. The view is awesome. But then I ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and it was like dog food. Could not eat it and sent it back. If you're going to have this on your menu make it as good as your hamburger, which isn't hard. Thanks read more

Down the Hatch - Don't get the buffalo chicken sandwich. It's straight out of the freezer and into the fryer. - Seafood Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

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Worst service. Scallops were served raw. Waited for a reorder every one was done before they came out. Don't waste your time coming here

I went to dinner Friday night not very late probably right at dinner time the food quality was horrible and the price was even worse than the quality of the food fish and chips one piece of fish with french fries $20 Fried seafood platter $35 and it was nothing exceptional if I had not been so hungry I would have got up and left but I didn't want to disappoint my guests but I will never go back again unless it's just for a drink it looks like seafood that had been pre breaded and thrown in a fat fryer read more

Been going her for years. Great spot, our server Brandi, was excellent. Huge menu. Food was very good.

Food excellent! Waitress was great! Highly recommend! Seated fairly quick, so we went to bar for a drink! Sit outside for best views!

We went yesterday after church for our 1st time to Down the Hatch, nice place but food was a big disappointment for all of us. Smoked fish dip was very nicely displayed but lacked any kind of smoke flavoring, also had a basket of hushpuppies that were just OK. I had the seafood combo blackened and one guest had the same but fried, we both agreed it would have been OK at $12.95 but far short of the $23.00 price tag. Fish was far less than special and very small portions as well. My wife's fish was grilled but very dry, clams were fair. We have been to nearby restaurant, Off the Hook which is 100% better food. Our waitress was very pleasant and efficient. Sadly we didn't find another great place to dine as we had hoped. Guy playing music in the background was good sorry didn't catch his name to add. read more

We enjoyed our nice dinner here, we were greeted with very nice waitresses. The pita bread was tasty, and the salad was fresh, (not frozen) . We had something light the shrimp and scallops fettuccine with noodles and Alfredo sauce, we split the plate sine there is always more than each one can eat . We will definitely make it back to this place soon. Nice view of he river, live music outside on the dock read more

Down the Hatch - Seafood Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Very good meal , sat on outside deck, provided great atmosphere Very good fish combo read more

Brooke was awesome thanks for a great night. We really enjoyed the sunset on the dock!

A great location at a marina. We sat outside and watched the fish and birds do their thing, even a blue crab. Staff were helpful . The salmon dip was pretty good, adding a pickled jalapeño was an interesting nice touch. Totally optional. Fish of the day was flounder so i got the flounder basket. It was cooked perfectly and very tasty! Everyone else enjoyed their food. read more

Went here with the Queen Bee for birthday dinner. Not a bad choice, I'd say. Gorgeous view of Ponce Inlet, where the Mighty Halifax and the Atlantic collide. Lovely oddball decor reminding one of some vague nautical something or other. Just hope that Godzilla doesn't come up out of the mud... I started out with she crab soup. Wow: that stuff was spot on! Creamy, luscious and full of crab with s nice little kick. The Queen Bee tried a bite or two and enjoyed it thoroughly. Salad: both quite fresh and bountiful. She had bleu cheese dressing, whereas I had strawberry vinaigrette. The former didn't nor does a thing for me. Not their fault: it was tasty. I just don't care for bleu cheese dressing. The strawberry vinaigrette tasted homemade as opposed to from a bottle or tub. I'm sure the bleu cheese was homemade too. Entrees: she had mussels with tomato, garlic and onion. I didn't care to try any, but do know she enjoyed them quite a bit. She says that they were delicious and well prepared. I, on the other hand, had bacon wrapped sea scallops. I am quite fussy about seafood in general, but my fears were allayed here. Scallops weren't overcooked at all, which actually surprised me a bit since they were wrapped in bacon. They came with "smashed taters" which were also homemade: as opposed to from a box or pre-made by Sysco or whomever. Joint was near empty when we showed up but was filling up quickly by the time we left. If you're wondering about dessert: keep wondering. We didn't have any; it's a waste of valuable real estate as well as money. Speaking of which: I have no idea why this dump is so expensive. Certainly not bad food, but Aunt Catfish is just as good and way more reasonable. Better atmosphere too. read more

Friendly service, good food, clean comfortable environment. A spot on the water that I will definitely recommend.

The food totally exceeding our expectations. Peel and eat shrimp, she crab soup, Gouda salmon. All FANTASTIC!!!!!

Dinner and service were wonderful. Super friendly waitress. The previous reviews had me a little nervous. We had smoked fish dip, she crab soup, shrimp and scallop pasta. Nothing to complain about from our dinner. Highly recommend. I almost forgot. The view was spectacular!!! read more

Horrible service! We walked out after waiting 20 minutes after requesting the typical breadbasket only to have the server say that he was too busy. The restaurant was really not even that busy. The manager had nothing to say when we made our complaint. Don't waste your time going here not what it used to be. read more

Had the grilled fish of day trigger fish and garlic mashed potatoes. It was delicious. Would like the option of soup or another side instead of the salad. read more

This place is good every time I have visited probably the best restaurant in the Daytona Beach area

The prime rib is melt in your mouth delicious! She crab soup is rich and flavorful, and the margaritas poured generous and tasty!

Best restaurant in Ponce Inlet by far. Food and service are excellent!! Side note*They have Busch light on tap* Mahi Mahi was on point as well! read more

Down the Hatch - Busch Light and Tito's! - Seafood Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

I am a regular here the staff is great. I always take my out of town friends and family here. Never had a bad meal the fish dip is my favorite. Fish sandwiches are very fresh. My dad loves the mussels and conch. If you can see a sunset there it's awesome. I like the bands that play there as well. read more

Love the grouper bites and adult beverages are really good. Sitting out on thre deck is wonderful

The staff or any staff of the Mgrs not wearing ant mask protection at all what's so ever in the dinning room walking around with no protection for Covid-19 today they just don't care it's sad this' place is a nice atmosphere great music live band food is Good read more

Down the Hatch - Mgr not wearing a mask at all - Seafood Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

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Yum yum! The hush puppies were excellent and so was the bread! Our meal was delicious. I had the bacon cheeseburger and it was perfectly cooked! The house chips were delicious as a side. The chicken tenders were also a healthy offering, along with a serving of mashed potatoes. Our evening was further accentuated with a sea turtle appearance and some dolphin swimming by for entertainment. read more

I grew up coming here by water but lately was really disappointed. I pulled up to their dock and proceeded to head to the bar and grab a drink. I recently had my new jet ski 50 hour serviced and a new battery installed. When I went to leave the battery was dead. I asked around for a jump box and the bartender checked but didn't have one and I made a joke saying I would have given her a million dollars and several of the bar customers even went back to their house to check. Suddenly a young employee from inside approached and had a new one. I used it to start my ski to check if it worked and headed inside to pay my tab. The employee came over and said I owed her $80 per use. I thought she was kidding. She said it was a $300 jump box and wasn't letting it get used for free. I looked it up and it was $49 bucks on amazon. She laughed and said well do you need it or not. I told her mariners code is common courtesy and I wasn't gonna fill her greed. Customers were all disgusted and talking about it. The manager came over screaming at me for telling everyone and I explained that they heard it I didn't need to tell them. She said can it be dropped because the incident was slowly being talked about by everyone. The sun was setting as I sat on the dock trying to start my ski. I explained that it was illegal to ride at night and dangerous but they didn't care. They even called the cops because some of the customers were getting upset by the incident. The cops knew us and laughed about it. I got a ride to hidden treasure and Jerry's tiki bar where I was able to fix the incident. (Two very awesome businesses that even stayed open a little later to help their patrons. I wouldn't go here if I was paid to and just be weary of where you spend your money in a "community" read more