The food was so good we ate here multiple times. We sat at the bar- had excellent service. Fun seasonal cocktails. The menu was hard to choose - just one dish. My husband and I shared a few things. Pork belly, gumbo, corn casserole, and fresh burrata. The Burrata salad was my favorite- but it was all great. Definitely a 5 star restaurant! The options close by were mostly touristy chain seafood places. We chose right!! read more

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A large group of us stopped in on a Saturday for dinner. It was not busy at all. There was about only one other group dining at the time. The decor inside this place is beautiful. A more, romantic and trendy vibe compared to the rest of the hotel. There is a good selection of drinks and food to choose from. We started out with some drinks and the biscuits. The bacon jam was interesting and so tasty! Glad we tried it. I ordered the blackened mahi. It was so delicious and flavorful. It came with a good portion of food as well. I almost did not need a side dish. This is a bit higher end restaurant. I felt that the prices were fair and worth what we received. The wait staff was friendly and checked up on us multiple times. (Probably since we were the basically the only people there LOL). This is the perfect spot for a special occasion or if you want to impress that special someone! read more

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Delaying writing this until there was a chance to experience a comfortable majority of the menu, meant that rash emotions can be taken out and the ideas can be based on the purity of the four dinner experiences at Ovide. A concept created by Hugh Acheson, who is better known for the landmark Atlanta restaurant, Empire State South. Having the vast variety of dishes also allowed the perception to morph, as one could easily slam the restaurant's steak making capabilities, or go crazy about the delicious farm egg over crispy rice. With spectacular servers, such as Christian, Ovide is truly a much needed gem in this part of Florida, where this is truly a one of a kind restaurant. The interior is elegant, with Jan Davidz paintings of flowers adoring the ceiling and walls, the environment is elegant and romantic. As far as the meal itself. Spectacularly delicious dishes include the Alabama Myrtle Point Oysters, the Egg over Crispy rice, Steak Tartare and Artichoke. Surprisingly, it is the entrees section where dishes showed either imperfections on the edges or in some cases, being outright disappointing. The lobster risotto despite being very interesting and flavorful, was substantially over salted. The filet mignon, although delicate, tasted like it was boiled, most importantly missing any meat flavor to it whatsoever. The snapper with bok choy was a pleasant dish, but basic and did not feel like it was on par with creatively crafted menu. With all that said, there are plenty of spectacular dishes that do cancel out a few of those that fall short. The wine pours are consistently generous enough to remind one that you are in Florida and people just won't tolerate a carefully measured small pour. One improvement area alcohol wise would be to have at least a few draft beers available. Despite that, the selection of canned beer is small, but very well put together. Ovide is a place that is welcoming, beautiful and quite immersive in it's menu. In a coastline filled with local hole in the wall fish shacks and chain restaurants, a place like Ovide focusing on excellence, creativity and beauty has been missing for quite a long time. read more

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We went to the restaurant, Ovide, during our stay at the Hotel Effie. I have an American Express platinum card and with that card you get $30 per person (up to two people) for breakfast either at the hotel restaurant or for in room dining. We decided to try out the breakfast at the hotel restaurant and it did NOT disappoint. We started with coffee and water and the wait staff continuously kept coming by to make sure our cups were very full. My boyfriend got the crab cake Benedict and I got the two eggs. You are allowed to substitue the potatoes on the two eggs, but I would suggest sticking with the potatoes because I subbed them for grits and I regret that decision. Would 10/10 recommend going down and getting breakfast. Thanks so much for a wonderful time, Ovdie! read more

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This is a bar located in Hotel Effie lobby on the Sandestin Golf and Resort Bar. I enjoyed my lemon drop martini and my friend had the Cabernet blend wine that was really good. The service was great and the ambiance was typical of that of a hotel lobby bar. Pretty busy and even though we came at 9pm on a Sunday, it was kind of noisy. Still, I would absolutely recommend it read more

The Lobby Bar - Lemon Drop Martini - American Near Me - Miramar Beach, Florida

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I had several meals here over the course of my stay at Hotel Effe. I'd recommend the Sweet Potato Hash for breakfast, as well the Kale Salad with shrimp for lunch. I wasn't a huge fan of the grouper sandwich, but it might have been an odd day. The bar also has some great speciality cocktails, and the bartender was so sweet. I don't think I'd go out of my way to eat here, but it's not a bad spot if you're staying at the hotel. I would, however, stop by for some pre dinner drinks. read more

The Lobby Bar - Sweet potato hash - American Near Me - Miramar Beach, Florida

Ovide was a lovely experience during our stay at Hotel Effie! We went on a Sunday night and had a short wait, but we grabbed drinks at the bar during that time. The drinks were delicious and the bartender was very friendly! We were seated in the corner of the restaurant, which was nice for a more private experience. We started with the gazpacho, which was delicious, and the whipped ricotta. You can't go wrong with either. Now to entrees - my boyfriend ordered the wild mushroom bucatini. He added chicken and loved it. For my main course, I had the roasted halibut. It was excellent! The menu online said the dish was made with grouper, but it's understandable the menu may change based off of what the kitchen is able to get in and when. All of the food couldn't have been better and was perfectly portioned! Overall, Ovide is a nice treat. Great food, tasty drinks and excellent ambiance. You also can't beat the convenience of fine dining right at the hotel! read more

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This restaurant inside the new Hotel Effie didn't disappoint us a single time! Photo overload, but everything we had was literally perfection! The service was excellent, the restaurant decor, lovely. I highly recommend if you stay here get the package that costs a little more but includes breakfast! I'm a serious breakfast person, and I wasn't disappointed a single time! We also had dinner here and it was amazing! It's not at all like the typical Destin places that feel touristy. It's more refined and definitely could hold its own against top restaurants in NY or LA! read more

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I ordered a breakfast item for takeout. I really just wanted a tradition veggie omelette but they declined to be able to make one. So I ordered the French omelette and was pleasantly surprised. The portion looked small but it's perfect for what I should have. The butter lettuce had a slight vinaigrette dressing on the back of it. I did order it without cheese and it was still good. I'm sure it's a lot better with the cheese for the cheese lovers. Order took a bit of time but we still got to the pool by 9 am. I ordered the food then went to bakery/coffee place located behind the hostess of the restaurant. Having dinner tonight. Will have updated review later. read more

While a beautiful establishment in a nice hotel, the food is not up to par. Service is fantastic (although we could have been checked up on less) and the waiters were very friendly. The place itself is aesthetically pleasing and very modern with its moody colored panelling. My friend and I ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and constitute as our dinner. We started with the oysters- they were good so we increased it to a dozen instead of the half dozen. The staff were nice to let us upgrade and get the cheaper price. The vinegary cucumber sauce that came with it was yummy and tart. This came with crackers that we used for the strawberry rhubarb burrata with pesto that was also pretty decent. Something that fell short was the fried rice. I think they took the literal phrase and fried each individual rice kernel that everything was crunchy when we chewed- not enjoyable. The desert was decent but not memorable. Overall, probably won't ever come back because there wasn't anything notable about it but if you're staying at the hotel and looking for an upscale place to eat dinner... this may work? read more

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The majestic hotel towers into the baby blue sky and casts a shadow over the parking lot below that's dotted with high end cars and guests anticipating the inside. Walking into the Hotel Effie, you're greeted with a beautifully decorated lobby and hotel bar and lounge just to the left. Then, beyond, tucked in the corner is Sandestin's newest and BEST dining experience, Ovide, by Atlanta's (and Athens) own High Acheson. Every bite and sip you put in your mouth are vibrant and alive with flavor, like the sensational filet mignon, savory prime beef tartare, uniquely wonderful farm egg, rich blackened mahi mahi, and fantastic cocktails! Let's dip in. Ovide's cocktail menu and program are top notch with two spectacular cocktails, Sun Kissed and Shore Leave. The Sun Kissed is a balanced cocktail that juxtaposes the bitterness of grapefruit and piney alcohol. This reminds us of an afternoon sipper that oh, so refreshing. Our favorite cocktail was Shore Leave. With warm rum, sweet coconut, earthy rose wine, bright lime, cachaca and more, this has a brightness and sass! We enjoyed the flavor complexity of this one! Starting out with some of the bites, the ones we sampled were the farm egg and prime beef tartare. We seriously loved the uniqueness of the farm egg with so many good flavors in one dish! Savory egg sits on a bed of collard kimchi that adds spice, crispy rice for a good crunch, earthy peas, and tangy onion for one amazing bite. Our tip is to mix the ingredients all together for a savory, spicy, crunchy, and earthy flavor explosion. After this light bite, we opted for something a little heavier. The prime beef tartare is piled high and topped with a savory egg. This tartare is thick, rich, meaty, and has a good amount of creaminess. Once you top this amazing meat dish with the egg, crispy fired onions, and earthy mustard, it's a tasty bite. Definitely get all the ingredients on the crunchy toast, which puts is up there with one of the best bites of the meal. For our main course, we made some good decisions trying the blackened mahi mahi and the filet mignon. The flavorful and flaky blackened mahi fish paired so well with the tart pickled cauliflower, crunchy kohlrabi, and divine red pepper sauce that gives it a kick. It ended up sweet, creamy, rich, and slightly earthy when you mix it all together. Yum. The best bite of the night had to be the filet mignon. With pepper encrusted, maître d'hotel butter, and mushroom jus, this steak had a little bit of everything. From the crunchy and slightly charred outside to the succulent inside, it was rich, meaty, buttery, and savory over-the-top good! You won't want to share. As the meal winds down, the sun begins to set. We sit just outside the restaurant is what looks like a library speckled with books and library-esque décor. We talk over our meal and agree we will have to come back to Ovide when we come back to Sandestin. What do you want to try? read more

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The overall experience was good. Staff still looks confused, under trained and there are mixed standards when serving and presenting drinks. Food was delicious and flavorful! but presentation lacked imagination. Nevertheless, I felt very welcomed especially because they have a staff that's speaks Spanish. Definitely, not a place for kids. read more

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Pro tip: save your money and go elsewhere. Unless you want to spend fine dining money at average restaurants. For a fine dining restaurant, I was disappointed with Ovide. The food, service, ambiance, and price were all decent-ish but not fine dining level. I'm very surprised with all the 5 star reviews. We started with the biscuits. Very very over salted. I love carbs but didn't finish one. My main was the pasta primavera and I added shrimp. $26 for the pasta, $12 up charge for the shrimp. The dish was drowning in pesto. The vegetables were lacking. 4 shrimps. Very meh, I also didn't finish this. The service was pushy with extra menu items and alcohol while not being super knowledgeable about the wine list. They brought out the main courses for the table at different times. Such a basic mistake and this is supposed to be fine dining? I asked to take my remaining pasta to go and was handed the box to do it myself. Again, not fine dining level. Was this a bad meal? No. Was this up to the standard of what they're charging? Also no. read more

We came here to celebrate my parent's 39th wedding anniversary. The food was absolutely amazing and the service was spectacular. The ambiance was beautiful as well. I wasn't familiar with the Effie hotel as I haven't lived in FL for over 15 years, but will definitely be back! read more

The Lobby Bar - American Near Me - Miramar Beach, Florida

Went to Ovide for lunch for the first time today! The food and service were both great! We ordered off of the brunch menu which had several delicious looking options. I ordered the smash burger with truffle fries and it was excellent! Everyone was happy with their meals! read more

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Dinner and then breakfast the next morning both times the servers servers were gracious and and attentive the food fresh creative.. I ordered oysters at dinner told them about what happened at the other restaurant and she assured me they did not wash them and the 1st one I tasted it was perfect the last 1 I ate which was the biggest had been washed apparently.. She came back I commented laughingly.. She brought me a fresh one to replace it that was perfect little things that make a great restaurant.. Pricey but you get what you pay for read more

The food was amazing!!! Our server was Juan Carlos and hopefully Ovide knows what an amazing and personable server they have on their hands!!! He was so amazing at helping us figure out what we should order and sir your strawberry mojito recommendation was spot on. It was the perfect setting for our anniversary dinner, we finished it off by going up to the roof top bar of the Effie hotel for the sunset. read more

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Beautiful restaurant located in the new exquisite Hotel Effie. Great service here. We sat at the bar and were well taken care of by Achilles. He recommended the filet mignon which my friend got and both me and my husband were jealous we did not order lol. It is some of the best filet we've tried. The fish plates were good, not the most filling. The snapper was flavorful in a Thai inspired curry sauce. I suggest hitting the rooftop bar for drinks after. read more

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If I had rated this restaurant the first time that I went to eat at Ovide (with my husband & friends) I would've given them 5 stars; HOWEVER, I was pressured into giving the restaurant 3 stars in their review, due to the experience we had at our second visit eating at Ovida, which to say the least: the food was mediocre and overpriced, and the service was terrible, at best. This is why: The first time we ate at Ovida, we had the spicy fish & the lobster risotto, we also ordered the broccolini and creamed corn with truffles. The fish was properly cooked and tasted excellent. The lobster risotto was also abundant and excellent. The cream corn was yummy excellent with large flakes of truffles included, however the broccolini was very dry and overcooked and we returned it & instead my husband got a salad, which turned out to be too large to eat. Plus, only in Europe do you eat a salad after your meal. We left the restaurant saying we loved it and we would return soon. A week later we went back to the restaurant and this time I ordered the same fish that my husband ordered and my husband ordered a dish with a farm egg. We also ordered again the creamed corn with truffles. This evening, there were different servers who were there and all they cared about was looking & talking about the people sitting at the bar and not wait on us. Furthermore, our waiter got our order wrong, and when our food arrived, both of our dishes were terrible and the cream corn with truffles had barely any truffles in it. The food was a major disappointment all around plus they charged us for the bread rolls that we asked for while we waited for our food that took a long time to come out. So in conclusion if this restaurant is planning to stay open which maybe it doesn't care because it's part of the hotel, they're gonna have to go back to their service and kitchen and serve and cook like the first time we ate there because the second time that we ate there we were charged an incredible amount of money for food that was inedible. And, Not many people are going to stand for that level of food quality or service, long-term. I do want to add that I live in Sandestin, and I eat out a lot. read more

We weren't overly dressed up (business casual) and felt like the staff treated us a little less than. I love nice restaurants that have a casual elegant feel and got a more stuffy, judgy vibe here. The deviled eggs and fish dip appetizer were great. The ribeye and crispy chicken both would have been great if they weren't sooo salty (too salty to even want the leftovers). The drinks we got were tasty - dirty martini and a pink less sugary drink (can't remember the name). I'd go back if they lightened the salt content. read more

Overnight Oats. This cost $10? Overpriced food selection for what you actually receive. Customary for this type of hotel restaurant. read more

The Lobby Bar - Breakfast Menu (June 2, 2022) - American Near Me - Miramar Beach, Florida

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We were staying at the Effie and we dined at The Ovide while there. Exquisite interiors and a warm welcome. They had a few vegetarian options and they did tweak the dish to my taste, and it was delicious. This restaurant has a big reputation and just a few small errors make it fall the mark for me,- the silverware served was not cleaned, the dessert they served us had a thread hanging out, they did change everything, but with bigger names comes greater responsibilities and this is where they missed out. read more

Lovely yummy yummy glamorous restaurant. Inside the sam Destin resort at the Effie hotel. The tartare and the clams were both super decadent and refined. For mains I had the red snapper and my husband had the pan seared chicken- the red meat stew was delicious. Wine and cocktails also great! Definitely the most bougie place in SanDestin. Great for a date night. not a kid place. read more

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Ray is the best bartender around. Great ambiance and amazing food and drinks. Highly recommend ordering a lemon drop Martini.

Wow! Super impressed by all the things. First visit, came in with an open mind wanting to fully experience the menu. The restaurant is just off the Hotel Effie lobby which features a stunning entrance. They also pump some yummy fragrance in there that I'm normally opposed to, it was quite pleasant. Parking was confusing at first but we figured it out. Valet! Comped if you're dining at Ovide. Server Juan Carlos 5 STARS Effie's Biscuits 5 STARS comes with 4 giant biscuits, delicious butter and bacon jam Half Shell Oysters 4 STARS not plump, but good Blue Ribbon Gumbo 5 STARS nice and spicy Kale Salad 3-4 STARS way to big! Needed more dressing and lose the roasted grapes. BUT the salad was fresh and the blue cheese, walnuts and dressing were tasty! Entrees: Pasta Primavera and Grilled Grouper both 5 STARS Dessert: Pineapple Upside Down Cake 5 STARS All in all I really enjoyed our experience here. You will pay for it! Our bill was about $350 for 2 with a nice bottle of wine, including the tip. I'm hoping the next visit is equally awesome! read more

So unimpressive. The space is beautiful but our sauce was over salted and the potatoes tasted instant. Way too expensive for mediocre food. The server wasn't very knowledgeable about any of our questions and the dessert was terrible. We had the filet, biscuits and cheesecake. read more

Everything about the restaurant was awesome! Great food and great service! Our entrees were cooked to perfection. We shared the surf and turf with scallops and filet - the sauce in the scallops was pure butter deliciousness. We also got the lobster risotto and both risotto and lobster were perfectly cooked. Great meal. read more

We had a large group (30)with a Rez for months. In 2.5 hours all we had were salads. Short staffed as heck. Left before the main so no idea how good the supposed food is. Avoid unless you enjoy spending all night drinking water. read more

Loved out visit! We sat the bar and had the best bartender, Krystle. She gave us amazing recommendations of food and made the best dirty martinis. The oysters were the best we had in the area the whole week we were there. read more

My husband and I had reservations for our last night's stay in Baytowne. We ordered the biscuits, pork chop, and the grouper served as the mahi is presented. They ran out of mahi, so I was offered the grouper in its place which I was pretty happy about. We opted to sit outside, and the breeze coming around the building is pretty strong as a heads up. The biscuits were home made and large. The bacon jam spread wasn't my jam (no pun intended), but my husband loved it. My husband's pork chop was absolutely heaven and so tender. The grouper was cooked perfectly, and the potato mash was delicious. We would have stayed for a dessert if the wind from around the building hasn't been as strong. The inside seating area did seem to be a great atmosphere, but the acoustics are harsh. read more

Been here twice now and will keep coming back. It's perfect and amazing every single time, both the food and the service. Flawless!!! read more

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I felt like this was an overpriced disappointment. The cocktails were just ok. The fried rice was so over salted I wanted to go teach the chef myself how to balance the use of salt, pepper and soy sauce. I ordered the lobster risotto. The flavor of the risotto was great and the lobster was well cooked but the risotto was undercooked and had a gummy bite to it. My husband's filet mignon was cooked appropriately and was well balanced with the potato purée. My kids had the grilled cheese with fries that tasted like they were cooked in stale oil. The waitress didn't charge us for the fried rice since we didn't really eat it after a few bites. The restaurant is beautifully decorated however I'm not sure I would eat here again. read more

We ate at Ovide at Hotel Effie in San Destin last night and although I don't regret going there, we won't be back. The restaurant opened earlier this year and still does not have its act together. Walking in the restaurant, the ambience was not what we expected. Hall and Oats was playing on the stereo system which clashed with the restaurant decor. The floral ceiling mural was beautiful, however. Although the restaurant had cloth napkins, there were no tablecloths. The Formica like table top felt like a diner style eatery. We ordered cocktails first which were very good. We wanted to order our appetizers first while viewing the menu but were told by the waitress that we could not because of a rule the chef had. As we looked at the menu we felt rushed even though there were not many people in the restaurant. The Oysters Rockefeller had a lot of breadcrumbs on top which were very dry. Underneath the breadcrumbs was good. The steak entree was very good. The grouper was good but was described as having a pickled satsuma gremolata. What arrived was 4 pieces of mandarin orange on on top of the fish and whole parsley on the side. When we questioned the waitress she said the mandarin and parsley was the gremolata. Wish I had a picture of that one! The grilled artichoke was dried out. The grand finale was desert. We ordered 2 to split between 3 people. The chocolate tort serving was so tiny that when it arrived we were in shock. It tasted ok - like a brownie - and of course vanilla ice cream was good. Literally the tort was about 1" at the widest part (it was in a triangular shape), 1/4" thick, and 3 " long. Crime brûlée was ok but served in a very shallow dish. Since desert is the last thing served when you eat at a restaurant I would have expected something more on the decadent side. Quite a disappointment for a restaurant which is advertised as fine dining! read more

The Lobby Bar - Oysters Rockefeller - American Near Me - Miramar Beach, Florida

Hopefully this review can be updated because I've heard great things, however the hostess was incredible rude and unhelpful. She said they were booked up for a week when I called a few day in advance trying to get in for lunch. I was pretty skeptical because she didn't give me any alternative options and when I pressed further she said oh our system is broken. However after checking online I saw a multitude of reservations available. So I'm not sure if it was just a lazy hostess or what but not a good look. Hopefully the food offsets all this. Update: food was good, hostess was still no bueno, but our server Courtney is where the review comes from. She's nothing short of a star. read more

First of all, I would like to start my review by mentioning we had a fabulous dinner there in November. We decided to plan Christmas Eve dinner at Ovide and were extremely disappointed. The "Main"lobster was overpriced, overcooked and dry. The prime rib was good, not delicious, but overpriced. The two star review is given only because the side dishes and salad were very good. We frequent restaurants in the area, however this one will be removed from our list. read more

So happy we came! Amazing service. Lionel (Leo) was very professional and knew the menu perfectly. The creative sides and starters had us over-ordering. We got the whipped ricotta (with olive tapenade and toast points), Effie's biscuits (with bacon jam and sorghum butter), and the burrata salad. Large portions for sides and starters, but all was excellent. I only wish the sorghum butter was made out of salted butter to get the salt-sweet combo, but that is a very minor point. We both were quite happy with all the starters. For our main courses we ordered the halibut with farro and the blackened mahi mahi. Leo said the halibut was new and has been very well received. The mahi mahi was served with plantain, succotash, and amazing sauce that was orange in color. Fantastic! Portion was normal size, beautifully presented and delicious. The halibut was also well prepared with seasonings that enhanced the flavor- didn't replace it. Very happy we came and when we visit this area, we will be excited to return read more

Disclaimer: we never had any of the food from the restaurant. We made reservations on Resi for New Year's Eve. We looked on their website to check the menu, and see if there were any special changes for New Years Eve. We showed up and we're seated, and we're presented with a special New Years Eve menu. It was 235 per person. If we would have known, it would not have been a problem. But on the menu there was 2 red meat options and a fish option. There were also no gluten free options either. I am sure the food is great, but customers need to be notified of these changes before they sit down. read more

My mind was just absolutely blown!! I've come to Hotel Effie in the neighborhood of 20+ times in the past year. I've eaten at their restaurant, Ovide, nearly every single time -- enough times to have had every item on the menu nearly twice. Tonight, I decided to head down for a glass of wine and dinner before starting on my editing. I get down to the hostess stand to be initially ignored. Finally, she looks up at me with a look of disgust as if I was inconveniencing her. I ask her if there's room for one at the bar or a table for one. Without missing a beat, she points to the lobby bar and says, "oh you're alone... go eat at the lobby bar" Before I can get a word in she hands me a menu and walks off waiting on other people. I walk over to the lobby bar that was completely full and certainly no room to sit. I walked back to the hostess stand and asked if I could wait for a table or a spot at the bar. She tells me it'll get at least an hour to which I responded that I'm happy to wait. She ROLLED HER EYES!!! WTF is going on. She then said she would let me know when they can fit me in. I asked her if there was a waitlist to leave my name. She says, "I guess" and then proceeds to take my name and number and says she'll call. Why so people have to act this way?! So unbelievably rude and unprofessional! There's been many issues in the past but a few of the staff members keep me coming back. This experience absolutely took the cake! read more

My husband and I came with high hopes and left unimpressed. I tried the grilled artichoke & was served a semi warm overdone dish with an aoli that tasted heavily of mayonnaise. My main course of mahi mahi was okay just a bit heavy on the sauce. My husband selected the snapper which we found to be heavily seasoned beyond being able to enjoy. I wish that I could post something different but... read more

Service was phenomenal! Food, not so much. Beautiful aesthetic in the restaurant. Food quality doesn't match the service, price or ambience. They really need to step it up in the food department. read more