Love that this place has dining outdoors upstairs. The server was awesome and so personable. Im from out of town so he explained all the good local options and what is the best to get. I settled on the shrimp and grits and it was delicious. I wanted to lick the bowl clean it was that good. All the entrees that my group ordered were good (fish and chips, catch of the day, Greek salad and kids chicken tenders). I would definitely go back when I'm in the area. read more

Owl Cafe - Shrimp and grits - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Came at 8 PM on a Monday night. Not much of a selection of restaurants around this area at this time, but glad this was open. Something has to be said if a place is open for more than 100 years. And was impressed for a small town restaurant. Nice decor, good service, and impressive food. Ordered the Fresh catch of the day and Chicken marsala pasta with a side salad. Both were very flavorful. Tip for first timers - the restaurant is upstairs when you first walk in. read more

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First of all this appears to be the only high end restaurant in this town. That in itself is pretty awesome. I went 2 x's. First time just dessert , second time a meal. Fresh Catch of the day: spinach, artichoke, tomato, balsamic rice, lemon caper sauce. Fish: Red Snapper (catch of the day) (or last weeks catch but frozen) I forgot to take a picture: what they got right - the ingredients shown on the menu. They got this perfect. Fish: not so much. They have access to the freshest fish in the world, and that poor slab of fish looked pan seared on a dry pan, unseasoned, and I'm pretty sure it was frozen up like a hashbrown patty. Thank goodness for all of the other ingredients which helped me get down the rest of it. Desserts: mousse cake and pecan tartlet. Mousse cake definitely very rich and dense 3 out of 5 Pecan tartlet with icecream - 5 out of 5 Service was nice and Ambiance they had both inside and outside seating. It was ok read more

Owl Cafe - Pecan Tartlet with yummy goodness - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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We had a great meal here ... the best of Apalachicola in our opinion. Got a reservation same day and decided to sit outside ( upper balcony) . I had the Red Snapper special and she had the carbonara with shrimp. Both were great ... I liked the carbonara slightly more ... but I mean it's pasta comfort. Also had raw oysters to start... it's Apalach ... gotta have oysters from the oyster capital of the world ... right ? Dont miss this place if you're in town read more

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I would give this zero stars if I was able. We came in party of 9 we were sat at the bar area. Our service was horrible. 4 of our plates of food came out while the others were 15 min later. The waitress continually asked us what the other food was.... like she forgot to put the order in. The waitress was rude and acted like we were bothering her. Ask for ketchup you get cocktail sauce. Finally got the manager. Who was apologetic and comped our entire meal. read more

Owl Cafe - Bar view - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Great chips with the crab dip; all the seafood was well prepared, outstandingly fresh and beautifully presented. New ownership is a bit schizophrenic; can't decide if the OWL is 'fine dining'' or just a good beach restaurant. And the clientele suffers from the same syndrome. I do not drag my young grandchildren in at 8 after a day on the beach; we come at 5 and are gone by 6... read more

Owl Cafe is a whole vibe. Sitting outside by the water, watching shrimp boats roll in, cocktail in hand--honestly, it doesn't get more Apalachicola than this. Perfect afternoon stop after shopping, with great food, strong cocktails, and that laid-back coastal energy you're hoping for. Come for the view, stay longer than planned. read more

Owl Cafe - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Ambiance was laid back and old fashioned. The service was very good and the server was very nice. My fried shrimp was alright but the filet was amazing and the potatoes on the filet were top tier the asparagus needed a lot of seasoning. Owl cafe isn't what it used to be but is still a good restaurant. I'm only speaking for 3 peoples food out of 17 but it was good. The prices are a little expensive but the food is good. The shrimp carbonara is also very good (there are a lot of pees in it though). But was a good experience. Chocolate mouse cake was excellent as well read more

Very underwhelming! We had looked at the website and saw many great things to experience on the menu. Unfortunately, we arrived on a Sunday and it was a limited brunch menu. Also, we arrived at 2pm and there were very few tables occupied. We asked if we could get something up front with a view and we were told we needed reservations. We ordered the crab dip, strawberry salad, and fish tacos. The crab dip had a very faint crab flavor, yet heavy in mayonnaise. Wouldn't order it again. While the strawberry and spinach salad was good, it was very small for the extravagant price ($17). The fish tacos... well the tripletail fish was the best part. Note, I said the fish and not the taco. It was very flavorful, but very small portion. On top of that the tortillas were not homemade, but store bought. They came with French fries. These were frozen and not something better like hand cut. For the prices paid for this mediocre food, you would expect something more "scratch". Not sure how this establishment made it on any food tv shows, but it did. Remember, this is my opinion and everyone has one. Based on my experience, I would not return. read more

Owl Cafe - Strawberry and spinach salad, and half order of crab dip - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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We had an excellent dinner here. It's an older building with charm and warmth. We sat upstairs and it was quiet and comfortable. It was the perfect place for us to enjoy a good meal and a good conversation. Our waitress was nice and attentive. The prices were reasonable, considering the portion sizes. I ordered the large crab dip and it was a hit with the table. I recommend giving them a try if you're in the area. It's a nice little local business. read more

Owl Cafe - It's a cute little place! - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Beautiful venue... We had the best fried shrimp ever... the batter was seasoned well and a greaseless fry.. the cocktail sauce was delicious... French fries were delicious too... Best part was my dirty martini which was perfect! And our server Monet...a beautiful woman...was a fantastic server! All the employees here were so nice...Thanks Owl Cafe read more

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I had the Chicken Marsala. It was excellent. For desert we shared the chocolate mousse cake...the best dessert we have had ever. Rich dark chocolate. Service was great. read more

Owl Cafe - View from the wine room - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

We've been to the Owl previously, and it was quite good. We were looking forward to sharing our previously, positive experience with out-of-area friends. The problem this time was that our reservtion wasn't honored. The host admitted that the restaurant had received the reservation. The experience reminds me of the Seinfeld episode: "You can make the reservation, but that doesn't mean that we'll honor the reservation." read more

It can get super busy - make sure one makes a reservation in advance - it's easy on opentable. They do have outdoor seating if one wishes to bring their puppies along. The service was a bit spotty with drinks taking a really long time. Thank goodness their martini was strong. It also took a long time for the food to come out and I almost ate all the bread and butter. The fried seafood platter was lukewarm and I do like my food really hot in temperature. It had a nice variety of seafood including shrimp, oysters, crab cakes (a bit fishy) and the fish was fresh and tender. The mushroom sauce on the steak was rich and flavorful - probably the highlight of the dish. Overall, it's a comfortable place to enjoy dinner in town. read more

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We have been coming to the owl many many years, this experience was absolutely awful. A person in my party has fish allergies but can eat shellfish. Most restaurants are accommodating and the owl has been throughout previous years, most just use a different fryer or pan. However this time we were told he was unable to have anything fried and at first was also told he could not even have chicken because it was cooked on the same cook top. They then came back and said they could use a different pan to sear his shrimp in for the pasta. He could not even have the tortilla chips with the crab dip because they were fried in the same fryer. He then asked for a salad to eat as his appetizer, however it did not even come out until the food did. Absolutely insane. We waited for around 15 min or longer to even get our drink orders taken. We had two toddlers in our party, we even ordered their plates when we ordered appetizers and asked them to bring them out early if possible and the plates were brought out not even 10min before our food came out. Another person in our party ordered their filet Oscar medium rare, however this steak was extremely rare, and the amount of crab was extremely scarce. Unfortunately we will not be returning, we absolutely loved the owl but the new ownership had ruined it. read more

Owl Cafe - Filet Oscar - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Nice little place.. we got right in (but it was 2pm on Sunday.. so if you are going at a busier time make a reservation) My husband enjoyed his cheeseburger and while there was a snafu with my meal it was handled with grace a decorum (and was mine and the menus fault.. fyi the chicken salad has walnuts... I totally forgot to ask! But a Benadryl later and I'm right as rain... and they happily fixed me a different sandwich) read more

We went to The Owl for the first time this Thanksgiving. We were looking forward to an upscale Thanksgiving dinner, but were somewhat disappointed. The service was good and the waitress was friendly, but $60 a plate for pre-sliced restaurant supply turkey, dry ham, StoveTop stuffing, a teaspoonful of gravy, sweet tea in a plastic cup, and no bread seemed a bit off. Plus, the dessert cake was still frozen and hard (on the way out, we saw the kitchen staff taking them out of a big freezer box, pulling the paper off, and plating them). We should have taken our $375 and given it to the local church that was having free dinner and eaten with them instead. I'll bet the food there was better. read more

I really wanted to like this place! There are so few brunch places on Sundays. It's a cool old building and very nice inside. The brunch menu is very small. I ordered shrimp and grits (on the regular menu) and it was pretty good. The country ham was different. I prefer andouille. My husband's order is where things went downhill. He ordered the biscuits and gator gravy- something we can't get at home! It was cold when it arrived. The sides were frozen potatoes and a bowl of cantaloupe (aka fresh fruit). He sent it back and they clearly heated it back up and sent it back out. The result was dry biscuits without a lot of gravy. This is just not acceptable at a restaurant of this caliber/price point. Also, he was served cold coffee! So.... We might try it again next time we are in town, but we'd be cautious about what we order. Again, cool building and good bloody Mary's! read more

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Amazing find! Fabulous ambiance. Odd situation with the kitchen downstairs and restaurant upstairs. Elevator available. Not really a problem but different. Monet was a fabulous server. Attentive, upbeat, efficient, friendly. Food was spot on. Fried oyster app shared was awesome. Generous portion. Easily shared. Perfectly cooked. Hot. Good sauce. Also shared the fish tacos. Don't be afraid of the fish you never heard of before cause it was delicious. read more

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We spent an hour waiting in the bar for our reservation while everyone else in town closed down only to be told by the hostess she was told be her manager not to seat anyone. I would skip the Owl. Better options in town. read more

The best food we had all week. So so delicious. My husband got the shrimp and grits and loved it. The hostess was very friendly. Our waitress was also great. 20% gratuity added for our party of 6 adults and 1 baby. Mentioning this in case it matters to anyone. We almost missed it until someone double checked their bill. We had the whole back room to ourselves for a bit and it was great. We went on a Wednesday evening. I will visit this place again! read more

Came into town after a six hour drive wanted something delicious to eat. Lucked up and ran into Austin the upstairs bartender.... Gave us an invitation to sit at the bar...... was not disappointed. The drinks were delicious, Austin was very entertaining and a pleasure to talk to. The food as usual was delicious! Side note- the jalapeño cream is spicy read more

Absolutely unbelievable experience for brunch. I typically prefer brunch with serving stations, but as far as a restaurant this place has it all. For appetizers we had the duck confit fries and. crab stuffed shrimp. Both were lick the plate good. For my entrée, I ordered fried oysters, which were excellent. Two of our guests had the oyster Poboy, which quite frankly for eight dollars less was a better deal as they actually had more oysters than the oyster platter. two of our guests had the beef fillet Benedict, and all I saw was smiles at that end of the table. One of my guests had the fish tacos which he shared with me and they were exceptionable, beware they are on the spicy side. And finally, my beautiful wife had the crabcakes, no complaints from her. Overall, a tremendous dining experience, food service, and ambience were all wonderful.. If in Apalachicola is worth a visit. read more

The aura of the Owl Cafe projects old time-y southern dining, but our immersion was quickly broken when the 16 year old hostess begrudgingly showed us to our table with not so much of a smile or a "Right this way." It's one thing to not enjoy your job, it's another to show outright distain towards the customers making you do it. Our server was then another 16 year old, who was a talented server for his age but once again begged the question: Why is a "nice" restaurant hiring folks who should be spending their night studying for AP English? The bread then came out and was superb, but when the real entrees came out it seemed that there was another 16 year old in the building-- the chef. My food was so uninspiring I honestly can't remember what I ordered. I recall a salad, and perhaps a grouper. Could it have been a grouper reuben? Is that offered here? Regardless, everything was okay, hence the 3-star, but nothing was exceptional given the steep price. read more

Owl Cafe - Owl Cafe Bar - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

It wasn't bad but it didn't stand out. Drinks were good with lunch, I got red sangria, wife got a pineapple something that was pretty tart and too strong for her. Daughter got a spritzer that she loved. App was a crab dip and the chops with it were very good. Would buy that again. Special was blackened snapper with crawfish etouffee over rice. Snapper was way over done and over seasoned. Etouffee wasn't bad but it was more of a creole (tomato based) and I like a more creamy etouffee. Probably would order fried shrimp next time to be safe. Service was good and staff was friendly. read more

Owl Cafe - Crab dip - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

The food is excellent especially the shrimp and grits! It was our first time here and we will definitely be back!

This is one of the more touristy places- I wish we had gone to the little raw bar down the street where the oysters were half the price. Here they were small and disappointing. The waitress said the town didn't pass their water inspection so they were not serving iced tea or anything requiring water. The duck fat fries are really good- recommend getting the cheese sauce on the side as we did or it would make the fries soggy. The shrimp and grits were pretty good also. Nice outdoor seating in the upstairs area. It's ok but didn't really wow us. read more

Owl Cafe - Sautéed Shrimp and Grits - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Really great tasting quality food. Large portions with great flavor. Our service was great. We sat outside with a great view of town. Highly recommend. read more

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Great find! Love the staircase to the setting upstairs. Make sure to get the crab dip and cocktail to begin, then choose the carbonara and add shrimp! Staff was attentive and very friendly. read more

My husband and I have been going to the Owl Cafe for years. However, this past Saturday is our last visit. Just about everything on the menu is fried and only french fries, cole slaw and a side salad for additional $3 are the side choices. While our waitress was not the worst we gave had, she certainly was not the best. We waited s bit for her to come to the table snd take our order. She never refilled our water and took forever to bring check. There were maybe 5 tables with customers so we couldn't figure out what the problem was. This experience was definitely a disappointment and we will be searching elsewhere for a better venue. Owl, what happened to you??!!! read more

Blackened fish sandwich was good as it did the job. The burger was well done as requested and the fries were excellent. The wait staff was amazing, attentive to our needs and requests which was super great. Good quick lunch stop; will return when back in apalach. read more

Owl Cafe - Half Pound Cheeseburger - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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My son and I have been to the Owl Café Tavern several times. We always sit at the bar and are served wonderful drinks and absolutely terrific food. One of the reasons we enjoy the bar so much is because they have one of the most amazingly talented bartenders we have ever seen. Graham effortlessly and fluidly roams about not only the bar but the serving room as well. Graham is gracious, well mannered, and we can't wait to get back to one of our favorite spots in the US. Their fish is amazing!! read more

Prices and slow service combined with so-so quality. We will not be back and tell our friends not to bother.

Bland food. No thought into seasoning. Blah atmosphere. Dirty surroundings. Terrible attempt at "catch of the day" fish. Sad dinner. I want, badly, for this place to be wonderful. However it is NOT EVEN CLOSE TO AVERAGE. I have heard good things from long ago but oh how things have changed. Reservations easy to get now..... Memorial Day weekend 2024. Reservations on the deck upstairs. Party of 4 seated at corner table in the nook tucked in area. Walls are covered in bugs. The light tan floor has not been cleaned in quite some time. The floors are black as if dirt and grease has accumulated and stuck. A sweet girl asked if we wanted bread, we did. A bit later a plate of cold bread with cold butter was brought to our table. I had a basic Greek salad added grilled shrimp. The salad was segmented into the different ingredients. Lettuce cut into large pieces. Kalamata olives. Feta. Tomatoes. Plain artichoke hearts. Large chunks of purple onions. A tiny cup of what should have been "lemon feta dressing" I would describe it as Italian dressing out of a bottle. It was very basic, unflavored, difficult to toss and sad. My husband had fish tacos. Mahi mahi was the fish of the day. What he received looked more like fish sticks in a plain tortilla shell. With a few pieces of cilantro. He picked out a few pieces of fish and left the rest. My mother in law had chicken Marsala with a nice big bone left in her chicken. The potatoes with my father in laws ribeye were tanish gray in color. When asked about his steak his polite reply was "it wasn't the worst I've had" I won't ramble but will leave this with this thought. I hope the owners read this review and not brush it off. You have a great location with a friendly staff. Step it up and provide what people are paying for. There were 4 of us. Toya was around $250. This was a HUGE WASTE OF MONEY. Please please do something about this. You have the opportunity to be great! read more

Owl Cafe - Outside the owl - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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We had to wait about 45 mins due to not having a reservation (recommended) but it was well worth the wait. The food was delicious and my pomegranate cosmo was on point. Highly recommended! read more

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Giving 1 star because of my experience. I believe this was a one time bad day for the business, but it was that bad. We had a reservation on Mother's Day. Horrid experience. We were sat right away. Many minutes later, a waitress came to take our order, but she kept saying "I have a gnat in my eye I can't see". Very odd. she took our order. After a long time, no food. It should now be noted we found out the restrooms were not working. They apparently had no water and the plumbing was off. They didn't have signs on the door, so you'd just walk in to a full nasty toilet. Eventually, they brought out HALF of our order. We waited about 5 more minutes and the other half didn't come out so we asked. And she again kept saying she couldn't see. ?? Well can you bring someone who can help? She then got an attitude and asked what was missing. Well, we only got 3 of 6 orders. She brought someone over and he read back order, and she just didn't put in half the order. The man apologized and got the remaining order very quickly. It was at this time a huge argument in the kitchen started. Slamming doors, cussing, all that. It was quite scary. We got our food, ate, and then she came to ask about the bill. We said how we wanted it split, and she then rolled her eyes and asked what we ordered because SHE CANT SEE. At this point we just wanted to leave and said put it all on one. We paid and left. When leaving, outside, a man upstairs in their kitchen or somewhere within the building was still shouting cussing, and sounded like punching walls. I'll never return. I don't know what they had going on, but between no plumbing, no water, the lady that can't see, and the violence, they need to see about getting some new employees and management. read more

We've eaten here 5 or 6 times over past decade, always good. This visit, were seated quickly, served promptly. Food was absolutely delicious, especially the fillt's of Prime Beef ! Love this iconic eating place; always very good. Caveat: the elevator is having erratic function again. read more

The food was fantastic. Great atmosphere. We were outside - the birds were eyeing out food. They must know it is awesome.

My family of 6 decided to go to the Owl Cafe on a Wednesday night during our vacation, as we had heard good things about the food. We arrived at 8:05pm. As we made it up the stairs the hostess did not look pleased to see us coming. She quickly let us know that they were not seating any guests as they were about to close. We asked what time they closed and she told us 9pm. While I understand that it was on the late end of dinner, I have never been turned away from a restaurant almost 1 hour before closing time. The food smelled good, but we didn't get to enjoy it. Just based on the rude service, I would never try to come back. read more

The Owl dining room was relatively plain. We were asked to wait 10 minutes for a table in the dining room when we peeked into the quaint bar. Dining in the bar was quieter and very intimate and although we didn't hear it on a Tuesday night, they apparently have live music on weekends. Our server was also the bartender and although somewhat unfamiliar with the entrees, she was very helpful on any question or request we had. The menu is limited but we both tried the grilled shrimp dinner (grilled not on the menu but we requested) and it was fantastic. The shrimp was a nice portion of large shrimp, seasoned and grilled to perfection and accompanied by redskin mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables (summer squash, zucchini and asparagus) which were awesome. We would come back again. read more