A Hidden Gem in Cincinnati - Pelican Reef Delivers! My family and I recently had lunch at Pelican Reef, and it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. I ordered the Grilled Fish Tacos and they were absolutely delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly--tender, flavorful, and generously portioned. Every taco was packed with fish and the sauce complemented it beautifully without overpowering the fresh flavors. These are easily some of the best fish tacos I've had in Cincinnati. My wife chose the Reef Signature Salad with Grilled Chicken and it was grand! The grilled chicken was incredibly flavorful and paired wonderfully with the fresh, crisp salad ingredients. The dressing was delicious and tied everything together perfectly. The very tasty garlic bread served alongside was a fantastic addition. Our son ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger and he couldn't stop talking about how good it was. The burger was big, juicy, and cooked perfectly. Combined with the fresh toppings and soft, delicious bun it was everything you'd want in a classic cheeseburger. The portions were generous, the food was fresh and flavorful, the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming and the prices were very reasonable. Pelican Reef has earned a spot on our list of favorite Cincinnati restaurants, and we'll definitely be back. Highly recommended for anyone looking for fresh seafood, great salads, and one of the tastiest burgers around! read more

Pelican's Reef - Grilled Fish Tacos, Reef signature salad, Bacon cheeseburger - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Came back after 3 months and they had the halibut. What a joke they bring it out on their marble rye the portion was so small they could have just given me one piece of bread. You can buy halibut for about $32 a pound at Finley. I think they're probably getting 4 to 5 pieces out of a pound and charging $27 for it pitiful. Not like it use to be. Won't be back. read more

Tell your kitchen employees to wash their hands after they urinate. Unreal. I go to the men's room to pee and there's a kitchen worker peeing right next to me. He finished and walked right out the door, back to the kitchen where I saw him working the line. I told the manager and he said "Sorry, I'll talk to him." read more

We went for lunch on Friday with a large group of hungry people. The place was closed even know the web site said the opened at 11:30. If you can't get something as easy as your correct hours on your website how can a guest expect you to cook and handle the food correctly. While I'm commenting we visited 2/3 weeks ago, it was so loud you could not talk to the person across from you. All the servers were saying it's impossible to hear a person order. Not sure who rebuilt this place but maybe some though to materials that absorb would bs reflect sound. Who ever is managing the place needs to wake up or your will be like many other restaurants on 125 - closed read more

Bad tasting food. Poor service. Very loud. Heavy set woman could not smile and was unfriendly to my family. STAY AWAY.

Mediocre at best. Dressing on salad and whipped potatoes so bland "stuffed " grouper was a smaller piece of fish laying on the mushy cornbread confection Not appetizing and not a good value for 28 dollars. Not sure why this gets good reviews perhaps in better days they were deserved read more

Loud almost deafening. But so happy they are back. Service is great and busy. Food is for later. Excited to return.

Very disappointed with service and food. We loved this place when the original owners had it but it has definitely gone downhill! The food all had no taste. Even the salad dressings were bland! Won't be back!! read more

We were supposed to dine at Swampwater Grill for lunch but they changed their hours and don't open until 3:00 pm. So I googled oysters restaurants in Cincinnati and stumbled on this place. I am totally happy we decided to come here instead. The inside is Key West themed. Definitely has a beach feel. Our server was Mindy (sorry I misspelled your name if I did) and she was super friendly and down to earth. Their menu is simple. Starting from appetizers, kids menu, specialty seafood and wings, sandwiches and dessert. I came for the oysters! We ordered: Oysters on the half shell New England clam chowder (bowl) Prosecco Leinekugel Summer Shandy Island tacos (blackened mahi w/ cole slaw, shrimp w/ fries) Sautéed crab cakes French fries Side salad Fried shrimp w/ broccoli Okay... the oysters were phenomenal! Fresh and shucked just right. I loved the side of horseradish, gave it some kick. The oysters are Blue Point, from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Oh wow! The crab cakes were homemade and sautéed perfectly! It tasted so good with the remoulade sauce. The best crab cakes I've every had. The fries were not greasy and seasoned with Cajun. So good. My Mr and my in-laws really enjoyed their meal. They cleaned their plates. I have to say that I found my new favorite seafood restaurant and we live so close. The best accidental find ever! read more

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Very good fresh fish dishes, including a massive stuffed grouper with tasty cornbread. But they also have great bar style food! Giant chicken tenders, a big bacon burger and well seasoned fries. The side salad was a large side, what I've seen as entrees at other places. I haven't eaten in, but I thoroughly enjoyed my takeout meal, as did my two family members. read more

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My lady and I were craving oysters one day, and originally we were gonna go to Swampwater Grill, but they weren't open for lunch on that day, so Pelican's Reef became our back-up plan. And it turned out to be the perfect plan! It's a great little place with very delicious food, awesome service, plenty of tasty adult libations, and a very Key West style atmosphere. We stopped by for lunch when my parents were in town and were told to sit anywhere we like. We choose a high top table near the bar area. Our server got our drink order very quickly. We ordered a prosecco for my lady, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy for my dad and I, and just water for my mom (she can't partake in libations too much). We also ordered a dozen and a half oysters on the half shell. My mom wanted some New England clam chowder so she ordered a bowl. The drinks came first followed fairly shortly after by the oysters and chowder. And were they good? Absolutely! They were Blue Point oysters from the Chesepeake Bay area and they tasted super fresh and clean. They were shucked very well too. My mom definitely enjoyed the chowder. As for our main courses, my lady ordered sauteed crab cakes with fries, my dad ordered island tacos with shrimp, my mom ordered fried shrimp with broccoli, and I ordered island tacos with blackened mahi-mahi. Everything came out pretty quickly and it was ALL good. I don't think there was a single bite left on any of our plates. My lady and I may have to reconsider our go-to spot for oysters, here or Swampwater Grill, because both are close by where we live and both are really good. But Pelican's Reef has lots of goodness to offer. I could certainly see is coming back again fairly soon. read more

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Im sorry but this place has really changed since new ownership.... Understandably yes they've had a fire and things are a little hectic ....but came here for dinner tonight really craving the food that used to be here.... This WAS definitely one of my top 3 restaurants but after tonights impression im blown away to say the least... ordered appetizers for our dinner .....both literally maybe takes 5 -10 minutes each to make.... A Caesar Salad with grilled cajun grouper and charbroiled oysters ... we waited an hour for our food ... I think they forgot to place it to be honest because we had to ask twice for someone to check on it .... The restaurant was not slammed by any means in fact the people working food line were doing outwork wiping things down etc. ..... food finally comes out of the back been watching this young man make salads all night long but didnt see him make mine .... Strange... as for the food Ceasar salad dressing waaaaaay different & not in a good way, oily & tasteless .... Grouper Over cooked waaay over cooked like rubber .... And lastly and this one hurts ... they USED to have the best garlic bread ever ... now !!! ..... I miss the FOOD that used to be here ... I hate when new ownership takes over and cuts corners on cost and quality !!!.... Its a shame ive lost one of my fave restaurants tonight ...... read more

So a local recommended this place. Honestly I would have never found it but I'm glad I did. Nice local place. Not the kind that the juke box stops and everyone looks at you when you come in but rather a place where the same people keep coming back cause the food and service is good. The food was great. We had the gumbo and lobster bisque to start. The gumbo was like I had in nawlins . Usually cups are tiny so I get a bowl but both the cups and bowls of soup are big. I got the special cod fish tacos. Awesome and my wife got the mahi mahi fish tacos. They were blackened. Good flavor. Service was good, Jake our server made great recommendations and kept making sure we were good. I strongly recommend this place!! read more

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Busy place. Stopped @ 7:45 on a Friday night! Only had 10 minutes to wait for table. Ordered crab cake dinner and oysters on half shell. hot food arrived hot and tender. Oysters looked yummy. My DH would not share ! Next time I will order! Service attentive and friendly. We will stop here again! read more

Pelican's Reef - Salad with French! - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I was surprised to find that Pelican had a fire in their downstairs location. You have to go around back "upstairs". It's well worth it. The hostess was smart and beautiful. The manager friendly. Our server Carrie did a fantastic job. The food was great. I'll be back! read more

Pelican's Reef - Stuffed roughy with grilled asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes.. - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This place has decent food and really good service. Everything was very tasty, but there were a couple things I noticed. I started with the gumbo. It was wonderful! Very tasty, no one spice was overwhelming. Then I had the Ceasars salad...they are supposed to be known for their Ceasars. This was the first thing I noticed. Don't get me wrong, it was very good. But, when you say Ceasars Salad, you conjure up a flavor in you mind. This Ceasars was different. No heavy garlic or anchovy taste...so it is different. The only other issue was the portion of the entree fish. I ordered the Mahi Mahi and the portion was about 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. Maybe that is the recommended serving size, but when the side of cole slaw dwarfs the entree...it gave me some pause. All in all it was good, it was just "off" for me. By the way, Heather was a fantastic server! read more

I was looking forward to coming in. The service was bad...I don't know if it's because I sat at the bar, but I had to ask to order my drink and order my food. It's like they were never at the front or paying attention to me really. Martini was solid. The guy making it even told me if I didn't like he would make me a new one. Clam chowder was basic. She gave me crackers that were opened already. So that's was an ehh thought. Calamari was bland but the marinara and sweet chili sauce covered it up. To be honest I just think they were slow, so they weren't on top of things. If they were busy I feel like they would be more attentive. I know that's a weird concept, but I worked in the restaurant industry and sometimes when it's slow service tends to be poor. Overall food was subpar and over priced even tho I know seafood is expensive right now. $34.50 for calamari, bowl of soup, and a martini. read more

Pelican's Reef - Dirty vodka martini - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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They do not answer their phone and the other number provided is disconnected. So how to a place a to go order??? read more

Always a favorite! Love the specials but the regular menu is great too. Super friendly bartenders and servers. Last night we had the halibut and calamari. Yum! The calamari is always the best in town. read more

Pelican's Reef - Halibut Oscar style with crab and asparagus from specials menu - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I've tried this restaurant enough to give now four stars. Credit due to their seafood dishes alone. I'm hoping that the side items will get an upgraded, still doesn't impress. For appetizer, the crab cakes are fabulous! I had them fried. My favorite menu item at Pelican's is the southwestern salad with scallops served with the best garlic bread! The scallops leave you salivating for more!! So delicious! read more

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We attempted to go to a fish fry last night but with the pandemic going on most were closed. We ended up here, this is not our first trip here and we are pleased with every visit. This is truly a hidden gem for seafood. We've tried everything from fresh grilled to fried here and nothing has been short of phenomenal. This is the closest thing to a Florida seafood and drink shack in the Cincinnati area with its beachy decor and friendly staff. Last night the place was packed and we still only waited about 20 minutes to be seated. We grabbed a few drinks at the bar while we waited which were cold and delicious. Upon being seated we were served promptly starting with the Cajun shrimp as an appetizer, which was delicious. Both of our entrees were hot and fresh and we left full and pleased yet again. Make sure you check this place out, it won't disappoint! read more

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Got dinner to go. I am pretty understanding with take out orders but my experience was pretty bad. The food did not have to travel far but it was inedible. My advice is to never package hot food in a styrofoam container (or plastic for that matter). Use cardboard containers instead! I opened the styrofoam container and my sandwich was not just soggy but actually wet from the steam. I took a couple bites but it went in the trash. Something was off with the dressing for my side salad. It was really watery and tasted like nothing. I also ordered the lobster bisque but they forgot it so I didn't get to try it. This dinner depressed the hell out of me. My wife and kid thought their meals were ok. I sure hope the dine-in experience is better. read more

As a guest have you ever had a server say "Fuck you bitch, let's take this outside?" Let me give the back story here... Dining with 7 woman and 2 children. A group of adult, professional woman meeting up for dinner to celebrate a birthday. We were sitting in an area of the restaurant that had about 5 other tables, 2 of which are larger with full parties. Music and people are all loud. ....everywhere, not to just single us out. Then we had a server that wasn't ours stop by our table and say others are complaining your table is too loud, quiet down. Then when you and your table are shocked and make comments to yourselves, said server decides to stop back over and say "I heard you call me a bitch." Then proceeds to say "let's take this outside you Fucking bitch." To one of the adults/friends/mom in our group. Situation settles down, old owner and new general manager stop over, say they will handle the server. At this point we just want our checks and to leave. Which they couldn't get right for the life of us, so delayed our departure by 30 minutes. The friend who gets cussed out says I expect my bill to be cared for with this type of behavior in front of my son especially. New general manager said "no ma'am you will be paying for your bill." All of us shocked again, and pays our bills. Looks like a lot of great staff qualities and employee/client focus was going on at this establishment. Looks like we promote client violence and what great examples we show here. We will never return. read more

Need to go around back and the entrance is next to the stairs going dowwn--sort of hidden. Their Calamari is just the best ever !! And my husband loves the breaded cod. ... hoping soon they will be able to get downstairs--it has been a long time. read more

Gone way down since John and Patti left. Exorbitant prices, nothing tastes the same or nearly as good, and the fish is overcooked and rubbery. However they do have fabulous Manhattans. read more

Ambiance is low key and friendly. The food is awesome and service is great! Highly recommended seafood restaurant!

4/27/2019 $20 plate of soggy stuffed grouper swimming in grease with a side of twice baked potato that was so dry it cracked off a piece when I put my fork into it. Waitress never came to check on my untouched plate and we told her it was terrible she just asked if we wanted dessert. She left the plate on the table and brought the check. Didn't comp my dish or apologize the least bit. Husbands stuffed sole with asparagus was delicious. Portion was a bit small for $20. We both thought the Caesar salads were a bit sweet but the greens were good and fresh. Calamari with sweet chili sauce was delicate and the lobster bites with a mild jalapeño dip was the best. It was a busy Saturday night and the check was over $75 and we still tipped lol read more

Pelican's Reef - Greasy, soggy stuffing with a side of dry, instant potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Always fresh, always delicious. My go-to place for seafood in Cincinnati. As a native to Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay, the seafood here is the only place that comes close. (Need to add Old Bay and it'd be even closer.). Caesar salad, garlic toast, and salmon-- divine! read more

The only positive was the service. We had a very pleasant and attentive server. The food was awful. Fish tacos were a small piece of overcooked fish on plain strips of lettuce and tomatoes in a cold tortilla. Overall the quality of the food was poor, very little taste. Better off going to Long John Silver's and saving your cash if you want fast food quality seafood. We won't ever return read more

The previous owner, Patti who wrote above on this yelp profile for Pelican Reef said, "At Pelican's Reef in Cincinnati, we work hard to bring you the best seafood in the city with friendly service. We are committed to providing you with a unique and enjoyable experience and we invite you to stop by for an unforgettable meal today! We make sure that our food is always the highest standard". After our third visit under new ownership, I am not sure we can agree Pelican Reef is meeting Patti's goals. Before writing this review I realized there are many recent reviews with similar complaints and a noticeable decline in the restaurant. It's unfortunate. I am writing this mostly so the new management sees it and gets Pelican Reef back on track for their benefit, their employee's job security, as well as all their customers who frequent. Otherwise, it will be quite a loss to not have a place like it once was anymore. Service: Ours was good at the bar, but based on our conversation there was an undertone things have changed and one example was mentioned of how a particular food dish (important one) had changed. It no longer was the way it used to be and the portion size changed. On another service note I overheard another customer say something to the effect of, "When is the worst bartender working next week?" indicating there is a bartender that probably shouldn't be working there. I can only assume co-workers and management know who that is and should perhaps re-evaluate employment to enable success of Pelican Reef. Price: That is a large reason I decided to consider writing a review. I didn't have any alcohol and the bill was such I thought there had been a mistake because of the total. I should have looked at the prices closer when ordering, but many items have gone up well more than inflation in my opinion. Examples: 2019. 8/2022. Increase Grouper Sandwich. $15.99 $22.00. 37.5% Pan Sautéed Crab Cakes (2) $13.99 $22.00 57.25% Wings (per wing). $1.05 $2.00 90.47% Atmosphere: Ceiling A/C vents and ceiling dripping water on customers and where food and drinks would be. I can be understanding a little here with humidity issues and perhaps it was going to be addressed. However a bit of communication about it and/or blocking off seats might be in order. Food quality: The pan sautéed crab cakes seemed to use to have more crab meat and less bread crumb filler. If they indeed have less crab, the customer is getting way less crab while paying over 57% more for it. They also seemed more soaked in grease than under previous management. We didn't order them, but were told the wings were not the same anymore, yet $12.00 for 6 of them. I wish Pelican Reef the best in the future. We had a lot of good times and food there in the past and will miss it. We will keep an eye on the reviews to see if things are the higher "Pelican Reef" standard like they were in previous years. read more

We went on Friday night because of all the high reviews this place receives. we are pescatarians so we figured this place was for us. We were wrong. This was one of the worst fish dishes we have ever ordered. It was a platter with two sides and mahi-mahi. The cost of the dish was $28 and the piece of fish was smaller than what our table meat had gotten in his fish tacos which were half the price. Not only was it such a small piece of fish, it was so overcooked it was tough. The place was so loud I could barely talk to your table mate. Maybe it's better if you sit upstairs. But we will never know because I will never go back. read more

I had not been to Pelicans Reef in about 20 years but, always raved about it to my husband. I don't know why it took so long to get back here! The ambience is great. Very fun, and beachy. The staff was fantastic, and friendly. We started off with the lobster bisque and calamari. The bisque was hearty, and creamy, with just a hit of heat. I love how they crumble the crab meat into it so that you get an abundance of crab in every bite, and not just a nugget here and there. The calamari was super crisp. Large body rings, along with the tentacles. It wasn't rubbery, like at most places. It was tender, and moist. I can see why it's rated best in Cincinnati! I ordered one of the specials of the day. It was a seared ahi tuna wrap,. It had large, melt in your mouth, pieces of ahi, stuffed with a cabbage slaw, and a sweet teriyaki sauce. It was so delicious! My husband also ordered a special. It was a huge lobster roll. It had giant meaty pieces of lobster, in a creamy dressing with chopped green onions and tomato. It was quite delectable. For dessert, we had to try the peanut butter pie. OMG! It was not mealy but, uber silky, smooth, and very rich! Definitely not going to wait as long for my next visit! read more

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For the past 2 weeks I have been begging Todd to take me to Pelicans Reef, just craving it, right? Unbelievably disappointed- went with Katie, Jeff, Rylan, and Kathy.. I had just finished my crab legs, we ordered dessert to go- just hanging out chatting and catching up. When I think is the supposed owner walks up and asks us if there is anything else we needed, which we all replied no- just paid around $200 a piece tipped our wonderful waitress..... She literally asked us to leave. Said they have a wait and their kitchen closes soon. I literally hate yo say this- we will never be back. Quite honestly I'm even more repulsed by the comments some locals said to us regarding the matter. Disgusted is an understatement. read more

Very very sad day for our family... for many years we dined at Pelican. We always loved the food and service. Since the new ownership took over it has not been the same. Quality of food and service have diminished. I understand shortage of staff and food prices going up but quality is well short of where it used to be. Much less flavor and sadly, it will be our last time eating there. The former owners were great chefs that understood good quality and fresh seafood... those days are over and do is my desire to dine there again. Good bye Reef... it's now truly a sunken ship... fingers crossed that someday it can regain its greatness! read more

What's happened to this place breaks my heart. This was one of my favorite places in the city ... my family looked forward to driving 30 mins for great seafood, fun environment and great service. Since the ownership changed 6 months ago, it has fallen apart. We showed up with a party of 8 last night and we're seated right away, because the place was nearly empty. The food wasn't just "not as good as before", it was objectively bad. On top, the prices are now nearly double. I understand the difficult inflationary environment, and could look past the price increases if the quality of food had remained constant. But lowering the quality of food while doubling prices is a recipe for disaster ... which is why it was empty on a Sat night. I feel like I lost a friend. read more

This is a second review. New owners since the last one so I figured I would update my review. Went a little late on a Friday night with the bf and his son. Seated quickly and a waitress came and got our drink order. The son had the crab legs, I had the lobster stuffed shrimp and the bf had the Cajun chicken. Everyone was satisfied with our food. First time having the stuffed shrimp and I definitely will be getting it the next time. Waitress was a sweetheart and as always the service and food was excellent. read more

Oh my gosh if you like fried seafood yum. Was disappointed the clams were not on the menu anymore. Our wait staff was awesome, even with a big crowd. My parents live out East, and they loved it, so.. read more

"Best meal in a year" my wife said and we go out to a great many restaurants. Sure Ian and Danielle were the best service team we've seen in a while...but with all the Great salads (must get fish on them!), soups, fish, I'd skip the shrimp, which is very good but all the types of fish are so much better than average. The pies are amazing. And it's so laid back it feels like Florida. read more

Pelican's Reef - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Greta seafood for a little Cincinnati pub. Can't miss with the calamari but their sandwiches and plates are all good too read more

Pelican's Reef - Coconut shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Stopped in with my mom and step dad for lunch yesterday and sat on the patio since it was prob the last nice day we are going to see for awhile. I love the feel of this place! Def an island vibe and it's a local restaurant so I feel better about supporting them through this pandemic. Food was amazing! Started with Coconut Shrimp app with an orange or apricot marmalade 5/5. Mom and I split 2 entrees cuz why not? We had the Blackened Stuffed Grouper 4.5/5 and the Cajun Grouper Sandwich 5/5. The stuffing for the grouper was amazing! It's cornbread with celery and onions and crabmeat. One of the best stuffing dishes I've had! The Cajun preparation for the sandwich was better than the blackened prep. The sandwich just had like a deeper grill or charred taste that both mom and I preferred. We ordered sweet potato fries 5/5 with our sandwich and they were amazing too! Step dad had like a traditional fish and chips and he loved it! Overall great experience! Service was as good as expected and the food was a huge hit! I'll def be coming back soon to try more menu options. I know this place gets busy for dinner as I've tried to come before, but the wait was just too long. Great job! read more