By far the worst meal. Not sure if the fact our meal was takeout had anything to do with it but unfortunately we had to throw it out and ended up ordering pizza via delivery app. My butternut squash was not cooked. I was so disappointed- I tried cutting thru multiple times to see if maybe a portion of it was edible and it was not. The presentation left much to be desired. We also ordered the cornbread and it was stale; very dry. Tagliatelle may have been the best option but the portion was very small. Extremely underwhelmed with this spot and do NOT plan to return. read more

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Top notch. Service, food, ambiance- it has it all. Always a pleasure to visit when here.

Good drinks. Enjoyed the cocktails on the menu and ordered off menu. Carrot hummus and whipped feta were yummy. Pork schnitzel was surprisingly large and not boasting with flavor. Service was nice read more

The Citizen - Pork schnitzel - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Rosemary Beach. Come at 4 o'clock for the happy hour, sit at the oyster bar, enjoy some great cocktails, and some great oysters and happy hour menu. Staff is wonderful and I would not miss this place. read more

Front hostess was AMAZING! Welcoming and friendly. Recommend to try Oysters - just became my new favorite apprizer. Caution, just something to watch for, they will charge for anything extra. This isn't anything bad in my opinion. But something to know, This is not your regular food place. Small lunch for two, $120 plus tips. Definitely coming back! read more

Absolutely DELICIOUS! What a gem. We adored the oysters and drinks at happy hour here; the Bartenders were superb. Shoutout to Mattie, who was friendly, attentive, and went above and beyond with service. We have quickly made this place our favorite so far on 30A! I recommend the Hemisphere Dancer drink (their take on a spicy Marg that's delicious) and their happy hour. We'll be back to try dinner and brunch soon!! read more

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Cool vibe. Had the displeasure of being seated facing the setting sun. No fault of the restaurant but.....invest in some shades. The service was terrific and the appetizer grilled shrimp with shallots and Calabrian chilis with focaccia was one of the best things I put in my mouth all week. read more

The Citizen - Calabrian chilis and shrimp. - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

I came here for lunch on a lovely October day. We were seated right away on the patio. The area is lovely, as is the ambiance in the restaurant. We were able to park right next door but we were here during a slow season. There are not many gluten free options on the lunch menu. I elected to get the Caesar salad with no croutons with fish on top. It was good, not great. My friend had a burger with fresh berries on the side, she declared it great. This place is quite pricey, even for the area. read more

The Citizen - Burger with side of fruit, very fresh berries. - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

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We tried the whipped feta which was great. The oysters were a wide selection with our waiter very knowledgeable. The snapper and swordfish and whole flounder were all excellent. The sides we tried were. Cheese grits and collards which were good. The squash was our only disappointment. Wine selection & cocktails very good. read more

Overall great experience! Diverse Sunday brunch options, delicious cocktails and even better wedge salad! Decor was also so cute and very on brand as a nautical tavern! Would Recommend for brunch or dinner both had delicious options and did not Disappoint! read more

The Citizen - Margarita and Wedge Salad - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

Ive never left a review on Yelp but downloaded the app because of our experience tonight. A group of 6 girls and myself sat down at the cocktail area for drinks after dinner. We waited 30 minutes for beer, after asking a server who wasn't our own. After the interaction we observed our server discussing her interaction with employees in a condescending manner. Immediately uncomfortable. No apology or remorse from the manager who we pulled to express our concerns. We were simply left feeling confused about how we were perceived. Felt horrible read more

The oysters were amazing a bit over priced but excellent. The appetizers were also over the top good. We highly recommend the Calabrian Shrimp. Melt in your mouth delicious. The front door staff were a bit rude when we entered with my service dog but the manager warmly greeted us and sat us in an out of the way place!! read more

This place is top shelf all the way! Great drinks, great food, and friendly service. We started off with a round of cocktails, I had the Jalisco swizzle which was a tequila and mint concoction, as well as cheddar biscuits and whipped feta. Both appetizers were home runs. The biscuits were served with a butter that had a hint of sweetness and the whipped feta was oh so mouth watering. For my entree, I had the pork schnitzel. It was a large portion and served with arugula and radishes on top- unique and good. My wife had the gnocchi and raves about it. Others in our party had the shrimp and grits, gnocchi, and short rib. Nobody left disappointed. This place is a must try for anyone in the area. read more

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Great initial vibe, drinks and apps are solid, although very late in delivery. Staff is friendly but likely bound by a slow kitchen. However waiting over an hour for brunch offerings is nuts. Now here over an hour, with no entries. If your time is valuable, maybe consider this establishment when you have nothing else to do. I hate being negative, as people are trying, but I enjoy my time... read more

We came in December around Christmas time. The service was great and food very good. Our family thinks this is the best food in the seaside area read more

The Citizen - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

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Everything was five star here - the cocktails, the Seafood Tower, and especially the warm crackers. And that was just their lunch menu! Lee was an excellent server and made us feel right at home. We hope to eat here one more time for dinner before heading home. read more

The Citizen - Cocktails - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

Outstanding service and dinner ... will definitely recommend. Wish they took reservations.

Absolutely scrumptious, superb service, lovely setting, but you will pay for it. Enjoyed a lovely evening with another couple who are vegetarians. We all enjoyed the meal. Nice options for vegetarians, but a little more challenging for Low FODMAP. Menu is coded for special diets. Extensive wine list and specialty cocktails. I tried the Plum Nothing with gin and spiced plum. Tasty, but prefer something sweeter. For appetizers, we tried the Ceasar salad which was good with crispy, chewy croutons. The wedge had a generous portion of dressing and bacon. But the best was the whipped feta and honey which you spread on Naan bread along with seasoned almonds. New appetizer to me, and we all enjoyed it. The grouper with quinoa and citrus salad was delicious. The tilefish with jasmine rice in a green curry sauce had a little heat, but good on flavor. The last entree was butternut squash which was devoured. Service was extremely attentive. Engaged in conversation, but not too much. Good with recommendations. The space is lovely with large windows, white decor and natural woods. A little loud due to all the hard surfaces. Would be perfect if you could make a reservation. It was full when we arrived 30 minutes after they opened on a Friday night. Prices are high. Entrees ranged from $30-75. Appetizers were $15-20. Lovely night! read more

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Citizen was great. Food, atmosphere, service, all great. Only complaint is that when they put us down for a table they told us it would be an hour and 30 minutes. So we ran back to the house that was 15 min away. We then revived a text saying the table was ready 30 minutes later. (Hour earlier than we were told) We didn't make it back the the restaurant in time to make their strict 10 minute table hold time. We then had to be added on the list again. If we would've been more pressed for time this wouldn't really been an issue for me. read more

Wonderful food and service. The blue crab beignets are amazing and the key lime pie was to die for. Swordfish and squash ( yes, squash) was just so good. Shout out to Cameron. Service was outstanding. Love how everyone helps each other. Will be back soon. read more

Probably one of my favorite meals I've had. The ambiance was so nice, and the service was attentive and so kind. We came as a large group for a bachelorette party and a few of us got a bunch of things to share. There wasn't one thing I didn't love. Some of the best oysters I've ever had and I loved the options of sauces and the buttered crackers that came with them. Whipped feta was delicious. Fish and grits was one of my favorite things and the short rib was super flavorful. Can't go wrong with anything here! read more

This place is a great option and you can certainly perceive a pleasant and classy atmosphere as soon as you walk in. There was a long line to get in on a Sunday but it was totally worth the wait. We sat by the bar and order a cocktail and a hummus platter, along with the octopus dish which I really recommend. The bartender was friendly and I will definitely go back there. read more

The Citizen - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

We've dined at The Citizen a few times. The ambiance and decor are top notch. Perfectly "instagram-able" with plenty of lighting and thematic moments throughout. The outdoor dining space is lovely as well for the evening or cooler spring/fall days. Very well maintained space and super clean. Also one of the best bars on 30A! The drink menu is remarkable. Several diverse, unique cocktail options thoughtfully curated for the theme and style of the restaurant. A+ wine list. The food is pretty good. A solid B+; although the dinner menu is better than the brunch / lunch menu, there are still some really good options for day time. Good vegetarian selection and most meals are customizable to accommodate allergies or dietary preferences. The service is what lands The Citizen with four stars. In general, things seem disorganized from the host / hostess staff to the service staff. Food always seems to come out at a reasonable rate after ordering, but the time leading up to ordering can be unpredictable. We've been here when it's really busy and when it's more quiet and every time the front of house service has been just "off." Most of the staff on phones including servers with air pods in while on the floor. We've never had rude or inconsiderate service, but I will say the service level definitely sinks to inattentive at best. If you're planning a meal at The Citizen, prepare for some lengthy waits at the table, especially if you have a large party. Totally understand that this is a tourist area and staff is likely to turnover, but I think The Citizen struggles with establishing a service culture in general which is probably driven by lack luster leadership. Keep up the good work behind the bar and in the kitchen and hopefully the FOH staff will follow! read more

Beautiful ambiance (esthetically pleasing) and delicious food! We came for brunch and it exceeded our expectations. The smash breakfast burger melted in your mouth and had excellent flavor. OJ was fresh too! Would come back again! read more

The Citizen - Breakfast smash burger and citizen breakfast with OJ. - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

My go to oyster place on 30a . It's not cheap but everything I've tried has been phenomenal

*FOOD POISONING ALERT* My two friends and I ate at the Citizen on Friday 9/27/24 around 6pm. We ordered the shrimp appetizer for the table and a half dozen of oysters for myself. The shrimp was rubbery and tasted as if it had been frozen. After around 30 minutes, I started to get terrible stomach pain, sweats, and nausea. My swordfish arrived and I started to try to eat it - it was delicious! But the stomach pain was unbearable. We had to quickly leave dinner and once we got back to our rental I became violently ill - vomiting 5 times in a row. My friend who ordered the lobster tail on top of her pasta said it tasted rubbery and frozen - much like the shrimp. A big bummer for an additional $39. On our third night we spoke with a server at a different restaurant who had previously worked at The Citizen and said he left there as they have had multiple health code violations and would keep oysters open and 4 degrees above proper temperature. We are so disappointed we wasted a night of fine dining on The Citizen. Lots of money and a night we could've spent eating elsewhere. Save your money and your stomach and dine elsewhere. read more

This place was so tasty we went back twice! First, the servers are so knowledgeable and have really helpful recommendations. We had a group of four, so across both nights I think we tried the whole menu. There is nothing I wouldn't recommend! The restaurant was such a welcome break from the expensive, same seafood options that most other restaurants have. A few personal favorites: the fettuccine, short ribs, ceviche, and wedge salad. read more

During a weekend holiday with family we had dinner at The Citizen, I ordered the Coq au Vin and it was delicious. Service was on point by our server and the manager checked on us a couple of times too. read more

The best food ever. Get the whipped ricotta and don't look back. Yes, also indulge in oysters, pistachio pasta, drink menu and short ribs. Restaurant is a superb vibe and incredible on every level. read more

Perfection. Owners are a couple, not a corporation. They care about the smallest details. The food is truly a notch up. Oysters great and fresh. Lots of sensible dishes for those of us that eat healthy but some guilty pleasures as well. They also own Fonville which is a more casual vibe but so so good. Have no idea how they get such flavor into shrimp. Lots of gluten free options too. Try the macaroons for a small bite sweet. Both Fonville and The citizen are across the square from each other. You have to do both. read more

The food is excellent. The service was quick, and Wally is extremely helpful and patient. The place is very nice and modern. read more

The Citizen - Mille-Feuille - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

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This should be a one star but I'll be nice. We have driven by this place and it looked pretty. They don't make reservations. We stopped by to find out if it would be busy around 5 or so. They stated that you have to put your name on a list starting at 4, but then they don't seat you until 5. We looked at each other, laughed and gave someone else our business. I'm not sure who made this rule up, but in all the years of frequenting restaurants, I have never seen anything like it. And that's not a good thing. read more

Order the "Smoked Cabernet" - we loved the great food, wine, and service from the Citizen team. Ask for Tyler and Josh at the bar - great service!! Thank you for a wonderful evening. read more

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Full disclosure, I did not pay for my meal, a family member did. So I can't speak to anything else but the food and drinks for this meal. Came here with my brother, and his wife and her sister for dinner last night. It was in a BEAUTIFUL area, the architecture and layout of the entire complex was just stunning. We ate inside, they were pretty busy and it looked like everyone was very happy. Started off with drinks. Plenty of cocktails that they offer, of which I had two. They were unique, delicious, and easily addictive. I could've had more but I was the designated dummy and also I don't want to push my luck when someone else is buying. Apps were next. We shared the beef tartare, a dozen Murder Point oysters, and the charred octopus. Let's just start out by saying that the oysters are so fresh and the accompanying sauces (two mignonettes, cocktail, and a special made hot sauce) were absolutely amazing. The beef tartare was good, I think that the bread was a little cumbersome to eat with it- we used the buttered crackers to go along with it instead of the oysters. The charred octopus was so good, it's not worth telling you- it's a must try! We shared family style dinner as well. Got the Agnolotti, someone ordered the short rib, the porchetta, and the fisherman's grits- which is a high end version of shrimp, flounder, and grits. In my opinion, I loved them all. The pasta was so good, I only ate two pieces but it was so satisfying. The porchetta was also well executed. The short rib was so tender, and the fish, shrimp and grits were all so good. LOVED the sauce that came with that dish. Would have eaten it off of my socks. We shared one side, it was spinach and artichoke gratin. I also would have eaten that straight out of the scorching hot cast iron pan with just my mouth, it was that good. I suspect they have a wood fired oven because it was put to good use. We did not have room for desserts. I was too full, and I can't believe I am saying this but I would come back alone just to have drinks and eat some food. It's so good, the service was excellent and the meal was executed perfectly. Come and see what people are talking about. Well, well, worth the time, company, and cost. read more

This place is the vibe. Lighting/ music ambiance for a dinner date was on point. The beef short ribs were out of this world and my wife's pasta was perfect. The shrimp app was a little spicy but delicious. Our server- Aiden- was very polite and gave us great recommendations. The table next to us had someone who looked like they were having a bad night so I was grateful for the friendly service. The one criticism... The app and dinners were almost served at the same time- the server who dropped off our food politely apologized for being early but the plating/taste/ temp made up for it. Spicy margarita was also a 100!! read more

Really pretty place with excellent service. Our party of six shared Gulf Oysters on the half shell, the short rib arancini--the best of the lot--and whipped feta with their grilled naan bread. Actually, I take that back. The whipped feta was very tasty, so tasty that wherever we went at Alys Beach we ordered whipped feta and talked about it for weeks after our trip. My dish was the filet of beef cooked perfectly with a side of pureed potatoes, excellent. I don't remember our servers' names but they were extremely patient with taking pictures of six girls who had several cocktails on board and repeatedly asked for pictures from this angle, with flash and without--I'm sure we were annoying and also how can you not be patient with an 800$ tab for 6 giggly girls. It was a great first night dinner in a beautiful setting. read more

Unremarkable, but priced to be exceptional. We arrived at 5:45 because we had been advised of a no reservation policy and crowds. Pleased to say we were seated right away because the place was fairly empty with just some sitting at the bar. The hostess seated us in the sunny side with the afternoon sun glaring in. There were lots if empty tables on the other side of the restaurant that were not in the glare....what were they thinking? I had to move from one side to the table to the other to avoid the descending sun. No window shades. Atmosphere started out good - sound levels and all, but as the restaurant filled the noise became deafening! Where you have to yell at the person right across from you to be heard. Our server, Matt, was awesome. Drink ordering was a bit challenging as they did not have a liquor list nor pricing. There was a wine list. We worked our way through that and the drinks were good but expensive. (Husband says uber expensive). We ordered the whipped feta and thought it was ok. Salad was grilled avocado and again less than remarkable. Based on avocado serving size they can probably serve the entire place with an avocado or two a night! Basically a slice of grilled avocado in a bed of greens. Husband ordered short ribs and I ordered the wahoo. Oops no wahoo that night. Permit as a replacement cooked beautifully with a golden crisp on the outside, but sitting on a cold conglomerate of green vegetables. Not bad but...just there. The short ribs looked and tasted more like pot roast to me. Tiny portion of meat. Tasty but if I had to bet I am going with pot roast. Dessert was bananas foster bread pudding. We took a couple of bites. Husband insisted we box it and take it home (probably because he was paying for it) but it hit the trash can next AM. Not worth the calories. Summary: we love to eat out and price is not the issue. But, one likes to feel they received an exceptional experience for exceptional pricing. That did not occur here. read more

The Citizen - Permit - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

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WOW!! The food, service and experience was phenomenal!! Next time we are in Florida this will be a necessary stop! My boyfriend and I were greeted at the door by a few friendly hosts, and were quoted an hour wait, (rightly so) so we got a seat at the bar, ordered our first round of cocktails and appetizers. Perfectly managed staff, we were check in on many times to make sure we had everything we needed. We were called to be moved to our table, so a few staff helped us to our table with appetizers and drinks in hand. For dinner, we ordered the dinner special of the gumbo and the filet. From being from New Orleans, this may be a surprising statement, but the gumbo was the best gumbo I have EVER HAD. The duck made it savory and there was the perfect amount of spicy to compliment the dish perfectly. Same with the filet, the creamed spinach complimented the perfectly cooked filet! At the end of the meal, we ordered two more after dinner drinks and before leaving, we were so satisfied with the gumbo we ended up taking two more orders of the gumbo! In short, this is a perfect date spot and great for everyone of all ages, and a necessary spot when visiting Alys Beach, or Florida in general! read more

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Fun and modern ambiance. Attentive servers. Delicious beignets - they're almost like a croissant texture, so different from traditional beignets. Delicious drinks and food. They even gave me a free glass of champagne when I mentioned we're celebrating my graduation. read more

The Citizen - Beignets - New American Near Me - Alys Beach, Florida

Food was good. Service was good- over priced for what you ordered. Clean and upscale restaurant read more