Pensacola Restaurant: Reviews of Restaurants in Pensacola, Florida

This Pensacola restaurant blog is moving!

Seven — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:45:55 GMT

Our blog is moving to a new serverand new location! This web address will soon point to the new location. Please post your comments and requests there! Thank you!

You can find the new blog at both of these locations:

www.pensacola-restaurant.info
www.pensacolarestaurant.wordpress.com

See you there!

Jackson's Restaurant

Seven — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:33:53 GMT

Jackson's Restaurant provides the best dining experience in Pensacola. Awarded as one of the best 25 restaurants in Florida, the dining experience they offer is flawless. From the experience of making the recommended reservation to decor and service to the food. Impeccable. Jackson's Restaurant can easily be compared to any fine restaurant in any larger metropolitan area. While the dining experience will cost you more than most in Pensacola are accustomed to paying (...much more), I am happy to say that it is worth every Ben Franklin you can muster.

Your experience starts with a friendly reservation in which they want to know your full names and if you are visiting for any special occasion. This conversation is akin to the concierge service at a 5-star hotel. When you arrive the door is opened for you. When you enter you are greeted warmly both by the host and the decor. Jackson's is decorated with an absolute attention to detail. The chandeliers are faux tree limbs capped by candle lanterns. The light is warm and ample while still maintaining intimacy, supplemented by the simply elegant and comfortable furniture. Expect white table clothes and jacketed service. Your table will be attended by no less than two service staff. The atmosphere is now complimented by live piano music (though it did get a tiny bit loud at times).

She had a rib-eye that was absolutely sublime. Great steak is a wonderful thing, but this a different level. I had the Marksman's Grill, which was sadly better on the menu that it was on my plate. However it was adventuresome and unique with quail, elk, and venison (my favorite), and still quite tasty. We chose a bottle of "J", Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, and once it had a chance to breath, it went down very easily. (We liked it so much, we walked out with the bottle.) Being a birthday, we splurged on dessert-creme brulee and Rosco's Amazing Chocolate Stack. While one can never go wrong with creme brulee (though the berries were spectacular), the peanut-butter chocolate dessert took the night.

We apologize that we don't remember the names of our servers, but they did a great job! Maybe it is a mark of great service that we don't remember them? In any case, the evening was stellar. A word of notice. Please see the dollar signs below before making your reservation. But once you take that note, prepare for the best fine dining restaurant Pensacola has to offer.

Name: Eat!
Location: 400 South Palafox Street, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 469-9898
Price: Lunch $$-$$$; Dinner $$$$$-15x$
Website: www.jacksonsrestaurant.com

Eat!

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:01:46 GMT

Eat! is a downtown Pensacola restaurant adding location and services all the time. Eat! is characterized by a trendy metropolitan atmosphere, fine cuisine, and outstanding service. During lunchtime, this place is all business, one of the preferred lunch meeting places in the downtown area. In the evening, the restaurant switches to fine dining and does it well. The deco bar offers a great place to start your evening and relax before dinner.

Eat! 's menu offers some items not otherwise found in Pensacola restaurants. For example, try the delicious Rabbit Quesadillas. Yes, that's rabbit meat! Without fail, all of the menu items are tasty, with some outstanding fare. There is plenty of variety and adventure to be had, as well as standard dining choices that won't disappoint.

I am constantly impressed by the service. It is highly professional but relaxed and comfortable. Again, a trendy metropolitan atmosphere. This is once you are seated. I am occasionally dismayed by how long I wait at the door before being approached. However, once approached, service is excellent. Ask for Frances as your server and the back room if you have a party of less than six and want some privacy. Outdoor dining, while available, is not altogether comfortable.

Name: Eat!
Location: 286 N. Palafox, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 433-6905
Price: $-$$$
Website: www.eatmorefood.com

Zea Rotisserie and Grill

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:01:58 GMT

This is a relatively new chain restaurant for Pensacola, and in general. There is 10 locations across the south United States. In a nutshell, the food is great but the service is lacking. I've eaten here over a half dozen times in the last year (and recently) in a varitey of settings- lunch, dinner, meeting room. Overall this assessment stands true. I ate lunch at Zea Rotisserie and Grill recently with an associate, and we sat for over ten minutes until we were approached for a drink order.

That being said, they have some fantastic stuff on their menu. Their dry rub ribs are absolutely excellent and their salads are delicious. The atmosphere and ecor are clean and warm, with special touches everywhere. If you can get service, it is the perfect location and environment for a business lunch. The tabels are not too close and sound doesn't trave. In addition, Zea offers something that is curiously rare in a beach town like Pensacola- outdoor dining! Its not a big area, but it is protected and you can actually see the bay! Its a hidden treasure. Ask for it.

Zea needs to work on its training and management programs if it is to experience sucessful growth, but it has potential.

Name: Zea Rotisserie and Grill
Location: 605 West Gregory, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 433-2159
Price: $-$$$
Website: www.zearestaurants.com

City Grocery

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:02:13 GMT

Every city is full of deli restaurants and counters, many of them outstanding. Pensacola is no different. The City Grocery is unique in its atmosphere, history, and location. Inside, it is completely urban, like any deli you find on a street corner in New York. It has an old feel to it, and for a reason. The City Grocery has been around for a very long time, since the antique building was built.

Prior to 2003, you could find articles on the stores shelves that seemed to date back to the seventies. What kept it in business was its neighborhood location, its outstanding deli grill, and its BBQ, smoked fresh every weekend. In 2003, the store was bought by local businessmen and underwent a gradual but marked updating process. They scrubbed the store down, replaced the old merchandise with specialty foods, expanded the deli offerring, kept the BBQ, and added a great wine selection.

The result is a bustling little neighborhood store than gets drop-ins from all over the city. During the warmer three seasons, patrons can be found relaxing at its outdoor tables. On weekends, BBQ is being smoked right out front. On Fridays, weekly wine tastings get East Hill residents (on wannabees) ready for the weekend.

Did I mention that the BBQ and chicken salad are the best in the city? And the wine selections, while small, is excellent. Need a wine recommendation? Talk to Ed.

City Grocer is the conerstone of the the new emergence of the 12th Avenue renaissance sweeping Pensacola. With new restaurants on the horizon, City Grocery will remain a corner stone of the East Hill dining experience.

Name: City Grocery
Location: 2050 N 12th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32503
Phone: (850) 469-8100
Price: $
Website: none available

Red Barn BBQ

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:02:27 GMT

Just west of the intersection of Avalon Blvd. on Highway 90, about 10 minutes from I-10,this BBQ joint is worth the drive to Milton from Pensacola. It is a country atmosphere with a focus on the barbeque, and oh my, is it ever. Regular specials provide all-you-can-eat opportunities, but you've got to have a big appetite to go for seconds. Everything about Red Barn's fare is tasty. Even the fries are perfect. They offer a selection of house sauces that hit every note just right.

I'm not sure that can write anything more to praise a BBQ place then what I've already written. BBQ should be an experience quite unlike other dining experiences. Red Barn BBQ delivers.

Name: Red Barn BBQ
Location: 5887 Highway 90, Milton, FL 32583
Phone: (850) 983-9771
Price: $-$$
Website: none available

The Global Grill

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:02:47 GMT

Though I think this Pensacola restaurant got a rough start and much of the art on its walls is atrocious, we have become quite the fans of The Global Grill recently. It has become a weekly stop and we've even begun to develop a regular order. This restaurant has become additionally attractive as we have begun a carb-controlled diet.

Let's first address the atmosphere, which will further explain the "rough start" comment. The Global Grill is well recognized in Pensacola for its...um..."cooler than thou" attititude. To be sure, it is one of the coolest restaurants in Pensacola, with its hip "tapas" menu, artsy atmosphere, designed decor, and downtown location. The servers are noted for the same hip, artsy, pierced, model-like attitude. And while all this could lend itself to a patron's feeling of inclusion in a hip set, a restaurant can not survive by decorum alone. The Global Grill quickly became home to a rather happenstance happy hour crowd (still evident to this day), but gained the solid support of some notable Pensacola professionals. The restaurant coasted on this professional patronage and "cool" for some time. Service suffered. Food quality followed.

I note all this because I found it offensive. Not because of its substance, but because of its nature- that a potentially great restaurant woud allow itself to stoop that low.

Fortunately, someone pulled it all together. Food quality is now consistently stellar. Service, while still quirky (which I like), is superior. The kitchen is remarkably brisk. And better art now compliments the orginal pieces. The crowd is now a better mix of Pensacola demographics and more friendly. Prices remain healthy, but in my opinion. you do get what you pay for.

The only complaints I now have is that the "blue room" is consistently too cold. Let's see what we can do about that?

Our favorite tapas include:
- Herbed Focaccia with Olives and Feta Cheese
- Crab West Indies and Avocado Martini
- Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
- Peppercorn Beef Brochettes,Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce

All the desserts are to-die-for. This is the second local restaurant reviewed that you can go just for a late night dessert-only indulgence. The wine list is superb, featuring one of our favorite red vineyards: David Bruce. The Russian River Reserve 2 (Pinot Noir) is a great bottle for a fair price.

Name: The Global Grill
Location: 25 S Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32502
Phone: 850.469.9966
Price: $$-$$$$$
Website: www.dineglobalgrill.com

Franco's Italian Restaurant

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:03:07 GMT

There are people in Pensacola that swear upon Franco's as the end all of Italian food. They say that if you ever want REAL Italian food, not that commercial stuff you get at Tres Fratelli or Carrabbas (both excellent restaurants), Franco's is the place to go.

Franco's is in a great location, downtown, admist powerhouses like MacGuires, Zeas, Outback, The Melting Pot, and Carrabbas. When you enter you know it is genuine Italian. There is bad art of Italian landscapes on the wall, and a table full of people talking Italian in the back... you know, mobster style. But either it is all a hoax, or these are Italians that don't know how to cook. The food is tasteless at best. The sauces are acidic. The pasta, while fresh, was thick. The recommended wine was, well, horrible. The service was friendly, but there was an angry man behind the bar about to destroy the cash register (yes, that's right, an old traditional cash register).

We were the only guests. Need I say more?

Name: Franco's Italian Restaurant
Location: 523 E Gregory St, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 433-9200
Price: $-$$
Website: na

O'Brien's Bistro

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:05:32 GMT

O'Brien's is truly unique in Pensacola. For starters, it is small and intimate. This is not a easy charateristic to find in this town. Its food it delicious, its wine list is magnificent, and its service is (usually) sophsticated yet friendly. That few short sentences say it all. It is one of the few restaurants in Pensacola in which you can truly feel that you are someplace special. Sometimes it shows its age, and falters, but it delivers something that you can't find elsewhere in Penacola.

Recommendations? The entres range from seafood to steak. The atmosphere is "neighborhood fine dining". Try their specials. The wine list is stellar. Spend some time with it to find some unusual gems. If you have a chance, let Jim O'Brien recommend your dinner and wine.

Name: O'Briens Bistro
Location: 4350 Bayou Blvd, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: 850-477-9120
Price: $$$-$$$$$
Website: na

Technorati Profile

The Melting Pot

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:35:29 GMT

Another chain that delivers. The Melting Pot is not mainstream, even in larger cities than Pensacola. Dinner at The Melting Pot can not be "grabbed". You have to commit to it. You are there for two and a half hours minimum. Your service is attentive and thorough, they may even have to teach you a few things. Because of these time/labor factors, you are going to pay a few dollars for your meal. The quality of the food? Well, that is up to you, because YOU cook it at your table!

If you have never eaten a fondue dinner, Melting Pot is designed to introduce you. Fondue parlors are few and far between, even in large metropolitan areas, so the Melting Pot may be your only opportunity. In fact, I find it a bit surprising that Pensacola has such a cosmopolitan venue.

The basics are thus. You engage in a three or four course meal that is cooked exclusively at your table in a fondue pot. Your first course is typically a cheese course. A mixture of chunk cheese and spices is brought to your table. It is tossed into your fondue pot and melted down. You are given some skewers and a variety of breads and vegetables to dip into the pot. Your meal continues in this way with a meat and veggie course (or two) based in a variety of broths or oils, and a dessert fondue. With this last, you are absolutely remiss if you do not have chocolate and a ton of it.

The Melting Pot in Pensacola boasts a rather sophisticated mid-range wine list. You are going to drop $25-$45 per head on dinner. You might as well do the same with one of the great wines in that range. Take your time eating the meal, sip the wine, dip the food.

One more thing. You needn't go for dinner. The Melting Pot is probably the single best place to go for a romantic dessert, and not just in Pensacola, where it is probably the only place. A couple glasses of wine and a chocolate fondue will have you drooling over each other. Or it woudl create great memories for a group of close friends.

Name: The Melting Pot
Location: 418 E Gregory St # 500, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 438-4030
Price: $$$-$$$$$
Website: HTTP://www.meltingpot.com/

Bonefish Grill

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:55:46 GMT

What a surprise! This is a chain. It is not unique to Pensacola. I am not a huge fan of chain restaurants and do not frequent them often (aside from Carabas, but that's a different review). To further set the stage on this review, I have eaten at this Bonefish location in Pensacola on three prior occasions. I found the food bland and uninteresting on all three occasions, as you would expect at any franchise restaurant.

Last Tuesday however, I had a completely different experience. We dropped in to use a gift certificate, and walked out impressed. We started with the chicken spring rolls. They were tasty but nothing extraordinary. The salad was less exciting, though the bread is always a great touch. We both order the tilapia special, because our server sold it so well. Tilapia Withdrew, or something like that. It is a healthy piece of grilled, but delicately spicy tilapia, covered with a spinach-gouda cream sauce topping.

This plate is fantastic. It rivals anything that the Fish House may create and truly trascends the franchise restaurant fare. We will return to see if this experience can be duplicated. Stand by for that review.

Name: Bonefish Grill
Location: 5025 N 12th Ave., Pensacola, FL 32504
Phone: (850) 471-2324
Price: $$-$$$
Website: http://www.bonefishgrill.com/home.asp

Jerry's Drive-In

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:06:41 GMT

Another icon of Pensacola restaurants, Jerry's Drive-In is a 1960s throw-back. I am sure it has been around at least that long. While it no longer offers drive-in service, it does offer a generous slice of old-school american diner. Its is typically "seat yourself". The menu is a one pager from a deskjet. There are local ads laminated onto the table top; and the walls are plaster with bumperstickers- funny bumperstickers. The menu consists of burgers, BBQ, fish sandwiches, and a slew of southern sides. There is no effort to be gorumet, just good meat done right. And it is.

For a quick, cheap, enoyable meal, Jerry's Drive-In can't be beat. The price rating on this site is represented by dollar signs - $$. Loosley, each dollar sign represents $10/person that should be expected on the bill. You can get out of Jerry's spending $5. So maybe the price should be $/2...?

But take cash. No credit cards are accepted at Jerry's Drive-In.

Name: Jerry's Drive-In
Location: 2815 E Cervantes St, Pensacola, FL 32503
Phone: (850) 433-9910
Price: $
Website: none

Hemingway's Island Grill

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:07:47 GMT

I've had mostly great though mixed experiences at this Pensacola Beach restaurant. Let me first say that until you get to the roof bar, this restaurant is well furnished and decorated. Lots of Key West style wood beams and earth tones- not the neon-pastel Caribbean stuff. Most tables give a sense of seclusion and intimacy, even the outdoor dining area. All this lends itself to a great atmosphere makes us expect great food and service.

Great service is almost always executed. Even the new server I had once indicated that she knew what she should have been doing, though she didn't do it. The servers are professional, friendly, and attentive without being intrusive. Larger parties are well doubled and tripled with service.

The food is not always so well done. Its up and down and around, like it depends on which chef is on that night. The fish is not always tasty and is sometimes quite bland. This is inexcusable for a place name after Hemingway that sits on a beach. I will say that when the food is "on" is on par with better seafood in the area, though not the best (see Fish House and Altas reviews).

One thing that Hemingway's has a wealth of is location. Spectacular views of the Santa Rosa Sound are available and this is one of the few restaurants in Pensacola with a sunset view. (That is a strange thing, is it not?). The roof top bar lends even better views, though as noted earlier, the utter lack of ambiance around this bar leaves a HUGE amount to be desired. This rooftop bar is another place that Hemingway's has completely dropped the ball and is missing an opportunity to clinch the spot of the best restaurant on the beach.

Let me say that last, but not least, Hemingway's has some absolutely delicious desserts. It is worth going just for dessert, coffee, and drinks. And yes, the Key Lime pie, is some of the best you'll find anywhere in the world.

Name: Hemingway's Island Grill
Location: 400 Quietwater Boardwalk, Pensacola Beach (west end of boardwalk on sound side)
Phone: 850-934-4747
Price: $$$
Website: none

Horizen

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:08:39 GMT

Now I am about to say that Horizen offers the best sushi in Pensacola, but I want to qualify my statement first. Pensacola is a town of superior sushi. Its about the very fresh fish we have here and our long relationships with the Japanese via the Navy, and that is long and complicated. Suffice it to say that in a town of great sushi, Horizen edges out the competition. Why? I think its the sticky rice, but I am not sure.

The Tiger Roll is the item to get on this menu. Never have I eaten here and not ordered a Tiger Roll. It is a house specialty. There are other standard sushi rolsl that are spectacular as well. I have never had bad sushi here. I can't say that for any other sushi house I have eaten at. And I have eaten at Horizen more than any other sushi house.

However, I have had bad service here. I have had horrible service here. It has dramatically improved since they brought they brought some of the Front of the House managers over from Hunan, but it is still hit or miss. If the restaurant is busy, the three to four sushi rollers can't keep up. It can take an extraordinary amount of time to get your order. Enjoy the Japanese wine selection, the sake, and some seaweed salad.

If you find waiting long lengths for your food inexcusable, as I do, don't write Horizen off, just don't go during peak hours. Its great for a late lunch or dinner. Or on a Monday or Tuesday evening...

Name: Horizen
Location: 3103 E Strong St., Pensacola (just behind Hunan on the east end of Cervantes)
Phone: (850) 432-7899
Price: $$
Website: http://www.horizensushi.com/

McGuires Irish Pub

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:09:12 GMT

Talk about atmosphere? McGuires Irish Pub has it in spades, or should I say clovers? This is a true Irish pub, in every corner of its massive and growing number of dining areas. Loud and noisy, but also intimate and conversation, McGuires Irish Pub begs you to drink just one more beer. Brewing seasonals and standards onsite, there is plenty of beer to choose from. If you like your beer you may want to consider getting your own mug. If you are not a drinker, try the root beer made in house.

Not known just for its beers, McGuires is Pensacola's best steakhouse. Super prime cuts of meat and superior spices help this place dominate the steak market admist a number of chain steakhouses (Outback is across the street; Dmaon's went out of business next door). Their burger menu with 25+ excellent burgers is perfect lunch fare. Though you must be warned the burgers are HUGE and often quite sloppy.

One more thing to note: A McGuires tradition is to write something on a dollar bill and staple it to the ceiling. At last count by the IRS, there is over 700,000 dollar bills stapled to the ceiling of McGuires Irish Pub.

Name: McGuires Irish Pub
Location: 600 E. Gregory St., Pensacola, FL 32501 (downtown)
Phone: 850.433.6789
Price: $-$$$
Website: http://www.mcguiresirishpub.com/

Fish House

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:30:31 GMT

If we had to pick one restaurant that would best represent Pensacola, it would have to be the Fish House. Located on the water, this restaurant has outdoor waterfront dining, delicious fine seafood menu, and lots of local flavor. For starters, though the food is fine dining quality and presentation, the atmosphere is decidedly casual. There are many business suits for lunch and the same at dinner, but you'll always find shorts, flops, and suntans.

It is the Fish House, and they serve the best seafood in Pensacola. This is quite an accolade, as I consider Pensacola seafood some of the very best in the world. But not only is the Fish House good at fish, it is good at everything. For example, their burger sits as one of the best I have ever had. Their steaks are also superior. While the supremacy of the food at the Fish House waxes and wanes with chef moods, it never drops below excellent. The grits in the best in the South.

The Fish House offers indoor and outdoor dining. Indoor dining is marked by a crowded, white table cloth atmosphere and massive fish tanks. Outdoor dining happens on one of many levels of decks, covered by a variety of umbrellas and wide canvas strips. It is heated during Pensacola's very short winter, and the ocean breeze cools it after noon during the summer (though one should pick summer lunch seating carefully). Delightfully, the Fish House decks sit on the east side of the building. While this precludes a sunset view, it does often a quick cool down at dinner time.

The only complaint that I may have about Fish House comes in the "local flavor". The Fish House is a favorite watering hole of local socialites and wannabes, and they don't mind starting early. What this means is that by early evening, the bar areas can be quite loud and somewhat obnoxious. If you prefer more peaceful dining, be sure to request seating away from the bars.

That being said, the Fish House is the first place that I recommend to visitors to Pensacola, my first choice for a business lunch, or a great place to go with Friends. On the right evening, it can be romantic as well. Regardless, you will have a superior dining experience.

(Well-kept secret: Fish house has the best burgers on the face of the earth. Really.)

Name: Fish House
Location: 600 S Barracks St # 10, Pensacola, FL 32502
Phone: 850.470.0003
Price: $$-$$$$$
Official Website: http://www.goodgrits.com/

Cactus Flower Cafe

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:11:10 GMT

What can I say? This is one of my favorite restaurants in Pensacola. In fact, we (almost) have a standing reservation here every Friday evening. Cactus Flower is charming in many ways, but the focus is on the food.

The food is "California-Style Mexican" as opposed to Tex-Mex. This means that you get more than beans, rice, tortillas, and pseudo-cheese. The food tastes healthy, is filling, and has been cared for by someone. Think of it as gourmet American-Mexican. While the recipes are continually evolving, they are becoming more delicious. Try the taco salad with chips, not the shell. For a huge discerning appetite, try the El Hefe burrito.

However, to really taste the essence of why Cactus Flower is one of the defining restaurants in Pensacola, you must order the fish tacos ("soft, flour" when they ask). The seafood and produce are oh-so-fresh, and the special sauce is exquisite. Precede this with a order of fresh-made chunk guacamole, and you will wonder why you ever eat Tex-Mex. Wash it down with the best selection of Mexican beer in town. I'd like to see them bring in some more light beers, such Dos Equis Light, but I am not going to complain. If you are feeling adventurous, try a Negro Modelo.

The decor is tasteful, Southwest, an eccentric mix of colorful art and metal religious icons. What you'd expect from Mexico, is? The booths on the south wall are prime seating. The restaurant is small, so on the weekends get there before 6PM or call ahead to reserve a spot. The service staff has been there for a long time. They know the drill, are often overworked, but respond well to friendliness and will remember your favorites once you become a regular. Tip: call them by name (which is stitched on their shirts, a nice measure of their loyalty). Millie and Cookie are our favorites. We wonder why Al always seems so distressed.

The shopping center that Cactus Flower sits in has been torn down around it. it is in the midst of a major renovation. This means lots of construction in the parking lot. No worries. It is still well worth your time to check out this restaurant. Note that they could have leveled the entire build and compelled Cactus Flower to move, but they are going out of their way to keep them there.

Name: Cactus Flower Cafe
Location: 3425 N. 12th Ave, Pensacola, FL, 32503
Phone: 850.432.8100
Price: $-$$
Website: http://www.catusflowercafe.net

H2O

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:11:47 GMT

The Hilton just completed a transition from a Hilton Garden Inn to a proper Hilton. This is a big deal. I expected great things from this for the Pensacola Beach resturant named H2O. No such luck.

H2O used to be the only real fine dining experience available on Pensacola Beach. Delightful food and an intimate atmosphere are tough to find on a beach oriented primary around family tourism. The decor had a warmth to it and I used to go just to get the riblets.

Times have changed and in my opinion, not for the better. The decor is now hard and cold- literally- glass, stone, and tile. This creates some significant problems with noise, spurred on by gaudy beach music (think Buffet and Marley). It is difficult to hear those in your party talk (there goes intimacy). The food was well presented. My fish was actually very good (Crusted Grouper), hers was not (the Wahoo special). The Ceasar salads were tasty, if a bit... runny. The wine was a good selection (Echelon Pinot Noir). The server wisely downsold us from the more expensive but same class Noir.

Both my significant other and I occasioned the restrooms. To get to these one, must travel past the very drunk and noisy hotel bar, and through a less drunk, but more chaotic, and equally loud hotel lobby. She found a stall sprayed with vomit. I couldn't tell if the pond on the bathroom floor was urine or pool water.

The resturant is adjacent to the hotel pool, which is served by a few bars, which get the guests very liquored up throughout the day. They stroll inside to get drinmks and use the bathroom before going back outside to gander at each other. This destroys any sense or style that H2O could create. The decor is very hip and very Miami, but if it was Miami the music would be lounge music all day long, the servers would be wearing white, and the drinkers would be encouraged to drink mojitos, not Jagerbombs. Some sound deadening could go a long way to improve things as well.

Bottom line: A party place with the friends on Spring Break. Not a destination for a romantic evening, or to impress a business contact with your sense or class. The menu says "fine dining". The wesbite says, "casual dining". The sense of confusion is apparent.

Name: H2O
Location: Off the lobby of the Hilton Pensacola Beach
Phone: 850.343.6795
Price: $$$-$$$$
Website: http://www.h2ocajunasian.com/

Siam Thai

Seven — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:12:03 GMT

Siam Thai has to have mention in any Pensacola restaurant review page. It is simply one of the most delicious buffets out there. It is the only Thai restaurant remaining in Pensacola. And its is great Thai food to boot! The service process is easy. The buffet is always fresh. Siam Thai is my "go to" place for a quick, easy, healthy meal. My favorite is the "Chicken with Cashews", which is often on the buffet.

If you order off the menu, be warned, it could take a while. Siam Thai is focused on keeping the buffet fresh. If you are ordering take out (sorry, no delivery), you may consider getting the buffet to go. It will save you a few bucks and will be just a fresh.

Siam Thai is NOT open on Mondays.

Name: Siam Thai
Location: 6403 N 9th Ave
Phone: (850) 479-2882
Price: $
Website: none