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 decor 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 tables are not too close and sound doesn’t travel. 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 should 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: $-$$$
Website: www.zearestaurants.com
Entries categorized as ‘Outdoor Dining’
Zea Rotisserie and Grill
November 13, 2007 · No Comments
Categories: BBQ · Burgers · Business Lunch · Dessert · Dining with Friends · Downtown · Food · Gregory · Outdoor Dining · Pensacola · Restaurant · Seafood · Steak
Tagged: Downtown Pensacola, Restaurant, Seafood, Steak, Business Lunch, Dining with Friends, Outdoor Dining, Dining with Kids, Gregory Street, BBQ, Sunday Brunch, Pensacola, Zea, grill, rotisserie
Eat!
November 13, 2007 · No Comments
Eat! is a downtown Pensacola restaurant adding location and services all the time. Eat! is characterized by a trendy metropolitan atmosphere, fine cuisine, and outstanding service. During lunchtime, this place is all business, one of the preferred lunch meeting places in the downtown area. In the evening, the restaurant switches to fine dining and does it well. The deco bar offers a great place to start your evening and relax before dinner.
Eat! ’s menu offers some items not otherwise found in Pensacola restaurants. For example, try the delicious Rabbit Quesadillas. Yes, that’s rabbit meat! Without fail, all of the menu items are tasty, with some outstanding fare. There is plenty of variety and adventure to be had, as well as standard dining choices that won’t disappoint.
I am constantly impressed by the service. It is highly professional but relaxed and comfortable. Again, a trendy metropolitan atmosphere. This is once you are seated. I am occasionally dismayed by how long I wait at the door before being approached. However, once approached, service is excellent. Ask for Frances as your server and the back room if you have a party of less than six and want some privacy. Outdoor dining, while available, is not altogether comfortable.
Name: Eat!
Location: 286 N. Palafox, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 433-6905
Price: $-$$$
Website: www.eatmorefood.com
Categories: Business Lunch · Dessert · Dining with Friends · Downtown · Drinks · Food · Location · Outdoor Dining · Palafox · Pensacola · Restaurant · Romantic Dinner · Salads · Sandwiches · Seafood · Steak
Tagged: Palafox, Restaurant, Pensacola, eat, Food, dine, Downtown, salad, romantic, dinner, business, lunch, frances, excellent, service, outdoor
City Grocery
November 9, 2007 · No Comments
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
Categories: BBQ · Drinks · East Pensacola · Food · Outdoor Dining · Pensacola · Sandwiches
Tagged: Downtown Pensacola, Restaurant, Business Lunch, Dining with Friends, Outdoor Dining, BBQ, Sunday Brunch, East Pensacola, Pensacola, city grocery, city, grocery, deli, wine, east hill
Hemingway’s Island Grill
July 11, 2007 · 2 Comments
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
Categories: Business Lunch · Dessert · Dining with Friends · Dining with Kids · Drinks · Food · Outdoor Dining · Pensacola Beach · Restaurant · Romance · Romantic Dinner · Seafood · Steak
Tagged: Business Lunch, Dessert, grill, hemingway, hemingway's, island, Outdoor Dining, Pensacola Beach, Restaurant, Romantic Dinner, Seafood, Steak
Fish House
July 9, 2007 · 2 Comments
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/
Categories: Burgers · Business Lunch · Dessert · Dining with Friends · Downtown · Drinks · Food · Outdoor Dining · Pensacola · Restaurant · Romance · Romantic Dinner · Romantic Lunch · Salads · Sandwiches · Seafood · Seville · Steak · Sunday Brunch · Sushi
Tagged: Downtown Pensacola, Drinks, Restaurant, Seafood, Business Lunch, Dining with Friends, Outdoor Dining, Burgers, Sushi, Lunch with Sweetheart, Seville, Pensacola, fish, house, marina
