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Smiling Fish Cafe
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
37 Town Ctr LoopSanta Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 622-3071
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
8 reviews for Smiling Fish Cafe
8 reviews in English
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Review from Greg M.
Atlanta, GA
9/25/2011
My wife and I had lunch here recently. It is a beautiful restaurant with outdoor seating to boot. We had a glass of wine and and the fried grouper sandwich and fried shrimp sandwich (we were craving fried seafood!). Not many places know how to properly fry. This one does. Perfect spot for a very nice lunch and glass of wine. Do yourself a favor and give it try.
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Review from T. R.
Doraville, GA
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been coming to Gulf Place for years on vacation so it's funny that I've never tried the Smiling Fish Cafe before since it is located in the development. This year I changed that.
We arrived around 2 p.m. (me, hubby, mom and four year old son), having spent a good bit of time on the beach and in the pool. They are open to 3 p.m. for lunch so it was perfect timing. Prices are a little on the high side but not unusual for the area.
The routine for lunch is that you order at the counter and they then bring it to you inside or on the outside patio. But because it was rather slow inside, the kind waitress took our order at the table. My son was thrilled with the free coloring book.
My mother and I ordered the fried grouper sandwich, having read Amy S.'s high praise of it. All I can say is THANK YOU, Amy! It was just as good as you said. It was worth every penny.
The grouper came on a bun with a basil mayo sauce. The fish was outstanding. Clean and fresh. And a HUGE portion. The breading was super light and very tasty. I would probably get tartar sauce next time but the basil mayo wasn't bad. The fries that came with it were also great. I ate every last one.
My husband got the grouper taco and was also singing its praises. My son got the hamburger (mistakenly the regular size and not the kid edition) and he ate all of it. He gave us a thumbs up on the fries, too.
Service was stellar with frequent refills on beverages. It was an overcast/rainy day so we stayed inside, but the patio looked quite inviting.
Now I'm kicking myself for not trying this place sooner but lesson learned. When we return next year, it is on our "must dine" list. -
Review from Will W.
Alpharetta, GA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
A 5 star for their fried grouper and fried shrimp which was delicious. A two star for their grilled grouper which seemed to lack any seasoning whatsoever; the price of trying to eat healthy I guess.
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Review from Amy S.
6/27/2011
We were on the hunt for a good grouper sandwich our second night on 30A, and luck and Yelp led us here. We left Smiling Fish with smiles on our faces and blissful beach bellies.
Not only was the grouper sandwich good, but the grouper entree was awesome, and the crab cakes were delish. I'm still contemplating the mango-watermelon salsa (which had more watermelon than mango), but I'm not sure if that's just because I'm not a watermelon person, or that the flavors were curious together. Not terrible tasting, but also not BAM! I think that both of those items usually call for something bold to accompany, so together they were just eh. The star of the show was the grouper sandwich. Plain and simple. A fresh cut of fish simply grilled on a delicious bun. And sometimes it needs to be that way. The freshness and simplicity allowed the fish to shine, and it was yummy!
Either way, our meals hit the spot for what we were wanting that night. Great atmosphere -- super cute patio -- and attentive service. Decent wine list and appropriate beer supply.
We're definitely adding this to our places-we-must-eat list. -
Review from Lauren R.
Lawrence, KS
6/25/2010
We had a nice lunch there yesterday. Very friendly staff, good food for us and the kids. Had the shrimp taco.
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Review from Peggy T.
Mandeville, LA
7/4/2010
Salmon salad w/ mango salsa was awesome! Great place and very nice staff. We will be back!
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Review from EJ R.
Cedar Grove, NJ
7/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had the Atlantic king salmon special and my fiancé had the grouper sandwich. Everything was fantastic! The ingredients are so fresh they'll slap yo momma.My foodie side was satisfied. Highly recommend stopping by if you want a quality meal. The staff is feisty and fun.
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Review from george d.
Irvine, CA
10/19/2010
really great lunch place-best in Santa Rosa Beach. casual, kid friendly, inexpensive (as beach front can be) and fresh. Chef/owner is a New orleanian, and brings great style and flavor to his dishes.
Dinners are good too (check to make sure, limited dinner schedule), but a bit on the pricey side.
