Emeril's Coastal

Everything about this place was 5 star. The bartenders really stole the show when it came to atmosphere, they are true mixologists and make fantastic drinks.

We had apps, salad, main, and dessert! *****

Let us get the elephant in the room stated. This place is very expensive for what you get. That said, it is stall a good place for a special dining experience.

Service: Very good but could have been better at the end of the meal. I wanted Keylime Pie and a cup of coffee. I had to ask twice for my coffee and the pie was gone when the coffee arrived. Not a big thing but is was notice able.

Ambiance: I loved the way this place felt and looked. Almost like you were not in Destin, FL. A complement to the designer. Well Done.

Food: Hit and miss. The baked Oysters were GREAT. The upside down cornbread was a miss. Mushroom Soup was one of the best things I have ever had. It came with bread and that was for dipping. OUTSTANDING. The Main courses were mostly good, not great. The Poke bowls was average, my Fish and Chips was good but my daughters shrimp dish over paste was awful. She did not eat it and the server did not ask if she liked it. I usually say it was not good while at the place but my family would not let me do it.

If this was just an average place, at an average investment I would have given it a four star. But this is a high-end place with very fancy prices. That leads to a three star.

Eat well, drink well and enjoy life.

The food was okay. Nothing special.
Our server did a good job but everything seemed disjointed. For example, the opening drinks we ordered came after our first course was served.
I had the loaded baked potato soup and it was OK. Luke warm and full of fatty chunks of bacon. The Mrs. had a Caesar salad which had more of a pickled flavor than the standard. I had a few bites and it was OK, just didn't taste like what you would expect.
I had the stuffed pasta shells in Vodka Sauce. Really good. Would recommend this dish. The Mrs. had the fried seafood platter. It was a generous size but other than the shrimp, everything tasted like breading.
We sat outside on a wonderful evening and it was nice and quiet. Perfect for people watching while you eat.
Over all, I'm sad to say, Emeril's was not a good value.

Ugh, I wanted to think this was better than the reviews, but it wasn't a good meal. The place is adorable and service was fine, but the food really wasn't good.
The barbecue shrimp and wedge salad were so salty, they puckered my mouth. Nobody is testing this food before it leaves the kitchen.
Crab fritters were almost black, so overdone. Should not have been served.
Hubs and daughter liked their pasta dishes, I thought they were both too salty also. Disappointing.

The waiter Justin is incredibly professional, kind, and a major reason we continue to dine multiple times every trip to Sandestin. Ambiance and design of Emeril's is the best in Grand Boulevard, but I do agree - the menu needs to adjust back to including sides to retain the customers frequency. I'd also enjoy seeing the menu include tuna as a main dish option as well as king crab being served other than in a "cocktail" fashion. After many visits over the years - the consistency of food is a roller coaster for price, but again - Justin and Scott are always going the extra mile to assist.

The restaurant is so beautiful. So impressed when I walked in. Unfortunately, that was the high point of my experience.

My food was okay. Small whole fish was good, and seasoned vegetables were good. By my other party's food..... Not good. Stay away from the lobster pasta dish.... not good and smells terrible.

The pork chop was fine... but nothing more than what you can do at home; grilling of bbq.

A couple at the table ordered the catch of the day prepared in the cast iron skillet. It wasn't cooked in cast iron, just on the grill; you can see the grill marks

Usually, I find Yelpers too critical, but I think they got the correct rating for this restaurant.

The service was poor; I wanted extra salad dressing for my salad. Sat there not eating it, and they never checked on us. When they brought entrees.... Then they asked. Ceaser salad was uninspiring; very little flavor in dressing.

Perfect feast for my birthday! The seafood platter is amazing for $50! Fish and perfectly breaded oysters are my go to then biting into the lush mouthful of fresh large shrimp dipped in homemade sauces finished my adventure. There are blue crab fritters and fresh cut fries and more-it is different nightly. I literally can't contain myself when I order this. I don't want anything else. I order my lemon drop-they make a mean one and it's not on the menu but they offer it. Oh Emeril used to be there all the time but he's working on his new restaurant in Nola. I was worried food could be affected but it wasn't! Don't forget they treat you on your birthday with homemade cotton candy too! They know how to make you feel amazing so treat someone to this grand establishment! Ask for Gabby! She will take good care of you and is very knowledgeable with the kitchen and menu!

Food 7/10. Server 10/10. Service 1/10. Ambiance 5/10. Timing 0/10

For a high cost restaurant Emiril's could not be more of a disappointment. It took over 90 minutes before we got our food from the time we walked in and they weren't busy. Something is awry when our server was actually a bartender. Food was great but took forever to come out. Prepare for a major wait for good food that doesn't live up to the hype.

Emiril definitely did not approve this burger either. I don't know how it made it on the menu.

First time and very disappointed. Fish and chips took over 45 minutes. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It looked awful and tasted awful. The waiter delivering it said he would be back with ketchup which never happened. The fish was overcooked and very greasy. The chips were little squares of potatoes. I never got an apology from the bartender who took the order but I believe forgot to put the order in. In fact, the bartender totally ignored us after we got our food. We had to get another bartender to check us out. It was supposed to be served with malt vinegar aioli but it tasted and looked like mayonnaise.

I'm in Destin this week for work and I had heard this place was good, plus it's pretty cool that Emeril drops by now and then too, so I checked it out tonight by myself.

Very good phone customer service: I tried to make a reservation online and you can't, for just one person. I made one for 2 people for 615pm, and only the patio was available; when I called, they were able to switch me to indoors, which I appreciated.

I ordered:
-rum cocktail: tasty and came in a tiki glass. However, it took a while for them to bring it to me.
-8-oz. filet, medium rare: I asked the waiter which he suggested, between this and the pork chops, and he actually suggested the pork chops, but I was craving steak. It was very good, with a nice char, but unfortunately was more rare vs. medium rare. It came with mashed potatoes, which were also very good, and string beans, but I subbed Brussels sprouts with bacon (at no charge). It was too bacon-y for me so I wasn't a fan.

I gave my waiter my credit card before the bill was brought and then I noticed an "A&E tax" on it, for about $1.50 on a $74 bill. I later Googled it and it's an arts and entertainment tax and I BELIEVE can be waived, I'd you ask.

Overall I'd come back here but might try the pork chops or fried chicken, the chicken comes with a rosemary biscuit and sounded good. Dessert menu also looked good but I was full and also I have some flan in my hotel fridge to finish.