BOLO Steak & Seafood — Attraction in Orange Beach

We should’ve been alarmed when we walked in on the 4th of July to an empty restaurant making our reservation unnecessary. The waiter brought some house bread to the table that was generic and average at best. We started our meal with some oysters- some raw and some charbroiled. The tiny, farm raised oysters had a decent flavor, but the stale crackers made them difficult to enjoy. We opened every package in hopes of finding a fresh cracker, but they should probably just throw that entire box in the dumpster. The charbroiled oysters were overcooked and covered with a burned cheese crust that they attempted to cover with more cheese. The cheese to oyster ratio definitely favored the cheese. They were not even close to gulf oysters- and yes, we realize they are not in season, but don’t list them on the menu if you cannot provide good quality to your customers. We both ordered the special- stuffed flounder with a berry salad. The berry salad was fresh with delicious berries. The dressing was a bit much, but overall not bad. The bread that was served with it must’ve cooked longer than the oysters, but almost perfect if they were going for crouton status. We were served large, beautiful flounders with the heads still on.. not the prettiest fish in the sea. We could’ve gone without the beady eyes and crooked smiles staring back at us. The flounder was well cooked without any seasoning, and the crab and shrimp “stuffing” was more of a thin sauce with a smidge of crab meat encased with a thick cheese crust (who covers stuffed flounder with cheese??). The shrimp either jumped off the plate in embarrassment or were pureed because they were never found. Speaking of missing shrimp- we ordered a side of grilled shrimp that were forgotten. We eventually got them well into our entree. We were thankful for the 4 freshly grilled shrimp, though the flavor was average. The best part of the meal was offered by our waiter, a slice of chocolate mousse cake that he said was made in house. It was rich, chocolatey, and moist- truly the best thing we ate there- and to think we almost skipped it since the rest of the meal resembled a...

Let me say first off the food here is EXCELLENT. Our steaks were cooked to perfection and super tender (although a tad underseasoned), and the apps and sides were really delish! Our dirty martinis were fantastic, and they hand-stuffed the blue cheese olives!

I would have loved to have given it 5*s. We are locals who love to support small businesses. We also love their sister restaurant OSO. However, the service here last night was disappointing. There literally were just two other tables seated in the entire dining room when we got there. We were never told the special(didn't even know they had one until we overheard another table) or the catch of the day(same), received our cocktails after the apps even though they were ordered before, part of the app plates sat on the table until our meal was brought, was not given bread service(again, didnt know they even had it until another table was brought theirs and we were practically done with our meal), and then basically ignored after a larger group (5 people) were seated (still only 5 or 6 tables seated and another server working as well). No offer of coffee or dessert, and we had to ask for the check. Maybe something was going on we didn't know about, but this is not the kind of service I would have expected given the atmosphere and menu and was quite disappointed. Especially after how much...

I stopped here while on vacation with my family. We accidentally entered through the back door, and that clearly annoyed the bartender. The restaurant wasn't busy, but it took her a while to even let us know. The hostess at the front of the restaurant was much nicer and understanding. The filet mignon I ordered was good as well as the potato and Brussel sprouts. A piece of my mother's chicken was raw in the middle, the seafood mac and cheese was too salty, and the only mustard they had to offer my husband for his burger was outdated packs of mustard that was clumped up and brown. My daughter did love the chicken that came with the kids meal, but wasn't fond of the homemade chips. I'm not one for leaving negative reviews, but Bolos definitely didn't feel welcoming, and the food was average at best. There should be a note at the back door letting tourist and out of towners know this isn't the entrance. The people sitting out by the picnic tables in the back definitely made it seem like people were in the front of the restaurant waiting...