Pescado Seafood Grill & Rooftop Bar — Restaurant in Alys Beach

DO NOT GO HERE. If you see on social media or any other platform, this place is presented to be a highly known place in 30a with great atmosphere, views, and presentable food. I called over a month in advance to schedule a brunch reservation for a party of 13 and they refused to take my party as it was not 12 or under. The host I spoke with said she could try to speak to her coordinator but there was no guarantee her message will get through since she was off the clock in 5 minutes according to her. Do your job, you’re still on the clock. Customer service off the bat was already poor. About 2 hours later someone called me back and said they were able to take my party but I had to show up right on time or I would be charged $25 a person for cancellation fee. It’s understandable why the fee was charged since our party does take up a good space of the restaurant. My friends and I decided to still book the reservation as I was hoping the calls were just a particular person’s tone through the phone. Fast forward to the day of the reservation, my friends and I arrived on time with half the party there and half walking on. Our server already had an unpresentable face as if she didn’t want to be there or didn’t want to serve our table. My friends order a shared mimosa, and she skipped over my partner and I. When I asked for my drinks she said I couldn’t order it until the others arrived as she needs to check their ID. I don’t know wear she got the idea that I was ordering for someone else and said I was ordering for myself. Keep in mind she already checked my ID so I quite frankly think she should’ve checked her attitude and the situation before speaking. When she came by to pour champagne for my friends, no manners were consider as she would get in your way without saying excuse me or barge in between a closed conversation. Say excuse me or pardon me. For a restaurant like this, they should train their servers to be better. Some of my friends ordered a Bloody Mary, and the mix was off for one of the drinks. For one of my friends, her Bloody Mary mix was too spicy. She never complained that she never liked it spicy. She was well aware it was a part of the mix, except in her drink it was over poured and made the drink overbearing with spice. We asked our server to remake the drink, without allowing my friend to finish speaking, the server insisted that the drink was correctly made and if she had a problem with it, then she should’ve ordered the Bloody Mary without the spiced mix. The attitude was condescending a belittling. My friends and I came here hoping we would have a good experience, not to be treated poorly. I ended up coming to the front and complaining to the manager. I have never had such poor customer service like this before. The manager ended up giving us a new server and attended to us personally after everyone’s food came out, but it just seemed over compensating.

Service aside, food was not great for the price we paid for. Deviled eggs: mid. It’s just boiled eggs with caviar. Chicken and waffles: low. The chicken wasn’t even crispy. Lobster grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque: not bad but not worth it. The tomato flavor was overbearing with the lobster, you weren’t really able to taste the lobster… it was kind of sour. French toast: low. presentation was cute, but for the price, not worth it. You can go to a local coffee shop and have better French toast. Lobster Roll: for the price, portion was just way too small. I would grade it as basic.

This is just my honest opinion. Safe to say, I would never come back here. I appreciate the manager for handling the situation but as for food and experience it definitely deserves no more...

I have been holding onto this review for a few years now, but after seeing people share the exact same experience my wife and I had, I thought now would be a good time to share.

My wife and I spent the first part of our honeymoon in Rosemary in 2022, Pescado came highly recommended by friends and family.

I made reservations weeks in advance, and made sure I mentioned this would be our first meal together as a married couple and we would like something special if possible. I was told that all stops would be pulled and this was something they specialized in. I was told we would be greeted with champagne and have the best view in the restaurant, and they even mentioned having something special planned for these occasions.

Well, let me be plain here, we received none of these thing I previously mentioned. The hostess met us with a very pretentious attitude, and when I mentioned we were there on our honeymoon celebrating, she had no clue what I was talking about. We were sat dead center in the middle of the restaurant, no view whatsoever except the back of some other patrons heads. The server took forever to get to our table, as I watched him go to every table around us before greeting us. I mentioned to him as well that we were on our honeymoon, and yet again, I might as well have been talking to a brick wall… he had no clue what I was talking about, and I mentioned we were told about the restaurant “pulling out all of the stops.” He came back with a laughable amount of champagne for each of us, maybe 2-3 sips, not even exaggerating here… my wife and I both found it hilarious and insulting.

At this point, my wife is so embarrassed and is telling me that she wants to leave, but I convince her to stay because we were told the food was great… it absolutely was not. I am not being rude, but it was one of the most underwhelming meals I have ever had at a fine-dining establishment. We had 1 drink, got our checks, and left as soon as we possibly could.. my wife is a very easy person to please, and I don’t believe I have ever seen her so disappointed in our 7 years together.

Pescado sent an email to us asking about our experience, and I very plainly shared how terrible our time in the restaurant was. Not even 30 minutes later, I get a call from a gentleman named Chad who says he is the owner of Pescado. He went on and on and on about how sorry he was, how that was not the norm at his restaurant, and he would appreciate a second chance before I posted this review to Google… he even mentioned having a car pick us up and take us home, and the entire meal would be comp’d. He mentioned we would get the full “Pescado Experience,.” I that I worked in the service industry for 10 years, so I thought this was an integrity move, so I told him that we would give it another shot before posting a review. I told my wife about the offer, and she was so mortified about the first go-around, she wasn’t up for a second on this trip, but the next time we came down we would go for it.

HOWEVER, after reading these reviews over these 2 years, I have noticed that dozens of people have had an identical experience, and this place is not even close to being what it’s cracked up to be. The current 4.2/5 rating suits it pretty well, probably still a bit high.

Unfortunately, Pescado fits Rosemary Beach and 30A very well. Something that at one point was probably wonderful, but is now just an overpriced, overcrowded, and overrated place for people to take pictures to post on social media as a symbol of status....

Dining at Pescado in Rosemary Beach, Florida was an experience that beautifully blended breathtaking views 🌅, expertly crafted cocktails 🍸, and elevated cuisine 🍽️. From the moment I arrived at 4 PM—right when they open—to secure a spot on the coveted outdoor deck (since reservations aren’t accepted for that area), I was immediately captivated by the stunning panoramic views of the Gulf 🌊. The sun slowly descending into the horizon created an ambiance that was both serene and luxurious, making it the perfect setting for an upscale dining experience.

The Food & Drinks 🍷🍤

The evening began with the octopus appetizer 🐙 and a Caesar salad 🥗, both of which set the tone for a well-curated menu. The octopus was prepared beautifully—tender with just the right amount of char—while the Caesar was crisp, fresh, and well-balanced in flavor. Paired with a craft cocktail 🍹, the meal started on a high note.

For the entrée, I ordered the lobster special with noodles 🦞🍜, listed as market price on the menu. While I expected a premium price tag, I was completely caught off guard when the bill arrived, revealing that the dish alone cost $200 💸😳. Given the already upscale nature of Pescado, I anticipated a high-end dining experience, but for a single lobster entrée, this price point felt excessive, even by luxury dining standards.

The Service & Transparency 🤝

While the service throughout the evening was polished and attentive, one major oversight was the lack of communication about the cost of the lobster dish. When an item is priced at such a premium, a simple mention from the server—something as straightforward as, “Just to let you know, the market price for the lobster tonight is $200”—would have been both expected and appreciated. It’s a level of transparency that enhances the guest experience and avoids any unnecessary surprises at the end of an otherwise wonderful meal.

Final Thoughts ⭐

There’s no question that Pescado delivers on ambiance, quality, and a memorable dining experience. The views alone are worth the visit, and the attention to detail in the menu makes it a standout destination. However, the lack of upfront pricing transparency on high-ticket menu items left a bit of a sour note.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

✅ Must-visit for the views, cocktails, and appetizers. ⚠️ Be sure to ask about the price of market items before ordering.

#LuxuryDining 🍷 #SunsetViews 🌅 #GulfCoastEats 🦞...