The Bay House Restaurant — Restaurant in Bonita Springs

As a year-round Naples resident who enjoys supporting local establishments, I was disappointed by the recent experience I and others encountered at The Bay House.

During a dinner visit, I ordered a simple cranberry club soda, served in a small bar glass with ice—and was charged $7 for each glass, with no mention that refills were billable. The server refilled the drink naturally, as most do, but every refill was billed as another full-price beverage. When I raised the issue that evening, a manager agreed that the policy was unreasonable and assured me it would not happen again.

Relying on that assurance, I recommended the restaurant to a group of eight friends who went there the following week for a birthday celebration. Unfortunately, The Bay House repeated the same practice, charging $7 per glass for the same cranberry club sodas without notifying the guests. When I called the general manager, Elena, to discuss it, she was dismissive, uninterested, passive-aggressive, and showed absolutely no concern for customer satisfaction. She offered no apology or effort to make things right, and instead repeated that 'it’s the policy.' Her attitude reflected a complete lack of appreciation for customer patronage. Behaviors like this—and policies such as charging repeatedly for a low-cost, non-alcoholic drink—devalue the restaurant’s name, reputation, and goodwill while discouraging customer loyalty.

I felt personally embarrassed that I had recommended the restaurant, especially after being assured by management the week prior that this poor business practice would not continue. Their failure to uphold that commitment reflected badly not only on the restaurant but also on my own judgment in trusting their word.

I view these charges as clear nickel-and-dime tactics. A cranberry club soda served in a small bar glass with ice costs the restaurant very little, and nearly any upscale establishment would automatically refill such a beverage as a courtesy. Charging $7 per glass for each refill is simply unreasonable and conveys a disregard for customer experience.

For an upscale restaurant that prides itself on hospitality, this practice feels out of place and unfair. Guests should never be surprised by multiple charges for a simple non-alcoholic beverage, especially when management had already acknowledged the issue and promised it would not recur.

As someone who frequently dines out and orders high-end meals, I can say with confidence that the general manager’s failure to handle this properly will cost The Bay House far more in lost goodwill and repeat business than it will ever gain through this short-sighted policy. I will not be returning to The Bay House, nor will I recommend it to friends, neighbors, or business associates.

Naples’ residents are loyal customers who expect transparency, fairness, and respect from local establishments. Until The Bay House changes this policy and rethinks its approach to customer service, I cannot recommend it to anyone who values honesty and...

I would like to start by saying the Bay-house is absolutely my favorite restaurant in Naples & my past experiences have been nothing less than perfect. It happened immediately upon entering the parking lot. When my fiancé was looking for a parking spot, the valet seemed incredibly frazzled, as we drove by looking for a spot when we found one and parked he proceeded to chase our car down and tell us we couldn’t park there? 90% of the parking lot was full of cones for valet. We managed to find a relatively close spot with no cones. When I explained to him I was confused about how to tell which spots to park in, he condescendingly explained that he can’t put cones everywhere. I have attached photos of the parking spot that he sternly asked us to leave.? He said it was HIS spot for valet ! His attitude in front of all customers entering and exiting left us completely embarrassed. It is clear that he is very upset with anyone who doesn’t valet. This type of attitude should not be tolerated as we are there as consumers to enjoy ourselves and have a wonderful evening wether we Valet or not. For full disclosure the only reason we don’t valet anymore is because our brand new vehicle was damaged last year by valet. I would also suggest 50% of the parking lot should be reserved for consumers who do not want to valet.

Once we finally entered, the establishment sat at the bar The service was wonderful. The ambience was perfect & the food was all amazing. With the exception of the Blue cheese wedge we seen it to our left and right it was a full 1/2 wedge cut in 2 quarters it looked great! I mentioned to the bartender I would like to split it When it arrived it was only 1/4 of a wedge, not enough to split. We mention to the bartender we were waiting for the other quarter. He went back to the chef and said they come in different sizes.? Which is clearly not possible, as there could not be a minuscule iceberg of that size ? I think there was a mistake in the kitchen when they cut it in half they assembled it with only a quarter. But I didn't want to make a big deal of it in front of...

I do not want to throw shade on any local establishment. But I do need to be honest with my reviews. That is Paramount. The atmosphere & location are pure gold. The restaurant is gorgeous, featuring well crafted wood & leather feel booths. They have super beautiful views of the river & preserve. Live band that played very well. Very talented & not too loud. The menu was very well written & hosts some very unique to the restaurant dishes. Definitely has a southern feel to the menu. Even has Pimento Cheese & Crackers, although it's not the world's best Pimento Cheese, not by a long shot, very good but not the best in the world as they stated on the menu. My Brussels were burned so badly. Roasted Brussels are not to be black & rock hard. There's a way to roast them & keep the moisture. Fail on those. The short rib was chuck flap & not true short ribs. That's okay. Just don't expect real short ribs. Every dish was under seasoned & bland. The sauce for the "short ribs" was okay. Didn't have any wine that I could taste. Needed it & salt. Very moist & well braised, although a bit bland, like grandma or moms pot roast just more bland. The yellowtailed snapper special was well crafted & was paired well ingredients wise but lacked salt & the blackening seasoning used was bland. The same taste throughout the dish. No surprises. Bland. Bland. Bland. I will visit again for a dessert review as we chose to get gelato downtown Naples instead. Very beautiful place. May be worth the stop just for the ambiance & live music. The salads sounded great. The menu is well written. Sadly, they weren't executed well, I'm not sure people are tasting the dishes & or sauces. Please give them a try & make your own review. My opinion, my thoughts, and my experience on this night. Complimentary Valet. Nice scene. Beautiful out of the way place. Will try again for dessert &...