Goin Coastal Seafood — Restaurant in Canton

Very disappointed and embarrassed. I've always had good food, service and dining experiences here, until yesterday. And it could be a one off.

My friend took me out for a birthday lunch. I choose Going Coastal because of my prior good experiences, she had been craving Shrimp and Grits and had never eaten there. I felt so bad for her, her shrimp and grits weren't eatable because the shrimp had not been properly peeled. After 4 or 5 bites, she stopped eating because of the shells. I was so embarrassed I had suggested that we go there.

Even though she was taking me to lunch, the moment she excused herself to the ladies room, I flagged down the first server I saw, got the check and paid the check because I felt so bad about her meal. I mentioned that the shrimp & grits were full of shells. The response I received was "I'll let the chef know". Albeit she was not our assigned server, so I can excuse her lack of concern. However, when our server came by, seeing my friend's full plate, she didn't ask if there was an issue with the food, only if she wanted a container. My friend replied, no it's full of shells. Again, the response was I'll let the chef know. As an aside, my shrimp po boy looked like it had breaded scallops on it, since I've never seen perfectly round shrimp before.

Now, I didn't expect nor was I seeking an adjustment on the bill but I was very disappointed in how the servers handled this. In my experience, if a server notices a customer barely touched their meal, they usually ask if there's a problem, offer to remake it or ask if they'd like something else off of the menu. None of which happened. Especially disappointing in a white linen restaurant, even Waffle House gets that right. So, I'm pretty sure, she won't be bringing her husband there for his birthday dinner this weekend.

I almost never leave negative reviews, this restaurant has been a beloved fixture in Canton for over a decade. However, if management doesn't know they have a kitchen or service protocol failure, they can't fix it and most customers will just not come back. While my review is pretty negative, the intent is for management to be aware and give them the opportunity to correct any training or systemic...

We planned to dine with friends at Goin' Coastal recently & it was a great choice - for the food. Offering menu items & specials (about 6-7 different fish,) the food is beyond fabulous! Apparently they procure fish from sustainable fishing practices & it is flown in minimum 3 times per week. (It may be more often however their website doesn't specify.)

I had shrimp & grits in a sauce and it was great. My three dining companions all ordered different items & were very pleased with their choices. Three of us had to request a take-home box. Yet, two of us had room for dessert! My partner had a cheesecake & I had creme bruleé. Both were very delicious and not too filling or sweet; perfect end to a perfect meal.

Kudos to Goin' Coastal for environmentally friendly take-home boxes. They are light cardboard with a slight wax coating on the inside. Then it is placed in a recycleable brown bag. I love it! All restaurants need to migrate to these. Either recycleable or readily biodegradable, this is how to care for the earth. Thank you Goin' Coastal.

With these positives in our experience, why the three stars? Well, our server was surly - very surly! She seemed rushed to take our order. When she arrived with drinks, she announced the menu, special fish & how you choose to order. She left us to ponder & returned. Two of our dinner companions are quite hearing-challenged & one mentioned to her that he could not hear her, he reads lips but her mandatory Covid-19 mask made him unable to understand her. She remained planted at my end of the table, not even trying to accommodate him. I had to repeat what she said to him. She could have moved to his side of the table & leaned down to aid in facilitating his ability to hear her, but she did not. Then, when we ordered take-home boxes, she boxed up two & I nicely repeated that I wanted one also in case she had not heard me. She said, "I know! I had to get theirs!" When she returned with my take home, she said, "see - I told you!" Um, WOW. What a surly b-tch. Based on this waitress, I may not return.

My recommendation, go for the food but be prepared for ill-mannered &...

Thoroughly impressed. Im very hard to please, let alone impress, and Goin Coastal did both. I took my out of town family to a not just a dinner, but an experience that honestly is missing from this industry! Making a reservation was seamless, check in was welcoming. Our server Amber was everything you’d hope for; very friendly and immediately explained how the menu was laid out, the chef specials, items 86d, and her personal recommendations. She not only was patient with my party, her timing and attentiveness was top tier. We ordered cocktails and the crab/shrimp au gratin and the chef special heirloom caprese. Both outstanding. After apps they brought a family salad that was fresh and light, perfect timing and portion. For dinner my party all ordered something different so we could taste the menu. I ordered the scallop risotto. My scallops were beautifully seared and though the pesto risotto was good, it was cold and lacking some freshness that maybe a lemon could elevate. My wife had the shrimp n grits which was unique that it comes with both sautéed and fried shrimp. The shrimp were cooked perfectly tender however her grits were the same temperature as my risotto. Of the other dishes we tried the real star of the show was the blackened swordfish with a side of the infamous lobster mac. Wow, that mac is incredible! We didn’t exactly save room for dessert, but we didn’t want the experience to end so we all shared the creme brûlée, triple chocolate mousse cake, and a turtle cheesecake. They too were incredible. The couple “mishaps” at my meal were overshadowed by amazing service and atmosphere. Overall, my experience was phenomenal and we look forward to enjoying more...