Rebellion Beachside Bar & Bistro — Restaurant in Cocoa Beach

Rebellion Beachside Bar & Bistro 26 N. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

4.5 Stars

One of the many things I love about this “job” is finding islands of delectable delights in the sad sea of tourist traps on the Space Coast of Florida. Rebellion Beachside Bar & Bistro is such a haven. Cocoa Beach, the well-known home of Major Nelson and Jeannie, attracts visitors from around the globe. As such, most places are catered to them, i.e., they serve typically overpriced Southern fare with a space, beach, or southern-themed dishes. Then, there are places such as this. Looking at the pictures, you can see that the décor is none of the previously mentioned tourist schemes. Instead, it is more akin to a classic European bistro (I think that is what they were going for and if so, they nailed it).

Marty is my service professional today, and man, is he ever a pro. I wish they still made waiters like Marty; sadly, he is a dying breed. I asked Marty for a Roasted Chicken with a side of Sauteed Broccolini, one Rebellion Burger, and an order of Cornbread.

It wasn't long before Marty the Marvelous One returned to the table with my grub. After snapping a few pics for y'all, I eagerly got to work as the aromas arising forth from said fare were tantalizing. First up on the Big Boy's practiced palate was the Cornbread. As a bred, born and raised Southerner, I know a thing or two about Cornbread. I loved that it was individually baked in a small cast iron pan, what I didn't like about it was that it was the over smokiness of the batter. A bit of smokiness is a good thing in cornbread as it really adds to the Southern Campfire feel, but this was too much for my palate.

Moving on, I turned my attention to the Roasted Chicken. This was a bicurual half-chicken roasted to perfection and served with pureed mushrooms and a truffled chicken jus. One bite in and I almost forgot the over-smoked Cornbread. Almost. The chicken was tender, juicy and savory. The Mushroom Puree was a fantastic addition and the Jus was just right.

This brings me to my final gastronomical destination for the meal – The Eponymously named Rebellion Burger. This version of ground bovine flesh consisted of Allan Bentons Bacon, Onion Jam, Sauerkraut, Truffle Aioli and Brillat Savarin Triple Creme Cheese along with a side of hand-cut frites. I will wait a minute while you re-read those ingredients. I know, right? I must say this was one of the best burgers I've ever scarfed down. The truffle aioli and triple crème cheese would have been enough, but add the bacon and I could have died there and been happy. However, the chef didn't stop there; he added homemade onion jam and some of the freshest kraut I've ever had and created a sumptuous burger Herr Burgermeister Meisterburger would be honored to eat.

Could this have been a 5-star review? Beyond a shadow of a doubt. I could have overlooked the excessive smoke of the cornbread; however, in good conscience, I cannot. Why? Because the execution is so perfect and so flawless on the other four items, someone should know the cornbread is not good and should either redo the recipe or remove it from the menu altogether.

The Big Boy says, “86 the cornbread; otherwise, this is one of the best meals in Brevard...

Came down from NJ for a visit and decided to try this little hole in the wall restaurant and all I can say is what a disappointment. To start the prices are ridiculous especially for Florida, what does the owner think this is NYC or something?!?! I don’t mind spending good money on good food but the portions were small and the food was lackluster considering it cost the price of my first born child and I still left hungry. The wine was tasty but Jesus take the wheel I have never paid that much for such a small pour. You would think this was legitimately the blood of Christ at that price point, and the bread was like a communion wafer on a Sunday, had me confused for a minute thinking I needed to repent. Which leads me to my next complaint, as I sat there repenting for my sins, I’m pretty sure the man at the table next to me also felt like he was at Sunday confession, as he got too deep in his glass of overpriced wine, he began to loudly tell the man (who if I overheard correctly was the owner) about how he likes to bring his mistress into the establishment as it feels like a welcoming and discreet environment for his philandering ways. I couldn’t help but clutch my pearls as I sat there aghast at what I was hearing, like who openly shares this info?!?! I get that it’s not the establishment’s fault that this man felt at home, but then I listened to the staff offer support to sir sins-a-lot for patronizing their business! Side note: it literally just dawned on me while writing this review where the name Rebellion probably stemmed from, cringe. Now I don’t know if every night at Rebellion is a confusing experience of church meets brothel but what I am sure of is that the food is way overpriced, the wine is good but @$5 per sip who can afford that in this economy? There are plenty of establishments in the surrounding area that offer the same quality wine at a more reasonable price point. On a personal note the staff should partake in repenting their sins and consuming some of the body and blood of Christ that they’re serving their patrons (although at those prices who can afford it) because some of the conversations I overheard amongst them were also mind blowing. Overall it just wasn’t worth the money or time I spent there. To the owner of this establishment, I hope you reevaluate your business practices, it literally is a sin to serve that little food for that price, and last but most importantly, remember...

Wow, what a disappointment. First time here, arrived hungry and ready to eat. Started with a glass of Les Traverses de Fontanes Cabernet Sauvignon which was an excellent value at $13. Tried the crudo appetizer which was an unusual yellowtail tartare in a mildly spicy Thai chili style preparation with peanuts, interesting but really more suited for chicken than raw fish. It was the entree that was truly a disaster. I ordered the steak frites, which was listed at MP and described as a 12 oz dry aged ribeye with truffle butter. What arrived was a steak that at one time was cooked properly but was served lukewarm with large slabs of solid truffle butter on top. The steak was so cool the butter never melted, even after the meal was complete. Our waitress did offer to bring the steak back to the kitchen, however after waiting over 30 minutes for our entree to be served I opted to go ahead and eat it as is. The French fries which accompanied the steak were thinly cut, crisp, hot and tasty - the fries were the highlight of the meal. While the host stopped by our table to recognize the problem with the meal, what he offered was advising us that the chef was told about the problem and “would look into it”. Brussels sprout side dish was only marginally better, tasting mostly like bbq sauce which was not even listed as an ingredient. My son ordered a burger which he said was “fine” but nothing special. The bill was what really made the meal special - the MP for my lukewarm steak was quite a surprise as I did not inquire in advance. At $110, this steak could qualify as one of the most expensive dishes for sale in Brevard County. While I am a frequent patron of fine dining establishments, I do not plan to make a...