A&M Atlantic Seafood, Inc — Restaurant in Cocoa

A&M Atlantic Seafood- Cocoa- 4 Stars

First, it was the phone call, then it was the sign (see photos) I first saw upon entering A & M Atlantic Seafood that brought and kept the late, great comedian John Pinnette to mind and his famous "Chinese Buffet" routine. It was a packed house for lunch, and as no one else seemed to be paying any attention to it, I turned mine towards what I can only assume was a shrine to the All Holy and Mighty Pineapple, sending a quick thought westward towards the Holy Land (Hawai'i)

I approached the counter to place my order. What I found behind the counter only solidified my belief that I was in Mr. Pinnette's bit. She can only be described as the stereotypical "Dragon Mom" made famous in the book by Janet Gonzalez-Mena. She was of Asian descent, unsmiling and slung tough love around like she was chumming for sharks. She had everyone on their toes, focused and performing their assigned task with efficiency and pride. What is the result of all this bossing around and frowning at her employees? Only the best fried Conch I have ever had! It was so devine that I had to go back a second time just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Rest assured, I was not. It is real and very, very delicious.

The sweet tea is homemade as it is written in the Florida state constitution (a little-known fact). The Catfish and Shrimp dinner that I ordered was just as out of this world fresh as the Conch. Everything was perfectly breaded and fried to an amazing golden brown. The crunchiness of the batter combined with the tenderness of the Catfish and the Shrimp was an obvious sign of a well-run ship. I will definitely head back a third, fourth and most likely a fifth time just to make sure for my readers Dragon Lady still has everyone on point. It's the least I can do.

The Big Boy says, "For an exciting cultural experience and the absolute best fried Conch around, head on over to A & M Atlantic Seafood in Cocoa. Just don't stay longer than...

First, things were going well. I ordered food for my great uncle and me and waited for it to be ready. I asked if the fish and shrimp lunch meal came with fries, and the lady in the front (Gale) said no. I ordered onion rings (which were ridiculously $7.00, but since my great-uncle wanted them...I got them). She brought my food out: one meal was correct, and one was wrong. I explained that I asked for the fish and shrimp meal and ordered onion rings because of what she said (the wrong meal came out with fries, which let me know it was wrong). She wanted to argue with me up and down about what I said. I decided to pay the difference in the meals so my uncle could get the shrimp (if it were up to me, I wouldn't give them a penny more). At that point, I was frustrated because my food was getting cold because the cashier had heard what she wanted.

But it gets worse. I paid the difference with cash, but unfortunately, I didn't have the exact change. The owner takes my money, closes the cash register, and tries to walk off. I then called her back to the front and requested my receipt and my change. She gets an attitude and literally takes almost ten minutes trying to come up with a receipt and locating my change. The lady who couldn't take my order correctly and heard what she wanted returned to the front, trying to be snappy. I told them to just give me my money and my receipt so I could leave.

The moral of the story is that not only can they not get orders correct, but they also try to be slick and keep your money. I won't be returning. I'm also thankful I didn't pay with my card because I don't trust them (they also still attach the debit/credit card fees). Also, if you are military, they don't provide discounts like everyone else in the area.

I recommend driving a little further and supporting another...

This place needs some serious updating. It looks very old and run down. First impressions almost made me walk back out of the door. The menus placed on the wall were more like a collage of printed and hand written items on printer paper. So confusing. However, I overlooked all of that and gave them a chance. The meal I ordered, buffalo chicken wings and fries, was almost double the cost I expected for the amount and quality I received. The wings were extremely small and the fries were from a frozen package. I could get better at the grocery store. I expected much better even for a seafood market. I expected much more fresh fish, etc displayed. There wasn't much displayed at all. The folks in the kithcen, who also served my carryout meal, looked like they had just finished working on cars; dirty, dingy, greasy t-shirts. Not good impression when you are serving food. On a good note, staff was friendly and the food had good flavor. I see a place with much potential. The location is convenient. They just need to make a few positive changes. First impressions say a lot. I...