Angler's Beachside Grill — Restaurant in Florida

We walked in and waited to be seated as the sign at the front instructed, but there was no one in sight and it was open. Waited for someone to seat us for a bit and a lady staff member finally showed up and asked if we were dining in. We said yes and she said we could sit wherever they'd like and that the sign was wrong. So she turned the sign around to say customers can sit wherever we'd like. We sat down and the lady disappeared. We waited for about 20 minutes before another staff member, male, walked by and asked if we'd been served. (So the lady didn't alert our server or other staff members that we were there). We said we hadn't been served and he rushed off to get us menus and take our drink orders. Soon, our drinks were brought to our table and we placed our order. I got a full biscuit and gravy and my friends got a BLT and an egg sandwich with no cheese. Our food took over half an hour to come to us. And as he was serving us he was on his.phone, texting. When he got one of us a refill he grabbed the cup, walked off, refilled it, and brought it back all without looking up from his phone. When my two friends were done eating before me, he picked up their plates commenting "wow y'all were hungry", which I found incredibly rude. Then he turned to me and said, "was there something wrong with YOUR food?" And I found his tone to be very rude and condescending. I stared at him,shocked, not knowing what to say to that. He left silently afterwards. When I saw him again, I had glanced at him as he was walking out of a staff room with two coworkers behind him. Another female staff member with a purple shirt and dark brown hair noticed me looking but I didn't think anything of it and didn't want to seem like I was staring so I just went back to eating. A couple minutes later, I saw that same female staff member walk into the room with her phone up. She was recording room and the outside dining area, or so I thought. I made a comment about how unprofessional it was and how she was recording customers, including us, to my friends. When she came back inside her camera lense instantly turned to us and stayed like that until she noticed me staring, to which then she continues to record the room. That's when I realized she was recording us while trying to seem inconspicuous. At this point I was very angry so I called our server to bring the check and I paid without tipping. I am a server myself and I'm typically very chill with other servers, I don't mind if they take a minute or they don't seem too enthusiastic because I know it's difficult sometimes, but that was literally the worst service I have ever experienced! And this was only an hour after they had opened! I'm never going...

Va-va-voom...what in the world is in those drinks!

So, to the Angler’s we went for a happy hour drink and little did I know, the bartender, happy already was!

I ordered an Islander Mojito, and Judy, a concoction she invented years ago... A Margarita on the rocks with a shot of Amaretto, and just like magic, in like flint it goes!

Then... Asta & Steve, a grand entrance they make; and right away they call Larry with a special request.

Not too long after that a second round they start. First, a shot of Jack Daniels, followed by, two of vodka & lime.

And so, this sexy & very happy couple visiting from Chicago they are.... But with all the funky drinks, a room real fast, they needed to have!

So what in the world is happening here? What in the world is in those drinks?

I turn over to Judy and see, happy as a kite, she already is. I turn over to Asta & Steve, and thank God, her clothing was still on for all of us to see!

With no other turns to make, I seek out Larry, the bartender. “Hey Larry,” I said, “Please... please tell me, what in the world is in those drinks!”

One second goes by, then quickly two, and our very lucid and happy bartender shouts-out and says, “Oh yes ma’m... the gator tidbits, should be out any time now!”

Eh?

Huh?

What in the world is happening here? What in the world is in those drinks?

And so, as the story goes... It was only a few hours ago, when everything seemed simple to me... We were just heading to the Angler’s Beachside Grill for a Cold beer and a bite to eat.

Then we ordered some gator tidbits and va-va-voom... something must have gone very wrong...

Because, between the funky drinks and the alligator meat, it seemed like, no more we were in just Okaloosa for sure.

So next time you’re in Okaloosa Island, stop by the Angler and let Larry know, Asta, Steve & Judy sent you there to try the wild concoctions he so famously, now know.

And while you’re there, try the gator tidbits as well, because one thing you’re not bound to believe, better than chicken,...

Short version... DO go for the $8 bottomless mimosas for brunch. DON'T go for good food or low prices.

Long version... I've been going here for years, but our last visit ruined it for me. The 2 stars have nothing to do with the food. Our server was absolutely fabulous. She was friendly, attentive and made sure husband's mimosa stayed filled up. The view is nice, which is probably what you're actually paying for. We came for brunch. I was surprised that our food came out minutes within ordering. It looked pretty good, but looks are deceiving. I had the Traditional Eggs Benedict. The English muffin was as hard a crouton, the meat was overdone and the potatoes were also hard (not as in crunchy, because I like crunchy, hard as in old). It was very evident that this dish had been out a while and just added an egg and topped with hollandaise. For $15 I would expect it to be MUCH better. The "fresh fruit" was just 2 very thin slices of melon. My husband had the Crab Cake Benedict at a whopping $19. His potatoes were also very old. The crab cake was decent. He was disappointed with the meal for the price. When you get brunch, your meal comes with a "pastry basket". In the past I came to Angler's for the giant cinnamon roll that came in that basket. They no longer do that. We had a few blueberry and banana muffins. The star of the show, and probably the only reason we will consider going back, is the bottomless mimosas for $8. If you want to drink on a budget with a view, this is definitely your spot! You get your choice of orange juice or cranberry juice to accompany your champagne. Like I mentioned earlier, my hubby's cup was never empty! They are good about keeping it full. All in all, I will say that Angler's has declined over the years. I believe there was a recent change in management, though I'm not sure how much of a difference this...