Hightide Island Grill — Restaurant in Florida

Edited: Based on the reply from I guess owner(?) I am adjusting my review to three stars to say that I did have one of the best burgers of my life there several years ago (can't remember when exactly) and the place is locally owned, which is a HUGE plus given how fast the area is growing and chain-restaurants are coming around; corporatization of what was once a more down-home friendly place.

I've been coming to this area since the 1970s and moved here 10 years ago. It is really nice that The High Tide has retained that old-south seafood restaurant feel to it in terms of decor. If you're looking for that this is a great place to go for dinner if you're on Okaloosa Island especially since it is within walking distance to most hotels! They have an outside area now I think, which would be great if you are someone who likes to sit outside.

I don't know the owners personally, I may have met one once on the Harbor in Destin, hard to say, if I do know them I don't know who they are. However, I would like everyone visiting to know I don't get paid for reviews. I am honest. I like to review local places because when people visit here they often ask me where to go and I figure I can just put that info here and say you can see my reviews online. I don't go to a lot of places though so if you haven't been reviewed it's likely because I haven't been there OR I haven't had a great experience... As for the Oysters, well, I didn't take pics of my sickness (!!) yet the first time I ate them this year as early in the afternoon/evening they'd just opened and they tasted fine and I got sick and didn't correlate the two together. Then, I went a week or so later with some friends much later at night and ordered the same thing and they did not taste as good and I got sick again, but worse (both times, potty issues identical issue :0). I'm sure it was just my luck because I loved oysters and can't smell them now without remembering/feeling sick.

I had that issue with black olives got sick off them and it was years before I could eat them again. Hopeful I can smell/eat oysters again someday because they hold a very special place in my memory for me. I used to eat them with my dad when I would visit him in The Golden Isles of Georgia when I was home from college. The Golden Isles are also a great place to visit like the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area.

Borderline slander is a weird thing to accuse an honest reviewer for and I hope the person who said that understands now I wasn't attacking your restaurant. I have met people who used to work there recently and that made me want to give the review. I hope your business continues to do well it is a landmark for sure! It's going to be really cool to eat there once all this bridge work is completed! I think I'll order the burger (:!

Original Review: Don't know why yet everytime I've eaten here this year (2024) I get sick. A recent visit was so bad I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat oysters again 😞 ashame; used to be one of my favorites growing up in and...

I grew up in FWB in the 70s and 80s and know tourist traps between FWB and Destin well having worked in a few while in high school. I recently visited some old friends and we went here for raw oysters like we always used to enjoy. I would recommend trying to grab a bar seat for service if you are solo or have just two in your party. You will get faster service as the kitchen is right there and they pop your plates out hot (and your oysters are shucked in front of you). Keep in mind that you will wait for them to shuck oysters, and longer if you get them steamed. If it is busy like on Friday and Saturday nights, be prepared to wait a while for a few dozen.

The place has not changed in the ~15 years when I was last there except for the prices. It's still in the same off-the-beaten path location which means not many tourists know about it. It's a classic FWB/Destin oyster house with good fresh fried seafood, hush puppies, and of course the oysters that has not changed in decades and that's what I love about it. Oysters are always big when in peak season months (Nov-Mar) which means they know what farmers to buy from. If you are concerned about consuming raw oysters, I would highly recommend the Oysters Casino (you get six). As an oyster connoisseur, I'm not a big fan of plain steamed oysters.

My only issue with the place is that they have not updated their craft beer selections to modern times. They really need to get on board with taps and local craft beers which have been popping up for some time. Just about every other place in the area, especially in Destin, has craft beer on tap, many being local. Support your local craft breweries guys! But it's still not a big enough issue to dock a star. I've probably been here 100 times at least, and when the locals go to a place, you know it's the place to go. This is a real true to life walk back into time before the Destin/FWB area became an overpriced and overcrowded tourist destination. If you have kids just make sure they are okay with the limited kids menu of a corn dog, hot dog, popcorn shrimp, chicken fingers, and grilled cheese. But it is a local dive with a timeless simple menu, so that is what locals want. Don't change a thing as the general area has seen way too...

Wow. Don't experience a problem with your order. This establishment did not make a good impression with us. We went for a pick up order. I specifically ordered boiled, in old Bay (which they said they used) based in a review picture I saw. I specifically asked the person with whom I ordered if the shrimp would be deveined. I was told that they would be deveined. We returned to our vacation home, and my shrimp were iced cold and not deveined. I called and was given the 'manager' who also said they were deveined over the phone. I've never had boiled shrimp in old bay like seasoning and had them ice cold. There was no visible seasoning. These were just like cocktail shrimp, but with the shell and 'vein'. I decided by the way the manager acted on the phone that I didn't even want to go and try and get something different. But then, my husband was missing his cole slaw. So, we decided to go back. When we went in, we explained the missing cole slaw and were informed which box it was in...like they put it in there. We wouldn't have gone back if it had been. The 'manager' made it out that it was in the box and like we were lying. Who is about a side dish?! Then, we were told after they took the shrimp back that if I didn't like the"boiled" shrimp then they didn't recommended me going with the "steamed" because it would be the same thing, just warm. But, my main concern is that we were treated so rudely from the moment the manager opened her mouth. Some woman standing behind the 'manager' appears to be listening, but making no intervention while we were treated so rudely. I wondered if that was the owner who allowed this type of behavior toward customers. I was really showed the whole time. My husband tipped the pickup clerk, so we lost $20 in all on this trip. They said they would refund the shrimp, but we had left so quickly, my husband had left his wallet back at our place. So no...