The Cove Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Gulf Shores

Disappointing Experience at The Cove Bar & Grill

I have been a loyal customer of The Cove for over five years (since 2019), frequently visiting and enjoying the ambiance and food. Unfortunately, my recent experience was profoundly disappointing and distressing, largely due to what appeared to be racially motivated mistreatment.

Upon arrival, we were met with a waiter whose demeanor was unwelcoming and rude. It was apparent that we were treated differently, and regrettably, the only discernible reason for this treatment seemed to be the color of our skin. Such behavior is not only unacceptable but also deeply hurtful.

Our concern escalated when we inquired about the portion sizes of a dish we regularly order. We noticed that the portion sizes had been inconsistent, varying particularly during different seasons. Rather than addressing our question professionally, the situation was handled poorly and unprofessionally.

The daughter of the owner stopped by our table to check on things, but her attitude quickly exacerbated the situation. She was exceptionally rude, and when my spouse attempted to deescalate the tension, it only seemed to worsen. This culminated in her following us outside and asking if we would like our quarters back because we left them on the pool table. There was no reason for her to try to return our change other than pettiness and a clear display of racism at this point.

Despite the waiter's unprofessional behavior, we still tipped 20%. However, this did not mitigate the overall negative experience.

Anyone familiar with the service industry will recognize the rudeness and unprofessionalism in such actions. This encounter left a bitter taste in our mouths, and it was evident that our concerns were not taken seriously. The lack of professionalism and the apparent underlying racism in the treatment we received are profoundly disappointing.

For a place we've enjoyed for years, this experience was a stark contrast to what we've come to expect. I trust that The Cove will take this feedback seriously and address these issues promptly to prevent any other customers from experiencing similar treatment. Discrimination in any form has no place in the service industry, and we hope to see a significant change for the...

The service was awful. We arrived at 8 And didn't leave until 10:15. When we first got there (a group of 5), they took our name and said it would be between 15-20 minutes and they would come find us. We waited and watched 2 other groups of people get sat before us. So we walked to the front again and they had clearly forgotten about us as the host said "oh yeah, how many did you have again?" We said 5 and they eventually sat us 10 minutes later. When the waitress came to our table, we ordered an appetizer and a bucket of beer (5 cans of beer). We did not receive out app or beer for another 20 minutes. Then, we ordered our food. About 30 minutes later, we still had not gotten it. The waitress came to our table and I asked "where's our food?" Her reply was that they were so backed up and it would be out soon. Then she proceeded to get the manager and the manager came over and told us the same thing. After another 10 minutes or so, my sister talked to the manager about our discontent in which she said she would give a discount on our order. Once we got our food, my husbands pulled pork was COLD. The waitress came back and I said "his food is cold, he isn't going to eat it cold" so sure brought out another sand which (which was dry & disgusting, so he didn't even eat). At this point we were ready to leave, very disappointed in the service. They bring the bill and there was no discount. My husband and sister went to talk to the manager again in which she said "oh we had the discount on there, but then took it back off because the waitress felt like you were being rude to her and thinks you were all talking crap about her when she left the table". ARE YOU KIDDING? Has to be the most absurd thing I've ever heard. Regardless, I would NEVER recommend this place to another person. Absolutely in the top 3 of worst service...

First time in Gulf Shores and we stopped by after Day 1 of the Hangout Music Fest as there was only a handful of places serving food after 11pm and this was the furthest away from the fest. We crossed our fingers it was a hidden locals gem and my hunch was correct.

After having a terrible dining experience the day before in Fort Morgan, I was ELATED by Tina’s customer service skills. Great personality, composed, great work ethic and smiled the entire time wether she was talking with our table or cleaning a dirty one.

We had the Tuna Nachos as an appetizer (Sorry we all dug in like animals before I got a photo) and I ordered a Philly. Outside of long wait times for dinner we were blessed by the vocal cords of Justin Wall & Christina who took our song requests and created such a soothing, relaxing atmosphere.

—————————————————————— Update: We enjoyed our experience here so much, we came back and brought friends the very next day!

This time I took Stuffed Avocado & I believe a blackened chicken quesadilla. We had a different server whom I think is a manager as he dressed like a golfer both nights. Wore a hat with longer hair. He forgot about us a couple times. We told him we were ready for checks and nearly waited 15 mins for him to come back but I could tell he was a bit stressed out with taking orders, cleaning tables, running food and checking IDS up front. They were full house 30 minutes before the...