Don The Beachcomber — Restaurant in Madeira Beach

Let me begin by stating that this is the first review I have ever left for a restaurant, period. I am also planning on downloading Yelp and registering purely to leave a review for this restaurant.

In my experience, eating at restaurants (as opposed to cooking at home) only tastes as good as “not doing the dishes” tastes. Especially in a vacation destination/beach town, my expectations for this restaurant were average at best.

However, from beginning to end, I was absolutely blown away by the food. Not just my entree - which was the grouper & grits - everything. The appetizer we ordered was the “Pu Pu Platter,” which featured coconut shrimp, crab rangoon, wings, and rib skewers. Each item in the four-part-platter would be head and shoulders above a place that specializes in that item. The wings, for example, are better than whatever place comes to your mind when you think “best wing spot.” Each item was THAT good. My experience was shared by my group of 7 with their respective entrees - each person made many comments throughout the meal claiming that “this is the best __ I’ve ever had.”

Next, our server Sean was very knowledgeable about each food item, and beyond helpful when it came to special requests and meal accommodations (like gluten allergies).

Finally, the drink menu was excellent. Each person was excited and pleased by their unique drink & cool garnish. Each drink was also rated on a “skull scale” which communicated, in a fun way, how strong each drink was. In all, throughout my decades of eating & dining, this experience will stand in my top three (& it’s...

My husband and I went there yesterday. A quiet Sunday afternoon. Candice was our beautiful, outstanding waitress! I cannot say enough about the staff or her. Everyone was so gracious. And, I'm a Boston gurl (who has lived in Florida) for years, so I'm picky about service and food. I prefer small apps alot of times, so we ordered the crab cakes, chicken satay and the wings; which I don't generally eat. I asked Candice if they could just take their time bringing out the appetizers, just we could sit back and enjoy. The wings were cooked to perfection (thank you chef as I know I made you cook them longer than one should). Lol. We enjoyed the delicious cocktails in between. They were delicious and so pretty with all the flowers and additions too.

I can honestly say, it was one of the best restaurants I've been too in years here and I've been to a few!

I hope the owners see this and appreciate how wonderful the staff were (even when passing them by to the ladies room or upon entering). You guys rock and I can't wait to return, but this time at night, so I can enjoying the lighting and the hustle as we talked Candice's ear off. Lol. And, I hope she takes our Massachusetts and NH recommendations. This has been my 2nd review of the thousands of restaurants I've been too. So, this speaks volumes. So to those wondering whether to go or not: just go! And, then ask for Candice! P.S. If this post returns as my husband, Paul. My bad. Lol. But, I'm genuine when I say y'all were fabulous. ...

Went here for lunch with my wife. Cruise ship/tropical vibes with the decor and music. We loved the way it looked/felt in there.

Drink: I ordered the Planter's Punch for a drink and on the first sip it immediately felt like I was on vacation. Very good.

Appetizer: The crab rangoons are made with real crab meat and they are delicious.

Lunch: I ordered the fish & chips with Yuca fries instead of steak fries. The fish was very good and the batter was perfect. My only complaint was that it was one giant battered fish filet instead of being cut into a couple of handheld pieces. Everyone knows that if you have to use a fork on battered fish, the batter is going to fall right off. That's all I would change for the food though. The yuca fries were tasty and crispy. My wife had the blackened shrimp tacos and they were also good.

Now we get to my first real problem: the price. For 2 drinks, a shared app, and 2 entrees. With tax and a 20% tip this came out to $105. Pretty pricey for basic food, but I guess that's what you get in a touristy area.

The 2nd problem was the parking. You have to valet for $7 through the hotel. You have to get it validated by the restaurant to get that price. OR, you have to park in the beach parking and walk. I recommend you do the latter if you're only having a quick meal. There is NO free parking here for the business. It's silly that validating doesn't give you free parking.

Overall it was a good experience and a fun place. I'll probably come back when I have a...