Jaco's Bayfront Bar & Grille — Restaurant in Pensacola

April 1st, 2019 It's Apr and they have new features. I picked the first one, Seared Blackened Tuna: sushi rice roll, seaweed salad, sesame vinaigrette, and wasabi cream sauce. The tuna tasted fresh, but the wasabi cream sauce lacked the wasabi flavor. The seaweed salad was decent and the sushi rice roll was ok. March 26th, 2019 This time I ordered the March's features Shrimp Scampi and Korean BBQ Tacos. The scampi was good with the shrimp, pasta and sauce coming together as a whole. The tacos were a bit underwhelming. Using fried wonton wrappers as taco shell was novel and gave it a distinctive taste and texture. The vegetable was fresh and tasty. But the meat as the main ingredient was nothing to write home about. The portion was also small. The Pear Ale was interesting. It has Grey Goose La Poire, St. Germain, fresh lime, and ginger beer.

March 18th, 2019 I came and tried The Palafox: Penne Pasta, Italian Sausage, Kalamata Olives, Spinach, Balsamic Reduction, Shaved Parmesan, Choice Of Creamy Tomato Basil, Roasted Garlic Olive Oil, Or Parmesan Cream Sauce. $13.95. The sausage was tasty and the parm cream sauce was decent, not too watery but could be a bit thickened. The pasta was good. Overall, the dish was decent and could use more olives and the sauce. I also had a Cucumber Cooler: Hendrick’s Gin, St. Germaine,
Fresh Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Soda Water, Muddled Mint and Cucumber. It was $6.75 instead of $9.75 because of the happy hour (3-6pm M-F). While there were pieces of cucumber in the drink, the cucumber cool effect didn't really come through. Feb, 2019 Meetup brought me here for a casual local small business meeting. They host the meeting here every Monday. The view is decent right by the dock. You can see all the boats and yachts right there. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. I had the bella mshroom stack. The mushroom was well seasoned and cooked. The risotto was decent, but lack the pesto taste. The tomato cream sauce was a good complement for the dish. It isn't too noisy and a large group will have to seat outside. It is a decent place to...

We stumbled upon Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille during an unexpected, very extended layover due to multiple flight delays—and I genuinely can’t think of a better place to spend the day. What started as a stop for a quick drink turned into hours of relaxing, eating, laughing, and soaking in one of the most beautiful bayfront views we’ve ever experienced.

Let’s talk food first: the Caprese salad was so fresh and flavorful, with perfectly ripe tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and a balsamic glaze that brought it all together beautifully. The blackened shrimp were juicy, seasoned to perfection, and had just the right amount of kick. And the crab cakes? Hands down some of the best we’ve had—crispy on the outside, packed with crab meat (not filler!), and paired with a delicious remoulade sauce that we still can’t stop thinking about.

The drinks were also fantastic—crafted with care and consistently well-balanced. Whether you’re into cocktails, wine, or something tropical, the bar has you covered.

But what truly made our long visit memorable was the atmosphere and the people. Jaco’s is nestled right on the bay, so the breeze off the water and the stunning view made everything feel serene and special. They play classic music that perfectly complements the relaxed, coastal vibe—nothing too loud, just enough to add a little extra character.

And then there’s the staff. Every single person we interacted with was kind, upbeat, and genuinely welcoming. Lillye in particular went above and beyond, making sure we were comfortable and taken care of, despite how long we were there. We were also warmly greeted by the manager, who stopped by to check on us and shared some fun conversation. That kind of hospitality is rare these days, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

In short, Jaco’s turned what could’ve been a frustrating travel day into an unexpectedly lovely experience. We left feeling relaxed, full, and grateful—and if we’re ever in the area again (flight or no flight), we’ll be back in a heartbeat.

Highly recommend this place to anyone visiting the area. Whether you’re a local looking for a great dinner spot or a traveler in need of a calm oasis by the water—Jaco’s Bayfront Bar &...

On vacation and we had actually driven an extra hour to get to the prettier beaches in opal island. We opted to eat in town and saw this location and thought it would be a nice romantic setting .

Right on the water , parking was easy enough for a Sunday evening . Upon arriving the hostess quickly asked our preference and we were able to be outside in time for sunset. Beautiful Views. Sadly that’s where the amazing part ended for us .

We had a burger and the Bibb lettuce wraps - with the recommended blackened chicken . Hamburger - was ok - husband said a whopper would’ve actually tasted better than the $14 one he had. It was nothing special and he chose a burger due to what seemed very limited options over all.

My Bibb lettuce wraps sounded like they would be great - once arrived I noticed that I had to build the wraps as all the ingredients that were described were separated . I made my first lettuce wrap and one bite in -the level of salt that I tasted made me spit it out . I was starving though so maybe it was the one piece I tried again . Take two . Sadly it was all the chicken tasting like a can of salt was emptied on them.

I brought it to my waiters attention who asked if I wanted to try just the grilled chicken instead or something else . I was scared of a new choice and my husband had fries with the burger that were decent so I stuck with those - no manager came to apologize or ask how they could make it better since my dinner was fries that I paid $9 for .

Drinks : my husband had a Pecan Old Fashioned the bourbon could not be tasted - he rates it the worst water down old fashioned he has had.

Paloma : I ordered a Paloma and the taste was peculiar not a favorite or one I will be back for . Usually the waiter asks how’s the drink so that I could have spoken up instead of having a paid drink I didn’t even drink - I made the husband finish it instead .

Dessert- I really wanted to try the deep fried Oreo - however , I didn’t have the guts to take the chance and chose to stop for ice cream instead .

Lesson learned - if your coming for the views and vibes - maybe dessert and fries can be...