Scenic 90 Cafe — Restaurant in Pensacola

I’ve wanted to try this place since I first saw it featured on the local PBS channel. The exterior and interior decor is “Retro Chic” - a cute 50’s Diner, this is not “high end/fancy dining”, but it’s not high end prices either. It was surprisingly high quality food and more “gourmet” cooking with complex flavors than you’d expect. They have classic “Americana/Diner fare” such as: burgers, sandwiches, meatloaf, and all day breakfast options, but with some upscale options like quiche and crab cakes Benedict. With a grilled Tuna Steak priced at $12.99 inc. 3 sides I wasn’t expecting much, but was delighted with one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever had anywhere, cooked to perfection! {You can pay 3x’s that for one of lesser quality and size at some of the “Fancy” restaurants “Down Town” or on “The Beach” - where you pay mostly for the view and/or “atmosphere”.} The hush puppies (had little pieces of red and green bell peppers in them), sweet potato fries (slender, almost shoe string cut), fried zucchini, and fried okra were all amazing (it’s January and the okra was top notch/summer quality) all with a very light (almost tempura style) batter and served piping hot. In the “home cooking” category the creamed corn was the best I’ve had since I was a child and my Mother had the chicken and dumplings - they are a thin, flat, light style dumpling with a rich, flavorful, creamy, and meaty sauce with a delicately herbal flavor that she really enjoyed. These are NOT the dropped biscuit dough in a white gravy “country cooking/comfort food” type I’ve had most often. The home made remoulade sauce was light and very tasty (not a greasy/mayo texture or flavor and not very spicy/hot) & the home made blue cheese salad dressing was rich and delicious. The staff were friendly and helpful and once I learned the side item: “White Trash Hash” (with a small up charge) was hash brown potatoes, cheese, onions, and venison sausage - we had to try it, while I’ve never had venison - so nothing to compare it to, but as a particularly “picky eater” I was surprised how much I liked it. The desserts were just dreamy! I only wish we’d discovered this little hidden gem earlier and can’t...

Sarcastic waitress tkbstart things out. She thought it was funny to ask if it was wet outside. It was raining, ìhello?Could clearly see,I was on a motorcycle. Not funny in any way on the bike very dangerous. After that I moved to another area, Then GG had cc waitress stopped jn?? Not for long.then th we 3rd and final waitress can and took my order.2 eggs over medium lite,potatoes,,toast,sausage patty. Litterally the worst food I've ever had, I've been eating out for 50 plus years on a very regular basis. Toast soggy n dry potatoes quartered mush n cold definitely not fried,sausage pre cooked and on warmer cold and nasty cheap grade.Eggs were okay.sebr back the potatoes to bring grilled hey cc ane right back covered in oil and hot nuked.not even browned slightly on a grill.All t n is and it was no where near busy. I express MY DISAPPOINTMENT and asked if t n e owner was in.NOT. Head waitress came over asked what was wrong now. I said asked if she cooked breakfast l Iike this at home? No answer said I would like to ask the cook if they would serve this to their friends and family.I paid and was looking ag the cc weather when through head waitress who was standing behind me listening to what I was saying to my waitress. Wh I h was it is hard o. Her tips having a u h disgusting food. That's when I was told to leave bye the extremely horrible head waitress. I said what did I do on say that wasn't true. Then she was on h er phone calling 911.Unbelievable I was flabbergasted and disgusted bye then to say the least.Oh yah that was because I told her she didn't need to he birddogginv me.I WAS NEVER RUDE T I MY SERVER NOT EVEN THE FIRST ONE.NEEDLESS TO SAY THE WORST...

May 26, 2021

Horrible experience! Freezing cold; the temperature must have been 60° in there.

Took half an hour to get simple things like gumbo and 1 salad out of 2. Potato skins appetizer took like 45 minutes and was the worst and most disgusting I've ever seen or had. No appetizer plates were provided even though we asked for them. Since we were starving we wolfed them down with our hands.

While we were waiting waiting waiting we smelled something burning in the kitchen.

Finally the 2nd salad came out right before our burgers came out. The 2nd salad was an iceberg wedge and the blue cheese crumbles were completely dried out and inedible.

The burgers were okay except for the drenched lettuce and the overripe tomato slice.

I had also asked for diced onion on the burger and there were only around 15 little pieces, for which I was charged an additional $0.99.

That was ridiculous and I have never had any restaurant do this in my life. I was too anxious to get out of that place that I just paid and didn't question it.

We ordered and sent back onion rings as they were inedible because they were burnt to the point they were black.

The waitress's explanation was that there were cooks that night who had no experience and there was nobody with experience in the kitchen to guide them.

The whole experience of stopping for a few burgers took around 2 hours in the freezing cold.

Never again. There must be something wrong with the management to leave rookies in charge of the kitchen. It's not fair for them to leave diners as the Guinea pigs for untested...