Bahama Breeze — Restaurant in Raleigh

Review Date: January 28, 2024; 4 stars

My family and I visited this restaurant on January 25, 2024 during happy hour. There were nine of us so our server put two tables together to accommodate us.

This was my first time being there during happy hour. I was intrigued by their special of half off all appetizers during happy hour, so I ordered a few appetizers to try them out along with some Jerk Chicken Wings. Our food came out within a decent timeframe; however, my mother’s order was missing. The server apparently did not write down my mom’s order so she had to wait a while for her food while everyone had their food and had began to eat.

The food was tasty, and the portions were okay. The crab and cheese dip was flavorful, and you can actually taste the crab meat. The yuca cheese sticks were crispy and enjoyable; I enjoyed the buffalo type sauce with it better than the ranch type sauce.

The jerk wings were also pretty good. Not as I expected but they were still good; I was not a fan of the sauce that came with the jerk wings as it was a little powdery tasting to me. I am from the islands so for me this dish wasn’t authentic, but it tasted well.

Everyone enjoyed their meal and the ability to spend a little time together.

Review Date: June 10, 2021; 3 stars

My daughter was about to graduate from high school. We had a lot of family members coming for her graduation, so we decided to make reservations at Bahama Breeze. There were 16 of us. The online reservation system instructed to calI the restaurant to make reservations as the # of guests exceeded the online capability. I called the restaurant to make the reservations and told them the quantity of guests; however, I was instructed to go back to the online reservation system and make three separate reservations in order to capture the total amount of guests in my party. I questioned this as I expected that we would all be sitting in the same area.

I created 3 separate reservations. I left a comment on each of the online reservations stating the situation. When we arrived at the restaurant, I went to check in at the front. When the rep realized that all 3 reservations were for one party, she seemed baffled and wasn’t sure how to handle that. She went and got someone else. The person she got told me they don’t have availability for all 3 reservations to be in the same area, and that we would be set up across the entire restaurant.

This was not acceptable because that defeats the purpose of why we decided to go to this restaurant in the first place. I expressed my disappointment.

They eventually got us in the same location; however, we had to wait an additional 30 minutes. We agreed to wait but no one was happy about this. This restaurant had every opportunity to prepare and plan accordingly for our situation. They were not prepared, and they did not take any of this into consideration at all.

We eventually got seated and were all in the same area. We made the best of the situation and did what we could to have our celebration. It was not ideal but it was workable. One table got their food quickly but the other two tables waited quite a long time for our food. We were on different schedules it seemed. That created a little bit of a challenge but we worked with it.

The food was good. The portions were acceptable. Some of the dishes were not well seasoned and required additional salt and pepper. Our servers were good. The male server for the two tables was very professional and offered good suggestions. He was not very timely with our food but he was friendly and approachable and did his job. The female server for that one table was also professional and brought out their dishes expeditiously. My favorite item was my drink.

Other than the inconveniences experienced during the reservation process and once we arrived there, we managed to have a satisfactory celebration. In the future, I would definitely be considering another restaurant that can better...

My family of five visited this establishment on Saturday, October 5, 2024. We have been loyal patrons for over 17 years, but we've noticed a decline in service over the past couple of years. Our last visit was particularly disappointing; our server was inattentive, requiring multiple requests for simple items like straws, and our drinks went unrefilled.

Despite these issues, we decided to give it another chance, hoping for improvement. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly, and the waitress took our drink orders efficiently. We ordered appetizers via the tablet, and everything seemed to be on track. However, when the drinks arrived, one was incorrect—unsweetened tea instead of sweet tea. After several minutes of waiting for the rest, we had to remind her that they were missing. Even with this hiccup, we tried to stay positive.

For our entrees, my daughter and husband ordered coconut shrimp tacos, while I requested two jerk chicken pastas—one for me and one for my two younger children to share. Our appetizers arrived relatively quickly: three orders of jerk chicken wings, two coconut shrimp, and conch fritters. It seemed the wing portions had shrunk, a sentiment my husband echoed. The wings and shrimp were good, but the conch fritters tasted more like hush puppies, lacking the conch flavor we expected.

After receiving our appetizers, the waitress went missing for an extended period, so we had to ask a hostess for napkins. We also had to request appetizer plates, and when the waitress finally brought them, there were only four for our family of five. Furthermore, instead of asking us if we were finished she attempted to clear away a plate containing two wings still on it, which I had to stop her from discarding.

As for our entrees, we waited another 7 to 10 minutes. When they arrived, my daughters’ tacos were lukewarm, suggesting they had been sitting for a while. Surprisingly, the waitress brought four jerk chicken pasta dishes instead of the two I ordered. I kept three, but I was baffled by the mix-up, especially with only five people at the table.

After sampling my dish, my younger children decided not to eat theirs, so we boxed up the leftovers. When we reviewed the bill, we noticed we were charged for all four pasta dishes, although one was later removed. I left feeling frustrated and vowed not to return.

The following morning, Sunday, October 6, I woke up around 7 a.m. with severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. Despite trying to hydrate and rest, the pain worsened, leading me to seek medical attention due to me being 5 months pregnant. At the hospital, they checked the baby's heart rate, which was reassuringly good. I received an IV and underwent several tests, with the doctor indicating my symptoms were consistent with foodborne illness. They would need to confirm this with stool sample results. After being at the hospital for 4 hours, unfortunately, upon returning home, I experienced vomiting and a low-grade fever.

I am horrified at the possibility of my unborn child's health being compromised due to this experience. This has been the worst dining experience of my life. The poor service, incorrect orders, and lack of attention to food quality are completely unacceptable. To add insult to injury, we had to throw away all of our leftovers, despite spending over $200 at your establishment. I am disgusted by how this place has declined, and I want to make it clear that neither I nor my family will ever return. It is astonishing that a place with such a long history of patronage could let its standards fall so drastically.

Updated Review (10 months later):

I got food poisoning here, left a review, and now Darden has pulled all investment from Bahama Breeze. Not shocked. This place was a textbook example of what happens when a company ignores food safety, skimps on training, and delivers lousy customer service. Poor management sinks businesses—and this one’s...

The atmosphere was amazing in their outdoor dining room. We enjoyed eating outside mid-day with a nice cool breeze coming through.

The Jamaican jerks wings were quite pricey for a full order of only 6 wings. The quantity & value did not equate. They were delicious, but not worth these recession prices!

The beef empanadas were delicious. Always a good appetizer choice. You only get 4 of them for the appetizer price, but they are stuffed full of goodness.

My son's steak & coconut shrimp plate looked amazing! He had a huge helping of 2 sides, the sirloin was a good size, but very few coconut shrimp. It was still a nice plate or the price.

My husband enjoyed his pineapple chicken bowl. He said it was different & a flavor that he has never had before. Loved it!

I was disappointed in the jerk chicken pasta. There was a plate full of pasta, sauce & mushrooms, but very little jerk chicken. The flavor also did not wow me. It was definitely not a dish that made my taste buds pop! The sauce was not authentic. It tasted like it came from a jar in the grocery store. They could have added some seasoning to that entire dish to make it taste better. I will not be getting that again.

The dessert was the best part of the meal. The flaming pineapple butter cake was beyond delicious! You wanted to savor each an every bite because the flavor just made you want to kiss the chef for making my last dish of the night wonderful.

The waitress was really nice, but not attentive. She had too many tables and could not service us properly. We had to ask for refills. She never cleared our empty plates until we asked her to. When the dessert arrived there was no room to sit the plates down. The table was not cleared after...