Chanticleer Eatery — Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach

Great food! However, such slow service would be enough to keep me from going back. Someone in our group said that they recalled the service being very slow when they were there a time before. Perhaps, some things don't change, sadly.

We sat back in a room by ourselves that had two other tables in it, no not occupied. We waited for our server while one of the hostesses came back and cleared one of the bigger tables in there. We then waited longer and now it's been 10 minutes. A few minutes later a server comes back and we think, finally! Well, the server proceeded to take the order of a couple who had sat down only a couple minutes before and he apologized for the wait, which they hardly had any. We got his attention as he was leaving and told him that no server had even come back to us yet. He began to take our order and another server then comes back. He said he was very busy so, he handed the order off to her to which we then repeated to her. So by the time she's done taking her order it's been 20 minutes and we have no drinks in front of us. Waters were brought but nothing else. It's now been another 7 to 8 minutes before they even bring the beer after I remind them that we had one of those coming.

I overheard the initial server back there that served the couple say that they weren't expecting to be so busy which was astonishing to hear, considering it was not only MLK weekend when a lot of people visit the beach, but it was 30A Songwriters Festival and has been happening for 15 years now. So what a total BS comment to make. If they were just understaffed for whatever reason, it's one thing, but don't make an asinine comment for an excuse as to why service is slow. And the fact of the matter that that couple didn't have to wait for anything and actually had their food on the table before that single beer had even arrived at our table.

Our food did come out relatively quickly, considering the length of time that we waited. So props to the kitchen for kicking it out. And once our server settled in, she was nice and accommodating to us. She still received a 20% tip from me on a $160 tab. I understand, things happen, and I feel the brunt of most of this hangs on management. Hack in any restaurant I've ever worked in, when things get crazy and any server gets backed up, any good manager is going to jump in and at the very least take a drink order to get the ball rolling and alleviate any discomfort by the guests.

So take from this what you will, but I have worked in the industry plenty over my years and this was disappointing to see that this restaurant's management could not ramp up staff on this very busy weekend so we and perhaps others could have a nicer experience. Not being greeted by anyone for over 10 minutes upon sitting down sets the table for an unpleasant experience. I would rather have my order placed in a reasonable amount of time and then have the kitchen take longer on my food. In this instance and others like it, it just feels like you're being ignored or forgotten about. Never a...

My family and I were searching for a place to eat when we stumbled upon Chanticleer. We briefly looked at the menu online and decided to give it a try. The hostess sat us immediately and the waiter was very friendly and helpful. He informed us that the restaurant was previously a bakery and the cookies were amazing. Another waiter had informed us that the lunch menu was entirely different. He also told us that the restaurant makes all its own breads and the Reuben, in particular, was amazing. The restaurant had a bar and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating available. The tables were decorated with hand-painted art. The walls were adorned with wonderful pictures of the local landscape.The bathrooms were very clean and they also had a family-friendly restroom. We started with a couple of appetizers: Calamari: The calamari appeared to be hand breaded and was very tender. The aioli dipping sauce was tasty and bright. I wish the portion was a tad larger given the price. Lobster Bisque: The portion was generous and the soup had a very good flavor. It was silky and rich. I felt it could have used a few large chunks of lobster meat. For our dinners, we ordered the following: Catch with Shrimp: The fish of the day was grouper. It came in a garlic butter sauce. The sauce was divine. The two does we chose were creamed spinach and cheese grits. The creamed spinach was our favorite. It was rich and flavorful. The cheese grits could have used a tad bit of cream or something to loosen them. By the time they arrived at our table, they had seized up a bit. They were very cheesy and tasty. Caprese Salad: This dish was very good. The nut less pesto and balsamic reduction were very tasty. The only issues I had with the dish were as follows: The tomato slices needed to be about half as thick and needed salt and pepper. Also, ditch the lettuce. I found myself rummaging through the lettuce to get more of those wonderful sauces. Side of Collard Greens: The greens were very tender and well-seasoned. Krioyo Pasta: The pasta, shrimp, and sausage were cooked perfectly. The pasta wasn't over-sauced. The flavor of the rich and creamy sauce was amazing. Tomato Basil Soup: The soup was a generous portion and very tasty, but I'm not sure it was worth the price. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of tomato Basil soups.

For dessert, we decided to try both varieties of cookies available. The first was a chocolate chip cookie. It was a chewy and delicious melty goodness. The second was a white chocolate and coconut cookie. Man, this was easily my favorite. The coconut flavor was strong and the cookie was chewy and moist on the inside. It was absolutely delicious!

The one thing that really disappointed me was seeing the almost $8 credit card fee.

We come to visit this area once a year and this restaurant is definitely on our list to revisit. I'm still trying to twist my wife's arm into allowing us to come for lunch...

The best grilled cheese you will ever have in your life. Let me tell you a story that will absolutely sway you towards this restaurant. One of my best friends came down here for a week during summer of 2017. Naturally he wanted to get a taste of the good restaurants, and yours truly is a foodie living in Florida, so he knew it know where to go. Another thing to know about my dear friend. He is a food snob. He can tell if it's quality or if it belongs in a burning trashcan. So, I took him to the good sushi and hipster eating places and he liked those, but had little complaints here and there (because what self respecting food snob wouldn't criticize every restaurant they go to?). The last day he was here, I said "We're going to this little restaurant and getting grilled cheeses and tomato basil soup." He looked at me like I had LOST MY MIND. We'd been to all these uppity, kind of expensive places all week and now, on his last day here, we were eating grilled cheese? "Hold on," I said, "THIS will be the best grilled cheese you have in your entire life." Then, the food snob in him arose from its light slumber and said "I don't know if it'll be able to compare to XYZ place back home." So I looked at him and said "Lets go." We arrived to the little restaurant a few minutes later, and his first question was "What's with all the rooster decor?" I shrugged and got us a booth. "You and I are going to get the same thing." I explained, knowing I wouldn't want to share the tiniest bite. So, I ordered two of the half Chanticleer grilled cheeses/half tomato basil soups (because these monsters will fill you up before you know it). We sat at the table and chatted over our waters, with him throwing in the occasional "I don't believe this" comment. A few minutes later, the moment of truth came to us via a sweet as could be server. She set those plates down with a smile, asked us if we needed anything, then left us to it. This was the final moment. The truth was about to set my friend free. I knew what it tasted like already, so I leaned back in my seat to watch the expression on his snobbish face once he finally understood true grilled cheese enlightenment. He reached down, picked up the beautifully crisp grilled cheese, and bit into it. I am not lying when I tell you that as soon as he finished that first bite, he immediately sang the Doxology (Praise God from whom all blessings flow etc). "Never move [away from here]. I'm so sorry I ever doubted you." He smiled and inhaled the rest of the absolute best grilled cheese/tomato soup combo he would ever experience. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you should absolutely take the time to go to Chanticleer Eatery. (They also have magnificent chocolate chip and white chocolate chip coconut...