Vue on 30a — Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach

So, while we were on vacation, it was our 5 year wedding anniversary. My parents babysat the littles and we were free to have a nice evening out, sans kids. I told my husband I wanted to go here because I read the view was nice, and not many other restaurants capitalized on the gorgeous view. So we pull up and the parking lot is full, he asks if I made a reservation and I said, no. I mean, come on, we're parents of three littles, it's not often we dine out without them, much less to a fancier type of dining that requires reservations. After he said something, I thought I probably should have called ahead, but alas, we were there, so we gave it a try. Right when we walked in, I asked if we could sit near the window, and the hostess asked if we made a reservation. Doh. I told her no, and she said, all the tables by the windows were reserved. I made a face at my husband in disappointment and she mentioned the patio. (Which is really where I wanted to be anyways, but upon entering the restaurant, you can't see a patio exists, since it is off the the side). She stated it was open, but people were coming in because it was too cold. I told her it was perfect, and we'd take our chances. Once outside, there were a few tables with people sitting at them and the hostess let us choose our seat. I chose to sit nearest the edge, where we could see the sunset and the ocean. When our server came, she was very friendly. I want to say her name was Paula. She was friendly and engaging. We ordered the Tempura Portobello Fries as an appetizer and I ordered a White Russian. We just sat watching the waves and the sun set and talked and enjoyed each others company while we waited for our food and drinks. The fries came and they were presented in this wire cone shaped holder with a sauce. I will say, I'm not much of a mushroom fan, but these were very good. The sauce to dip them in was delicious. It was an aioli and had a bit of a kick to it. We took our time enjoying the date, I sipped my drink (which was a little strong) and after our appetizer, we ordered. I got the Filet Mignon and he got the Lamb Porterhouse, but our server told us they were out of the Lamb Porterhouse and said the chef was substituting it with Lamb Chops. (Lets just say he was not happy about the arrangement, but decided to give it a try). As we sat and waited for our food, the wind picked up a little and everyone that was on the patio, went inside. Now... we're from Michigan, so a little warm sea breeze isn't deterring us from being outside. Our server came out and asked if we'd like to move. We told her we were fine, so at this point we had the patio all to ourselves. It was like a private, romantic dinner for two overlooking the ocean. I will say, the patio, for such an upscale restaurant, seemed slightly chincy. It was decking, but it was connected to an association's pool and beach access, because people were coming up and down the stairs to the beach that way. Not a big deal, but just caught me off guard for such a high end restaurant. So, our food came, and everything was plated gorgeous and the food tasted wonderful. My husband thought his was okay, but was disappointed he couldn't get what he originally wanted. We watched the sun completely set and we sat in the dark. The light was pretty dim out on the patio. Our server came back and we got to talking about how long she's lived in Florida and how she likes it. She was very nice. We ended up ordering dessert to finish the wonderful dinner, and we got a molten chocolate cake. It was rich. I love chocolate and I couldn't even finish it. It was a $100 meal, but...

I recently visited Vue on 30a, expecting a pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory due to the unreasonably rude behavior of a staff member.

Upon arriving, I sat down and waited for 15 minutes before I was approached by a staff member who rudely told me to remove my hat. He did not ask, he told me to remove it. This directive was given in a condescending manner, making me feel both unwelcome and uncomfortable. I would like to point out that there is no law or regulation in Florida that prohibits wearing a hat in a restaurant.

What made this situation even more egregious was the blatant inconsistency in the enforcement of so-called “etiquette” rules. I noticed several other patrons with their feet on chairs and others wearing hats at the bar and at one point one gentleman with a hat briefly in the dinning area.

None of them were reprimanded or asked to adjust their behavior. It became clear to me that I was being unfairly targeted, likely due to my identity. This form of discrimination is unacceptable and highly inappropriate for any establishment, let alone one that prides itself on its “high” standards.

Under Florida law, specifically the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA), discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or religion is prohibited. This means that any form of discriminatory treatment, including the selective enforcement of policies, is against the law. Additionally, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public accommodations, including restaurants.

Furthermore, there are no laws that permit restaurants to arbitrarily enforce dress codes that infringe upon the rights of patrons. Requiring a customer to remove a piece of clothing such as a hat, especially in a discriminatory manner, is not supported by any state or federal regulations. This revoked rights.

Discrimination and selective enforcement of rules do not align with the values of respect and equality. Many men wore hats at the bar, there is no sign or indication of hats are permitted. They were not my skin color either, so that is disconcerting. I have a cancer and surgical scar upon my head, I hide it to prevent any unwanted stares and attention. It was inhumanly painful to sit there with my head not covered.

Vue on 30a needs to reevaluate its policies, and train its staff to treat all customers with the same level of courtesy and respect. Have signs, inform customers from different backgrounds. Until these changes are made, I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone who values its rights and or is seeking a fairly enjoyable experience.

Thank you Matt, you revoked my rights as an American citizen and my...

Typically I don’t review for places I don’t think deserves 5 stars as I like to give small businesses the benefit of the doubt. But this place clearly fancies itself as somewhat upscale, so I’m sure can absorb a little constructive criticism.

We sat at the bar for a cocktail and light lunch. The barman was very hot-and-cold. Or more cold and tepid. The type where you think he’s having a bad day and rather rude, but then will say something light and polite, but then right back to rude and condescending again. And the cycle continues. My wife ordered the falafel wrap and was asked what side she’d like. The menu did not have a sides section, so she asked what the options are. The barman snapped and told her “it’s on the menu”. So, flustered, she just asked for a side salad. I ordered the grouper tacos.

While we waited for the food, we commented on the amount of flies buzzing around, the dated worn out furniture, and the impossibly squeaky door which leads out to a small “private pool”? Something between an 80’s Hamptons club and Route 66 motel. Very random being connected to a dining room.

The food arrived, my tacos were fine. For the price you’d hope they’d be more inventive or experimental, but as they were. They were fine. The falafel wrap however was simply awful. I genuinely felt embarrassed for the kitchen staff (“chef”?). We’ve had infinitely better falafel from street vendors at 3am. My wife had to unwrap the very dry tortilla to find where the falafel was hiding. The two small balls were underneath what can best be described as pond weed salad. The same pond weed salad that accompanied as a side dish. So a heck of a lot of pond weeds. The barman asked how the food was, we mentioned the lack of falafel (probably the cheapest form of protein a kitchen can offer), but he just rolled his eyes and walked off. You can imagine how we felt when the check arrived with not only no compensation for the lack of the main ingredient, but also a $2 up-charge for the horrendous side salad. Honestly, I’ve had better food from the fridges of rural gas stations.

IMO the only thing this place has going for it, as the name implies, is the “vue”, which is...