The Gulf — Restaurant in Santa Rosa Island

This is the third year in a row that our group has visited The Gulf. It has been an incredible experience the two previous years.

The setting has the potential for really relaxing and fun evening with friends and family . However, while we were there this past Friday night, there were about 20 to 25 unmonitored children running around. We were watching a toddler who wandered down the dock and literally would have fallen in to the water. We were watching this child while his parents were not. My friend ran after this baby and picked him up off the dock steps from the water. We didn’t know him at all, but were concerned for his safety. A friend of the parent eventually noticed this child being carried up the dock and got the attention of his mother. However, after the child was returned, there continued to be no monitoring of the child as he headed down the sand and toward the water again. We wanted to hang around and enjoy our evening, but this created an uncomfortable environment for us.

My suggestion is that to create the environment that this place boasts perhaps there needs to be signs for children to be monitored well. If people are drinking and near the water having their babies and children around, seems irresponsible and stressful to other consumers present. A tragedy would have the potential to shut your restaurant down.

We were also disappointed that the couches were so dirty compared to previous years. I don’t know how this went downhill so quickly, but there is wear and tear and mildew but also food from a previous customer.

This has always been our favorite restaurant to visit while in Fort Walton Beach, but this year it definitely disappointed us.

We will be back next year as I’m not ready to give up on this place, but I do think the management needs to consider children and the lack of supervision as well as maintenance and cleanliness of...

The Gulf has a beautiful atmosphere—the grounds are absolutely picturesque and make for a lovely setting. Parking is free and easily available, which is a plus. Unfortunately, the food and overall experience didn’t live up to the scenery.

From the moment we walked in, we felt rushed. We were greeted at the door, quickly instructed on the “flow” of the restaurant, and sent on our way. Once you order, you’re responsible for finding your own seat, getting and refilling your own drinks, and cleaning up after yourself—yet they still prompt for a tip and review when you pay. When all the staff is doing is bringing the food to the table, it’s hard to see the value in tipping.

Our food was cold when it arrived and seemed like it had been sitting for a while. In fact, our buzzer went off before we even found a table, which explained a lot. The to-go option was also unusual—a square piece of paper to wrap over your paper plate (photo included).

We ordered several items: • Guacamole & Chips and Tuna & Pita Chips – These were the highlights of the meal, fresh and flavorful. • Jerk Surf & Turf – This was not jerk sauce. I’m not sure what it was, but it certainly wasn’t jerk. The rice was mushy like rice pudding, the steak and shrimp lacked flavor, and the only redeeming part of the dish was the beans. Very disappointing. • Mahi Mahi Tacos – The most disappointing dish of all. The fish was cold, dry, flavorless, and clearly had been sitting for a while. • Lemonade – Sweet, refreshing, and one of the few bright spots of the meal.

Overall, the views and atmosphere are fantastic, but the food fell flat in both flavor and freshness, and the service model made the dining experience feel...

We ate here a few times while staying in FWB. You order at the counter and are given a pager to take to your table and then your order is brought out to you. The whole place is an outdoor dining restaurant but you can pick to be under a covered patio near the food order counter or sit out on the lawn. There's a big bar also to sit at or just walk up and get drinks and take back to your table. There are multiple seating areas to choose from such as high top tables and picnic tables with umbrellas. This place is right down by the waterfront so people can boat up and dock and kids can play in the sand and water too. There's fish food to buy also for kids to throw in the water. My kids love doing that and finding hermit crabs of course. There's also a sand volleyball court on site and a gift shop too. So to say the least this place has a little something for everyone to do. I like the vibe and the outdoor setup. The food is sorta pricey for the amount you get but the atmosphere makes up for it. The hand cut fries are good. I didn't care for the loaded ones. The cauliflower bites are good too. My grilled grouper salad was really good. The next time I went back I was disappointed to find out they didn't offer grilled grouper anymore tho. I tried the grilled shrimp instead and didn't care for it. Other things we got was the 2 pound crab leg boil and the crab legs were good but way too many potatoes in that meal. The ahi tuna salad was really nice. The kids got ice cream bars from the gift shop and they are $7 a pop. Overall I recommend going to the Gulf. It's a whole vibe but don't go expecting to get...