Ocean Grill — Restaurant in Vero Beach

Unfortunately, Unimpressed.

After eating at Ocean Grill on Mothers Day, the conversations following the lunch were of many juxtapositions. We visited McKee Botanical Gardens several weeks prior and loved that experience, and so hearing that there was some connection between the places with the owners having history, we were equally excited to see what Ocean Grill had to offer. And the scenery and atmosphere did not disappoint. A wide eclectic gathering of many different styles was amazing to walk around and dine in, there was a slight smell of antique store that comes with filling a room with old artifacts, but the feast for the eyes well made up for it.

Unfortunately, that was where the awe ended. After being escorted to our seats by a different server, and seeing the white tablecloths and (not polished) flatware place settings, we were ready for a more fine dining experience. Which our server did not provide. And some of these are nitpicky, but with a place presenting such a show upon seating, I think its warranted. Our server did not walk us through the fresh fish specials, make any offerings or recommendations. The tablecloths were stained and covering vinyl covered tables underneath. Even down to our server rarely refilled our drink glasses without spilling some and presented a white wine glass by grabbing the bell and not the stem. If you are going to be presenting yourself as fine dining, focus on the details. I want to feel welcomed by my server, not like a bored afterthought. This pains me to say as someone who has been a server for nearly 10 years, I guess I expect more from my colleagues.

The food was unimpressive save for the blueberry muffins. If this were a bakery and all they served were blueberry muffins, I would tell people to drive up to an hour out of their way for these perfect blends of sweet, chewy, and gummy. But, there was no mention of them before they were served. We learned that they come with fresh fish, but there was nothing on the special sheet, no mention from our server. If the fresh fish is a higher priced menu item you want to sell, use the muffins as a selling point. The rest of the food was just fine. Cobia was good texture and flavor, a pleasing example of cobia. Another in the group ordered a burger which was bland, and tasted almost unsalted.

I tried to give it some grace due to it being mothers day, a historically busy day for restaurants, but we were one of the first tables seated. I would hope that there hadnt been enough time for a normal service to be thrown that out of wack within 30 minutes of opening. The whole experience felt a little like lipstick on a pig. Trying to dress up an experience that was not capable of living up to the advertising. It wouldve been more enjoyable if one aspect was focused on, but as it was, it felt like a shoved in corner of a random Mathem house with an attempt at fine dining, but hey, its a tourist spot, they dont care. Churn and burn cause another one is coming in. But for a local, looking for a nice date spot, this approach is...

1/10/24 - UPDATE Ocean Grill has definitely redeemed themselves from the previous bad experience we had and deserved for this review to be updated! We decided to try them one more time (my husband's birthday) & this time we were not disappointed at all mostly due to a wonderful server named JEFF that was absolutely wonderful, extremely attentive, a pleasure to deal with and was 100% spot on with his service to our table. Jeff is for sure an asset to this restaurant & deserves to be recognized! When we return to this restaurant in the future we will definitely be requesting Jeff as our waiter! As far as the food update, I ordered the Coquilles St. Jacques and it came to the table hot and was delicious! If you like seafood, I would recommend this dish. My husband took another chance on the stuffed shrimp & they were actually "stuffed shrimp" this time and tasted great! The wait time on the food was very fast especially considering the entire restaurant was full. We were pleasantly surprised & will be returning. GREAT job Ocean Grill for turning an original not so good review completely around!!!!

May 2023 Not a good experience. I’m going to base this review on 3 things; service, food and price. Although the waitress was very nice, from the time we gave her our food order, we waited 55 minutes to receive our food. She literally apologized half a dozen times promising the food would come out soon. It was obvious that other patrons were also feeling frustrated for the same reason. Now for the food- my husband ordered the stuffed shrimp, which tasted good, but don’t expect them to be “stuffed shrimp”. They were flavorful shrimp with the “stuffing” on the side. As far as my dish, it was a dish full of disappointment! I ordered the chicken oscar and it was literally room temperature, dry, tasteless pasta on the dish with a bland piece of chicken on top of it. It had about 2 tablespoons of sauce on it & I had to ask the waitress if she could bring me a small dish of sauce so I can pour it on my pasta! She took one look at it, apologized and brought me a gravy boat of the sauce! As far as the price is concerned- do not go by the pricing of the menu on line at all. It’s obviously not updated & the pricing on the in house menus are much higher. We ordered no appetizers, both drank ice water and the bill was $85.00 for sub par...

Ocean Grill is the heart and soul of the Vero Beach experience. If the unforgettable views of oceanfront location don’t win you over, the charm and welcoming atmosphere of the operation certainly will do the trick.

Our table was next to a window that gave us beachfront views of the sunset over the ocean. It was truly remarkable to experience.

The server exhibited a very professional demeanor and was well-versed in Menu knowlege. Her presence was well-timed and never pushy.

Ultimately the 50 year legacy of the establishment rests on the food. High-quality Seafood options are front-and-center, but every dish is held to a high standard and at a very competitive price point.

We started with stone crabs, baked brie, and the house made onion rings. Unreal. Presentation of each app was straightforward and well-portioned. Everything was delicious! If you don’t try the bled cheese spread at the table you are a fool!

Our group had a versatile range of dinner orders, all delectable. The chicken Oscar was outstanding, the crab meat was plentiful and served with angel hair pasta.

Those who ordered the Cajun grouper entree (a la carte) could not stop raving about how flavorful the house seasoning was. The fresh catch, in its simplicity, was something to talk about.

I went with the OG Burger with the wedge salad on the side. The wedge was delicious, the pecans were a unique addition and offered a textured crunch that was unexpectedly pleasant. The burger itself was a YES. It was obviously a house made patty- no chance this was pre-packaged. Cooked exactly as requested! 👌🏼

There are no sufficient words to describe the dessert options the OG has to offer. Everything is delectable and generously plated. The chocolate lava cake and the blackberry cobbler are only partially spoken for in the pictures; both truly amazing. There is of course the Floridian staple of Key Lime Pie.

Thank you to the OG Staff for ensuring such a lovely outing for my family! It will forever standout as a favorite memory of...