cosmo's restaurant & bar

our family went to cosmo's tonight for the first time...and we weren't disappointed! everything we ordered was tasty, prepared well and served hot. the blackened grouper wasexcellent- perfect texture and spiciness. the crab cakes were full of crab meat but were served with a little too much remoulade sauce on them, which was easily scraped off to let the flavor of the cakes come through. the roasted vegetables and asparagus were both perfectly cooked and seasoned and the parmesan risotto was as good as the server indicated when she recommended it in place of the rice. service was friendly and timely throughout the meal. no wonder there was a 45-minute wait at 6:15 pm for outside tables (to listen to the live music). we'll bbe back on our next visit to orange beach, for sure!

best restaurant i ate at for my vacation. i was in the orange beach for a week on vacation and cosmo’s was by far the best place i ate at. the restaurant has a large patio that allows you to eat outside comfortably as well as enjoy the view of the surrounding area. the only downside of cosmo’s is that it is a little high in the price range for many people. but, the food is delicious and well worth the extra money if you can afford it. personally, i would recommend trying the pecan encrusted redfish at the restaurant for i believe that it is one of the best things i have ever eaten.
i would recommend personally going to cosmo’s during happy hour. while i was there, the happy hour featured half off appetizers and drinks. this meant that the calamari and sushi i enjoyed was around 10$ for both instead of 20$ for both appetizers. i normally only eat california roll sushi but the salmon roll sushi with cream cheese i ordered was heavenly. the calamari at cosmo’s also avoids the commons pitfall of many restaurants by lightly frying the calamari which allows the calamari’s flavor to shine. the appetizers were also both generously portioned which wasexcellentdue to the quality of the appetizers.
for the main course, i split the pecan encrusted redfish and blackened grouper with the person i was eating with. the pecan encrusted redfish was honestly one of the best things i have ever tasted and comes with a risotto which complemented the dish perfectly. the redfish portion was also substantial which helped justify the 26$ dollar price tag along with the sheer perfection of the dish. the blackened grouper was alright but was about the same price as the redfish. the grouper, however, was half of the redfish’s portion size and only had mushy vegetables to serve as a side dish. honestly, if cosmos can make a perfectly cooked risotto for the redfish i do not see why more fish aren’t served with risotto instead of the grouper’s pitiful excuse for cooked vegetables.
i also appreciated the wait staff’s friendliness and honesty at the restaurant. our waiter was genuinely affable and ensured that the many dishes that accompanied our meal arrived while they were hot. many of the fish and seafood dishes served at cosmo’s are listed on the menu as simply market price. the waiter made sure that we were aware of the meal price when we placed our order so that there were no unfortunate surprises when the check came. the waiter also was sure to share the history of cosmo’s and the fact that many of the salad dressings and butters are made in house. the waiter’s recommendations proved to be an accurate reflection of the menu for the redfish and the sushi were my favorite dishes which were also his recommendations.

cosmo's is a great little spot for higher end dining. the atmosphere was casual, but the food itself was divine. we started with the barbecued crab claws, served in a shallow dish, swimming in an exquisite tangy roux-like sauce. since we're watching our carbs, we both chose the sea bass. it's marinated overnight, wrapped in a banana leaf and baked. the result is melt in your mouth deliciousness!

the service wasexcellentand there was a wide selection of fresh fish offerings. not your typical "seafood house," this place is a treat for the refined palate.

we have eaten at cosmos many times over the years and have always hadexcellentmeals andexcellentservice. i finally decided to have the chilean sea bass wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf.....it was one of the best things i have eaten in a long time. our party of four had nothing but rave reviews about the food and service. we'll come again as we always have and look forward to another great meal.

this is one of my favorite restaurants. the wait is often quite long during the summer, but the unique food is worth it. service isexcellentonce you get a table. they have a different savory cheesecake and bread pudding daily, among other daily specials.

been going to cosmo's 4 or 5 times every winter visit (over 5 years?). alwaysexcellentfood and service. most times, i order the mahi sandwich and it is always wonderful. just love this restaurant.


-----09 mar, 2013-----

have had the mahi sandwich a bazillion times and it is always excellent. always great service, especially the kind of baldish guy ( don't know his name but he's a real pro).

great seafood, surprisingly poor/ slow service. we took advantage of the happy hour incredible deals and enjoyed a generous serving of firecracker shrimp and the small butexcellentcrab cakes plus a good seared tuna salad. we ate on the festive patio with a light crowd but must have been invisible to the wait staff. after 25 minutes, i flagged down a waitress who took our order but provided very slow service. look forward toexcellentfood and below par service on the patio.

great place.excellentatmosphere, food, service and value.

cheese dip. love love love this place. the atmosphere is great, outside and inside. cosmo's is our dinner out restaurant every time we vacation in gulf shores. the famous cheese dip had us hooked the first time we came. our only complaint this year was the cheese dip, which was watery and our bowl was half full. i'd rather pay more money for it, if the cost is the reason it was "stretched". pecan redfish, crab cakes, dark chocolate kahlua cheesecake....delicious!


-----28 jun, 2013-----

favorite restaurant in orange beach. it has become a family tradition during our annual vacation here to visit cosmo's. we have never been disappointed. try the crab cakes, stuffed catfish, grilled shrimp, chicken roulades, cheese dip! did i say cheese dip? unbelievable...the best appetizer anywhere! fabulous service even with an hour and a half wait. sit on the covered porch, drink a few and listen to the live music! rachel, thanks for theexcellentservice...don't forget how to say andouille (ahn-doo-ee). you'll be a true southerner! until next time!


-----12 feb, 2013-----

enjoyable!. have never had bad service but after reading some reviews, i was expecting it...was i wrong! very attentive server and others would stop by and ask how things were. the food was exceptional...cheese dip, crab cakes, muffaletta pasta, chicken roulades, key lime pie and creme brûlée. don't pass up this gem!


-----18 feb, 2012-----

don't pass up the cheese dip...absolutely the start of a great meal!! enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service.

great food and the price isn't too bad. ask for sophie;excellentservice. plan to come back often.

great food. went to cosmos for the first time with friends, went out for drinks and just a small bite to eat. sat at the bar and had thee most wonderful bartender jeff. he knew everything in detail on drinks an food. we will come back again just for hisexcellentservice

hands down the best seafood in this entire region. cosmo's came highly recommended so i had to try it while on a mini vacation in orange beach.excellentfresh seafood, great beer selection, best service i've ever had, and everyone was wonderful with my 2 small children. crab cakes were unbelievable, blackened grouper cooked perfect, and craft beers hit the spot. if you don't visit cosmo's you are missing a treat.

great place. this place takes their food seriously! went on ash wednesday and they still were offering some mardi gras specials. i tried the pimento cheese stuffed pork chop - delicious! the pimento cheese wasn't overwhelming but just the right amount and the bone-in chop were cooked perfectly and was moist and delicious. i got the mashed potatoes which were wonderful. my husband got 8 grilled shrimp with fresh pico degallo over risotto which he thought were bothexcellentand he said they were "a 10". we've been here once before a few years ago and will definitely return.

quite good. awesomely artistic interior decorations and unique menu. the pepper-caesar dressing was a little outside of my personal preference for salad dressing, but others may enjoy. the calamari was anexcellentdish. recommended dining for anyone.