marina cafe

i took my girlfriend to destin with plans to propose. i had called around to several different restaurants and tourist attractions in the area to decide on the perfect location. all of the places i called were dismissive and not very enthusiastic ... in fact one restaurant i called said they wouldn't take pictures during/after the proposal because they thought it was "distracting to other customers". then i came across marina cafe. when i called i told them i wanted to propose at their restaurant and immediately the office manager (i believe her name is judy... i might be wrong) was super excited and began to list off ideas of where in the restaurant would be the perfect place to do it. i did not ask about pictures, but due to her enthusiasm i immediately booked a reservation. in the upcoming week to our trip to destin i spoke to her again and asked if they might be able to take pictures and she said that they would do anything i wanted to do. once we arrived at the restaurant the hostess informed our waiter (freddie) that we had arrived and he personally walked us to our table where the manager (michael) was waiting to greet us. they really pulled out all the stops, even greeting me by name, pulling out my girlfriend's chair for her, and just making us feel like celebrities in general. i had told them that i was going to propose after ordering the entree and as soon as they saw it was happening they made sure to take pictures and a video on their cell phones and afterwards came up and got my number so they could send them to me. apart from helping out with the proposal, the service was phenomenal. freddie (our waiter) was incredibly friendly and attentive. the food was excellent (best steak i have ever had!!!!) and my fiancee's swordfish was to die for. after the meal they brought us complimentary ice cream (which was also delicious) with a decorated plate that said "congratulations"! apart from the service and the food, the view is beautiful - looking out at the boats in the marina. we were both just blown away by the whole experience and they helped create a night we will never forget for as long as we both live. this is a restaurant that we will visit everytimewe come back to destin (which we will, because we have family that owns a condo in the area). whether or not you have a special occasion, you definitely need to try out marina cafe!!! it is our new favorite restaurant.

firsttimehere and it turned out great.  seems to be a little off the tourist path which is a nice change for locals.  the atmosphere is great with an awesome view of the harbor.  the wine list is extensive.  sushi isn't the main focus here but it is great, the kaboom roll was very good.  the jumbo lump crab on panko crusted eggplant medallions and herb crusted yellow fin tuna with yellow tomato coulis were both extremely good appetizers.  the grilled fish (wahoo) with summer vegetables and roasted red bliss potatoes was perfect.  excellent portion size for a piece of grilled wahoo.  the s’mores martini and crème brulee were great after dinner.  our waiter chris and the rest of the staff were very professional and extremely helpful.  dinner was a little expensive but well worth it for the experience and great food.  wish we would have found this place years ago.

missed the mark. we have eaten at marina cafe probably 5 times over the last 15 years on vacation. this visit was more uneven. while the food was good, the service and overall experience have dropped a notch or two. after leaving cash for our pre - dinner bar bill, we proceeded to the host station to be seated for or reservation. the bartender found us at the host station to inform us that a trainee had "incorrectly rung our bill at happy hour prices" and handed us a new bar bill for double the original amount. the host visited our table about 5timeduring the meal, which was way too much. two in our party had the grouper special , which was billed as a more healthy option. it was a 4-5oz piece with few vegetables as a garnish for $31. the menu and decor seem the same as 15 years ago, and the prices are too high for the creativity and meal you get. it's a nice setting, especially around sunset. they need some updates, and need to focus on getting things right, not so much on maximizing your bill and bugging you during your meal

happy hour spot. i love the happy hour here. they did make some changes for hh but not enough to stop coming. overall very good, best view and good price. thurs night ladies night. wine under two bucks! service can be slow in bar during hh but so are most places. see you nexttimemarina !

don't go to happy hour at the bar on fridays. i have eaten in the restaurant and the food was excellent. i have also eaten the bar food, which is also excellent, but anytimei have gone on fridays i am always disappointed with the service at the bar. after my husband and i stood at the bar for 10 minutes with no acknowledgment that we were even there, we found a seat at the bar on the end away from the bartenders (because there were no seats near them). the 2 waiters are way at the other end of the bar and never even look down to the other end. the onetimeone of them came our way and didn't even look up at anyone, i asked in a loud voice 3 times before they finally looked up and i asked if he would take our order. anothertimei went around to the other side and asked if they'd take our order, and he said he would come over there, but he never came over. anothertimehe took my drink order but never came back with the drink. also, the prices are sky high after happy hour; my hubby ordered a double beam and coke and was charged $18.50 for it. many people got up and left because no one would wait on them. the one guy that was paying attention (the one who was bringing out the food), was the only one sympathetic to anyone there. why are there only 2 waiters during happy hour??? it's the same story every friday (i've been several times - don't know why i went back). never again!

keeps getting better. our third visit in three years was another pleasant and fulfilling dining experience. this was our firsttimewith andy as our server and he along with the marina cafe staff are true professionals! the service you will receive will exceed your expectations, and rivals that of the finest five star restaurants we've visited in nashville and louisville. my wife and i love the sushi here, and we usually start with two rolls off the extensive sushi menu as an appetizer. the appetizers all look delicious, but we were hooked by the sushi on our first visit. my wife likes the metro martini, cherry cosmo, and she also had the zombie martini as well. the zombie martini has both light rum and 151 along with some other liqueurs if my memory serves me correct- quite strong but still pleased my palate. our friends had a mango mojito and a harbor view- all which had many accolades and praise. i decided to try the shrimp linguine- the spicy tomato sauce with capers, gulf shrimp, and kalamato olives was a no-brainer. my wife got my usual stapel dish- andouille crusted redfish with cayenne butter. our friends ordered the waygu hanger steak with chimichurri sauce, and jumbo creole bbq gulf shrimp with southern grits. our food took a bit to arrive and i know that good food takes time, but our server andy kept us stocked in the delicious bread and drinks. the entrees were all incredible! everyone but my wife tried an entree they had never had before and all were excellent. after dinner i had no room left for dessert but my wife ordered the vanilla creme brulee. she offered me the macadami laced cookie with it and i began to wonder why this delicious item isn't in the menu by itself. our friends both got the rum raisin bread pudding souffle. either one was a winner in my book. if you are in this area make sure you visit marina cafe. the portions are great, the atmosphere is top notch, servers here set the bar, drinks are great and original, and the price is "right on" with the area. if you go to the nearby "jimmy buffet" fried seafood paper cup cocktail joints you will ultimately spend close to the same amount as you would here. who knew one could find such a bargain in a state that helped re-elect obama!

this place is expensive, so we usually stick to ordering sushi at the bar. they have a great happy hour (half off drinks and sushi on weekdays) but lasttimei was there, i was disappointed to see they restricted which sushi was included in happy hour. overall, the food is good, although the service could be better!

great food. firsttimeat marina cafe. it had a beautiful view of the harbor and the food and service was excellent. the crab cake small plate was the best crab cake ever with a remoulade sauce that was a perfect complement. the grouper was light and tasty -some of the best fish i have ever had. the macaroni and cheese was an excellent side and not too heavy. service was outstanding and we had a very memorable experience. definitely a go back to place.

dinner date. my husband and i went for a date night while on vacation. i made reservations three days ahead of when we were going. we arrived ontimeand had to wait about 10 minutes for our table. it was a thursday night and the bar area has $2 drinks, so while we waited, i ordered a glass of wine. we were seated in front of the large windows over looking the bay. we had to wait a few minutes for our waiter to greet us, but once he did, he did a fine job. he made appetizer and course suggestions. we had the scallops for an appetizer. scallops are my favorite, and i was extremely disappointed when he brought it out. there were only four very small, thin scallops. they were so small, i thought the chef had taken one large scallop and sliced it into fourths.
the complementary bread and garlic-infused dipping oil was very good. i liked having a choice of white/wheat.
our meals, however, were delicious. our waiter recommended the crab-topped grouper with a citrus buerre blanc sauce. it came with a cucumber-grape tomato salad. it was phenomenal! my husband ordered the rib-eye topped with crabmeat. it was also good. we decided not to have dessert.
if we go back next time, i will try a different appetizer, but get the grouper again!

very professional place. by far the nicest restaurant i've eaten at this week in destin. we made a reservation and had to wait about two extra minutes because the manager wanted to ensure we had the best view in the whole restaurant. from start to finish he checked on us and made sure everything was satisfactory. not overbearing though. staff was incredibly friendly and was guest oriented which is very important to me. we started off with the calamari. before i go on i must make not that the food was creative and refreshing to see that kind of creativity. the calamari was topped with shredded banana peppers, nice touch! i had the swordfish special over some sort of garlic roasted mashed potatoes, topped with braised spinach. that was fabulous! very enjoyable. she got the filet topped with jumbo lump crab meat. talk about food envy! that was over roasted potatoes. we then decided the vanilla crème brûlée. wow! that was the right choice. that was fabulous with the cup of coffee i had. pricey but worth every penny! server was a gem as well. he did an extraordinary job. i will be back nexttimei am in destin!

great food, great view, good service.. decided to give this place a try based on the good reviews. went in for there 2 for one entree special between 5 and 6pm, and what a deal this is. the food was very good, the service was good and the price was unbeatable. this was our first visit, but it will not be our last. if you are in the area, make your reservations, as it fills up quickly for the 2 for 1 special. anytimethat you can get a great meal, with a great view, and good service all for less than $50 including tip, i'll take it every time. the grouper and the swordfish were both excellent. i can't wait till we get back down to destin so we can eat here again.

service declining. we are longtimecustomers of marina cafe and over the past year the service has declined considerably. if you want fine dining at its best and want outstanding service this is not the place to go anymore.

the manager is fantastic but the food and service are really declining!

great cocktail lounge. marina cafe has the best bar specials in destin. go in for some sushi and brick oven pizza. enjoy happy hour and ladies night....there's always something going on. the food is consistent and i know that i will always have a greattimeat this local landmark.

marvelous food in a relaxing lovely place. we had an absolutely wonderfultimeat marina cafe! the redfish was some of the best seafood i have ever had...and i love seafood. my husband tried the yellow edged grouper with crabmeat crust. these were both just superb entrees! we also heard great things about the kobe beef and the ahi tuna from our dining companions. the wait staff were all terrific. we were there between 5 and 6 when you can buy one entree and get the next free. that made the meals affordable in addition to them being outstanding. the restaurant was packed so we waited a little long for the food, but our waiter refilled bread and drinks and we just enjoyed the view. the atmosphere is pleasant. i would not take young children here... there are plenty of more casual and noisy places for that. but if you are looking for outstanding food in nicer surroundings, you won't beat marina cafe.