the oar house on bayou chico

had a great dinner. food was good. this is a place i will be going to when i am in pensacola.

excellent location. great atmosphere and pretty decent seafood. drinks outside at the tikibar were really good. little off the beaten path of downtown but worth a visit. great party location. give it a shot.

finally tried the cordon bleu and i am glad that i did. i would have to say it is my new favorite sandwich. the chicken was perfectly cooked and paired with the thick smoked virginia ham and swiss cheese, mmmmm, will have another soon.


-----18 aug, 2011-----

had the filet (med rare) sat. night and as usual it was fantastic, one of the best in pensacola.

mediocre at best. we ate at this restaurant when my sister came to town and wanted some fresh seafood. what a disappointment! of the same genre as the other overpriced, mass-produced, get-the-tourists-in seafood restaurants in this town such as flounders and the crab trap. all of our dishes (there were 8 of us) were just ok. the rice was not good but other specifics i do not remember. my child would not even eat his.

nice indoor, outdoor seating! beautiful view of boat harbor and docks. decent good. ahi tuna sandwich was ordered rare and came medium. great fries though!

over all, a great place for sunday brunch. the crab cakes were phenom, though i didn't care for the rice as a side, it was plain white with a bland blanc sauce that left me wanting for flavor. recommend opting for a side of dirty rice or a dif side all together. my partner got a shrimp basket, very simple but very good, light breading didn't overpower the sweetness of the shrimp and the fries, though not really special, were cooked just right. the hushpuppies were delightful. sweet bread with a crisp outer shell and just enough of an onion flavor. the cole slaw was a disappointment, it was missing something, not bland but as good as i expected. i also had a bloody mary with my meal and i would go back just for that alone, the flavors were perfectly matched, a hint of lemon and lime, with the celery, salt and pepper, and garnished with a dill pickled green bean and green olive. if you find yourself going there then ask for joselyn, friendly and a great hostess.

the view is great, but the rest is not. very slow service at 3 p.m. on a sunday when several tables are empty. one table is occupied by employees eating. yes,  workers deserve to eat too, but is it good p.r. for employees to be eating while customers go hungry? the food is very average. and then you need to wash your car because the place has a dusty dusty parking lot.

pretty good for a party place. we've been here several times, and will go again. outdoor seating (but protected from the elements when needed) provides a great view of the bayou and other people's boats. the online menu isn't current as of this writing, and the prices have gone up a little.

the food is solid if uninspired. i had the fish tacos, which were delicious. hubby thoroughly enjoyed the filet, but the accompanying asparagus was inedible. salads could be better, fresher, more . . . something. the smoked tuna dip was overly mayonnaise-y. we've decided that we prefer the sandwiches to the entrees, so we'll save this one for lunches.

we had the small sized jezebel salad with blackened mahi mahi, gumbo, fried crab legs appetizer with a tasty sauce and mahi mahi baja tacos. great food, great portion sizes, great service!

the forklift fish sandwich was perfect for lunch. the fish fillet was delicately sweet tasting & grilled. atop this generous fish portion was sautéed bell peppers, onions & mushrooms, with red onion & resh tomato slices. top it off with remulode sauce & french fries that were fried, but not at all greasy. beautiful breezy view of the harbor. boats coming in & going out to pensacola bay. highly recommend. dined here 4 times.

i stopped here to meet friends for lunch. there was a great breeze and we could look out into the bayou and watch the boats. we had a very energetic and helpful server, a nice lady named alex, who guided us through the menu. i ordered a fork lift: a grilled fish (basa) covered with sautéed onions and peppers. it was delicious – the fish was tender and flavorful, and not eclipsed by the aromatic vegetables.. the fries that accompanied it were some of the best i've ever had. i did not eat the bun because i wanted to enjoy the fish. the food was priced very reasonably, especially when you consider the prime location and spectacular views. this is the perfect place to enjoy a meal on a perfect day.

went on saturday evening. got seated right away. live music was going on as we walked in. josh, our waiter was was right there as we sat diwn. i had the grilled blackened fish with fresh in season grilled vegetables. my husband had the oyster po-boy. both were excellent choices. josh recommended we finish the meal with their signature key lime pie and we are glad he did. excellent service, great food and the atmosphere was fun and lively. we sat overlooking the harbor with a nice breeze blowing through. would recommend this to anyone wanting a casual dining experience.

went on saturday in the early afternoon. the place was busy but service was great and the ambience was very relaxed and easy going. this isn't dress up sort of seafood restaurant. think more like jimmy buffett. it is an open floor plan that allow breezes to flow through. they can close it in if needed.
i had a seafood gumbo that was fantastic. for an entree had the crab cakes which were the very good. i definitely recommend this restaurant if you're in the pensacola area.

i was literally the second person through the door for lunch (11:00) and ordered a simple basket as a single customer at 11:07.  my food did not arrive until 11:51 and several other groups of two or more people had arrived, ordered, and nearly finished their lunches by the time mine was served.  not acceptable!  i cannot speak to the quality of the food because i immediately requested a "to-go" container and have not yet eaten the food.

nice atmosphere. unfortunately the wait staff was unorganized. finally was able to get drinks. good was ok. maybe best for a beer and hanging out