Flora-Bama Ole River Grill

Looked like they were working on their air conditioning while we were there, so it was pretty warm inside. But food was excellent, our party of 7 were served quickly and everyone left very full and very happy. Our teenagers wandered to the marina out back and saw several hermit crabs and a few playful dolphins while the sun set. Overall, it was an excellent experience.

My last stop to the Flora-Bama line. "I've been dining at the Flora-Bama Ole River Grill since it opened. My family has signed the wall in numerous places, and every time we come back, we try to find the names of friends who are no longer with us. However, this might be the last time I'm 'Sitting here at the Flora-Bama.' I don't know what's happened in the service industry, but lately, it feels like servers assume that printing suggested tips on the receipt means they'll get the minimum, no matter the service. Unfortunately, the service at Flora-Bama this time was 'deplorable at best.' The server made a grand total of four stops at our table. Now, I've been here when there was over an hour wait, but this time? We walked right up and were seated instantly and we had the option to choose where we wanted to sit. As you can see in the photos, there were empty tables inside and out, and no one was at the bar. So there's no excuse for why 'No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems' turned into no service. It took 11 minutes for our server to even make her first appearance, and after taking both our drink and food order at the same time, we didn't see her again until the food came out. And once the drinks were empty? She just dropped off refills without a word. The last time we saw her was when she dropped off the bill with a polite suggestion of 18%, 21%, and 25% gratuity. But tipping felt like rewarding 'fast food-level service'--and trust me, the service wasn't even that good. Now, let's talk about the food. I was disappointed to see my favorite menu items--Grilled Mahi Po'Boy, Oyster Po'Boy, and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich--had vanished. When you stay in the area for four weeks throughout the year and visit your favorite restaurants for dishes you can't get at home, it's frustrating when they're no longer offered. They even removed the Fried Oyster Basket and the New York Strip. I get it, oysters might be out of season, but you can still pay $18 for a dozen on the half-shell. Remember back in the '90s when they were a quarter each? Good times, right? I settled on Big Earl's Shrimp & Grits, which sounded amazing: stone-ground smoked Gouda grits, lightly blackened Gulf shrimp, and Creole cream sauce. I'll give credit where it's due--the sauce was incredible. I'd put it on anything (yes, I dipped my wife's leftover fries in it!). But sadly, that was the only part of the dish that impressed me. First off, I don't know where Big Earl got his name, but it certainly wasn't by eating this. The portion of grits was smaller than the "Scoops Ice Cream" (Tag) I get at the shop down on 59 and those young people provide excellent service. Worse, they were clearly sitting around for too long--half creamy, half lumpy, like someone half-heartedly stirred them up in the kitchen. The sausage was good, and the shrimp were well-cooked, but why do restaurants insist on leaving the tails on prepared shrimp? It's not fun to fish around in my plate just to de-tail them myself. You've raised the price of the entrée by a dollar, at least remove the darn tails so it feels like I'm getting something in return. All in all, this 'No Shoes Pirate' has too many better options between Fort Morgan and the Flora-Bama line to choose from. I love what this place used to be, but unless some serious changes are made, Ole River Grill is off my treasure map."

A/C was cranking well on the inside with years of wall writing all over, per the Flora-Bama theme. The service was efficient and friendly, and the views were great inside and outside. The food wasn't anything special, blackened "fish" was mediocre at best, but eatable. Fries shrimp was ok. Everything seemed fresh and arrived hot. Oddly enough the club soda was noticably tasty out of the bar gun, if you get me. The bathroom was pretty clean and well maintained. Prices were typical for a touristy spot, with plenty of merch in the front entrance area. I also enjoyed their branded hot sauces on the table. If they worked on the quality of the fish being right on the coast I'd definitely go back sometime. With this said, I had the fresh oysters at the main bar area which were great, and seem to be their specialty!

Update: Despite our poor dining experience, the restaurant has quickly responded by providing us with a full refund, an invite back to the restaurant, and an apology. Do not eat here! Incredibly disappointed. I am not one to post poor reviews and would consider myself generally understanding. We are travelling with family in the Alabama area. This was the worst dining experience we've had in ages. We arrived at 7 pm and was told there was a 20-30 minute wait. That was totally fine. There was many tables open but I understand that there may have not been very many servers to accommodate. After getting in, our server took awhile to get to us. He only had a couple tables and took ages to get to us to order our food. All in all, we ended up spending 2 hours here and it took an hour and a half to get our food. Once the food came out, it was cold, not that good, and had two tiny little pieces of fish on a giant sandwich that I paid $16 for. If I wanted a salad sandwich, I would've ordered that. There were also complaints of the tots being greasy from my mother. Overall, this was a terrible experience. I never like to cause a scene when eating at a restaurant so that is why I am leaving a review. The check was $120 and everyone in my family was incredibly displeased.

Very quick service, plenty of food for the price and all with great flavor! Adult beverages as well as a kids menu, perfect for the whole family and very accommodating. Exceeded expectations! Server could've been more 'friendly' or engaged but was still attentive with refills and making sure the food was all good for us.