Had to walk out as soon as the server finally decided to attend to us with an attitude. My boyfriend took me on a birthday get away week end and we ended up choosing this place, thinking that we were going to enjoy a nice, lovely evening. The restaurant welcomes you with a high end ambiance. The hostess took us as soon as possible to one of the available tables inside. 3 mins..., 10 mins..., 20 mins..., 30 mins..., still waiting. Then an arrogant server finally appears with both his hands on his waste. He introduced himself as Steve. Steve brought the table two very dirty glasses for drinking. My boyfriend quickly noticed and we asked Steve if we could bother him for new glasses. As if it was such an inconvenience, he took the glasses and returned seconds later. You'd think they were clean ones, but no, they were the same ones with lipstick marks only wiped. So, we thought, we'll just drink off the water bottles. Heck, we wanted to eat there. Once again, Steve took his time to get back with us to get our orders. This time, he came back, slouching, with an attitude (as if we don't belong in that place) that just made my bf and I ask for a manager. Steve went with us to see the "manager" (if she really was a real manager). We told the "manager" what happened, while Steve stood next to her (maybe he thought he would intimidate us by standing there). The "manager" just stood there and all she said was, "I'm sorry." read more

We were a party of 8 and we tried the mussels, onion rings & cheese board appetizers and they were all good. The relish tray was put down and taken away before most of us got any we had to ask for it to be brought back. Those that had seafood entrees really liked their food. I ordered a medium rare filet and it was over cooked. Had cream brûlée for desert and it was cold. The decor was nice, service good and drinks good. It's pricy and none of the food memorable. read more

We ate here again Jan. 30, after having spent the week in Ft. Myer's Beach area. While down there we had grouper at 4 different high class restaurants, but once again The Beachcomber's grouper was the BEST! Everyone in my party of 8 enjoyed their food, and 6 were new customers who live in St. Pete Beach area! Us tourists had to show them the best! read more

Superb all round, great ambiance (albeit slightly dated) with pianist, service first class, food great too. Had the chicken dinner which is a dish they are famous for and it ticked all the boxes. The relish tray is somewhat unusual and adds to the whole experience. We were there on a Saturday and it's advisable to make a reservation as it was busy. Would definitely return when we are back in Clearwater. read more

Fantastic food. Reminds me of going to old supper clubs as a kid. We had the fried chicken which was good and the red snapper. read more

Seriously reconsider dining at the establish. I came into this restaurant for a celebratory dinner. From the outside this restaurant portrays an upscale environment with good quality service and food; but boy was I wrong. Our Server's name was Steve. Steve seems to hate his job, he was bothered by my request to chang a dirty glass with lipstick mark on it. It was so difficult for him to give me a new glass, that he gave me the same dirty glass with the lipstick mark slightly more removed. He then put down the glass at our table as if he hasn't a drop of grace left, to softly place a glass on a table like any other adequate fine dining establishment. Finally, the last straw was when he came back to our table and and leaned on the chair in front of us lunched over us, dreading every moment of his sad life. We got up at once, the cherry on top was he wanted me to pay for an untouched Fiji water that I did not drink because he could not provide a decent glass. This place is a joke. I beg you to hide my warning and save yourself the disappointment and money. read more

I was treated to dinner for my birthday at Bob Heilman's Beachcomber last night. The food and our server Kevin made it a memorable experience. I had the 12 oz prime rib which melted in my mouth, potato leek soup and broccoli with hollandaise sauce which went perfect with the prime rib. I enjoyed a martini before and during my meal. The drinks were great. It's hard to believe that a bartender can screw up a martini but it can be done, not here. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that prefers fine dining. read more

We spent our last 4 summer vacations in Clearwater Beach and each time we had dinner at Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant at least 2-3 times during our stay. The place is old school and proud of it but it is always a sure bet when you're in the area. The service is great. The complimentary relish tray is a nice touch. I highly recommend the Black Grouper (Beachcomber Bronzed) and the Seafood Mélange. You won't be disappointed! read more

The food here is to die for! We had a party of 5 and everything each of us ordered was delicious. The fried chicken was top notch and the prawns in the prawn cocktail the largest I have ever seen. I hate to admit that the 5 of us were a bit demanding in ordering drinks and extras all at different times and our waitress never flinched once and was very gracious. I can't wait to go back. read more

DO NOT GO HERE ON A BUSY HOLIDAY!! We have been to Heilmans & Bistro many times and loved it, so I thought Valentines w friends would be the great service and food we've become accustomed to...that did not happen. If you recall the famous Seinfeld tv episode about the difference between taking reservations and holding a reservation. ..this was it in real life. COMPLETE DISORGANIZATION AND CHAOS is the nice way to put this. Not enough valets put cars backed into the street, so crowded inside w others waiting and complaining about late reservations. Tried to sit check in w hostess who never looked up from her chickenscratch 15 pages of handwritten reservations. People yelling over each other inquiring about wait times......this was not a pleasant environment for any dinner much less a valentine's special dinner that was advertised. So we left and walked to Clear Sky. Who seated us and provided a wonderful experience. We'll go back to Heilmans Bistro but never again for anything special. Shame on you for being "reservation whores" it's a poor reflection on your professional reputation & a good indication of your view on customer service. read more

We recently bought a place in Clearwater Beach. A friend from Philly told us we had to go to this place and we did. We sat at the bar and the bartender, Pete, also was from Philly. He as very attentive and gave us lots of good tips about the area while making us great drinks (which are quite large). The fresh fried chicken is a must have here. It is amazing and comes with a salad, mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable and pan gravy. We also had the seafood combo. At Pete's suggestion, we had it prepared bronzed. It was delicious. There is also a good bread basket. We went back again a few days later, and ate at the bar again. There was a piano player which makes dinner even more pleasant. We will definitely be back on our next visit. read more

I love this place! It is one of the nicest places to eat on the beach, but it is a little pricey. The servers are great also! Ask for Jean, she is my favorite! read more

Food was delicious and the service was excellent!!!!! Another plus was on site parking. Looking forward to going back there for dinner soon. read more

Goya was our server and she was amazing as was everything we ordered... Would fly down just to eat here.

Horrible. Indecently overbooked for holiday. Shame on you. No room to move. Stood for 45 minutes past reservation time with two elderly people without even a seat. Terribly negligent service. Food meh. What a letdown read more

I have been going to this restaurant for 6 months, since moving to the area. It has been good, great bartenders and we have always eaten at the bar and been satisfied with the service. However, we made reservations for 5:30 for dinner on Thanksgiving and expected to be seated within a reasonable time. By 6:30 they were just starting to seat the 5:30 reservations. By this time I have had it. I have never been treated like this in any restaurant any where in the world. This just shows either the incompetence or greed of the management in totally overbooking the restaurant. It is a shame because there are not that many restaurants in the Clearwater, FL area that are great restaurants!! This is definitely not one either. I moved here from Las Vegas where the service and food are the best in the world. Unfortunately, I will not return to this restaurant ever. Their idea of good customer service is nonexistent!! read more

No need to (beach)comb through the yellow pages, this place is pier-fect! The frog legs are so good I could croak now and be hoppy!! Surf on in sand wave to the staff because they sure aren't crabby!!! 5/5 starfish read more

Me and my boyfriend came to Clearwater to have dinner last night. We drove by and saw this place. Both decided to wing it and go in and eat dinner there! We weren't even sure what kinda food they had. It was absolutely delicious. There apple butter spread is sooooo good. We had the soft shell crab for an app. Sooo yummy. My first time ever having a soft shell crab, and I was very impressed. My crab cakes were amazing as well. And for rolls, they not only give a dinner roll, they give you this muffin, it taste like a ginger snap, and banana nut bread. Our waitress was very helpful, and extremely nice. I can't wait to come back. I highly recommend this place. read more

Ooooh No....please don't go. I took my fiance there for a Birthday dinner. We walked past it several times since we got here and I thought it looked like an old Wisconsin supper club. The waitress was nice. The relish tray was interesting. Cottage cheese, spiced corn, shredded beets and apple butter.....whaaaat? Next Dinner. I first ordered a chopped sirloin.... The waitress informed me it was essentially a Hamburger with Gravy on it so I decided on the New York Strip. The fiancé ordered scallops @32.00 I was wondering if they went out to the gulf and harvested the scallops themselves seeing as the gulf is across the street. Steak arrives it is about 4.5 inches wide and about a half an inch of fat all around. At first glance I was concerned..... I took the steak knife and struggled to cut into it. It was so tough I wondered where they had been storing the old milk cow.... Scallops- 4 regular sized scallops drowning butter on a Ginormous plate which was just a reminder of how lacking the dinner looked. I tried a Scallop which was tough on the outside and mush and grit on the inside. My advice? Don't waste your time we already did it for you. read more

Best meal of this vacation by far. Everything was tasty, including the salad and bread. An absolute must visit for a great meal. Good wine selection too! read more

Had walked by here a couple of times and it looked so nice that we were excited to try it! However we were disappointed. The cheese and pate appetiser was basically plastic cheese and stale bread with some inedible pate. So bad that we decided against an entree and went straight to dessert - chocolate cake which was another let down - cold and stale. Other than the great, reasonably priced wine list, this is a bad restaurant and would not recommend. Service was a bit slow but generally not too bad. read more

I've visited the Beachcomber numerous times over the past 15 years and I have never left dissatisfied. I would note that steaks are not the best thing to order here, but stick with the specials, shrimp, fish, chicken and I think you will be pleased. I mainly love the old-time Florida atmosphere. It is formal and laid back at the same time and the piano player lifts the mood as well. I would probably give the food a 4 and the ambiance a 5. Always good service and valet parking to boot. It isn't inexpensive unless you visit at lunchtime. I'm wondering why when clicking reviews on Yelp for The Beachcomber, The Thirsty Marlin reviews show up after a few comments about The Beachcomber. Only when I opted to write a review did The Beachcomber reviews appear. read more

It's just alright; pretty good. Expected a bit more as far as taste of food, especially for the price. Our servers were great though. Got their specialty dish, the fried chicken, and it wasn't that flavorful so it was disappointing. Of the others I dined with, the people who got seafood were the only ones really impressed. Not sure if I'd return... May try to find a better place like it around here first. read more

We had a business dinner here, food was outstanding and our waitress Jessica did a phenomenal job! I had the blackened grouper and it was some of the best fish I've ever had. Thank you for a great dining experience and thank you Jessica for the great service, I hope you win restaurant week! read more

Having noticed that some of the Yelp Clearwater reviews seemed to be somewhat exaggerated, we were unsure what to expect by the four stars. Pleased to report that the food was up to and indeed exceeded our expectations for the price range and the extensive wine list had plenty of reasonably priced good wines as well as selections for the more discerning palate. Would certainly eat here next time I am in Clearwater as from our experience this is clearly the best on offer in town. read more

Fantastic restaurant, everything they brought to the table was delicious. The standard "bread basket" contained warm, soft rolls, banana bread & chocolate muffins. Each item was better then the next. My picky teen boys loved the blackened grouper & the chicken soup that came with it. I had the sea bass & risotto which was also outstanding. For desert we enjoyed the London Chop Chocolate Cake.....yummy! The food got them 4 stars, the 5th came with the service which was friendly and attentive. Go there! read more

Place is great. Downside is house wine likely 8 dollar bottle retail. Need to upgrade house.

It pains me to write this because at one point the Beach Comber was a must do when were in town. However, in recent years we avoid going there. The food is okay however, the manager (She may be the owner..) is very rude to her customers and her staff. It is clear that she is only there to collect the checks and does not care about the customers experience, food or her staff! While I was there she literally drove a table of people from the restaurant, one of which was an elderly lady. Just not as good as it used to be, so disappointing to loose a pillar in the food community. read more

Very good prime rib. The relish tray is an unusual and tasty start to a meal - just don't fill up on it. The dinner portions are just right.

Back again and still five star rating. This restaurant remains consistently great, the service, the food, the atmosphere...excellent. get the bronzed grouper and the key lime pie. read more

I had the signature chicken dish. The salad, assorted breads and muffins, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, 4 relish tray assortment was absolutely fantastic! Beautiful place! Our service was unbelievable, hats off to Jackie for an A+ experience. read more

I have been a Sous Chef for 2 years in San Jose, California so i know how a nice restaurant should be ran. So living in this area for as long as i have, i knew i had to try this place out. I made a reservation and set my expectations high as they should of been... The reservation was for 8:00. We got there a few minutes early and i stood at the hostess section for 10 minutes. Watching THREE girls stare at me with their stressed, confused eyes. There was no direction, no leadership, these girls were a complete mess and i could see it instantly. As time went on i just wanted to see how long it would take for them to even SAY something to me, as im standing there leaning on the host stand. It wasn't even a mad house in there, busy, but something they should of handled with ease. After about 10 minutes someone finally engages me and says "Have you been helped?" No lady im just standing here for my own amusement! I sit back down with my girlfriend in the front waiting area as they prepare to sit is. We watched them run around almost shell shocked, trying to figure out who was doing what and where. It was a complete mess and at this point, i wanted to bail. We finally get led to the table, and go to a upper portion of the restaurant. This area was full and we were put in this TINY corner seat/booth thing. And the worst part THERE WAS NO CHAIR ON THE NON BOOTH SIDE because it would not fit with how close the other people are. They wanted us to sit side by side in a tiny corner table. NOT FREAKING HAPPENING. I get up and walk past a a man who was at a table of 4, who was obviously irritated that i walked by him twice. I went up to the hostess station told her we would like to sit outside. I go back to get my girlfriend and the man who was irritated PUSHED IS CHAIR BACK to block the narrow walk way, sitting there with a smug look on his face and his arms crossed...... I shimmied through and got here. This man wouldn't move for me, and didn't move for my girlfriend. I helped her get by the inches of space, while i tried my best to move his chair forward for my skinny girlfriend to fit through. The other 3 people at the table had a look of complete horror on their face. Waiting to sit outside the hostess vanished. I think they were so stressed they went to the back and said " well if we wait it out they will go away" or something. We never saw another girl back. We were never rude or anything to them they just could not do their job All in all. This place is a load of garbage. Its a gimmick trying to pull tourists in off the beach to sell them mediocre food at high prices. The staff is not trained properly and results are a HORRIBLE experience. PLEASE DONT EAT HERE! read more

While spending an extended weekend on Clearwater Beach my partner and I dined at Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant. We chose the Beachcomber because of the many good reviews on Yelp. We weren't disappointed. I am a huge fan of Yelp and find that, if used with discretion, you will find what you're looking for. There is a very nice looking seafood restaurant across and down the street from the Beachcomber that I would have definitely gone to for a dinner. When I Yelp'd it I found horrible reviews. Yelp saved me from a pricey mistake. The Beachcomber, on the other hand, was a great experience. We started at the bar and had a couple of Perfect Manhattans prepared by a real pro. Delicious. The bartenders are in "old school" uniform of black pants, white shirts, vest & ties. They look professional and you know they can make a great drink. Our dinner started with a selection from their huge wine list, and I mean huge. We ordered the large lump crab appetizer and split it. Although a little expensive for an app, it was perfect for two. The crab was, indeed, large and very tasty. We both ordered the bronzed Snapper for our entree and it was as good or better than any I've ever had. Our salads were also very good and with just the right amount of dressing applied to them. As others have said, this place is very retro and a little expensive (not horribly, just a little). You get what you pay for. I loved the "look", the "feel", and, most importantly, the food. I'd come back. read more

Excellent experience. Escargots was not traditional but good. And very filling. Wedge salad, surf and turf was perfection. Portions were good size but full after salad. Great selection for dessert menu but could not even think about ordering. Dressy attire needed. And plan on experience lasting two plus hours. read more

I have gone to Bob Heilmans since I was a child vacationing with my family in Clearwater Beach every year. Now, a mother of three, still try to make it out to Clearwater every few years just to relive memories. I always eat at Bob Heilmans once as it was my parents favorite and the meal is always great. read more

One great getaway, while never leaving the area if you are a local. Don't know about the slow service with the attitudes everyone is talking about ..if it were me, I'd move to the bar and indulge in a beautifully crafted martini & chill...but, hey locals know how to look at the bright side of life, especially when you are sitting in an iconic tribute to old school Clearwater Beach. Adore this establishment, every single thing about it. Oh & yes, the classic fare & authentic menu items are out of this world, So visitors, locals and curious foodies, just relax! You have no better place to go, have another cocktail! Be calm. read more

The Beachcomber was a delightful surprise! The grouper was incredible! I highly recommend it!

Outstanding. We can here Friday night and and decided to come back Saturday night as well. See Matt Mck. Bartender for great cocktails!!!

I hosted a "post wedding dinner" here and the only "negative" I have to say is parking is kinda limited (but when your in Clearwater that is kind of the norm so I don't think I can count that as a negative). Our wedding was a destination wedding and it was chaotic to plan. I called several restaurants and non of them seemed to even be interested in my business. I read several review la online for beachcombers and I decided to give it a try. The lady who helped me plan the dinner was phenomenal. She didn't pressure me and was very very patient. I had a specific budget I was aiming for and she hit it on the head (it ended it being $400 under budget with the options she helped me pick!) they had beach wedding themed menus for us and the wait staff was great. The guy who waited on my table even placed a couple menus aside for out book so they wouldn't get messed up. We had one issue with a guest or two asking several times for drinks but when you have a party of 35...a few mishaps are to be expected. The good was delicious....no one had any complaints and everyone had a good time. Over all GREAT experience!! Thanks!! read more

This is by far the best restaurant near the beach. The food is 5 star, the service is around 4 star (depending on who your waiter is). If you want quality food near the beach, this is the best choice. It has indoor and outdoor dining, and a great wine list. The platter with the different types of seafood is excellent. It's a lot of food - we split it and added the lobster tail. There was plenty to eat. read more