Not impressed at all. Food was not great. Was expecting much better based on reviews. Service was good

Did not eat but stopped in after a pier walk but chatted with the bartender and they just opened and are working the kinks out but potential thru the roof. Nice atmosphere. Awesome Happy hour drinks and olive salad available during meal breaks. Views are awesome. Staff is very friendly. Will go back! read more

We took our three kids here on vacation. They didn't have a kids menu, but they made them pasta dishes. Our food was great. We went all out and ordered mock tails, appetizers and deserts. My kids want to go back again. The blue angels flew by as we ate. We will be back! read more

The menu descriptions disguise the most boring and strangely composed food I've ever eaten. Escargot had notes of coconut and seemingly no garlic. The tuna in the Ahi crudo was oddly soft and the fish had no flavor...surrounded by dry English or Persian cucumbers. The balsamic glaze, which seemed to end up on everything, was incredibly sweet. The menu of mocktails consisted of three options, two of which included varieties of Red Bull. I live in a HCOL area, just visiting Pensacola, and was blown away by the prices ESPECIALLY for the quality. And the service was so slow. Two hours invested over five tapas because the server was gone for extended periods. Go for the sunset but nothing else. read more

Fabulous food & atmosphere!!! If only parking weren't such a deterrent. Valet would awesome!!!

I ate there for a second time. It was amazing. We lived out side Manhattan for 12 years. I Ate at all the nice restaurant in NYC. In my opinion this restaurant is very very good fine dining. It is better than the Grand Marlin, Jacksons, and any other restaurant in Pensacola. No it's Nfried, fried, fried like traditional Southern food but it's fine dinning at its best. I will eat there many times in the future. read more

We have been here three times. The first visit was several summers ago, sat outside next to a bachelorette party with a DJ down stairs and were miserable. We didn't return until last October, Thursday night, inside. Our food and service were on par with some of the best experiences we have ever had. Last night we attended a five course wine pairing, another great experience. If you expect beach food at beach prices, stay down stairs. Drift has passed through its learning phase. If you have an issue, ask for Justin, the general manager. read more

Despite the rainy weather, we requested to sit on the deck. Great ambiance. Food was delicious. Service was great. We had chargrilled oysters, sea bass, scallops, filet, lobster Mac n cheese, snapper, grouper and lots of wine. Definitely recommend. read more

The place is hard to find since no obvious signs visible from the street... Anna, who was our server was working upstairs for first time and she was fantastic!! For brunch I had Drift breakfast and my friend had the steak sandwich. It was good with no complaints except the sandwich was cold. We ordered drinks from the bar. The iced coffee and strawberry shortcake were divine, but the Mo-Tito (strawberry mojito) and the Mai Tai were sour and not as good as others I have had. We sat outside in back and it was pleasant with great view of beach. And did I mention Anna, our server... she was the best all around!!! read more

What a gem on Pensacola Beach. As a lifelong local, this is the absolute best sunset view on the beach. The service was great and I'll make sure to ask for Robert the next time we are back. Everything was amazing. read more

My partner and I came in for my birthday and WOW. The staff was incredible, very attentive and personable, the food was absolutely amazing (get the oysters, oh my lord), drinks were bomb. I seriously can't say anything bad. Our server Demi was an absolute peach! As was the hostess, though I didn't catch her name. She gave us recommendations for bars in the city, super sweet! Thanks ladies. We will be back! read more

Disappointing. What potential here. They have ambiance, friendly and courteous service, great view but the food is missing taste. Sea bass was bland. Husband had waghu, also bland even being wrapped in bacon. 2 others ordered shrimp scampi also no flavor and the filet mignon was tender but no taste. I expected for the amount they are asking for this food to taste absolutely the best. Truly disappointed. Do not recommend if you want good tasting food. Sorry Drift was really excited to eat a fabulous dinner here but that was not the case. read more

Awesome menu and service. Very clean. Servers are mostly attractive people with smiles.

Thanks to our server Brittany for helping us kick off our vacation perfectly. Had delicious Cajun Parmesan oysters, Chilean sea bass special and Brussels sprouts and all were incredible. Loved the atmosphere on the patio at night and there was plenty of distance between us and any other tables plus staff wearing masks. Enjoyed a night out to eat even during COVID! read more

Food, service, and experience is fantastic. Highly recommend for special occasions. Also, the view is great!

Drift is fantastic- the food has phenomenal: would recommend the lamp chops and Ahi Tuna Our waiter Patrick was outstanding Large wine menu and great cocktails with a fantastic view!! read more

Lovely restaurant. Our family has been there twice now and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Food and service is amazing!

Everything was delicious! We loved everything from the appetizers to the entree meal. Drinks fenomenal and the staff was super friendly and helpful! Definitely will be revisiting. read more

Patrick was awesome! explained the menu well. Drinks were AMAZING! Definitely will be back!

Lily and Amanda were awesome on service and very friendly during our visit. They rock!

Great food and service. We had reservations for outside at 7:00 and watched the sun set on the beach. Our waitress, Demi, was great!! We will definitely be back. read more

Love this place! Amazing view of the beautiful gulf coast. Classy dining with delicious food and a excellent staff. Leah gave us great service made us fantastic drinks. We have made drift one of our go-to restaurants on Pensacola beach. read more

Went to Drift for the first time for Mother's Day and the ambiance was fantastic! Great views with a fine dining feel but a casual twist. Drinks were really good and the food was great as well - if only at a little premium price because if location/ambiance. We will definitely be back! read more

We attended the July 8th, 2023 air show event. Had lunch at 11 and was told we have the table until 7pm and with are wrist bands can come and go as we please. Our server Lauren was fantastic. After lunch we went down to the beach to watch the air show. So far so good. However, at 4:10 we are still waiting for the apps that are scheduled from 4-7 to appear. When asked, the manager said they bumped it to 3pm, and by time we got there the food was donated to the EMTs on duty. The manager I spoke to was indignant towards me when I reminded her of the advertised schedule and the fact that we paid $300 a piece (4 of us=$1200!). She was not going to budge. I asked to speak to someone else. A very apologetic man came out and said he would find us something. We received three sliders, fries, tiny little pork somethings on toothpicks, and some left over cocktail shrimp from lunch {which I personally cannot eat). Two in are party were too angry and went downstairs. We asked to box it up to feed them. We were ignored, and had to go into the bus station and retrieve boxes. Let me remind you of the cost and Drift's lack of integrity. We feel we are entitled to at least a 50% refund, though I doubt we will even hear anything in regards to this. Please see the advertisement posted (yelp will not download the picture) which matches the agreement at purchase. read more

Had the best meal in the best atmosphere. AJ at the patio bar was incredible. Best oysters! And the burrata appetizer was absolutely delicious. read more

We tried this place out at our beloved Pensacola Beach. It was disappointing to us and the eight diners we walked out with. They have a great location so perhaps the tourists will keep them afloat. I'm giving two stars because the location is good and the atmosphere was okay minus the cheap fake tea lights and weird cushioned office chairs. The service from our waiter was great. His name was Michael. The Drift is lucky to have him!! The food was subpar. We had the Calarmari Omelette and Tempura Basket. Both were greasy and tasteless at $23 and $18 .. for appetizers ! My word....all we and the other 8 patrons with could think of was how much better we would've done at The Grand Marlin! We ordered a couple of glasses of house wine and a creme brulee and our total was $114. My local's advice.. stick to the bottom floor Casino Bar and Grille on a sunny day or the Grand Marlin at any time. read more

Had an excellent dinner last week while on vacation. Very expensive but worth it. Started with caprese salad. Then steaks and potatoes. Followed up with cheesecake and crème brûlée. I also added the grilled shrimp to my steak. The only issue was the steaks were a bit more done then we ordered them. Not enough to bother returning. But they were still Delicious. Dessert was excellent. Good wine list and the service was outstanding. read more

Go see John for an amazing drink! Try one of his spicy polomas or an old fashioned and u won't be disappointed! He also will give u great service and loves to strike up a conversation with anyone. Every time I go sit at his bar I enjoy the drinks company and the view! Also my fav foods are the yellowtail carpaccio and the Chilean seabass cant beat it! The yellowtail pairs well with the spicy poloma next time your at drift you've got to ask John for that as a starter! read more

We got the Sunday night prime rib special, the filet, and the chicken pasta dish and we all cleaned our plates! The food is phenomenal and the service was top notch. I cannot give this place enough stars, it's so wonderful!!!! read more

Loved the atmosphere, food excellent every time!!! Always call to make reservations if Yelp says full.

I'm sure they're going to know exactly who I am by this review but I really can't keep this to myself. Tonight I ordered a bone-in ribeye which is listed on the menu for 58$ and I asked for medium rare which is typically a warm red center. The steak comes out basically one color, and after looking at the size and shape of the cut I realized it is definitely a vacuum packed, most likely previously frozen steak. The same one you can get at Logan's roadhouse for about 20$. I sent it back with the server and asked for a menu so I could just order something else. The steak was probably cooked correctly but because it was a shit cut of meat, it's going to look a uniform grey without any redness no matter how you cook it. Instead of coming back with a menu, the manager comes back with the plate trying to convince me that it's their lighting that makes it look off. I asked him if the steaks are vacuum packed and he said yes, like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Here's the thing, you can source your food from wherever you want and I don't care. But don't pass off a 6-8 dollar steak as something worth charging 58$ for. And also don't come back to a customer and try to convince them that it's the lightning. The interaction came across as argumentative and made the restaurant look very dishonest. read more

Enjoyed a delicious meal last night... shrimp chowder but more like a seafood chowder and the Chilean sea bass. Our server, Caleb, was excellent...prompt, attentive, and personable. We did indoor dining so wasn't too noisy and had a nice ambiance. Had one issue with the kitchen and Caleb was quick to resolve it. Great place for a special occasion! read more

The food was excellent (a little pricey but was to be expected, for the good quality), and the service was great, as was the restaurant's atmosphere and beach views. I highly recommend their Chilean sea bass. Would visit here again, without hesitation! read more

We were excited to try this newest upscale restaurant above Casino Beach Bar and Grille, one of our favorite spots for Gulfside nosh and cocktails. Made a reservation for our party of 5. We had been upstairs when Drift had first opened, for a drink and app at the bar, and were quite pleased. The drift drop martini is wonderful and the crab cakes very good. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful. The stunning view of the Gulf is especially lovely during the daylight hours. The music being played during our dinner visit the other evening seemed more suitable for a sports bar ambiance. Our server was very personable, but it took quite a while to have our water glasses filled. Cocktails were ordered, and swiftly served. We began with several appetizers, the tempura seafood, foie gras, escargot. Escargot was very tasty but the others were just meh. Wedge and italian salads were great. Bread selection was delicious. Entrees were fine, nothing outstanding; flavor seemed to be lacking. Apps and salads arrived fairly quickly; entrees took a lot of time to come out, although we were one of just a handful of occupied tables. Lobster mac and cheese, which was a mediocre portion for $24, tasted very off, and was sent back. They did remove it from the check. We all enjoy a gourmet dinner and don't mind paying for it. But in this case, the pricing of the food at Drift does not match the experience one would expect. May give it another try at some point in the future; hopefully in time things will improve. read more

I was so looking forward to eating at Drift! My friend and I had the grouper and it was tasteless. The server was great and the view was spectacular but the food was sad and had zero flavor. So Disappointed. read more

Everything about this place was exceptional. The service, the food, and the view. My daughter has severe food allergies and the staff was able to help her make safe selections. It was an enjoyable experience. read more

What a night. Started with Oysters Casino and Ahi tuna. The presentation of both couldn't have been more impressive. Next we had the grouper entree and wow. The freshest, tastiest, well prepared meal that we've had in a long while. Barbara and Carolina( our servers) made the entire evening so enjoyable. We will be back. read more

Great dinner with the wife. For the price you're paying, I told them to slow down on bringing the food.

Great brunch and view. The service from our server Taiga was exceptional! The chicken club and monte Cristo were great menu choices. The mimosas were on point for a relaxing Sunday brunch. read more

Patrick was our server and he was wonderful! Brunch on their patio is the best view in town!