Blackened fish sandwich was good as it did the job. The burger was well done as requested and the fries were excellent. The wait staff was amazing, attentive to our needs and requests which was super great. Good quick lunch stop; will return when back in apalach. read more

Owl Cafe - Half Pound Cheeseburger - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

See all

My son and I have been to the Owl Café Tavern several times. We always sit at the bar and are served wonderful drinks and absolutely terrific food. One of the reasons we enjoy the bar so much is because they have one of the most amazingly talented bartenders we have ever seen. Graham effortlessly and fluidly roams about not only the bar but the serving room as well. Graham is gracious, well mannered, and we can't wait to get back to one of our favorite spots in the US. Their fish is amazing!! read more

Bland food. No thought into seasoning. Blah atmosphere. Dirty surroundings. Terrible attempt at "catch of the day" fish. Sad dinner. I want, badly, for this place to be wonderful. However it is NOT EVEN CLOSE TO AVERAGE. I have heard good things from long ago but oh how things have changed. Reservations easy to get now..... Memorial Day weekend 2024. Reservations on the deck upstairs. Party of 4 seated at corner table in the nook tucked in area. Walls are covered in bugs. The light tan floor has not been cleaned in quite some time. The floors are black as if dirt and grease has accumulated and stuck. A sweet girl asked if we wanted bread, we did. A bit later a plate of cold bread with cold butter was brought to our table. I had a basic Greek salad added grilled shrimp. The salad was segmented into the different ingredients. Lettuce cut into large pieces. Kalamata olives. Feta. Tomatoes. Plain artichoke hearts. Large chunks of purple onions. A tiny cup of what should have been "lemon feta dressing" I would describe it as Italian dressing out of a bottle. It was very basic, unflavored, difficult to toss and sad. My husband had fish tacos. Mahi mahi was the fish of the day. What he received looked more like fish sticks in a plain tortilla shell. With a few pieces of cilantro. He picked out a few pieces of fish and left the rest. My mother in law had chicken Marsala with a nice big bone left in her chicken. The potatoes with my father in laws ribeye were tanish gray in color. When asked about his steak his polite reply was "it wasn't the worst I've had" I won't ramble but will leave this with this thought. I hope the owners read this review and not brush it off. You have a great location with a friendly staff. Step it up and provide what people are paying for. There were 4 of us. Toya was around $250. This was a HUGE WASTE OF MONEY. Please please do something about this. You have the opportunity to be great! read more

Owl Cafe - Outside the owl - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

See all

We've eaten here 5 or 6 times over past decade, always good. This visit, were seated quickly, served promptly. Food was absolutely delicious, especially the fillt's of Prime Beef ! Love this iconic eating place; always very good. Caveat: the elevator is having erratic function again. read more

Prices and slow service combined with so-so quality. We will not be back and tell our friends not to bother.

We had to wait about 45 mins due to not having a reservation (recommended) but it was well worth the wait. The food was delicious and my pomegranate cosmo was on point. Highly recommended! read more

See all

The Owl dining room was relatively plain. We were asked to wait 10 minutes for a table in the dining room when we peeked into the quaint bar. Dining in the bar was quieter and very intimate and although we didn't hear it on a Tuesday night, they apparently have live music on weekends. Our server was also the bartender and although somewhat unfamiliar with the entrees, she was very helpful on any question or request we had. The menu is limited but we both tried the grilled shrimp dinner (grilled not on the menu but we requested) and it was fantastic. The shrimp was a nice portion of large shrimp, seasoned and grilled to perfection and accompanied by redskin mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables (summer squash, zucchini and asparagus) which were awesome. We would come back again. read more

Great place with an amazing host-waiter-bartender-manager!!!! Thank you whatever your name is . We were an 8 top and a baby on 07/21/23 and this guy is worth his weight in gold. Thanks so much for making our night and having such a great attitude while being completely understaffed. Mad respect as a restaurant/Bar owner visiting the area. Well Done Mate !!!! read more

Owl Cafe - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Giving 1 star because of my experience. I believe this was a one time bad day for the business, but it was that bad. We had a reservation on Mother's Day. Horrid experience. We were sat right away. Many minutes later, a waitress came to take our order, but she kept saying "I have a gnat in my eye I can't see". Very odd. she took our order. After a long time, no food. It should now be noted we found out the restrooms were not working. They apparently had no water and the plumbing was off. They didn't have signs on the door, so you'd just walk in to a full nasty toilet. Eventually, they brought out HALF of our order. We waited about 5 more minutes and the other half didn't come out so we asked. And she again kept saying she couldn't see. ?? Well can you bring someone who can help? She then got an attitude and asked what was missing. Well, we only got 3 of 6 orders. She brought someone over and he read back order, and she just didn't put in half the order. The man apologized and got the remaining order very quickly. It was at this time a huge argument in the kitchen started. Slamming doors, cussing, all that. It was quite scary. We got our food, ate, and then she came to ask about the bill. We said how we wanted it split, and she then rolled her eyes and asked what we ordered because SHE CANT SEE. At this point we just wanted to leave and said put it all on one. We paid and left. When leaving, outside, a man upstairs in their kitchen or somewhere within the building was still shouting cussing, and sounded like punching walls. I'll never return. I don't know what they had going on, but between no plumbing, no water, the lady that can't see, and the violence, they need to see about getting some new employees and management. read more

The food was fantastic. Great atmosphere. We were outside - the birds were eyeing out food. They must know it is awesome.

Pretty good place to get something to eat. It's definitely a bit of an older crowd and the atmosphere is quiet and a calm. We ordered potato soup and the bruschetta. Both were very good. Service was polite and friendly. read more

See all

Got the fish and chips...in the photo you'll see the original fish (right) before it was slathered in disgusting oily batter. Both the fish and the fries came soaked in oil, the coleslaw was like cabbage with milk. Yuck, 4 cocktails, fried shrimp and fried fish. 150 bucks with tip. The young girls at the hostess station look at guests strangely and don't greet them. This place doesn't have a chef and it shows. read more

Owl Cafe - Yuck - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

See all

My family of 6 decided to go to the Owl Cafe on a Wednesday night during our vacation, as we had heard good things about the food. We arrived at 8:05pm. As we made it up the stairs the hostess did not look pleased to see us coming. She quickly let us know that they were not seating any guests as they were about to close. We asked what time they closed and she told us 9pm. While I understand that it was on the late end of dinner, I have never been turned away from a restaurant almost 1 hour before closing time. The food smelled good, but we didn't get to enjoy it. Just based on the rude service, I would never try to come back. read more

We went on Easter Sunday for brunch. It was two couples, I had crab cakes Benedict it was delicious. Friends had French toast they said it was very good. I will return to the owl cafe read more

A great place for our anniversary dinner. We had the shrimp and grits, and it was the best we've had -- even better than what we've found in Charleston, SC, and that was the best shrimp & grits until now. The Owl Cafe has a nice, friendly atmosphere, good service, and excellent food. The best restaurant in Apalachicola. Yes, it's a bit expensive but you get what you pay for. read more

This is a nice old style restaurant in the center of Apalachicola. The food was really good and the service even better. Nice, fresh seafood. We would come back. read more

Maybe we hit an off day but seemed overly hyped too me. Got the crab dip and while visually looks like a poo it wasn't bad but very mayo or filler and crab was sort of lost. Great chips. I wasn't feeling it though between the menu, beers, etc it just wasn't what I wanted from this nice little town. Nothing on them more on me. read more

Owl Cafe - Crab dip - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Oh my goodness all of their food is to die for!! My friend and I were visiting for the weekend and only ate here for breakfast I had the filet eggs Benedict (paired with an OCBC mill pond of course), and at nighttime we enjoyed their crab dip, bruschetta, and OYSTERS! Mmmm. The oysters and crab dip were both absolutely to die for. I'll be dreaming about their food for many years to come. We also got a mini tour of the upstairs restaurant and wine cellar, absolutely gorgeous!!! Such an amazing venue for any occasion. The staff offered exceptional customer service and truly makes everyone feel like family. read more

See all

This used to be our favorite lunch spot in Apalachicola. After reading the recent reviews we were concerned but figured how bad could it have declined? A lot. First of all, it seemed like everyone there--the servers and the customers-- were not happy. Not a smile to be found. As we scanned the menu, I was struck at how it had changed. Much more "basic" than a remember. What happened to the seafood salad? After a few bites of the stale bread we wisely decided at this point to limit our damages by not ordering the most expensive items (nor a bottle of wine). The chowder was actually really good. It could've had more seafood but I won't complain. It was tasty. The spinach and mushroom linguine was just awful. The undercooked garlic overpowered an otherwise dry, bland dish that seriously tasted like something I would've made when I was first learning to cook for myself. I had to return it after three bites. The server's response was "Ok". No apology or explanation. She did ask if I wanted another dish but I politely declined. You gotta know when to call it quits. The entire staff was young and unmotivated and disengaged. I doubt we'll be back. read more

I hate to pile on with the rest of the recent bad reviews, but this place is really struggling. We were a group of 4 for Sunday brunch. There were 3 or 4 servers working and a man who looked like a manager but never stopped to any table to ask how everything was. 3 of us ordered the Crab Cake Benedict. All of them were barely luke warm. One ordered the poached eggs hard, and they were runny. The waitress forgot a drink order, and it was 40 minutes before the food was served. This place used to be good, but it no longer is. Too expensive for mediocre food and bad service. Take your money elsewhere. read more

Excellent, high scoring restaurant with courteous and polite staff serving delicious food. Originally docked this place a star for not being handicapped accessible. There's a long set of stairs you have to climb to gain access to the restaurant. But, I've been corrected - inasmuch as I missed a sign for the elevator. Regardless of how you get to the second level, once there, you'll be in good hands with delicious food, wine, and some great craft beers. The house-baked, warm, crusty bread was a nice way to start, although the olive oil infused with garlic and Parmesan dipping oil... albeit delicious...was a bit messy from the dish being over filled. (Hate to waste the good stuff.) Our party of four had the crab cakes...delicate, sweet, and delicious Blue Crab with no filler... Forget the accompanying sauce, it simply is not necessary. One guest ordered the linguine with chicken - which he found to be rich and flavorful. I kept dinner simple for me and chose the "soup of the day," a unique (to me) spicy and earthy mushroom soup loaded with fungi, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, carrots and celery. Totally loved it! Others in our party also had the steamed shrimp which were large, tender, and quite succulent. We had no room for dessert as the portions were generous and filling. read more

Sarah was absolutely incredible and we had the best experience and could not have been more grateful to have this waitress she was an absolute pleasure. 10/10!!!!! read more

Service was slow and our server seemed very unsure of current menu items. The fish tacos were mediocre + reminded me of something from a chain restaurant. read more

We had a wonderful lunch with great ambiance and fresh seafood. Service we a little slow but we were in between lunch and dinner.

Loved this place. We sat in the tap room. The service was good. We tried the crab dip and duck fries. Both were good apps but the duck fries won...had bacon bacon always wins! I had a vodka soda was good and strong. The entire place is a must in the area. read more

Not busy and sat outside. Service was very slow. Server was pleasant. Ordered a glass of wine dinner. When server asked if everything was okay, when dinner was over, I reminded her of the wine. It was finally over when we asked for the bill. Gumbo was good, shrimp and grits had odd taste. Won't come back read more

Six years ago my wife and I dined at the Owl Taproom and I gave the Owl Cafe five stars. Everything was superb. We ate lunch at the cafe today. Unfortunately we experienced average or disappointing. Service was adequate and food disappointing especially at very high prices. read more

3 years later still very good, but with one negative this time around. We still love the space, were seated in the bar area, which is very attractive, reminds us of restaurants in New Orleans and Oxford, MS. We split a 1/2 dozen oysters on the half shell, which were cold and delicious, after which I had the fish special, which was triggerfish. A very nice portion, cooked perfectly along with artichoke hearts, spinach, grape tomatoes, and lemon caper butter over Jasmine rice. This was an excellent choice. My wife had a bunless cheeseburger with a side salad because of her IBS. In the past our servers have made a point of making GF accommodations, but this time though I told our server my wife could only have the accompanying French fries if they were cooked in a dedicated fryer, he brought them with the burger anyway, saying they were not GF but maybe I might want them. No effort was made to provide my wife with an alternative; many places will just sub a side salad, or at the very least charge a modest up charge for the substitution, but we were charged full price for both cheeseburger and salad. In fairness, both were good. We had a glass of wine apiece. Our tab was $100 before tip. read more

This has been our go two restaurant when coming to this area for years. They have always had the best food and service plus best setting. We were a bit concerned when hearing it changed ownership and reading the recent reviews which were low. We had excellent service from Sherrie our waitress and the same fantastic food we expect from the Owl. Sherri said that the new owner hired a new Chef in January and that he was the standard the Owl is known for! This is a must try if you are in apalachicola!...homemade bread too! read more

I recently had dinner here with a family member. We had a fine meal. The service was good and the dinning room is the most formal of the many in the area. This is not an inexpensive place to ate, but we felt we got our money's worth. The gumbo was great! The fish sandwich I had was fine and the chicken salad my relative had looked fantastic. Our only food disappointment was the crab dip. It was so spicy that not only couldn't we taste any crab, we couldn't eat all of it. Our mouths were burning. We left at least half of it behind. Note that like more and more restaurants they charge 3.5% for using a credit card. To recoup that expense we split a single glass of wine. read more

Acts like fine dining but more like a cheaper Captain D's. Fish on a Rubin sandwich was a mistake and not edible. The fish and chips were poorly prepared. Fries were warmed over starch sticks and the fish was oddly tasteless mush. The disposable condiment cups with ketchup and tartar sauce and the bigger plastic cup with a lid full of nasty coleslaw added to the overall crappy meal. There are several nice restaurants to eat at in Appalachacola but the Owl is not one of them.......... read more

we had an expensive and extremely mediocre lunch at the Owl Cafe. The food was not well prepared at all and the server was rude and arrogant. it was so disappointing. it's a very pretty space but what a pricey bad experience. read more

Service is subpar. There were 4 people in the dining area and the hostess sat us right next to them. Then, we waited for a server after being told the server would be with us soon. After waiting several minutes, we got up and walked out. read more

We had a great evening meal at the Owl Cafe in September of 2022. The grouper and mahi filets were perfectly prepared, and the service was attentive but not over present. It was a very pleasant and relaxed dinner, and it cost less than we had spent the night before at a rustic oyster and shrimp place. It was high quality food and service at reasonable expense. We arrived a few minutes early and were greeted by Graham the manager. In the time before dinner service was ready, Graham welcomed us into the bar and provided a master class on bourbon. He readily shared his expertise on the nuances of the many bourbon and tequila products available, the trends in recent bourbon and scotch innovations, and even info on the growing popularity of rare bourbon collecting and trading. Will definitely visit "The Owl" the next time I'm in Apalachicola. read more

Pleasant atmosphere. Helpful staff. Spacious. Entrees more flavorful than sides, some of which were a bit bland. read more

Owl Cafe - Exterior of The Owl Cafe - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Small American seaside town. This town does produce a lot of seafood and oysters. Owl Cafe is part of the favorite seafood restaurants in town. The restaurant is actually elevated in the second floor and provide good view to the river. Outside balcony seatings are available for your choice. The menu has vegan, pescatarian and regular meat dish. It make group dinning to accommodate different diet easy. My friend is a vegetarian and he got a vegan jambalaya. First time know there is vegan creole cuisine. He like his dish. I got the daily special without blacken snapper and shrimp. I like their blacken spice spicy. It top with white buttery sauce. This is a good dish. We got the bruschetta to start. The toast was grilled with drizzle seasoning. It was very good. Our experience is good. Except the service is a bit slow. Other than that, they are good restaurant that I would recommend. read more

A group of us stopped in for dinner and I ordered the cajun ribeye. The steak was fantastic! It was perfectly cooked, very tender, and had the proper amount of cajun seasoning. Simply put, it was the best $20 steak that I've ever had. read more

Owl Cafe - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

We had a table of four hungry ladies looking for delicious food. We wandered in and up the stairs to a lovely 2nd floor restaurant. We were seated in the area next to the bar. Our server was very attentive to our table and others. I ordered an oyster po'boy with fries. I must say that the horseradish sauce was addictive and I dipped my fries and oysters in it. The iced tea was fresh and strong just the way I like it. The person to my right ordered a burger well done and it was more of a medium rare in the middle. It wouldn't have bothered me, but she ate around the middle. The building has been remodeled from the original and the hardwood floors and styling is beautiful. The tables had white tablecloths, glasses, and nice silverware so it is more of an upscale environment. read more

Owl Cafe - Entrance - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Food and service was excellent. Every time we get to this part of Fl. we stop in and have lunch.

We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere! Sunshine was a great server and the portions were generous. I, especially, liked the crab dip and the pita chips. Highly recommend! read more