Loved this restaurant. We expected a pub experience based on the outside appearance of the restaurant. Walked in and went up the stairs to a completely unexpected place. Very upscale. Food, wine list, ambiance, service, all get 5 stars. Waiter John was awesome and we hope to have him again when we return with our foodie friends. Wine list outstanding and incredibly well priced. We enjoyed a bottle of Vouvray (seriously they had that!) with our duck confit fries, seafood gumbo and special fish of the day wahoo. Everything was delicious including fresh warm bread. We are already planning return visits! If the owner of this restaurant would kindly consider opening a similar place in or near Shell Point, we'd be there at least 4 times a week, and I know all of our neighbors would be regulars as well. read more

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The Owl Cafe never disappoints us. The food was great and the four of us each enjoyed our entrees. The margarita with house-made sour mix was one of the best I have had. read more

Don't let them seat you in the bar! I suspect we were seated there because my friend wore old, torn jeans with holes in them. Our waiter did not serve in the dining room, the reason for which became all too obvious. He brought my coffee, with cream, but failed to bring a spoon so I stirred it with a knife. Not a big deal, but a harbinger of what was to follow. He brought the food. I was ready for another cup of coffee but he was nowhere to be found, not having come around to check on us. I was getting exasperated at this point. I got up, found him, and asked for coffee and would he please bring a spoon? The bin at table was full if artificial sweeteners. When the coffee came I asked for sugar. He seemed confused and told me there was sugar. He was quite certain the packets were sugar and seemed rather aggravated at that point. So, what did he do? Brought another container with only the yellow and pink sweetener packets. He put it down and walked away. At this point I wrote him off and found a waitress. I asked for sugar. She seemed confused and hesitant. I was expecting to receive some sugar more or less immediately, but no! She replied that she was new here and would have to go ask her supervisor. I'm thinking "she has to go ask her boss"??!! WTF? My coffee was cold by the time the sugar arrived loose, in one of those little plastic cups normally filled with a side of salad dressing. The Bar Dude happened by and noted the arrival of sugar. I said, "dude, the packets are not sugar"! What's my takeaway? First, the proprietors of Owl Cafe are really slack regarding customer care and service. It also seems they can't hire employees with average intelligence. The Bar Dude doesn't like his job. As a diner, I know it. Does his boss? When you go out to eat A $28 meal you expect to enjoy it. Not so here. read more

No wait. Great service. Fried oysters were so good! I love the design of this place. Drinks were yummy as well.

Very good! We had the jambalaya and the crab cakes. Had the crab dip as an appetizer. Good service. Clean. Full bar. Nice quiet atmosphere. Good menu. Would go back. Recommend! read more

I love restaurants that have specialty dishes this place was top notch!!! Everything we had was delicious I got a daily special which was really amazing they have good reviews for a reason please visit! read more

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Back again post Covid (if there is such a thing). This evening we had a great dinner. Kendrick was our waiter, and was fabulous. Great service all around. They accommodated us by giving us outdoor seating when they had outdoors closed. We needed outdoor for some of our party needing it due to covid. The triple tail was most excellent as was the "black grouper", very juicy. The chicken with jalapeno, cream and pepper was quite good as well, spicy of course. We dined on the upper back deck, enjoying the views of the Apalachicola River. They all loved the mashed potatoes. We waited a bit for them to open at 5:30, and then a large crowd of hopeful patrons trekked up the stairs in line to try for seats. I do think that the Owl Cafe is very much worth a visit. read more

Atmosphere was ver nice, food was average, service was very lacking. Too many other places that are better and where the staff is attentive. read more

This was good and much different flavors than PCB area. Had the grilled grouper and it wasnt a huge portion. Cole slaw had a great flavor and wasn't over sweet but it was big long pieces of cabbage. Fried oysters were good and tender. Jambalaya was very tomatoey( that isn't a word!) crab dip is dominated by chili powder but very good. Fries were still crispy even when we were done eating. read more

Owl Cafe - Grouper and slaw - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Food is absolutely fabulous. We had the chicken salad club and the creole Gator, both meals were packed full of flavor. 4 stars due to length of time spent waiting for drinks and food. read more

I came to many restaurants on my vacation and this one was the worst experience. To start off, the manager was somewhat rude when seating us and she did not listen to what we were trying to tell her. Our waitress was very nice and she provided good service, but it was not enough to make up for the food. Everything that my family and I ordered was over cooked and bland. The grilled grouper was so tough that you had to saw it with a knife, and the fried shrimp and crab cakes were burnt to a crisp. The best food items are the salad with poppyseed and the free bread, other than those I would not choose to eat anything else. After talking to the waitress about our disappointments, she offered to comp our meal by 25% and we sent some of our leftovers back. Overall this place was a big disappointment, the only reason for two stars is based on the waitresses kindness. read more

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Pretty nice place, food was good nothing real special but it was good. Our server was very nice and another server was really friendly with the kids. The bartender went looking for a bourbon at the bar downstairs and brought it up. We really enjoyed this place a lot. read more

Exceptional food and wonderful local experience in Apalach. We love the locals, fried oysters and wine at lunch, what a relaxing meal.

The outside says fine dining and the food is great, but shorts and t-shirt are fine. The ambiance is southern formal. Overall a great meal and good experience. We started with the crab dip. This had to be the best crab dip ever, and the chips are perfect. Just saying the crab dip and chips were better the next day. We also had the burger,scrumptious. Our server did a great job. I was a little put off with who I thought were the owners, but I am in the South and people are just people . read more

Excellent menu and great wait staff. We had lunch on a Sunday afternoon and was very busy.

Really nice place for lunch today. We enjoyed our meal and the setting very much. It was a busy afternoon so we had a long wait but I'm glad we tried this restaurant out. I wish they didn't charge extra for the side salad over the fries bc the salad was small and the fries were bountiful. read more

I'm very disappointed with the owl. We had reservations on Mothers Day. We arrived at 5:30 and there was only 7 of 20 tables with folks. Waitress got water on the table after 10 min. Got bread 10 min after that and took our drink order. After 25 min I got up and walked around only to find there was no bar tender on our floor. Drinks had to come from the first floor. 55 min from sitting we got our drinks. We grabbed the manager and complained and got our meal 5 min later. Where is the salad? Manager asked us do you still want your salads? Food was 50-50. Two fillets that were over done and dry for what was ordered. Two fish dishes that were very good. Manager gave us a 50% discount. Will not be going back. We are locals. read more

Amazing mashed potatoes, great service and drinks! We got the pasta and the steak and a few drinks and were seated outside, the vibes were great. We didn't have a reservation (which is recommended) but they were able to fit us in! read more

Excellent food and drink. Great beer selection. Had the fried shrimp, which were butterflied and fried to perfection. It comes with coleslaw and fries. Coleslaw was very good. Service was great. Our friend had the Mediterranean salad with shrimp, which she said was phenomenal. It looked amazing. Had a great time. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed. Updated 6/27/20.. just finished, I'd have to say, the best seafood dinner I've had in years, If not ever. My wife and I started with an adult beverage before having the French onion soup. The soup was not your typical French onion with melted provolone on top. If came with homemade croutons and shaved cheese on the top. The soup was unbelievable. The flavor was beyond expectations. The croutons were buttery and garlic, which complimented the onion soup flavor. My wife had the snapper special which came grilled with a lemon butter caper sauce, mixed vegetables, garlic mash potatoes. Needless to say there was nothing left. The snapper portion was so fresh and flaky with such a sweet flavor. I had the mahi-mahi special which was equally delicious. Finished the meal with a lemon pound cake and fresh strawberries with vanilla ice cream.. simply an amazing meal. We will make this a routine.. enjoy oh, and Rebecca was very good waitress. read more

Owl Cafe - Fried Shrimp. - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Great restaurant in the downtown area. The fried oyster salad and chicken salad were great. My kids loved their fried fish and grilled cheese. read more

Great! Absolutely fantastic! Best food we have had in a while anywhere. Tuna dip was great and the drinks and food in general top notch.

What a terrific lunch! We started with some fried oysters and found ourselves wrassling over who was going to get the last one. They were that good. Plump, juicy and briny. Mmmm. Grandma's Fried Chicken Wrap was delicious and so large I had to take half home. Yes, I paired my wrap with a Raspberry Hibiscus beer and it truly was "winner, winner, chicken dinner". I believe the RH was a seasonal selection but I encourage you to try it if you are looking for something refreshing and unusual. I liked it so much I walked across the street to Oyster City Brewing Company and bought a couple growlers to enjoy with friends over the weekend. My companion had the Jambalaya and raved about it. Our younger companion had the Kid's Penne & Meatballs and it was so good we were eating off her plate! In this crazy time it's nice to be able to go out to lunch, relax, eat and enjoy delicious food and drink. read more

After two weeks in the area and being just a tiny bit uppity, I was dying to visit a restaurant with a little bit of ambiance and a menu selection that goes beyond fried this-and-that with potato chips. Owl Cafe' fit the bill. The food was good, our server was great, and I'm so thankful to have finally had a somewhat upscale experience! Highly recommended, and those crab cakes are good! read more

Owl Cafe - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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If I could give this place 10 stars I would! Firstly, we had excellent service from the hostess and from our waitress Shameka. In small town FL we usually don't have high expectations but Owl Cafe raised the bar. The food and service were excellent - we are picky about our alcohol but Shameka was happy to offer us tastings so we could make our decisions. My fried oyster salad was delicious and incredibly filling - they did not skimp on the oysters! But my husband's gator-pork sausage was truly to die for!! We were traveling with our yorkie and they were very accommodating, giving us a shaded table upstairs and water for the pup. We'll definitely be back! read more

Sound the weather sirens, because my review forecast calls for rain on this restaurants parade :-( THE SCENE Let me first start off with praise. The staff is incredible. I just loved the service, friendliness and professionalism of the team assembled here. We also enjoyed the main dining area of the restaurant being located on the second floor. A wrap-around balcony made it perfect to enjoy the Apalachicola Mardi Gras Barkus Parade which passed right by the restaurant. This is a annual event for dog lovers. I even caught a few pairs of beads thrown at me... but I'm gonna keep secret what I had to do to get them ;-) The restaurant is a little dated on one side, but feels much different on the bar side where exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, a huge wooden bar and glass wine cellar made me feel like I was somewhere in Charleston or New Orleans. It was also brighter on this side of the restaurant @ 3pm and felt more cheerier and more inviting. We decided to order the following: THE FOOD DUCK CONFIT FRIES (5 stars) | $10 appetizer Description: pulled Duck, Gruyere, Prosciutto and Duck Cracklin ++ Verdict: Simply put, I ate them carefully at first, not sure if I would enjoy them. However, by the third bite I was fully committed to stuffing as much of this dish in my belly as possible. Truly the best item we tasted. OWL CAFE CRAB DIP with Flour Tortillas (2.5 stars) | $10 appetizer -/+ Verdict: If I had known prior to ordering that the crab dip was cold, I would not have ordered it. Flavor was okay, just not what I was expecting. FILET BENEDICT BEEF TENDERLOIN (3 stars) | $15 Description: Beef Filet w/two Poached Eggs on an English Muffin smothered in Béarnaise sauce. + Verdict: Hard to mess up a Benedict, but it could & should have been a lot better. CRAB CAKES BENEDICT (3.5 stars) | $15 + Verdict: My 13 year old son thought it was great, but the small "Daddy sampling" I tasted was just okay. HALF POUND CHEESEBURGER (3 stars) | $11 Description: Included all the trimmings and choice of Provolone, Cheddar or Swiss Cheese + Verdict: Decent burger and the biggest compliment I can give is my 16 year old didn't complain, but said it was "nothing to write home about." FRIED JUMBO GULF SHRIMP w/fries (2.5 stars) | $16 - Verdict: If I were a betting man, I'd say these shrimp were pre-battered in some factory, frozen for shipment, thawed several weeks later and cooked before arriving in front of me on a plate. The meat of shrimp (especially fresh shrimp) should have great flavor, but these had no flavor and were completely unsatisfying. Even the batter could have made a difference, but it too was bland. My wife didn't want any of the entrées on the menu, so she ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, grits and fruit À la carte . Her words: "the eggs were bland and the grits watery." Also, the fries and potatoes that came with our meals were good, but not a fan of the cole slaw. FINAL THOUGHTS When you are surrounded by the sight and smell of ocean water, one would tend to think the food being eaten was caught this morning and hauled in for lunch and dinner. My mind's eye pictures some scruffy sea crew proudly showing off their catch to local restaurant merchants eager to make a meal out of it. I can't help it, but that's just what my grey matter expects when dinning in oceanside villages. However, it is more likely that the food here is no fresher than what's in my very own refrigerator & freezer at home. What's worse is I'm a pretty good cook and could have done far better, even with not-so-fresh ingredients. I just expected a seafood restaurant averaging 4 stars on yelp to be so much more. Maybe that's unfair, but it still doesn't take away my disappointment with our meal today. 2018/10 read more

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The food was delicious and service excellent. I had the fried oysters and crab cake appetizers. Both were very tasty! read more

Owl Cafe - View from the porch and margarita - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

My rating is really 3.5 stars. Not enough for 4 stars IMO. We ordered the following: Arnold Palmers (2) - nothing special but tasty. Oyster Po-Boy with side salad - Sandwich was good according to my dining companion. He did not use the dressing/sauce that came with it because we were afraid it had dairy which he tries to avoid. It looked very similar to the dressing for my salad. Good ratio of oysters to bread. He would order again. Side salad was a generous portion and tasty with the balsamic vinaigrette. Deep Fried Apalachicola Oysters Salad - This is an overly simple salad in my opinion. Despite there being a generous number of fried oysters, with only lettuce and onions I kind of felt jipped that was all it was (given that it was $14). Flavors were great together. Dressing was supposed to be a creamy horseradish. It was more of a creamy mustard horseradish which I had to use very sparingly. It had more mustard than horseradish flavor (not my preference on a salad). Oysters were cut really small, battered then fried. They were tender and tasty but I would prefer larger pieces with less batter (but overall volume to remain the same). There were several pieces of lettuce that were on the brink of going bad, with a few slimy spots which I left for the kitchen staff to hopefully see when my plate returned to the kitchen. Cup of Gazpacho (soup of the day) - wonderful flavor but would be better if blended more like a typical Gazpacho so it feels more like a cold soup (the veggies were really chunky). Garlic flavor punch was great. Other observations: Our waitress Breanna was awesome. Friendly, informative and offered several suggestions when we asked about favorites. Attentive and polite. Dining ambiance was elegant and sophisticated without being stuffy. Main complaint: Another waitress Bree sounded like she was auditioning on stage for the next drama club play in high school. She was over the top loud when communicating specials while painstakingly and loudly enunciating each syllable of each word (even adding extra syllables to words such as Bas(a)mati). By the time Breanna was over to give us the specials, Bree was on her second recitation (although I think she was reading it off a cheat sheet), and we offered to let Breanna skip it so we could get to our orders. Every time Bree started over with the specials it was like nails on a chalk board. She was loud, rote sounding and frankly pierced the calm and serene atmosphere over and over again throughout our meal. At least twice, we heard people stop her mid-sentence so they could move on with their orders without hearing it again. I would try the place again, holding my breath that it was an off day for Bree. read more

Owl Cafe - Daily Special - Cup of Gazpacho Soup - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Horrible service. I've been coming to this restaurant for years and have never had such a bad experience. After an hour wait, it took us another 30 minutes to get our water. appatizers and dinner came out one hour after we ordered and came out together. The hostesses are rude, lots of people standing around. I will not be going back. The food isn't worth the price and certainly not the service. read more

We were staying in town and were given a recommendation to try The Owl Cafe. The building has great character and the meal was excellent from start to finish. The oysters and crab cakes were great and I was happy to see that a glass of wine with a generous pour was only $7. Our server Rebecca was very friendly and attentive but did not rush us. As this was our first time out after sheltering in place for almost 3 months we were happy to have had our first meal out at this great restaurant! The staff all wore masks and there was plenty of space between the tables. Highly recommended. read more

My husband and I are visiting for our anniversary. We went into this restaurant. Three different employees walked by us with a miserable look on their face and NONE of them even acknowledged us, let alone seat us. We finally left. Don't waste your time. read more

Nice location but the food was off. Shrimp were just ok. Had the fish tacos, a fried fish stick in soft tortilla. Had a little cabbage and such, very bland. Was served with limp fries. Maybe a bad day? Not sure but I won't be back. read more

With the Hole in the Wall around the corner, it's hard to give this place a solid rating. It feels like an outdated, "nice" restaurant that belongs a decade or two ago. The interior is aging but full of solid wood and local photography. Our server was very nice and probably the highlight of our meal. That said, the food is subpar. Oysters were full of pieces of shell. The bread is served with dipping olive oil (no spices or vinegar?) but it's very low quality olive oil, almost like dipping in vegetable oil. The worst was the crab dip. It's cold and seriously tastes just like it's been blended with run of the mill taco seasoning packets. I was scraping it OFF of the chips (because I was hungry). My friend's pasta dish was good. Probably the best part of our meal. We'd intended to get dessert but changed our minds because of the low quality food (at higher prices). I don't recommend this at all. Go...anywhere else. read more

The staff welcomed us in at 2.50pm even though the restaurant closes at 3pm. Not only were they welcoming, but they didn't hurry us, and they provided excellent service throughout lunch. It is a very nice restaurant upstairs from the Tap Room. It is classy in an almost European manner. We sat by the window in comfortable chairs, beside a good sized table and, as previously stated the service was very good. We ordered shrimp, oysters, fries, jambalaya and Belgian chocolate mousse. The shrimp, oysters and fries were very nice. The jambalaya was quite good and the desert was exceptional. All in all, this is a really good restaurant. The value for money is also very good...I cannot think of a single reason why I would not recommend this restaurant highly...So, that is what I shall do. Go there! read more

Recently our family ate dinner here and it's unfortunate but the new management has taken our favorite restaurant for over two decades and turned it into a disaster. Food was served cold. The fish was not the species we ordered. Most of the staff were on their phones when they weren't goofing off and cussing loudly. It was a complete disappointment. I think the new owners just expect the tourists to continue to eat here even with the food is lousy. It's time for find a new favorite seafood restaurant. Red Lobster would have been a better choice than the Owl. Very sad. read more

I loved that place it was the best food and there is a guy named luke that surved our food!! Was so kind, and they allow dogs on the porch just bring your own bowl!!!stepnie is the best Person and everyone seems cool there!! Love the owls in that place that my favorite anaimal read more

Owl Cafe - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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By far the best restaurant in town. Known for great food and great service. if you have but one restaurant to visit go to the Owl. read more

The family enjoyed their meals. The service was fantastic. They have daily specials and the snapper was amazing. Great sangria. read more

Very impressed. Went to Apalachicola for the day, traveling from Cape San Blas. Looking for something to eat and a few folks told us to try this place out. Was not expecting how fancy it was. Had to order the whole Pompano because... why not. Very delicious. read more

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

My husband ordered the jambalaya and it was terrible. He has been an avid cook, especially in Southern Dishes, and described the dish as being nothing more than a mouth full of chili powder. Additionally the entree had minimal pieces of seafood, chicken, or sausage all of which were overcooked. Though the wait staff was excellent, focus on this dish needs attention. Additionally, as we left the restaurant, we noted that others who had ordered this same dish left it uneaten. The Owl Cafe has been a landmark for many years, if they continue to serve substandard dishes they will lose their status in the the restaurant community. Jambalaya is not a Mexican dish. Is the chef tasting his product before it leaves the kitchen? read more

Owl Cafe - Fried Red Snapper. Delicious. - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

The steak was amazing, the oysters were amazing, they had a great drink selection with really reasonable prices. So why is it not 5 stars? The waitress was awful. This place is a little more upscale than the rest of the town but by no means do you need to be dressed up. Our waitress had an attitude with us the entire time, almost acting as if we weren't fancy enough for their almost fine dining. Didn't realize I needed to be dressed up for $6 bourbons and $7.50 plates of oysters. They were very accommodating to my wife's gluten free needs and all of the food was really delicious. I hate our waitress ruined the experience for us. I'd go back but I'd 100% sit in a different section. read more