Its really sad when you have been going to this restaurant for over a couple of years and spending some money too and every time (literally) you find the "so called" owners to be absolutely rude! We actually kept hoping, because the food is good, that we could get past the owners and how they treat their guest along with the people who work for them. We always have a nice group with us and this last time was the last time for all of us - no details on what has happened just no need to go anymore! read more

This area is new to me but my wife and I both work close. We decided to meet up here after work one night. I loved the atmosphere. We ordered drinks and they were fantastic. For dinner we ordered some light items, shrimp Po Boy and fish tacos. They were great and our waitress was lovely. read more

1st time here in quite awhile and it was as great as I remember. Service was great and food was excellent! Everything we had was fresh. The oysters were fantastic. Mahi mahi delicious and my husband had great crab legs. The team at Pelicans Reef were friendly, efficient and informative. It was a great experience. read more

Good snow crab legs! Nice atmosphere, more of a "locals" place. Friendly bar folks. I've been here about 10 times. Has never disappointed. Not crazy about the lobster bisque, but everything else has been quite good. read more

Meh. Went here for mother-in-law's birthday and while she enjoyed her fried cod basket, I did not enjoy the stuffed sole. Fish was not seasoned and the crab and scallop stuffing was devoid of both and tasted like stove top stuffing without any flavor. My husband got the shrimp and pasta, but only liked the shrimp. The onion rings, however, were very tasty. Doubt we'll be returning, unfortunately...really wanted to like this place. read more

Love the atmosphere... makes me feel like I am near the beach! I have visited on a couple occasions. The first time I got coconut shrimp which was delicious. Generous portion, too. During my most recent visit I got blackened mahi mahi tacos off their specials menu, with a side of sweet potato fries. The fries were delicious- exactly what you want in a sweet potato fry, very crispy! I was underwhelmed by the tacos. The fish didn't really taste blackened and was over cooked. The tacos had some type of slaw with a chipotle dressing, but I felt like something was missing in terms of flavor. It needed something else to liven it up. We will be back, but i just won't be getting fish tacos again. read more

A+ all day long, Food is plentiful and well prepared. Gumbo A+++, Mozzarella sticks are 8 to and order not your typical 4-5 and great every time. Prince Edwards Mussels all styles are great. Salmon salad MMM. Fish and chips are great. Very nice staff and food come out in a timely manner. read more

One of my favorite places to eat. It reminds me of eating out while ur on vacation at the beach.

What a great restaurant that isn't a chain and has good seafood. Prices are fair without it being a stuffy high end place. The drinks are off the charts great, they really know how to pour a cocktail/shot. I love the atmostpher of being casual. Even if someone doesn't like seafood there is plenty of yummy items. I hope that the owners do not get tired of their magical place. I would love to see the crab corn chowder come back read more

The place has had it's ups and downs over the years, but since the ownership changed a few years back, the only bad thing I can say is that it's hard to get in the place! It's the best kept secret in dining in Cincinnati as far as I'm concerned (or was at least). They recently expanded, and roughly doubled the size of their dining room., an there is still a wait for dinner, seven days a week. The food is delicious and reasonably priced, They have seafood delivered daily to ensure freshness. It may very well be the best place in Cinci for seafood. read more

We visit here probably twice a month. The have such a great atmosphere like you are in Key West. We always get the blackened grouper sandwich and gumbo. Best fish sandwich in town!! No competition!! read more

Charged more than menu said. No bacon on bacon cheeseburger. Pink center in my well-done burger. Twice baked potato looked and tasted like instant potatoes in half of a real potato shell. Never going back. I want what I ordered, not just what they wanted to give me. read more

We go to Pelican Reef often. They have never disappointed. Last visit I had the island tacos with the Mahi Mahi and my husband has the salmon ceasar salad. Delicious. Service is always friendly even when they are busy. read more

We found this restaurant online and can honestly say it was absolutely some of the freshest fish we've ever eaten

This is a great restaurant but you can't get a cup of their delicious clam chowder as a side. So disappointed.

Pelican's What? This unassuming restaurant located in a small complex is a hidden must-try gem for anyone craving a taste of the ocean. Having spent the last four years in Miami, I have had my share of the best seafood from restaurants spanning from Key West to Miami. I was not expecting much from any seafood restaurant in the land locked state of Ohio, who's nearest body of water is the dirty Ohio River. I'm sorry for doubting you Pelican's Reef, I truly am. I don't know how I will make it up to you, but perhaps my many future dining experiences in your restaurant will prove how wrong I was. Sitting inside Pelican's Reef I felt like I was dining in Islamorada again and the food was phenomenal, taking my taste buds on an oceanic journey. My favorite appetizer was the calamari but the fried coconut shrimp was on point as well. For my main course I had the grouper sandwich on rye, it was amazing. If you are in the 'Nati and looking for some tasty seafood look no further, Pelican's Reef is the best. Now, bring me that horizon! read more

Pelicans Reef is always great. It was my son's 16th birthday and he got to choose. He loves the caesar salad and clamari. I had a great halibut with a lobster citrus butter. The lobster bisque is very good. Their special menu has some more adventurous choices and have been terrific. read more

The owners of this restaurant are as rude and nasty of any place I've eaten in! My husband and I would go about once a week because of the convenience to our home. We would try to overlook the owners attitude attributing it to them being busy. I will never go back to Pelican Reef after my last visit. It was the last of many times myself and a group of friends, who are all regulars, were treated with such disrespect. I think the owners have enjoyed a regular steady patronage that they think they can treat people rudely. I think they will find out this will come to bight them in the behind, I can only hope. Their food is decent but not fantastic by any means. read more

Took my mother here for her birthday last year. Cute and casual. Large menu, lots of options. Pretty ok food. Good service.

This comment is for Patti. We were there on Thursday the 10th around 6:30 pm i think. My wife had the seafood pasta. My comment on the fish tacos was not directed to the freshness of the ingredents, but more the lack of percieved effort and creativity. The fish itself is fine, but the flower tortilla was room temp and not warmed or steamed for foldability, the other ingredients were all very very small amounts of shredded iceberg lettuce, cheese, and some diced tomatoes. Maybe a pinch of each. My tacos looked wimpy and half full. So many simple things could be changed to make this an amazing dish which is sad because the kitchen staff got the hardest part right, the fish! Maybe switch to cabbage or mixed greens and double the amount, and replace the cheese with something that doesnt look like the bag cheese from Kroger. I realize cost is a consideration but just one tiny change could really help. I try to see passion, inspiration,and food that stimulates multiple senses when i eat. Please dont think i am expecting 5 star every meal, i was impressed with the new wrap at McDonalds the other day. Thanks for considering my comments read more

Food is good but a little over priced for the area. Be prepared for a wait and it's always a rush to get you out and moving. Most of the positive reviews are from the locals which is understandable. read more

My husband and I recently moved from Cincinnati and this is one of the restaurants we miss the most. They have the best clam chowder ever, and we have had clam chowder all over New England (including Durgin Park). It has nice big chunks of clam and a delicious broth that complements but doesn't overpower the clams. Our other favorite ia their grilled tuna steak sandwich. It is always grilled to perfection (my husband likes rare, I like medium rare). We like it with the chipotle tarter sauce. Other favorites include oysters, peel and eat shrimp, fish tacos, and their mussels. The menu is extensive enough that there really is something for everyone. I saw another review which criticized the service but in the many years we went there we always got great service. Miss you Pelican's Reef! read more

OK, we still eat there, still at least once month, since we like the food, my wife likes the Bloody Marys, it's in the neighborhood and we know the menu well enough to order a reasonably healthy meal. What kills me it that for as long as we've been going there, there is not a shred of recognition from management. No "hi, how are ya?", no "good to see you again", no "thanks for coming." Nothing. I think we're good tippers and we don't cause trouble. We think it's odd. read more

Excellent food. I have eaten lunch here on several occasions over the past few months. I have never had a bad meal. It is always fantastic.

Love this place! Always have good service but the food is Killer! I love it so much I order the Lobster bisque in multiple to-go orders to eat for later and then more later after that! Yum! read more

First visit this week. We loved the laid back atmosphere, and the great food. Quick service, great experience!

We were there yesterday and once again it was amazing. The Lobster Bisque is spot on perfect. The calamari, couldn't be any better. The Cuban sandwich was so huge we both had some and brought some home. I love this place. Can't wait to return!! :) read more

Flat out best seafood I have had in this greater Cincinnati area. The fish and shrimp tacos are great, the fish dishes I have had have all been top quality, perfectly cooked. The clam chowder is the absolute best that I have anywhere outside of the Pacific Northwest or Boston. Everything I have had there I have loved. read more

Was told about this place by a friend. Surprised at how family oriented this turned out to be. Seafood we ordered was a bit overlooked. A bit too noisy. read more

This place is the bomb. I had no idea it was even there. Server was very friendly and the Seafood was on point.

My favorite restaurant in Anderson Township. John makes the specials. We have been going to Pelican's Reef for 20+ years - it has evolved through the years. Wait staff is wonderful. Some of my favorites are the grilled grouper with a Caesar Salad. I always ask for an extra side of Caesar dressing. Sweet potato fries are great. During soft shell crab season, we make this a weekly stop. My husband has lunch here one to two times a week. read more

Love this place! Try the tomato basil lobster chowder - when they have it. So so so good! Great atmosphere, too.

Hard to watch Kitchen Staff eating in the "back", while sitting at the bar with a view into their "private" space. Seafood is good, but alternative to seafood meals (steak) is disappointing. Employees spend a lot of time checking their cell phones, too. Average at best. read more

Great seafood and atmosphere! Almost makes me feel like I can smell the ocean. The seafood is phenomenal but the sides could use some tlc. My potato always tastes old and so does the rice. Every time. read more

This place is great! Food is wonderful and service is always awesome. My family goes here often.

This was my first trip to the Pelican Reef. Right away your hit with a nice coastal decor and atmosphere. The hostesses and wait staff were all friendly. Now about the food....It was amazing. I went with my parents, and we all started off with soup. We ordered the Lobster bisque, Clam Chowder, and Gumbo, and all of them were great. We each ordered a fried seafood basket. Between the three of us we had the clams, oysters, crab cakes, shrimp, and scallops. All were amazing, not too greasy or heavy. The clams and oysters were fresh out of the shell, and by far the best fried versions I've had. For sides we had the sweet potato fries, Caesar salad, twice baked potato, and a mashed potato, which was a special. They all were very good. My only complaint would be that the beer/wine selection was relatively small. I definitely plan to go back sometime, and recommend it to anyone looking for some delicious, fresh, reasonably priced seafood. read more

I've lived in Anderson for a couple years and been to Pelican's Reef almost 10 times now (my wife and her friends like it), but I just don't understand the hype here. I will say that their non-seafood items seem to be ok. My wife usually gets steak with some sort of potato side dish, her friend usually gets a burger with regular or sweet potato fries, and her friend's husband usually gets one of the salads. From what I've sampled from their plates, everything seems to be ok. People do seem to enjoy the salads here quite a bit, and their house made dressings are damn good. I'll give them that. However, if I'm going to a place called PELICAN'S REEF that has a picture of a pelican munching on a fish on the menu, I'm going to, you know, order seafood unlike my loser wife and her friends :) I'll start by saying their fried seafood is fine but it's pretty tough to screw that up. If you're a fan of fried shrimp, scallops, clams, oysters, etc. -- and who doesn't get that craving every now and then -- you'll have no problems eating here. Their po boy sandwiches aren't bad but don't really stand out compared to others (see Mardi Gras on Madison). But their fresh fish specials are where they really drop the ball in my opinion. No fewer than 5 times have I tried a different fish special, and 100% of the time I have finished my meal a disappointed patron. The fish is typically under-seasoned and ALWAYS overcooked. For instance the last time I went, one of the specials was New Zealand bluenosed bass. First of all, they offered it with one of 3 seasoning options: blackened, mesquite and I think cajun was the 3rd option. Bluenose bass naturally has a rich, buttery-type flavor to it, so those options don't really jive with the fish at all. But having tried bluenose bass before and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought I'd give it a try anyway (went with the mesquite option). It came out way overcooked, amazingly dry and completely lacking seasoning. I understand that you don't want to overkill it with seasoning because you want the fish to be the star of the dish, but at the same time there should be a better effort to draw out the natural flavors, especially if you're going to ruin the natural texture of the fish by overcooking the heck out of it. This experience was nothing new though as my meal had been met with disappointment more than once before. The specials I've tried typically lack seasoning, the sauces are usually bland, and they even royally screwed up the drawn butter the one time we ordered crab legs here. 2 stars might be harsh given that most of the menu isn't bad (and I forgot to mention the raw bar - decent as well, and soups - pretty good actually), but the rating is based on what I typically order there, which is one of the fish specials (never once been better than a 2 out of 5-star meal), as well as the fact that the place is ALWAYS super crowded. I just don't understand why. read more

Just not good. We were so excited when we moved within walking distance and thought we would be there every weekend, but after one visit- we haven't been back. The fish is mostly fried and "old fishy" tasting. You could tell its old frozen fish!!! Service was okay! read more

My husband and I have been curious about Pelican's Reef for a little while, and decided to try it over the weekend. We were very pleased. There was no wait to be seated (although, since it was not very crowded, I must admit, I thought the service could have been just a bit faster), and we thoroughly enjoyed every single thing that was ordered. Their lobster bisque is excellent, and the prices are reasonable. We will DEFINITELY go back! read more

Dined there tonight for the first time-coconut shrimp and scallops were overcooked-in fact the coconut was crunchy. When i mentioned to server, she said they were suppose to be that way. Didnt complain further-paid and tipped well, but probably wont go back-mashed potatoes were great. read more