Loved this place! It was right on the beach and you could order drinks at the beach bar while waiting for your table!

Stacey literally slayed our 17 people party!!! We all enjoyed our food so much and she took such good care of all us! Thank you Stacey for the best family vacay ever, you really came thru for us! read more

Great place to eat!! Love the fried coconut shrimp!! Service was awesome and ambiance was perfect for the beach!! read more

Super busy place right on the beach. We arrived at 6 and (with our party of eight) had a two hour wait to get seated. Waiter came around promptly and took great care of us, but another long wait for the food to come out after ordering. The food was really good. Grilled grouper is excellent! Coconut shrimp paired with that mango chutney is delicious. Nacho plate is huge and loaded with seafood. Crab legs were so good, this place does seafood right. Everyone loved their meal. read more

We were led to a beautiful ocean view table after a short wait. The gumbo was fabulous as promised - filled with seafood and very flavorful. The garlic crusted grouper with lobster delicious and perfectly prepared. I had the garlic cream sauce on the side and that worked well for me. Husband had the grouper with crab which was a little spicy but tasty. The fish was perfectly cooked, portions were large, and the service from our server, Katie, was excellent. We highly recommend this restaurant! We had read more

I loved in the Sandollar townhomes next door when this place was built in the late 1990s, ca.1998. As soon as at was open we are there and didn't like it so we never went back. Flash forward almost 25 years and I decided to try it again. The wait was long on. Summer Tuesday night, maybe 1.5 hours, but the view was nice. I tried one of their specialty drinks that cost $23 and was highly disappointed. You'll see a picture of what the drink is supposed to look like, and what it actually looked like. It wasn't very tasty either. I love craft cocktails, but these beach drinks fell flat IMO and the prices are a bit inflated. But, then again, it is a tourist "trap". The food was good and the prices were a bit lower than The Back Porch. I enjoyed the Oyster Poboy; it had the right amount of fried oysters with it. Do not get the coke slaw. If you are from the south and used to Lee's Famous Recipe, this is a 180! It isn't flavorful and vinegar based. It seems all the restaurants try to apply their own take to coke slaw and it doesn't work. The staff was friendly and efficient. read more

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It's a beach thing! Drinks, food, outdoor deck, sand and sunset views. The food is good but it is a chain. For me it's just the view. My food was decent. I had a shrimp salad. Pretty basic ingredients yet fresh. My partner had coconut shrimp and it was coconut forward. Still typical fare. However, I'll certainly be back just for the ambience. read more

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Fast seating Great service Beautiful Oceanside dining Fun casual atmosphere Delicious raw oysters Serve Angry Orchard cider! Friendly hostess Good seafood jumbo Delicious coconut shrimp Fried seafood platter was great! read more

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Everyone said we had to go to Pompano Joe's, and everyone was right! What a cute waterfront seafood restaurant & bar. Love the open air casual vibe. Enjoyed PJ's oysters (grilled with cheese and crabmeat!) and of course a frozen pina colada. Waitress was polite & attentive. There are tons of large tables for at least 8 people. Huge parking lot for the restaurant & public beach access. I could hang here all the time (but heads up they do close at 9p) read more

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The food was fresh and tasty. Although the wait was long we got a drink at the outside bar on the pier. The atmosphere was perfect you have outdoor option Parking also was plentiful! read more

Don't really get the hype about this place. The wait was extremely long, though you get to admire the ocean while you wait. Our waitress wasn't helpful or friendly. The food took a very long time to come out. So much so that we started to get very sleepy while we waited for our food. I think 45 mins from ordering to receiving your dish is a bit excessive. Don't you? Especially considering we already waited 1.5 hours for the table. The food in itself was nothing remarkable. I've definitely had better seafood elsewhere but I guess since we were in a absolute tourist trap, it had to do. I honestly can't recommend this place. Our food came out lukewarm with a waitress that didn't seem to like us at all. I'd rather spend my hard earned money elsewhere. read more

Pompano Joe's - Crab and shrimp stuffed Mahi - mahi - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

We decided to check out this place since we were in town for the beach and it was really good! We ordered the crab cakes, which were delicious but you only get 3 and the price is a bit steep. We also got the Jamaican jerk chicken and chocolate cake. Very good! And of course the view with the beach is very pleasing too. read more

Pompano Joe's - Crab cakes - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

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Pompano Joe's has been a staple for us for years. I feel like some restaurants rely on their beach location or cheap gimmicks to attract customers, and Pompano Joe's seems to rely on their food and service foremost! Drinks are always great. Gumbo is delish but a tad spicy. My favorite dishes are the Coconut shrimp and the Crab Cakes. These are my favorite crab cakes locally, just in front of Louis Louis. And you have to get the twice baked potato omg. For desserts, the coconut cake is my favorite but their key lime pie is one of my favorites I've had. It's hard to go wrong here! read more

This restaurant sits right across the street from where I stayed for a vacation. I came in for lunch and got seated right next to a table of 12 or so women who were so terribly loud with their voices and cackling laughter. We asked the staff to move us and they politely obliged. I got the grilled red snapper with veggies, hush puppies, and rice and beans. Everything was lightly seasoned and the fish came out nice and moist. The beans and rice had a little bits of corn and I'm guessing chopped jalapeno; the only think that would've taken them over the top would've been a little pico de gallo. Good veggies, especially once I hit them with a little lemon, salt, and pepper. Later in the evening, I walked back for a beer and a slice of key lime pie. It was one of the better pieces of pie I've had in a while. The filing itself was a tad tart, but the sweetness of the whipped cream put it all in balance. They gave six beers on draft, and to fet a Blue Point toasted lager for under 5 bucks is pretty good value. Didn't expect it to be served in a plastic cup though. Fun spot on the beach that plays great island music and serves up some good grub. read more

Pompano Joe's - Key lime pie - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

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10/10 with this restaurant! I had the grilled grouper tacos which were phenomenal. The drinks were great, our waitress was very kind and did a great job with having our orders correct. You also have a wonderful view of the beach, what is not to love. read more

Pompano Joe's - View of the beach - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

Great views right on the beach. A little on the small side - I wish they'd add a 2nd level. There is always a wait for dinner. Tonight we waited an hour and it's not even peak vacation season yet. We got our drinks in a reasonable time and had already looked at the menu ahead of time so we could order right away. Ambiance is fun and upbeat. From our seats, we watched teens playing football on the beach and dolphins swimming by. Portions were good and food was above average but pretty pricey. We did order dessert as well - who can pass up Dippin Dots and Florida Orange cake? Enjoy. read more

Pompano Joe's - Florida Orange cake : a must when visiting FLorida. - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

1st visit- Tried to order to go food and called. Was told I could do that and the girl who answered put me on hold while she looked for someone to take my order. Sat on hold for about 5 minutes and then phone was disconnected. Decided to just drive there since it was so close. When I arrived the front directed me to the bar. Then I was told by bartender and a server (with a terrible attitude) they don't do to go orders after 5 unless it's appetizers. Then they directed me to the T-shirt women with very short hair who told me the same thing with an awful attitude. I asked for the manager and explained what happened. I recommended they train employees to tell customers when they call they don't do to go after 5. 2nd visit- decided to try in person since it was right on the beach and within walking distance. Food was terrible, cold, and over priced. No flavor to the mahi mahi dish for $36.99. Kids grilled cheese wasn't even melted. Bathrooms were disgusting. Drive a little further and try a more local place. Awful experience both times. Would not recommend! read more

I'll break it down. Keep in mind, we only had drinks beachside. 1) Location - 5 stars. I mean, come on, it's on the Emerald coast, had many picnic tables and shade, and a guitarist. What more could you want? 2) Prices - 1 star. $9.50 for all their drinks, and you do not even have the choice to not get a speciality drink. (We didn't eat here but the food prices were not that great either). 3) The drinks - ...1 star. This was the biggest bummer, unfortunately. We tried two different rum drinks and both just tasted of boozy coconut with heavy artificial flavoring. They were packed with ice, which isn't ideal. But honestly, toward the end, I wished I had more ice because it had all melted and now I could taste all the artificiality in one lukewarm, watered-down sip. 4) Instagram-ability - 3.5 stars. The drinks look cute and appear quintessentially Destin, and with the ocean in the background you've got a cute post for the 'gram. Overall, do not recommend if you want anything drinkable. read more

Pompano Joe's - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

Great view of the Gulf. Laid back , friendly people. Gets very busy- mostly a seafood menu.

I'm lame and forgot to get pics of the food but the pics of the view shouldn't hurt in restaurant decision making. We had the fried grouper sandwich's with fries and pineapple slaw. It was pretty fantastic and our waitress brought it all out piping hot. This is one of my husbands favorite places to eat in Destin and I wasn't disappointed. read more

Pompano Joe's - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

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We stopped in for dinner and were seated outside. It was a rainy night and the place was full of palmetto cockroaches. The food was decent but the uninvited visitors ruined the appetite!!! read more

Pompano Joe's - Palmetto bugs cockroach at Pampono Joe's - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

So let me just start this by saying the service was excellent and spot on. My husband and I got calamari, rum bucket, and their stuffed mahi mahi which I would highly recommend. This place is also on the beach so if your out and about on the beach this is a great place to come eat or get their rum buckets read more

Pompano Joe's - Stuffed mahi mahi - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

Food is ok definently better seafood places in the area. A little pricey not much value for your money compared to other places. Location is amazing though. read more

Enjoyed eating here, we were seated promptly for lunch, outside with a beach view, and service was fast and friendly. Food was good as well, I had the crab cakes which were tasty and we shared a few appetizers which were good as well. Only gripe is the parking, it's pretty much a disaster. There is a free lot 5 mins walk away across the street but it's very hard to spot- it's basically sandwiched between 2 condo developments and looks like private parking. read more

I guess this is a touristy spot because I was a tourist and loved it ‍ lol We arrived around 4pm... mainly from happy hour. Grabbed the punch and a margarita. Both were great for $5. We also got some mozzarella sticks. Dinner entrees, just amazing! I had fried red snapper with rice and mixed veggies. The fish had a nice little spice to it. The beans and rice.. I don't know how they cook it but man was it good. My mom had the ribeye which was juicy... no steak sauce needed. We sat inside by the window for an amazing view of the beach. I saw some folks complain about the AC or lack there of but I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. It is pricey but majority of the restaurants are. For 2 of us, it was close to $100. But was so good. Our waitress was also amazing. Service was 5 ! read more

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First time to Pompano Joe's in years. We came for a late lunch and sat outside under the umbrellas. It's a great place for looking at the ocean while you eat. I got the key lime drink and it was so good that I wish I'd gotten a second one. It tasted just like a key lime pie. We got some crab claws for an appetizer. There was a nice portion of them. For my entree I got the blackened grouper sandwich. It was a nice piece of fish and they gave me a lot of fries to go with it. I enjoyed the meal. It was a little pricy for lunch, but you are at the beach so you are already planning to spend a good amount when eating out. read more

Pompano Joe's - Grouper #bhamfoodguy - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

Truly enjoyed Pompano Joe's- from the server all the way down to food and the view were wonderful! Daniel took care of us out on the Gulf Side beach deck! My wife had a crab cake sandwich and I had their coconut shrimp. My shrimp was Devine for three reasons - fresh shrimp, hand battered coconut, and the mango chutney! Seriously the mango chutney stole the show! We though it was going to be another burn and turn beach restaurant, we all know the idea, it truly was not! read more

Pompano Joe's - Coconut Shrimp with mango chutney, a twice baked potato and a crab cake sandwich with fries! - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

Do not go there if you cannot handle the heat!!!! Very hot and sweaty couldn't wait to get out and make it to my car to have ac !!

Dinner with a view! Food was good. Our waiter was super good (older gentleman) Kids meals are served on a frisbee they can take home. read more

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It was all good. Service was good. Not excellent but nothing to complain about for sure. When we got to the restaurant it was pretty busy and they told us a 40 minute wait but it was really more like 20 minutes. It was nice tho they had two bars you could go too while you wait in addition to the one inside the restaurant. One of the bars is actually downstairs beach front and you could order drinks and appetizers there. Once we got seated we received our food very quickly and had an awesome view of the ocean. The appetizers and the entree were all good. We had oysters, calamari and a fried platter that we shared and everything was amazing. Oh and the $5 margarita wasn't a premix! All in all we had an awesome experience at Pompano Joe's. read more

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This is a great beach front restaurant with Excellent Food. This combination seems hard to find at this price point. There is definitely someone in the kitchen who knows how to cook. Wonderful beach views and very helpful staff in all areas. You will not be disappointed. This is probably why they are 2 to 3 times busier than others. The lunch salmon and lunch salmon salad was really good. read more

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must go to dinner spot in miramar. the view never disappoints since it's right off the beach. food is always good and huge portion sizes. read more

Pompano Joe's - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

This place is always busy but worth it. The service is friendly and the employees look happy which makes the environment more enjoyable. Fried crab claws are always delicious. Blacken scallops, shrimps and fish are very good, very soft and moist. Everything was well seasoned with a kick. Veggies have a medium crunchiness to them which I immense enjoy over over cooked ones. This time it was to go but this place had good service with delicious food and an amazing view of the beach is totally recommend. read more

Pompano Joe's - Fried crab claws - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

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Decided to take a beach break and grab a bite to eat for lunch. Headed down the beach to Pompano Joe's. No wait, seated inside right by the window. We ordered the smoked tuna dip for an appetizer and, Oh my, it did. Or disappoint again! We've tried it at other places, including Pompano Joe's in Panama City and the Miramar Beach location has the best! Now for the bad part, once the food was served, our server disappeared. Found her chit chatting with the other servers around the entry machine. Had to ask other servers for refills of drinks. We don't ask for much when eating out, especially with the staffing issues. However, we do expect not to sit with an empty glass or at minimum be checked on periodically. read more

The view is amazing. The service was fast and polite. And the drinks were great! I came here with and old friend and we had a great time. I was impressed with how fast we were sat even though the place was packed with lots of people. We had the nicest server that helped us with our orders. I had a margarita with 1800 and is was great. Now the Fish Tacos were something else. The fish tacos were just amazing! You have them cooked just about anyway you like, so I had mine blackened and that was the right choice for me since I like spicy. I guess I didn't pay attention to the description of the food because the rice and beans were also spicy but it just made the dish that much better for me. I ate everything and I didn't feel stuffed which was great. I highly recommend this place if you are ever around Destin and you want some great Tacos with a view. read more

Pompano Joe's - Fish taco blackened! Amazing - Seafood Near Me - Destin, Florida

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My wife and I joked about adding this review, wondering if it even matters. Folks were lined up for a 45 minute wait as we left, we ourselves had waited for 20 minutes to be seated. Anyway, this place is exactly what you think it will be; What I thought it would be was overpriced prepackaged food, the same as every beach town/beach theme restaurant up and down the coast, with a nice view and nice breeze, and I was right. The food sucked. The service was fine. The Pompano Joes Orange Ale beer was tasty. Be sure and get your t-shirt at the Merch store on the way out. read more

What a great place! Waterfront view and great food. We will be returning again and again.

I'm so glad we stopped by this gem for lunch today. It's located right on the beach and has a very welcoming vibe. The bar is outside so you can have easy access to the beach and picnic tables on the sand. The food was delicious and the service was very good. We ordered crab cakes, calamari, and coconut shrimp. The sauce with the shrimp is honestly the best sweet sauce I've ever paired with shrimp. We will definitely return. The staff were wearing masks and hand sanitizer is available. read more

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3.5 for the food. 4 for the overall experience. Right on the beach, so you can't go wrong with the view. Food is pricey, but that's to be expected with this tourist trap. They were able to seat our party of 12 pretty quickly. Service was good. We got a free order of Reggae Rolls with the purchase of an entree. I was not a fan of the flavors. The inside was pretty mushy and wet. I had the Joe's Crab Cakes. Decent size, and you could see chunks of crab meat. However, it was dry and kinda flavorless. My brother had the Blackened Sirloin. Cooked perfectly medium, and he enjoyed it. Others had grilled Mahi Mahi and fried Mahi Mahi. Good portions, and the fish was fresh. I also tried a little of the Grouper Guadalupe. I really liked the sauce on top. Overall, good place to go when you're at the beach. read more

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Out of a handful of seafood restaurants we tried in the Destin area, Pompano Joe's was the best. It was a fun environment with a pleasant waitress. I recommend the red snapper, it was delicious. read more