Delicious food, nice semi-upscale ambiance and fantastic service. We had the bacon, scallops and tenderloin. All were on point and the sides it came with, as well. Drinks were a good pour and well made. Whiskey sour and vodka and tonic. We made reservations for 8:30 on a Tuesday and did not wait. There were seats at the bar and some tables empty. There was no one there waiting. Go here!!! read more

Surfing Deer - Clothesline Bacon. Perfection!! - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

The food at Surfing Deer is delicious and the ambiance is great. Sit outside if possible! We got the Havana Grouper, Seared Sea Scallops and Thai Skillet Salmon; they were all very favorable and perfectly cooked. The only negative is the tap water flavor, so we ordered bottled. read more

See all

Everything, great food, great service, valet parking, we are vacationing and will come back wonderful time!!

We enjoyed the ambience here but the food was a toss up. We arrived around 5:30 for a birthday dinner and had 7 people. The Caesar salad was excellent. The tuna tostadas and hush puppies were pretty good. Then came the entrees. The scallops were cooked well but the chorizo sauce was like throwing ground beef on top of a perfectly good risotto and scallop dish, it just didn't mix well and I had to dig around to get the risotto out. Everyone else in our party ordered grouper in some capacity and it was so tough they couldn't eat it, and one person couldn't even cut it with a knife (grouper should fall apart with a fork). The service was good and they comped a couple of the dishes that weren't edible but overall we won't be back. I rarely post anything negative but for this upscale of a spot in an upscale area, they need to assess who is in the kitchen with that precious grouper. (Presentation was beautiful! And again, we loved the ambience). read more

Food was solid. We posted pics of the dishes we got, scallops, seafood dish, hanging bacon, tuna tacos, and key lime pie. Also- food was lightning fast - we barely got our order in and had a glass of wine started and apps were already out. We finished those and dinner was riggt up. For a date night it might have been a bit better to not be sooo fast, but it worked for us as we were able to eat quick and get back home to our baby quicker. Table top around bar is a nice fast casual way to go, but it looks like there are more private indoor and outdoor areas for many types of seating. Def recommend here. read more

Surfing Deer - Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

See all

Convenient location with a easy walk from Seaside. Ahi Tuna Tostadas and Pimento Cheese Hush Puppies are two excellent starters. Pesto Pappardelle with shrimp is exceptional! Service was efficient, we never had dirty plates on the table or empty water glasses. Great for a family dinner or a night out with friends. read more

Surfing Deer - Pesto Pappardelle - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

One of my favorite restaurants on 30A. The service here is second to none and food is even better.

Delicious! Hands down the best meal we've had here on 30A. Great atmosphere, very attentive staff. Will be back read more

See all

Food was wonderful. Clothes line bacon was a memorable and yummy dish. We had scallops, steak special, and the everything wedge salad. All were very good. Docked a star for service. That aspect of this visit was quite off. We had a 630 reservation and were seated about 625 after a short wait. The server came by and took a drink order fairly quickly but after that we sat for a half hour before they came back to get our food order. From there the service was adequate but an after thought it seemed. We ordered dessert and an espresso but the espresso never came. It did however appear on the bill but was removed when pointed out. I'd go back but the service was disappointing tonight. read more

Surfing Deer - Clothes Line Bacon - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

The service was great. The food was amazing. I had a vegan appetizer and vegan entree Both delicious read more

Surfing Deer - Cauliflower - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

I'm sorry to say but this place is a Mona Lisa. It looks beautiful on the outside, but...... Their parking is a sh*tshow. We went in and my husband went to park. They wouldn't seat us until the four of us were there. I never will understand why restaurants do this. The wine glasses were great but the wine list was tiny. The auxiliary staff bringing us food were busy filling up glasses and bringing food. Our waiter seemed to be busy talking to a manager in the kitchen. There was no sense of urgency. The food was not great. The whole hogg appetizer seemed to be good until realized that most of it was cold. The same for the clothesline bacon. The beans that accompanied the bacon had no flavor. That's how we felt about the meals as well, including the sweet and sour snapper and special. The arancinio (sp?) had the best flavor of them all. We bypassed dessert, which is very rare for us. The positives I can say are that the staff were nice and it's nice to be able to make reservations in advance. read more

Cafeteria food for a premium price! We had the seafood stew. Overcooked shrimp & fish with a bland broth and mushy rice. The salmon was too spicy! The calamari ho hum. He pork chop was uninspired. The cornbread was good. Service was ok. The Thai exchange student was the highlight of our otherwise miserable expensive meal. Such a huge disappointment! read more

Surfing Deer - Bar - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

See all

Fantastic food. We'll absolutely be back. Wonderful service, seriously pissed we didn't eat here the last 3 years!!!

"Surfing is the most blissful experience you can have on this planet, a taste of heaven." ~John McCarthy - I haven't been out for awhile, so tonight was the night at Surfing Deer. I had a couple great martinis and a snack: SEAGR-O-POLITAN green apple vodka, organic elderflower liquer, lemon juice, white cranberry juice THE PEAR & THE BEE pear infused vodka, Spring 44 honey vodka, ginger syrup, lime juice deerly mixed BLOODY MARY OYSTERS fried local oysters, spicy tomato coulis, pickled veggies, fresh horseradish, micro celery to peck As I understand it, in the 1940's, when Seagrove Beach was nothing more than a few houses hidden behind sand dunes, a man named Cube McGee saw something more. He saw a paradise unlike anywhere else in the world and decided to build a community around it. Cube developed and shaped Seagrove into the vibrant, soulful place it is today. He was also a local celebrity, with his pet deer. The both of them could be seen each morning on the beach, playing in the surf. Some even say, if you're up early enough, you might still see a deer playing in the surf at sunrise. The Surfing Deer pays homage to him. read more

See all

I'm a bit dumbfounded that this place has a 3.9. Im almost offended. The staff is amazing! We arrived right on time for our reservation. We literally were directed right in. We sat on the patio and the ambience was wonderful. Anthony was our server and he was an amazing host for our meal. We ordered appetizers and cocktails. We got pimento hush puppies and the Bloody Mary oysters with wonderful pickles and pickled okra and fried oysters... perfection. Honestly better than I imagined. The cocktails were amazing. If you like an old fashioned you have to try the Cube McGee. It's a perfect eclectic bourbon cocktail with bitters and lemon and muddled blackberries. On to our entree's. I had the Acadian it was divine. Beautiful combo of grouper, shrimp, crawfish and andouille wrapped in a wonderful spicy lobster broth with a delightful baguette. My wife had an incredible bone in ribeye a perfect medium rare with an onion jam that was to die for. My brother in law had the scallops which were equally as amazing with a corn risotto that was divine .. My sister in law had the crab cakes which were succulent and creamy. Now the chef and manager thought we had waited too long for our entrees, even though we had no clue. We were just enjoying each other's company and our cocktails. They then served us an amazing array of deserts on the house. Our choice was a salted caramel brownie with ice cream that was better than average. The star was a banana pudding cheesecake which was extremely unique and delicious. A flambé banana, cream, with a vanilla wafer crust that was literally the best. In closing, if you are in Seaside or Santa Rosa or surrounding areas and DON'T go to Surfing Deer you are doing yourself and your friends and family a disservice. 10 out of 10 Highly Recommend!!! Epic cap to our vacation! #nocap read more

Absolutely a must eat experience! With all of the options to choose from it's hard to know what places are a must go. We were told to eat here by some friends who enjoyed it so much they went twice. We spent a little over a week in Seacrest and wanted to experience as many of the favorites as we could. We thought we would give it a shot and we are glad we did. I fact, we were so glad we went twice as well! As far as what to order, I don't think there's a bad choice on the menu! The must have appetizers for us included the WHOLE HOGG which is best describes as pork rind nachos drizzled with mouth watering pulled pork... the CLOTHESLINE BACON accompanied by sweet potato biscuits! Seriously, sweet potato biscuits... uh, YES... calamari and of course, last but not least is TRUFFLE FRIES! These things tasted like they were fried in truffle oil. Amazing!! Our groups dinner choices included SEAFOOD ACADIANA with lobster stock which was amazing, the BLACKENED LOCAL GROUPER which is served on a bed of corse ground grits and corn salsa. This was amazing. BRAISED BEEF SHORTRIBS which were to die for... probably the best short ribs I've ever tasted. SWEET & SPICY SNAPPER served with jasmine rice, snow peas and cashews with a subtle Asian flair, and the last meal was the 20 oz. PORTOR HOUSE served with a French gratin. Desert. . . As if there was room but hey, we're on vacation right?? Our two choices were THE KEY LIME EXPERIENCE and the CARAMELIZED BANANA PUDDING CHEESECAKE. Both were a perfect way to finish off our experience! Please don't take our word for it though, try it for yourself. Maybe twice to make sure it was actually as good as you thought it was the first time around. read more

See all

The food was very delicious. The clothesline bacon came with a table side torching of herbs. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the risotto underneath paired well. The seafood acadiana was flavorful and a large portion. Garlic mashed potatoes were tasty. The pork chop was the best one we have ever had. It was cooked perfectly and had a delicious glaze. The decor was nice, and the restaurant was clean. Our server was attentive, and our drinks were always full. We very much enjoyed our meal. read more

See all

I love going to surfing deer whenever I am visiting Florida. The proximity to seaside is a plus, and the food is delicious. I also love the vibe of the restaurant. Great place for a nice dinner with family or friends. read more

See all

Overall, the food was pretty good. The hush puppies were nice and fluffy with an interesting spicy maple sauce. The truffle fries were a little dry. I had the pesto pappardelle with blackened shrimp, which was pretty decent. The shrimp was amazing, but the pasta needed more salt. The food took forever to come out, so we were not pleased with the service/wait. Personally, the restaurant choice in seaside isn't great, so the food here was better than most other places. However, the service here was disappointing. read more

Surfing Deer - PESTO PAPPARDELLE with shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

Paige was our server and was fantastic! The hostesses respected our wishes and sat us at a more private table as we are still a little afraid of COVID. Varied menu, great cocktails, upscale interior and parking out back (valet). The crab and avocado salad was delicious! They split it for us which made sharing a whole lot easier. Unlike most salads, this one was lightly dressed and had super fresh ingredients. My husband had the seafood acadiana, which was similar to a Cioppino, with fresh fish and hush puppies. I had the sweet and spicy snapper in a curry broth with jasmine rice and fresh veggies. I asked for no cashews or mango as that didn't sound appealing to me. It was also a bit heavy on the sesame for my taste but the fish was cooked perfectly and the broth was incredibly rich. We'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Great food, great service, great drinks, great location, great clientele. Highly recommend for a nice overall experience and good family atmosphere. All the children were well behaved and enjoying themselves too. I wish I lived there. read more

Amazing Food and Service, From the welcome by attentive hosts and a well run bar staff, to the attentive service from Matt for our dinner, the experience and the food was outstanding and great wine choice. The meal was a 5 star on our list Will be back read more

See all

Very disappointed. We reserved a table a month in advance. When we got there they were not able to seat us together. They do not split checks. They charged $25 to process your card. Beautiful restaurant and the wait staff is excellent. I'm not sure I would go through the trouble to dine there again. read more

Food is always good no matter what we order and service is all around good. Sitting outside is a beautiful space.

We just had to try this restaurant after driving by it during our stay and reading the article about how it was named after the owner with a pet surfing deer. There weren't any reservations available for a week, so we showed up and they squeezed us in at the bar. The food was delicious and the service excellent. read more

Wonderful experience. Bacon flight was especially good as was the mahi. Shrimp and grits was just okay, but other dishes were great

Lindsey was our server and she had a true knowledge of every item on the menu and gave honest recommendations. My wife had blackened grouper on the pasta, and I had the seafood Cajun style dinner. Both were incredible. I cook a lot at home and I'm usually disappointed when we have a meal out, but was pleasantly surprised at how good everything was. read more

I want to be clear that I am a food blogger, not a food critic.  I dine and I share my experience to (hopefully) help others make a good dining choice.  I try to emphasize the positive, even when I haven't had an exceptional experience.  With that preface, my experience at the Surfing Deer was good, not great. Unique name?  Check.  Beautiful ocean view?  Check.  Trendy atmosphere and furnishings?  Check.  Good service?  Check.  Delicious food?  In my opinion, it was good, not great.  Now, could it have been that I ordered incorrectly?  Absolutely.  The ingredients were fresh but the Havana Grouper's combination of Cuban spiced black beans, white cheddar cornbread, queso fresco, and roasted poblano salsa verde wasn't a winning combination for me. read more

See all

Randomly found this place on our girls trip! So amazing and our waiter was the best! Super accommodating and attentive....food was also really really good! The hush puppies are great read more

Surfing Deer - Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

My favorite restaurant on 30a. Amazing food, bar is fun and interactive. Sat w Chuck this last time and he was phenomenal! Very professional and personable. We really enjoy every time we come. read more

See all

Waiter was super friendly and very informative! We sat outside, the ambiance and weather was immaculate. Love the noise of the water feature as we dined. Everything we ordered was delicious. We will definitely be back on our next trip! read more

See all

We had a great dinner at Surfing Deer while we were staying at Seaside. Friends of ours suggested that we make reservations ahead of time and I'm glad we did. The restaurant was full all night. Our server gave his recommendations and we started with the calamari appetizer, which had a light breading and came with small cherry peppers. My my entree, I went with the chefs special for the night- crab cakes. They were perfectly cooked and delicious. My husband had the paella-style dish and it was packed with flavor and seafood. We ended the night with the toffee butterscotch skillet cookie, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Highly recommend if you're looking for an upscale dinner! read more

SD was "full" with reservations so we were perfectly fine to sit at their beautiful spacious bar with fantastic eclectic music choices. #1 tip for frequent diners: ALWAYS ask the server for their/the favorite menu items - it's virtually fool proof. Our winner bartender (unfortunately forgot her name! "Bar 0 on the receipt - really pretty, long dark hair, tats) came through by suggesting the Caesar salad and the Sesame-Coconut Crusted Snapper with coconut black rice, Asian pear salad, and spicy peanut sauce. Total Flavortown, it was amazing in all ways! The salad was somewhat deconstructed and one of the best of I've ever had (beware, anchovies). Their truffle fries!!!!!!!!!! A generous portion, perfectly seasoned, perfectly salted (a tricky balance imo)--simply enough reason in and of itself to return to any restaurant for me at least! As if all of that wasn't enough decadence, the chef killed it with the blueberry cheesecake. Emphasis on blueberries and smudges of toasted marshmallow fluff on the plate. I withhold one star simply because I think the host(s) at the entrance are practically THE tone-setter of any restaurant. On this night, both girls were probably too young. They were not professional for such a pricey establishment: they were not pro-active in any way (we had to ask to sit at the bar when told they were full. I mean, really??). We saw them with other patrons, never smiling, not truly *hosting. read more

Doug was our server and did a fantastic job!! Loved the berry and beet salad and the seafood Acadiana. Wish there was complimentary bread and the music was extremely loud when we first came in, but after about 30 mins or so they turned it down. All in all, a great place to bring the family when you are on 30a! read more

We made 5pm reservations here, and did not leave dissatisfied. The food was all amazing but I highly recommend the calamari, seafood acadiana, key lime pie, and peanut butter chocolate cake. The jalapeño pimento hushpuppies were probably my least favorite dish, I would eat double the cornbread instead. We would definitely return here next visit! read more

Surfing Deer - Seafood Acadiana - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

We brought our six month and his stroller along for the outing. Patrick was an excellent waiter! I had selected soy free and noted that we preferred no vegetable/seed oils when making our reservation and Patrick came to our table prepared. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating to our preferences. Was a great experience and the food was delicious! read more

Incredible food here. Making a reservation in advance was the way to go, we were seated efficiently and the hosts even accommodated our request for a table change to the patio, (which was so beautiful and fun). Definitely try the bacon close-line appetizer & the vegan cheesecake desert was amazing! We will be returning here! read more

Surfing Deer - Filet Mignon - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida

See all

Food was good, servers were friendly, thats where the good times end. You are asking for a reservation to be held with a credit card (Emeril's doesn't but the prestigious surfing deer does at $25 a head) then looks at my group like a crazy person when the group waits 15 minutes to seated at a 4 top with 5 chairs. Took 45 min from entrance to seat to get our first drink. Don't act like a 5 star restaurant and give 1 star service. Front of the house is a huge fraud. Not worth the frustration. read more

This place used to be WAY better. Unfortunately, it is a shadow of what it once was. I ordered a $50 filet medium rare. It came back medium well. The staff told me they considered the gray filet to be medium, so they advised me to request my remake to be "rare" as it would be plated as medium rare. The server and I went back and forth about this a lot and I finally acquiesced and agreed to request the remake "rare" because I was assured by the server that I would actually receive a "medium rare" steak. No. No. No. my mistake to trust the server. I got a rare ass cold steak. The server was embarrassed and I told him that I would just take it home and cook it myself. For $50 I got two fucked up steaks. So, would I recommend this? Only if you have more money than sense. The vegan wings appetizer is great, but everything else is super problematic. I have been coming to this restaurant in all of its incarnations for 10 years. And this current incarnation is the worst. Hope it gets better. read more

A group of 7 of us got a reservation for a weekday about a week out, we are glad we did! It was very busy. We had a nice outdoor table. The ambiance is awesome. We started with espresso martinis and I had the scallops with a risotto. There was mozzarella in the risotto which was a great touch. The scallops were perfect. Will definitely be back! read more

Surfing Deer - Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Seagrove Beach, Florida