Great service, good views, decent flavors. This Beach front restaurant is much bigger than it appears with a quirky decor

The name plays down the exquisite vibe of this place. Wow! Valet parking by a great college kid...then the place is huge inside and just about every table takes advantage of the wonderful waterside view. The staff was wonderful. Had the Portobello sandwich...very good. I really enjoyed the corn fritters...they stand alone as super tasty and loved them without the dipping sauce .... The margarita was the best I've had in years as there was no commercial mix in there...made from scratch ingredients. We happed upon this place while driving north and were we ever grateful. Wonderful and sure hope to be back again someday!!! read more

Yellow Dog Cafe - Portobello sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Malabar, Florida

See all

I was so excited to try this restaurant when moving to the area as I heard so many amazing things. Unfortunately, it was a let down. The food was mediocre and didn't support the high price tag. You pay for the ambiance, which is gorgeous. read more

I have never been here before and was meeting a few clients for a work meeting. The name definitely threw me off but this is an upscale restaurant right on the water. You definitely need to valet here, no parking on site so bring some extra cash for tipping the valet. I did almost drive right past this because there isn't a turn in from one of the directions on the highway so pay attention. I tried the Old Blue salad and topped it with medium rare ahi tuna that was cooked to perfection. My clients all had the steak and it looked fantastic. Their bread selection was great and they offered a prefixed three course meal option at a reasonable price. I will go here again and will be looking forward to trying other menu options i the future. read more

Yellow Dog Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Malabar, Florida

25th Wedding Anniversary Dinner. Little disappointed. We were in town from another state, and found this on Yelp. We called and made reservations with Beth and explained the special occasion. She was so nice on the phone and said they had the best room for us. We arrive and the view was amazing. Free Valet was a nice touch and the guy was very friendly and accommodating. Even took pics for us. We were greeted by Beth and informed she also had the best waiter for us. We didn't care for the table/room as it was tucked in a little room, which was fine except the window was a box window about a foot above the table, so we couldn't see wonderful view as well. We asked to move and no problem as it wasn't that busy anyway. Our server was pleasant and knowledgeable, but needed to listen a little more as it was tough to get in questions. He was also willing to take our picture for us, even staging the scene for us with the menu and glasses of wine in view. We shared a small salad and Crab Bisque, both of which were outstanding. My wife had the salmon and I the Onion Crusted Mahi. AMAZING. We were weren't rushed and we enjoyed the evening. Couldn't have asked for a better place and dinner for our anniversary. The ONLY disappointment was that we weren't offered a dessert or glass of wine for our special event. It didn't ruin the night and we hate to complain, but with so many places to choose from, it would've been a nice gesture. read more

Yellow Dog Cafe - Salmon and Onion Crusted Mahi - Seafood Near Me - Malabar, Florida

See all

Very good food, weird atmosphere and decor feels like you are in someone's house; if you like this sort of thing you will love it here. If not you are in for good food in an uncomfortable place. I had the Baked Brie and it was very satisfactory. read more

The most amazing place in an excellent location with superb service. I don't know who handles the hiring but they choose the sweetest, most competent servers. We have been there 3 times and all our servers Marybeth, Oscar, Mary honesty have made each visit the most pleasant experience. We were just there Christmas Eve and Mary who shines like a Diamond made us feel we were at home with family. Oh I almost forgot to mention the food. No matter what I order every time I take a bite my mouth goes BING BING BING with a burst of the delicious flavors. read more

I was dining tonight- Saturday evening. One special salad & NO entree specials. Very disappointed. We ALWAYS get the special- usually there are a few specials. None tonight. Got the meatloaf- - very dry . Will give it some time before I go back. Service was OK- the waitress seemed nervous. The atmosphere was just as pleasant as usual, but there were more empty tables than usual. read more

Our table waited 2 hours for our food. The waiter had to apologize three times and the chef twice, each time claiming our plates were next. The chef told us they "ran out of rice", yet none of our 6 people ordered any rice...very embarrassing The two hour wait would have been overlooked if they comped us dessert or wine, but they did not even offer to handle it :( The food was 6/10, but we wouldn't return - the long wait times and lack of customer service are not worth it read more

Today we ate lunch at the Yellow Dog Cafe. The food and service were excellent with one exception. A steak ($$$) that we ordered at medium arrived very rare. We sent it back to be cooked further but after a long wait it still was not cooked anywhere near medium, very disappointing. Rather than send it back again a second time with our other dish now cold we decided to take the steak home and cook it ourselves. This took away from what would have been an enjoyable experience. read more

One of the Best Restaurants Anywhere! We are so lucky in Florida to have the Yellow Dog Café! The food is delicious.. Love their Sea Bass for dinner, Onion Crusted Chicken are our Favorites! Their house Salad, Cheese Plate, Baked Brie are Amazing. The desserts are to die for especially the Bread Pudding! The View is Spectacular and the ambiance feels so warm and inviting like the staff! 5 Plus Star Review!! read more

First time there last night! One of the best meals I ever have had. Server was top notch. 2 of us, appetizers, main course and dessert about $150. Worth every penny. read more

Great food, very expensive though. The desserts are worth stopping by for if you have already eaten. The bread pudding is fantastic as is the chocolate covered cream filled pastry. read more

This place is paradise! The view, the ambiance, the friendly and professional staff, and the food, all top notch! I had the salmon with caviar and it was a pleasure for the eyes and tastebuds. We'll be back! read more

See all

If I just said "awesome" would that cover it? I think so. Great food, great service, great atmosphere, great times. Don't know if it's kid friendly or not, but keep your kids home. This is a pricier place where most people aren't going to appreciate whining kids. read more

The service was excellent, the food was just as good. Cant wait till we can go back again. Great location with a great view.. read more

Yellow Dog Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Malabar, Florida

We have lived in the area for over 10 years and have always wanted to try this place. I can honestly say that I waited too long! This, by far, is the best local restaurant I have eaten at. The service as well as the food was spectacular. The hostess was crazy friendly. The food was not only delicious, but the presentation was a true work of art! I would highly recommend and will definitely be back! read more

This is one of the best meals I've ever had. Sitting on the river with the gentle waves hitting the rocks... excellent food. Excellent service. If you are visiting the area, COME HERE! read more

Love this place! The atmosphere and food are unbeatable!! We love to frequent here as well as reserve for special occasions! The only problem is, if they are too booked, they are unable to handle the load. I've personally experienced this on 2 occasions. read more

Great view even better food! The duck was perfect!!! everyone else had fish which was extremely fresh. You can't lose when choosing the establishment. read more

My wife and I moved to Palm Bay in January 2018, we been going by the Yellow Dog for some time but from the road wasn't impressed except for the place was always Packed. Last night we tried it and OH my Lord the food was bare none the best I have had in Florida, or in South Carolina were we moved from. Our server's name is Daniel he was so professional and friendly. He gave us a tour as well and we had a beautiful view. It was so good we already made our next reservation. Brian and Dawn Germain read more

Until today, I would have stood by this restaurant. We visit it every six to eight weeks as we live locally. Stopped in about 20 minutes ago and was told that we could sit at the upstairs inside bar or not stay. They have people coming tonight. WTH? The place was pretty empty, it was 4pm and apparently my $200 wasn't worthy. They should have closed the restaurant if they are having a private party instead of just being down rude. Good food but rude people greeting guests. I'd love to know it the owner supports the staff attitude. SMH. read more

A beautiful restaurant on the river with fabulous food, great service and wonderful menu. Stuart and Nancy Borton have created a destination restaurant over the past 20+ years. Highly recommend this restaurant for hanging out on the deck enjoying drinks or for a romantic dinner. They also have a great happy hour! read more

Yellow Dog Cafe - Desserts...they are all fabulous! - Seafood Near Me - Malabar, Florida

I went for my birthday this year and it was well worth it. We had a lovely and friendly server and a nice table with a view of the river. We went all out. I has the gin basil smash drink, which was refreshing and delicious. They make the bread in house and it was delicious and just the right amount of crusty. We had the blue cheese chips as an app. The chips were very nice and house made and the cheese was nice quality cheese. I had the crab bisque (which would be amazing as a meal on its own) and scallops. My scallops and the lemon sauce on them were lovely. The risotto that came with it was disappointing tho, the rice had too much bite to it, and was fairly flavorless without the sauce for the scallops. It was served as a puck that has been baked or fried off. It was more like rice with vegetables than risotto. They have a pastry chef and we also got desserts and these were better than any others I have had in Florida. Earlier I mentioned that our server was nice. I want to stress that he was above and beyond helpful, bringing wine samples so I could choose the right wine for my meal, lending helpful hints, and sharing information about this interesting setting. Really a nice place for a special meal. read more

We have been here to many times to count .... can't go wrong with the crab soup and their fish is always delicious !!

This place has a spectacular view of the Indian River. The inside is set up in levels (top floor, middle deck, and waterfront). It is pretty awesome. I went with family (party of 8) for a late lunch. Our service was definitely not the fastest or the greatest. There was no drink menu. We were told they had a full bar. I order a lemon droptini and receive a raspberry lemon martini (not the same). I ordered a margaritatini and was told they could only make it as a drink. Ok?...Service was just awkward. We all ordered food and it took over an hour to get. The owner Stuart came to check on us and the food and we were told we just put it in 24 minutes prior (definitely NOT the case!). However, because we were with family and because of the view of the water, we weren't too upset. After Stuart came over the food was out in a flash (it was almost like they forgot about us and then he cracked the whip and the servers got to moving). We ended up from not seeing our server for over 15 minutes to having like 4 servers come around to give us waters and food in no time. The food was great I must say. The crab stuffed salmon with mash and green beans was delicious. The food made up for the time spent waiting. We were not offered any compensation or gracious act of "thank you for waiting". Our lunch essentially turned into a dinner. If you have 3 hours to spend on a lunch, go to Yellow Dog. If you are on a schedule, avoid at all cost! Oh, it's complimentary valet parking so make sure you have cash for tip. Will I be back, probably not but I must be honest, the food was tasty and the view was gorgeous. Everywhere needs help with people who want to work, be kind to those who are working. It was a good effort on their part! read more

I was really excited to finally go to Yellow Dog Cafe. There were so many people raving about this restaurant. I had looked at the menu all day and was really looking forward to my dinner and of course dessert. We arrived and were seated instantly. The view was beautiful overlooking the Indian River. Oddly our server had our one table and an entire section on the complete opposite side of the restaurant. There was another server who had two tables to our right and one to left. He was attentive and gave impeccable service to his tables. He made suggestions for wine to his guests. They definitely got what I was looking forward to. We didn't even get bread until we asked for it as the other tables had bread, butter and olive oil for dipping. We got a basket and butter. Now we are an Italian family who own and operate restaurants in Pennsylvania. We really wanted the olive oil. Of course being in the industry we took note of the busy Saturday night dinner rush. We were seated close to the kitchen and could clearly see the service slips and the Volume the staff was keeping up with. We never gave our server a hard time or was disrespectful. We have been on that receiving end and are empathetic. However, I wanted the atmosphere that I was paying for. I wanted to same service that other patrons were receiving. The timing of the courses were so spaced out. The server is to control that tempo. And easily noted as two tables turned over twice in the same amount of time it took for us to even get our entrees. Again we were forgotten about. We asked the other server to get ours. She immediately came over with the check. Never asked us for dessert that she spoke about twice during our menu selections or offered to box our uneaten food. Then add insult to insury she look appalled as my husband paid with credit card but wanted to leave her a tip in cash. Reason being-- it does not count as revenue for the restaurant. And despite the terrible experience we still gave her a 30% tip. I think she had potential but due to poor management of staffing sections it was near impossible. In the end I would have even taken my dessert to go. I wanted the bread breading that she highlighted as she finally gave us our bread. I don't know if there will be a next time. read more

Our dining this evening was just perfect, the four course menu is a real value. Our server Daniel was the best. Outside dining with a beautiful view of the river. Our food was beautifully served and delicious. read more

Went there to celebrate husbands birthday. The location is great as it's right on river. I ordered seared peppercorn tuna with noddles and vegetables. The tuna was bland with no marination. The peppercorns were very coarse and you had to spit them out. The noodles where same quality as a hibachi noddles at a mall. Can't say I loved the food. The prices do not support the food quality or portions. Would not come back. read more

Been looking forward to eating here for quite a while. Love the decor, the white tablecloths and napkins, the ability to look out at the river. Ordered drinks, which were fine. Had the crab bisque which was very good. Dale was our server and must say he was very good. Then, I Had the meatloaf. Didn't expect homemade, but expected really good and it was just there, lots of filler, little meat, quite dense. It Is cut and seared on the flattop which made it quite dry. One of us had a pasta special with shrimp. Shrimp were grilled well, but pasta sauce was really thick and drowned the pasta. One had the special sandwich, mixture of sea bass and salmon made into a cake, served on a bun. Didn't have a lot of flavor, but it was a large sandwich. Lunch cost us $100 for 3 people. Feel it was overpriced for what we had. Probably won't be back anytime soon. read more

OVERPRICING I wouldn't came again!!! Great service, good location, good food, BUT be carful, check the price before you go. If you not get sorry to flash $100 in a toilet.... then this place is for you. read more

The Yellow Dog has been around for a long time and I believe it had been 17 years since I dined there. The food was very good (back) then and artfuly prepared. I had a friend in town and decided to revisit and treat for late lunch / early dinner. We dined outside on the deck to enjoy the fresh air. They did a great job with the deck area and the place has a quaint & charming feel to it. Everything we ordered was prepared perfect and nothing in taste was overwhelming in one area. Very good! And I plan on dropping by for a cocktail and snack at one of the bistro tables once the weather gets a little cooler!!! read more

See all

This place is amazing. The people and the food is awesome. So comfy n relaxing. Right near my sister's house and no rushing to get in or out. Chill out place. Love this place. read more

See all

The best food in Orlando, I drive 2 hours to eat there, always great food great service.

We use to love stopping here on our travels, but totally unimpressed this time. I had a blueberry salad with chicken that was just so so and my husband had beef tips in BBQ, he did not like it at all. This is a beautiful restaurant on the water, so I guess the location is worth the price. But not this time! read more

Cocktails... Lobster Bisque.... Grouper.... Waygu ribeye......don't waste your time or money on this steak. Under-seasoned and under-whelming. Not worth the hype for a Waygu. Not any better than a standard ribeye you can get anywhere. read more

Food was amazing! Staff was great, but with COVID you'd expect the waiters to have mask on....yea not so much. In your space and no mask, didn't feel great, especially when we would throw the mask on when they came to us, we figured they would get the point, but they didn't. So my point here is that if you have any health issues, prob not smart to come. Or if you want a somewhat safe environment, prob not your spot for now. Try take out or something. read more

Originally had a reservation to another restaurant but decided to try Yellow Dog cafe after the strong recommendation of a friend. We arrived early to our reservation early and were seated very promptly. Staff was accommodating and friendly. Our Server (Ashley) listed off the specials and we chose the surf and turf which came with an 8oz NY strip, lobster tail, green beans and mashed potatoes. I asked to substitute the mashed for a potato pancake. I had ordered champagne and there was still half a bottle on ice and when she asked me if I wanted a refill, I had to remind her that we had some on ice before being charged for a new bottle (not a huge deal). When the meal came out it came with rice instead of any potato. The steak was overcooked and extremely tough, dry and gristly. It looked like a sirloin cut versus a strip. We let her know the steak was not good and she took the steak back and I asked for my potato pancake. She took the steak back and brought us the potato pancake. My spouse finished his meal and we were waiting for another steak when our bill was brought to us. We asked where the steak they were remaking was and she gave us a side eye and said they took it off the bill and only charged us for the lobster tail. So no communication of what was going on. After we paid with out credit card (without previewing the bill) we saw a charge for "Manhattan steak" for a total of $54 and some change. We approached the manager and let her know we had been charged for the steak and explained what happened. She said the server told the kitchen that we did not want the steak remade. She also said that "she did not make the prices" and the $54 charge was for the lobster tail and rice. She refused to comp the meal and asked what she could do for us to come back and try them out again. Her only offer was a $50 gift card and let us know their lunches are great. To top it off as we were leaving in the parking lot the valet driver drove right up on us in our path we were walking as if we didn't exist and plowed right past us. read more

My boyfriend and I went there for a late lunch yesterday. It was my first time. We wanted to go somewhere to sit outside on the river. Unfortunately they had an outside party but that was just fine. The view from the upstairs main dining was beautiful. We watched the dolphin play the entire time. Everything was so tasty. The bisque soup was one of the best around. Our server Stella was attentive and lovely. After lunch we went downstairs to.go for a walk on the pier. I was amazed at how huge and pretty the outside area was. The experience for me just kept getting better. Can't wait to go back! It was so perfect that I thought my boyfriend was going to pop the question at the end of the pier Not yet! read more

Yellow Dog Cafe - Escargot - Seafood Near Me - Malabar, Florida

We stopped in today for lunch on the deck at the Yellow Dog. We were distanced appropriately from other tables (at least 10 feet) and Kaylie waited on us. My husband ordered a beer and The Cajun Dog sandwich, with lightly blackened cod on a house made roll. I had the Lady Dog, with a big portabello mushroom, artichokes, spinach, roasted peppers, topped with melted Havarti cheese on a house made roll. Both of us felt our lunch was fantastic, including the coleslaw and house made potato chips. Kaylie's service was gracious and attentive, and we can't wait to return. Really happy we tried this place! read more