Food was fantastic all around. The crab balls are excellent, the blackened grouper was awesome, just great food. Our experience was fine, but just fine. It’s decorated well and is dark which feels pirat-y, but it’s loud even with low population and then while the server was nice, it was super routine. Just not very personable. Still highly recommend.
The ambience was nice, there is a top floor (limited menu) & a bottom floor (full menu) on the outside there is live music. They have something to eat for everyone (even sushi!) the servers are friendly and efficient, and most importantly the food was great! A lot of these places are a hit or miss but this place was definitely a hit! Everything I ordered was delicious!
Visited AJ’s today for lunch (at 11:45) and I thought highly of our experience. We prefer to avoid wait times and crowds so we get out for lunch early and then stick around the condo or beach in the evenings when places are packed. Our server was kind, accurate, and efficient. The atmosphere was calm and surprisingly quiet (again we were here for lunch). We ate shrimp and grits, a shrimp basket, and crab balls for an appetizer. Kiddo got the chicken fingers. Everything was A++. Well seasoned and delicious. Pleasing to look at on the plate. Prices were the same you’d pay for a trip to Outback with the family. Definitely will be visiting again!
This was my first time eating here. The atmosphere was fun and the place was busy. Our server was extremely nice, which we appreciated. Our food came out in a timely manner, which was impressive. Our server made sure we had a good time. The food was hot and very tasty. The restrooms were clean. I would definitely eat here again. I loved the views from outside the windows.
Food was ok. Service was horrible. Waitress was bothered we asked for anything! 2 ppl got burgers, which were horribly dry, so they asked for condiments, which she was irritated by. Anytime we asked for anything, she turned so quickly & darted off before the next person could ask for what they wanted. No wait. I did like my plate (Mahi-Mahi). Two fees are added to your bill. One fee was boardwalk fee, or on the water fee. Some made up nonsense like that & the other, like convince fee or something of that nature. Wouldnt return here.
This place is disgusting. I went here today with four other people and ordered the AJ’s House Sandwich… it was disgusting. First of all, it doesn’t specify what kind of fish it is on the menu but I will tell you that it is the thinnest piece of garbage fish you can find. It tasted like dirty water and it was caked in seasoning. We got the Trio Dip appetizer to share and that came out in probably 5 minutes… it tasted like canned tuna fish that was poorly seasoned three different ways and it was barely touched. Then we went inside and got another round of drinks. My sister ordered the Jack Monkey which was so gross that we all tried it and it was sent back. Then we started to look around while waiting for the check and noticed how disgusting this place is. Once we noticed the fan above us that was caked in dust we started to notice how everything else was dirty. Don’t waste your money on an overpriced dirty place
Everything about our experience was horrible excluding the service. We came to the dolphin cruise with our 3 year old granddaughter. We wanted to grab an appetizer and a cocktail before while waiting the hour required to there before boarding the cruise. We sat outside on tables that have attached seats that resemble a motorcycle seat. Very uncomfortable and when given a high chair for our toddler realized that it didn’t sit high enough for her to eat at the table with us. We finally figured out that we could make the seat her table. See pics. We ordered mozzarella balls / sticks. They were good but not very many. The marina sauce was ice cold. We asked for warm sauce and by the time we got it, we had already eaten the mozzarella sticks. Our server was nice but seemed to be dealing with the entire outside area by herself. My husband ordered a bushwhacker. The cream was curttled so it was obviously old or had gotten out of temp. I ordered a pina coloda. It was pretty good. No complaints there. Over all we felt as our $43 was a complete waste. Disappointed to say the least. My husband then got our granddaughter an ice cream bc the stand is right in front of her face. They give you a tiny cup and over fill it with ice cream. It’s not possible to eat it without making a Complete mess. It put us in a bad mood having to deal with All this before trying to enjoy time on the dolphin cruise that ended up being a party type atmosphere instead of a family friendly adventure. I’m not really a complainer or a review writer but this was so over the top disappointing that i felt i should in hopes it will keep other from going through the same thing.
After our amazing boat ride with Aj’s Water Adventure…we decided to eat at Aj’s seafood bar. I ordered Fish Tacos w/Chips and a side of Gumbo. The Fish tacos were tasty and I enjoyed them. The gumbo was good too (not to spicy, just right).My husband ordered the same tacos but he had fries, he also had gumbo as well. He enjoyed his meal too.The atmosphere was great, there was a live band playing…we enjoyed listening to them as we ate. I’d like to comeback next time I’m in town.
Do yourself a favor...stay AWAY !! Ordered the Grouper Dinner special...nothing special about it. It was cold, dry with no sauce and had no flavor or seasoning. The grilled shrimp were cold as well. The rice and the green beans were just okay. The Firecracker shrimp were served as a HUGH portion, but had a weird mustard flavor. YOU WILL ALSO HAVE A HARBOR FEE AND A SERVICE FEE ADDED TO YOUR BILL JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE EATING THERE AT THE RESTAURANT ON THE BOARDWALK.
This was our second visit at AJs and we will definitely be back! The food is so flavorful and perfectly cooked, with great portions sizes for the price. The location is perfect - right on the harbor where you can see and hear boats and planes. The atmosphere of the location is casual and family oriented. Even though it was a chilly day, the heaters overhead kept us nice and warm. Our waitress was very pleasant and helpful, making our stay with children easy and relaxing. I highly recommend checking out this location during the summer and winter season!
This is an iconic stop for Destin beachgoers. Indoor seating and outdoor walk up bars, great staff and normally quick service. Sunday church services if that’s your thing and a place to wait while you plan your next fishing adventure. Also, converts into a Florida top 100 night club at night with an awesome vibe and scene on the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico. A must stop!
Great spot in the beach. The food was surprisingly good for a burger-seafood joint on the beach.They are very busy but the wait is no more than 15-20 minutes during the busy hours.Loved, just loved the seating in the top balcony with great views of the beach and ocean. Highly recommended and I’ll see you again tomorrow.
My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the price! Its a bit high at $29.95 for 1 1/2lb Crawfish Boil w/two potatoes, one corn, & one sausage piece, plus $20/pound after that. But on a perfect Sunday afternoon on the water, its hard to complain! The crawfish were done perfectly and the service was great. Just the right amount of spice goes great with one of their signature cocktails! You definitely need to try it.
Way too overpriced for what’s served and not what the reviews are saying at all. The place was extremely noisy and unfriendly hostesses. We drove up from Tampa for the weekend and decided to give this place a shot… the food was not good! The oysters were super gritty (Sandy) and nasty. Calamari was awful and cold. The Cajun pasta dish my husband ordered was cold and had rubbery chicken and shrimp. My mother ordered the “kitchen II platter” which had 2 little bay scallops, 1 mini soft shell crab, 6 shrimp, gritty fried oyster, 2 thin pieces of fish and the rest was french fries piled high. And my dinner which was the fresh catch of the day with smashed potatoes and vegetable medley was cold. The server was great and tried to be more accommodating, but the food was disgusting! Definitely do not recommend eating here … a complete waste of money
Disappointed. Feels like spending $100 on fast food. We had a party of 4; one had soup, one had a lunch special and the other two shared the lobster roll meal. The lobster roll was a hot dog bun with a lot of lettuce and a little bit of lobster. My daughter took 2 bites of the gumbo and was done. I admit the crab cakes and hush puppies were delicious, but it’s hard to mess those up. The waitress was nice but the lady who brought out our food was very rude. She said, “Here, take this,” and pushed the plate of gumbo in front of my husband. He told her he didn’t order that and she ignored him. He moved the plate over to my daughter and she gave us the rest of our food without eye contact or smiling. Not even, “Here’s your order, guys,” or “Enjoy your food…” We asked the waitress what was wrong with her and she said she would find out but we didn’t hear anything about it after that… Also be prepared to eat outside. It was windy today and the wind is strong on the water. There are open walls in the front and back of the restaurant so it goes straight through and it’s strong. So napkins flying around and food falling is normal under these conditions. I wanted to try this place because numerous videos on YouTube recommended it but we were overall very disappointed.
It was a fun experience. There was a lot to do considering there is a wait time, such as gift pop up shops, hair wraps, a bar, live music, and other things. When it comes to the restaurant, it’s a fun atmosphere with good food! Very kid friendly as my 3 year old had a tendency to scream sometimes. The food was good and well seasoned! The shrimp was fantastic!
Good service ... once I finally went searching for some assistance. Vibe was dead for Monday night football.Good TV views & sound for game. Nice location, easy walking. Cool building with indoor/outdoor patio. Excellent marina views! Live music at some other nearby bar. I bought the classic mixed drink called AJs Bimini Bash with 5 rums; lets just say theyre tasty, like a typical fruity-juicy-tropical drink, but not up to par when limited to a max of 3 allowed per person.
The service and atmosphere were pretty good. Id go again for the atmosphere and watching the fish be weighted and such. But the food just wasnt that great. My oldest got fish tacos and the chips that come with it were rather stale and the only thing on the tacos that was really good was the fish itself. The slaw on top had this odd sweet but spicy thing going on that just really didnt do the plate justice. The cold shrimp was pretty good but it had so much seasoning on them you really couldnt taste anything but seasoning, I prefer personally to be able to somewhat taste the meat that Im eating; but thats personal preference. Overall I feel you pay for the show of watching the fish be weighted and the view more than you pay for the quality of food but a neat place to visit!
Seating right on the water, fast service, good food. Walked right in around 3pm and got seated on the water. Lisa was my server, she checked back after each course was brought and brought to go containers, check and change quickly. The soup and shrimp were delicious and filling.Will definitely return.
First off staff was stellar, very busy location traffic is a nightmare, although it was busy time of year . calamari was just ok very fishy not super crispy .triple tail was superb as well as the mashed potatoes veggies was just veggies steamed but not fresh.Also got a soft shell crab on side it was a little over cooked and the grease needed changing could detect the burnt grease taste it was just ok .The wife stuffed shrimp was ok (she said she was not impressed).I would do 3.5 stars on food, would go back and try something different . just know very pricey 32 bucks for fish and 30 for stuffed shrimp 17 for calamari 11 for soft shell . The biggest let down was they do not serve deserts . After meals and few drinks was a good bump in the wallet. Just be prepared its expensive even in this economy.
So my husband and I decided to give this restaurant a chance. It seemed cool both in the inside and outside.Drinks:- I got a strawberry daiquiri which was fine and he got a beer.FOOD:Onion rings were coldHamburger was pretty dryFor me I ordered the seafood gumbo (bowl). No seafood was in my plate… maybe fish but I just couldn’t figure that one out. Did not like it at all.Came in hungry, left hungry. Not ever going back …I’m adding pictures because at first I was so excited. Don’t be fooled by the pics…
If you like your food unseasoned this is the place to go. Everything was very bland, not a single thing had seasoning on it, steak, green beans, there wasn’t even salt on it. VERY overpriced!!!! You’re paying for bland food. The Chicken Florentine was the only good thing to order.Our server forgot about us when it came to get the check. He was nowhere to be found for 30 minutes. However, being seated at night time was easy. Don’t go here unless you want to pay $27 for a bland plate.
Great location, food and service! Daily special a tad expensive but very good and I understand the premium for being right in the harbor with great views. Calamari was very tasty; wish it had a little more for the price. Great atmosphere with live music !
Overall this was a good experience. We got the app and my daughter’s food no problem but it seemed my oysters got shipped back out to sea😵💫. I noticed two other tables literally sat, ordered, ate and finished and I was still waiting on my poor oysters. To be fair our server was aware- checked on us, kept me updated and offered to let me see a manager. I declined because I realize things happen and my oysters did come and were yummy. The experience however was a little less as my daughter long ago finished and was ready to leave and there was pressure to stuff the late oysters down😬. It would have been nice if there was even a small discount offered - I realize I declined to speak to the manager, and my sweet daughter reminded me that “you be kind and understanding because it’s the right thing to do not to be rewarded”- but a discount or maybe a gift card for future - or something would have been nice. Overall though still would recommend and the oysters were very good.
AJs was the final dinner of our Destin trip. Because it was in the evening and our table located in the interior, we didnt get to enjoy the view that other reviewers praise (though there seems to be a surcharge for tables located outdoors or next to a window).We enjoyed the crab cake balls and mashed potato side dish. However, most everything else we ordered, including fish of the day (cobia), po boy, fried mozzarella and steamed vegetables, were just average at best.
This place is more of a drinks and view place! The fish Tacos were amazing tho, everything else was bleh. The service was okay considering how busy they were Id say great but my poor girls didnt get their food until after everyone already finished their food!Corn: bland would not reorderPopcorn shrimp from kids meal: delish per kids reviewGumbo: plain, nothing to write home about may or may not get againFirecracker shrimp: per kid review 10/10Fries: good thick fries not crispy though:(Fish Tacos 10/10 for sure!Spinach artichoke dip : very salty and thick and the chips are thick corn chips, not even close to a fave would not reorderCalamari: good would probably order again nothing exciting thoughtDrinks: monkey drink and the Pineapple tea both very good girlie drinks :)Very very pricey for what you get, Def paying for the view/atmosphere!
The food was good but not amazing. Would have expected a lot better for the price. The waiter we got was terrible and didnt even bring refills on sweet tea or ask if we wanted any. It seemed as if he was bothered by us. Maybe because gratuity was being automatically added to the bill 20% . Which I would only give for really good service. Really AJs 20% there were 7 of us which is not a huge party. I do understand that a lot of restaurants charge gratuity for partys of 6 or more but 20% is A lot. We are Local and recommended this place to out of town guests. Wont happen anymore!!
It started from the host who were on their phones when we walked in then she told the other Hostess to take us to our table but obviously she didn’t know that she had already had sat someone there so she told her to sit us to the table right next to the door .I asked the hostess if we could have a table right next to the window and she looked at me with such hateful eyes like if I said something wrong her response to me was that we couldn’t because all the tables were 6 tops and we were only two.and then proceeded to roll her eyes and stormed back to the host stand . When she returned she was very upset too the point I asked her if it was a problem which she didn’t answer me after I asked her three times. The sad part is she doesn’t realize that her position is the face of the restaurant and your experience begins there. And I understand if they were busy at the time but they weren’t the only good thing was the people who were next to us and also noticed her facial expression and said they had to wait 30 minutes to even get greeted but once they did the gentleman who did take that table gave ten excellent service. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who comes to Destin especially if your looking for a good experience.the funny part we wanted to enjoy a great meal with drinks and food but the mood killed it’s sad because I do own a fine dining restaurant and I would of sent my host home if she not happy with her job. And I didn’t even see a manager coming around to see how our dining experience was especially when you had two tables having a bad dining experience.
Had dinner on a Sunday night, The service was fast, friendly and the whole atmosphere was very enjoyable. The food was fabulous!! I would definitely recommend this restaurant, and will be back the next time Im in Destin!!
My Fiancé and I went for a date night out. We heard great things about AJ’s so we went for dinner around 9pm. We walked in to 2 hostesses chatting at the host desk not even acknowledging us even though we’re standing there looking at them waiting to be seated. On top of that, they both had AirPods on talking on the phone and laughing and didn’t even speak to us. Just grabbed menus by looking us to continued talking on their AirPods. We got seated at the very very back where nobody else was sitting anywhere near in the corner of the restaurant. The area was completely empty. I like the idea of quiet dinner but not to where it looked like we were the only people in the whole building. We sat, had our menus and were ready to order but 20 mins pass by and nobody came to get our drink order or say anything to us. There were employees cleaning around and sweeping talking with each other about who is supposed to be taking care of us. But still not even they checked on us or got the person who was supposed to come. We asked if we could sit at the bar since it was a bit more lively over there and told him that we haven’t been seen. The employee answered that he didn’t know if the bar closed at 9pm or 10pm but no we couldn’t. We decided to sit back down and wait a couple more minutes thinking after we explained that we havent been checked on it would finally happen. But, unfortunately, no. We decided to take our menus to the front host desk and tell them we havent been seen the whole time we were there and that we were leaving. They didn’t seem to mind at all that they just lost customers. Definitely not going back again. Very unprofessional.
Pros: Excellent location on the water with a perfect view. There are inside and outside deck seating areas. The menu has numerous seafood items. And, a separate drink menu.Cons: The basket dishes are deceptive Shrimp Basket is truly a French fries basket with only six shrimp. (See pictures). If the waitress knots over your drink dont expect it to be replaced on the house! Customer service needs improvement.
We got to bring in the fish we caught from earlier that day, we fished with Apex Charters amd caught enough to feed all 6 of us. Giovanni was a fantastic server, he was prompt, friendly, made us feel comfortable and didnt get a thing wrong with our order! Were from Texas but if we come back, well come back to see Giovanni!
Please dont fall for the dinner special Scam. On Thursday, they have a prime rib special for 19.95 that starts at 4pm. We arrived at 4:48 pm, only to be told that they were out of prime rib, but have all other cuts of steak. I could understand 10 minutes before the window closing, running out, but in less than one hour, in a less than full restaurant seem disingenuous to. Reluctantly we stayed for the gumbo, which to my wife was not up to standard, but I managed to finish my bowl. Very disappointed and hope they do better in the future and this was not a deceitful plot.
Food wasn’t the best but our server was decent. Be careful, they add a hefty gratuity to your bill. What really pissed me off though was the security guard’s rudeness. He was some dude sitting on the steps leading downstairs. I was trying to go to the boardwalk and made a wrong turn and he got aggressive. Avoid this place like the plague and head to Pompano Joes.
Manager Brittany and Cindy gave us the worst service ever. Cindy had an attitude with us the entire night. We overlooked it just so we can enjoy our night and celebrate my mothers birthday, but she was definitely overall rude. While questioning our bill Cindy D became very rude with my mother and sister. We requested to speak to a manager. She went and got her Manager Brittany who was just as rude as her. During our conversation Brittany walked off. She later came back and whispered to Cindy D, that she had called thr cops on us. I overheard her telling her that and questioned her about what she said. She immediately denied it. I made it very clear I heard exactly what she told Cindy, the she claimed it was just for precautions because she claim we got loud with the waitress Cindy D. I immediately told her she was pre judging us and was being very racist because not once we became loud for her to cause her to call police on us and then LIED about it. When asked for Brittany Manger she claimed she was the highest person in charge of the resturant. When asked another employee for Brittanys Manager he also claimed she was the highest Manager of thr resturant. I will be writing a formal complaint of our experience and the fees that we were charged. We were told the notice about the fees were posted on the door. We checked ourselvesand of course theres nothing that states a 20% gratuity would be charged to us. This was overall a horrible experience for myself and family. Our waiter Cindy D, and so called Manager Brittany made it very clear we werent welcomed. I would NOT recommend spending money here. THE WORST EXPERIENCE!
This was a fun place, I was on the boardwalk. We were able to get in with a 20 min wait on a Thursday night. Everyones food was pretty good, the service was quick. The three ladies at the front were not fun to talk to, but thankfully it was a limited interaction. We had popcorn shrimp, California roll, Caesar salad, and a bunch of other items. I also went on Wednesday night and sat at the bar upstairs and listened to live music and we had fish tacos that were amazing. When I asked for them on Thursday they said it was only for lunch🙄
We have been eating here for 30 years. Always a great atmosphere. I do miss the old man in the boat, but that’s days gone by. Tameria and side kick were very sweet and very attentive and the absolute best. And yes, your servers are always sweet and fun but she was really, really great.Slightly new smaller menu the last two years, but the food is still really good and I honestly can’t remember what you took off. The raw oysters were absolutely hudge and delicious. The salad was great. The fish and grits were the best we ever had. The sauce on top was very buttery and tasty. The fish was cooked well It came with a biscuit that was seasoned to perfection. My daughter got sushi. Which she said was really good. We had a big group so they put 20% tip on there which is fine, but our waitress circled it to make sure we saw it. Seems like I heard a couple of years ago, this is under new management. They are doing a great job.
Excellent food for a fair price. Great service! I had Kahuna burger. The best hamburger Ive had in a long, long time! My wifes fish dinner was excellent! By the way we loved the deep fried pickles. If youre ever in Destin, check this restaurant out. We will certainly be back to try new items on their menu.PS - You will enjoy the live music.
We really enjoyed this place. The sandwiches were great. I had the teriyaki chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and my wife had the Oysters and a broiled fish sandwich with fries. The views of the water and boats were amazing and the waitress was great. We also enjoyed the drinks as well. They play live music so it was definitely a nice lil vibe.
The food was great. There were multiple times that we ate there and something was messed up on the order (wrong dish brought or someone didnt get their food until everyone else was finished eating) but they always fixed it. Just watch the bill so they dont charge you for what you received plus what you ordered. Music was great, views were amazing. There is a limit of 3 to their signature drink for a reason but its delicious. Hubs had the Cheddar Burger (amazing), the sushi was delicious, the oysters were better there than at their neighbors TBH. The fresh catch fish was perfectly done and their fries are perfect (but who wants to waste time with fries!) We ate, listened to the band and watched dolphin play at the dock. What could be better? We will be back!
Service was horrible, but the food was great. When we first sat down, one lady took our order but was very rude. She came back and gave us our drinks and we put in appetizers. Then a second lady came to tell us she was going to be our server now. After a while, we never got our appetizers so we asked and our waitress said that the previous waitress did not tell her we ordered any appetizers. Another lady who brought our food out was very rude, did not address us or say anything. When the checks come, they have a service fee, 3% card fee, and an automatic 20% gratuity on our bill. On the menu it said that there would be an automatic 20% added to parties of 6 or more, but there was only 5 of us. And the server misplaced my friend’s card.
Great food here. My wife and I had two drinks plus our entrées with our children and the bill came out real decent. The amount of food that you get is a plus as well. The shrimp and grits had great flavor. The pork chops were a little dry and needed more seasoning. Overall the atmosphere was great. Even though it is spring break the restaurant was that packed and we were seated immediately.
$27 For a shrimp basket with 8 shrimp. The fries tasted like they had been left under a heat lamp too long. The server never came around to fill our drinks. We had to ask for silverware after we got our food. Very disappointing we were super excited to eat here but we will not be coming back.
Just got done with a 6 hour fishing trip on the American Spirit charter, fun trip by the way, caught some nice fish.Walked in AJs got seated very quickly. Drinks and fried pickles were great, our orders came shortly. I had fish and grits and it was great 👍 everyone loved their food! Great atmosphere! Would definitely go back.
This place used to be the best restarsunt in Destin. I ordered one alcoholic drink and it was watered down for $12. I ordered the amberjack and shrimp and it was almost flavorless. Both the rice and shrimp were overcooked. The wait staff was great but I genuinely dont understand how you can overcook rice...I paid $50 for something I could have got for $30 anywhere else and it would have been better. I dont think I will be back. I literally left all of the shrimp skewer and rice except for one shrimp and a small portion of the rice on my plate and got dinner at another restaurant.
The service was great and staff were friendly. Came for lunch then came back later in the evening for Club Bimini. For lunch we had the Oyster Italiano and a side salad. The oysters were good, but not great. The salad was great and fresh. Staff was very attentive and helpful. Great location on the Harbor and you can watch the boats go by while eating. At night it turns into a club atmosphere with a live band which was great! We can on a Friday. Definitely a fun place to visit.
Great casual spot for excellent drinks and fun atmosphere! Our waitress Crystal was quick with everything and very attentive. We had oysters and lobster dinners. And plenty of their cocktails. Fun evening, was there on a Friday so we went to Bimini club upstairs, showing receipt from dinner so didnt need to pay any entry fee. Super fun!
Great service and the fresh fried food was so delicious. The Oyster sampler was good too! Ordered the Purple Haze Lemonade and if you love grape this is the perfect drink. We also ordered a few drinks from the outside AJs bar and the drinks were perfectly made too!We visited the night club the day prior and Stephanie our waitress was the best. The drinks during night club hours are very good.
Food was not good. I went with 5 other people. We ordered the firecracker shrimp, sliders, smoked tuna, the “award winning” gumbo, and the oysters. The gumbo was the worst I ever had in my life! The only item decent was the oysters everything else sucked!!!! Waitress was very nice tho. Oh and the drinks sucked too. Please do not waste your money. Go to crab trap
Weve eaten here several times before and were highly satisfied. This time was not the same. Our host was awesome, but the rice from our orders was cold, and the $65 snowcrabs were underseasoned, and some of the legs were almost empty. It is always a lively atmosphere, so thats a plus. Not giving up on you guys that easily.😘
Our server, Chloe, was very attentive to our large party. Service wax a little slow since they were soooo busy. Hush puppies were ok. The gumbo was absolutely... not good. It was tomato based w no seafood. The clams n mussels dish was really good tho! Lobster rolls were decent.
ABSOLUTELY TRASH SERVICE. Don’t go planning to have a good dinner. Went with a large number of family members. All the place is worried about is getting drunk 20 year olds money! Spoke to the Manager “Mickey”. Completely could have cared less what my complaints and concerns where. Basically said they do focus on the “drinking crowd” at dinner. Never offered anything other than I was annoying him.Every plate of food order was wrong, had no eating utensils, refills were non- existent. Rushed to pay and get out. Bills were all wrong .Had to ask for dessert! And they have the audacity to throw in GRATUITY! ABSOLUTELY THE WORST EVER. Advised manager mickey I WILL NEVER COME BACK TO THIS PLACE and I will advise anyone else not to as well. He nodded his head and walked off. TRASH…
Visiting Destin on the Harbor Walk trying to find a place to eat. Walked by Tailfins and they couldnt be bothered to seat us. Walked a bit futher to AJs and hit the JACPOT! AJs food and drinks were both amazing. I had king crab legs for an appetizer. They were packed with crabmeat. Then i had the blackend redfish with grits, SO GOoD! My sake was amazing as well. My wife had a filet and ate all of it which is rare for her. She had a Deep Eddys Strawberry Lemonade that she loved as well. And to top it off our waitress Indie was super nice and knowledgeable. Made us feel super welcome and did a great job serving us. We hope to come back soon!
Food and Service were mediocre at best. The Cesar salad was warm and the burger was bland, dry, and came without any cheese or condiments. The host seemed like she was angry to be at work and the server wore sunglasses the whole time. She was very matter of fact with no personality. The food was overpriced for what we got. Wont return.
We had the Dinner Special tonight, which was Blackened Wahoo topped with Alaskan Snow Crab and hollandaise sauce, accompanied by rice and vegetable medley pilaf, and grilled asparagus. We also had Fried Pork Pot Stickers with Thai sauce & corn salsa for an appetizer.This place is very clean. We had a great server. Its a relaxed atmosphere with lots of decor. The food was finished quickly. The server brought out waters when he came to our table. And we didnt have a wait this time, which was awesome!
This place is right in the Destin board walk so they are busy. Our host who was outside was so nice. She let us know our wait, which went by pretty fast because we enjoyed the highly entertainment on the boardwalk. But once we came in the seating host station was so rude.. I mean very rude. They didn’t greet us even after I spoke and made eye contact. After standing there with majority of my group one of 4 ladies that were standing there just looked up and stated is your whole party here. I said yes and we were sat. The waitress was sweet and took her time taking our group of 10 order. The place did not have a lot of options and was pretty pricey for the lack luster meals we had. Food looked nice but that was about it. The horrible service and tasteless food, we would definitely skip this place once we come back.
In Destin for vacation, wanted to try this place out, right off the bat when seated it took over almost 10 minutes and no server, decided to head over to the bar instead since it would be a quicker service, bartender was nice, which is why I’m giving a 2 star, but the food was very bland, no flavor. I truly regret paying for overpriced food. Store bought salsa is also a con. I think I would’ve been better off at McDonald’s 😢.
Didnt eat here, though heard great things about it. We did the Dolphin cruise with Cory and his buddy. They were awesome and made the experience excellent!
The food was good. They dont serve some specials until later in the day. The waitress was Bella she was super friendly and smiled. It was a pleasure to have her serve us. The gift shop lady was very kind too. She recommended some foods for us to try. It has that built on the dock seafood type of atmosphere. If your looking for that this may be the place for you.
1.Rude and Poor Service2.Ice taste like it was made with toilet water3.Poorly seasoned food4.Manager is incompetent, instead wants to make personal attacks. Poor service all that way around with no communication. The fool believes they are perfect.5. You can not return food without being judged6. They will serve you dishwater cocktail, then tell you that it can’t be taken back once you have taken a sip.7.Manager does not want to have any sort of reasonable conversation, instead will tell you to pay up and call security.8. Security followed us interrogating and wanting to pick a fight. Security’s own words-“meet me outside” only to then in attempt to provoke something that could be handled differently. Once you walk out of the restaurant, the managers and some staff also came with security to say unreasonably things.9. This is a tourist attraction ready to rob anyone coming in with a smile on their faces.10. Hate to say it, but it’s clear where their values are and who they want and don’t want in their establishment. The Manager + everyone down needs proper training to be in hospitality. Go to Bubba Gump instead!Far better service and you will be treated as a patron.
My friends and I were here a few days ago. When we entered the restaurant, we immediately received a negative attitude from the hostess Asha, who was wearing an Airpods and did not respond to our requests. Upon entering the restaurant, we immediately received a negative attitude towards us, although later the waiter cheered us up a little; we no longer have the desire to visit this establishment.
It was good just SO OVERPRICED especially because of the portions. $22 for 5 or 6 hush puppy size crab balls is nuts. I wouldnt mind the price if the portion werent so bad. The shecrab wasnt remotely like the description. It tasted like the cream base of a soup with no ingredients to finish the soup. There were ZERO chunks of crab or other ingredients. Look at the picture..smooth cream only. 1 bowl of soup, 1 app, 1 kids meal, 1 app as a meal, 1 fish basket. No alcohol. $113 before tip
Stopped here to hang out with some friends and I forgot that AJs had an amazing assortment of oysters. Had a half dozen of oysters Italian style and they were seasoned to perfection. Another great view of the jetty and the Gulf of Mexico from this location. If you’re up for it there is a AJs boat that will take you out on the water. Great food, great views, great atmosphere. You can’t go wrong at AJs.
Omg, the food was so awesome. Great service and atmosphere was joyful with almost a packed restaurant. We keep this place in the top 3 in Destin.
Really Great Bar!! This was the first time we visited and we had a great time! Live music, good drinks, the wait staff and the bar tenders were amazing! If youre looking for a more lively place to have a night out in Destin then definitely go here! The views from the deck outside are also fantastic! Highly recommend this place!
We arrived for lunch exactly at 11am when they opened. Service was great, food was yummy, and the view was spectacular. Wed love to come back to watch the sunset with drinks next time!
Horrible experience. My fiance and I came in for a couple drinks and to listen to music, late night. We were sitting there (not acting a fool like the 30 other drunk people in there) and then the bouncer comes up to us for absolutely no reason and tells us we need to leave. They literally kicked us out for no reason and yanked out wrist bands off. 0/10 service, if you want fun just go to AJ’s in grayton!
We enjoyed eating here. We had a great waiter who gave us suggestions on places to visit and we did. The food was really good. We love the interior.
This experience was absolutely horrible! The food was absolutely trash, the drinks was trash, and the manager was hot garbage! The level of unprofessional was disgusting! My family and I just wanted to have a nice dinner while visiting here from California! The robo cop security need to find something better to do with their time then harass people as they are leaving might I add I guess that’s what they are “trained” to do unfortunately! People rely on the manager of establishments to make their experience better when there is a problem not make it worse and stereotype them! When people go out to eat, they expect to pay a tab and typically have already scoped out the prices. We were told we came out to eat and not pay by the manager. I won’t name drop because I am seeking legal advice at the moment but I will come back and update this post later with more specifics. If you would like to eat bland dirty water tasting food and then arguing with the players of gta in patrol suites afterwards then by all means please be my guest and visit this restaurant!
We had lunch and dinner here. Both times were very good. We went one of the nights to listen to music. Both groups we heard were great! We had fun dancing the night away. It definitely got very crowded and turned to a more club like atmosphere after 11pm. Bartenders were attentive even when it got very busy. Fun night out overall!
First time here. Customer service was good, shout out Tracy! Had two waters, oyster sampler, side of hush puppies, AJs shrimp Orleans, lunch special which was red fish, asparagus and potatoes with a roll. The food was delicious and I would have given a five star but the oyster sampler was $24 for 8 oysters...gotta have a dozen oysters for that price...the lunch plate was $32 ... prices in general a little much....the food was pretty good though!
It was kinda confusing, we went to get a steak, but didnt see a menu for steak, after we already ordered a burger, thats when we found out you were supposed to go down stairs for steak, I was disappointed I wanted a steak so bad. We just heard from locals how good it was. So maybe the next time. The burgers were good. So if you get a steak, let me know how it was. Lol
Fish tacos were great, grilled chicken sandwich was superb! Ranch dressing is really good, they must make in-house! Fried shrimp is lightly breaded and really good. Docks available to pull up if your on a boat.
We arrived for an early dinner! Great salads and sides! Beautiful location and atmosphere- dockside. Wouldn’t recommend the sushi if you like it dressed up but it did taste good! The waiter was very kind and accommodating. Great service!
Hit the spot!Fun atmosphere on a weekend night. Staff worked hard to serve guests. Food hit the spot. Drinks including alcohol beverages were on point.Not over the top but a great place to eat along the Harbor Boardwalk. I would recommend this location. I suggest you give it a try and leave a rating to help others.
Our first time visiting Destin and this place was actually amazing! We expected it to be more showy just because of the atmosphere rather than actually having a decent menu but we were wrong! Those crab legs and their Crawfish boil was on point!!! 100 definitely visiting!
Amazing !! Great experience! The ambiance was so beautiful and peaceful. The live band was soothing. THE FOOD Was beyond anything I can even imagine ! It was amazing! Would def recommend this. Was in on a Wednesday night, slow season so not busy at all . Seated immediately. Waiter was amazing . Thank you so much Mr. Rick for an awesome service. He made accommodations for what I specifically wanted and made sure everything was excellent! Would definitely recommend . Did I say the food was amazing and fresh ?
My husband and I had lunch here yesterday. We got the fried fish and fried shrimp lunch portion baskets and they were huge! Food was super hot and fresh! The artichoke spinach dip and calamari appetizers were also really tasty! Our food arrived fast and the service was great! I had the hair of the dog bloody Mary’s and they were soo good! Can’t wait to go back!
Love love love the fish tacos, firecracker shrimp, cajun shrimp pasta and hamburgers. Everything we have tried has been fantastic and the service is exceptional as well.
Parked my truck and was walking in and got questioned about where I was parked and then questioned if I would be eating inside or outside. I explained that my girlfriend would be using the restroom first and then we would figure it out. The lot attendant said he would radio ahead to make sure we were eating there. I explained that since it was such a great issue we would take our business elsewhere. Not a fan of being interrogated when I walk in to eat somewhere. I’ve eaten at AJs for years but definitely don’t want to come back now.
Somewhat decent. The food was solid, nothing incredibly special. I ordered the house fish sandwich, my only complaint is that the coleslaw was flavorless. Overall, decent bang for your buck. However, it was very loud in there with the live music and later the DJ.
The bouncers basically ruined the whole experience. Firstly we had been driving around looking for a parking spot for about 45 minutes. We finally found a spot, asked the couple of they were leaving, they said yes so we put our blinker on and were waiting... next thing you know this bouncer comes along and says no she needs this spot, she works here and we need to get the workers in...no disrespect to you he says. So we moved on, circle back around some chick with her 2 kids gets out...ummm.. so you bring your kids to work...riiiight. Secondly we waited for about 2 hours for a table. Get sat and needed to go out to the car... come back in and get stopped by robo bouncer. He tells us we need to get in line this is an adult club. I said we just came out of there were in the restaurant. He says no its a bar now no restaurant. I said well we just came from there so maybe you need to check with your hostesses then. My husband then spoke up because the guy was clearly not understanding me and I was pissed. After a few mumbled words from the bouncer to my husband we were able to continue to our table. Thanks for that. Train the bouncers better. Maybe ones that know how to handle situations properly, talk to patrons respectfully and dont harass people. I will def not be returning.
Incredibly awful service from our server, Anna. We waited for about 10 minutes before she walked up to our table and said “Hey. Can I get you anything?” I ordered a virgin mojito and she immediately snapped back saying “Um yeah they arent going to do that. Our bartenders dont do that here.” in a demeaning tone. 5 minutes later I walked up to the bar and the bartender happily made my virgin mojito. We ordered our appetizers and she did not come back to our table for 40 minutes, and when she finally came back to the table she still was incredibly rude and snappy. At that point we just asked for the check and left. I didn’t think it was possible to have bad service at a restaurant until our experience with Anna. The food and atmosphere was good, but it was tarnished by a middle aged woman with an attitude problem.
Service was excellent and friendly. They accomodated our group of twelve. They had live music on the second floor and it was quiet on the first. We had a great time and food was really good. Best bushwaker in Destin made with real Bacardi 151. The atmosphere is a bit dark but it fits the mood. Its also right on the water with great views.
Extremely overpriced! Basic food, same as everywhere else. Over priced and under seasoned. We waited 25 minutes to get our drinks refilled while the manager had a meeting with the entire staff. I finally got tired and refilled our own drinks behind their counter.
I had the gumbo, which was like a very thick stew. The red beans and rice ran from each other and had a sweet taste that I found disgusting. I was not impressed. The kids chicken fingers came with three small pieces of chicken and a basket of fries for $10.50. The shrimp basket my husband had cost $16 and came with 6 shrimp, 2 hush puppies, and a basket of fries. The prices are very high for the amount of food they are serving.
Well, when we got there, we asked for a specific seat in the waitress put us wherever she wanted to put us, we drive an hour and a half every year just to make that drive from where we’re on vacation to go to AJ‘s. Our food was cold and subpar at best. No flavor at all. They must’ve changed their recipes.. shrimp when it’s undercooked can bring about food poisoning maybe it’s time that someone steps into their kitchen with a thermometer. I used to always recommend AJ‘s. I will not do that anymore and we will not be returning there probably ever again.
Let me start by saying that AJ’s has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Destin. After vacationing there for 25 years, I was so excited to introduce my boyfriend to this Destin Icon that I’ve bragged about so much. So, we sent there last night for dinner.They had this terrible jazz band that played country cover songs so loud that my boyfriend and I had to scream at each other to talk. The waitress was slow and didn’t seem to concerned about our drinks or order. The food was not worth the price. I ordered the fish tacos. The plate comes with chips and salsa and chips were too hard to even eat. The taco had large pieces of cabbage that were too hard to chew. And the tacos weren’t that great. My boyfriend ordered the fried oysters. The oysters. french fries and hush puppies were fried so hard that he couldn’t eat them.We paid for everything (we are not those people who try to get a free meal) and tipped and left with our ears ringing, headaches and still hungry.Horrible experience. I’m not sure we’ll return.PS AJ’s booking agent: this is supposed to be a fun, relaxing experience. Please take this into consideration when booking bands. No one wants to leave your restaurant with a headache and nervous condition.
Worst experience of my life . Racism at its finest. We only wanted to celebrate our friends birthday and instead we got discriminated . The employees exact words were “ in the state of Florida if I don’t like who you are ( not white ) I don’t have to accept you . I showed him my Mexican ID because I informed him I lost all documents and that’s the only proof of Id I had (I’m 25 ) and he told me no even tho it had my picture ID and my birthday which is fine I understand but the comment about not letting me in bc he simply doesn’t like who I am (Mexican) did it for me . He was rude and the minute we arrived the police next to him looked at the other and nudged him as in saying “look “ so don’t go if you don’t want to be discriminated. They’re Openly racist.
The menu says award winning gumbo and it was the worst and spiciest I’ve ever had. I don’t know what the she crab soup was suppose to taste like but it was not worth eating. The kids Alfredo was buttered noodles and they served it with a plastic spoon. My son couldn’t eat until we asked for a fork. The house salad was served with a knife and no fork. Also, we saw 2 very large roaches running across the floor. Worst anniversary dinner ever. I don’t recommend this place based on my experience.
I had Elizabeth as our server and she was terrible. She cursed at me and everything when I eas trying to add Alaskan crabs for her. My friend wanted 4lbs and she said it didn’t work like that so I told her just get 3 orders of it which will equal to 4.5 lbs. she then proceeded to give me an attitude and was very unprofessional. I won’t be returning here again because of her attitude and unprofessionalism. She was very disrespectful to our party and even cursing at us. She deserves to get fired. I don’t wish for anyone to not tip a server but lawd I wish I could, especially since there is a big party of mine. I don’t know if she just had a bad day but don’t bring your personal problems to the pay basically paying you. She sadly won’t be getting an extra tip because of the way she acted to my party and I. Everything was ok but she basically ruined my night and my party’s night. I wish we could change servers but I know there is a schedule for what servers has what tables. Again her name is Elizabeth and she was sadly was a disgrace and a disappointment to all. She also even slammed my food infront of me not even making sure it was fully mine.
Was my goto place for music at the Bimini Bar as a local. Tired of warm beer! Friends and I sampled 8 brands mostly bottles trying to find one that was cold. Alan, whoever you have managing now they need to fix this
First time here in Destin, Fl and were only eating at places that are not where we live!! Excited we decided to try out the awesome restaurants you guys have including this one. We can proudly say that you guys gave great drinks, service and food! We were preparing for a dolphins tour, so we decided to drop in and grab a bite before sailing out. It was a great decision because everything was perfect!! My sister LOVED the oysters and we all enjoyed ourselves as well as the view of the water. Thank you guys for a fantastic lunch experience!! We will return the next time were in Destin, Fl.
The food was overpriced for the quality. If I pay those prices, I expect it to be good, not average or bad. The AJ’s house sandwich I had was really bad. The fish was over cooked, dry, and flavorless, even though it had some kind of spices caked on top. Our server did a good job, so at least there was that.
As busy as they were the experienced bartenders were awesome and attentive to each bar guest for a Friday night with live music. Each of them made sure myself and ither guests were ok with drink refills & food.
Great atmosphere. Open air, right on the water, live music. High marks for that. Food was just ok.
My wife and I were on vacation in Destin for our 1st time. We had reservations for the Sunset Dolphin Cruise ran by AJs (which is a must do while here) so we went to AJs to eat since we were right there. Best food and DEFINITELY best service by a waitress our whole stay down here. Molly was absolutely the best! She knew the menu front to back and always made sure we were being taken care of.
I made it clear I couldnt have dairy and was still given dairy and got sick and unable to finish my food or drink. And the drinks were very watered down. My husband said his burger was okay. But as far as the flavor of my food. It was AMAZING. If you dont have any allergies to avoid I think its worth it. The server brought another drink out when I accidentally spilled mine so that was really nice.
Very poor experience with family. Had not been in years and decided to return on vacation to Destin for old times sake. Staff at the front were extremely rude, would not respond or make eye contact when we asked for a different table, etc. The restaurant was not even that busy but they acted like everything was a problem. The food was mediocre. Fried seafood platter was $40+ and should be called a french fry platter - more fries than anything, hardly any seafood, skimped on shrimp/shellfish, hush puppies burnt, fish very bland. Greasy too. I hardly leave 1-star reviews, or low reviews at all for that matter, but I was very disappointed in the quality of the food and the service here. We will not be back. This place is not what it was in the 90s and early 00s. Save your money and just cook at your condo or VRBO.
Went here after I went fishing. They will take your catch and cook it for you. You can get it fried, veggies, or blackened. As well as some fries, slaw, and hush puppies for around $12. The staff was nice, friendly, and attentive. The fried fish was slightly better than the grilled but both were good.
0 out 10 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!Food was tasteless, management was UNPROFESSIONAL when we told him the food was not good he completely disregarded our constructive criticism! Everyone ordered different items on the menu and NOTHING was up to par. Me and my family came for an out of town experience and left with bad tastes in our mouths! LITERALLY 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼
Great service, the food was amazing and we had a table of 12 and everyone had a great time all the waitresses were so nice to our little birthday girl and treated her like a princess.
Would not go back. I believe we interrupted a conversation of the three black hostess who did not greet us, nor smile when we walked in. The food was not good other than the firecracker shrimp. Worst fish sandwich Ive ever had. The highlight was the waitress who was friendly and funny, and checked on us a lot since the food service was slow. I believe her name was Lexi. Nice location, but maintain low expectations.
Fast and delicious food. Alcoholic drinks a tad bit high... but it was the beach area, so we are locals and used to paying higher prices.
If I could give a zero rating, I would. I strongly advise against wasting your time at this restaurant. They prioritize spending on advertising over training their employees to respect customers. Despite their current popularity, I would never recommend this place to my friends.After returning from a boat tour, the captain suggested we dine at this restaurant. We were unaware that an ID was required for entry after 10pm, which we understood. The initial guard we encountered was polite and reasonable. When my husband explained that my drivers license was recently lost in San Francisco, I presented the temporary drivers license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DDS) on my phone. The guard insisted on seeing a physical ID, which was understandable. Upon returning with my ID, there was a change in guards. I provided the temporary drivers license to the new guard, who rudely dismissed it as not being a valid ID. Despite explaining that it was issued by the DDS and acceptable for air travel, he continued to insist it was not a valid ID.The situation escalated when the guard handed my ID to another individual holding fried chicken, instructing him to pass it to the manager somewhere else without me. I expressed my concern about the handling of my only original copy, but the guard disregarded my pleas and openly declared that I did not have a legitimate ID. He stubbornly disregarded my pleas, persisting in handing my ID to the individual who promptly fled with it before I could even express our decision not to dine at the restaurant. He continued to belittle me in front of his colleagues loudly that I lacked a proper ID. His disrespectful behavior and dismissive attitude made me feel invisible and unworthy.The guards behavior was unacceptable and a clear indication of how not to treat customers. Regardless of their current popularity, a lack of respect for customers will inevitably lead to their downfall. It is crucial to treat all individuals, especially customers, with dignity and courtesy.
If you are looking for good food Don’t come here it’s the worst experience of my whole vacation staff disrespectful. No refund on food or drinks even if it’s nasty. Which we spent $900 total Mandy everyone complained they had the nerve to get aggressive because we told them the food was not good #racist
The waitress we had was excellent. The problem we had was the kitchen. We ordered Oysters at the beginning of dinner before entrees or even drinks. Those RAW oysters did not show up until after I had eaten my Entrée. I mean thats an hour for raw oysters. Then on top of that they were not worth the wait.
Beware, 20% mandatory gratuity for family of 6 or more doesnt make any sense. Ended up paying $42 more on gratuity and they were asking for tip on top of that. Heck no. Be careful , they just sneak that up on you after your meal.
Price and quality do not matchThe grilled fish was dry, the oysters arrived warm, not salted and without water inside the oysters. the burger cutlet was dry and cold. I dont recommend it.
The view is spectacular from the deck and offers a fun, lively time - especially at night with live bands. Other than our rude hostess on one visit and a rude bartender outside on another, the service and food were great. We particularly liked the Sweet & Savory Wagyu Burgers. The sushi was actually really good! I enjoyed the Phoenix Roll & Spicy Tuna Roll. The Fried Fish Sandwich was just ok. If you enjoy craft beer, they brew their own and we love AJs Amber Ale. You can take a glass to go so enjoy a walk along the Boardwalk after lunch or dinner! Keep in mind it will ALWAYS be busy during holidays, spring break & summer.
I was really disappointed I didn’t get the hype for this place, the waiting time was around 45-65 min and the food most definitely is not worth it.. as many places here we looked for the ones with more reviews and this came up between our options but I definitely will say this.. IS NOT WORTH IT!! My mahi was dry, plain and just bad. My kid ordered a pasta! hE loves pasta will eat any kind of pasta.. and well he didn’t even tried more than one bite.. my rice was awful not flavor whatsoever. I ordered a sushi it didn’t came up until the last minute when we were paying our. Check the veggies… frozen and well no flavor is the main word to describe the food at this place.. our check was over $100 and Id much rather eat at one of the food trucks outside without a doubt.. I’m not picky with my food gotta be clear but this was so not worth it for the hype.. on a side note the staff is really nice
Food was good but I paid $52 for two cheese burgers & two drinks.Service was awful. Walked in a door & a waitress was standing next to us for about 30 seconds. I asked my son if there was another door. She finally looked up & said yeah over there.Walked up to the hostess & of course she was in her phone. Stood there for a few seconds & finally said hello can we sit. She looked up didn’t say a word to us & then we walked to our table.Waiter took our order brought the food & didn’t check on us again. I had to get up & go find him. He was sitting at an empty table with another employee again….on his phone.Asked if I could get something to drink.YOUNG PEOPLE GET OFF YOUR PHONES.
Food was pretty good. Nothing wed really come back for. The place was a crazy mess tho. Theres babies crying next to us which we were patient about then a man passed out across from us
Went to celebrate with some friends, just went for late night drinks, drinks were expensive and bartenders were super unfriendly. Went to tip for pouring shots, tipped 12% because it was just pouring shots and the bartender had the audacity to say “I’m disappointed in you, only 12?!” And proceeded to call over other bartenders to guilt trip into bigger tips. I would understand if it was actual making drinks and quick service, but it was not quick service, half empty drinks, and rude, then that on top of it was definitely not a great atmosphere. Especially since I’ve worked in service industry and would never expect 20% on something so simple (though it’s always nice when customers do). I would never have the audacity to do something like that and shame customers into larger tips.
We sat upstairs at the bar on the deck to enjoy the views and the sunshine. Views are amazing thats for sure .Everything moves slower in the south definitely is an accurate description of our waitress.My wife had the fish tacos and they were good she said . I had the shrimp poboy. Needs to reevaluated way too much bread for this sandwich in my opinion .
Ate here and got a free trip to the ER. The oysters were bad and put me in the ER. Bloodwork showed bacteria and crazy high blood counts.The rest of the food in the group was really of poor quality and they just heaped on the fries for the appearance of a lot of food.Atmosphere is good and will lure you in just know you are getting a below average quality of food and sometimes even one that puts you down.
A must stop for a cocktail while visiting Destin. Very pricey but iconic. The green drink is the Crab Island Tea. Pretty sweet but tasty. Had the gumbo and it was “fine”. It was a rainy afternoon, so it was nice to stop and sit under the palapa at Club Bimini. Great view of the Destin Harbor. Parking can be tricky so be patient and follow the rules.
The wait was 60mins-90mins but we got seated within 45mins (they were SWAMPED). Our waitress Ebony was great!~ She kept our drinks filled, made sure we had everything we needed. The food wasnt bad at all. However more seasoning on the steamer platter wouldnt hurt. Good amount of food and the prices werent bad. Will most def go back the next time were in the area.
Rude waitstaff. Slow service. Left before even getting to order food. Waitress gave me straws unwrapped with unclean hands after handling money from another table. Ignored our request to order first in our party due to time constraints and took order from other members in our group. Very unfortunate as we were looking forward to trying this restaurant.
Groot was amazing! Great service and great food! Come here any time we’re at the beach and always have an awesome experience. Will be back
Elton John cover band made me feel like a Tiny Dancer. An employee called me a crack head for asking where the bathroom was located, I didn’t think of a good come back until 5 minutes later. Despite the insult, I’m Still Standing. Would recommend.
Food and service was good bathroom was absolutely disgusting. I blame jerk patrons mostly for treating these facilities with such disregard. The staff/management also has to take some blame for not doing more to maintain the bathrooms throughout the day. I felt so gross after exiting the bathroom that I didnt even want to touch the rest of my food/drink. No amount of soap could get my hands clean enough, especially when the sink is just as filthy as the rest of the bathroom!
When we first entered we did not know where to go. We went up to staff to ask about the wait and they said we were in the wrong area and were rude to us in response. We saw open seating at the bar and we sat there and had quick service and the bar tender was friendly and knowledable. The shrimp on the steak were tiny! However, it was enough for food for us to split and leave full! The drinks were on point!
Food was cold, Very Dark atmosphere after sunset, biggest problem is after 9pm make sure your adult kids dont leave your sight. The bouncers are extremely rude and insisted on IDing people using the rest rooms, who had been in restaurant prior to 9pm.
Dirty, not the best food. Food was rushed. Service wasn’t really even as good as what I could’ve gotten eating fast food. I have a shellfish allergy and I didn’t have enough time to call before me and my family went to AJ’s after being at the beach. The server was not helpful and accommodating with the shellfish allergy, just seemed like he wanted a tip and to be done with the challenge of my allergy. I was only able to order the Cajun pasta with chicken and no shrimp. Didn’t like it very much, and it made my stomach hurt as soon as we left. I know I have the most inconvenient shellfish allergy while vacationing at the beach, but this was the only restaurant I attended all week that was not accommodating or helpful about my allergy. It did not make for a good experience that day with my family. My family was more so inconvenienced by this service because they wanted me to enjoy my food and feel comfortable. The service was not that great either, so that also played a factor.***if you have a shellfish allergy, don’t waste your time taking your family here or try to. They do not accommodate and they do not have staff who know how to provide assistance with this type of accommodation.Restaurants I was able to attend for my seafood loving family, with no issues accommodating my shellfish allergy were bubba gumps, pompano joes, mcguires (my favorite), Merlin’s, boshamps.
Just came back from dinner! It was very good! I had lobster roll and gumbo, super yum 😋., husband had sea food sampler plate and the crab was fire 🔥. We will be back!
This restaurant was incredibly good, and also incredibly expensive. $260 for 3 adults and 2 children. But the crab legs were perfect and the drinks were great.
The place was fine and most of the bartenders were friendly but one bartender (the boss lady) was terrible. Wouldnt serve our veteran friend a drink because of a freshly expired ID even though a new one was ordered. She then proceeded to tell everyone at the bar not to serve him. Guess people that served our country are just disregarded at AJs if she serves them.
The food is excellent, if you dont mind the wait. We got there quite early for dinner around 4:30pm, or so we thought. We waited for over an hour before being seated. Our waitress was great, took care of all our needs and served us a wonderful meal. The staff at the front could take a lesson in courtesy from the servers. You almost dont want to come in after dealing with them.
This was overall a good evening dinner in Destin. Parking was expensive at $20 (all day) but we were only there for dinner. Food was decent but nothing special. Mahi Mahi was good but very small. Others in our group had chicken teriyaki and fry shrimp and they were good. I had long island for drinks and it was great.Service was good, no issues. Place was busy and loud but normal foe that type of restaurant. Decor is nice and appropriate for the.location. very turish area. Boardwalk is nice.
A much larger place than it looksWe tried the prime rib special. It was delicious!Very good service and a friendly staffI recommend a window seat along the boardwalk for a nice visual view
Restaurant was not full when we arrived and we were seated right away, but after waiting through 2 song a by the 1st band we had to find the hostess to ask for our server. Lots of workers could be seen standing around and appeared to be doing nothing, while a couple of servers appeared very busy.Food was overall good and seemed fairly priced. Raw oysters, scallops, and lobster roll I would recommend. Wagyu sliders were disappointing. Tasted like fast food. Drinks were ok, very strong (almost too strong) and clearly not prepared in a traditional manner. My dirty martini was brought to the table in a plastic cup and then poured into a glass. No garnish.The 2nd band stood in the stage for the length of our meal and never played. Just music videos in the tvs.Would go back to try again at a different time.
I visited AJs Seafood and Oyster Bar with a group of friends, and I must say it was a truly disappointing and frustrating experience. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this establishment has serious issues with customer service and professionalism.Upon entering, we were asked to present our IDs at the front, which seemed like a reasonable request. We complied and were given wristbands as proof of our age. However, the real problem arose when, merely 15 minutes later, we were confronted by a staff member who aggressively demanded to see our IDs once again. This entire incident was completely unnecessary, as every single member of our group was well over the legal drinking age.What made matters worse was the manner in which the staff handled the situation. Instead of apologizing for their mistake, they attempted to intimidate us by threatening to go back and run our cards, as if it were some kind of punishment for their own incompetence. This behavior was not only unprofessional but also entirely unwarranted, given that we had already provided ample proof of our ages.The entire ordeal left us feeling humiliated and inconvenienced. We came to AJs Seafood and Oyster Bar with the expectation of enjoying a pleasant evening with friends, but instead, we were met with hostility and an utter lack of customer care. It is truly disappointing when an establishment fails so miserably at basic customer service principles.In conclusion, I strongly advise against visiting AJs Seafood and Oyster Bar. Their mishandling of the ID situation, coupled with their aggressive and threatening behavior, ruined what should have been a memorable dining experience. Save yourself the frustration and choose a different restaurant that values its customers and treats them with respect
Hostesses were very rude while seating us. Got racist vibes from them. The menu was pretty limited and expensive so we just left without eating.
Best Crawfish we have had in years this past Sunday here at Ajs. Delicious and worth every Penny. Our waitress was amazing. Hostess was super rude when my mother fell ill but chalked it up to well just some people are not equipped to handle emergency situations. But everyone else was kind and helpful. The crawfish was 💯 worth the stop here.
Our server was great. The Coke Zero tasted like bleach. Had to swap that out. The mozzarella app was really good. Most of The firecracker shrimp app was overcooked and burnt. The lobster rolls were terrible for $30. I’ve had better at Panera when they served them back In the day. The wife’s gumbo was not good and my daughter’s chicken ceaser wrap was undesirable. Now we also made the wrong turn and ended up in the bar area upstairs, whereas downstairs was a bigger menu with entrees etc. So we did make that mistake. If you go to this place, maybe go downstairs where the big yellow arrow points. LOL. Great service terrible food for $120 with tip for four people for bar food with no alcohol. 2/10 would not return. P.s. the server removed the gumbo without us asking, so that was nice
Myself and a couple of coworkers went for a quick meal and some conversation. Our server Lisa was amazing and fun. When my coworker got to feeling poorly, she was quick to assist us and helped take care of things. The rest of the staff were also amazing and extremely friendly and helpful. I look forward to going back and enjoying myself again at a later date!
- Address:116 Harbor Blvd, Destin, FL 32541, United States
- Site:http://www.ajsdestin.com/
- Phone:+1 850-837-1913
- Monday:11 AM–2 AM
- Tuesday:11 AM–2 AM
- Wednesday:11 AM–2 AM
- Thursday:11 AM–2 AM
- Friday:11 AM–2 AM
- Saturday:11 AM–2 AM
- Sunday:11 AM–2 AM
- Outdoor seating:Yes
- On-site services:Yes
- Takeaway:Yes
- Dine-in:Yes
- Delivery:No
- Fast service:Yes
- Live music:Yes
- Rooftop seating:Yes
- Sport:Yes
- Lunch:Yes
- Dinner:Yes
- Solo dining:Yes
- Wheelchair-accessible car park:Yes
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
- Wheelchair-accessible seating:Yes
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet:Yes
- Alcohol:Yes
- Beer:Yes
- Cocktails:Yes
- Coffee:Yes
- Comfort food:Yes
- Happy-hour drinks:Yes
- Happy-hour food:Yes
- Healthy options:Yes
- Late-night food:Yes
- Quick bite:Yes
- Small plates:Yes
- Spirits:Yes
- Wine:Yes
- Brunch:Yes
- Lunch:Yes
- Dinner:Yes
- Dessert:Yes
- Seating:Yes
- Bar on site:Yes
- Toilets:Yes
- Wi-Fi:Yes
- Wi-Fi:Yes
- Casual:Yes
- Cosy:Yes
- Trendy:Yes
- Groups:Yes
- Tourists:Yes
- University students:Yes
- Accepts reservations:Yes
- Credit cards:Yes
- Debit cards:Yes
- NFC mobile payments:Yes
- Good for kids:Yes
- Has changing table(s):Yes
- High chairs:Yes
- Kids' menu:Yes
- Free of charge street parking:Yes
- Free parking lot:Yes
- Paid parking lot:Yes
- Parking:Yes
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