Capt Dave’s On the Gulf
3796 Old Hwy 98, Destin, FL, 32541
Capt Dave’s On the Gulf Menu
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Address :
3796 Old Hwy 98
Destin, FL, 32541 - Phone (850) 837-2627
- Website https://www.captdavesonthegulf.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :4:00 pm - 10:00pm
- Mon : 4:00 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Megan M.
Not sure why this place only has three stars. Our experience was wonderful! Arrived at 6:15 on a Wednesday night. Waited for about 45 mins for a table buy enjoyed drinks downstairs on the patio while we waited. When we were seated, our service was quick and friendly. Everyone's food was delicious! The bread, coconut shrimp, and hush puppies were great to snack on before dinner. And the blackened chicken, twice baked potato, and various fish dinners were super tasty! Plus, my niece loved the little jewelry shop in the lobby. Would HIGHLY recommend this place!
(5)Billy H.
The views are some of the best in Destin if you're able to get a table by the window. They definitely try to fit as many tables along the window as they can, so getting in your chair can be a little tight. Our food was just average but the desserts were excellent. Get the key lime pie or the strawberry shortcake cheesecake. The service was also good. Overall, we were happy and stuffed but I would not say that it's a destination restaurant. If it's within walking distance to your condo, it's a good place to walk to for dinner.
(4)Jodi R.
Server (Lisa) was obviously having a bad night as we tried to engage in conversation and she wasn't having it. Other servers were personable, friendly and those customers stayed for dessert. We could not get out of there fast enough.
(2)Ning A.
Wonderful views. If you are interested in food then you should go elsewhere. Nothing but fried or broiled seafood that was average at best. Our group really enjoyed the wonderful corner table with large glass windows with a great view of the beach. Other than that service was fine with too limited a menu. It is not just this restaurant but most others along the beach only serves fried food or ways of cooking that can not possibly highlight any type of freshness in seafood. If you want this kind of food, just go to long john silvers
(2)Tim F.
Well... The bar is full of retirees. Fine, but basically the bar tenders are annoyed if you sit at tables and want to order. And it's spring break. Good grief. Even overheard the bartender referring to us as "just sitting there". Yea, like waiting for 10 min to be recognized!
(1)Lori E.
We've been here a couple of times and have thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Very fresh and flavorful. Love the homemade salad dressings! Fried shrimp is good, stuffed shrimp is really good too---very rich! I've seen comments about everything being fried...not true... grilled and blackened is all available.
(4)Holly S.
Absolutely wonderful! Came here twice in a one week vacation it was so delicious. Fantastic service and beautiful views of the beach. I would highly recommend by time!
(5)Scott W.
good
(4)Kristen S.
Captain Daves was very dated and can definitely use some updating. The views are nice on the outside, but not inside. Got clam chowder which was most likely from a can, but was $6. I got the Cajun redfish which was good and the service was also good. Everything was just okay.
(3)Mandy H.
We were in Destin last week on vacation. My significant other wanted to eat at Captain Dave's and remembered the place from his childhood. We had great service and great food. The young lady who helped us was the owner's granddaughter and was really sweet. She explained the history of the restaurant to us and suggested yummy food. The place is on the beach with awesome views. I will definitely go to Captain Dave's the next time I'm in Destin!
(5)Joel W.
This place is normally pretty good, the reason for the 3 stars is because they got rid go my favorite dish...the broiled platter. All that's available now is fried...which I don't like as much. Fried shrimp is pretty good and the homemade salad dressings are great. But since they got rid of the dish I have been getting for the past 10 years +...not sure if I'll come back next year.
(3)Porter Rooter P.
Been going to Captain Dave's franchise since the 70's when it was on the piers. Tonight had my first bad meal there! My go to favorite "Stuffed Grouper" was over cooked and under seasoned! My wife ordered fried scallops that were way over battered and overcooked to the point she referred to them as having the texture of a pencil eraser....yuck! Will have to rethink Gulf favorite restaurant!
(2)Roberto C.
Delicious food friendly service. No idea what the negative review curmudgeons were whining about. And not expensive either. Would have liked better beer choice. Cajun redfish very nice. Also the Mahi appetizer.
(4)Reagan O.
Decided to make this our big meal out before heading home and was slightly disappointed. The service was good, the staff was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed and the view is great. However, the food was just average and the fish selection small. We really wanted exceptional gulf seafood and it just didn't stand out for the price.
(3)Mike P.
The food was delicious and plentiful! A little on the expensive side however, the service was awesome!! They serve bread this french bread that is delicious!! I had the mahi over grit cakes and my wife had the stuffed shrimp. Both were very delicious! We both left stuffed and satisfied.
(3)Rachel P.
My family went here for our last night on vacation. It was right on the gulf so we were expecting it to be pretty expensive. It sure was! We arrived and the hostess said nothing was available outside (you could also tell they didn't want us outside) but we decided to wait. We were in pretty casual attire, nothing fancy. The hostesses had fancy clothes and were pretty snobby acting toward us. Whatever, moving on, once we did get seated outside the waitress was very friendly. They charge $1 for extra bread. The prices were way to expensive for the quality. We got a variety of different foods and non was good. I got the Parmesan chicken, it looked very good, however, it was not! My mom got teriyaki mahi mahi and it wasn't good either. Bland. We also had the calamari and it was bland. The fries were the best thing we had. It was not near enough bang for the buck!
(1)Tina C.
Stinky inside and made it hard to eat! Service was fine and view was really good. Save Money and go to Captain D's and take it to the beach and eat it, you will save lots of money that way. If you order here skip the Fried stuff and try something Grilled. Drinks were average, all made with a basic mix and nothing special and start at $5 up
(1)Micah C.
A great view of the ocean but suboptimal food. For places with comparable prices the portions were rather small. The fried okra was frozen, and they only have bottled (no draft or local brews) beer. My brother ordered crab legs and they ran out of crab claws so he had to wait a good 20-30 minutes for the tool to eat his meal. I'd suggest a different dining experience for seafood and waterfront ambience.
(2)Emily L.
Capt Dave's does indeed have an amazing view of the gulf, and the restaurant is well set up to take full advantage. And that's about all it has going for it. I love fresh seafood and I was really looking forward to enjoying some so close to the source. What a shame to be served an overcooked, indiscernible filet drowning in an oily, rich sauce. At least one member of our party got sick after eating here, and several of us had an upset stomach from overly rich, fatty food. And one of those people had a salad with tuna on top. We stay at condos right across the street, and saw a delivery truck parked in front that also had an order for the local Sonic. Right behind it was the Sysco truck. I should have realized then that most of their menu was likely pre-prepared and heated up in the broiler. Certainly, getting a hot plate with overcooked food covered in a cream sauce reinforced this impression. Our family of 4 ordered 4 different preparations and yet all ended up with fish swimming in various styles of oily sauce. We had fried green beans with a wasabi sauce, too. They were actually pretty yummy, but again, something that easily could have come out of a bag and been tossed in the fryer. Nothing original or new. Disappointing. Destin has a reputation for overcharging for mediocre food poorly prepared, and in my experience, Capt Dave's lived up to this reputation.
(2)Fifteen Ringz R.
3 stars?? I take it I'm not a great food critic. We love Captain Dave's its a must stop every October! We've never had a disappointing experience, sorry for yours..Always seated with a awesome view of the gulf and stiff drinks and great appetizers and entrées!
(5)Craig A.
Although our waiter was more than happy to tell us what he thought was good, which he was spot on, we payed way too much for the food there. He gave us the choices of what he would eat, and I'm fine with that but this place is outdated in its menu, the staff, with the exception of our waiter was lacsidasicle to making sure the place was ready for business. The hostesses were more in tune to taking a seat at the entrance instead of accommodating people to where they wanted to sit. This place needs to serve real grouper instead of frozen tilapia and green beans out of a can and pass it off as such. The ambiance of this place was like a supper club, the staff was working there because they need to, which is sad because that place could have such better food than what it's been serving for probably the last 4 years. The Cajun redfish was good but overpriced, the grouper Jane that I had, I couldn't tell that it was grouper, I could tell it was tilapia doused in cheese and sauce, obviously not fresh and had been frozen. Too many fried foods. The oysters here were good but the waiter said, well they may not be as big as you want them, but they were perfect. This place is for people who have been coming here for years, which at some point will make it non existent. Don't wast your money.
(2)Jane B.
Probably the worst and most expensive place we have eaten at. I tried the Cajun redfish based on the reviews and it just lacked togetherness, if that makes sense. All the components felt like they were separate. And the sauces were broken and really Aoli like. Too heavy for fish. Suggest you spend your $$$ elsewhere!!
(3)Isaac L.
Don't bother with this place. The food is nasty. The fish was dry and over cooked. The best best part of the meal was the french fries. We ordered some boom boom shrimp. Their version was more like a chinese dish, very sweet. Also the service subpar.
(1)Scott S.
Yelp got this one right again. 3 stars all the way. Nothing about the meal really stood out as really good or really bad. Got the special soup which was clam chowder, felt the soup was watery and was from a can (not a great start). The main course was very good, fish was fresh and the menu items were quite unique and interesting. Portion size was on the bigger side and I left full with a piece of mediocre key like pie. Felt the price was on the high side and I would have trader smaller portions for higher quality cooking.
(3)Scott B.
Meal was avg, service was very good, but the prices were high.
(3)Barron R.
This is a very good restaurant, directly on the beach. The view is wonderful and seafood is great. It is a bit pricey at around $25 to $30 a person. Several people gave this place a poor rating based on their chicken or steak dishes. My feeling is if you go to a seafood restaurant and order chicken, you should not have high expectations.
(4)Michael P.
We were wanting a very special vacation time and eating out every day was part of that special time. Capt. Dave's was a grave disappointment, the service was not good the building looked very dated and can you believe they were out of crab claws. Overall the food was just okay. We had five other nights to eat and all of those were better than Capt. Dave's
(1)Brenda J.
Always a great meal and great service and the best view. We come every time we are in town. Love the crab legs and clam chowder.
(5)Tammy D.
Great food! Our group of four chose 4 different items so that we could sample each others. They were ALL a hit! We enjoyed the Cajun Red Fish, Shrimp and Scallops in Pasta, Fried Shrimp Basket and Blackened Grouper served over Fried Cheese Grits. Our server, John was very attentive and congenial. We recommend that you enjoy this great food and atmosphere while in Destin!
(5)Michelle F.
So this place might as well have been called Captain Ds, I paid over $20 for some greasy fried oysters, a salad with the cheapest iceberg lettuce, and canned green beans. The view was the only thing good about this dining experience. Wish I could get my money back!
(1)Kevin W.
I've had better food at long John silver's. started off with scallops appetizer. It was actually rotten! I told them about it and get this . . . They said that since I tried it I had to pay for it. Guess I should have smelled it before I put it in my mouth.
(1)Adam C.
Prices are more reasonable than most and you get enough food to fill you up, but don't expect to be wowed. Gumbo was basically glorified vegetable soup with slight seafood flavor. Bread was good, but I am guessing frozen. Got the steamed and fried platter. Crab was very good, as were the shrimp. Didn't care for the oysters or scallops. I would say mid to lower end seafood place, good prices and portion size, but far from good seafood.
(2)Karen O.
It was our last night in Destin and we wanted to eat at one of the restaurants along Scenic Highway. After failing to get a table at Pompano Joe's, we ended up at Capt Dave's around 7-7:15 and were lucky to be seated immediately at a table by the window. From the front exterior and driving by, you wouldn't know that they were busy w/ a full restaurant of guests. The restaurant definitely features the ocean view as a top draw. Food, ambience, etc. was pretty casual and just average or ok. Nothing 'fancy' or super memorable in terms of the food or ambience. While the atmosphere and appearance is somewhat outdated, the place appeared to be pretty family friendly and tables for larger groups/families were accommodated. Food-wise, it was average compared to the other casual, restaurants in the area serving seafood predominantly. We shared a cup of their gumbo - which I would recommend. I had the grilled shrimp and scallops entree.
(3)Greg E.
Food was good. I had blackened Mahi and wife had grilled Grouper. Service was very good. The place and menu seemed dated, though.
(4)Rick F.
Average food (we had $30 entrees), terrible bartender though - horribly made drinks. Went with higher end fruit drinks - but bartender admitted to having trouble with the machine and mixing them - so we just tried to change order to a beer, but she said let me finish. Still tipped her well. Our table was immediately available, and when we went upstairs we found there was next to zero alcohol in the drinks. The worse wasn't the bartender - it was the waiter's attitude in handlng the complaint. He said it's hard to tell if there is alcohol in fruity drinks - which is condescending to folks like us that eat out around the country almost every night. I suggested he either have the bartender remix the drinks, or refund them, or talk to the manager. He did none of these things. I was a waiter for years - this is not how you handle a customer's complaint after a long day of driving and looking forward to a relaxing meal. Last time here, we ate at Crab Trap - much better food and service. It was very busy tonight so we tried Captain Dave's instead. Absolutely great views though.
(2)Rick M.
One of the better deals for happy hour on Miramar beach...$2.50 cocktails 4-6 each day. $9 apps. Great beach view. Friendly bar staff.
(4)Ted H.
Terrific views of the gulf. We were seated right away on a holiday weekend, impressive since we had a group of 8. All of our entrees were excellent, especially the stuffed grouper, Parmesan grouper, and broiled seafood selection. The bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp remoulade appetizers were amazing. The wine prices were very reasonable. Excellent martini's, too. And the service was very good and accommodating. We had such a good experience that four of us came back for another dinner later in the week. The food was excellent once again. On another day, we also enjoyed the terrific happy hour at the downstairs bar by the beach. Our server was great and the prices could not be beat.
(5)Calily B.
Primo location on Crystal Beach but the food is touristy and just plain mediocre. I wouldn't normally go to a place like this, but I didn't have a choice! We had just gotten into Destin after a 9-hour drive, when we checked into our rental house across the street and made a quick jaunt to check out the beach. My boyfriend's dad was HONGRY, so he said "lets just go here" and since he was paying, we didn't put up too much of a fight. We were seated next to the windows overlooking the beach, which was beautiful. My boyfriend and I shared the grilled seafood combo (mahi mahi and shrimp) and his parents got a mahi and something else (I can barely remember). It was weird that when we asked for the mahi to be cooked medium, the waitress suggested we not get it that way. I cook my mahi at home medium, so not sure what the problem was. The fish was lightly seasoned but was cooked more than we wanted it. For $27, we got 4 pieces of shrimp and a couple small pieces of fish - which is way overpriced. The hush puppies were crunchy and light while the salad was run of the mill. The service was friendly and fast. If you're looking for great Gulf coast seafood, go elsewhere!
(2)Patrice W.
Dined here our last night in Destin, we were not disappointed! Great service and exceptional food!!!! Will definitely dine here during our next visit!
(5)Jason W.
I had fried Gulf shrimp served with hush puppies, one side and a salad. The shrimp was big and wonderful but overpriced for the quantity received. One lady in our party had the fried shrimp and fried clam basket which had more food for half the price of my entrée. No wait, great service, nice parking and a great view of the emerald coast.
(4)Brian F.
My family and I have been here twice and both times have been very pleased with the food, service, and atmosphere. The view of the ocean is fabulous. It is very kid-friendly as well. The grilled shrimp, mahi, and hush puppies are very good. We'll be back again!
(4)Myles D.
Really good food. We've eaten here a couple times and it's never been bad. Really enjoyed the blackened Mahi Mahi and grilled shrimp. Great atmosphere, also. We had a table by the window and had a great view overlooking the beach. Great family atmosphere. A little pricey but worth the visit.
(5)Holly C.
Pretty good seafood-spectacular views. Prices were on the high side ( it was listed as a $ in a tourist magazine and as $$ on Yelp- almost all entrees were between $20 & $30. They charge a $1 a loaf for extra bread. Service was good and the cocktails were excellent.
(4)Ben G.
Great food, great service (Jordan B). A bit on the high side of Yelp's $$ range: 3 adults and one kid: $72 before tip. Water was our only drink. Good variety on the menu and a great view.
(5)Yvonne G.
The view is priceless and you pay for it. The food is incredible the best shrimp ever!! The portion is small and it's pricey but it's worth it. We also saw dolphins in the ocean as we sat and had dinner!!
(4)Kim E.
We stumbled upon this place and once inside realized we had been here before but they had replaced the floors with these beautiful hardwood. We had been here around 6 or 7 years ago and my husband remembered the food was great then too. We had a great waitress this time who made some great recommendations. We had boiled shrimp, jumbo fried shrimp, blackened mahi mahi sandwich, cole slaw, twice baked potato, hush puppies, fries, and strawberry shortcake cheesecake that was aaaaaaamazing! My husband went on and on about the shrimp, cole slaw, and mahi mahi. He doesn't even like slaw! And he purposely did not eat all of his fish so he could save some for later. I had the jumbo fried shrimp and I'm not much on seafood and they were awesome! The hush puppies were perfect - couldn't be better! The twice baked potato was recommended by the waitress. It's baked then mixed with ranch seasoning then baked again with cheese on top. Yummmm! We were ready for our check and the waitress asked us about desert. She told us the options off the top of her head and we decided on the strawberry. We had NO intention of getting dessert. I've never had anything like it. It was 3 layers with strawberry cream on top then shortcake, then cheesecake. That topped us off. We will be returning every trip!
(5)Rick T.
I live in LA. My family in KY was on a vaca in Destin. we thought it would be nice to pick up dinner for all 6.They chose Capt Dave. I set the whole deal up with manager Jill. WHAT A GIANT MISTAKE!!! FOOD CRAP. SERVICE EVEN WORSE. They asked their waitress to get a picture of everyone with this fabulous view. SHE FLAT OUT SAID NO...TOO BUSY. I JUST PICKED UP A 200$ BILL AND CAN'T GET A PIC.WHAT A JOKE. Capt Dave restaurant needs to be sunk into the gulf!!
(1)Erin W.
Enjoyed the food, gorgeous views from our table and the best hushpuppies we had all week. Service was excellent but the food was a bit overpriced for what you get.
(4)Nick S.
Great food. Cajun redfish is spectacular. Only problem was we waited for about an hour
(4)Shaina L.
Amazing coconut shrimp. I went for dinner here with my fiancé and parents and had a great experience. Great server (John Paul!) and great view. They have an outside eating area that looks pretty inviting as well. My fiancé and I went back again a day later and got another batch of coconut shrimp to go. So good! They even serve them with the tails already off. :)
(4)Colin B.
Here is how I explain how much I liked this place -- go to Captain Dave's for your "nice" meal in Destin. (There might be nicer, but we don't do the chop house thing on vacation.) The view here is amazing and we got there early so we had a windowside table. The service was really, really good. We had a waiter that was funny but not annoying, knew the food, very attentive but not overly so. I had the daily special, a cajun dusted, shrimp topped grouper (8-10 ounces) with a salad and rice (or patato) for $15! It was cheaper than the menu grouper for whatever reason, the server even made a point of pointing that out. I loved it, I'd go back just for that. My father-in-law got the Grouper Jane for $25 or so and he really liked it, too. Again, a huge piece of fish broiled with sauce. Everyone else got fried shrimp and said they really liked it, they'd go back for it. All in all, great meal, great restaurant, amazing view.
(4)Tom H.
Very good seafood and service. Family owned and operated. Sauces homemade. Only reason for not giving 5 star rating is little high on prices but I believe it is worth it.
(4)Sean B.
Food was fair. service was crap. I worst I've had in a long time
(1)Joy S.
We really wanted fresh seafood but was disappointed by this selection for dinner. We both had the seafood platter-one broiled and one fried. The broiled fish was over cooked, tough and dry. The fried fish was much better. The broiled oysters were gritty and chewy. Overall, the fried platter was better but for $23.99 a person and the quality was Red Lobster, which you can get anywhere not a big fan. We also had the shrimp remoulade, which was good but you only get 6 shrimp for $9.99. Not good enough for that price. The twice baked potato was delicious and the hush puppies were out of this world. Wish i had had the Cajun RedFish other reviewers suggestd Our server was not the most friendly and did no upselling- didn't offer dessert so I don't know if they have dessert or not. You pay for the view, which was lovely as the sun set but it is not a place we will return to for dinner.
(2)Robert B.
There are several restaurants near by on the beach but this place is the best. Get a table by the windows. The view is awesome and worth the meal. The food is above average and typical of a coastal seafood spot at a reasonable price. The service was good as well. our server "Rocky" was attentive, knowledgable, and pleasant. The chowder was made by scratch I was told and tasted it. The fried shrimp were cooked appropriately and better than what is usually served at this type of place. The key lime pie was a little sweet for me but again it was made on site so I give it a pass. If you are looking for a view of the water, reasonably good seafood, and a price that is just about right this is the spot to try.
(3)Tyler M.
We really enjoyed our visit to Capt Dave's! Views from inside are great too. We sat along the windows overlooking the dunes and beach. I would recommend the Cajun Redfish. It's a broiled dish that I was led to try thanks to our great server Cory. It had a nice cajun/blackened spice with fried shrimp on top and a yummy sauce drizzled over it. My wife had the salmon and said that she enjoyed it as well. When back in Destin, I'd eat here again.
(5)Jennifer M.
I've been coming to Destin since I was 9 and have been going to Captain Daves just as long. Wonderful food. Wonderful view. Wonderful service. Little pricey but good was totally worth it.
(4)Kevin W.
Captain Dave's offers one of the best views of any restaurant in Destin. Every seat in the restaurant offers a full view of the ocean. The food is about what you would expect from a restaurant on the gulf but it is nothing exceptional. With most meals at $20 a plate, the portions are definitely lacking. If you are looking to get full on seafood, this is not the place for you. If you are looking for adequate seafood with a great view, this is your place.
(4)Bailey G.
I don't think it was $$, I think it was more like $$$. Most of the entrees were north of $20. My cousin had the Mahi Mahi, she gave it a 9 out of 10. I had the Parmesan scallops, I gave it a 5 out of 10. The baked potatoes were large and fluffy, cooked just right. They give you real butter too and thats always good in my book. The salads were good sized too, but the ranch was really garlicky. During dinner some biplanes flew by and gave us a little show that was cool and the sunset was spectacular. You'll read other reviews about the bread, it's everything they say. Heavenly.
(4)Scott McKay G.
Good fish and chips, but they didn't have any malt vinegar. It seemed like I may have been the first person to ask for it. The service was prompt and our drinks were never empty. Portions seemed hefty for what we ordered; none of us finished their plate. You also can't order a burger unless you order from the kids menu. It's a good sized burger, nonetheless. There is a tunnel from the parking lot to the bottom level of the restaurant that is kind of fun, but also kind of unnecessary unless there is a lot of traffic on the street. I would definitely go here again, despite the quirks. It seems very authentic to the area, and offers great views of the beach.
(4)Brittany and Tim L.
I have seen this place get crowded very quickly. We were staying in a beach cottage across from it and one night walked over and had dinner. We wanted to watch the race and asked if we could be seated back in the bar (which I guess is just a waiting area for people to be seated) but they gave us a table since it wasn't very busy yet. I had a sampler platter that had stuffed mahi mahi, shrimp, oysters, and a crab cake on it. It was very good and decently priced since it was still winter season. My hubby had the parmensan grouper with a crab cake. He too enjoyed the meal. The mai thai was very good too and could have drank several of them but did not. The new patio they are building is going to give an outdoor seating area and who cant turn down that with a beach sunset behind them.
(4)Chris B.
Absolutely incredible...bread was off the chain...salad came with toasted almonds, which were awesome... for entrees we had mahi mahi with scallops, cobia and stuffed shrimp parmesan...scallops were the best I've ever had. Mahi Mahi was very tasty..cobia was dry and fair..baked potatoes were extremely hot and fantastic...waitress was friendly and the entire staff was helpful during our meal...we would recommend this restaurant to everyone...and the view of the Gulf of Mexico was beautiful.
(5)Irene C.
Stopped in for Happy Hour. Great reasonable prices. Sat outside on terrific deck with the most amazing view. Very nice staff.
(5)Amy P.
This place does have a great spot right on the beach. The food is just ok. Nothing really great about it. I enjoyed my meal. I had fried shrimp with a twice baked potato. Our waitress was great and the peanut butter pie was amazing.
(3)Deirdre W.
Wanna get away from the Destin strip for a nice meal? Then, try Capt Dave's. While this restaurant was a bit over-priced, the food was good and the service excellent. Deviate from the fried food selections and check out the daily specials. We enjoyed a good stuffed grouper and a (slightly overcooked) blackened mahi-mahi. The soups were also enjoyable. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie for dessert.
(2)Yelp R.
this was recommended so maybe i had greater expectations, but really the food was nothing out of the ordinary. service was great though!!
(2)Amber M.
As you walk in, you are greeted with a stunning view of the ocean. The restaurant is beautiful and clean. The food is reasonably priced and fresh. I had the blackened Mahi Mahi. It was cooked to perfection with fresh cooked green beans and whipped, garlic potatoes. You can tell with the first bite that it is made from scratch and not frozen. Our server, Lisa, was awesome and knowledgable. I highly recommend dining at Captain Dave's! It was the best meal I've had while vacationing in the area.
(5)Michael T.
"We need a make up meal." -My wife, after eating here. My food tastes very much like Red Lobster. She said hers was Rice-a-Roni. Very oily. Ok. Not awful, but not great.
(2)Kris B.
Walking distance from condo ,on the beach, much variety on menu I had to try the hot dang shrimp and fried crab claws! What a satisfying seafood craving experience. Oysters were fine, but not as good as the New England varieties All in all highly recommended
(4)Candi K.
Good family spot. Excellent view Kid's meals are a bit pricey. Destin Sunset is an awesome drink. Mahi was over cooked and had a bland flavor.
(3)Matt R.
Captain Dave's has been here in Destin for as long as I can remember, and I can remember back about 30 years. We come to Destin multiple times per year, and I always forget about Captain Dave's... but since we live virtually next door and didn't feel like driving out to dinner, we decided to walk over and grab some grub. The food, relative to similar seafood restaurants in the area, is medium. It's good, but doesn't stand out as being top tier. This has always been a problem for me with Dave's, and remains one, considering the prices. They are higher than average... which means that you can pay less and get as good or slightly better seafood offerings elsewhere. I started with the "Hot Dang Shrimp" as an appetizer... which I think is the best thing they offer pre-entre. The dish is their version of buffalo shrimp and pretty yummy. For entre, I had the "Stuffed Shrimp Parmesan." Again, I enjoyed the dish, but balked a little at the $26 price tag. A little much for butter and parmesan baked atop 8 or so shrimp. Another notable dish at the table was the "Surf & Turf." My cousin and his wife each ordered the plate at $50 a piece. They enjoyed the meal, but both commented that it didn't live up to the price. It didn't help that a couple nights earlier, we all enjoyed fantastic steaks at McGuire's Irish Pub for considerably less (but sans the lobster, to be fair). Cost: For my family of 5, with two small children... we spent $175. Aside from food, we had two glasses of wine and two beers. BOTTOM LINE: Good food, but overpriced. Not quite on par with the other seafood restaurants in the area.
(3)SJ W.
The view is awesome !! that's why a 3 star. We went tonight based on a recommendation from a local, the fried grouper was the best, the blackened grouper terrible, very very salty, and our server, Will,seem not to be concerned when told. The slaw was good, bread warm, had to ask for butter. Meal ok but not for the prices, so again I saw the view was it.
(3)Laura V.
Restaurant looks newly renovated- very beautiful inside. We sat on the deck. Service was wonderful, Alex was very attentive and friendly. Bacon wrapped scallops were fabulous!!!!! 5 stars for those, but our entree was fried seafood sampler and it was lack luster and could have come from a box. Not impressed by the entree but the strawberry shortcake cheesecake saved the overall :). Very nice overall experience.
(3)John S.
Good family spot to eat Right on water Recent remodeled really nice upgrades to facility
(4)Porter Rooter P.
Been going to Captain Dave's franchise since the 70's when it was on the piers. Tonight had my first bad meal there! My go to favorite "Stuffed Grouper" was over cooked and under seasoned! My wife ordered fried scallops that were way over battered and overcooked to the point she referred to them as having the texture of a pencil eraser....yuck! Will have to rethink Gulf favorite restaurant!
(2)Roberto C.
Delicious food friendly service. No idea what the negative review curmudgeons were whining about. And not expensive either. Would have liked better beer choice. Cajun redfish very nice. Also the Mahi appetizer.
(4)Reagan O.
Decided to make this our big meal out before heading home and was slightly disappointed. The service was good, the staff was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed and the view is great. However, the food was just average and the fish selection small. We really wanted exceptional gulf seafood and it just didn't stand out for the price.
(3)Mike P.
The food was delicious and plentiful! A little on the expensive side however, the service was awesome!! They serve bread this french bread that is delicious!! I had the mahi over grit cakes and my wife had the stuffed shrimp. Both were very delicious! We both left stuffed and satisfied.
(3)Kristen S.
Captain Daves was very dated and can definitely use some updating. The views are nice on the outside, but not inside. Got clam chowder which was most likely from a can, but was $6. I got the Cajun redfish which was good and the service was also good. Everything was just okay.
(3)Mandy H.
We were in Destin last week on vacation. My significant other wanted to eat at Captain Dave's and remembered the place from his childhood. We had great service and great food. The young lady who helped us was the owner's granddaughter and was really sweet. She explained the history of the restaurant to us and suggested yummy food. The place is on the beach with awesome views. I will definitely go to Captain Dave's the next time I'm in Destin!
(5)Tim F.
Well... The bar is full of retirees. Fine, but basically the bar tenders are annoyed if you sit at tables and want to order. And it's spring break. Good grief. Even overheard the bartender referring to us as "just sitting there". Yea, like waiting for 10 min to be recognized!
(1)Lori E.
We've been here a couple of times and have thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Very fresh and flavorful. Love the homemade salad dressings! Fried shrimp is good, stuffed shrimp is really good too---very rich! I've seen comments about everything being fried...not true... grilled and blackened is all available.
(4)Holly S.
Absolutely wonderful! Came here twice in a one week vacation it was so delicious. Fantastic service and beautiful views of the beach. I would highly recommend by time!
(5)Ben G.
Great food, great service (Jordan B). A bit on the high side of Yelp's $$ range: 3 adults and one kid: $72 before tip. Water was our only drink. Good variety on the menu and a great view.
(5)Yvonne G.
The view is priceless and you pay for it. The food is incredible the best shrimp ever!! The portion is small and it's pricey but it's worth it. We also saw dolphins in the ocean as we sat and had dinner!!
(4)John S.
Good family spot to eat Right on water Recent remodeled really nice upgrades to facility
(4)Holly C.
Pretty good seafood-spectacular views. Prices were on the high side ( it was listed as a $ in a tourist magazine and as $$ on Yelp- almost all entrees were between $20 & $30. They charge a $1 a loaf for extra bread. Service was good and the cocktails were excellent.
(4)Michael T.
"We need a make up meal." -My wife, after eating here. My food tastes very much like Red Lobster. She said hers was Rice-a-Roni. Very oily. Ok. Not awful, but not great.
(2)Megan M.
Not sure why this place only has three stars. Our experience was wonderful! Arrived at 6:15 on a Wednesday night. Waited for about 45 mins for a table buy enjoyed drinks downstairs on the patio while we waited. When we were seated, our service was quick and friendly. Everyone's food was delicious! The bread, coconut shrimp, and hush puppies were great to snack on before dinner. And the blackened chicken, twice baked potato, and various fish dinners were super tasty! Plus, my niece loved the little jewelry shop in the lobby. Would HIGHLY recommend this place!
(5)Billy H.
The views are some of the best in Destin if you're able to get a table by the window. They definitely try to fit as many tables along the window as they can, so getting in your chair can be a little tight. Our food was just average but the desserts were excellent. Get the key lime pie or the strawberry shortcake cheesecake. The service was also good. Overall, we were happy and stuffed but I would not say that it's a destination restaurant. If it's within walking distance to your condo, it's a good place to walk to for dinner.
(4)Jodi R.
Server (Lisa) was obviously having a bad night as we tried to engage in conversation and she wasn't having it. Other servers were personable, friendly and those customers stayed for dessert. We could not get out of there fast enough.
(2)Tina C.
Stinky inside and made it hard to eat! Service was fine and view was really good. Save Money and go to Captain D's and take it to the beach and eat it, you will save lots of money that way. If you order here skip the Fried stuff and try something Grilled. Drinks were average, all made with a basic mix and nothing special and start at $5 up
(1)Micah C.
A great view of the ocean but suboptimal food. For places with comparable prices the portions were rather small. The fried okra was frozen, and they only have bottled (no draft or local brews) beer. My brother ordered crab legs and they ran out of crab claws so he had to wait a good 20-30 minutes for the tool to eat his meal. I'd suggest a different dining experience for seafood and waterfront ambience.
(2)Isaac L.
Don't bother with this place. The food is nasty. The fish was dry and over cooked. The best best part of the meal was the french fries. We ordered some boom boom shrimp. Their version was more like a chinese dish, very sweet. Also the service subpar.
(1)Candi K.
Good family spot. Excellent view Kid's meals are a bit pricey. Destin Sunset is an awesome drink. Mahi was over cooked and had a bland flavor.
(3)Ted H.
Terrific views of the gulf. We were seated right away on a holiday weekend, impressive since we had a group of 8. All of our entrees were excellent, especially the stuffed grouper, Parmesan grouper, and broiled seafood selection. The bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp remoulade appetizers were amazing. The wine prices were very reasonable. Excellent martini's, too. And the service was very good and accommodating. We had such a good experience that four of us came back for another dinner later in the week. The food was excellent once again. On another day, we also enjoyed the terrific happy hour at the downstairs bar by the beach. Our server was great and the prices could not be beat.
(5)Greg E.
Food was good. I had blackened Mahi and wife had grilled Grouper. Service was very good. The place and menu seemed dated, though.
(4)Ning A.
Wonderful views. If you are interested in food then you should go elsewhere. Nothing but fried or broiled seafood that was average at best. Our group really enjoyed the wonderful corner table with large glass windows with a great view of the beach. Other than that service was fine with too limited a menu. It is not just this restaurant but most others along the beach only serves fried food or ways of cooking that can not possibly highlight any type of freshness in seafood. If you want this kind of food, just go to long john silvers
(2)Michael P.
We were wanting a very special vacation time and eating out every day was part of that special time. Capt. Dave's was a grave disappointment, the service was not good the building looked very dated and can you believe they were out of crab claws. Overall the food was just okay. We had five other nights to eat and all of those were better than Capt. Dave's
(1)Brenda J.
Always a great meal and great service and the best view. We come every time we are in town. Love the crab legs and clam chowder.
(5)Tammy D.
Great food! Our group of four chose 4 different items so that we could sample each others. They were ALL a hit! We enjoyed the Cajun Red Fish, Shrimp and Scallops in Pasta, Fried Shrimp Basket and Blackened Grouper served over Fried Cheese Grits. Our server, John was very attentive and congenial. We recommend that you enjoy this great food and atmosphere while in Destin!
(5)Michelle F.
So this place might as well have been called Captain Ds, I paid over $20 for some greasy fried oysters, a salad with the cheapest iceberg lettuce, and canned green beans. The view was the only thing good about this dining experience. Wish I could get my money back!
(1)Kevin W.
I've had better food at long John silver's. started off with scallops appetizer. It was actually rotten! I told them about it and get this . . . They said that since I tried it I had to pay for it. Guess I should have smelled it before I put it in my mouth.
(1)Adam C.
Prices are more reasonable than most and you get enough food to fill you up, but don't expect to be wowed. Gumbo was basically glorified vegetable soup with slight seafood flavor. Bread was good, but I am guessing frozen. Got the steamed and fried platter. Crab was very good, as were the shrimp. Didn't care for the oysters or scallops. I would say mid to lower end seafood place, good prices and portion size, but far from good seafood.
(2)Karen O.
It was our last night in Destin and we wanted to eat at one of the restaurants along Scenic Highway. After failing to get a table at Pompano Joe's, we ended up at Capt Dave's around 7-7:15 and were lucky to be seated immediately at a table by the window. From the front exterior and driving by, you wouldn't know that they were busy w/ a full restaurant of guests. The restaurant definitely features the ocean view as a top draw. Food, ambience, etc. was pretty casual and just average or ok. Nothing 'fancy' or super memorable in terms of the food or ambience. While the atmosphere and appearance is somewhat outdated, the place appeared to be pretty family friendly and tables for larger groups/families were accommodated. Food-wise, it was average compared to the other casual, restaurants in the area serving seafood predominantly. We shared a cup of their gumbo - which I would recommend. I had the grilled shrimp and scallops entree.
(3)Craig A.
Although our waiter was more than happy to tell us what he thought was good, which he was spot on, we payed way too much for the food there. He gave us the choices of what he would eat, and I'm fine with that but this place is outdated in its menu, the staff, with the exception of our waiter was lacsidasicle to making sure the place was ready for business. The hostesses were more in tune to taking a seat at the entrance instead of accommodating people to where they wanted to sit. This place needs to serve real grouper instead of frozen tilapia and green beans out of a can and pass it off as such. The ambiance of this place was like a supper club, the staff was working there because they need to, which is sad because that place could have such better food than what it's been serving for probably the last 4 years. The Cajun redfish was good but overpriced, the grouper Jane that I had, I couldn't tell that it was grouper, I could tell it was tilapia doused in cheese and sauce, obviously not fresh and had been frozen. Too many fried foods. The oysters here were good but the waiter said, well they may not be as big as you want them, but they were perfect. This place is for people who have been coming here for years, which at some point will make it non existent. Don't wast your money.
(2)Jane B.
Probably the worst and most expensive place we have eaten at. I tried the Cajun redfish based on the reviews and it just lacked togetherness, if that makes sense. All the components felt like they were separate. And the sauces were broken and really Aoli like. Too heavy for fish. Suggest you spend your $$$ elsewhere!!
(3)Scott S.
Yelp got this one right again. 3 stars all the way. Nothing about the meal really stood out as really good or really bad. Got the special soup which was clam chowder, felt the soup was watery and was from a can (not a great start). The main course was very good, fish was fresh and the menu items were quite unique and interesting. Portion size was on the bigger side and I left full with a piece of mediocre key like pie. Felt the price was on the high side and I would have trader smaller portions for higher quality cooking.
(3)Scott B.
Meal was avg, service was very good, but the prices were high.
(3)Barron R.
This is a very good restaurant, directly on the beach. The view is wonderful and seafood is great. It is a bit pricey at around $25 to $30 a person. Several people gave this place a poor rating based on their chicken or steak dishes. My feeling is if you go to a seafood restaurant and order chicken, you should not have high expectations.
(4)Joel W.
This place is normally pretty good, the reason for the 3 stars is because they got rid go my favorite dish...the broiled platter. All that's available now is fried...which I don't like as much. Fried shrimp is pretty good and the homemade salad dressings are great. But since they got rid of the dish I have been getting for the past 10 years +...not sure if I'll come back next year.
(3)Kris B.
Walking distance from condo ,on the beach, much variety on menu I had to try the hot dang shrimp and fried crab claws! What a satisfying seafood craving experience. Oysters were fine, but not as good as the New England varieties All in all highly recommended
(4)Amber M.
As you walk in, you are greeted with a stunning view of the ocean. The restaurant is beautiful and clean. The food is reasonably priced and fresh. I had the blackened Mahi Mahi. It was cooked to perfection with fresh cooked green beans and whipped, garlic potatoes. You can tell with the first bite that it is made from scratch and not frozen. Our server, Lisa, was awesome and knowledgable. I highly recommend dining at Captain Dave's! It was the best meal I've had while vacationing in the area.
(5)Calily B.
Primo location on Crystal Beach but the food is touristy and just plain mediocre. I wouldn't normally go to a place like this, but I didn't have a choice! We had just gotten into Destin after a 9-hour drive, when we checked into our rental house across the street and made a quick jaunt to check out the beach. My boyfriend's dad was HONGRY, so he said "lets just go here" and since he was paying, we didn't put up too much of a fight. We were seated next to the windows overlooking the beach, which was beautiful. My boyfriend and I shared the grilled seafood combo (mahi mahi and shrimp) and his parents got a mahi and something else (I can barely remember). It was weird that when we asked for the mahi to be cooked medium, the waitress suggested we not get it that way. I cook my mahi at home medium, so not sure what the problem was. The fish was lightly seasoned but was cooked more than we wanted it. For $27, we got 4 pieces of shrimp and a couple small pieces of fish - which is way overpriced. The hush puppies were crunchy and light while the salad was run of the mill. The service was friendly and fast. If you're looking for great Gulf coast seafood, go elsewhere!
(2)Patrice W.
Dined here our last night in Destin, we were not disappointed! Great service and exceptional food!!!! Will definitely dine here during our next visit!
(5)Jason W.
I had fried Gulf shrimp served with hush puppies, one side and a salad. The shrimp was big and wonderful but overpriced for the quantity received. One lady in our party had the fried shrimp and fried clam basket which had more food for half the price of my entrée. No wait, great service, nice parking and a great view of the emerald coast.
(4)Brian F.
My family and I have been here twice and both times have been very pleased with the food, service, and atmosphere. The view of the ocean is fabulous. It is very kid-friendly as well. The grilled shrimp, mahi, and hush puppies are very good. We'll be back again!
(4)Emily L.
Capt Dave's does indeed have an amazing view of the gulf, and the restaurant is well set up to take full advantage. And that's about all it has going for it. I love fresh seafood and I was really looking forward to enjoying some so close to the source. What a shame to be served an overcooked, indiscernible filet drowning in an oily, rich sauce. At least one member of our party got sick after eating here, and several of us had an upset stomach from overly rich, fatty food. And one of those people had a salad with tuna on top. We stay at condos right across the street, and saw a delivery truck parked in front that also had an order for the local Sonic. Right behind it was the Sysco truck. I should have realized then that most of their menu was likely pre-prepared and heated up in the broiler. Certainly, getting a hot plate with overcooked food covered in a cream sauce reinforced this impression. Our family of 4 ordered 4 different preparations and yet all ended up with fish swimming in various styles of oily sauce. We had fried green beans with a wasabi sauce, too. They were actually pretty yummy, but again, something that easily could have come out of a bag and been tossed in the fryer. Nothing original or new. Disappointing. Destin has a reputation for overcharging for mediocre food poorly prepared, and in my experience, Capt Dave's lived up to this reputation.
(2)Scott W.
good
(4)Matt R.
Captain Dave's has been here in Destin for as long as I can remember, and I can remember back about 30 years. We come to Destin multiple times per year, and I always forget about Captain Dave's... but since we live virtually next door and didn't feel like driving out to dinner, we decided to walk over and grab some grub. The food, relative to similar seafood restaurants in the area, is medium. It's good, but doesn't stand out as being top tier. This has always been a problem for me with Dave's, and remains one, considering the prices. They are higher than average... which means that you can pay less and get as good or slightly better seafood offerings elsewhere. I started with the "Hot Dang Shrimp" as an appetizer... which I think is the best thing they offer pre-entre. The dish is their version of buffalo shrimp and pretty yummy. For entre, I had the "Stuffed Shrimp Parmesan." Again, I enjoyed the dish, but balked a little at the $26 price tag. A little much for butter and parmesan baked atop 8 or so shrimp. Another notable dish at the table was the "Surf & Turf." My cousin and his wife each ordered the plate at $50 a piece. They enjoyed the meal, but both commented that it didn't live up to the price. It didn't help that a couple nights earlier, we all enjoyed fantastic steaks at McGuire's Irish Pub for considerably less (but sans the lobster, to be fair). Cost: For my family of 5, with two small children... we spent $175. Aside from food, we had two glasses of wine and two beers. BOTTOM LINE: Good food, but overpriced. Not quite on par with the other seafood restaurants in the area.
(3)SJ W.
The view is awesome !! that's why a 3 star. We went tonight based on a recommendation from a local, the fried grouper was the best, the blackened grouper terrible, very very salty, and our server, Will,seem not to be concerned when told. The slaw was good, bread warm, had to ask for butter. Meal ok but not for the prices, so again I saw the view was it.
(3)Laura V.
Restaurant looks newly renovated- very beautiful inside. We sat on the deck. Service was wonderful, Alex was very attentive and friendly. Bacon wrapped scallops were fabulous!!!!! 5 stars for those, but our entree was fried seafood sampler and it was lack luster and could have come from a box. Not impressed by the entree but the strawberry shortcake cheesecake saved the overall :). Very nice overall experience.
(3)Kim E.
We stumbled upon this place and once inside realized we had been here before but they had replaced the floors with these beautiful hardwood. We had been here around 6 or 7 years ago and my husband remembered the food was great then too. We had a great waitress this time who made some great recommendations. We had boiled shrimp, jumbo fried shrimp, blackened mahi mahi sandwich, cole slaw, twice baked potato, hush puppies, fries, and strawberry shortcake cheesecake that was aaaaaaamazing! My husband went on and on about the shrimp, cole slaw, and mahi mahi. He doesn't even like slaw! And he purposely did not eat all of his fish so he could save some for later. I had the jumbo fried shrimp and I'm not much on seafood and they were awesome! The hush puppies were perfect - couldn't be better! The twice baked potato was recommended by the waitress. It's baked then mixed with ranch seasoning then baked again with cheese on top. Yummmm! We were ready for our check and the waitress asked us about desert. She told us the options off the top of her head and we decided on the strawberry. We had NO intention of getting dessert. I've never had anything like it. It was 3 layers with strawberry cream on top then shortcake, then cheesecake. That topped us off. We will be returning every trip!
(5)Myles D.
Really good food. We've eaten here a couple times and it's never been bad. Really enjoyed the blackened Mahi Mahi and grilled shrimp. Great atmosphere, also. We had a table by the window and had a great view overlooking the beach. Great family atmosphere. A little pricey but worth the visit.
(5)Rachel P.
My family went here for our last night on vacation. It was right on the gulf so we were expecting it to be pretty expensive. It sure was! We arrived and the hostess said nothing was available outside (you could also tell they didn't want us outside) but we decided to wait. We were in pretty casual attire, nothing fancy. The hostesses had fancy clothes and were pretty snobby acting toward us. Whatever, moving on, once we did get seated outside the waitress was very friendly. They charge $1 for extra bread. The prices were way to expensive for the quality. We got a variety of different foods and non was good. I got the Parmesan chicken, it looked very good, however, it was not! My mom got teriyaki mahi mahi and it wasn't good either. Bland. We also had the calamari and it was bland. The fries were the best thing we had. It was not near enough bang for the buck!
(1)Fifteen Ringz R.
3 stars?? I take it I'm not a great food critic. We love Captain Dave's its a must stop every October! We've never had a disappointing experience, sorry for yours..Always seated with a awesome view of the gulf and stiff drinks and great appetizers and entrées!
(5)Rick F.
Average food (we had $30 entrees), terrible bartender though - horribly made drinks. Went with higher end fruit drinks - but bartender admitted to having trouble with the machine and mixing them - so we just tried to change order to a beer, but she said let me finish. Still tipped her well. Our table was immediately available, and when we went upstairs we found there was next to zero alcohol in the drinks. The worse wasn't the bartender - it was the waiter's attitude in handlng the complaint. He said it's hard to tell if there is alcohol in fruity drinks - which is condescending to folks like us that eat out around the country almost every night. I suggested he either have the bartender remix the drinks, or refund them, or talk to the manager. He did none of these things. I was a waiter for years - this is not how you handle a customer's complaint after a long day of driving and looking forward to a relaxing meal. Last time here, we ate at Crab Trap - much better food and service. It was very busy tonight so we tried Captain Dave's instead. Absolutely great views though.
(2)Rick M.
One of the better deals for happy hour on Miramar beach...$2.50 cocktails 4-6 each day. $9 apps. Great beach view. Friendly bar staff.
(4)Rick T.
I live in LA. My family in KY was on a vaca in Destin. we thought it would be nice to pick up dinner for all 6.They chose Capt Dave. I set the whole deal up with manager Jill. WHAT A GIANT MISTAKE!!! FOOD CRAP. SERVICE EVEN WORSE. They asked their waitress to get a picture of everyone with this fabulous view. SHE FLAT OUT SAID NO...TOO BUSY. I JUST PICKED UP A 200$ BILL AND CAN'T GET A PIC.WHAT A JOKE. Capt Dave restaurant needs to be sunk into the gulf!!
(1)Erin W.
Enjoyed the food, gorgeous views from our table and the best hushpuppies we had all week. Service was excellent but the food was a bit overpriced for what you get.
(4)Colin B.
Here is how I explain how much I liked this place -- go to Captain Dave's for your "nice" meal in Destin. (There might be nicer, but we don't do the chop house thing on vacation.) The view here is amazing and we got there early so we had a windowside table. The service was really, really good. We had a waiter that was funny but not annoying, knew the food, very attentive but not overly so. I had the daily special, a cajun dusted, shrimp topped grouper (8-10 ounces) with a salad and rice (or patato) for $15! It was cheaper than the menu grouper for whatever reason, the server even made a point of pointing that out. I loved it, I'd go back just for that. My father-in-law got the Grouper Jane for $25 or so and he really liked it, too. Again, a huge piece of fish broiled with sauce. Everyone else got fried shrimp and said they really liked it, they'd go back for it. All in all, great meal, great restaurant, amazing view.
(4)Tom H.
Very good seafood and service. Family owned and operated. Sauces homemade. Only reason for not giving 5 star rating is little high on prices but I believe it is worth it.
(4)Sean B.
Food was fair. service was crap. I worst I've had in a long time
(1)Brittany and Tim L.
I have seen this place get crowded very quickly. We were staying in a beach cottage across from it and one night walked over and had dinner. We wanted to watch the race and asked if we could be seated back in the bar (which I guess is just a waiting area for people to be seated) but they gave us a table since it wasn't very busy yet. I had a sampler platter that had stuffed mahi mahi, shrimp, oysters, and a crab cake on it. It was very good and decently priced since it was still winter season. My hubby had the parmensan grouper with a crab cake. He too enjoyed the meal. The mai thai was very good too and could have drank several of them but did not. The new patio they are building is going to give an outdoor seating area and who cant turn down that with a beach sunset behind them.
(4)Chris B.
Absolutely incredible...bread was off the chain...salad came with toasted almonds, which were awesome... for entrees we had mahi mahi with scallops, cobia and stuffed shrimp parmesan...scallops were the best I've ever had. Mahi Mahi was very tasty..cobia was dry and fair..baked potatoes were extremely hot and fantastic...waitress was friendly and the entire staff was helpful during our meal...we would recommend this restaurant to everyone...and the view of the Gulf of Mexico was beautiful.
(5)Irene C.
Stopped in for Happy Hour. Great reasonable prices. Sat outside on terrific deck with the most amazing view. Very nice staff.
(5)Amy P.
This place does have a great spot right on the beach. The food is just ok. Nothing really great about it. I enjoyed my meal. I had fried shrimp with a twice baked potato. Our waitress was great and the peanut butter pie was amazing.
(3)Deirdre W.
Wanna get away from the Destin strip for a nice meal? Then, try Capt Dave's. While this restaurant was a bit over-priced, the food was good and the service excellent. Deviate from the fried food selections and check out the daily specials. We enjoyed a good stuffed grouper and a (slightly overcooked) blackened mahi-mahi. The soups were also enjoyable. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie for dessert.
(2)Yelp R.
this was recommended so maybe i had greater expectations, but really the food was nothing out of the ordinary. service was great though!!
(2)Joy S.
We really wanted fresh seafood but was disappointed by this selection for dinner. We both had the seafood platter-one broiled and one fried. The broiled fish was over cooked, tough and dry. The fried fish was much better. The broiled oysters were gritty and chewy. Overall, the fried platter was better but for $23.99 a person and the quality was Red Lobster, which you can get anywhere not a big fan. We also had the shrimp remoulade, which was good but you only get 6 shrimp for $9.99. Not good enough for that price. The twice baked potato was delicious and the hush puppies were out of this world. Wish i had had the Cajun RedFish other reviewers suggestd Our server was not the most friendly and did no upselling- didn't offer dessert so I don't know if they have dessert or not. You pay for the view, which was lovely as the sun set but it is not a place we will return to for dinner.
(2)Nick S.
Great food. Cajun redfish is spectacular. Only problem was we waited for about an hour
(4)Shaina L.
Amazing coconut shrimp. I went for dinner here with my fiancé and parents and had a great experience. Great server (John Paul!) and great view. They have an outside eating area that looks pretty inviting as well. My fiancé and I went back again a day later and got another batch of coconut shrimp to go. So good! They even serve them with the tails already off. :)
(4)Jennifer M.
I've been coming to Destin since I was 9 and have been going to Captain Daves just as long. Wonderful food. Wonderful view. Wonderful service. Little pricey but good was totally worth it.
(4)Robert B.
There are several restaurants near by on the beach but this place is the best. Get a table by the windows. The view is awesome and worth the meal. The food is above average and typical of a coastal seafood spot at a reasonable price. The service was good as well. our server "Rocky" was attentive, knowledgable, and pleasant. The chowder was made by scratch I was told and tasted it. The fried shrimp were cooked appropriately and better than what is usually served at this type of place. The key lime pie was a little sweet for me but again it was made on site so I give it a pass. If you are looking for a view of the water, reasonably good seafood, and a price that is just about right this is the spot to try.
(3)Tyler M.
We really enjoyed our visit to Capt Dave's! Views from inside are great too. We sat along the windows overlooking the dunes and beach. I would recommend the Cajun Redfish. It's a broiled dish that I was led to try thanks to our great server Cory. It had a nice cajun/blackened spice with fried shrimp on top and a yummy sauce drizzled over it. My wife had the salmon and said that she enjoyed it as well. When back in Destin, I'd eat here again.
(5)Kevin W.
Captain Dave's offers one of the best views of any restaurant in Destin. Every seat in the restaurant offers a full view of the ocean. The food is about what you would expect from a restaurant on the gulf but it is nothing exceptional. With most meals at $20 a plate, the portions are definitely lacking. If you are looking to get full on seafood, this is not the place for you. If you are looking for adequate seafood with a great view, this is your place.
(4)Bailey G.
I don't think it was $$, I think it was more like $$$. Most of the entrees were north of $20. My cousin had the Mahi Mahi, she gave it a 9 out of 10. I had the Parmesan scallops, I gave it a 5 out of 10. The baked potatoes were large and fluffy, cooked just right. They give you real butter too and thats always good in my book. The salads were good sized too, but the ranch was really garlicky. During dinner some biplanes flew by and gave us a little show that was cool and the sunset was spectacular. You'll read other reviews about the bread, it's everything they say. Heavenly.
(4)Scott McKay G.
Good fish and chips, but they didn't have any malt vinegar. It seemed like I may have been the first person to ask for it. The service was prompt and our drinks were never empty. Portions seemed hefty for what we ordered; none of us finished their plate. You also can't order a burger unless you order from the kids menu. It's a good sized burger, nonetheless. There is a tunnel from the parking lot to the bottom level of the restaurant that is kind of fun, but also kind of unnecessary unless there is a lot of traffic on the street. I would definitely go here again, despite the quirks. It seems very authentic to the area, and offers great views of the beach.
(4)Patrice W.
Dined here our last night in Destin, we were not disappointed! Great service and exceptional food!!!! Will definitely dine here during our next visit!
(5)Kris B.
Walking distance from condo ,on the beach, much variety on menu I had to try the hot dang shrimp and fried crab claws! What a satisfying seafood craving experience. Oysters were fine, but not as good as the New England varieties All in all highly recommended
(4)Candi K.
Good family spot. Excellent view Kid's meals are a bit pricey. Destin Sunset is an awesome drink. Mahi was over cooked and had a bland flavor.
(3)Matt R.
Captain Dave's has been here in Destin for as long as I can remember, and I can remember back about 30 years. We come to Destin multiple times per year, and I always forget about Captain Dave's... but since we live virtually next door and didn't feel like driving out to dinner, we decided to walk over and grab some grub. The food, relative to similar seafood restaurants in the area, is medium. It's good, but doesn't stand out as being top tier. This has always been a problem for me with Dave's, and remains one, considering the prices. They are higher than average... which means that you can pay less and get as good or slightly better seafood offerings elsewhere. I started with the "Hot Dang Shrimp" as an appetizer... which I think is the best thing they offer pre-entre. The dish is their version of buffalo shrimp and pretty yummy. For entre, I had the "Stuffed Shrimp Parmesan." Again, I enjoyed the dish, but balked a little at the $26 price tag. A little much for butter and parmesan baked atop 8 or so shrimp. Another notable dish at the table was the "Surf & Turf." My cousin and his wife each ordered the plate at $50 a piece. They enjoyed the meal, but both commented that it didn't live up to the price. It didn't help that a couple nights earlier, we all enjoyed fantastic steaks at McGuire's Irish Pub for considerably less (but sans the lobster, to be fair). Cost: For my family of 5, with two small children... we spent $175. Aside from food, we had two glasses of wine and two beers. BOTTOM LINE: Good food, but overpriced. Not quite on par with the other seafood restaurants in the area.
(3)SJ W.
The view is awesome !! that's why a 3 star. We went tonight based on a recommendation from a local, the fried grouper was the best, the blackened grouper terrible, very very salty, and our server, Will,seem not to be concerned when told. The slaw was good, bread warm, had to ask for butter. Meal ok but not for the prices, so again I saw the view was it.
(3)Laura V.
Restaurant looks newly renovated- very beautiful inside. We sat on the deck. Service was wonderful, Alex was very attentive and friendly. Bacon wrapped scallops were fabulous!!!!! 5 stars for those, but our entree was fried seafood sampler and it was lack luster and could have come from a box. Not impressed by the entree but the strawberry shortcake cheesecake saved the overall :). Very nice overall experience.
(3)Amber M.
As you walk in, you are greeted with a stunning view of the ocean. The restaurant is beautiful and clean. The food is reasonably priced and fresh. I had the blackened Mahi Mahi. It was cooked to perfection with fresh cooked green beans and whipped, garlic potatoes. You can tell with the first bite that it is made from scratch and not frozen. Our server, Lisa, was awesome and knowledgable. I highly recommend dining at Captain Dave's! It was the best meal I've had while vacationing in the area.
(5)Jason W.
I had fried Gulf shrimp served with hush puppies, one side and a salad. The shrimp was big and wonderful but overpriced for the quantity received. One lady in our party had the fried shrimp and fried clam basket which had more food for half the price of my entrée. No wait, great service, nice parking and a great view of the emerald coast.
(4)Kim E.
We stumbled upon this place and once inside realized we had been here before but they had replaced the floors with these beautiful hardwood. We had been here around 6 or 7 years ago and my husband remembered the food was great then too. We had a great waitress this time who made some great recommendations. We had boiled shrimp, jumbo fried shrimp, blackened mahi mahi sandwich, cole slaw, twice baked potato, hush puppies, fries, and strawberry shortcake cheesecake that was aaaaaaamazing! My husband went on and on about the shrimp, cole slaw, and mahi mahi. He doesn't even like slaw! And he purposely did not eat all of his fish so he could save some for later. I had the jumbo fried shrimp and I'm not much on seafood and they were awesome! The hush puppies were perfect - couldn't be better! The twice baked potato was recommended by the waitress. It's baked then mixed with ranch seasoning then baked again with cheese on top. Yummmm! We were ready for our check and the waitress asked us about desert. She told us the options off the top of her head and we decided on the strawberry. We had NO intention of getting dessert. I've never had anything like it. It was 3 layers with strawberry cream on top then shortcake, then cheesecake. That topped us off. We will be returning every trip!
(5)Calily B.
Primo location on Crystal Beach but the food is touristy and just plain mediocre. I wouldn't normally go to a place like this, but I didn't have a choice! We had just gotten into Destin after a 9-hour drive, when we checked into our rental house across the street and made a quick jaunt to check out the beach. My boyfriend's dad was HONGRY, so he said "lets just go here" and since he was paying, we didn't put up too much of a fight. We were seated next to the windows overlooking the beach, which was beautiful. My boyfriend and I shared the grilled seafood combo (mahi mahi and shrimp) and his parents got a mahi and something else (I can barely remember). It was weird that when we asked for the mahi to be cooked medium, the waitress suggested we not get it that way. I cook my mahi at home medium, so not sure what the problem was. The fish was lightly seasoned but was cooked more than we wanted it. For $27, we got 4 pieces of shrimp and a couple small pieces of fish - which is way overpriced. The hush puppies were crunchy and light while the salad was run of the mill. The service was friendly and fast. If you're looking for great Gulf coast seafood, go elsewhere!
(2)Brian F.
My family and I have been here twice and both times have been very pleased with the food, service, and atmosphere. The view of the ocean is fabulous. It is very kid-friendly as well. The grilled shrimp, mahi, and hush puppies are very good. We'll be back again!
(4)Myles D.
Really good food. We've eaten here a couple times and it's never been bad. Really enjoyed the blackened Mahi Mahi and grilled shrimp. Great atmosphere, also. We had a table by the window and had a great view overlooking the beach. Great family atmosphere. A little pricey but worth the visit.
(5)Holly C.
Pretty good seafood-spectacular views. Prices were on the high side ( it was listed as a $ in a tourist magazine and as $$ on Yelp- almost all entrees were between $20 & $30. They charge a $1 a loaf for extra bread. Service was good and the cocktails were excellent.
(4)