629 reviews
#9 of 118 Restaurants in Santa Rosa Beach$$ - $$$, American, Seafood, Vegetarian Friendly+1 850-534-5050+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Mon
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tue
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wed
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thu
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sat
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Ratings and reviews
4.5
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
PRICE RANGE
$5.00 – $37.00
CUISINES
American, Seafood
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
meals, features
Menu
Eggs & Stuff
Full Breakfast*
Two Eggs Your Way, Choice of: Bacon, Ham, or Sausage, Choice of: Stone Ground Grits or Breakfast Potatoes, Choice of: House-made English Muffin, Biscuit, or Toast
$17.00
WaterColor French Toast
Served with Mixed Berries, Warm Maple Syrup
$18.00
Coastal Granola
Organic Greek Yogurt, Seasonal Fruit, Local Honey
$14.00
Classic Benedict*
House-made English Muffin, Shaved Ham, Poached Eggs, Hollandaise, Breakfast Potatoes
$17.00
Benedict Royale*
House-made English Muffin, Smoked Salmon, Poached Eggs, Hollandaise, Breakfast Potatoes
$22.00
Crab Frittata
Roasted Okra, Confit Tomatoes, Crumbled Feta, Fresh Basil, Arugula
$18.00
Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Details
About
As one of the 30A area’s only large family-style restaurants and bars overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, Fish Out of Water embodies the spirit of the WaterColor community: coastal, fun, and unpretentious, with impeccable service and cuisine. The menu, drinks, and interior design, coupled with a streamlined open-air kitchen, create a lively and engaging ambiance- perfect for a midday break with family, a fun evening with friends or a romantic date night. Fish Out of Water features live music seasonally; and the expanded bar offers an inspired beverage program. For large groups for special celebrations, the Wine Room is a private getaway from the crowds, surrounded by an impressive wine cellar. Seasonal hours of operation do apply.
PRICE RANGE
$5.00 – $37.00
CUISINES
American, Seafood
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
FEATURES
Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Valet Parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront
Top 3 reasons to eat here
Sponsored by: Fish Out Of Water
1. The Best Views on 30A!
"The view and the restaurant atmosphere screams relaxation!"
Kankead8
2. Exceptional Service!
"He created the most memorable evening and provided exceptional service"
Russoline
3. Great Value!
"The food and service at this restaurant may be the best on 30a"
JamieB906532
Contribute
4.5
629 reviews
Excellent
406
Very good
88
Average
56
Poor
48
Terrible
32
Jamie B
6 contributions
Favorite Review
Oct 2022 • couples
We came to Watercolor Inn as a staycation to celebrate our 1 year Anniversary and it was nothing short of amazing. The Food and Beverage offered on-site were delicious and we ended up eating breakfast, dinner, and room service dessert through FOOW restaurant. For breakfast we had the Watercolor Omelet, breakfast sandwich, and French toast-all of which were incredible. The French toast was the best we have ever had! For dinner we had grouper sandwich and entree, and both were so delicious and fresh. We were too full to have dessert then, so we ordered red velvet cheesecake from FOOW to our room as a night cap and we were blown away at how delicious it was. The food and service at this restaurant may be the best on 30a.
Written October 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabrielle Testa
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for sharing that special day with us, we look forward to having you back to celebrate year after year! Many happy returns, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written November 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Heidy Marie
Los Angeles407 contributions
Jun 2020 • family
We had lunch one day and dinner another day here. The staff is friendly and the food was great! The key lime pie for dessert was the greatest we have tried. They don’t take reservations but they move pretty quickly and we were seated 30 minutes later when we were quite 1.5 hours. I found the restaurant to be clean and well staffed. Staff all had masks on cleaning was noticeable. I will definitely be back when in the area and highly recommend their food. Enjoy!
Written June 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie W
Peachtree City6 contributions
Sep 2020 • family
I have celiac disease so generally my choice of restaurants is extremely limited. We found out they have a dedicated GF fryer so we decided to give it a go. I will say the wait was almost 2 hours, I thought I overheard they do not take reservations, but don’t quote me on that. So we grabbed drinks from the bar and walked around. They were accurate with their wait time, we did not wait longer than stated. Once we were seated it was fantastic! The atmosphere was chic and sophisticated but down to earth. We felt comfortable there even with our young children, but also is a great spot for date night. Our server was so nice and very knowledgeable of the gluten free options. He had awesome menu recommendations too. We had the banger shrimp appetizer, it was so yummy with the right amount of spice. My husband had the blacked swordfish, I had the GF fried grouper and the kids had mac and cheese and burgers. We all loved our food. The seasoning on the grouper was fantastic! It was so good I questioned if it was really gluten free. The service was so fast! The kitchen is on their game and their waitstaff is first class. Worth the wait! Plus there’s shops to go look around in if you have to wait.
Written September 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MissMoorea
Naples185 contributions
Jul 2021 • couples
Friends of ours raved about FOOW at Watercolor Resort so we made a special trip out there for lunch.
First impression - two young kids who looked like they should be in an Abercrombie print ad acted like they couldn’t be bothered with us were posted at the Host stand. No hello, welcome, etc. We were brought to a table far from the view even though we explained we had made a special trip there for lunch and closer tables were available. We decided to not make a fuss and simply walked around to take in the view.
Our server, Wally, is new at serving. No hello, welcome, etc. While he poured our waters, we had to ask him if he was our server. Who knows? He could’ve been a busboy. Had an uncomfortable feeling when he said yes b/c we were dining there w/food allergies. After a short chat discussing gluten free items, we knew we needed a manager to help us navigate the menu. Quinn, a server supervisor, came to our rescue. She was great and explained what we could order, how we should order, etc.
We opted for blackened fish tacos. A guest at a neighboring table highly recommended them. We ordered them - nothing special. Good but not delicious. You want great fish tacos? Head to Stinky’s Fish Camp further west on 30A. Now those are DELICIOUS fish tacos!
In all, the best part of our experience was with the resort Valet. He’s a great, personable guy from Brooklyn and as friendly as can be. Wish everyone else at FOOW was as affable and unaffected.
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cabinlsl
Minong14 contributions
Jan 2020 • family
The service was poor. Our drinks took forever to be served. Our food wasn’t hot and one order was wrong. The correct order took forever to get. We all shared our meal with the child that was left out, who then didn’t want it because they were satisfied eating ours. Our drinks were not refreshed. The server didn’t seem to speak English well and the manager was totally dismissive when our issues were shared with him. Take your family and money someplace else.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
asmith6688
Sanibel Island386 contributions
Jul 2020 • couples
We were told to come early since they can only seat at 50% capacity. We arrived at 4:45pm. The table available for us was next to the door so we chose a bar table instead with excellent views. We felt bad for our bartender/server. There was such a lack of training and a language barrier. It took 30 minutes to receive a drink. We ordered and the kitchen was fast. Because of the language barrier we couldn’t get across that we wanted a fish sandwich not the fish dinner so naturally the order came out wrong. With that said we loved our meal. The service was just painfully slow.
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
laplume9254
Arizona409 contributions
Mar 2021 • none
Back in the day, FOOW may have been the fine dining establishment on 30a. But now that there are so many choices, they need to step up their game. The food is only average, the service horrible. It is for sure not worth any wait that you have to do. We had much better meals at Cafe 30a and Surfing Deer where they take reservations. Come for the view if you sit on the patio. Otherwise, there is no reason to come here.
Written March 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabrielle Testa
Dear Laplume9254,
We are a casual family-friendly restaurant. I wanted to take a moment and apologize that your experience in dining with us was not as exceptional as you, or we, would have hoped. I would be interested in getting some additional feedback about your experience.
If you can, please kindly reach out to me at kristy.mckinney@stjoe.com. I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss your experience and appreciate your time in doing so.
We continually use guest feedback such as yours as a means to continually better our food and beverage offerings and additional details would assist in that effort.
Thank you for dining with us at FOOW, we look forward to an opportunity to change your impression.
Sincerely,
Kristy McKinney
Director of Restaurants
WaterColor Inn
Written April 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FtLaudFla
28 contributions
Nov 2021 • family
Oh boy…. Where do I start? Admittedly, it’s been five years since we last ate here, but we came here frequently in the past decade and this has always been one of our favorite restaurants in the entire US — fine dining, dramatic ocean and sunset views and wonderfully knowledgeable staff. Prices were always high, but when the food was on a par with any fine restaurant in a major American city, say NYC or San Francisco, that is to be expected.
But this last trip was a severe disappointment to say the least. Evidently the decision was made several years ago to switch this restaurant to a more “family friendly” atmosphere, which is fine. But the food quality has been lowered to a shocking degree. For those of you expecting high end family style dining, a la some of the four star restaurants at Disney (Jiko, etc.), think again. This was more akin to the Ritz being turned into a Quality Inn.
The drinks were poorly made, the pasta was rubbery, and the service was passable at best. I’ll leave it at that instead of adding further insult to injury. As a testament to this, despite its walk up status, the restaurant was virtually deserted last night (the Monday of Thanksgiving week, with tons of families in town at the resort and surrounding community) by 7:30pm….
Two things haven’t changed at FOOW — the views are still incredible and the prices are still high — but if you’re looking for a great meal and dining experience, I’d urge you to keep searching.
Written November 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Faccia bella
Cartersville7 contributions
Mar 2021 • none
This was our second trip to FOOW with the first one being just a month ago. We decided to do lunch again during our visit last week. We elected to sit outside because the day was beautiful. Big mistake, let me begin:
First, restaurants we visit have the disadvantage of having guests that have dined in London, Paris (one star Michelin), New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Milan, Rome, and, well, you get the point. We are spoiled when it comes to service, and this is where FOOW failed.
When we sit down we expect to be greeted by our waiter and, at minimum have water and set-up placed. It took over 5 minutes to get anyone to acknowledge us, and after the water arrived, no one bothered to refill them. It was if each wait staff was on its own little team, not worrying about a different table. Drinks were fumbled as the person waiting on us recommended we not order the drink we ordered, but instead something else. Guess what came? The one she suggested we not order (smokey vodka or something, anyway it was terrible).
Now, what was really disturbing, and again it was spring break so visitors were "pent-up" to say the least was this table about 8 feet from us. It was set for four, expanded to five and then their four children decided to continually run through the deck where we were dining. Dressed in their bathing suits. Back and forth, back and forth. Note to Parents: If you are bringing your children to a restaurant, teach them some fricking manners.
As for the food, it was great. No issues there. Maybe it was just one of those days but here's what I recommend: First, have someone that does nothing but fill water glasses, like Basmati's does. And that person can catch the odd request from a guest and pass it along to the appropriate person. Second, the manager should, while waiting on tables, ask guests to collar their unruly kids. Hey, we raised four and never would we allow our kids to run around and disturb other diners. Finally, make sure the bartenders are properly staffed. It took awhile to get our drinks.
We will be back when the nuttiness subsides, like around the end of September, but until then, ditch the patio and opt for inside dining, preferably at the bar where we got great service on our first visit.
Written March 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabrielle Testa
Dear SavarioP:
Please forgive us for our shortcomings; we are very honored that you chose FOOW to enjoy a meal and we are so sorry that your experience did not live up to your expectations.
We are known for our focus on service, cuisine, and hospitality, and from the description of your experience, it seems that we have failed you on each of those accounts. Please don't ever hesitate to speak to our restaurant management team while you are on the property if you do not like any aspect of your meal or service so that we can correct it immediately; we never want any of our guests to leave unhappy, or worse, hungry and thirsty.
Thank you again for your candid review, and for reminding us that we can always improve. I would love an opportunity to speak with you further, please contact me at kristy.mckinney@stjoe.com.
With regards,
Kristy McKinney
Director of Restaurants
WaterColor Inn
Written April 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Linda P
Fort Lauderdale63 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
It's a lovely place in a great location with a beautiful view. The few times I ate there, the service was terrible and the shrimp roll I ordered had a tiny scoop of 'stuff' and was all bread.
This last time, the service was great and I ordered (get this) " a loaded bloody Mary" for $14. So we all know that that means the bloody mary has a huge celery stick and usually a jumbo shrimp on it, parsley and is a sight to see (I can send pictures of what a loaded bloody mary looks like)
This 'loaded Bloody Mary' came with a slice of lemon and lime and 2 olives, that's it. I'm not joking. I sent a photo and my friends and I had a great laugh about it..
This place is no longer any place I'll bring my visitors.
Written April 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DomesticEngr
Santa Rosa Beach424 contributions
Sep 2022 • family
Mediocre food and poor service led to a very disappointing family dinner. When guests are in town, one hopes to provide a fun experience accompanied by good food. FOOW was truly terrible last night (9/9/22). Every dish arrived cold from the kitchen. The crab cakes were minuscule and full of shells. Grits and gluey mac/cheese sides were stone cold. My guests were too kind to send things back, but I certainly would have had I known while we were in the restaurant. One drink and one Caesar salad topped with shrimp never arrived, one drink came as the table had been cleared for 30 minutes while we were searching in vain for our waiter (who had little grasp of the English language). My guests gamely ate their dinners and I am SO embarrassed I brought them to FOOW. It was not busy at all. There were empty tables everywhere. I AM A LOCAL and will not return. Believe the other negative reviews and take your business elsewhere. It’s a shame. The view is pretty but the food and service are horrible.
Written September 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabrielle Testa
Dear DomestivEngr,
We love love love our locals. I wanted to take a moment and apologize that your experience in dining with us was not as exceptional as you, or we, would have hoped. I would be interested in getting some additional feedback about your experience and certainly another opportunity to turn your impression around.
If you can, please kindly reach out our Assistant General Manager, Kristy McKinney, at kristy.mckinney@stjoe.com. I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss your experience and appreciate your time in doing so.
We continually use guest feedback such as yours as a means to continually better our food and beverage offerings and additional details would assist in that effort.
Thank you for dining with us at FOOW, we look forward to an opportunity to change your impression.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Testa
General Manager
WaterColor Inn
Written October 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Scooter H
Niceville239 contributions
Dec 2021 • business
Went here for a business meeting where people were either in Destin or Panama City and so this was about half way between. The restaurant is nice inside. Service was just ok considering the place was dead and I think there was maybe six groups in the restaurant that evening. My real issue was the food. I had the filet and lobster tail. For $50 I got a filet that looked like Publix quality meat. It was less than a half inch thick and was definitely not prime quality. Then there was a lobster tail that was smaller than some butterfly shrimp I have eaten before. The vegetables were soggy. The only good thing on the plate was the Mac and cheese. This was more like a $30 meal I would get at Longhorns. For the prices I would expect near Ruth Chris quality and this place is more like Longhorns quality. I understand it’s a tourist place and usually tourist places have lousy food because they know that you are probably not coming back but it should be better than this.
Written December 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marvin G
Ogdensburg1493 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
Fish Out Of Water (FOOW), located at the Watercolors Resort is a wonderful place to entertain guests or just eat. It has an extensive wine and spirits menu for those who like a libation before dinner or along with their food. We started with cocktails and then moved on to salads. I had the Heirloom Tomato Salad accompanied by Burrata, Balsamic, Basil-Arugula Pistou, Parmesan Crisp. My wife had the Ceasar Salad made with Romaine, Creamy Parmesan Dressing, White Anchovy, Focaccia Crisp.
Leah then moved on to the blackened Louisiana Gulf Shrimp and I had the Swordfish seared. My dish was accompanied by the Boursin mashed potatoes and my wife’s dinner by the Quinoa salad. We split a slice of Key lime pie made with Graham Crackers, toasted meringue, scorched Lime. All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening. We love this restaurant and would come back upon our return to SRB.
Written May 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hari Rajadurai
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • friends
we went to this restaurant because we heard about the positive reviews of yummy food and good service. however we were extremely disappointed by the lack of service, the mediocrity of the food, and the overall incompetence. food wise the portions were small for the price and it was overall not very good flavoring. but the real issue came with the service. we were a party of 12 and while we understood a large party can be quite difficult we were disappointed by the lack of attention and communication. our server let us know after we finished our meal he could not divide our checks among all of us but he went back on his offer and decided to anyway. and he went on to take about an hour to get our checks ready and proceeded to dump them on the table to for us to sort out among ourselves. if this had been a Taco Bell or a Chili’s I would’ve understood the manner of this behavior but this restaurant was supposed to be of high caliber and service. quite unhappy with our experience.
Written June 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabrielle Testa
Dear hari888888889,
Thank you for joining us. We are so sorry that your dining experience was so disappointing and the service so lacking. We would be interested in another opportunity to turn your impression around.
If you can, please kindly reach out to our Assistant General Manager, Kristy McKinney, at kristy.mckinney@stjoe.com. We would appreciate an opportunity to discuss your experience and appreciate your time in doing so.
We continually use guest feedback such as yours as a means to continually better our food and beverage offerings and additional details would assist in that effort.
Thank you for dining with us at FOOW, we look forward to an opportunity to change your impression.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Testa
General Manager
WaterColor Inn
Written October 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
AmyNellBrown
Knoxville13 contributions
May 2021 • couples
My husband and I are first timers at Santa Rosa Beach and we are staying in the Blue Mountain area. We’ve explored the area and have eaten at some descent restaurants but I have to mention FOOW. it was so good. Everything was so fresh and the food was brought out in the most timely manner. ........Almost like a progressive dinner!
My husband ordered the crab cakes as an appetizer. We also ordered an Heirloom Tomato salad that was brought out right before our entrees. We split both of them and they were so delicious. We were seated outside on the deck so the ocean was our view for the evening.
Then come the entrees! Oh my! Beautiful and delicious! My husband got the surf and turf and I ordered the FOOW pasta. I’ve included pictures so you can experience the beauty!
Written May 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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