Bentley's On The Bay - SANTA ROSA BEACH

I really struggle to leave 2 star reviews. It pains me. I would much rather paint a picture of dining perfection than a generous two star, less than mediocre experience. We should have known that Bentley's wasn't going to be a winner when we walked in and only a hand full of tables were sat. We were a larger party so we expected to wait a few minutes. The decor looks brand new but the style looks 25 years old. It has that high end look and feel but not the high end service or food you would expect. One aspect we enjoyed was the live music. I think the guys name was Jim and he was very easy to listen to. Not overpowering but still entertaining. Our server was....well....not professional. She was very nice and well intentioned but more suited for a Denny's than a Bentley's. Out of 6 entrees, 2 were very good, 2 were very poor, and 2 were uneatable. Literally, uneatable. My friend had the lobster which she said was great and my wife had the stuffed shrimp and it was pretty good. 2 friends had steak. One sent his back when the medium steak came out well done and the other unhappily chewed each piece simply because he paid for it. Me and my friend had the Louisiana Shrimp pasta. It was the most awful dish I've ever been served. We couldn't eat it. The drinks were also a huge disappointment. Out of 500 experiences at a restaurant I would probably complain to management one time. I'm just not one to do it. When we did speak with the manager she was very pleasant. The staff being nice definitely took this review from a 1 star to a 2 star. If you are in the area go to Seagrove Market, George's, Old Florida Fish House or the Great Southern instead. All great picks.

Just got back from being a bridesmaid in a wedding here and WOW this place is beautiful! Why did it only get 3 stars, you ask? Because the wedding coordinators added more stress to the bride than help. One of them smiled maybe once, and the other was just plain awkward...and she babysat the bridesmaids as if we were going to steal something! But even if we wanted to, where would we have put it since they wouldnt allow us to keep our bags in the room?! Just weird. Not very friendly service from a place youre paying to host a special event...but again, it was beautiful a great space with a dock and pretty lights strung outside.

We went to bentleys tonight with our family on the last night of our vacation. We went early because we have a 10 month old. They were very accommodating of our little one and throughout our meal there were a bunch of families that came in. The food was wonderful and the service was wonderful. We met the founder and owner and he spent a good amount of time with us and making sure we were well taken care of. The ambiance was beautiful and they have live music. Everything from the appetizers to the desert was great. Our party had everything including escargot to salads to a great fried green tomatoes appetizer. We had crab, steak, snapper and finished it off with key lime pie and bananas foster for desert. Great wine selection and an overall wonderful experience especially for our last night in town before we head back to Texas. This is a must visit the next time you are on 30-A

I really struggle to leave 2 star reviews. It pains me. I would much rather paint a picture of dining perfection than a generous two star, less than...

Just got back from being a bridesmaid in a wedding here and WOW this place is beautiful! Why did it only get 3 stars, you ask? Because the "wedding...