Eat!

Eat! is a downtown Pensacola restaurant adding location and services all the time. Eat! is characterized by a trendy metropolitan atmosphere, fine cuisine, and outstanding service. During lunchtime, this place is all business, one of the preferred lunch meeting places in the downtown area. In the evening, the restaurant switches to fine dining and does it well. The deco bar offers a great place to start your evening and relax before dinner.

Eat! ’s menu offers some items not otherwise found in Pensacola restaurants. For example, try the delicious Rabbit Quesadillas. Yes, that’s rabbit meat! Without fail, all of the menu items are tasty, with some outstanding fare. There is plenty of variety and adventure to be had, as well as standard dining choices that won’t disappoint.

I am constantly impressed by the service. It is highly professional but relaxed and comfortable. Again, a trendy metropolitan atmosphere. This is once you are seated. I am occasionally dismayed by how long I wait at the door before being approached. However, once approached, service is excellent. Ask for Frances as your server and the back room if you have a party of less than six and want some privacy. Outdoor dining, while available, is not altogether comfortable.

Name: Eat!
Location: 286 N. Palafox, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 433-6905
Price: $-$$$
Website: http://www.eatmorefood.com/

Zea Rotisserie and Grill

This is a relatively new chain restaurant for Pensacola, and in general. There is 10 locations across the south United States. In a nutshell, the food is great but the service is lacking. I’ve eaten here over a half dozen times in the last year (and recently) in a varitey of settings- lunch, dinner, meeting room. Overall this assessment stands true. I ate lunch at Zea Rotisserie and Grill recently with an associate, and we sat for over ten minutes until we were approached for a drink order.

That being said, they have some fantastic stuff on their menu. Their dry rub ribs are absolutely excellent and their salads are delicious. The atmosphere and decor are clean and warm, with special touches everywhere. If you can get service, it is the perfect location and environment for a business lunch. The tables are not too close and sound doesn’t travel. In addition, Zea offers something that is curiously rare in a beach town like Pensacola- outdoor dining! Its not a big area, but it is protected and you can actually see the bay! Its a hidden treasure. Ask for it. Zea should work on its training and management programs if it is to experience sucessful growth, but it has potential.

Name: Zea Rotisserie and Grill
Location: 605 West Gregory, Pensacola, FL, 32502
Phone: (850) 433-2159
Price: $-$$$
Website: http://www.zearestaurants.com/

City Grocery

Every city is full of deli restaurants and counters, many of them outstanding. Pensacola is no different. The City Grocery is unique in its atmosphere, history, and location. Inside, it is completely urban, like any deli you find on a street corner in New York. It has an old feel to it, and for a reason. The City Grocery has been around for a very long time, since the antique building was built.Prior to 2003, you could find articles on the stores shelves that seemed to date back to the seventies. What kept it in business was its neighborhood location, its outstanding deli grill, and its BBQ, smoked fresh every weekend. In 2003, the store was bought by local businessmen and underwent a gradual but marked updating process. They scrubbed the store down, replaced the old merchandise with specialty foods, expanded the deli offerring, kept the BBQ, and added a great wine selection.

The result is a bustling little neighborhood store than gets drop-ins from all over the city. During the warmer three seasons, patrons can be found relaxing at its outdoor tables. On weekends, BBQ is being smoked right out front. On Fridays, weekly wine tastings get East Hill residents (on wannabees) ready for the weekend.Did I mention that the BBQ and chicken salad are the best in the city? And the wine selections, while small, is excellent. Need a wine recommendation? Talk to Ed. City Grocer is the conerstone of the the new emergence of the 12th Avenue renaissance sweeping Pensacola. With new restaurants on the horizon, City Grocery will remain a corner stone of the East Hill dining experience.

Name: City Grocery
Location: 2050 N 12th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32503
Phone: (850) 469-8100
Price: $
Website: none available

Red Barn BBQ

Just west of the intersection of Avalon Blvd. on Highway 90, about 10 minutes from I-10,this BBQ joint is worth the drive to Milton from Pensacola. It is a country atmosphere with a focus on the barbeque, and oh my, is it ever. Regular specials provide all-you-can-eat opportunities, but you’ve got to have a big appetite to go for seconds. Everything about Red Barn’s fare is tasty. Even the fries are perfect. They offer a selection of house sauces that hit every note just right.I’m not sure that can write anything more to praise a BBQ place then what I’ve already written. BBQ should be an experience quite unlike other dining experiences. Red Barn BBQ delivers.

Name: Red Barn BBQ
Location: 5887 Highway 90, Milton, FL 32583
Phone: (850) 983-9771
Price: $-$$
Website: none available