Brittany M.
Yelp
I've been to Bahama Breeze quite a few times since it opened over a decade ago. The food is usually consistent, a nice Caribbean flair and with that said, if I am being honest the only thing that makes me choose BB over a small business with similar food is the drinks! In my opinion the food here is good but small business restaurants just do it better. With that said, it's still typically a good option if you're looking for this type of cuisine.
The ambiance on the outside is a colorful sunny building with an island vibe, the inside is like an island hideaway, dim lighting, deep wood and some island decor all around with punchy, yet understated, fabrics. There is nothing to entertain younger visitors except those terrible tablets that cost over $2 to play games on. Honestly these should be available by request only because they are so clunky and of course my child wants to play with it but no I'm not spending $2 when we should just be given a menu he can color on. I think these tablets take away from the dining experience, I want to engage with my child, they have enough exposure to screens as it is, and this tablet just upsets them If you don't allow them to play with it. Luckily I had some coloring books and activities for my son so he was fine, but I can only imagine the meltdowns these must cause some families, resulting in the parents not being able to put in their credit card info fast enough!
On my past visit I was a little disappointed with our experience. My husband and son did not receive their drinks until after our appetizer was finished and we were starting on our meals. I didn't receive my drink until HALFWAY through my meal in which I was eating very slowly. This was so disappointing because as I stated, I usually come here for the drinks more than anything else. I am big on beverages so if you are slow on the refill it's a big deal for me. So to not even receive my drink until so late in our visit, I was extremely disappointed. Not only that, we were clearly not being attended to enough because we were the ones who had to wave down our waitress to let her know we never received them.
To her credit, she seemed to feel badly about the situation and comped my drink, but only mine, when all three were so late! The place was busy but I've seen busier. Bahama Breeze always has a party going on, I think because they can easily accommodate large groups of people, and it seemed like there were a few parties going on. As much as possible I try to be an understanding customer, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt and thought she must be new and/or completely overwhelmed.
The food:
When BB first opened I loved the Jerk Chicken Pasta and knew it as their signature dish. I am not sure what has happened over time to this dish but the past few times someone I am with or myself orders it, it seems to be very soggy and watery and honestly a little bland. It's not at all what I remember from the earlier days.
I ordered the churrasco steak and it was cooked perfectly. The chimichurri sauce was already on the top of the steak (I do prefer on the side but I was ok with this presentation, too) and tasted deliciously herby and tangy. I appreciate a good chimichurri and hate when there is mint in it, this one did not have detectable mint. The rice and beans on the side was ok, nothing to rave about, and the maduros (sweet plantains) were deliciously caramelized and crisp.
We ordered my son chicken fingers and fries and that is exactly what he got. There was nothing special at all about this dish, it was fine. Being in a Caribbean themed restaurant it would be cool to have a special sweet and tangy dipping sauce or something to differentiate this standard kids meal into something more memorable. My son did enjoy having his meal served with a side of fruit though.
Overall, I like having Bahama Breeze as an option but I am not running to go back