What to Order at Bahama Breeze

For the most part, I love Bahama Breeze. The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere and staff, a wide variety of food, and the best Caribbean-style drinks (with late-night happy hour!). However, on our latest trip there, I was reminded of the few things I don't like about it. 

There is usually a long wait. Forget trying to go on the weekends. The parking and wait are horrendous. I thought a Tuesday night would be better, but no, still a 30-minute wait for seating and quite awhile for food. Plus, even though I had a great $10 off coupon, our dinner was still pricey. The quality and atmosphere are great, though, so I am willing to pay that once in awhile.

I do like that Bahama Breeze has added a lot of different small plates and apps, so I can have and share a variety of foods. On this visit, I ordered the Skillet-Simmered Jerk Shrimp appetizer, soaked in a garlic-thyme butter sauce. I love this sauce as well as the heat from the shrimp. Plus, a generous portion of shrimp are provided and - literally - a whole loaf of Cuban bread to dip in the delicious sauce. I also ordered the Truffled Yuca Fries, which were crispy and seasoned very well. I feel like I have had the best Yuca fries off the Twisted Cuban food truck, but these were very good.

Other small plates and entrees that I would recommend include: Seafood Paella, Key West Fish Tacos, Ahi Tuna Stack, and Jumbo Lump Crab Stack. Also, their burgers are very good.

What are your favorite dishes there?

Fun New Drinks, Food at Bahama Breeze Happy Hour

Jumbo Lump Crab Stack 
Photo by Shad Bookout

It amazes me that, every time I visit a Bahama Breeze, there is something new to eat or drink. In fact, the menu is so extensive now, that Bahama Breeze has switched to a book menu, like the one Cheesecake Factory uses. The restaurant has added a number of entrees - including four different Rice Bowls - along with small plates and snacks for sharing.

We went to Bahama Breeze's Altamonte Springs, Fla., location recently to check out new dishes and drinks, since the chain recently launched Late Night Happy Hour. During the happy hours (Mon.-Fri., 4-6 p.m. and Sun.-Thurs., 10 p.m.-close) there are several apps at half price and amazing drink specials. draft beers are $2, wine is $2 off, certain specialty drinks are $4 and certain classic cocktails are only $3. This is a great deal!

Daisy de Santiago

We tried two new drinks: the Yaka Hula Hickey Dula (I dare you to say that five times in a row) and the Daisy de Santiago. We loved them both. The Yaka Hula, made with pineapple juice, dark rum and Riesling, is very flavorful but may be too sweet for some. The Daisy de Santiago, made with Barcadi rum, lime juice, and mint leaves, is so light and refreshing. If you like a sweeter drink, though, this may not be the one for you.

Now on to small plates. We tried some new ones as well as old favorites. My new favorite app there is the Skillet Simmered Jerk Shrimp, which is tender, large shrimp in a thyme butter sauce. It comes with a big bread baguette to soak up the sauce. This is a perfect marriage, and is enough for an entree. The Jump Lump Crab Stack is definitely beautiful to look at, but I would like more flavor or citrus with it. The Jamaican Chicken Wings, marinated in jerk seasoning, always have an excellent flavor and are cooked perfectly. The onion rings are huge, with a light and crispy breading and yummy dipping sauce.

Skillet Jerk Shrimp

Bahama Breeze has also introduced a few new Rice Bowls recently. We tried the Carnitas, which is slow roasted pork (which is very tender), along with corn, garbanzo beans and plantains. I really liked this one, but also would like to see a little more flavor or kick. The Chipotle Beef Rice Bowl was also one of the favorites at our table and the Shrimp Creole is really good (just don't expect the spice that you normally get from a "Creole" dish).

It is hard to save room for dessert, but we forced ourselves, since Bahama Breeze has such great made-in-house desserts. The Key Lime Pie is one of the best I have had. I love the thick graham crust that is undoubtedly made from scratch and the lime flavor that is not too tart. Besides Bahama Breeze's fun atmosphere, I always go there for quality, affordable Caribbean food and truly, some of the best specialty drinks in town.

Try New Food, Atmosphere at Bahama Breeze

Ahi Tuna Stacks. Photo by Shad Bookout

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Bahama Breeze in Altamonte Springs, Fla., on a recent evening. It was not just because the renovated restaurant now has a better feel to it, but also it was because we were able to try some of the new appetizers, drinks, and entrees on the restaurant's extensive menu!

First, we took time to look around the beautiful restaurant. Some of the changes are more noticeable, such as the bar area, which is more open with beautiful shelving and bottles. Outside, flat screen TVs have been added, along with tables that have a granite finish and upgraded chairs. Other changes stand out less, but really upscale the place such as refinished woodwork throughout the restaurant and new artwork.

New bar area.
Photo by Shad Bookout

Now, to the two main reasons we like to visit Bahama Breeze: the food and the beverages. Florida stone crab is in season, so we tried the Stone Crab Appetizer ($23.99). It was served cold with lemon butter and a delicious sauce. I would recommend this dish, and you can upgrade to a Stone Crab entree portion for $1.99 more. Our favorite new appetizer is the Ahi Tuna Stacks ($6.99), which is delicate chopped Yellowfin tuna in Ponzu sauce, stacked between crispy wonton crackers. The accompanying pineapple salsa marries quite well with the tuna and wontons. I noticed more small plates on the menu than ever before, so everyone at the table can try a few different dishes, tapas style.

Our favorite new entree at Bahama Breeze is the Wood-Grilled Swordfish Steak, served atop Coconut-Ginger Sauce and with rice fritters. The swordfish was cooked perfectly and is so flavorful that it doesn't really need the sauce. The rice fritters were a fun, tasty addition to the meal - I thought they were corn fritters! The Wood-Grilled Chicken Sandwich, served warm inside Naan bread with arugula and tomato is very tasty and different from the normal sandwich. The new Curry Shrimp Rice Bowl (you can also order with chicken) has a really good, spicy curry sauce that I haven't had anywhere else. I would recommend trying this new dish for something different. Bahama Breeze also recently introduced several delicious burgers, including a Turkey Burger and the Portabella and Manchengo Cheeseburger.

Wood-Grilled Swordfish Steak.  By Shad Bookout

While we enjoy all of the tropical island-style drinks at Bahama Breeze, we especially liked the new Zombie, a mixture of three rums and Peach Schnapps, and the Havana Hotel Special, which combines rum, pineapple juice, lime, and a splash of Apricot Brandy into a very tasty concoction.

For dessert, the restaurant's Key Lime Pie is one of the best I have had. You can tell that it is made fresh daily in-house. The graham cracker crust really has a great, fresh flavor, and offsets the strong lime flavor of the pie. Two thumbs up! Let me know about your experience at any of the Bahama Breeze restaurants below!

New Bahama Breeze Summer Cocktails Transport You to the Islands

It's Friday, and I can almost taste Bahama Breeze's yummy rum and coconut cocktails. I am already a huge fan of the food and drinks at Bahama Breeze. So, when the restaurant chain introduced a line of "Legendary Island Cocktails" for the summer, I was thrilled. They all sound so good, and all are tied to stories surrounding the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, and other islands. For example, the new Painkiller - a mix of Cream of Coconut, Pusser's dark rum, pineapple, orange and nutmeg - was invented at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. 


The Dark 'N Stormy - known as Bermuda's national drink - features Gosling's Black Seal Rum and ginger beer. Another new offering from Bahama Breeze - the Goombay Smash - is actually known as the Bahamian national drink. It is made with Captain Morgan, Meyer's Dark Rum, orange juice and pineapple juice. I would also recommend trying other new creations, including Barbados Rum Punch, Batida de Coco (Brazil's version of the Pina Colado made with Leblon Cachacha Rum, Cream of Coconut and pineapple juice), the Havana Hotel Special, and Parrot Passion.

I would also highly recommend a drink that has been on Bahama Breeze's menu for awhile: The White Satin. I am so happy I tried it last time I was there - it is my new favorite! It's a smooth, delicious mix of Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Cointreau, coconut milk and ginger. It is very light for the summer and is a perfect "girly" drink. 


As far as food, you can't go wrong with any seafood appetizer or entree at Bahama Breeze. I love the Coconut Shrimp, Fish Tacos, and surprisingly - the Seafood Paella. I am surprised the flavors are so good, since paella typically takes hours to prepare correctly. This one tastes like it was done right and is generous with its seafood, chicken, and sausage. Bahama Breeze also does a great job with non-seafood entrees, including its Wood-Grilled Burger, its Jerk Chicken Pasta, and the new Tropical Curry with chicken.


To top it all off, Bahama Breeze's staff go out of their way to help people with food allergies have a great experience. Have you tried the new Legendary Island drinks or some of the new appetizers and dinners on the menu? If so, let me know how you liked them!

Don't Go to Joe's

This is really tough for me. I am a professional writer of the seafood and restaurant industries, and I would love to support both. However, when I have had a meal as bad as I had this weekend at Joe's Crab Shack, I have to let the readers of Flavorful Excursions know about it.


I haven't been to a Joe's Crab Shack in a few years, so I was excited to try the crab (of course!) and see what was new on the popular chain's summer menu. Some of the new crab buckets, including Lobster Daddy Feast and The Bean Town Bake - two whole Maine lobsters, split and surrounded by clams,  shrimp and smoked sausage - sounded great. However, I find both the Buckets of Crab and Steampots to be overpriced at between $22 and $30 each. 


We opted for the grilled Lobster Daddy Feast, a mix of snow crab, lobster claw, corn, and potatoes. I have to say, the snow crab was tender and cooked to perfection. However, both the lobster and snow crab were extremely over-salted. I usually love to savor the sweet flavor of the lobster meat, but was unable to do so because of the extreme saltiness. The corn on the cob. Wow. Even though there is local Florida and Georgia corn available, I can't imagine that is the corn that Joe's uses. It is fairly flavorless - almost like it was produced in a factory - and under-cooked.


The next dish was worse, though. I ordered the Coconut Shrimp with a side of mixed vegetables. I am aware that it is fried food, but I have never had Coconut Shrimp that is just dripping in grease. It made the whole dish very unappetizing. The mixed vegetables were flavored well, but - like the corn - they were very undercooked.


In addition to salt overload, we suffered from sugar overload with Joe's mixed drinks. The new summer Twisted Cherry Limeade sounded so refreshing (and with Three Olives Cherry Vodka, how can you go wrong?). When I took the first sip, I knew I made a mistake; perhaps I should have picked up on the sweetness by the multitude of sickly-sweet maraschino cherries adorning the bottom of the glass. It was so over-sweetened, and didn't really need to be. I swiftly sent it back and decided to order the chain's regular Mojito. That would not be too sweet, right? Wrong! It's strange how I can order the mojito at other chains - Bahama Breeze, Outback, Applebees, etc. - and it does not taste like this.


After all these complaints, I do have one positive note: the staff was very friendly and helpful with questions on food allergies. And I love how all the waiters and waitresses danced to "At the Carwash". It made for a very fun atmosphere. I am sure some families love it, but I will not be going back anytime soon. Maybe I am missing something. What has your experience at Joe's been like? Post comments below.