My wife and I have been to the Dolphin Depot twice now. It is one of our favorites in JAX. If you cannot find a dish that suites your taste, then you cannot be satisfied! The food is out of... More

My wife and I have been to the Dolphin Depot twice now. It is one of our favorites in JAX. If you cannot find a dish that suites your taste, then you cannot be satisfied! The food is out of this world. Cozy Setting for a date or small group dinner. Not a really a place to take the kids. Quite, peaceful environment. Very friendly & attentive staff. You'll go back again! Pros: Food, Deserts Cons: Parking
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We ended up here on a Friday night around 8PM. I was surprised to see the place mostly empty. There are no menus but chalkboards with no prices. The waiter briefly went over the boards. He was... More

We ended up here on a Friday night around 8PM. I was surprised to see the place mostly empty. There are no menus but chalkboards with no prices. The waiter briefly went over the boards. He was rather impatient and uninformative. I went with the trout with the Inidan River style, which is a citrus sauce. My girlfriend had a quail and lobster. We started with a blackened scallop starter. The scallops were good. Soft buttery and not overly spiced. I did not really consider them "blackened" as typically blackened scallops have crust. These just had blackening spice. Based on my scallops, I was looking forward to my meal. Glancing at the trout fillet, I could tell it was overcooked, overly glazed, and poorly prepared. The lobster tail was equally poor in appearance. Carrots, corn and rice accompanied the meal. A well prepared fillet of trout has flakes that steam as you pull them apart. Not this fillet. Heavily glazed and dry. I thought it was just the thin end of the fillet, so I tried a thicker part. That's when the problem became clear - either the chef had butchered a fresh bit of fish or it was old and frozen. The larger end tasted "fishy," a rather unusual thing for trout. My girlfriend loves lobster - this is only the second time I've seen here leave it on the plate! The tail was overcooked and rubbery. I told the waiter my fish was overcooked and he asked if I wanted them to do another one. I declined as it was already 9:15, and if you had let this come out the kitchen the first time, I really did not expect improvement. The shocker. The $120+ tab. My frozen fish fillet was $33, the quail and tail $40+. Kick in the $35 bottle of wine and app and this was a pricey meal, especially as most of it remained on the plate. I've had better fish at a local pizza chain, which only charges $8 for a fish sandwich. I would not return even if it was free. The disappointment is just too great. Pros: I know never to go there again. Cons: Poorly prepared food at inflated prices. Inconsiderate service.
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If you have a party larger than 4. DO NOT GO here. The wait for food is painfully slow. Last night we waited 2 hours and still did get our entrees. The help and owner were very rude and not... More

If you have a party larger than 4. DO NOT GO here. The wait for food is painfully slow. Last night we waited 2 hours and still did get our entrees. The help and owner were very rude and not customer friendly. Watch out for wine bottles appearing on your table when you have not ordered them. Very disappointed because we heard the food was so good. The staff was crass and unapologetic. This was the first time I have ever walked out of restaurant in 30 years. They made a bad impression of ten very hungry people.
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This place has the ambience and class to cover all areas of dining. I have attended while alone on business and while traveling on vacation with family. The service is sometimes dicey, but the... More

This place has the ambience and class to cover all areas of dining. I have attended while alone on business and while traveling on vacation with family. The service is sometimes dicey, but the quality of the food far surpasses any weaknesses. I've loved many of the fish dishes over the years and the meat offered is NO SLOUCH! They have a Pork Osso Bucco that was outstanding on my last visit. Ask for chef specials. Appetizers are plentiful and the Caesar Salad is worthy. The wine list can scare, but you can find some reasonable buys if you search.The bottom line; not much around that competes! JAS Pros: Seating, wine list Cons: questionable service staff
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This is definitely a hate it or love it place. My parents are iffy about it for one, especially since the first time they went with a group, and everyone ordered glasses of wine and the waiters... More

This is definitely a hate it or love it place. My parents are iffy about it for one, especially since the first time they went with a group, and everyone ordered glasses of wine and the waiters would spontaneously refill them. Well their bill was a little on the ridiculous side. I personally love this place. Seafood is my favorite cuisine so this place being 99.99% seafood did not disappoint. The waiters tell you the menu from a blackboard, and the menu changes daily, so just imagine the skill these waiters must have. The food is superb. The only unfortunate part, I believe they are now closed for a condo going up. As is 1st St Grille, damn :( Pros: quiet, small, very nice, very good food Cons: expensive, expensive, expensive, closed?
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I took some relatives visiting from out of state to dinner on Monday, October 16. I had been to Dolphin Depot many times and have always had an excellent meal. My husband hasn't been so lucky and... More

I took some relatives visiting from out of state to dinner on Monday, October 16. I had been to Dolphin Depot many times and have always had an excellent meal. My husband hasn't been so lucky and counseled me against going there. I should have listened to him. Service was slow...so slow, in fact, that at one point we thought the staff had gone home! Two in our party ordered the lamb & lobster tail--the tails were cooked first and sat for 30 minutes before our dinners were plated! The lamb chops were lukewarm and well done--not such a great deal for $38.95. The pork osso bucco was also warm, not hot; smoked pork loin was dry as a bone. I think we got the leftovers from the previous Saturday night. When our server came by, we said everything was fine, because I didn't want to make a fuss with everyone there. It wasn't until we left that I found out that everyone at our table said their meal was horrible. Even the coffee at the end of the meal wasn't hot. I should have known when ours was the only occupied table in the place, and the cooking was all done in the back room instead of the front grill area. For the price (over $350), I don't think it is unreasonable to expect the food to be made fresh. I was embarrassed and angry by the experience. Pros: Entrees used to be interesting and delicious. Cons: Entrees are still interesting, but our meal wasn't hot or fresh.
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Yes, as others have said in their reviews, this restaurant can be expensive but it is CERTAINLY WORTH IT! The atmosphere is wonderful: charming, romantic, and great for long dinners. I have been... More

Yes, as others have said in their reviews, this restaurant can be expensive but it is CERTAINLY WORTH IT! The atmosphere is wonderful: charming, romantic, and great for long dinners. I have been going here for about 6 years and have never had anything but wonderful service. The waiters know the menu by heart and can always be depended on for accurate and honest suggestions regarding the menu and wine. The food never disappoints and hits the spot when you are craving good seafood or southern cuisine. I can not say enough good things about this place. It is always my first choice for special occasions and everyone I take there raves about what a find it is. It is worth splurging on for a night (and waiters have never been rude to me when I have inquired about prices; many of the prices are market which is why they aren't listed). Pros: Ambience, quality of food, service Cons: Not the place to go if you aren't looking to splurge a little
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I tried Dolphin Depot for the first time last night, very disappointing. There's a reason they don't post the prices anywhere. If they did, you'd probably leave before ordering. Note, the waitress... More

I tried Dolphin Depot for the first time last night, very disappointing. There's a reason they don't post the prices anywhere. If they did, you'd probably leave before ordering. Note, the waitress never volunteered the price of anything. We got Stuffed Shrooms for our appetizer. Very small portion, average taste and of course, overpriced. For an entree, we got a Lobster tail and Filet plate for two. You can get a better lobster tail at the Outback and the filet wasn't cooked properly. It didn't help that between the ceiling fan and A/C vents over our table creating a wind tunnel effect, our meal turned cold almost immediately. At least they were consistent, dessert was just as average as the rest of the meal, and don't forget, overpriced. Service was ok, but nothing special. When charging the (hidden)prices they do, I would expect a lot more. Save your money, there are at least ten restaurants within a couple of miles that offer so much more, try them instead. Pros: Close to the beach for a walk after dinner Cons: Severely overpriced, food and service are average at best.
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Firs time to Dolphin Depot after being highly recommended. Service way below par. Waited almost an hour for appetizer, then another hour + for entree. No prices until you get the bill, and the... More

Firs time to Dolphin Depot after being highly recommended. Service way below par. Waited almost an hour for appetizer, then another hour + for entree. No prices until you get the bill, and the owner/manager suggested if we didn't like to stay for the meal, he would feed our dinners to the dishwashers! Generally unpleasant first experience for a restaurant that was so highly recommended! Off to find another "jewel"!
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Dolphin Depot is one of the few restaurants in the area that is not afraid to take risks with their food. It is not the generic fare that pervades this area. Instead, the chef has taken the time... More

Dolphin Depot is one of the few restaurants in the area that is not afraid to take risks with their food. It is not the generic fare that pervades this area. Instead, the chef has taken the time to invent new dishes. The food is not as good or unique as Amore, and it is much more expensive, but it is good none-the-less. You cant go wrong with appetizers or entrees. There is no menu, just a slate listing food items without the prices. It is annoying to have to have every item explained and the price given, but I suppose that adds to the experience for some. It is perfect for a special occasion followed by a walk on the beach. Pros: unique, near the beach, good food Cons: , no menus
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