Preacher's Kitchen and The Hub

Two Short Reviews From My Family Vacation to Seaside, Florida.

While on a jog one morning, I ran (and I use this term loosely) past a new restaurant called Preacher's Kitchen that served burgers.   Later on that morning, my wife and daughters decided to have a girls day, which left me to my on devices for lunch.  Since I was flying solo, I decided to ride one of our rented bicycles to the restaurant and try out their burgers.

Cheeseburger with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Fried Egg

I ordered a burger with cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and a fried egg.  The burger was very good and I particularly liked the thick slices of applewood smoked bacon and the sweet bun.  The burger was juicy enough, but was only about 3/4 the size of the bun.  The fries were golden brown and seasoned lightly with seasoned salt.  Overall, the burger and fries combination was the best I have tried in the Seaside, Florida area.

Preacher's Kitchen
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

On yet another morning jog along 30A, I happened upon a new place called The Hub.  Jogging doesn't do me much good if I keep finding new places to eat, but I thought it might be a fun place to hang out and take the family.  That night, my family rode our tandem bikes to The Hub and decided to eat dinner and listen to some live music.  

The Hub has three different restaurants.  Mile Marker 15 serves tacos and also has a full bar, Red's Chicken Shack serves fried chicken, and Crave Burgers serves, you guessed it, burgers.  They also have an ice cream stand and a cart that serves cotton candy and shaved ice.

Outdoor Patio/Concert Area

My family sampled the burgers from Crave and the chicken strips from Red's Chicken House.  The burger was okay, but nothing to write home about.  The chicken strips were good, but weren't served with gravy or any dipping sauce.  The wedge fries served with them were not good at all.  The kids enjoyed ice cream and they shaved ice.  Although I was not impressed with the food, it was still a fun place for us to go hang out with the kids and enjoy some outdoor entertainment.

The Hub
http://www.hub30a.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

The Donut Hole

Having read good things about The Donut Hole, we thought we should try this place out.  They not only serve donuts, but they also serve breakfast and lunch.  After a morning at the beach, I loaded up the family with promises of both lunch and donuts for dessert.

When we arrived, the place was really busy with the late breakfast and early lunch crowd.  A busy restaurant is usually a sign of good food, but our table was passed by several times before a waitress finally took our orders after we had been seated for about fifteen minutes.  I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and Fries, which I now regret.  The chicken fried steak was comparable to the quality that one would find in a high school cafeteria and the fries were equally bad.  Neither tasted homemade and I strongly suspect they were purchased frozen from a supplier.  

Chicken Fried Steak and Fries

My wife ordered the BLT, which was better than my meal and had bacon that was thick and flavorful.  While not the best BLT I have ever had, it was certainly a step up from my meal.  She ordered the potato salad as her side and it left a lot to be desired.  Neither of us cared for the taste of this item.  

BLT and Potato Salad

The donuts ended up being the highlight of the meal, but I feel they were highly overrated as well.  I sampled the Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel.  I usually don't order cream filled donuts, but the two I ordered looked too good to pass up.  The Chocolate Angel was filled with chocolate, covered in powdered sugar, and was my favorite of the three I tried.  The chocolate donut was average compared to other donut places and I did not care much for the Cookies and Cream variety.  Even the crumbled Oreos on top didn't do it for me.

Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel

 Maybe I built this place up too much in my head due to the reviews I had read, but I was upset that I had wasted my family's time dining here.  The service was extremely slow and the food was disappointing.   If I ever go here again, I will only go for donuts for the kids and skip the other options.

The Donut Hole

Livin the Good Life Rating=1

The Great Southern Cafe

Seaside, Florida has quite a few restaurants in the downtown area.  During our previous visit to the town, we tried quite a few of them but didn't get to dine at all of them.  The Great Southern Cafe was one of them that we did not get to try on our first trip to Seaside.  We made it a point to remedy that situation on this trip because several friends highly recommended the restaurant.

Covered Patio Area 

Since my wife and I are both fans of collard greens, we started with the Soul Rolls.  They were essentially spring rolls filled with chicken and collard greens.  We both enjoyed the Asian-style take on a Southern-style food.  The rolls themselves were quite good, but I didn't particularly care for the peach chutney or the horseradish sauce that was served with them.

Soul Rolls

I had heard through the rumor mill that their Grits and Grillades was a dish that was not to be missed.  Having never had grillades before, it was a very unique taste and reminded me of gumbo made of beef.  This restaurants version of the dish consisted of slow roasted beef in a Shiraz stew and served over smoked Gouda cheese grits.  I absolutely loved the flavor of the dish and it was unquestionably the best-tasting food item I had on this trip.  It was so good that I almost cried when I shoveled the last bite in my mouth.

Grits and Grillades

My wife decided that she wanted to try the vegetable plate.  When people order the vegetable plate, you assume that they are trying to eat healthy.  This was not the case this time around as my wife chose fried okra, fried green tomatoes, grits, and black-eyed peas.  Everything on the plate was delicious, but the fried okra cut length-wise was absolutely incredible.

Veggie Plate-Fried Okra, Fried Green Tomatoes, Grits, and Black-Eyed Peas

We enjoyed the food at The Great Southern Cafe and were pleasantly surprised how cool the breeze as it was blowing off the ocean while we sat on the patio.  The place always seems to be packed to the gills, but the service was more than adequate despite the large crowd.  This place will definitely get a return visit from me the next time my family visits Seaside!  

The Great Southern Cafe
http://www.thegreatsoutherncafe.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Cowgirl Kitchen

While exploring Rosemary Beach and walking around with the family, we decided we should stay there and eat lunch.  We decided to grab a bite to eat at Cowgirl Kitchen.  I had read several positive reviews of the place, so we thought it would be a good choice for a causal lunch.  The restaurant was packed on the afternoon we visited, but it was a beautiful day and we chose to sit outside rather than wait for a table indoors.

Cowgirl Machita Dip

This little diva enjoyed the sidewalk dining

Several appetizers sounded promising, but as usual, we couldn't pass up queso.  Two different versions of queso were available, but we chose the Cowgirl Machita Dip and it was top notch.  The queso blanca had chorizo, jalapeños, diced tomatoes, and green onion.  This might just have been the best queso I have ever had in Florida and I highly recommend it.

Pulled Pork Tacos with Caesar Salad

Not wanting to get too full after eating the queso, my wife and I both ordered tacos with a side Caesar salad rather than a heavy meal.  I had the Pulled Pork Tacos, which were topped with cole slaw and my wife had the Drunken Shrimp Tacos.  The pulled pork was okay, but I actually liked her tacos better and enjoyed the spicy chipotle salsa and shredded cheese.

Drunken Shrimp Tacos

They also have a kids menu and the little one gave a thumbs up to the mac n' cheese and chips.  Our waitress was attentive throughout and was very accommodating to us.  This location at Rosemary Beach is in a beautiful area with lots of shopping in the area.  Another plus about this restaurant was the price, which was much less than a lot of other restaurants in this tourist haven.  We really intended to go back and try their dinner menu, but regrettably, we didn't have the opportunity.  

Cowgirl Kitchen
https://www.cowgirlkitchen.com/rosemary.html
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Old Florida Fish House

My family loves Seaside, Florida and I was excited to eat at some of my favorite restaurants in the area and try some new ones during our most recent family vacation.  Having passed by Old Florida Fish House several times on our last vacation to the Seaside area, we decided to dine their on our first night of vacation.  The restaurant has their regular dinner menu, but they also have a sushi menu and even a sushi bar.  

Caesar Salad

For starters, I ordered a Caesar Salad and split an order of Fried Green Tomatoes with my wife.  The Caesar salad was pretty basic but it had a simple, yet flavorful dressing and had croutons that had a faint hint of garlic to them.  The fried green tomatoes were outstanding, mainly due to the fact that they were topped with a fantastic beurre blanc sauce and butter poached lump crab meat.  I wouldn't hesitate to order either of these items again.

Fried Green Tomatoes topped with beurre blanc sauce and butter poached lump crab meat

I went with the Chef's Special for my entree, which was Blackened Mahi Mahi over spinach and herb rice pilaf and topped with crawfish beurre blanc sauce.  This dish was the best seafood dish I have had in several months and I was blown away by the combination of flavors and textures in the dish.  The blanc sauce tasted similar to the sauce on the fried green tomatoes, but the crawfish put this dish over the top.  

Blackened Mahi Mahi topped with crawfish beurre blanc sauce

My wife went with the Sauteed Grouper Fish House, which our waitress claimed was the house specialty.  It was served over mashed potatoes and topped with a lemon beurre blanc sauce.  This dish was outstanding as well and my wife allowed me to eat several bites.  Although I loved both entrees, the mahi mahi was slightly better than the grouper.

Sauteed Grouper Fish House

Other members of our party ordered the sushi and were very pleased with what they ordered.  The food was outstanding and the service mostly good, although there were a couple of hiccups.  Bud and Alley's Seafood Restaurant seems to be the most popular seafood joint in the area, but the food at Old Florida Fish House was considerably better than any dish I have had at Bud And Alley's on my three visits there.  I highly recommend a visit to the Old Florida Fish House if you ever find yourself in the Seaside area.

Old Florida Fish House
http://www.oldfloridafishhouse.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Rum Runners

On our way to Seaside, we stopped in Sandestin around lunchtime. Having some time to kill until we were able to get into our beach house, we decided to go The Village of Baytowne Wharf because our kids had enjoyed it on a previous visit.  After walking around for while and perusing the various restaurants, we decided to dine at Rum Runners.

Having never dined here before, I asked our waitress what she would recommend for an appetizer.  She suggested the Caribbean Egg Rolls, which were crispy flour tortillas stuffed with Jerk chicken, onions, peppers, black beans, pepper jack cheese, corn, and salsa.  The dish was served with what tasted like sweet and sour sauce.  I anticipated a flavorful dish, but the egg rolls were very bland.

Caribbean Egg Rolls

Knowing that we would probably be having a big dinner with my in-laws, I decided to just order a sandwich and fries for my second course.  I chose the Fried Grouper Sandwich, which was the fresh fish of the day.   The fish was crispy and the sandwich was better than our appetizer, but nothing special and the fries tasted like they were frozen and out of a bag.  

Fried Grouper Sandwich

My wife had the Spring Salad and the kids ordered mini-corn dogs. The kids didn't seem to mind their food, but my wife barely touched her salad.  The service could have been better too.  While our waitress was friendly, she went long periods of time without checking on us and refilling drinks.  The restaurant had only a handful of other customers, which should have been a sign to stay away since it should have been busier on a Saturday at lunch.  Overall, I was disappointed in the restaurant and I cannot recommend it because there are much better casual seafood restaurants in the area.

Rum Runners
http://www.rumrunners.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Acme Oyster House

On the last day of our vacation to Florida, we took a short drive to the Village of Baytowne Wharf.  We walked around for while and explored the area.  My daughter enjoyed the playground and "piloting" the remote control boats.  While there my wife did some shopping, but didn't buy much.  She always says that shopping with me is like going hunting with the game warden.  When finished exploring the area, we decided to grab lunch at Acme Oyster House.  Several of our friends have been to the New Orleans location of the restaurant and it came highly recommended.  

I started off with a bowl of the chicken and andouille sausage gumbo.  The gumbo was good, but was not as spicy as I like.  My wife ordered a dozen fried oysters and they were tasty.  They were covered in corn meal, had a crispy crust, and were served with a spicy remoulade.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Fried Oysters

For my main dish, I had a hard time deciding what to get.  I was torn between the jambalaya, the red beans & rice, and the fried fish platter. I decided on the fried fish platter and it was good, but not as good as one I had had previously at Seagrove Village Market Cafe.  My wife ordered the seafood etouffee.  She was less than impressed and said it tasted more like a bisque than etouffee.  

Fried Fish Platter

Seafood Etouffee

The other members of my wife's family ate there a while later and were much more impressed than we were.  One of my brother-in-laws said that we just ordered the wrong items.  He claims the chargrilled oysters at Acme are life changing.  Although we ate at better places on our trip, I still thought this place was pretty good.  If I go back, I will definitely try the chargrilled oysters and the jambalaya.  The original Acme Oyster House has been around since 1910, so they must be doing something right.

Acme Oyster House

http://www.acmeoyster.com/menu_sandestin

140 Fishermans Cove

Sandestin, Florida
Livin the Good Life Rating = 3

Bud and Alley's Pizza Bar

On our second day in Seagrove Beach, Florida, it rained and we were unable to go to the beach.  My brother-in-law and I were trapped in a house with all the girls.  We had our fill of estrogen and decided to brave the weather to go grab a bite to eat.  We took the short drive to Seaside and were looking for a place to grab a pizza.  We settled on Bud and Alley's Pizza Bar.  Bud and Alley also own Bud and Alley's Waterfront Restaurant and Rooftop Bar, which I reviewed earlier.

The rain kept customers from sitting outside

This joint serves Napoli-style pizza cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven.  I ordered the Prosciutto di Parma, which was made with tomato sauce, prosciutto, arugula, and fresh mozzarella.  My brother-in-law ordered the Margherita & Salami pizza, which was made with tomato sauce, Felino salami, honey, chilies, and fresh mozzarella.  Both pizzas were served up within 10 minutes and mine was perfectly cooked and piping hot.  The prosciutto was very flavorful, but they did overdue it on the arugula.  I expected a little bit of fresh arugula on top, but it was served with enough arugula to make a salad.  A little bit of arugula goes a long way, but apparently Bud and Alley didn't subscribe to this philosophy.  My brother-in-law let me try some of his Margherita and Salami pizza, and it was very good with a spicy kick to it.

Prosciutto di Parma

Margherita & Salami

These pizzas hit the spot and the service was great.  Although they were delicious, they were somewhat small and a little overpriced for the size.  If they would have been a larger, I might have rated this place a little higher.  That being said, this was still a fantastic pizza.

Bud and Alley's Pizza Bar

http://budandalleys.com/menu_pizza_bar.php

Seaside, Florida

Livin The Good Life Rating = 3

Barefoot BBQ

On a beautiful afternoon in Seaside, Florida, my wife and I visited the downtown square after a day at the beach.  On the square, there are several Windstream trailers that serve food.  I had not had lunch yet, so I decided to grab some grub while my wife and daughters went to off spend some of my hard earned money.  One of the trailers that looked good was Barefoot BBQ.  The menu looked good and it had been highly rated on a couple of sites, so I decided to give it a try.

I ordered the brisket sandwich with corn on the cob and mac and cheese.  Figuring this might not fill me up, I also ordered a bucket of ribs.  The brisket sandwich came on toasted white bread.  I had never had it served this way, but it intrigued me.  Sadly, the sandwich was absolutely one of the worst I have had.  The meat was tough and didn't have even a hint of smoke to it.  The sides were terrible as well.  I held out hope for the ribs, but they too disappointed me.  The rub was decent, but they were tough, undercooked, and didn't have any smokey flavor.

Brisket Sandwich, Corn, and Mac & Cheese 

Pork Ribs

Lesson learned.  If you want good barbecue, stick to Texas.  I have had barbecue in other places such as the North Carolina, Kansas City, and St. Louis.  Although some of it was good, nothing compares to good barbecue in Texas.  It was certainly a far cry from some that I recently had on a trip to Austin at Franklin Barbecue, John Mueller Meat Co., and Freedmen's Bar.  Barefoot Barbecue may have been the worst barbecue I have ever had.  It was so bad, it even made Dickey's and Spring Creek seem like good barbecue joints.  There are some wonderful restaurants in the Seaside area, but this is not one of them.

Barefoot BBQ
https://www.facebook.com/barefootbbq
Livin the Good Life Rating = 1

Seagrove Village Market Cafe

While vacationing with my wife's family in Florida, my two brother-in-laws visited a place in Seagrove Beach that they said had the best po' boy they have ever had.  The place was called Seagrove Village Market Cafe and they had a grouper sandwich that they said was amazing.  In fact, Garden and Gun Magazine claimed their grouper sandwich was one of the 100 Southern Foods You Must Eat Before You Die.  Although I have never heard of the magazine before, I assumed it had to be credible because it combined two of America's favorite things; food and firearms.  If that isn't a high enough endorsement for you, the cafe has also been featured in Southern Living,  Travel + Leisure, and Coastal Living.  

Entrance to the Cafe 

My wife and her mom

The restaurant has been around since 1949, which makes it one of the oldest restaurants in the area.  The place certainly lived up to they hype of my brother-in-laws and we actually ate here twice.  After sampling the fare, I regret that I did not eat here a third or fourth time during our visit.  During our first visit, I ordered the blackened grouper po'boy and it truly was the best po'boy I have ever had.  It was perfectly blackened and served on a bun with horseradish spiced cole slaw.  It was served with some very good fries, but they played second fiddle to this great sandwich.  This sandwich was slap-ya-momma good.  My wife got the blackened shrimp po' boy.  She let me have a bite and it was very good, but not as good as the grouper.  I also ordered a side of hush puppies, which were some of the best I have ever had.

Blackened Grouper Po' Boy-Best Po' Boy I have ever had

Blackened Shrimp Po' Boy

During a second visit, my wife got the the blackened grouper po' boy and I got the fried grouper basket with fries and slaw.  The fried grouper was some of the best fried fish I have ever had, but it paled in comparison to the grouper po' boy.  The fish was very light, with a flavorful and crispy batter.

Fried Grouper Basket

Some fantastic hushpuppies

This place was very busy during each of our visits, but the food is quickly served and you can be eating your food within 5-10 minutes.  The menu is pretty basic, but the items they have are fantastic.  My wife and I even joked that it would be worth the 12 1/2 hour drive just to eat this sandwich again.  

Seagrove Village Market Cafe
http://seagrovevillagemarket.com/
3004 Highway 395
Seagrove Beach Florida
Livin the Good Life Rating = 5