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Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar Reviews List
Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Founded in 1986 and named for a dog and cat, Bud & Alley's has been a revered gathering place by loyal patrons for great food, great fun and Seaside's finest sunsets for 23 years. South Walton's longest established restaurant, Bud & Alley's is nestled in the dunes overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Bud & Alley's has garnered numerous awards including Florida Trend Magazines Golden Spoon Award designating the eatery as one of the top 20 restaurants in Florida as well as receiving a five star designation from the Tallahassee Democrat and annually winning Wine Spectator Magazines Award of Excellence.
See more Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar details
40 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
3.7
/
5
Rating Breakdown 40 reviews
5 stars
(15)
4 stars
(11)
3 stars
(5)
2 stars
(5)
1 star
(4)
Food
(Very Good)
3.8
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
3.8
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- scenic view(20)
- great for outdoor dining(15)
- neighborhood gem(12)
- fit for foodies(10)
- hot spot(9)
- good for groups(7)
Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar Reviews List
Review 1 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
cornbread to die for
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"My date and I dined at Bud and Alley's to celebrate our reunion. It was very romantic and the food was awesome, most notably the cornbread. We had a wonderful salad, crab cakes, and scollops over decadent grits. But, the cornbread stole the show. Did I mention the cornbread, a must have. I was a bit surprised to know that the bar did not carry Hendrix Gin, and the bartender could not find any cucumber for my martini. All was not lost, as we had a wonderful time."
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: kid-friendly, romantic, scenic view, hot spot, special occasion
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Review 2 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Exceptional location
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We met a few friends of ours at Bud & Alley's for dinner. At first, we were sat inside but quickly requested to be moved to the outside deck. This made a huge difference in our dining experience. The food was a little pricey but tasted delicious. We will without a doubt return here on our next trip."
Dined on 5/16/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, scenic view
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Review 3 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Service was slow,grilled lobster was cold as were thr froed crab claws. Wine by the glass has limited and inferior options. We dine here every visit because it is a Seaside staple. There needs to be better quality control."
Dined on 5/15/2013
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Review 4 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Awesome experience!!!
Crab cakes are the BEST!!!"
Crab cakes are the BEST!!!"
Dined on 5/05/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, romantic, special occasion
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Review 5 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
The restaurant did not live
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The restaurant did not live up to expectations. It appeared to be an afterthought behind the bar upstairs and the pizza and tacobar. The prices should warrant excellent service but it was just adequate...and so was the food. The crabcakes were tasty but boring and the salmon very average. My husband did like his steak alot so there is the one positive accalaim of the evening.
The water front that they describe in their advertising was no where to be seen as this diningroom was in the back and could have been any restaurant in america.
So all in all I was disappointed and will not recommend this expensive average boring restaurant that could have given us a wonderful seaside experience but instead it was flat and unspecial."
The water front that they describe in their advertising was no where to be seen as this diningroom was in the back and could have been any restaurant in america.
So all in all I was disappointed and will not recommend this expensive average boring restaurant that could have given us a wonderful seaside experience but instead it was flat and unspecial."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2006
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Review 6 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Terribly Disappointed
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"I have eaten at Bud and Alley's before and thoroughly enjoyed my food and drinks. This time, everything was completely different. Our waiter was odd. He never introduced himself. He never asked what we wanted to drink. It took forever for him to bring our drinks to us once we asked for them. He wasn't personal. Never gave us the specials until we asked. And on top of all of that , the food was blah. One of the girls had the fried crab claws and they were tough. Another had the grouper and the meat was more like a swordfish steak than a mild, flaky grouper. The shrimp dish was overcooked and tough, but the one saving grace was the chicken dish that I ordered. It was quite delicious and I was able to share it with my friends at dinner."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2010
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Review 7 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Was very disappointed...it
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Was very disappointed...it was my birthday dinner and we actually had a much better Meal at Thirty-A the night before for less money..."
Dined on 04/03/2013
2013
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Review 8 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
Bud & Alley's has always been
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Bud & Alley's has always been one of my favorite restaurants in the Seaside area. I had my in-laws visiting from far away and we wanted to impress them with an excellent restaurant. I had reservations for 8 (incl. 4 kids) and we were seated outside in a covered area w/ heat lamps and curtains as it was an unseasonably cool night. Long story short, the heat lamp went out continuously & we were very cold...it was extremely disruptive to our meal & overall experience. We mentioned it to our waitress who said we had to speak to the manager who came and talked to us. He was extremely defensive, rude and handled the situation worse than any manager I have ever encountered. All he had to do was apologize. We will hesitate to return, unfortunately."
Dined on 03/25/2013
2010
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Review 9 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
We were seated in an outside
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We were seated in an outside rotunda with plastic tables and heaters. It was cramped and loud with a terrible ambiance. We have been going to this restaurant for years, back to when it first opened, and this was the worse experience ever. On top of it, the pricing appeared to be higher for "spring break". I think we will go back but this visit was extremely disappointing."
Dined on 03/27/2013
2005
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Review 10 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Halibut over cooked and dry,
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Halibut over cooked and dry, seafood stew cold. Steak well done ( asked for medium). When redone, both were excellent. Waiter great. Chef obviously inconsistent."
Dined on 03/26/2013
2010
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, scenic view, hot spot
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Review 11 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
After making reservations
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"After making reservations a month ago, we were seated in a corner looking at a wall, while and entire deck area looking over the Gulf of Mexico remained un-seated. I asked to be moved and was told they were all reserved, Service was slow the food I could have done without and when we left the seats outside were still unseated except for 1 table As we walked out the door not even the hostess said thank you or good bye. Not what I expected while on vacation where they bank on tourists dollars. The people who run the food trucks across the street from this place are more courteous and thankful for the business and the food is better."
Dined on 03/26/2013
2011
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Review 12 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Unimpressed
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Unimpressed with my experience. Great location but I would skip the dinner menu and just try lunch."
Dined on 03/23/2013
2012
Special Features: kid-friendly
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Review 13 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
3rd night of grouper
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Grouper was outsanding. I is served a little plain on top of a bed of sweet green peas which look small lima beens. The texture absolutely mad the mean and provided a nice compliment to the group. Its cooked very classy, clean and flavorful. A bed of Arugula to start is nice too."
Dined on 03/13/2013
2006
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, special occasion, hot spot
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Review 14 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Shrimp and whole fish under
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Shrimp and whole fish under cooked. Seating was not good for a person who had booked a reservation."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2013
Special Features: scenic view
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Review 15 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
We had dinner at Bud & Alley's
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"We had dinner at Bud & Alley's three times during our visit and enjoyed our meals each time."
Dined on 02/21/2013
2009
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view, hot spot
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Review 16 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Extremely overpriced for portions,
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Extremely overpriced for portions, a 20% food cost is greedy and multiplying wholesale wine cost by 3+ times is unreasonable. Great for the operator when you can get it."
Dined on 02/18/2013
2013
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Review 17 for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Beware of Tourist/Snow Bunnies
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"This was me and my husbands last dinner together before he left on his deployment, I couldn't have taken him anywhere else! This restaurant is AMAZING! From the service to the food we had such an amazing experience except.... for the group that was right next to us (clearly anow bunnies) they were obnoxiously loud throughout our whole meal and rude to their waitress (same waitress as our table) they also sounded like they had been drinking a little TOO much at the upstairs bar. I know that is not Bud and Alley's fault but, just expect if you are not a local that you will probably run into tourist/snow bunnies (and they don't act like us Southerner's!!! We are very polite!!!)"
Dined on 02/17/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, late-night find, notable wine list, romantic, scenic view, great for lunch
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Based on the average of (23) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
4 out of 5 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic