Pelican's Reef Raw Bar and Grill Review

Food was delicious. Waiter was Great! He had a wonderful sense of humor and stayed on top of everything.

This is a hidden Gem. We love this place. Best oysters and calamari in Cincinnati. Our little seafood secret!!

Calamari was pretty amazing!! Will go back because of this!!

Great food good prices great drinks. Clam chowder is incredible as is grouper and ahi tuna

Very friendly and helpful waiting staff. The food was very tasty, especially the clam chowder.

Best New England clam chowder around. The decor is suitably beachy and casual and the food very good. It's easy to miss from the road but worth the hunt. Lunch is much less crowded than dinner.

Great food and great service
Had shrimp and cod baskets
First time visit

Service okay,seafood not that fresh,good frys and coleslaw.

The seafood is amazing, especially for southern Ohio. It's good enough to be in Florida. The atmosphere is okay, not great, but some of that may have just been the tail-end of Covid. Our server was...frenetic. Spoke way too fast and seemed like she was in a terrible hurry, which is odd for a Thursday at 5:00.

The stuffed grouper is to die for though, and the calamari appetizer truly is the best in Cincinnati. We will be back, hoping for a different server.

My top scene for seafood. stopped in on a monday i think. certainly worth going back to. like a restaurant in washington i liked.

I'm from Florida. The food is very good. The service on the other hand is terrible. I called to place a pick up order and was told "No, we are too busy for a pick up orders." ...A pick up order is the easiest in the restaurant business.

Very pleasantly surprised. The mahi was really good, got it in some tacos with slaw. And very generous on the fries. Will definitely come back

Love the food here,great service,overall a favorite for Anderson locals.

Like eating in a water front restaurant on
the coast

The atmosphere reminds me of seafood restaurants in Florida. Casual atmosphere. The staff is always very friendly. The fried jumbo clam strips never let me down.

Pelicans Reef is the one consistent restuarant stop we make every other week! Quality food, good price, excellent ownership and staff.

Wasn't as good as usual tonight...maybe because they were trying to turn tables quickly for Valentine's Day. Still best seafood around though.

Food is phenomenal. Service is pretty great and staff is nice and fast. What else can you ask for?

Good food and service. Dependable menu, always fresh.

The server was very pleasant. Food came a bit slower than we expected. The quality of our meals was very average. I was hoping to find that great small local seafood restaurant. This is not it.

This place is the Bomb! Terrific Friday night venue to join friends for some excellent seafood... The shrimp tempura & fish tacos were exceptional, as well as the house Chardonnay. Recommend!

Food was great!! Long wait on a Thursday but worth it.

Nice local place with an island feel. Good seafood and great service.

The Pelican Reef was recommended to us and I'm so glad it was. My husband and I love their food and service. We have yet to have a bad experience. Their fried oysters are the bomb!!! Just wish they were closer to our side our town but definitely worth the drive!

Great atmosphere and awesome food. Brittany was our server and she was prompt and friendly. Great experience.

Very surprised at the dinner we had addy this restaurant. Not perfect but very well worth it. The lobster bisque wad very tasty lobster in it.

Great place to satisfy a seafood craving. Haven't had anything I couldn't rave about. Have a Shargarita and enjoy!

Great food...drinks...atmosphere...and upstairs is just as great!!

My wife loves their chicken caesar salad. Good place for a date night.

OYSTERS!
Went specifically for the oysters and the company of old friends. Place is a crowded hot mess but they are trying.
Had two dozen of the freshest, best oysters I've ever had in Cincinnati. Somebody in these reviews talked about expensive and they are right! My white blood count is the best it's been in years so I took plenty of advantage of it and had my fill of oysters. Service was good and fast. Give them a try, just not at 6:30 on a Saturday night!

The seafood was great! I had calamari and a grouper reef salad which was very large and even more tasty. The service was weird-- a bit over attentive but always on the fly. I am not sure the waitress actually ever really heard our answers because she moved off so quickly.

Our group ate upstairs at the reef top. Had a table of 8 and a very nice waitress. The crab soup was very good although the crab dip and pretzel appetizer wasn't as good as the waitress told us. Nice and cozy place for a cold night!

One of the best seafood restaurant's I've ever been to. The snow crab legs are amazing!

Service and our waiter was great. The fish that I have had many. Many times. Was Not good. Our waiter asked if I wanted to send back but did not..It was much over cooked and dry. Of 6 people at our table 3 of us had the tilapia. ALL overcooked. Will not be in a hurry to go back. Sadly as we were at Pelican every Friday night for years.

It was so so. Don't think I'll be going back. For sure wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

First time I've been there in years awesome experience food was great with plenty of options and the atmosphere is laid back

They claim that if their seafood was any fresher they would be serving it off the dock, and they're not lying. Everytime we go we have an amazing experience, from great food to amazing service, you won't be disappointed.

The Pelican Reef was wonderful. Went on Saturday night which it was a full house. Had less than a 30 minute wait. We ordered the Cincinnati best Calamari. It really was the best! Light batter, cooked perfectly and with a great marinara sauce. Many times you go places and be like their best in the city is average, I would say this exceeded my expectations. All the food was beautiful and tasted great. I got the Prince Edward mussels with the white wine garlic butter linguini. Probably 2 dosen mussels and the sauce was super tasty! I am very happy with our dinner and will definitely return. Great seafood place.

Food was great. Service was terrible. Restaurant is freezing in the winter. I dined in with my winter coat on the whole time and so did my mates who joined me. The kitchen worker and hostess filled our drinks for us while our waitress was no where to be found. I'm giving this 3 stars because at least the food outshines their service. Please get insulation in your walls.

My boyfriend and I really wanted to like this place. We have eaten here twice trying to give it a chance. We both agree the food is a quite over priced for what you get. Our server was great both times, but our last experience was not good to say the least. The manager approached our table and said next time we should just order potato skins if we want loaded fries (keep in mind loaded fried are on their menu) Then stated that they ll try to make it work. We got our loaded fries but it was the fact she said something made us think why even have the item on the menu. The crablegs were good but pretty overpriced. They came cut in half so it was easy to eat, which was a plus. Either way, for the price I wish Joe s Crab Shack was still open.

Very good locally owned seafood restaurant. The seafood enchiladas are great. Lots of crab and shrimp. Have never had a bad experience there.

Always great prices. Go for the swordfish. Just wish they actually brewed their iced tea!! Then I d give five stars!

Nice small restaurant. Great food! Large menu for such a small place.

It was recommended to me... and when I got there I didn't think it would be good and was I wrong.... outstanding!! The food was great. Left there full and not still hungry. Prices were not bad at all. Staff was great too. Go for sure!!

All around great place to eat great food and the Service top notch

The calamari was fantastic as well as the lobster hush puppies!

I've been here a few times with family and have had great experiences each time. Most recently I had the Lobster Bisque (which I highly recommend) and the beer battered cod sandwich. The sandwich has a massive piece of fish on it! You never leave feeling overcharged for either quality or quantity of food.

Seafood is king here, but plenty of stuff for non-seafood eaters too. Great menu and beer and wine. Lots of options. Sign up for their emails and get their weekend specials sent right to you. I've been eating here for years and have never been disappointed.

Food and service were very good, and priced approximately.

Always a highlight of my long work week. Service is always the best. Very personable service. Food is always spot on. Definitely a staple of eating out locally. If you haven t been or experienced, please take the time and thank me later. This particular night Sarah definitely went out of her way to make sure we had an enjoyable dining experience.

Lobster fritters very bready. Fish was good. Calamari was a winner

I like this restaurant! They offer tasty food, their menu is rich, The chief cook in that place is a real pro, I like very much eating all their dishes. The dishes are always of high class, the attitude towards the guests is agreeable. I often eat in this restaurant and I not even once was disappointed. I recommend it to all.

Great local eatery, very homey but always packed so expect a wait. Plus side there us a bar! Great food.

It has a very off the beaten road vibe to it. Like, this would be the place to go eat at on vacation that's a mile inland at Myrtle Beach. Good service. Ok food. A little pricy for what you get

So happy they made it though the shutdown...Libby is wonderful and their shrimp are fantastic.

Very good seafood. Wonderfully pleasant waitress. Nice atmosphere. Plenty of parking in the back.

Food and service are both great every time. It's like living on the coast with the incredible fish options

Nice variety of seafood. Portions could be a bit larger.

The grilled mahi sandwich and sweet potato fries where the best!

Excellent food. It's definitely a little loud for my liking. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.