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Drift Inside Dining Room - Drift, Gulf Breeze, FL

Drift

4.6
4.6
845 Reviews
$31 to $50
American
Join us for dinner or a Gulf side drink. Located directly on the Gulf of Mexico, perched high above on the second floor, DRIFT is a casual fine dining restaurant serving steaks & fresh seafood, offering guests THE best view on Pensacola Beach featuring an indoor bar & indoor seating as well as a patio bar & outdoor seating. Join us for our Sunday night Prime Rib Dinner, only $39.95 and check out our Sunset Happy Hour Wednesday-Sunday for Half Off our specialty cocktail menu plus all appetizers - Sunday 4pm-6pm.

Check out our Chef Specials and come see for yourself why we won Best in Pensacola 2022 for 1. Best Restaurant - Pensacola Beach 2. Best Steakhouse - Pensacola 3. Best Happy Hour - Pensacola and 4. Best Girls Night Out - Pensacola.

Make a reservation

2 people

8:30 p.m.


Booked 9 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of Operation
    Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (850) 733-7331
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Andrew M. Suthers
  • Catering
    Email: events@driftpcola.com for all your catering and event needs!
  • Private party facilities
    Email: events@driftpcola.com for all your catering and event needs!
  • Neighbourhood
    Pensacola
  • Cross Street
    Located on the 2nd Floor of Casino Beach Bar & Grille
  • Parking Details
    The main entrance to Drift is located on the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier. Take the elevator located in the doorway across from Inner Light Surf Shop on the pier - to the 2nd floor above Casino Beach Bar & Grille.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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What 845 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Northwest Florida

    Best Ambience

  • Northwest Florida

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Northwest Florida

    Romantic

  • Northwest Florida

    Great for scenic views

  • Pensacola

    Best Overall

  • Pensacola

    Best Food

  • Pensacola

    Best Service

  • Pensacola

    Best Ambience

  • Pensacola

    Best Value

  • Pensacola

    Good for groups

  • Pensacola

    Healthy

  • Pensacola

    Great for fine wines

  • Pensacola

    Romantic

  • Pensacola

    Good for special occasions

  • Pensacola

    Lively

  • Pensacola

    Most Booked

845 Reviews
  1. gulfbreezeskiers

    Tallahassee

    22 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    We had a beautiful brunch consisting of filet and lobster benedict with fried chopped potatoes. The issue for us is we like "poached" eggs to be poached; however, these were completely cooked like a boiled egg. Others around us we noticed were the same. They did bring us a properly poached egg once we brought this to their attention. Beautiful ambiance, wonderful staff, great menu selections. We enjoyed a delicious hibiscus margarita too which was devine.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Tallahassee

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall3food3service4ambience3
    The food compared to cost was definitely out of line. The food is ok. Not worth the price. Service was great. We are local and this is a one and done for us.

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Mobile

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall3food2service4ambience5
    Food is a bit over seasoned or sauced and definitely to high a price

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  4. LisaP

    Tallahassee

    29 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    29 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent service, outstanding food, wonderful atmosphere and views! We started with lamp lollipops, I had the roast duck, my husband had the pork chop and our friend had seabass. All dishes were amazing and they totally worked with me as I have 2 food allergies! Yes it's quite pricey but they deliver gourmet dishes and excellent service for this.

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  5. RhondaM

    Orlando

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall3food5service4ambience5
    Bar is extremely overpriced. Ordered a Margarita and was charged separately for the mix. I've never had that happen before. Ordered wine by the glass with dinner. My glass was filled about (not even) 1/4. It looked like a wine tasting sample. I will give them 5 stars for the food quality. However, when charging separately for sides, I think $9.00 is a bit steep for mashed potatoes. Our waitress was as attentive as she could be given they were under staffed. She was efficient and polite. The ambience is very nice. Just keep in mind that you are paying quite a bit extra for it. We had a great meal but didn't really feel that it met our expectations. We were celebrating a special occasion (our anniversary), so it was a little disappointing. I have to be honest. We aren't terribly particular people but we won't revisit this restaurant.

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  6. ToddB

    Tallahassee

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Had a family brunch at the Drift to celebrate a new member to the family. Had a party of 8 adults and 1 baby. Staff seated us promptly (did have a reservation). The waitress was very attentive and knowledgeable about the selections. Able to order from either the brunch or full menu. Appetizers were fantastic (yellow fin tuna and a fruit platter). All the entrees were well prepared. Will not go away hungry. And of course, you have a wonderful view of Pensacola Beach.

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  7. JohnR

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Nice ambiance. Wonderful service- the server was a nursing student. She was very engaging.

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  8. markF

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our waiter was knowledgeable and very helpful, the operation director stopped by table and even the chef came and visited. The food was outstanding , this is our new go to in Pensacola.

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  9. Jcbarboni

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on September 9, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience1
    The live music from the lower level was insanely loud.

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  10. WillieA

    Tallahassee

    12 reviews

    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on September 8, 2023

    overall3food2service4ambience4
    My wife ordered the Duck medium and it came out medium rare, very red. We sent it back, but she had lost her appetite. I had the Double Bone Pork Chop. I ordered it medium and it was tough. We were disappointed because many of our friends had great things to say about the restaurant.

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  11. Gene

    Louisville

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Went to Drift for our 10th anniversary, excellent place to dine. Staff was professional and welcoming...Pip did an excellent job !!! Met the Head Chef, he was from same state as us, great person. The food was fantastic, came prepared as ordered and wait was small. Taste was excellent. Atmosphere was up scale and modern but warm and there are places to eat outside if you wish to. Nice view of the beach while eating a wonderful meal.

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  12. NewOrleans

    New Orleans

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on September 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent food and ambience. Highly recommend. Service was fantastic and beautiful views.

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  13. Brunchfor4

    Alabama

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on September 3, 2023

    overall2food5service1ambience3
    We booked this reservation based on friend suggestion, despite the recent reviews on TA. We arrived and the restaurant was not crowded at all and there was only one server for our area of seating. We ordered appetizers and they were delivered to the wrong table. When our server grabbed them to bring them to our table, she dropped a part of one appetizer on the floor (the bread). There was no customer service for an apology or anything. I did ask for some extra bread to cover the appetizer. We ordered the burrata, seared tuna, and Cesar salad. All were delicious. Our entrees came and were decent. We ordered the duck ménage et tois and it came with only a duck breast, not the confit leg that was listed on the menu. We also ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp, the shrimp was cooked perfectly but the bacon was stringy and not well cooked. Service was still extremely slow to get water and order cocktails. Understandably because our waitress was the only one covering the entire outside dining area. Still, things took a long time to come out, our waters rarely got refilled, and we couldn't order cocktails because of how long it took for the waitress to come around. After we finished dinner, we did not order dessert and were given the check. There was obviously an issue with the check at the table next to us, and pretty quickly after we got our check the waitress came back and snatched the check and the card off the table before we could look at it. We waited about 15 minutes for the check to be delivered back to us and items that we did not order had been added to the check. We marked off what we didn't order and when we asked the waitress, she was very curt and rude about one item (the Santa Rosa tax?) totally fine, except it wasn't explained to us and wasn't in the usual part of the check where the tax is normally listed. Overall, would not recommend due to customer service experience. Food was good but not worth the hassle of the evening.

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  14. JaniceH

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent food and good service. Nice atmosphere. Was disappointed that the scallops were not on the menu.

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  15. Kerri1230

    Mississippi

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on September 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Perfect place to eat! The happy hour you can’t beat especially with the views.

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  16. DougJ

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Best view on the beach. Food was super good. And a wide variety of seafood.

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  17. JamesG

    Sacramento

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 1, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience5
    This was our second time at Drift! We enjoyed our time at Drift, however the menu is limited. Their choices in steak are a Filet & an 18 oz Ribeye. I love Ribeye, however I could never eat 18ozs. The Lumpia on the appetizer menu is delicious! Drinks are very good as well! The manager said that they will be changing their menu soon so we are hoping to see more variety!

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  18. OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 31, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience4
    The sabiche was delicious but the rest of the food was just So So.

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  19. AlanF

    Baltimore

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on August 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This is the second time we have eaten here in 2 months and each time has been outstanding. Probably our favorite restaurant in this area.

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  20. Stephanie

    Alabama

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Perfect!!! Everything from the service, drinks was very fabulous. Food was outstanding!!!

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  21. OregonRue

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 26, 2023

    overall3food5service3ambience5
    Overall this was a great dining experience.The food was absolutely amazing. Get the Appalachian Greens!!! 🔥Beautiful aesthetic inside. Service was good- very attentive, waiter seemed new and kept saying I'm sorry over and over. For me personally it was very irritating he was saying sorry for things that needed no apology. There was only one issue- gnats!! Constantly through appetizers and dinner they were flying all around. My friend kept batting them away from our food/wine. The window behind our booth looked to the bar area, maybe their was something on the other side of the wall drawing them to that area...each time the door opened more gnats would enter. It wouldn't stop me from eating there again, but I would definitely request to be seated in a different area.

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  22. culverina

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 25, 2023

    overall2food3service5ambience5
    The location and view was everything! Food was good but $150.00 for a pork chop and pasta dish was over priced to me! Overall good! More culture needed!

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  23. ShannonW

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This was our first time at DRIFT and we were celebrating my husband’s birthday. The food was PHENOMENAL!! And the service was absolutely on point! We will definitely be back soon to try some of the specials and different items!

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  24. OpenTable Diner

    Baton Rouge

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on August 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Very nice. Our server was exceptional. Lovely food and view.

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  25. SamD

    Houston

    32 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on August 17, 2023

    overall4food3service5ambience5
    Fantastic service - Alexis did an awesome job, she was very attentive and able to describe all of the dishes. This restaurant is very attentive to food allergies. The appetizers were fabulous, the main courses were good but sort of bland. Prices are on the higher side but to be fair probably consistent with other beach locations. We sat on the outside which has a great view of the Gulf.

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  26. WilliamM

    Atlanta Metro

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Music was too loud. Everything else was great! Will go again

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  27. OpenTable Diner

    New Orleans

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 13, 2023

    overall3food5service5ambience3
    We’ve been to Drift on several occasions over the years and so far this was the best food and service experience we’ve had. Luis was wonderful and the prime rib and Thai ceviche were both excellent dishes. One thing to note, they are charging the customer a credit card processing fee which would typically be included as a cost of doing business (especially at this price point) however, this is no longer the case. Granted, this is not a massive amount ($5.85) but there’s is nothing noted on the website, reservation system, or noted at the restaurant of this charge until you get the bill so if you don’t have cash you’re forced to pay. To me, this is a “high end” restaurant that is now nickel and diming it’s customers. Very disappointing. So was the manager’s attitude which (in short) was basically we don’t care and that’s just the way it is.

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  28. LindaC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our food was amazing we both had prime rib. Our server Gerard was attentive and delightful. Gerard made our Anniversary amazing!

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  29. BeingNola

    New Orleans

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on August 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Drift is my fav place on the beach. The employees are always pleasant and seem like they are happy we are there and are truly concerned about how our experience/food is. Gerard is the best:) Love the happy hour! Food wise, I do miss the yellowtail starter from a while back when it included the mango and jalapeño. Love the specials!!

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  30. KelliS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Beautiful restaurant all around. Perfect setting to catch up with friends. Service and food were incredible.

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  31. J9618

    Houston

    7 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on August 12, 2023

    overall1food1service2ambience1
    Probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. 1. Drinks took about 30 min to get. 2. Asked for and received bread including hair. 3. Appetizers finally arrived 50 min in. 4. Ordered snapper and was served some disgusting rubbery fish that didn’t even pretend to be snapper, sent it back. The waitress Becky was kind and hopefully she can find a job at a decent restaurant. Other couples were also complaining and leaving, I’m not sure why this place has gone so far downhill after last year. Don’t bother going here.

    1 person found this helpful

  32. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food and exceptional customer service. The Duck was fantastic and our waitress was very helpful and friendly.

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  33. OpenTable Diner

    New Orleans

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 11, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Not very good food for the price! The service was good.

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  34. OpenTable Diner

    Springfield

    1 review

    vip
    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 11, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience3
    Been here before, fantastic meal / experience. Disappointed this last time 8/10/23. Inexperienced waiter / food not cooked satisfactory. 3 people -$280. Don’t waste your time.

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  35. JimO

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had the Lobster and Duck. They were excellent!!

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  36. Bldawgmsu

    Mobile

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on August 6, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience5
    I had wanted to visit this restaurant since it opened because of the great location and view plus the beauty of the restaurant design. It is simply lovely. The menu looked interesting but the food was just ok. This restaurant charges fairly high prices and for that you should expect great cuisine. While edible, it was just adequate. So many restaurants these days fill their dishes with ingredients that sound oh, so special in the descriptions but when it all adds up to just an ok offering, what’s the point? I’d be more impressed with a simpler menu but great food. We drove 45 minutes and paid a decent price for only a ho-hum experience foodwise, in a beautiful setting.

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  37. JohnF

    Tallahassee

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 6, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    great place for Brunch! great service and ambiance

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  38. smolo

    Naples

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on August 5, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    First time visit. Food was flavorful. Respectable portion sizes. No bread service; that's disappointing, especially for oyster broth dipping. Ambiance is dated coastal and the background music of 70s and 80s pop is lame and unsophisticated for the cost of the meal. Staff was pleasant and accomodating. Up charges for all salad or entree sharing is both cheesy and tacky.

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  39. OpenTable Diner

    Tallahassee

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent food and service! The atmosphere is relaxing and the view amazing!

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  40. OpenTable Diner

    Richmond

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on August 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great place. Amazing menu. Outstanding service . Food was excellent. Definitely go here.

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Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitising

    • Surfaces sanitised between seatings
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Drift is rated 4.6 stars by 845 OpenTable diners.

Drift does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

8:30 p.m.


Booked 9 times today
Google Map for Drift

41 Fort Pickens Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561-2078

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Located on the 2nd Floor of Casino Beach Bar & Grille
  • Neighbourhood
    Pensacola
  • Hours of Operation
    Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress Code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking Details
    The main entrance to Drift is located on the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier. Take the elevator located in the doorway across from Inner Light Surf Shop on the pier - to the 2nd floor above Casino Beach Bar & Grille.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Andrew M. Suthers
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (850) 733-7331
  • Catering
    Email: events@driftpcola.com for all your catering and event needs!
  • Private party facilities
    Email: events@driftpcola.com for all your catering and event needs!
Gift card

Gift card

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