Goatfeathers Seafood - SANTA ROSA BEACH

Great food. We walked in just before 6PM, not knowing that their hours of operation was 11AM-6PM. The owner graciously invited us in for a great meal. Thanks!

I have eaten at Goatfeathers a number of times over the years. I had not been back in more than three years as a previous experience was not very good. Moreover, the 30A corridor has become increasingly popular with tourists swarming in and the traffic along the two-lane road can be very congested.At this time of year, snowbirds are arriving, the heavier tourist traffic is down and driving along 30A can again be a good experience to see how many new and large buildings have become part of the landscape in the past several years.Goatfeathers is a catchy, unique name. Obviously, goats like to eat just about anything and they do not have feathers. So why the name?According to their website, a quote from 1913 is Goatfeathers are the distractions, sidelines and deflections that take a man 's attentions from his own business and keep him from getting ahead .To highlight the unique name, there are goat images throughout the restaurant.Whatever the problem may have been with Goatfeathers several years in the past, it has been corrected. On this occasion, the two of us dining here had a fried shrimp platter with green beans and grilled grouper with a baked potato.Both were very well done. I would probably give a slightly higher nod to the Dewey Destin 's restaurants in Destin on the fried shrimp as their batter was a little less thick but that is a minor point. The shrimp at Goatfeathers was very good and well worth ordering.The grilled grouper was also very well done. It was not overcooked which can make it tough and dry. Instead, it was moist and very tasty.The hushpuppies that came with the meal were also excellent. The southern green beans were spicy and very good. The last bite from the bottom of the dish was quite hot so I drank another glass of tea to cool off my throat. I think there may have been hot sauce in the recipe which added to the unique flavor.The ambiance at Goatfeathers is informal. In the dining area in which we were sitting there is a wood floor and a wood ceiling. With a group of people sitting nearby, the sound level goes up as the acoustics reverberate. We were eating a late lunch so it was not very crowded but still very loud.When we arrived, water was running down the windows. At first, I thought there was a window washing company at work. When the water stopped running, it was clear there is pvc pipe with holes over the windows and it had been running down the windows. Perhaps it is a way to wash the windows regularly with unsalted water. I was looking for leaks around the glass in anticipation of a problem but it did not leak. It looked strange, or at least unusual and certainly unique.There is a bar area as well as dining areas in the restaurant. The bar has high top tables and there were a number of people eating and drinking there. The atmosphere was informal and reminiscent of a neighborhood bar found in cities and towns around the country.Goatfeathers is not a chain. It has been in business for almost 35 years. The unique atmosphere and good food are probably the reason it has been in business for so long. For those who want a change from the more predictable chain restaurants, Goatfeathers can be a good choice.

Great food, fair prices, pleasant friendly experience with the staff.Highly recommend ?

I ordered the seafood platter and was not disappointed. It came with fried oysters, fish, shrimp, Crab cake, hushpuppies, and a side (I chose grilled asparagus). I have only ever like oysters Rockefeller but the fried oysters were amazing. They had the freshest taste and I ate every one. The shrimp were large and so delicious. Everything was. The asparagus was one of the best parts of the meal. I don't know what they season them with but it was superb. The staff was very friendly and consistently checking to see if we need anything. I will definitely recommend this establishment to anyone visiting the area. We will be going more often ourselves.

Used to be a favorite place to eat, now not so much! Feel free to eat here if you like extra charges on your bill and hair in your food. We were charged an 18% service charge because we had 5 people (I guess that’s considered a large crowd) as well as a 3% up charge for using a credit card. I usually tip better than 18% but okay. Plus oysters came with someone else’s hair baked in them. Overpriced fish sticks and frozen french fries. Go elsewhere!