Fiddler's Restaurant and Resort

The crab legs were amazing, and I really liked the prime rib. The fried shrimp and chicken were great too. We went for the New Year's Eve buffet, and our server was friendly and kept our drinks filled. I could've used rolls and another dessert choice since I don't eat banana pudding, though I was already too full for more. A great experience.

The one thing we ordered that was genuinely good was the shrimp and grits. The drinks were okay too, and the bar staff were nice while we waited for a table. The rest was a letdown. We came looking for more of a waterfront, band, dive bar, all-you-can-eat seafood kind of atmosphere than amazing food. They say all you can eat is available Friday and Saturday, but it was Saturday and there wasn't any. Not a huge deal by itself. For four people we ordered five entrees, three appetizers, and three different drinks. Only one drink and the shrimp and grits came close to acceptable. The crawfish, tuna, and fish dip had no flavor. We ordered two shrimp and grits, grilled grouper, and Delmonico. The $44 grouper wasn't grouper or grilled, it was an overcooked, blackened piece of snapper, and the smallest fish serving I've ever gotten at a restaurant. The steak was cold at room temperature, even though it was supposed to be medium rare. And those crab cakes were basically bread cakes. Just no. Go somewhere else, anywhere else, even Burger King.

The steamed oysters were amazing, the wine was cold for a change and a great brand, and my husband liked his gator bites. My steak was great, though the sauce on the side tasted like it came straight from a jar of beef gravy, so I wouldn't recommend that. The twice-baked potato was good but tiny, just half of one. The manager barely stopped by to check on us, but it was obviously a crazy busy weekend. Cayla made the meal a lot better. I was foggy from the drive up to our family's vacation house, and she made me laugh and went along with my silliness. It was the first sort of day of the Fiddlers festival, which I wouldn't recommend. Friday had a lot of setup still going on, and by Sunday things were mostly sold out. We went Friday and the festival wasn't great with all the setup, and the restaurant had the same issue. The menu was very limited that weekend, though I'm not sure if that's always the case. The place is really pretty and cool, and for our day it worked out perfectly.

I've stayed here twice and had a blast both times. The rooms were clean and so adorably decorated, and we loved looking out at the water. The staff were all super sweet, with plenty of southern charm. I especially love the salad bar and coffee bar. Live music on both porches was a nice extra. We danced with friends, ate dinner, and watched the football game. It had everything to keep us entertained and make us want to come back.