Next door to the associated market, Goatfeathers Seafood Restaurant is among Santa Rosa Beach’s top options for a friendly, casual place to get your seafood-smorgasbord on. As you’d expect given the fresh bounty on offer next door, the quality of the fare is generally better than your average crab shack, and the service is almost always worth writing home about. The ambiance is comfortable and welcoming, with the semi-quirky feature of waterfall windows.
The appetizers here are well worth sampling—but just keep in mind the portions here are ample, and it’s easy to over-indulge in the starter department and find yourself stuffed to the gills by the time the main course arrives. Alongside expected offerings such as the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Fried Crab Claws, and Smoked Tuna Dip, you’ll find the somewhat improbable but very welcome Fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds on this corner of the menu: a chance to go a little Badger State on the Emerald Coast.
Entrees at Goatfeathers Seafood Restaurant are primarily of the “surf” pedigree, unsurprisingly, though if somebody in your dining party isn’t feeling the seafood there are a few “turf” possibilities such as the cheeseburger and the rib eye. (The kid’s menu also includes chicken tenders and pizza, by the way.) Otherwise, you’ll be choosing between such menu items as the grilled or fried grouper, the steamed shrimp, the fried oysters, the soft shell crab, and the Maine lobster roll. Along with Fish ‘n Chips, you’ve got Fish ‘n Shrimp and Shrimp ‘n Grits—choices, choices!
One of the best strategies here is going for one of the numerous Goatfeathers platters, which include both fried and steamed options and encompass heapfuls of good stuff: fish of the day, shrimp, oyster, smoked sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob, and more.
The sides here range from hush puppies (which come included with many of the entrees), parmesan new potatoes, grilled asparagus, coleslaw, French fries, and gouda grits. If you (somehow) still have room, you can follow up your meal with a Goatfeathers dessert: the Key lime pie, maybe, or a slice of cheesecake. On the beverages front, it’s worth calling out the tasty cocktails, including a loaded Bloody Mary and some refreshing margaritas.
Here are some of the top menu items at Goatfeathers Seafood Restaurant:
Shrimp ‘n Grits
Definitely one of the standouts, this kingly dish puts blackened shrimp together with andouille sausage, bell peppers, and onion in a fine Cajun cream sauce over smoked gouda grits. Loosen that belt and enjoy!
Peeled & Deveined Shrimp Platter
Noticing a pattern? Shrimp is one of the real stars of the show at Goatfeathers, and this here platter’s a shrimp lover’s dream, pairing a pound of the crustaceans—peeled and deveined and dressed in Old Bay seasoning—with smoked sausage, new potatoes, and corn on the cob.
Hush Puppies
As we mentioned, hush puppies come with many of the main dishes, but you might just need to order one or two extra orders as sides—that’s how tasty these suckers are!
Don’t come to Goatfeathers Seafood Restaurant without an appetite: That goes without saying!
Insider Tips:
– Come early to Goatfeathers, and you can enjoy a very impressive happy hour: namely, the buy-one, get-one-free deal on a number of menu items.