Best of the Coast 2008. Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, The Deck and Jackson's do it again!

Featured Winners - Category: Restaurants

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THE FISH HOUSE, ATLAS OYSTER HOUSE, THE DECK
Winner: Best Restaurant Overall, Best Seafood Restaurant, Best Place to Meet Friends After Work, Best Happy Hour

Top 3 Finish: Best ChefJim Shirley, Best Original Menu, Best Oysters, Best Wait Staff with Personality, Best Bar To People Watch, Best Restaurant with a View, Best Outdoor Dining, Best Looking Wait Staff, Best Place to Eavesdrop

Walking onto the deck at the Fish House and Atlas Oyster House is a lot like walking through the gates of an amusement park. Complete with lights, live music most nights, gourmet dining and a terrific view of Pensacola Bay and, it's one of the best entertainment hubs in town.

Walking up, you'll smell the aroma of blackened Gulf seafood and sauteed Grits a Ya Ya.

For more intimate evenings, inside offers a quieter and more relaxed ambiance.

But what is it that makes people keep coming back?

Fish House Public Relations director Shelly Yates says she believes the restaurant continually has won the Best of Coast award for best restaurant because of its reputation for quality.

"Our effort is to get the freshest ingredients available for our food and try to go above and beyond to meet our guests' expectations," says Yates. "We also have the only license in town to buy seafood off our dock."

The Fish House and Atlas get all of their seafood fresh from the Gulf of Mexico and partner with local produce growers to receive the best tasting and freshest fruits and vegetables available.

But let's not forget Fish House chef Jim Shirley, who has once again been nominated as one of the best and most creative chefs in the area.

Shirley, who has been a chef for nearly 20 years, is a master at creating dishes that articulate the Gulf seafood and grits that he was raised on here in Pensacola.

"He always tries to preserve traditions yet be creative with recipes," says Yates.

Shirley has received international recognition, including a visit from Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods in 2006 to try Grouper throats.

Besides his culinary arts, Shirley is also known as a person that truly cares about the community.

"The great thing about Jim is that he really does try to do the best he can for the community," says Yates. "He's on a lot of boards in the area."

After eating a world class meal in the diverse coastal atmosphere of the restaurant, it's almost a requirement to grab a drink from the outside bar and sway to the likes of Good Foote, Lucas Crutchfield and other local bands that play nightly on the recently built deck.

Larger acts such as Colonel Bruce Hampton are also regulars to the back deck.

Don't forget next door's Atlas Oyster House, which serves up oysters in addition to other seafood specialties. You can't beat a frosty beverage and a dozen raw, fresh oysters in succession.

If oysters aren't your thing, a late night order of Grits a Ya Ya from either establishment is always a great option. The warm, smoked Gouda cheese grits dish covered in herbs and spices and shrimp is so good, we anticipate it will eventually become its own food group.

Wednesday nights are all about the ladies, who drink whatever they choose for just $2. The deal understandably draws a consistent crowd and creates an easy opportunity to mingle, dine or people watch.

Happy hour runs every evening from 5-7 p.m. with $2 draft beer and half-priced wells. Land Shark beer, which is the designated beer of the outside deck, is $3 anytime.

For those looking for a quieter outside setting; Tuesday nights are not as lively as the Wednesday crowd, but you'll still get a deal with half-price sushi. Did we mention the sushi is freshly made at the Fish House-nothing short of exquisite, of course.

The laid-back atmosphere and open setting throughout allows ears to wander and eavesdrop. You might just find out more about Pensacola than you ever wanted to know.

Along with the food and atmosphere, readers clearly appreciate the Fish House/Atlas waitstaff, who add another element the dining experience there.

Often, restaurants have only one or two draws for customers. The Fish House complex, however, has it all. With the combination of great food, ambiance, service and entertainment, it's no wonder Fish House has been such a success in downtown Pensacola for the past 10 years, and it's not suprising that our readers continue to vote for them year after year.

If you don't believe us, just get on your computer and Google them. There is a list of reviews below the link to the restaurant that spans three pages-with an overwhelming number giving five stars out of five in approval.

"Great restaurant for everything!" says one reviewer from Citysearch.com. "You can bring a group, kids, have a romantic dinner, etc. They have a great menu, wonderful seafood, and even great sushi! There's even a new outside deck with totally different ambiance where they have live bands and a wrap around bar where you can sit and enjoy the ocean view."

As appreciation to its loyal customers, the Fish House is offering monthly free cooking classes starting on Oct. 14 with a class entitled "Cooking with Spirits." The classes run through February 2009, so check their Web site at Goodgrits.com to see what is being instructed each month.

JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE
Winner: Best Place To Splurge
Top 3 Finish: Best Restaurant-Downtown Pensacola, Best Romantic Dining, Best Steak, Best Original Menu

Gov. Andrew Jackson accepted the transfer of Florida from Spain in Plaza Ferdinand, just a few steps away from Jackson's front door. Jackson's Steakhouse is the place to splurge and celebrate our historic past or any special event. The food is outstanding, the service is impeccable, and the entire dining experience is memorable. We think Pres. Bush had Jackson's in mind when he came up with the Economic Stimulus checks.