Editor Pick
Bahama Breezes
- October 21, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
Bahama Breezes is a chain restaurant, part of The Darden Restaurant Group which also owns Olive Garden, Smokey Bones and Red Lobster. I had eaten at one years ago in Altamonte Springs Florida and remembered it fondly, I also had a $25 Darden gift certificate so it seemed an obvious choice. Another good reason is that we don’t have any in Ct so it was fun to eat someplace different.
You will feel as if you have one to the tropics as soon as you walk through the door, there are palm trees and servers in tropical colors, plantation shutters and ceiling fans. We did get off to a slow start though. We were given a vibrating light and told it would be 15 or 20 minutes until more servers got in. At least 10 people came in after us and we sent to the bar area, we were never offered that option. Just as I was ready to walk out the door they called my name. We were given a huge booth and assigned to a waitress.
Al ordered a mixed drink and I ordered a lemon breeze which was a very tart and very cold lemon drink made with fresh squeezed sugar cane juice. I loved it. It came with the shaker so it was a very big glass and then some.
I wasn’t quite sure what I was in the mood for, so I played it a little safe. I ordered a Breezes salad and Jamaican grilled chicken wings. I loved the salad, it had greens mostly romaine, roma tomatoes, cucumber ribbons and pumpkin seeds with a tropical vinaigrette. This was a side salad but it was huge. The wings were also huge, think steroids, it was 8 full wings with a great crunchy crust that had just the right amount of spice. It was served with a sweetish barbecue sauce which was okay but nothing unusual.
I finished five full wings and the small side of another 2. There was no way I could eat more.
Al ordered Bahamian grilled steak kabobs two skewers of sirloin steak, fresh mushrooms, Bermuda onions, peppers and squash over island rice. Al requested the rice be changed for French fries but when it arrived there was rice no fries. No problem, they just brought him a dish of piping hot fries. The steak was cooked perfectly and the veggies were delicious. Naturally he didn’t eat the squash so I got to have it and he gave me a piece of his onion which I loved.
The menu covers the Caribbean with several Cuban items offered as well as West Indian Ribs and the ever present conch stew. There are some non-Caribbean items for those that want a little less spice.
Once we got seated our service was very good, our server was friendly and checked back in with us frequently. We were too full to eat dessert but some of them sounded really good.
From journal October in Valley Forge, PA