Last weekend, I went to Suwanee, GA to see my father and stepmother because it had recently been my stepmother’s birthday. In celebration we chose to dine out at a restaurant called Gulf Coast Grill. It was the first time my family had eaten at the restaurant, but will not be the last. Once stepping inside, I knew it was going to be interesting because the restaurant had a very strong beach theme as well as a live band playing. After being told it was going to be a fifteen to twenty minute wait, I was surprised when our table was called after less than ten.
The restaurant experience was already off to a good start, and only continued to get better. After being sat down at our booth, I was very quick to examine all of the possible meals on the menu. The menu had a large variety from burgers to po boys but was mainly focused around seafood and Louisiana style dishes such as the creole and etouffee entrees. After countless minutes of trying to decide on one thing from the menu that sounded so good; I ultimately decided on having the Shrimp Creole. Before getting the creole though, I got a Cesar salad that came out quickly with a very cold bowl which is something I found interesting.
When the Shrimp Creole came out, I was impressed with the simple yet elegant plating design with a sprinkled parsley around the rim and a well toasted piece of thick garlic toast cut and placed on opposing sides of the bowl. I was not expecting the shrimp to have their tails still attached, but after asking the reason behind this I was explained that it added more flavor when cooking the shrimp. The creole felt authentic to a Louisiana cuisine with the thickness of the sauce as well as the onion, celery, bell pepper, and cayenne based seasoning flavors all served over a plate of hite rice.
After researching, I learned that Louisiana style foods come from a background of French and Spanish origins which was interesting because of how Catherina de Medici combined techniques of Italian and French origins after her marriage to the King of France, showing how the combinations of techniques used in food is limitless. The only thing I wished that was different about the dish though was the fact that it didn’t come out as hot as I would have liked, but it was understandable considering Gulf Coast was packed on a Friday night.
After finishing the meal, I felt as if I could not eat another bite but that was before our server brought us by a desert tray that had the restaurants desserts on it. We were informed that the owner used to own her own bakery in Florida and makes all the desserts in house from scratch; we were sold. Finishing off our meal, we ordered the Key Lime Pie and absolutely feel in love with the delicious flavor! Although food is very important to a restaurant, to have a quality and hospitable staff is what makes a restaurant soar beyond the rest.
I was very impressed with the staff as well as the flow of the restaurant as a whole during my time at Gulf Coast Grill. From first walking in to the second we left the restaurant you could notice that all of the employees were very polite as well as happy which shows to the guest that everything is under control. After our table was ready, my family and myself were walked to our table by a very polite hostess who made small talk with us, which was nice because I’m used to just being sat down and left.
Not even ten seconds after our hostess left, our server, Tori, was already ready to greet us and introduce us to the restaurant. After being told it was our first time, Tori gave us some information regarding Gulf Coast such as how their seafood is brought in fresh daily, as well as the location of where the raw oysters served at the bar were caught. To me, this showed that the servers were well trained and highly knowledgeable about what they were serving to the guests.
Tori, quickly got us our drinks then proceeded to put our food orders n at a well timed rate. Throughout dinner, Tori as well as other servers that were walking around seemed to be staying alert and on task as well as being very attentive to their tables. All around us, I continued to notice throughout the night how well the servers and bussers were working together to flip tables; the employees were working together like a well oiled machine. It is things like this that go unnoticed but are key to the restaurant being successful. Towards the end of our visit, we were politely greeted by the General Manager.
Linda who was checking on how our experience was going. She also wanted to know how we liked the live band that was playing beach themed music in the restaurant, such as Jimmy Buffet. She was very welcoming, as well as very interested in your comments which added to the personal feel of the restaurant. Overall, I would rate my visit to Gulf Coast Grill a B+. The food was very flavorful as well as authentic to the Louisianan style that includes French and Spanish heritage, the only thing that I would change is that the food came out slightly hotter.
The service and hospitality of the restaurant and its employees was one of the most polite and pleasant experiences I’ve had in a while. Not only did the employees treat their customer with high respect, but also their fellow coworkers. The atmosphere was very laid back and relaxed with a family friendly feel but also mature enough for a fully functioning bar. The live band was a very nice addition as well, although it could be a little quieter because of how small the restaurants size is and how the sound carries very well. All in all though, I had a great time and I very much look forward to my next visit to Gulf Coast Grill!
