Mangos has location, food; needs service
By Colleen Coffield Sachs Daily News Columnist
SANDESTIN – The Village of Baytowne Wharf has grown quite a bit recently. Along Cannery Lane, on one side of the lagoon, there are lots of new places to eat, drink and shop.
One of those new places is Mangos Paradise Grille.
Mangos Paradise Grille is on the lagoon at The Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin. Photographed by Daily News photographer Nick Tomecek.
With its location just across from the Adventure Landing play area, this casual restaurant is perfectly suited for families with young kids.
The lower dining level has a clear view of, and easy access to and from, the play area. A full kids’ menu includes a burger, corn dog, chicken tenders, popcorn shrimp, grouper, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich.
The upper dining area is a deck built on the lagoon. When we visited while live music was offered, that area was primarily adults enjoying the music and a drink. At other times, both dining areas were more family oriented.
Mangos is essentially a snack bar, and all of the seating is outside. When we asked our server what would happen if it started to rain, he joked that he would run after us with our check. Mangos does offer carryout and delivers to the Sandestin community, so there are options in case of inclement weather.
According to the server on one of our visits, the menu is undergoing some changes. We did find that the desserts listed are no longer offered (but there are plenty of dessert options elsewhere in the Village).
The menu is primarily a combination of coastal, tropical and Mexican influences. With few exceptions, what we tried was good. Among the best items is moist blackened grouper with a moderately spicy coating. Grilled shrimp also has good flavor.
If you are looking for a snack or appetizer, best bets are Southwestern chicken egg rolls and El Mango Dip. The dip, which was enough for a full table, is white cheese dip with grilled steak, chicken and shrimp.
Krabby Kakes are another good appetizer, and are also offered on a sandwich, and with grouper and shrimp as a seafood combination dinner. The slightly creamy crab cakes are large, and have a good proportion of crab to filling. Once again, as with nearly everything at Mangos, the serving was large, and easy to share.
There are lots of sandwiches offered, and the best we tried was a simple burger. It was juicy and flavorful, and came cooked to order. Specialty burgers include the Mango Burger with pineapple and mango sauce; and a burger with bacon, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and habanero sauce. A vegetarian burger is also offered.
The exceptions on the menu are the fries, which had a tough texture; fish tacos, where the fried grouper filling was overcooked, and a Philly Cheesesteak that would have been good if it had been served warm.
It is hard to know if the issue with the sandwich was a problem with the kitchen or the wait staff. Both had problems.
On one visit, our server was completely unfamiliar with the menu, and when we questioned items served that were different than the menu description, we were told that we were wrong.
On the same visit, two appetizers and one main course item came out at the same time. The appetizers were hot and the main course item was cold.
Nearly 15 minutes later, the other main course item was served. We were told that’s just how the kitchen prepares things.
On another visit, our server did an outstanding job. When a burger was served much more done than ordered, he apologized, and immediately took it back to the kitchen to have it corrected. He was familiar enough with the menu to make helpful suggestions, and recognized when things weren’t as they should be.
With the ability to choose between a view of the play area and a view of the Village across the lagoon, Mangos has a great location. But with poor service, our meal was not particularly enjoyable.
However, with good service and tasty food, Mangos was someplace I would happily return.
Colleen Coffield Sachs is restaurant reviewer for the Daily News. She dines unannounced at area restaurants for this column. You may write to her in care of the newspaper at P.O. Box 2949, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.
