SEASIDE – With so many new restaurants along County Road 30-A, reaching a 20-year anniversary, as Bud & Alley’s has, is a momentous occasion.

Nestled among the shops along the gulf in Seaside, Bud and Alley’s offers a wide variety in dining choices for lunch and dinner. Photo by Daily News photographer, Debi Haussermann.

I have watched Bud & Alley’s grow up, and as it has changed, my opinion has always depended on my last meal there.

After a recent dinner, that opinion wasn’t stellar. But a subsequent lunch showed me that Bud & Alley’s can work.

At dinner the biggest issue was the atmosphere. Bud & Alley’s attractive main dining room gets warmth from lots of wood (tables, chairs, ceiling, floors). There is a slight water view beyond the terrace (a rooftop bar offers more expansive views).

Two other dining rooms are sparer in décor (but with a pleasant view of native vegetation), and are outfitted with plastic chairs. When we visited, all parties with children were seated there. Unfortunately, most of these parties gave the kids the run of the dining room.

The overall feel was that of being an adult seated at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving dinner. With appetizers as high as $15, $10 dinner salads, and most entrees over $30, we expected more.

Asking for a table in the main dining room, we were told they were for people with reservations (which we had). That room had empty tables during our entire visit.

Our server was pleasant, had good knowledge of the menu, and managed her tables well.

Food on the dinner menu ranged from outstanding to disappointing.

Appetizer highlights were the Jumbo Shrimp Brochette (three flavor-packed shrimp), and the seared tuna, a Mediterranean version with Kalamata olive tapenade. An excellent twist on the BLT had two slices of fried green tomatoes sandwiching fried oysters, bacon and arugula.

Best among the entrees was a moist, flavorful grilled pork chop served with fresh corn and artichoke hearts.

None of the dinner salads worked. Dressing on the frissee & bibb was too tart, and the Caesar was barely dressed and lacked flavor. The vine ripe tomato salad featured a tomato with a hard white core.

Some plates had good features but bad sides. Grilled Georgia quail was tender and had nice tart fig balsamic. But it was served with flavorless grits. Crab cakes were packed with sweet crab and had a beautifully crisp crust, but vegetables served alongside had little flavor. Seared tuna was excellent, but its noodle salad accompaniment was mushy.

Conversely, pinkeye peas and corn were good, but the roast diver scallops that were featured were bitter.

Lunch got off to an inauspicious start. We were asked to wait at the bar for a table for 35 minutes (with four empty tables in view). We were seated at a table that was not clean, had to wait there before being allowed to move to one of the empty tables, and once seated were asked to move two tables down from that table so that we could be in another server’s section.

However, service was quite good, and the atmosphere and food were much improved over the evening meal. Values were better, too. A large salad of baby spinach and grilled salmon with a sherry dressing was a good deal at $12.

The antipasto platter with olives, roasted pepper, potato, cucumber, lavosh, hummus, tomato, mozzarella, and salami was a starter to share, or a meal for one.

The bartender and server recommended the delicious chicken scaloppine with its golden crisp crust. Grits (no better than at dinner) and a small salad were served alongside. A traditional BLT with crisp smoky bacon was also good value at $8.

Desserts include a fluffy and tart Key lime pie that works well as a light end to the meal. On the other hand, tiramisu is gooey and rich, and an unconventional, but tasty take on the dessert. Crème brulee and a brown butter almond cake were two additional dessert options at dinner.

To be sure, Bud & Alley’s is convenient if you are staying in Seaside. And with its history in the area, it is like visiting an old friend. But with dinnertime prices that can be out of sync with the food and atmosphere, a visit for a leisurely lunch is your best bet.

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.

Bud & Alley’s
2236 East County Highway 30A
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-5900