E & E Stakeout Grill

There’s no way that I can do restaurant reviews and not include one about E & E Stakeout Grill. Unless you are local to the area or familiar with its two sister restaurants, you might not know about this great find over in Belleair Bluffs. It was originally opened in 1985 and know as Eugen’s Restaurant, but in 1995 the restaurant was remodeled and opened with a new southwestern look and a new name… E & E Stakeout Grill.

For years my friend Debbie and I have been dropping in for lunch. There is something about the Caesar salad with Ahi Tuna that keeps us coming back and always ordering the same thing. Over the years we have seen many many dishes go by, and yes they all look fabulous…but I love this salad. Usually, I find Caesar dressing a little hard to eat because of the anchovies/anchovy paste, but that isn’t the case here. Another thing about the food is that nothing is normal. Whether you order a steak or a salad all of the dishes are spruced up with a sauce or a fancy garnish.

Now, I have only been to this restaurant for lunch, so I am not sure about the dinner crowd. What I can say about the lunch crowd is that the restaurant is geared towards wealthy retired Belleaire residents or more of a white-collar business crowd. I have only seen one family with children eat here, and they sat outside. The ambiance is done very nicely, but speaking of the crowd that comes in to dine, it almost has a little bit of a stuffiness to it. I wouldn’t necessarily call the place fun.

The service seems to be hit or miss, but never consistent. For example, this last time that Debbie and I were in the waiter approached the table and I immediately order the appetizer and I tell him that I am starving. He drops off the waters, the appetizer comes out, and we have to ask for some bread. He proceeds to bring us one roll each and place it on a plate, the table next to us had a basket. Now, you might be thinking it is just bread…but their bread is delicious and it is served with a herb infused dipping oil…yum yum. Also, the waiter refilled Debbie’s water once, and never got around to mine.

Ambiance/Fun – half a star, pretty but not fun

Cleanliness – star

Service – half a star, sometimes great… others so so…

Food – star!

Price – star, here – you get what you pay for

So, if you are ever out this way and find yourself hungry…you just might want to stop in and if you’re lucky you’ll run into Debbie and I…