Global Grill

3 Stars. A friend of mine and I stopped here after a show a block or two down ended. She had been to this restaurant previously and said she had, had a good experience. It was my first time.
It was about 9pm and the hostesses sat us near the door across from the bar. «Steve» came over after about 7 – 10 minutes and asked had we been there before. We explained I was a first timer. He did give a brief (rushed) introduction, but it was downhill after that.
He immediately asked for beverage (alcoholic) choices, but was not able to give adequate information about beverages. «I don’t know about that… or that,» was completely baffling. I ordered a Cosmo on the specialty cocktail list and water. My friend had a vodka and soda.
We both had lobster bisque, New Orleans Style Shrimp, and the Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin Brochettes.
My drink was super strong (for my taste), almost crippling the flavor. I thought it was me, and had my friend (a former bartender taste) and she agreed it was also strong. I wasn’t able to locate Steve, and asked another nearby server for more juice. Steve popped over after I got the juice to ask if everything was «alright.» I explained the situation and he left. When I popped back over he asked how it was and I told him «it’s ok.» It really wasn’t ok, but the lack of warmth and comfort I already felt with Steve made me keep my drink.
Steve popped in and out of the meal, not at typical times when one would need a server (after receiving extra juice to add to a drink, halfway through the meal). He keep trying to push the sale by increasing his presence before the kitchen closed and peddling a dessert idea multiple times.
I declined, not because the Bailey’s crème brûlée didn’t sound amazing, but because I had, enough of Steve and didn’t want add more to the ticket or his tip. Steve didn’t sell me anything, and didn’t try. He couldn’t give any feedback about the items we selected, and we created a meal that we thought may be good.
I have this restaurant 3 stars because of Steve. Overall, I thought the food was pretty good, but Steve made my experience unenjoyable and I won’t likely be back. He appeared arrogant and unapologetic. I don’t feel that he was as concerned with if I actually enjoyed the experience more than he was trying to upsale and increase the ticket amount. The other waiters I asked outside of Steve were super pleasant and I wish I had them and a better experience. Experience is crucial and Steve ruined it.

Every single plate we ordered was amazingly rich and flavorful. The goat cheese tart salad was beyond delicious. The waiter was extremely knowledgable of the fine details about the food and menu. He also recommended other good restaurants to try and places to visit in the area.

Absolutely amazing as always — had the steak special and a cold tapas of scallops and bacon. Never disappointing — the steak was Wagyu — just incredible– great place and probably my favorite food!

Been here about 5 – 6 times, always excellent service, atmosphere and food. Tonight (Valentine’s 2016) we ordered the «Crusted Grouper» and the «NY» steak. Both phenomenal! Add crab to your grouper and it will blow your mind. Second to none steak.

Great food and good atmosphere. Have eaten here 3 times and was never disappointed it.

The food is as good as everyone says. My husband and I made a reservation for Thursday night, lots of people in the restaurant. Our server was Gina and she recommend some of her favorite Tapas and so glad we took her recommendation. We had the chile relleno and another plate which I cannot remember the name. It was thin sliced steak, rare. Served on top was an arugula salad. It was delicious! For our main entrees, I had the filet mignon, cooked medium rare. It came with creamy mashed potatoes and chefs vegetables. I did not like the vegetables too much (maybe too much squash? Not a fan) but the mashed potatoes were so yummy. My hubby was picking off my plate! The steak was also HUGE! Compared to what I’ve had at 5 star restaurants, it was almost twice the size, but still so delicious. Hubby had the potato crusted grouper and he devoured his plate! I tried a bite and it was cooked to perfection. Atmosphere is nice, some people were dressed up and some a little more casual. Can’t wait to go back and try some more tapas!

I have heard great things about Global Grill and was super excited to eat there for the first time. The service was slow to start. It took a while for our drink to come from the bar. We ordered the Brussel Sprouts and they were delicious but some of the pancetta was burned. Not crispy, but charred and ruined the flavor of the dish but I would definitely try them again. We also had the Shrimp Pastry which was flavorless. I would not suggest or order it again. For our main entrée we had the Duck Breast with Jarlsberg Potatoes. It was good but again needed work. The mushrooms had none of the umami mushroom flavor due to the worcestershire sauce which left them overly salted and the potatoes were burned on one side and the fat cap on the duck wasn’t rendered down properly. I did love the squash and carrots with the duck and it was seasoned very well. Just a few missed steps and careless mistakes. I will go back and try again. The price was fair. I understand the atmosphere but do not want to eat anywhere where the staff looks like they have just woken up and walked into work with no regards to how they look. There we a few of them that were put together but the majority of the staff looked slouchy.

Awesome menu and service, not for the claustrophobic the place was packed last night. Service quick after a slight delay getting our drinks.

Great atmosphere and food was very good. Service was great! Don’t bother getting a main dish stick with the tapas! The most tasty was the scallops, beef skewers!

Had an unexpected AMAZING meal, thanks to our waiter Tony. He not only knew what we would love according to the type of wine we ordered, he complimented our main courses with the perfect desert pairings as if he knew us personally. We will absolutely return on our next visit to Pensacola.
Our hats off to the Chef, he got it right.
Rosalie and Tito Puente Jr.

We really enjoyed our meals. The filet and the stuffed beef tenderloin were amazing. The waitress came around just enough. The live music is awesome as well. Its really a cool environment.

This place is fantastic! Great food, impeccable service and a location right in the middle of P’cola nightlife. We sat at the bar and not only interacted with the bar staff but managers and waitstaff as they came up to get drinks for their customers. A friendly atmosphere that was created by the entire team and spawned a happy experience for everyone. Definitely avail yourself of the off-​menu items. And don’t be afraid to just order lots of tapas. We did it and it was a great experience. Definitely will come here again.

He had me at organic!
I was sold from the moment our server, Dallas, said that magical o-​word. He went on to explain how Global Grill (GG) uses fresh local produce and seafood to create their tapas.
Walking in, I immediately felt that GG was right up my alley in terms of what I look for in a restaurant, which would be a spot loved by the locals that serves locally served cuisine. The ambiance of the restaurant was very lovely and the walls were decorated with local art, which you can purchase if one catches your eye. It is somewhat dim so I can definitely see it being a romantic place to take someone to dinner.
My family, fiancé and I dined here early on a Friday evening (5:30pm) to celebrate my little sister’s winging ceremony which happened earlier that day. She is a naval aviation officer stationed at the base in Pensacola. Our party was large, 9 people total, so we were able to try a lot of their warm tapas offerings. We chose to stick with tapas so we could sample several things as opposed to ordering from the main plates section of the menu.
Be sure to listen to your server when he/​she tells you about the off-​menu tapas. There could be some potentially delicious options there! On the night we visited, the off-​menu tapas were a softball sized meatball (this was huge & can definitely feed an entire family!), three bao sliders served with different types of meat (somewhat spicy if you don’t care for jalapenos) and corn-​crusted calamari (a unique take on the typical crust for calamari).
Off the hot tapas menu, we tried the following: applewood bacon wrapped warm lobster tail, baby Brussels sprouts, jumbo lump crab cake, peppercorn beef tenderloin borchettes (two orders since it was *that* good), lamb lollipops, New Orleans style BBQ Gulf Shrimp and the savory shrimp cheesecake (again, two orders because it was *that* good).
The tapas were fantastic and we were happy with every single one. Nothing disappointed us at all and we ate everything off the plates! My top three favorites were the shrimp cheesecake, lobster tail and crab cake. The shrimp cheesecake had house bacon, spinach, smoked Gouda cheese, red pepper coulis and red pepper ketchup. The texture was perfect — creamy, yummy goodness. The lobster tail came with smoked Gouda cheese sauce, roasted red pepper coulis and an aged Balsamic reduction. The crab cake had fresh basil, caper & tarragon remoulade sauce and sweet potato hay.
Keep in mind that they don’t serve complimentary bread like other restaurants do. Personally, I don’t mind since I’m a big, big, big bread eater (yay, carbs!) and am liable to fill up on the bread & butter before the meal even begins. Plus, from a restaurant standpoint, perhaps they don’t serve the bread so you can order more tapas and not fill up on free bread.
However, my family was hankering for some bread so we could wipe up some of the delicious sauces that were served with the dish. Our server handled the request well and brought us some warm bread. We did not let one drop of sauce go to waste!
To end the meal, we ordered two desserts. Honestly, we could probably have sampled more, but we exercised some self-​control. We had the gooey centered Spanish chocolate cake with housemade basil ice cream & the carrot cake stack, which was layered with vanilla ice cream cheese icing, candied pecans, pumpkin ice cream and caramel sauce.
I definitely preferred the carrot cake since pure chocolate cakes are too chocolatey for me. The pumpkin ice cream was amazing and all the flavors worked really well together. However, the basil ice cream that accompanied the chocolate cake was out of this world as well. The flavor was really unique! It definitely turned off some of my family members, but I absolutely loved it & could have had more of it! I thought it complimented the chocolate cake well.
As for our server, Dallas, he was very knowledgeable and friendly. He laughed at our jokes, which is good, since it’s nice to have a server with personality and one who isn’t stiff. He was great at giving suggestions with regard to how many tapas we should order amongst our party. He also handled us well, which was good, since some servers sometimes cannot handle a group that large.
Do keep in mind that GG is somewhat pricey. Prices for the warm tapas are anywhere from $ 5 to $ 20, cold tapas from $ 4-​$ 11 and dessert from $ 6 – 9. But, don’t mind the price because it was beyond worth it. The food is phenomenal, the ambiance is inviting, chic and classy. GG’s a good spot to take a date or to have a nice dinner out with family and/​or friends. My sister said GG’s her favorite restaurant in Pensacola. I can totally see why!
Overall, GG is an absolutely *must do* if you’re in the area! I definitely would have come back a few more times if I was in the area longer. And, if I find myself back in Pensacola, GG is definitely one of the first places I’ll visit if I come back.

Visited yesterday for early dinner. Not been in awhile… Service was very good as usual, and the artichoke and shrimp soup was really good… However, the rest of the tapas that I and my business companion ordered were not of the spectacular taste I have come to expect from GG. We had the lamb, scallops, fried sushi and stuffed artichokes… Yawn! The silver Oak Cabernet was AWESOME, however!
Hope this was just a bad night…

We’ve been reserving a trip to Global Grill for just the right occasion. Tons of friends have told us how amazing this place was so we were excited about the experience. There’s always that fear that a restaurant won’t live up to the hype though. Global Grill did not disappoint! We could tell from the second we walked in that this was going to be a great experience. A dining experience is more than just the food. Walking in we knew the staff knew what they were doing and took great care of us. Our waiter Steve has obviously been an expert at his craft for a long time and ranks up there as one of the best we’ve encountered.
Now for the food. We went completely tapas tonight starting with the cheese plate. The description on the menu does not do it justice as to how good it is! We followed that with carpaccio (special for the night) which had a sublime horseradish sauce. Next was the heirloom tomato salad; good but we saved it for leftovers in anticipation of the final, which was the yellowfin tuna. This was probably the most elegantly finessed dish we have had in a long time. I admit that I wasn’t a huge fan at first but the more that I tried it the more amazing I realized it was!
Overall, this was a great dining experience that we will remember for a long time!

What an amazing meal! We dined as a party of six and ALL of our dishes were perfect. Hubby had the heirloom tomato salad and I had the spinach salad to start. Dressings were spot on and delicious. Fresh! Delightful! I had the Mahi for dinner and it was to die for. I’ve never eaten a dish that has fulfilled me on so many levels. It was a definite party in my mouth. Hubby had the $ 55 ribeye and was equally impressed. Our friends enjoyed the duck as well as the chicken cordon bleu. All of the portions were tremendous.
This restaurant is a gem and worth your time to try. Consistent. Fresh. Can’t wait to go again the next time I’m in Pensacola.

What a find! A true foodies’ delight! While this is described in some listings as a Spanish tapas restaurant because of the small plates that dominate the menu, the food is not ethnic per se. Wonderful, imaginative combinations with local produce, seasonal vegetables and the freshest of fish. We went with another couple and ordered 4 small plates, two entrees and 4 desserts for a nice variety. The pacing and service was top notch and every dish was superb.
They make their own breads, mozzarella, ice creams and sauces, and it shows! While it was hard to choose just one favorite, the group consensus «best» dishes were the seared sushi-​grade yellowfin tuna, New Orleans BBQ shrimp, sea scallops and potato encrusted grouper.
Order at least a couple of the daily specials as well. The Wagyu ribeye was lean, perfectly cooked medium rare and was served with Chef Taylor’s own Worcestershire sauce, Yukon gold mashed potatoes and a mushroom sauce that we sopped up with warm, fresh baked rosemary bread. The deconstructed caprese-​like salad was amazing. It consisted not just of heirloom tomatoes, Thai basil and mozzarella, but also fresh vegetables in a red wine vinaigrette (instead of balsamic) served in a mason jar and poured into a bowl by the server at the table. Even though we were all full, we couldn’t pass up the desserts. Housemade strawberry and pistachio ice creams, peach cobbler (presented more as a tart with housemade whipped cream and vanilla ice cream), and the gooey centered Spanish chocolate cake served with basil ice cream topped off the best meal we’ve eaten out this year.
Here’s the most amazing part. With cocktails, also original and well-​prepared, our total bill was a little over $ 50 a person, for a meal that would have cost at least 3 times as much in a major city. In my opinion, there is not a better restaurant for the price on the entire Gulf Coast. Worth a special trip!

As you can tell I have been to quite a few restaurants and written over 250 reviews… this place is one of my favorite restaurants I have been to yet. Make sure you go hungry because you will overeat on this delicious food. We tried many things on the menu and had way more food than we needed but it was all so delicious. We started with the fried stuffed artichokes, lobster wontons, and scallops with goat cheese cheesecake (all tapas). Of the three my favorite was the seared scallops with the goat cheese cheesecake (i know it sounds weird but the way which the goat cheese was prepared made it a less sharp flavor so that it did not overpower the perfectly cooked scallops).
We then ordered two of the main dishes to share, we got the tuna steak and the chef special of waygu filet that was peppercorn crusted. Both dishes were phenomenal but the steak was just something else. Keep in mind that the dish is probably the most pricey menu item ($ 55) but the filet was massive and cooked to perfection. Keeping in mind that most high end steak houses will charge 50+ for a small fillet and no sides this was a great price for the quality steak and side dishes. The tuna steak was also peppercorn crusted and was a lighter delicious entrée.
We finished the meal with full bellies but had to try the carrot cake with pumpkin ice cream. It was delicious and my favorite thing from the plate was honestly the candied pecans with the caramel drizzle.
Overall this place is now a favorite of mine and I wish I lived up here so I could enjoy it more often. I will definitely return anytime I come to visit Pensacola!

On a recent trip to visit my parents we decided to branch out from our usual spots and try Global Grill.
We had a reservation and were quickly seated. It was 6:30 and the place was already packed! It was also really, really, really loud. Like, almost yelling at each other to hear loud.
It felt like we ordered everything on the menu, but they timed and spaced out all of our tapas perfectly. We always had plenty to eat without feeling overwhelmed. Some of my favorites were the Brie, Shrimp Cheesecake, Fried Artichokes and Chicken Legs. I’m sad to report that the Beef Tenderloin Brochettes weren’t nearly as good as others on here have said. The meat wasn’t that flavorful and the sauce didn’t have much going for it either.
Drinks from the bar were great and the wine list was quite nice. Our server couldn’t have been nicer either. I could tell she was slammed, but she made a point to check on us a few times throughout the evening.
Global Grill is a great addition to Pensacola and I’m glad I finally got a chance to try it!

While dining out upon first moving to the panhandle of Florida, it was whispered that there exists a great restaurant, Global Grill, in Pensacola. After hearing that I vowed to go there someday but life got in the way of making that happen. Merely two years later, I bit my lower lip with determination one evening after work and decided to make the hour drive due west to visit this famed and fabled restaurant.
The legends, my friends, do not lie. In fact, they did not do it justice. Sure, it was expensive. But every bite catapulted me to culinary ecstasy as I repeatedly soiled my taste bud panties. My date was not amused as I chomped away, grease dripping down chin, utensils splayed around the table in a wasteland of futility as I grabbed the giant meat bone with my hands, severing flesh from bone like a hungry hyena with a lion closing in, completely oblivious to anything akin to conversation. Only days later did his displeasure even register as my memory was monopolized by the dizzying bliss of the food in my mouth.
What do you mean it wasn’t as good for you as it was for me?