Restaurant review: The Surf

Shown is the blue cheese crusted filet mignon at the Surf Bar and Grill. (Credit: Chris Kridler, special to Metromix)

The Surf serves up relaxed, elegant dining in the heart of old downtown Cocoa Beach, which has many good restaurants.
 It’s been a while since Bernard’s Surf became the Surf, and we weren’t sure what to expect. I’m happy to report we had a very good meal, with a snug sense of being well taken care of. And there still are photos of astronauts on the walls.

Lest you be confused, as I was, the Surf is what the restaurant calls its main dining room, where the fine dinner menu is served. The Surf Bar and Grill is the bar area, with restaurant seating and a big menu. Then there’s Shuckleberry Finn’s, the adjacent oyster bar, where you can enjoy doggie dining on the patio with your furry best friend. It’s three restaurants under one roof.

We started with a nice bottle of Malbec and the Caesar salad, still made fresh at tableside, as in the old days. Our salad-maker had a good sense of humor, as well as speed, and we were soon tucking into one of the better salads in the county.

There’s lots of tempting seafood on the menu, but we leaned toward steak. I got the blue cheese-crusted filet mignon, eight savory ounces for $26.99. It was perfectly cooked and, with the well-seasoned mashed potatoes and vegetables, along with juicy mushrooms, more than satisfying.

My husband opted for a likable special, a filet Oscar, with a saucy crab topping ($27.99).

The Surf is great at tableside presentation, which added entertainment to the attentive service. So when we got creme brulee ($6.99) and bananas foster ($8.99) for dessert, we also got fire. And who doesn’t love food on fire?

The desserts were delicious, too, and this very traditional meal also was a very nice experience, making a visit to the Surf still a special occasion.

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