Bahama Breeze is a fairly new restaurant chain known mainly in the East. Mainly located in major cities such as Atlanta, Orlando, Seattle, Detroit, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago, it also has presence in some smaller cities. It also has a location in the small city Birmingham, Al, and my location - Rochester, Ny.

Bahama Breeze is only open for lunch and dinner. The restaurant has some of the most unique architecture. The outside of our local restaurant is shaped like a Bahamian house. It has circular yet pointy roofs, shutters sticking out, and open windows. The outside also has a gazebo with a live bonfire in the middle. The restaurant could also be mistaken for the lobby of a hotel as there is a drop-off zone.

The interior of Bahama Breeze is very neat and unique while being clean and large. There are Caribbean fans hanging sideways on the wall which one can’t find at any other type of restaurant chain. The use of different colors made a lively atmosphere. There is also a bar and even live, Latin or Caribbean music. For people who are waiting, there are a few chairs and a couch.

You may think of me as weird, but I just have to mention Bahama Breeze’s bathrooms. They are the coolest! The stall doors are made of shingles and the handicap stall has its own sink. Along with the main sink and handicap sink, one can use the mouthwash machine of the wall with the little paper cups. There is also hair spray, combs and moose. So if you came to the restaurant looking horrible, you can wash up in the bathroom and look like you just stepped out of the shower.

When we entered, we were greeted by a young hostess. She took down my last name and told us there would be a 15 minute wait. She handed me a buzzer that vibrates when the table is ready. While waiting, we looked at the specials. The menu that displays the specials are changed everyday. Instead of our scheduled 15 minute wait, the table was ready in eight minutes.

We were seated by the hostess in a booth. The booth was made of real leather and a large table was in the center. We were a good distance from the people sitting in chairs next to us, so my wife and I didn’t have a problem discussing our travel plans for Florida. A different waitress took our order than the one that brought our food and drinks. I’m guessing that the tips are combined at the end of the day and then distributed evenly between all buss-boys, waiters and waitresses.

The menu features so many wines - over 50. They ranged from $13 a bottle to $160 for a rare Merlot. There were also Caribbean drinks and beers. I ordered the chocolate - banana shake for $4. Served cool but not cold about five minutes after I ordered it, I found it to be very tasty and filling. It was also very thick. My wife ordered a Pina Collada which came in a small wine glass for $5. Her Pina Collada was a bit overpriced.

The menu selection is mostly Jamaican with some main Caribbean dishes. For appetizers, we found a large selection of items. We had a tough decision between the Fire-Roasted Jerk Shrimp, Calamari Sofrito, and the Jamaican Grilled Chicken Wings. We decided on the Jamaican Grilled Chicken Wings which were brought with Bleu Cheese 15 minutes after ordering. Unlike American chicken or buffalo wings, these were huge, spicy parts of chicken that were well cooked. We were served about five large pieces which were more than filling for an appetizer. It was $8 for that dish.

While I didn’t pay attention to the many dishes in the $16 price range, the pastas and the tropical pizzas ranging around $13, I admired the lower prices for the small selection of sandwiches. The sandwiches include a sun drenched Portabello sandwich, a grilled jerk burger, a chicken sandwich and this sandwich for $9 called the Cuban Classic. That’s what I ordered...

The Cuban Classic was served about 20 minutes after ordering. It came in a bun that was extremely undersized for the size of the burger. It was also very small for the size of the ham and pickle. On the huge burger was melted Swiss cheese and mustard. The sandwich was pretty tasty but a bit undercooked. Next to it came a side of fries which were disgusting. They were cold and were so thin. They had the taste of the over-salty and greasy fries that McDonald’s serves.

Overall, the restaurant was okay. I was expecting better food quality and faster service. Since the service was very slow and the food could have been a lot better, it made the dishes very overpriced. However, I did enjoy the friendliness of the staff members, and I also liked the atmosphere. The bathrooms were so cool - you have to remember that. However, when someone is looking for some food that is of high quality, Bahama Breeze is not the place.

I would like to thank megugrrrl for adding this restaurant to the site for me. She's added so much and I haven't thanked her nearly enough.

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