I was traveling for work and stopped in here because it was across the street from my hotel. Really good bar food and great service. I told the bartender I was only in town fora few days and she gave me a list of things to do and the low down on Destin.
Bottom line: great place for a meal and a few beers.
Hog's Breath was a pleasant surprise. During the off-season, this was one of the only places open past 9 p.m. on a Friday night. There was no wait and we were lucky to enjoy a quiet table on the patio.
Our meal started with a couple of pints of Stella. This is a favorite beer in our house so we were happy to hear it was on draft. Props to the bartender for doing perfect pours on these bad boys.
For an appetizer, we shared the peel-n-eat shrimp, which in all honesty were some of the best I've ever had! They were super fresh with just the right amount of seasoning. I also had a small house salad which was fine. The main event was the fried shrimp. Oh goodness these suckers were good. I didn't need the fries...just more shrimp please!
Being a couple on a budget, sharing an appetizer and an entree was definitely the way to go. After seeing all the souvenir tee shirts over the years, I had my apprehensions about eating here. Those were all unnecessary. Surely this place gets packed out during the peak season, but this visit made me a fan.
This place is the bee's knees.
I've been to this place about 5 times now but never reviewed it because I assumed I just liked the food because I was drunk. Then I went sober. *Cue clouds opening, sunshine creeping through, while harps gently playing in the background*
Destin is a total tourist trap, this isn't something you can easily avoid. "Dinner on a budget" actually worked in our favor at Hog's Breath.
I had the brisket sandwich. What. This thing was fucking amazing. It was literally just meat on bread. I didn't even need the BBQ sauce sitting in the table because A. It was seasoned so well, and B. I started making sweet, messy love it it before I could even get the chance to grab the BBQ sauce.
My girlfriend ordered a peach daiquiri. I was all like, "Babe.. don't spend 7 dollars on some bitch pussy drink". GOOD FOR HER FOR IGNORING ME, because I took one sip and had the overwhelming urge to dunk my left breast in it. DE-FUCKING-LICIOUS. I'm pretty sure this adult blended beverage could cure depression.
For dinner she had a pulled chicken sandwich, she devoured it, telling me it also did not need any bbq sauce because it was seasoned so well. Awesome.
She also ordered the seafood gumbo, and claimed it was 1,000,000,000 times better than the gumbo she had at "The Back Porch", which allegedly won "Best Gumbo Ever of All Time by Bull Mess Magazine 2010".. or whatever. Â Regardless, she loved it.. and that bitch (bless her heart, love her to death) is picky as hell.
Also.. being in Destin, drink specials are SO HARD TO COME BY. Â Not here. Just fucking ask! Â We went on Saturday, and although it wasn't listed anywhere, I simply asked, "Got any beer specials?".. and they were having bud light 16 oz drafts for 2 bucks. That's not bad at ALL compared to the 4.50 I paid elsewhere. I don't even like Bud Light, but 2 bucks for an alcoholic beverage? YES, MA'AM.
Overall... This place is rules.
An old favorite in Destin; it's watched other bars and restaurants come and go. Â They have a nice open air bar in the front which is great for those afternoons in the Spring and Fall when you'd rather not be at work.
Their pros are their bar staff, who are the kind of bartenders you wish all bartenders were. Â They also have great deals on food and beer during football season, with lots of HD TVs and a nice chill environment in which to yell and scream.
Their only really problem in my opinion is the noise level during nights with live music. Â I know it seems everyone likes a place with live music, but you seriously can't hear yourself think in there on a Friday night, or any night where the outside bar has live music. Â That's right, the musicians playing OUTSIDE are also too loud in my opinion. Â When the world isn't big enough to contain the sound of your Jimmy Buffet covers, you have a problem. Â Its' just too damned loud.
So go in the late afternoon or on weekends during football season for a good time. Â Otherwise bring ear plugs.
We sat outside on the porch and were entertained by a young singer/guitarist. Â It was pleasant. Â We sat very nicely; it was breezy from an overhead fan and the tables were not crowded. Â My husband ate barbecue and he said it was good. Â We ate raw oysters and they were excellent, much better than those we had eaten at a seafood restaurant the other night (Harry T). Â I had a fried oyster sandwich, and, again, it was much better than those I have eaten in other restaurants in Destin. Â The waitstaff was terrific. Â When I got to my table in the corner of the porch, there was an ashtray on it, so I smoked. Â No problem. Â We would definitely go back. Â Try it!!!
Review Source:The only good thing about this place is their drink prices; and trust me, you'll need a few to swallow their food. Ohh, if you want anything more complicated than a rum and coke you better know how you make it as the bartenders won't.
I order "Shrooms" as an appetizer, which according to their menu is "fresh battered wild mushrooms deep fried to a golden crisp". What a joke, they were pulled directly from the freezer to the fryer, and when they served them, half of the batter had already fallen off their so called fresh mushrooms.
I was then forced to order their Fettuccine Alfredo as it's the only vegetarian option on their menu, and it came out both cold and floating in grease.
I know that I am used to higher quality restaurants living in Las Vegas, but this was so below my expectations that I feel like I owe it to the general public to warn them of how sad the food is here.
Ending on a positive note; if you are looking for affordable drinks, and you're not hungry, this will be a place for you!
My family and I ate there while on vacation in Destin. Â Classy little place for lunch. Their spinach dip is to die for. Well portioned and value for money totally enjoyed my time there. Â
I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich. The meat was just right with enough smoky taste to have good flavor but not so much you were stuck with it for hours. The sauces were all good, though I think the hickory was my favorite. Their regular sauce was really good too and the hot was, well... hot.
I took my daughter and her friend, Brooke, here during Spring Break several weeks ago. Â I had already read the reviews here on Yelp of the place and based on Brian P.'s and Jennifer F.'s reviews, I specifically requested outside seating. Â It was very nice. Â We all enjoyed the food and took back to our condo plenty of to-go boxes because the portions were so big. Â I almost want to bump my rating up to a 5 just because of the Oysters Rockefeller that I ordered. Â This was the most delicious oyster concoction that I have ever put in my mouth!!! Worth a trip back JUST for these scrumptious babies. Â However, I bump my score down to a 4 because of the "in my opinion" corny karaoke going on outside. Â I know this is a personal problem, but the ashtray sitting on the rail behind me presented a HUGE problem for me. Â I kept looking back at it wishfully because I had quit smoking and the atmosphere here at the Hog's Breath just intensified my craving for a cigarette. Â I made it through though and we decided to visit the gift shop next door. Â It was late and we were the last customers shopping in there. Â After we made our purchases (BTW the cashier was very accomodating and friendly and helpful), as we were leaving I noticed the sign on the door said the shop closed at 9PM and it was 9:15. Â We had obviously held this cashier up from leaving on time and she had still been nice to us. Â All-in-all, if presented with another opportunity to go back to the Hog's Breath, I willl grab it and even though I am a person of variety loving to try something different every time and every place... those Oysters Rockefeller WILL be what I order.
Review Source:OK -- may not be the best place for a dinner BUT the bar tenders more than make up for any short comings of the kitchen. Â Rikki, Hannah and Lauren ROCK. Â If you want to have a few cold bevvies, check out local scene, chat with some locals, bikers, and/or tourists this is the place. Â This is the kind of place where a local fisherman may bring in a bunch of fish for the kitchen to cook up and then put them at the bar for all to sample. Â If I were eating I go for the Hog Leg or the fish toes. Â The fish dip is also pretty killer (TIP - get it w jalapenos) Â Beware -- Lauren bites!
Review Source:Not impressed! Â Definitely over rated. Â Got the crab legs..small and barely warm. Â My corn on the cob was cold when I bit into it...yuk! Â Hush puppies were tasty, fries were soggy. Â Atmosphere was average at best and not the cleanest place in town. Â Spend your time and money some where else!
Review Source:Me and a group of out-of-towners visited the Hogs Breath Saloon last month while on vacation and loved it! Â I had the shrimp basket which came with fries, hush-puppies and cole slaw. Â Good portions and I loved their sweet tea. Â Others in our group had the burgers and I heard they were good.
Awesome atmosphere. Â If we were there for more than a week we would've liked to have gone back to hear the band(s). Â We did however go across the parking lot to their huge Hog shop and purchased MANY t-shirts. Â A must stop if you're ever in Destin. Â I was bummed that I wouldn't be in Florida long enough to do their annual 5k run. :(