We came here by route of a 10% off coupon  from Ron Jon's Surf shop (which actually was $10 off for our party of 8). This was not the worst meal of our trip, but neither was it the best. One of our entrees was dropped and the replacement arrived when everyone else was done so we docked the auto gratuity. Highlight of the meal was the fried things with cinnamon butter served in lieu of bread.
Review Source:My family and I love the outdoor seating here. Inside  always seems to be freezing and the sax guy, although talented, bugs me when he comes to the table. Reminds me of mariachi bands that come over when you eat.
The fish is always good here, but I have an issue with the servers. To ALL SERVERS... Please write your customers orders down! I really hate  it when servers "memorize" my order. Because they rarely do. Something is always wrong. When did this become a thing to do? It doesn't impress me... But what DOES is getting my order right.
Very beautiful place. I loved the fact that I could see cruise ships taking off. I even seen 3 dolphins in the water! I love how this restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoors is definitely the place to be to enjoy all live entertainment. Let get down to business: the food.
I ordered Seared Ahi Tuna as an appetizer and a po boy for my main dish. I received complimentary hushpuppies with a side of cinnamon butter.
Hushpuppies : Golden brown and fried to satisfy anyone's palate. I mean who doesn't love things that are fried? I know I do. I love the hint of sweetness they had and the crispiness they had in my mouth. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Seared Ahi Tuna: It was okay. I felt that they flipped each piece to show it's best side. It may not seem like it but some of my pieces were uneven and I wanted more than soy sauce to dip the tuna in. A great sauce could have possibly taken it to the next level. I am a big fan of tuna and it filled a void of not having tuna in a long time but thats about it.
Po Boy: Once again it was okay. I was hungry so I ate. The shrimp were seasoned well but the breading was soggy on it. The tomatoes could have been a little more ripe. I did enjoy the horseradish sauce that came with it.
Rum Bucket: Get one of these! It has 6 different kinds of rum in it and it is a great drink. I don't like the taste of alcohol and this drink is very fruity. Be forewarned, this drink can sneak up on you!!! I got caught up in the fruity goodness and it almost got me! Its only 10 bucks. Definitely the best thing out of everything I ordered.
Overall, it was just okay. Not as good as it gets and not eek, lol! Actually a customer recommend a place down the street. I quickly bookmarked it and will be visiting it next month. Oh yea this place is pretty pricey for just okay food. I guess you are paying for ambiance. If you have kids, bring them! Outside there is sand and you can eat and be within a safe distance of them.
The food is good - when you can get it, that is! Â If it weren't for the fact that I've eaten here in a large group a few tiems, I would hover this review between 3-4 stars. Â Butttt...I have eaten here in large groups a few times. Â The staff does not seem to know how to take care of parties and miss entire tables. Â The last time I was here, I was able to arrive and watch other tables IN OUR PARTY come 30 minutes later, get their orders taken, get their food, eat their food, receive their bill, pay their bill and leave...ALL BEFORE I HAD MY ORDER TAKEN!
Review Source:was here in April '13. really cool fun place and we had our little kids with us. We had some drinks and apps (dont get their wings) but the food overall was REALLY good. We had blackend mahi sandwich, fried flounder sandwich, some shrimp and a bunch of kids meals PLUS mojitos and margaritas - everything was really good and the kids loved looking over at the dolphins and turtles in the water!!!
Review Source:We like Milliken's Reef, even if sometimes the service is off because its a great escape to the beach with a good view.
We've had excellent luck with fresh oyster here.
The desserts are usually excellent, especially the mousse.
I like the salads and prawns. My husband likes the crab sandwich and the prime rib. Both of us like the French Dips.
It tends to be a pricey meal but for special occasions it can be fun.
We usually come mid week and dine inside. The table settings are nice and the tasty hush puppies are always hot and good.
Was on beach and saw ad on airplane. Attracted by dollar beer ad and 12dollar lobster. Visited. Beer deal is 4-6pm. Lively crowd. Burger at 10dollars was good. Â imncluded great vegetables with tasty spices.My partner had excellent shrimp chowder and large boat of fries. Nice crowd of all ages. Continuous music. Visited on Sat 3:45-5pm. Adjacent to Cruise ship docks and witnessed cruise ship departure.
Review Source:I came here with a group of coworkers after a long day of testing. Â We all were looking for a little something to unwind. Â We decided to hit up Milliken's Reef on the recommendation of a local. Â We opted to sit outside at the Tiki Bar by the waterway. Â That was really nice. Â They had a guitarist playing and singing some mellow tunes which was a nice touch. Â We stayed for a few hours, had some nice beverages and bar food which was pretty enjoyable. Â
After a while, some of the folks opted to head out while some of us opted to have dinner outside at the bar. Â That was a nice choice. Â It was midsummer and the evening was just perfect. Â I had the crab cake which was pretty good, not great but still pretty good. Â I can't recall what my friends had, but they cleaned their plates. Â Â Later in the evening we saw some dolphins swim by which was really neat. Â Also, watching the boat traffic roll by was rather enjoyable. Â
Overall, this was nice place. Â Will I be back? Â Sure... it's a mellow enough place.
Disappointed to learn that the fish is *not* caught right outside the window, as our server said (both times) ... and yes, the acoustics aren't great inside. I like my fish overcooked (except shrimp), so I was happy with the grouper but not so much the shrimp, even tho they were pretty and a good size. Both visits were influenced by a very large (rowdy) party taking up the main part of the dining room. Probably if we'd been seated farther away from the action, ambiance would have been better.
On the plus side, it's a pretty place, the wine list per-glass is reasonable, the service is attentive and friendly, and the appetizers and desserts we've had are quite good. I'd probably go for coffee and dessert by the window again and spend the money on fish from the market to make at home.
We have eatten her on several occasions and like it so vary much. My wife talks about this place all the time. See we are from St. Louis Mo and do not eat much sea food here due to fish not being as fresh as it is on the coast. So when we get to the coast which is offten we try all we can. When my wife finds a fish she likes she tries to order it at every restaurant on the trip. Â
     The decor of Millikin's Reef consists of linen table cloth nice upscale setting inside and  vary open athomsphere. Out side side is a bit more casual athomsphere. I like sitting in the back of the restaurant looking out the big windows you may see a large curise ship leaving or dolphins in the canal. Yes this place is right around the corner from the docks where Royal Caribbean, Disney and I believe Carnival ships leave. Their a quite a few restauranst rigt along the docks most of them are around the same price but not as nicely set. Several are just too lound to even want to sit at and eat. Nice and quite while eatting and a bit of fun music afterwards. Sitting out side after the meal having a drink listing to the band play is fantastic.    Â
    Thier food is good I have always had a baked fish blackened  and my wife the fried flounder. My fish has always been good. My wife on the other hand feels the flounder she has had here is the most Amazing flounder every and compares all other flounder to Milliken's Reef.
  If your looking for a nice athomsphere that is upsale visit Milikin's Reef and enjoy you meal.
Pros
Nice balcony
Good area for kids to play in sand
Tasty key lime pie
Cons
Overpriced, mediocre food
Potatoes were microwaved
Lump crab was bland and stringy
Service was poor
Live band was loud to the point that it was difficult to talk to the person next to you. The band was also painfully bad
Very nice atmosphere upscale casual inside to casual outside. Have eaten here twice. Service friendly and prompt. Outside bar area includes covered tiki hut , uncovered tables and chairs in a "beach sand" area  and stage for live music and covered bar open to beach staged beach area. Fine mists of water are sprayed to keep the area cool.Deck on back of restaurant water view of cruise ships. Puts you in the party state of mind just looking at it!
The inside restaurant also provides water view as the back wall is all windows.  Second night I ordered the lobster special which was a whole lobster. Never having had a whole lobster / I decided.. Rather not. The waiter said "oh did you decide you didn't want to take him on"? I laughed and said no - but thank you I will have my salad. I was surprised when the Manager came over to ask me if there was anything wrong with my Dinner? I explained "No they did a good job; I just had never had a whole lobster before and decided it was not for me but it was very nice of you to ask". I was even more surprised when the bill came and they removed the charge. Excellent customer service all the way around. Drinks were great and my Dads Salmon and stuffed baked potato was    "delicious " . A nice atmosphere to enjoy a relaxed dinner. Fair prices, great Florida atmosphere.
Been here a few times. The restaurant is nice, nice environment, has an outside patio/beach area where live bands play on the weekend. But i'm not that impressed with the food. Â The food is average and over priced. Had the curry chicken with rice and beans. I've had a better..However our server provided great service.
Review Source:Food was just okay. Out of five of us, two meals were good, the other three were not. Combo platters grilled and fried were smaller than expected, very bland, and you need to request basics like tarter and cocktail sauce. Service was very slow and inattentive. The atmosphere and view were good.
Review Source:Tourist trap.
For what they charge here the dishes are not of quality. The fried flounder was alright but missing flavor. The coconut shrimp was meh and the sauce that came with it just as meh. And when you order a baked potato expect it to be microwaved. The loaded baked potato is NOT worth the money.
While our waiter was great the drinks were overpriced and the food was astronomically overpriced for the low quality we had. The inside looks so formal yet the outside is very informal with girls that look like hooters waitresses. I understand its hot but why is there such a difference?
I would much rather hit the grill than this place.
Showed up here at closing time on a Sunday night, and the staff were very kind to us -- even though they probably wanted to be going home. I had Grilled Mahi, a generous and tasty portion nicely cooked.
A reliable fish joint at the Port. More formal than The Grill, for sure. But there's still a dance floor goin' on.
My husband wanted to find a place with live music and good food, I chose this place for the reggae music and we were pleasantly surprised. The environment indoors is a bit more upscale and outdoors is lively and fun with the tiki bar, tables along the bay and live music. The prices were a little high but were counteracted by the good service and atmosphere. We also saw several dolphins while seated outdoors which made our experience that much better. Our fish was cooked perfectly and flavors were quite nice!
Review Source:Ordered the crab salad.. It was a layer of crab salad, avocado and mango.. Good combination loved how the fish tasted with the mango. Â Husband ordered the fishermen platter.. He said it was okay.
Service was okay.. Had to remind the waiter to correct our drink order a couple times after bringing the wrong drink.
Lounge, music & dancing? Â 5 stars for originality and atmosphere. Â I would go here any afternoon for the sunny, waterside view of the cruise ships, and a drink. Â Evening, the sand dance floor is packed and the music was good.
Food? Â 2 stars. Â Bland. Â Expensive. Â Maybe they have a specialty, but I didn't have it.
This environment inside was nice, but the quality of the food was definitely not there when I went. Â I ordered a simple shrimp scampi, and when the entree came out - they had cream in this pasta dish. Â Every shrimp scampi I've ever had didn't have cream in it - why did they ruin this dish by adding cream in it? Â The conch fritters weren't good, it was very dry - they probably fried this way too long. Â The conch chowder would've been delicious, IF, it wasn't so salty. Â Unfortunately, I will not be coming back to this restaurant unless the quality of the food will change.
Review Source:This place was recommended to me and my wife during our visit to Cocoa Beach.
Overall, we were not disappointed with the food quality, the portion sizes and the attentiveness of our server.
The fish tasted fresh and the portions were not too small or too big. We definitely left the restaurant feeling full...but not too full.
Our only complaint was that the restaurant was too noisy due to the din of other patrons and the piano playing in the background. Noise issue definitely needs to be dampened.
Other than that, I would recommend this establishment if you like seafood.
Overpriced, average quality wannabe seafood place. Â Locals drink here, tourists eat here.
Here's an example of their fish credibility falling down on its face. Â The fresh fish of the day listing on their menu notes Grouper and Red Snapper caught in local Canaveral waters. Â Well folks, Red Snapper have been closed off the Canaveral coast since the South Atlantic Fishery Mgmt. Council shut it down indefinitely back in January of 2010 - it's still closed, except for limited mini seasons. Â Grouper season off Canaveral is closed from Jan 1 - April 30th, so during those months it's not local fish either.
Chances are that Milliken's sources their grouper and snapper from the Gulf Coast of Florida (if we are lucky), but it most certainly is not local and that's highly misleading and deceptive. Â Most tourists don't care where the fish comes from and neither does Milliken's, so I guess it's a match made in heaven. Â If they are blatantly lying about the source of their fish, what else are they lying about that you can't easily see?
OK place to have a drink, but I wouldn't waste my money here on the food. Â It's the kind of place where you try and order the most simplistic item on the menu and hope that it doesn't get screwed up.
I give this place serious credit for being open on Thanksgiving and willing to feed us at 9pm, so an extra star for that.
The food was solid; I had the peppercorn tuna with garlic mashed potatoes. Â Not the best I've had, but pretty good. Â My mojito was obviously made with mix, and was just meh. Â
It was kind of weird that they had serious music and a full on disco dance floor going on Thanksgiving. Â I guess it's more of a party place on non holidays?
We came here with a group of seven on a Saturday afternoon. The atmosphere is very nice; we sat outdoors although there is a deck to sit on as well. I didn't go out there, but my friends who did said it was nice.
The food was well-priced for its portions and quality (I think it was $165 for our table and we got 3 apps; some of our drinks were comped from a coupon we got parasailing). I got a burger with sweet potato fries. It came with everything I asked for and cooked the way I wanted. Very tasty. The creamy horseradish sauce that came with the fries was very good too.
Our waitress, Jessica, was great and made the experience. I think everyone was happy with their food (their wing bangers, which is their signature wing sauce, was a hit with my friends who ate them as apps), and everything, including the bathroom, was clean.
ps: Hell in the Hull is pretty gross but fun to pass around in a group as an experience.
As others have said, great atmosphere right on the water. We dined with our kids (8 and 4) and they loved being able to see dolphins and sea turtles while we sat on the outside deck.
As for the food, solid as well. We're from Minnesota so not exactly seafood experts, but I thought my grilled red snapper was delicious and the DW liked her coconut shrimp. Veggies with the snapper was tasty as well with some herb seasoning and the kids enjoyed their fish 'n chips (although, really, couldn't all restaurants change up the kids' menus a bit).
We would go back again, but understand others have higher standards when it comes to seafood. Now, if you're talking walleye...
Wifey says..." barf...sorry but for being so expensive and having little plates that aren't even good is pretty crappy. Our table had the crab-cakes and rib eye steak and both were small and simply not good...at all. The sides tasted old and not even warm. Sixty bucks for crap food, not going to come back here. Cute ambiance, outdoor seating live music and on the water but that's all it has to offer. Going to have to make a trip to Wendy's because I'm still starving!"
Sexy Man says..."I ordered a ribeye steak and got a thin slab of meat for 20 bucks. Not much else to say, but learned my lesson again, don't order land food at a seafood restaurant. Â The food here was just not right. The area is supposed to be nice, but this place didn't get that memo. I mean there was a group of kids feeding a homeless cat near the pier.
Spotty service and murdered burger.
I guess I just don't understand how you can so over cook a burger and forget to serve it with any condiments. I asked for med and got uber well. As for sides, well they forgot them. The fries were cold and this just basically sucked. I just dont know how you can screw up the burger but I have the suspicion that this may have had a weight placed on it to expedite it. The burger was super dry and super well. For the record med should be around 140-145F and this was probably 175-180F to give you perspective. We also ordered conch fritters which were all batter and hush puppies which were frozen. The only reason they get a star is my GF said the Lobster Bisque was good and my dad seemed to think the shrimp po boy was ok. For me this was terrible.
My recommendation is maybe hit it for the bar and outdoor area, but skip the restaurant.
Just a review of the Tiki Bar outside - still haven't tried the food, but we really want to.
We come down here for vaca a few times a year and love to come up to the Tiki Bar here for afternoon cocktails and nice breezes. Â Â The atmosphere is great -- right on the channel, good strong drinks, always a friendly bartender and very reasonable prices. Â Â Love the white sand dance floor in front of the live band area. Â
Come around Happy Hour time and you can watch the huge cruise ships sail right past you on their way out to the Atlantic. Â They come so close you can practically reach out and touch them ! Â Â Makes for a very festive atmosphere.
Next time, we're gonna make it here for dinner!
Four stars for being the nicest restaurant and having the most eclectic menu at the Port.  Mostly a seafood menu  and has a somewhat more upscale environment than the other bar & grills in the vicinity. However, depending on what you order, you will find that their menu is significantly overpriced.
We went for dinner on a Saturday night at 8 and were seated immediately. We started with the Conch Fritters which came with spicy remoulade sauce - the fritters were decent, Â a bit salty. Â The order consisted of six very small fritters for $9.95. Â Definitely a rip off. The complimentary hush puppies didn't quite make up for it either.
The English teacher in me had to order the Snapper Hemingway ($22). The fish was fresh, moist and firm -  a generous portion, about 10 oz. It was crusted in parmesean, sauteed, then topped with jumbo lump crab meat and  shallots. It is accompanied with grilled zucchini (perfectly seasoned and cooked). The only complaint here is the very meager portion of crab on top of the fish, there was just two or three small pieces.
After dinner we went outside on the patio to enjoy the live music and have some drinks. It's a fun atmosphere, as time went by in the night we noticed that it was apparently the place to be, for young and old as the music varied between The Black Eyed Peas/Kesha/Britney and The Allman Brothers/Rolling Stones/Donna Summers.
Milliken's Reef is your best bet if you want to be a little fancy and desire more than a burger and fries.
We arrived at Milliken's Reef and sat down at one of the tables in the outdoor patio. The table had not yet been cleaned. When our waitress arrived she took our drink order and said she would be back to clean the table. After some time she dropped off our drinks, but had forgotten about the table. I was a little surprised considering the table was obviously dirty, but perhaps she was just busy. After asking to clean the table she did, and then took our order. It took a long time for the order to arrive. In the meantime we ran out of water for ten minutes. At this point it was becoming obvious that we had a waitress that couldn't handle the few tables she had at the time. No big deal though.
Finally, our food arrives. As she sits it down it is obvious that what was supposed to be fried shrimp was grilled. What's worse, the combination plate I ordered grilled came out fried. Right as I was getting ready to say something the waitress made the classic mistake. She picked up a plate on one edge with the tray placed unevenly on the tray holder. Thus, the tray flipped and the fried combination platter went flying. She apparently knew the order was incorrect because before it hit the ground she said it wasn't too big of a deal since the order was wrong anyway.
At this time the apologies began and she said she would go get the manager to speak with us and comp our meal. We had no desire to have our meal comped. All we wanted was our food. Nevertheless, she went to get the manager. Over the next 15 minutes I tried to occupy myself by spinning my beer around in a circle, but I eventually became so bored I contemplated just leaving.
About that time our food finally arrived as did another token apology. Apparently the manager was on the phone, but had offered us free drinks. No thanks we said as the last thing we needed were a couple of drinks to prolong this nightmare. Now for the food. The fried shrimp was fried alright, too much. The garlic mashed potatoes left one wanting for Red Lobster. Yeah, that bad. My $25 combination plate came with scallops and flounder that were really good. I highly recommend them. It also came with deviled crab that was pleasantly average. The grilled shrimp and lobster were however severely overcooked. The lobster was actually very tough. I didn't eat it. The oysters were also overcooked. No doubt this was because the kitchen was rushed to complete our order so perhaps this is out of the ordinary.
Now two and some odd hours in to this adventure the manager arrived. He came up behind us and asked how we were doing as though we would smile and say, "oh the food and cruise ship view are just swell." We once again declined drinks and this time dessert too. We weren't looking for a handout, but he obviously thought we were the typical tourists where a freebie forgives all.
After the awkward interaction with the manager we waited 10 more minutes for our check and 10 more minutes for the waitress to come take our money. On the way out three people said have a nice evening. We found the staff to be quite friendly despite the horrible evening.
Needless to say, we do not recommend this restaurant.
Millikans is a must for anyone spending an evening setting sail for Port Canaveral
The Good:
- Giant sand dance floor that will be packed by 10pm
- 2 bars, one main canopied and the Tiki Hut
- Electric slide one the hour
- A hot spot for 'bride to be' vacationers
The Bad:
- Dead in the off season
- No specials
- Older crowd
Bring a barage of people and hit the dance floor with drinks in hand; thats the only way to enjoy Millikans Reef.
The restaurant is cavernous and loud when all the shades are put up after sunset. Â The only thing louder than the room is the noise made by the shades as they're winched upward. Â The fresh fish is prepared well although plating leaves much to be desired. Â Milliken's thinks a lot of themselves and their food based on their prices but I guess you can get away with that sort of thing when you're half-way decent in an area starved for well-prepared food.
Suggestions: Â Try harder; charge less; ideally both.
This is the newest place at the Port--and it shows. Â The laid-back outdoor area has two bars, a sand dance floor, plenty of tables and chairs, and looks great. Â Inside the restaurant is a bit more formal with lots of seating and an indoor bar.
The food is a bit more expensive here than at Grills or Fishlips, but the atmosphere is a bit more refined. Â
I've coordinated meetups here for over 30 people and they've always handled us all very well. Â They even split the checks with no whining!!
Milliken's Reef--and the Tiki Bar--is a great experience! Â Sitting on the pier facing the Cruise Ships, this place has indoor & outdoor dining, a beach sand dance area, a Piano Bar, and a Tiki Bar! Â We drop by the place every night after leaving Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and usually, we don't leave until 1 a.m. Â
If you're going to the Tiki Bar, say "Hello" to Selena and Wendy--they are great bartenders, quick with the drink, and quicker with a joke. Â
The "Conch Fritters" ($10.95) is the restaurant's speciality appetizer and are fantastic! Â The Ahi Tuna and Fresh Fish-of-the-day are perfectly cooked, and reasonably priced (about $12.95-$16.95 each). Â
They even have a remote webcam, so you can check out the place to see if it's hopping!  Here is the link: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.millikensreef.com%2Fcamera.html&s=e88205e63e397ed7f54ec447c1991a17809d7d76e1120033ef5f12060d09a149" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.millikensreef…</a>
I rarely give out 5-star reviews, but I really enjoy this place, the service, and the ambiance. Â PERFECT!
Milliken's is in a great location for watching the cruise ships come in and out of the port. It has a great atmosphere for grabbing a drink and enjoying the view. It must be a new place or is very well maintained. There is plenty of parking, but a little difficult to find if you're new to the area.
We went for a late lunch. The food is just ok and the options are nothing compared to the options of the drink menu. I ordered a chicken sandwich which was bland and overpriced.
I've eaten here a few more times, and am less impressed each visit. A shame, because it's a great spot and a great building. But the food quality is lacking. If I wanted to just hang out at the bar and listen to music, this would probably be a great place. But for food, there are better options at the port.
The big shame is that it's a cool building and it's on the water. But the food isn't good and if there's any kind of a crowd it gets incredibly loud. I hope one day they'll see the fault in what they serve and improve the menu. With some attempt at sound control, and quality food, this could be a great place.
Two stars for the food, four stars for the location and the sand bar, so we'll average it out to three. If you're looking for good seafood, though, there are other places.
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