Latest Reviews
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As a former employee of this restaurant for three years, I've seen it all and would never recommend dining here. For starters, the kitchen is a closed…
Rene Ann
Heilman’s Beachcomber
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We had Christmas day reservations, what a disaster.. We had reservations week's ahead, but when we arrived at the appointed time with a frail elderly …
Ann Flippo
Heilman’s Beachcomber
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We were seated for 15 minutes before the server arrived to take our drink orders and he realized we had no menus. Great start. The classic drink I ord…
Jerry
Heilman’s Beachcomber
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Heilman's Beachcomber serves American, Seafood and Steak. Incorrect or missing information? Make a report, or claim the restaurant if you own it!Details
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6 Reviews on “Heilman’s Beachcomber”
As a former employee of this restaurant for three years, I’ve seen it all and would never recommend dining here. For starters, the kitchen is a closed one, rightfully so since the things that happen in there are means to shut this restaurant down. Customers should see how the food is prepared. They recycle relish trays, leave food out that should be refrigerated.. I can go on, however theres plenty of other places to dine (fine dining) on Clearwater beach – carrettas, sandpearl, opal, backwaters… Dont waste your time or money on this place. The owner is all about the money, as you can tell from previous reviews. Again, I highly recommend NOT going here. It’s unsanitary, smells like old people, and mildew.
We had Christmas day reservations, what a disaster.. We had reservations week’s ahead, but when we arrived at the appointed time with a frail elderly gentleman we were told there would be an hour and maybe more wait. People were waiting outside, at least 50 of them. There appeared to be total chaos inside the Restaurant, the Receptionist would not engage us with any conversation including eye contact, expect to say we would have to wait, no apology, nothing. I have never seen the likes of it in my life. We ended up in a Dunedin pub eating fish and chips, a Christmas to remember, Thanks Heilman’s
We were seated for 15 minutes before the server arrived to take our drink orders and he realized we had no menus. Great start. The classic drink I ordered was not on their drink menu so the server would only input one that was similar, but not what I requested. The drink I would have liked, could have been the drink my server ordered for me off the drink menu, minus one ingredient. The appetizer I ordered was same as always, and good considering snails typically come from a can. The entres were as expected. Everything is always bland. It is a good thing they put salt on the table because, apparently, there is no salt in the kitchen. Sadly, the gravy for the whipped potatoes must have been imported from the famous Colonel Sanders restaurants because it was from a powdered mix, so, at least it was not bland. I realize you have a seasoned base of senior citizens who, no doubt many, are on sodium restricted diets, but well seasoned food does not mean over seasoned food. If someone has restrictions, they will, or should, tell you. And please, do not try to deceive your customers into paying for USDA Prime beef when only two, at best, of the beef dishes is Prime meat. The Prime rib is by no means Prime; it was tough and perhaps a prepackaged, ready made, Sysco/US Foods, heat and serve product. Do not try and fool us diners by using a menu header that says USDA Prime, just so you can make an extra buck.Heilmans clearly does not have a culinary trained, professional Chef running the back of the house because they include large sprigs of parsley and lemon wedges on almost every plate. Tired looking and unimaginable food presentation is not received well, even on newer and different looking mismatched dishware. The website, which is sophomoric at best, and less than inspiring and inviting to new and returning guests alike, says Classic American Cuisine; how nice to present food that looks like it is from the 1970s. We decided not to bother with dessert, because we could tell, in your desperation, you were trying to turn tables. No doubt to make up for the abysmally slow non-holiday season. It is a shame really.They have a great wine list but it does not support their tired, cliched, and antiquated menu. They need to bring in an experienced Chef, and front of the house manager if they want to return this place to something worth experiencing. If your servers have to wear buttons proclaiming their desire to help us have a great evening, start with the food. Otherwise, the button just makes you look desperate. Lastly, I understand sometimes you need to bring in others to help out when you are busy. But, please ask them to dress appropriately, NOT in jeans and pants with the zipper half down, and not clothes that make them look like you said just throw something on and hurry up and get here!I realize this place has been around for decades, unfortunately, Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber is no longer a destination restaurant to enjoy on Clearwater Beach. Whoever owns this restaurant should throw in the beach towel because, in spite of being close to the water, it is all dried up. Pun intended. Good luck to the next new owners.
Our server Dave was knowledgeable and very friendly. The wine he suggested was very good as was the lobster/shrimp bisque. The rest was about average which was a little disappointing for a more upscale restaurant.
October ’17: Came for the fried (cubed) eggplant, outstanding. The New England clam chowder was typically delicious, but I didn’t care for our waiter’s recommended entree paring for my eggplant. He suggested one of the house favorites, en casserole shrimp Rockefeller. The Mornay sauce was too thick & tasteless, & I discovered I don’t like Pernod. The five shrimp buried in the dish were very good. I’ll be back, but won’t order the shrimp au gratin again.November ’15: Our waiter, Jorge, steered me through the Specials w/ high reliability. His recommendations of sauteed (rather than fried) soft shell crab, new england clam chowder, & fried eggplant were spot on. Ambience for this beach cornerstone is elegant but cozy, service attentive, & food quality excellent.
Avoid! There are many better options on Clearwater Beach. My favorite is the Lobster Pot Bistro. I will never return to the Beachcomber. You can get a feel for my experience below.Absolute disaster! This is how I describe the Beachcomber. Disorganized, overcrowded, so-so food, and rude staff all around. We arrived early for our reservation (made a month in advance) to enjoy a nice drink at the bar. What we found was a zoo! People were waiting over an hour and half for their tables. The restaurant was way too packed. I’m sure it was a fire hazard. The staff struggled to get through the overstuffed floor with trays of food. The tables were so crowded, each person was backed into another. Getting to the restroom was a battle. An elderly woman with a walker went to the restroom and the restaurant was so packed her walker couldn’t fit through the walkways without people having to move. Is just wrong. Not the relaxing dinner we expected from such a staple of Clearwater Beach. When we finally sat down, they sat us at a table for 7 but we were 8 people. Our reservation was for 8 people, we followed up with the hostess several times reiterating that we were 8 people. Sure enough they said they couldn’t add a chair to the already pretty tightly packed table. We would have to wait even more! I requested to speak to the manager. The owner came out and barked at two member of her staff on the floor that another table needed to be moved a bit so we could fit an 8th. She did not stop at our table to say anything. I have never been treated so poorly at, what should be, a nice restaurant. The food was nothing special, definitely not worth the wait. Our waitress was rude and forgot several items and got a few orders wrong. We asked if this was unique or if there had been a change of ownership or something, anything, that would help us understand why a supposedly nice restaurant was such a disaster. We were told that this was the norm. No new ownership or anything. There are many places in Clearwater Beach where you can get better food for a lower price and the staff is pleasant. I highly recommend that the owner visit some of the upper scale restaurants around and see how they treat their customers and staff and set up their restaurant to provide a relaxing and enjoyable dining experience.