Pescado Raises the Bar with New Happy Hour Menu

Here in SoWal we kind of have a thing for rooftop bars overlooking the Gulf. We’re used to dining fine, and we also like to keep it casual.

Pescado Seafood Grill & Rooftop Bar is the best of both worlds. Besides, there are way too many creative chefs in town to settle for anything less.

Pescado’s Partner & Executive Chef Ken Duenas has cooked in some of South Walton’s most loved restaurants (Café Thirty-A for 11 years!). His creativity and longevity make dining at Pescado a culinary treat.  

Chef Ken is from Guam – a culture that utilizes every part of the animal and vegetable. The self-taught chef credits his grandmother and mother as his best teachers, along with the great chefs he’s cooked alongside.

Like many other restaurants in Rosemary, seating is limited. Pescado has been pretty much booked solid since they opened. So the restaurant came up with 3 for $30 Happy Hour from 3-5 pm daily to get more people in on the concept.

The idea is to arrive early, beat the crowd, and enjoy happy hour. Their 3 for $30 menu includes mixing and matching menu selections from their Cocktails, Wines by the Glass, Small Bites, and Raw Bar. Outside seating and seating at the bar is first come first served.

Small plates sourced from fresh ingredients – some of which are hard to find – pair well with an extensive wine menu. Pescado has a sommelier on staff - Doruk Gurunlu -who truly enjoys talking about wine in a way that is accessible and relatable.

He insists, “Drink what you like; no wine snobs here!” Of course, if you want to experience new wines, he can suggest pairings for each dish: cheese board goes best with beer or a French Sauvignon Blanc; pork belly with a rich, acidic Pinot Noir from Europe.

Starting at 5 pm, the dinner menu packs serious flavor.

“We wanted to bring different types of food and infuse different ethnic backgrounds together,” says Chef Ken.

Chef balances locally sourced ingredients with a fine dining approach that also includes sourcing fish from New Zealand, Pacific caught Salmon, and Halibut from Washington, for example.

There are other nods to global cuisine: Morrocan Spiced Lollipop Lamb Chops; Clams and Mussels with flavors of lemongrass, coconut milk, basil and ginger. And nods to Southern foodways: Pan-Seared Diver Scallops; and Pan-Roasted Pork Belly served with a fig compote.

His inspiration comes from the simplicity and the purity of the product. Features change every two days because keeping it fresh and new keeps different people coming in. Regulars get to try new things every time they visit. The menu is creative, based on what Chef is connecting with and what fresh ingredients he can get that day.

“Enjoy life friends family food drinks. You can’t get any better than that,” he concludes. “To me cooking food is enjoying life at the same time.”

Pescado is a casual fine dining, seafood grill & rooftop bar overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The restaurant is open from 3:00-10:00 PM daily (bar open until 11 pm). It is located to the west of Rosemary Beach Town Hall above Southside Slice in the "Orleans" building. Pescado is an 18 years old and up dining experience featuring happy hour daily from 3-5 pm. Reservations for indoor seating are recommended. Outdoor and bar seating are first come, first served. Learn more at www.rooftop30a.com.