Cafe Thirty-A: Consistently Delicious for 30 Years

Opened in 1995 by then-owner Harriet Crommelin, Cafe Thirty-A is a beloved Seagrove Beach dining institution known for its $6 martini deals and elevated beachy ambiance. With decades of experience serving locals and vacationers alike,  Cafe Thirty-A’s origin story is as iconic as its creamy quail grits.

When Jackie Maliszewski started as a server at Cafe Thirty-A over 20 years ago, she never imagined she’d one day own the restaurant. But today, this fine dining destination is one of the longest-running and most award-winning restaurants in South Walton. How did it all happen?

Maliszewski and co-owner Dave Kessler have worked side by side since Maliszewski became office manager 15 years ago. They worked closely with founder Crommelin as well, and the two became like family to her.

“[Harriet] didn’t have any children; we were all like her children,” Maliszewski said of the restaurant staff. Crommelin trusted Maliszewski and Kessler to run the restaurant while she journeyed around the world. Her last trip was to Antarctica, where she contracted pneumonia and passed unexpectedly in 2023.

In her will, Crommelin left Cafe Thirty-A to Maliszewski and Kessler. Consistency is the key to the restaurant’s longevity, so the two co-owners work hard to maintain the quality of service. “We don’t want to change much of anything that [Harriet] created,” said Maliszewski. “She used to say, ‘if it ain’t broke…’ you know.”

With an emphasis on Gulf seafood and Southern flavors, the Cafe Thirty-A menu has remained fresh and delicious, centered on local seafood as well as locally grown greens for dishes like the butter lettuce salad.

“It’s in our logo,” said Maliszewski. “Consistently delicious.” Menu favorites include the grilled Georgia quail with creamy grits and shiitake bacon butter, the jumbo lump crab cakes, and the restaurant staple: sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna.

The restaurant has also seen consistency in staff. From servers to bartenders, some employees have been there from 10 to 25 years. “We don’t have a lot of turnover,” said Maliszewski, “and we have people who come back [to dine] and ask for the same server.”

One regular’s special history with the restaurant began in childhood when, as a young girl, she imagined the cafe catering her wedding reception. In college, she worked as a summer hostess and, sure enough, when she married a couple years ago, Cafe Thirty-A catered her reception.

“We have regulars that have literally been [coming] here since it opened,” said Maliszewski. “It’s still amazing, and that’s what's so special about a restaurant that’s been open for so long.”

As Cafe Thirty-A celebrates over three decades of service, it remains a place guests can count on for exceptional fine dining in South Walton, one that feels like a home away from home to those who visit and work at the restaurant.

“This is definitely a second home,” Maliszewski said of the restaurant. Her passion and the passion of those who started Cafe Thirty-A comes across to everyone who dines there. “We try to treat them like we would want to be treated,” said Maliszewski. “When we bring guests in here, we want them to feel like they’re in our home

”Ready to make your 30A dinner reservations? Cafe Thirty-A is open daily at 4:30 p.m., reservations required. For more information, call (850) 231-2166 or visit here.