The Tipsy Cow Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Cedar Key

My group of friends ended up going to this restaurant because we read online that they had a beyond burger (i don’t eat meat). When we got there, the host told us that they were super busy and that we were going to have to wait an hour for food, which was totally fine because it was the only place with something I could eat. When we were seated, we told them that we were going to have seven people, so they sat us at two separate tables, which we totally understood. Our friends then told us that they would not be coming, so we asked if we could add one extra chair to a table so that our group of 5 could all sit together. We didn’t think that this was an unreasonable request, as they had a table covered with boxes that was obviously not being used by customers. We thought we could just grab an extra chair from that table and pull it up to one of the tables we were already at. The waiter told us that that would not be possible, so we thanked him and continued to sit at our separate tables. One of my friends had a shellfish allergy, so we also asked if the food was crossed contaminated in the kitchen. We were told that EVERYTHING was contaminated with shellfish and that my friend would not be able to eat anything there. Additionally, the host shared that the manager said the town seafood-oriented, so we wouldn’t be able to find anything not seafood (we ended up getting him pizza from down the block). We asked if someone in our group could run and try to grab food for him in the meantime to bring back, since we would be waiting an hour to eat and we were in town volunteering (not really touring). We were told no. We waited for our food for TWO hours (not one). One of my friends ordered the buffalo fries appetizer. There was a bone in the dish from the pulled chicken. The rest of the food (fish tacos, cow tipper sandwich, mashed potatoes, etc.) was just not good, according to my friends. The food had little to no flavor and you could tell they did not season the meat. They also told me they would bring an impossible burger for me because that’s what they had, but they actually served a beyond burger. Not a big deal, but a disappointment after waiting hours. It would be helpful if they said what was actually being served on the menu. The entire experience was just a combination of little inconveniences built up over the course of two hours. There was like one waiter taking care of the entire restaurant. He was sweet, but he had to physically run around to keep up with everyone’s drink orders (we didn’t see a lot of food going out). We read some of the other reviews afterwards, and wish we would have given some of the other nearby restaurants a try. Again, I want to clarify that the staff was very friendly, but the experience overall was not good.

tldr: go to...

Great View, Awful Service

The view from the deck is absolutely beautiful, but sadly, that’s where the positives end.

What should have been a simple request to switch tables turned into an uncomfortable experience, thanks to unprofessional behavior from both the hostess and our server. We were dining with my elderly father, and the metal stools at our table were very uncomfortable. When we asked to move to a nearby empty table with bench seating, there was some hesitation from the server, who had an attitude already because we were slow ordering our drinks, regarding the table's availability, so I checked with the hostess directly to be sure.

Apparently, a communication breakdown occurred, but instead of attempting to clear it up, the hostess returned with attitude, accusing me of lying about what the server said. I explained, but her response was sarcastic and dismissive. At that point, I said we’d just leave, and she shot back a snide “Fine, have a nice day” in a mocking tone.

We were respectful, yet treated with unnecessary contempt. As a former server myself, I know courtesy should be non-negotiable. It's a shame because the setting deserves service to match its beauty.

So, we had lunch at their competitors, Steamers, on 2nd St. DELICIOUS and fantastic service.

I have to add that I was still upset by the bizarre encounter, and I mentioned the service was terrible at the Tispy Cow. Snarky, I know, I'm not proud of it, but do you know what the server said? Nothing, she did not put them down at all. She gave me courteous platitudes and steered the conversation to pleasant topics. She handled me like a pro, lol! Now that is excellent customer service!

All in all, it turned out to be a lovely day.

Response to the owners response:

First of all, it is a blatant lie. We were not offered bench seats at any point. That would have sufficed. I would have gladly taken the benches in lieu of moving tables. That is what someone SHOULD have recommended instead of insulting me.

Second, now I understand the terrible service. Your customer relations are as bad as your staff's. You don't question the behavior, yet you create a lie to justify their actions and blame the...

During our visit to Cedar Key, my boyfriend and I were excited to find a restaurant that seemed as dog-friendly as the ones we are used to in Gainesville. Our server was extremely nice, and very understanding when we notified her that our dog was in training, so he might bark at her. We had him tied off on our chairs, where he stayed far away from any other patrons and away from our server enough to where she could set down our drinks and food without coming in contact with him if she didn’t want. All was well, and she even talked to us about how cute he was while we ordered our drinks. I was actually impressed with how well our dog was behaving. Fast forward to a different server, who walked by our table and made a move to pet our dog without even asking us first. Yes, he barked. No, he didn’t come anywhere close to her despite being greeted unsolicited. While understandably startled by what had just happened, my boyfriend and I continued to enjoy our drinks and wait for our food. When our food arrived is when we were guilted into getting our check and leaving. Our food was delivered to us by who we assume was the manager, who chose to announce to the whole patio that we “need to get him [our dog] under control” and that “he has scared one of the servers already”. Embarrassed by all the eyes on us, my boyfriend and I just paid the check and left without touching our food.

If you want to be a dog-friendly restaurant, that’s great! We need more of them! However, your staff needs to be trained to respect dogs and understand that not every dog wants to be pet. I wish I could say more about their actual food and drink, but the way we were treated unfortunately caused us to leave without trying more than a sip or two of our Miami Vices.

All in all, don’t take your dog here if they bark even once. You will be bullied into leaving and embarrassed in front of the rest of the patrons of the restaurant.

One star for our amazing server though, she was great! I wish I could...