Islamorada Fish Company — Restaurant in Dania Beach

I'm posting this review as a former employee of Islamorada Fish Company. I was hired on as a host about a month ago. I had also previously worked as a busser and foodrunner roughly 10 years ago at this restaurant. I won't sit here and say it was all bad, but there were definitely some red flags for me. For starters, the host position required us to stand for long periods of time. The only time we could take a break was if there were multiple hosts working that day and it was slow. On the slower days, like Monday through Thursday, they usually had one host working. On those days, you had to radio a manager to have them come up and cover for you. The same was true if you needed to use the restroom. This proved to be challenging at times because the managers were often difficult to get ahold of. This restaurant also does not use devices like tablets, for example, when it comes to keeping tabs on tables or finding available tables for customers to sit at. Instead, they prefer to use a paper sheet with the tables and pencils. On top of that, there is also difficulty when it comes to the servers. We were told by the manager that servers are to be told they are taking tables whenever they get one; however, the servers and other hosts don't seem to follow that guideline. I experienced this firsthand one night when another host and I were working and we had a party of eight come in. It took roughly 10 minutes to seat them due to the fact that the server, John, who was next to take a table, didn't want the party of 8. There were two managers working that night, Mario and Kim. We couldn't get ahold of Kim or Mario. Finally, I had to step away from the host stand, leaving the other host by himself, to find Mario, who was assisting the kitchen staff. After explaining this situation, Mario tried to talk to me as if I didn't already know that John didn't have a choice but to take the table. Eventually, Mario spoke to John, and he took the party of 8. Needless to say, he wasn't happy with me that night. That party should not have waited roughly 10 minutes to be seated. In addition, speaking of servers, we are required to locate a server to let them know when they have a table. The restaurant doesn't offer the ability to give servers walkie-talkies or mics. This proves challenging, especially when we are busy. In addition, we also take phone calls and answer questions as part of our job. I can't begin to count how many times people complained that we no longer offered the shrimp fettucini Alfredo dish we used to have. I was completely blown away by this, considering this was one of our popular dishes back in the day. On top of that, and as someone who's cleaned the menu a lot, I found the prices to be completely unreasonable for the portions they provide. For example, the fried calamari used to come in a basket with a fair portion back in the day. Now you get roughly 7 or 8 pieces on a small blue plate, and they charge you like $17.00 for that. Finally, the way management has decided to handle this is completely chaotic when it comes to scheduling. Only one mamanger is in charge of scheduling the entire restaurant, and her name is Krystal. Myself and other hosts have had issues where our schedule was changed at the last minute without notifying us numerous times. Thankfully, I checked my schedule every night and every morning, so I was able to catch this most of the time. On my last day, I brought this to the attention of my managers, Kim, Krystal, and Mario, and was told that once the schedules were posted, they were set in stone, and the only one to have access to them is Krystal. Yet they still expected you to show up for work. In conclusion, and as sad as it is for me to admit, save your money and time. This restaurant is not what it used to be. From the servers to the management, no one seems to care. Management does not seem to care about the well-being of...

Stayed At The Courtyard By Marriot For The Weekend For A Business Trip And Was Recommended This Restaurant. This Being My First Time In The Area I Wasnt Sure What To Eat So Saturday Me And A Coworker Decided To Give It A Try. We Arrived At The Restaurant An Was Warmly Greeted At The Front Desk By Lauren Who Asked If We Wanted To Sit In The Marlin Area, The Sushi Bar Or The Main Side. My Coworker Wanted The Marlin Side But After Seeing This Beautiful Aquarium We Both Eagerly Chose The Main Side. Ambiance Is A Big Thing For Me When Trying New Places So I Asked Lauren To Sit Us In The Booths Where We Could See The Fish Aquarium Up Close. She Smiled And Said “You Have No Idea How Many Guests Come To This Side Because Of Our Fish Tank Its Pretty Cool.” After Being Seated Claudia Came To Our Table Introduced Herself And Said Shed Be Serving Us. She Also Had A Very Warm And Welcoming Persona. She Told Us About The Specials That Were Going On And Made It So Easy To Figure Out What We Wanted To Order. She Gave Us Some Time To Decide And Came Back With Bread And Ice Water To Start Off. The Bimini Bread Was So Delicious I Almost Didn't Order An Appetizer To Compliment My Meal. We Decided To Get Calamari And Coconut Shrimp For Appetizers, A Chicken Tender Basket, And 1 Order Of Shrimp Tempura Roll Sushi For Our Meal. For Drinks We Got 2 Hard Blueberry Lemonades. It Took About 20 - 30 Minutes Tops For Everything To Be Brought To Our Table Which Was Not Bad At All Seeing That There Was A Good Amount Of People On Both Sides Of The Restaurant. The Runner Who Brought Our Food Was Polite And Attentive To Making Sure We Had Everything Before Leaving The Table. I Made A Joke About How Delicious The Bimini Bread Was And He Was Like “Trust Me If The Machine We Use To Make The Bread Ever Broke I’d Fix It Myself.” Its Small Moments Of Interaction Like This That Made The Experience Here A Pleasure. Anyway The Food Was Fresh And Hot, The Portions Were Good, The Tempura Roll Was Fried Just Right Not Overly Crunchy, And The Drinks Made Sitting By The Aquarium Feel Like Watching A Scene From Finding Nemo By The Time I Got To The Bottom Of My Glass lol. Claudia Consistently Checked In With Us Making Sure We Were Good. The Manager Came To Our Table As Well An Made Sure Everything Was Good Also. Her Name Was Kim And After Introducing Herself I Told Her This Was My First Time Here And How The Food Was Good An That We Were Having A Wonderful Time. We Briefly Spoke An She Was So Down To Earth An Social Able. I Watched Her Do The Same For Other Guests In The Restaurant As Well. We Couldn't Finish All The Food So We Took To Go Boxes. Overall The Whole Experience Here Was A Pleasure. Atmosphere Was Safe And Friendly, Ambiance Kept My Attention, An The Staff Were On Top Of Everything. As We Were Leaving I Got A Chance To See The Outdoor Patio With A Nice View Of I95 Expressway And A Beautiful Lake Which I Definitely Will Request To Sit At Next Time. I Read Other Reviews Before Deciding To Come Here And Based On My Experience I Definitely Will Be Back...

If -2 was possible, i would give that.

After having a moderately pleasant dining experience at this establishment over a year ago, I decided to return for a second visit. The ambience had left a favorable impression, so I was eager to give it another try.

Unfortunately, this visit proved to be a significant disappointment, especially as I had brought my beloved aunt along. From the outset, the service fell short of expectations. Our server did not introduce herself or greet our table in a welcoming manner; instead, she simply asked for our drink orders without offering any descriptions or recommendations when inquired about the specials.

After a wait of over 15 minutes, our drinks arrived, and only a partial appetizer order was taken. Throughout the experience, the server appeared distracted, frequently glancing at other tables and failing to give our order the attention it required. As a result, several items were either overlooked or had to be reordered. When the food runner brought out our appetizers, more than 10 minutes passed after the appetizers were completed, before the server returned to take our entrée orders. During this time, she repeatedly bypassed our table, prioritizing guests who had arrived after us while ignoring our attempts to get her attention. Additionally, she misrepresented a special, which required her to retrieve the menu to confirm the correct details, and questions regarding standard menu items were dismissed.

Once the entrée orders were placed, I strongly considered leaving but decided to stay. When the food finally arrived, it was the food runner—who was exceptionally attentive and courteous—who ensured that our meals met expectations, promptly replacing any unsatisfactory items and filling requests for extra items.

At the conclusion of our meal, neither the server nor a manager checked in to see if we needed anything further, despite multiple plates being left half-full after an extended visit of over an hour and a half. It was only when we requested to-go boxes and the check that the server returned. Notably, once the bill was settled, she returned more promptly to verify the tip amount than she had at any other point during the evening, which I felt was in poor taste by the manner it was done. Her service was reflected accordingly in the gratuity left by our table. Only upon receiving the receipt did I learn her name was Tomi.

While I typically prefer to speak with a manager about concerns, out of respect for my aunt’s request, we chose to quietly leave and simply not return. Unfortunately, this experience left a lasting negative impression, and we will not be revisiting this establishment...