Tarks Of Dania Beach — Restaurant in Dania Beach

I just spent a week in Dania Beach working a big festival gig. My days were so long that I didn't have a chance to try any of the local seafood places. So when I finally had one last day before my plane left back to Vegas, I did a bit of research and found this little place called Tarks. The reviews looked pretty good. I was looking for an unassuming place with personality and, of course, great food. I went in at about 11:30 a.m. and the place was already getting going. It's simply a three-sided counter with the kitchen and serving area exposed, kind of like a bar setup. I was greeted immediately by the lovely Victoria, whose personality and winning smile set this experience off on the right foot. I ordered an Arnold Palmer and looked at the menu for a bit. I wanted some raw seafood so I ordered a half dozen oysters and the fresh grilled grouper dinner. The oysters were shucked right in front of me by the same young lady and they were succulent, Briny, ice cold, and delicious. I got about halfway through my oysters when the grilled grouper arrived.It was laid out on a plate and had the classic grill marks on it. It must have weighed 10 to 12 oz. There were two beautiful fillets of tender, moist, fresh, fish served with Tarks signature curly fries, lemon, and tartar sauce. As I ate my lunch, I I noticed James, the guy next to me, (a regular), had ordered mahi mahi, or dolphin as they refer to it locally. *For those who are unaware, mahi-mahi is also referred to as dolphin fish, but it is not a dolphin that breathes air, but a fish with gills and all that. When I saw the serving in front of him, I knew I had to try that as well and I promptly ordered some. These dishes were simple prepared fresh grilled fish fillets with no fancy BS involved in their presentation. The flavor was better than fish that I have paid 3 times more for in fancy restaurants. As I ate, I engaged Victoria in conversation, asking about the restaurant's history. She explained that Tarks had been in business since 1966, and, incredibly, still employ a fellow by the name of Lenny, who, Believe it or not, has been working there since the day they opened their doors in 1966. He's in his 80's now & I sure wish I could've met the man. I left Tarks knowing I had struck gold in this discovery and it was made all the better because of the fact that it turned out to be the only place I was able to eat in Dania Beach during my week here. I give this place my highest personal recommendation for fresh seafood and good friendly service at an amazing price during a Time when people are more focused on maximizing profit then providing great food and service that seems to be so lacking in today's...

Terrible Service and Dirty Restaurant - Stay Away!

If you want to ruin your day, this is definitely the place to go. I would not recommend it to anyone. We had been to Tarks several times before. We liked the atmosphere and fresh seafood. Yesterday, after a year-long break, we visited this restaurant again. The first thing that caught our eye was the piles of dirty dishes on the tables with no customers around. And no one seemed to be cleaning them up. We had to clear our own table by moving the dishes to a neighboring one. My husband ordered 15 oysters and a grouper sandwich. We waited over 40 minutes, but our order never came despite there being hardly any customers. When my husband went to the cashier to remind them about us, they completely ignored him, as if he wasn't even there. Another 10 minutes later, they brought us 10 oysters instead of the 15 ordered. But they didn't bring a plate, fork, or napkins. I asked the server for 2 forks, and he said "Okay." After waiting another 10 minutes and still no forks, let alone the ordered sandwich, I went to the cashier again to remind them about the forks and the 10 instead of 15 oysters, and the grouper sandwich. The cashier was extremely rude. It seemed like customers really irritated her. When I said we had received only 10 oysters instead of 15, she said they could only do 10! Okay! So at least give me forks and plates so I can eat the damn 10 oysters I waited 55 minutes for!!!! And bingo!!! The server brings me 2 dirty, greasy forks! My mood was ruined, the order was wrong, I didn't even bother reminding them about the grouper sandwich anymore. I just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. My question to the owner: do you know that your staff is rude and incompetent, that the cashier doesn't care about customers? When there are hundreds of people in Miami looking for jobs, you have people working for you who don't need the job. Employees like that are sinking your business. And we had planned to place a to-go order too. Or is the owner unaware that it's the customers providing their income?

As a business owner myself, I would fire them all without a second thought! But for now, I'll be telling my huge audience of clients and friends to never visit Tarks again because they disrespect customers and basic service standards! I will never return to this place, and I advise no one else to either. Want to get a serving of humiliation for your hard-earned money? No? Then steer...

Dear Owners of Tarks,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent experiences at Tarks. As a longtime patron who has always enjoyed your establishment, I am disappointed with the changes that have occurred under the current management.

Since Marie took over as manager, I have encountered several issues that have negatively impacted my dining experience. Her demeanor is often aggressive and rude, making interactions uncomfortable. Additionally, I have noticed that a 22% tip is automatically added to my bill, which is concerning, as tipping should be based on the level of service received. It seems she does this with everyone’s bill. Unfortunately, the service has not met expectations, with cooks taking orders and limited interaction with servers.

Furthermore, it seems unprofessional for Marie to have personal visitors, such as her boyfriend, present during her working hours. This behavior, coupled with her focus on maximizing the bill rather than providing quality service, is troubling. On one occasion, items I did not order were added to my bill, and when I brought this to Marie’s attention, she responded with a negative attitude instead of an apology.

Due to these issues, I have decided to stop visiting Tarks on Saturdays, which is disappointing given how much I used to enjoy dining there. I believe these concerns are important for the restaurant's overall success and customer satisfaction.

I hope you take this feedback seriously and consider implementing changes to improve the dining experience at Tarks. Thank you for your attention to...