Salty Soul Island Kitchen — Restaurant in Dunedin

I don’t usually write negative reviews, but after today’s experience, I feel it’s important to share. We’ve been loyal customers, coming here at least twice a month and often bringing friends, family, and new business their way. The owner sees us regularly and knows who we are—not to mention, we’ve always been supportive and complimentary about their food and service every single time. Unfortunately, after today, we won’t be back.

From the start, the experience was unwelcoming. My husband went to the bar to order drinks, and instead of a simple greeting or friendly exchange, the owner immediately said, “I’ll give you these beers, but you need to get rid of the pizza.” No hello, no polite conversation—just an immediate demand. It wasn’t a conversation; it was an ultimatum.

For context, our two-year-old doesn’t care for any food at the moment other then a slice of pizza, so we usually bring a small snack for him. This time, we forgot, so we picked up a simple slice of pizza before arriving. Meanwhile, we ordered drinks, an appetizer and 3 meals for three adults. Our child hadn’t even touched the food yet, but instead of addressing the situation with any level of professionalism or understanding, the owner went straight into control mode. Regardless, we put the pizza away without argument.

Despite the awkwardness, we decided to finish our drinks and appetizer before heading out. When the waitress came by, we politely asked for the check. She asked if something was wrong, we explained that since our child wasn’t allowed to have his food here, we needed to leave to get him fed. It was a straightforward statement, not an argument or complaint.

Instead of handling the situation with grace, the owner came over looking for a confrontation. She sarcastically asked how things were going, then accused us of being rude to the waitress—an absolute misrepresentation of what happened. We weren’t rude. We didn’t argue. We simply made the decision that worked best for our family. But instead of de-escalating, she doubled down. Not to mention, we still ensured we tipped her for her time.

When we said we were finishing our drinks and then leaving, she snapped, “No, you need to leave now.” She also stated that “we had better be gone when she walked back around,” even though we had already paid our bill at that point. (Mind you, I was at lunch with my 70-year-old mother, my two-year-old son, and my husband.)

When asked what would happen if we didn’t leave, she immediately jumped to threats: “You better leave, or I’ll call the cops.” She also told us not to question her in her restaurant. At that point, it was clear this wasn’t about policy—it was about control. Instead of following through on her threat, she returned moments later, slapped the bill on the table, told us she had refunded our money, and aggressively grabbed the drinks and appetizer from the table.

At the end of the day, experience and customer service matter more than anything. A business can have great food, a great location, and a loyal customer base, but if the way people are treated is lacking, none of that matters. One bad interaction can undo years of goodwill, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what...

I truly wanted to like this place. It's location is perfect, right next to the new shopping and parking garage and only 2 doors down from one of the best breweries in Tampa. The building is Florida cracker and the landscaping is quaint. Inside everything is spotless, from the longboard bar top to the small dining area. The staff are all friendly and helpful. For those reasons I gave the two stars. Unfortunately I won't be back. In one of the best brewery areas in all of Tampa the only local brew representing was HOB. You have half a dozen other local breweries to stock you taps and bottles and instead I'm offered unispiring selection from large lables? Disappointed. That alone wouldn't knock this place as a return however. Since being so close to good beer culture I should be able to get a good bite and then saunter off to other parts of the area for a beer. Again, dissatisfaction. Let's start with the tacos. For a place advertising taco tours and a mix and match attitude for their tacos, the least they can do is make a good taco. My fish, blackened, tacos came out with almost ice cold tortillas. Even skipping the tortilla and spooning out the inside I found uninspiring seasoning and a mango salsa that somehow managed to be both unsweet and unspicy. The shrimp tacos had tiny little shrimps, why no gulf shrimp I'll not venture a guess, and the supposed bean and corn salsa was just beans and corn. As if someone just dumped a can of black beans and a can of sweet corn and called it a salsa. I even ordered a burger, the big Sur. This was their saving grace, unfortunately. The bun was way over buttered and the burger patties, 2, dry. The sauce was very nice and the veggies cool and crisp a welcome addition to the over done and over American cheesed burger. For the amount of great food in Dunedin this place needs to seriously consider upping there game if they wish to survive. Service...

Walked up today for lunch and my heart sank... the name had changed to Salty Soul Island Kitchen, where was Pearly's?!

I slowly sauntered in, expectations low, "let's just glance at the menu and see what's up" I say to myself.

Then, I look over and quickly recognize Bob behind the bar. "Bob's still here, does that mean my beloved Volcano Shrimp Tacos are still here too??"

The answer, was YES!

The Restaurant had a new name, there were some changes to the menu, but the staff and those delectable seafood tacos remained.

My heart filled with joy as I ponied up to the bar and took my seat at the end.

Bob brought me a much needed ice water, took my order and soon I was devouring my Shrimp Taco and fries, (btw, the fries are killer too).

My heart and belly rejoiced. Many friendly customers came and went, good conversations were had, a cool breeze from the ceiling fan kept me comfortable as I enjoyed my lunch.

Still riding the high of the Volcano Shrimp Taco, now consumed but not forgotten, I gave the menu another once over, gave Bob the nod and placed my order for a Fried Fish Taco.

The Fish Taco arrived and the Prophet known as Bob let out a suggestive whisper that I dip my remaining fries in the side of Volcano sauce, "what sort of magic is this?" I wondered to myself as I sank into a flavorful trance.

Once again, my mouth and belly rejoiced. A happy little wiggle could no longer be contained as I slowly swayed on my barstool. A glance at my phone showed the time and I realized that it was time for me to hit the road.

I paid my bill, gave a final round of nods to my fellow happy lunchers, rubbed my satisfied tummy and continued on my journey.

What first started as a heart sinking moment, turned into the perfect...