Gecko’s Grill & Pub — Restaurant in Florida

I sat at the bar the bartender lady remembered me from two weeks ago she forgot my name and I also forgot her name. I always look for a name tag but no name tag was on her shirt. I ordered a drink and a shrimp basket with the sauce on the side. My food order took about 30-minutes. It was not very busy at all at the time that I was there not even many people sitting at the bar either. A lady came in and sat about four chairs to my right of me. The bartender walked up to her and they evidently knew each other very well. The woman gave her the bartender a Christmas present they continue to talk and talk and talk well I was trying to get her to look at me so that I may ask her for more napkins she continue to talk to this woman telling her all about the presents. her boyfriend or maybe he was the husband not quite sure ?? gave her for Christmas and how wonderful that he cleans the house,he cooks for her he does the shopping the laundry cleaning of the house & etc. The bartender was still speaking to Woman and telling her all of the above that I posted already and how he go's to work all day long & stops to see his girlfriend to have lunch every day so that he can see her. He started to pull money out of his wallet for the bill she said no this one's on me she took the bill & put it somewhere but not in the register. Well he was there two weeks ago & so was I. I kept trying to get her attention to ask her if she could she handed me the napkins and I thanked her she went right back to the lady again like I said and continue to talk talk and talk and laugh and laugh and the lady pulled on her wallet and ask her how much was the bill the bartender said no this is on me she took the ticket and did not put it in the till again like she did with her boyfriend's bill...And did the same thing well the bill then went right back & continue to talk and talk and talk with/the lady I was trying to get her attention by then my food was cold. Then she went right back to her lady friend and continue to talk and talk. By that time I was getting pretty agitated I needed another drink but by the time I was done with my cold lunch but should have been nice and hot I was fed up with her. She is not one of the best bartenders that I've ever run across. It seems to me she picks and chooses who gives free drinks and free food to the only reason I know what was going on was because the till was and front of me register was right in front of my eyes and I could see where she put money in the till and gave change back and put the receipts and her pocket.that she presented to each customer that she chose to have them pay or not pay for their drinks and food. That's called stealing I think she should be reprimanded or fired. I will not be going back there unless I want else would wait on these besides her she does a lousy job at trying to take care of your needs as a paying customer. To hell with her she must need the money more than the restaurant itself....

I visited this location around lunchtime after a long morning at my OBGYN appointment. Both my baby and I were quite hungry, and I was genuinely looking forward to a nice meal. I’ve dined at other Gecko’s locations before and was excited to enjoy some of my favorites here.

Upon arrival, the restaurant was understandably busy due to the lunch rush. Fortunately, we were seated fairly quickly. Our server greeted us promptly, took our drink orders, and gave us a few minutes to review the menu. Our drinks arrived shortly thereafter, and we were told she would return soon to take our order.

However, as we waited, I noticed significant time passing without any follow-up. While I fully understand how hectic lunch service can be, it became concerning when other tables—seated 10 to 20 minutes after us—had already placed their orders and even received their meals. I eventually flagged down a staff member coming from the kitchen to ask if they could let our server know we were ready. Still, no one came.

Becoming increasingly frustrated, I flagged down another server—who was not assigned to our table—and asked if she could take our order, which she kindly did. While I truly appreciated her stepping in, the long delay in even placing our order left me feeling disappointed.

When our original server finally returned, she did acknowledge the delay and said the kitchen was prioritizing our food. However, after nearly an hour of waiting, I felt compelled to speak with a manager. I explained that other guests were seated and served well before we had even received an appetizer. Unfortunately, the only response was a brief, “Oh, I’m so sorry.” I didn’t feel truly heard or that the situation was taken seriously.

I am not someone who typically complains, nor was I expecting a free meal. However, some form of meaningful acknowledgment or accommodation would have gone a long way to make up for the oversight. Despite my patience, I left feeling ignored and disappointed.

I sincerely hope no one else has a similar experience. It’s disheartening, especially when dining out is meant to be a moment of enjoyment—particularly...

Celiac / Gluten Sensitivity? Read This! I’m shocked to discover that the menu item “Mediterranean Gluten Free Flatbread on cauliflower crust” that Geckos has served for the last 2 years or more was actually on their regular gluten crust. I have ordered it and shared it with many friends dozens of times over the last few years. The flatbread they served EVERY Time (at multiple restaurant locations) when I SPECIFICALLY ordered the GF version was a thin RECTANGULAR flatbread. (As you can see from their menu, the Mediterranean Flatbread is touted as the GF option although you can get all of the options as GF for a $3 additional charge.) I just learned on Sunday that the gluten free version ONLY comes as a thin ROUND pizza and always has! I spoke to the manager and multiple servers (at several locations) who confirmed this. When I pointed out that they have been serving me (and presumably all customers) the gluten crust for 2 1/2 years, they denied it completely even though I had a friend with me who has shared my flatbread on multiple occasions. Geckos has apparently been risking the health of their customers who are adversely affected by gluten by serving regular crust flatbread and saying that it was gluten free. NOW the Mediterranean flatbread is served on the ROUND gluten free crust. I’ve attached photos. Anybody affected by this want to join in a CLASS ACTION lawsuit for endangerment of public health? I’m appalled by their lack of concern!

Answering your response, Geckos: Clearly what you said is NOT true. I would NEVER request it to contain Gluten. And you charged the gluten free price (extra $3 or $4) for the gluten version. You don’t have an excuse for this negligence. Don’t make things worse by insulting our...