Lighthouse Grill and Tiki Bar — Restaurant in Englewood

Next time someone suggests we go to the Lighthouse Grill, I will eat somewhere else first then just order a cold beverage and enjoy the view.

I mostly eat at places with a water view, and Lighthouse has a pretty good one. I try to eat healthy so the salmon dinner is my go to meal there. The fish can be dry, but I bring my version of Chipotle mayo sauce to at least give it some flavor. I order the veggies and a starch as my sides and it may not be great, but it will sustain life.

Today I let myself wander and ordered the "Wahoo" sandwich, no bacon. I lived in Hawaii for a few years, and Wahoo was good eats there. How bad could it be here, right? Well, it was one of the worst meals in my 69 years on this planet. The fish was so overcooked you couldn't tell it was actually fish. Was is actually the sole of an old boot covered in charred lima beans? I should have sent it back, not eaten it, or walked out. But, my wife was with me and I was hungry, so I just gnawed my way through it. I did give her a taste, she agreed, it was nasty.

Rebuttal: Could I have sent it back, sure. However, the fish in my sandwich was so badly massacred I just don't see any competent cook looking at it and thinking, "That looks good, I would eat that". Plus, what could I expect to receive it's place? As I see it, my job as a customer is to politely request a table, order from the menu the restaurant implies they can produce, eat in a civilized manner so as not to disturb others, then pay the bill and tip the waitress. Am I also expected to steer the cook towards some level of mediocrity? I went there because I was hungry. Should I have to wait for a replacement meal and hope the cook does not feel a need to affect some worse type of food revenge to punish me for his own shortcomings? No thank you.

With nothing but suggestions on how I can police someone else's business, I find it easier to give other eateries a try. Deep Lagoon, Waverly's, Casey Key, Nokomo's, and Crow's Nest just to name a few all have decent view's. One of these did serve food that made two in our party ill ( from an improperly stored cream sauce ) , but, their CS made amends, and we...

Every time in the past 2 years we've gone to the Lighthouse Grill and Tiki Bar it has had a sewer smell, but today the smell was unbearable and had to leave after appetizers. 😢

Reply to Owner Response:

I am not a tourist, but am a local resident. I love nature, and am fully aware of what mangroves and other local vegetation smells like. We did not experience a sulfer-like odor or red tide odor, etc., but what we experienced was pungent sewage odor. We love eating at waterfront restaurants and continue eating at them all along the Gulf from Tarpon Springs to Punta Gorda and on the Atlantic from Melbourne to Key West and have never smelled the same odor that we experience at the Lighthouse Grill and Tiki Bar. We had guests with us from out of town, and we made a comment to our waitresss and she told us it was because of a release from Okeechobee. There was no other place to sit to not smell the odor as we all smelled it all the way back to our table which was as far from the water as we could go. Others were mentioning it as well. I didn't mention in my original post, however, it's quite coincidental that #1 - the last several times that we have visited your establishment, we have been told that one or both bathrooms are out of order, then this last time there were porta potties out in front everyone was using. And #2 - every time in the past that we have mentioned the smell to your staff, we have received different reasons as to why the sewage smell is so strong. After we left your restaurant we took our friends directly to Englewood Beach and there was absolutely no odor there. I'm sorry, but these are the facts. We have enjoyed eating at your restaurant in the past when there was no odor, and if there's a reason as to why everyone is experiencing it because of renovation, that's fine, just let us know when you expect renovations to be completed and...

Let me start this review saying we had a love/hate relationship with this restaurant for a while. Previous ownership or previous incarnation - pre hurricane Ian let the quality and service slip for the prices asked. Post Ian reopening held promise. The parking situation was improved, the service was stepped up , and the atmosphere was amazing. As I sit here on Feb 14, 2025 for an early dinner, the parking, the service, the atmosphere, and even the food taste is spot on. Where i find my disappointment is with the price to portion. I bought a pulled pork sandwich that appeared to served using a small ice cream scoop on a bun smaller that a McDonald's burger bun. It promised fried onion straws or rings, but there were maybe two, really unsure because they were mangled on top with a delicately small amount of BBQ sauce. My wife who is small in stature and usually can only finish approximately 1/2 her meal was able to finish all but a few bites of what was billed as a meat sampler platter for $27.00. Oh I forgot to mention my dollop of pulled pork was $13.00. The wings seemed as if they were from a pigeon and not a chicken and the ribs from a baby pig. The brisket portion consisted of 3 bites of meat (a real sample). The drinks were amazing and our server Jess was attentive and sweet. Again the taste of the food was good, the portions were pediatric at best.

Disappointment, just because the ambiance is awesome it doesn't give a reason to skimp on portions at the prices being charged. Most of the folks are visitors and seasonal and don't care, but those of us who live here full time and like to spend our money at restaurants who offer value for the dollars spent. This is not the place that offers such.

( The drinks...