River Island Grilling Company — Restaurant in Florida

My girlfriend and I stayed here the week of 5/14 to 5/21. Her birthday was the 15th on Sunday. We asked the concierge upon check in if there was a good place to eat on the resort as I wanted to take her someplace nice for her birthday dinner if not, then did he know of someplace off site that would be acceptable. He assured us (and apparently Holdiay Inn Club Vacations are required to have at least one 5 star dining restaurant on site........his words not mine) that we would have a great eating experience at the River Island Grilling Company. We checked the menu online and saw a great variety of sushi and other entrées that sounded delicious. Much to my and my girls dismay when we we're seated we we're handed a menu that was not the "River Island Grilling Company" but the "Tradwinds' menu?. I promptly let the waitress know that we had made a mistake and went to the wrong place. Her response was "did you see the menu online?" I responded "yes". Her response was "I'm so sorry that restaurant is closed " and couldn't give me a definitive date when it would reopen. Although dissatisfied with her response we we're already there and decided to stay. To be fair the surf and turf that I ordered was great and my girls meal was delicious as well. Another couple was seated behind us and they were greeted with the waitress asking "did you see the menu online?......(brief pause)......yeah that restaurant is closed for now. Although are food was good it wasn't the 5 star dining I was told by the concierge (Nory) upon check in. It was everything I "didn't" want. People walking by in there wet bathing suits fresh out of the lazy River!? (Wich I was assured wouldn't happen from our new friend "Nory" @ the front desk. My question is. Do employees at the resort don't know what's open and what's not?.......on there own resort? And not to sound like a "Karen" but I checked there website (River Island Grilling Compay) before writing this review. Sure as the sun rises there website reads the same.....opens at 5 p.m. with the same menu I saw online!?. I work for a company with 12 employees in N.H. and we have a web designer. Any changes are noted on our website monthly. Can't see how a restaurant that is supposedly on the "biggest holdiay Inn club resort in North America" can't update there website to reflect there status. To be fair there were signs around the resort stating that "due to staffing shortages wait times we're longer than normal....and please be patient". If there are signs around the resort perhaps RIGC should take a page out of there book and update there website to read "temporary closed" or something of the like. And perhaps let the people at the front desk know so they don't give guest wrong information. Not very...

So, we got to the bar at 3:45 pm on the 5th of September 2024. Most of the bartenders will inform you about the 18% gratuity rule. The male bartender today didn't tell anyone and also cheated everyone around us who we didn't even know until we called him out.

We ordered two frozen drinks from the menu, but this time, they were poured into cheap plastic souvenir cups costing $3 each (you can ask for a cup if you want one, and we did not). This was the first upcharge that ultimately ups his mandatory gratuity. My wife asked, "Are these good drinks?" And he stated, "Don't worry, I make them good with a double shot, ok." We both got our drinks, and they were great. The unknown couple next to us, the women ordered a drink. The same bartender said for you, ma'am, I'll make it good, a double ok, turned, and walk away." She looked at her husband and said a double?

We got our bill for the two drinks and our food. It was shift change, so I asked the on coming bartender how much our drinks are? She stated, $10.00. I asked, "Then why am I being charged $40. + 18% for the two drinks. The male bartender jumped in and said $3.00 for the cups and $7.00 each for the double shot. I informed him I didn't ask for a double, and his come back was, "he said ok when making it and we didn't say anything, what do you think I am giving away the alcohol? The two $ 10 drinks now became $40.00, for both, and the upcharge automatically doubled his tip. It went from $3.60 to $7.20. He did the same to the women next to us who also didn't order double but charged her double and again increased his tip. Another unknown woman on the other side of him said he did the same to her. They were all two scared or polite to call him out. I am a LEO, and I call out a thief when I see one. He blew a gasket and got his manager involved. She made a feeble attempt to rectify the situation. She should have fired him on the spot for scamming and stealing.

So beware when you are on vacation. It's the thief you trust is the one to get you the most. HICV, do better. Fire this guy and respect you...

Let's really think about what the Hospitality industry is supposed to represent and stand for. Now to summarize our dine-in experience, a salad went to the wrong table (had to wait for another one to come out). Our party consists with a 12 year old male who's birthday was the entire reason for our trip. The birthday boy ordered teriyaki wings, they 1st served him bbq wings with the rest of our order which came out literally 1 hour after placing. The server apologizes and said she'll bring out teriyaki wings asap. 10 minutes later, an order of teriyaki wings gets served to a table that was seated literally 30mins after ours. So as our Birthday boy sits and waits hungry with our food infront of him, his wings literally goes to a table that was seated 30mins behind us. The server comes out and apologizes again. By this time our party was finished eating and asked for them to just please box his wings. Yes you are reading this right, the birthday dinner consists of the Birthday individual not even able to eat due to lack of service. Unfortunately it's more, so the manager comes with every excuse and didn't even care about any of the feedback we provided. Offered us 20% off and went on about her business. Her only choice of words during our engagement "yes I know, I'm sorry, yes I know, I'm sorry" literally just saying that over and over again then offer's us 20% off. Central FL Hospitality experience I guess, especially from the...