Tinker Latin Restaurant - Main St. — Restaurant in Gainesville

It was the worst experience ever. They said they are a pet-friendly restaurant, but they forgot to let pet owners know that dogs can’t bark at all.

My little poodle was barked at by another dog once we arrived (nothing happened), so Max stayed excited.

We asked for a table far from the other dogs, but mine was still scared. A very rude and not well-trained manager/owner asked us to make the dog stop barking.

I asked her how to do that because, until now, I have no idea how to force a dog not to be a dog. Unfortunately, she didn’t know, and her response was worse than the request.

At the same time, another manager/owner came and asked us to leave the restaurant because they only allowed well-behaved dogs. At that point, Max was so nervous, and we felt so uncomfortable that we agreed to leave.

Worst service ever, but up to there, nothing more than a bad time in a popular place.

We just had drinks on the table, so we stood up and left without touching it. But at the door, the guy in the picture, very rude and in a very wrong manner, asked us to pay for the drinks.

So they wanted to kick us out and make us pay for what we hadn’t been able to consume.

We asked them to give us the drinks to go, to which they refused, insisting that either we pay what they demanded or they would call the police.

Naturally, we urged them to go ahead. We were waiting for the police to arrive, eager to see how they would explain the situation and, moreover, how they would force us to pay for a service and products we hadn’t used.

The guy, like a true coward, didn’t call the police. Instead, he just walked out and handed us the drinks in cups and two bottled beers.

He forced us to pay over 20 dollars, which is outrageous given the circumstances.

In terms of customer service, handling situations, tact, and manners, they have no clue.

We appreciate having discovered the demeanor of that place with terrible service and untrained managers. It was an unfortunate experience that we certainly won’t recommend to anyone.

In tue pictures: the rude...

I recently had the opportunity to dine at Tinker for Valentine's Day, having heard numerous positive reviews about the establishment. As we did not make a reservation, I anticipated a potential wait and, indeed, we arrived at 8 PM and were seated around 8:45 PM. During our wait, I observed that the hostess was focused primarily on reservations, which created an initial barrier in communication and comfort. It seems she may have been instructed to continue seating guests, yet her demeanor made it challenging to engage with her.

Once seated, we were attended to by a waiter who appeared to be managing a busy service period—an understandable scenario during holidays. While we did encounter a few issues with items missing from our order, I recognize that busy times can lead to these lapses. Finding our waiter for follow-up requests proved to be somewhat difficult, but it was apparent that the team was making every effort to provide service under the circumstances.

I would like to highlight the commendable work of a pregnant staff member, who was actively ensuring all guests had a pleasant experience that evening. Her dedication did not go unnoticed, and I appreciate her hospitality.

Regarding the meal, both my partner and I found the dishes to be somewhat saltier than expected, but we remain eager to return at a less hectic time to explore other menu options. We look forward to an improved experience on...

Edit: Tinker was nicer before, our recent experience was very disappointing. The menu has been overhauled, a long with the fact that most all of the menu is no longer gluten free, which was a previous selling point when they opened. The arepas are no longer GF which is very sad. They are also now half the size of what they were. My girlfriend who has a severe gluten reaction loved coming here, but now +90% of the menu she can't consume. The cocktail menu doesn't state what brands of spirits are used, and the staff doesn't know either. We tried to order a Moscow mule and Mojito for dinner, they were out of both. Even though the place was almost empty, getting a drink and food took an excessive amount of time. The last time we were there with a larger group everything came out very quickly, and it was a full night. It's very sad that this will no longer be an option to return to.

It was very lovely food and a cute place to be. The service was great and the meats that you can choose were super tasty. The pork that had an upcharge was extremely great and well worth the price. The add-ons for doing a build your own are very over charged for how much you receive. There was an arepas bowl, I believe, that another member of our party got, and that looked like the much better deal than the build your own. All the food was still great, the mojito was very tasty. I wish there were more...