GG's Waterfront — Restaurant in Hollywood

Terrible experience at this restaurant. My wife and I were looking to go for our anniversary and have a good time and relax. When we got there we were greeted very nicely by the 2 hosts and then taken to our table very promptly. Once we were seated at our table and the waiter “Enslo” came we were very rushed and he wouldn’t even let us finish ordering before starting to walk away, and that happened while us trying to order our appetizers and our entrees, so twice. Now we are in our 20’s but do not drink alcohol, so I’m not sure if the waiter just thought our table “wasn’t worth it” but his service was the worst. It was over a 30 minute wait between our appetizers and our entrees, even though we ordered everything at the same time to make sure our orders were in. For my entree meal I also requested some sauces on the side, which never came and I had to ask the food runner who brought us the food to bring it out for us since our waiter was nowhere to be found. The NY was very good however my wife was not a fan of the Seafood Primavera. Lastly, once we go to pay the bill, after the waiter takes our card and comes back with the authorization receipt, my credit card was nowhere to be found. Even though he kept saying he “100% put it in with the receipts” my card was nowhere to be found. After this he dissapeared and neither my wife nor I could find him, so we waved down a waitress from the area next to his and told her that our card was missing, to which she just said she would let him know. After 5-10 minutes of waiting we just decided to go to the front desk and speak with a manager as this was out of control and just an all around terrible experience. After speaking with the manager he tried assisting and looking around the restaurant, after we continued searching our waiter came back and apologized and said he would continue looking, he kept explaining how it wouldn’t get lost and someone must have it. Never placing the blame in himself, eventually after 10-15 minutes of searching the manager comes out of the office and asks if “that” was my card, to which I said yes, it has my name and I could prove it. This type of service is exactly why I am against an automatic 18% gratuity, which this restaurant does carry that policy, because the service is terrible and the waiters do not care because they know that no matter what their wages are automatically accounted for no matter the type or quality of service they provide. After all of this, the manager nor the waiter or any staff member for that matter offered any sort of reimbursement or act of apology. Truly a terrible experience here and will never dine here again. Sad to say but the highlight of the dinner was being welcomed by the hostess and taken to our table, everything after that was completely disastrous. They simply do not care about you as a customer, all they care is that you spend a few hundred bucks and go on your way, and no matter what experience you had you bet that the 18% gratuity will be automatically included...

We were looking for a lunch spot on New Years Day and remembered that my mother raved about the few times she had been to GG's so we decided to try it out. We arrived and the only parking option offered was to valet our vehicle. There is a $6 charge for the service and they collect payment before you go into the restaurant. We were seated immediately upon arrival and had the table right by the door to head out to the dock area. The ambiance of the restaurant was great and the people were friendly. Upon being seated we were greeted by a pleasant young woman who kindly advised us that she wasn't our server and was assisting the individual who was to be our server. Our server was not visible at the time of this young woman addressing us. She went to get us some waters and upon returning took our drinks order. After some time, our server did come over to our table and told us that he sees that we put in a drink order and that he would grab our drinks for us. We were never offered the break basket that every other table that was sat after us got. Little did we know that would be the last time our server would acknowledge us for the day. The initial young woman came back and took the rest of our order. We started with the Lobster Bisque, which was flavorful but lukewarm by the time we got it to our table. I waited for our server to come over and check on us as I needed another drink but he was too busy snapping group photos for the other tables he was serving. For our main course we had the Florida Mahi Mahi and we also ordered a Cesar Salad with Salmon. The mahi mahi was extremely overcooked and dry and the salad was brought out without any salmon. I made attempts to hail my server, but he was too busy attending to the other tables he had. He often times had to pass our table to attend to those other tables and didn't even check to see if there was anything needed. My wife and I frequent specialty restaurants quite often and was appalled by the service that was offered on the day in question. The young lady who was assisting did a great job and we were quite satisfied with her effort but the gentleman who was to be our server did everything but the job he was trusted to fulfill. The manager did come over and comp our drinks off the tab but that was not going to take the bad taste out of our mouths. This was our first and last time at GG's because it is quite evident that they do not need nor care for...

I’m genuinely torn writing this review because GGS Waterfront has all the makings of a perfect dining experience: the food was truly exceptional—fresh, flavorful, beautifully presented—and the ambiance? Absolutely breathtaking. The waterfront view at sunset was nothing short of magical. I wanted to love this place. I tried to. But unfortunately, the entire evening was overshadowed by the appalling behavior of someone who should be setting the standard for hospitality: Amber, one of the managers.

I’m not usually someone who writes reviews, and when I do, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. But Amber’s attitude was beyond unacceptable—it was shocking. From the second we had even the slightest issue and tried to politely address it, she treated us like we were a burden. Her tone was curt, passive-aggressive, and laced with condescension. There was no warmth, no apology, no sense of professionalism. Just a thick wall of hostility that instantly changed the energy at our table.

To be honest, I left feeling embarrassed. It’s humiliating to be treated that way in front of your guests—especially when you’re just trying to enjoy what should have been a lovely meal. It felt like she went out of her way to make us feel small, and frankly, I’m still stunned someone like her holds a leadership role in a hospitality setting.

On the flip side, Doug, another manager, was a breath of fresh air. He came to check on us with genuine concern in his voice, made sure we were okay, and took the time to listen. Doug clearly understands what customer service is supposed to look like—he showed empathy, professionalism, and grace. In another world, with him running the show, I’d be a loyal, repeat customer.

But here’s the truth: I won’t be returning to GGS Waterfront. Not as long as Amber is there. One bad manager has the power to destroy a brand, and sadly, she’s well on her way to doing just that. Until someone decides that the dignity of guests matters more than protecting toxic employees, I’ll be spending my evenings elsewhere—somewhere I feel welcome, respected, and valued.

It breaks my heart to say this, but beautiful food and a gorgeous view just aren’t enough when the person in charge makes you feel like you’re not worth their time.

Do...