Square Grouper Tiki Bar Jupiter Inlet — Restaurant in Jupiter

As a loyal customer for years, I am extremely disappointed with the way I was treated by staff at this restaurant. Myself and my family have frequented this establishment for years and have spent a lot of money here.

I have overlooked things such as slow service days, an incorrect drink order here and there, because we are loyal repeat customers who enjoy supporting local businesses.

Today I was passing through the restaurant to board a fishing boat in the connected marina, complimenting the restaurant and suggesting that my party of 8 should eat at the Square Grouper afterwards. The captain of the boat told us to hold off for about 5 minutes and to stay out of the way of the local fishermen coming and going. I exited the dock and started heading for a trash can at the square grouper to throw my coffee away.

As I took a final sip of my coffee with the intention of throwing it out immediately, a Square Grouper employee ran over to me and began to loudly discipline me for holding a cup in my hands, as this is against the rules. I had no problem complying, however this bouncer or security individual was so incredibly hostile that I was taken aback, as this was at 11am and the place was empty. His tone was very rude and disrespectful. I stared at him in shock and he folded his hands and hovered around my family members, scowling at us and making us uncomfortable. He refused to give us any personal space. I threw out my cup and returned to my family. We were simply standing there about to board our boat at 11am and this man starts accosting my older family members, demanding that they need to pull out their ID's immediately or we have to leave the premises! My family was confused and being kind, which he met with aggression and viciousness out of nowhere! He made the women in my party feel especially uncomfortable and he certainly has made me never want to revisit the Square Grouper ever again. Refused to grab lunch here after docking because of this experience. We made the longer walk to another bar/restaurant down the street where the employees were kind and treated us with respect.

I have noticed several other reviews mentioning a hostile and ill-mannered bouncer. If this local business wishes to retain their customers who support them, they should listen to our inexcusable experiences and do something to correct the problem. After reading that there have been multiple incidences with this bouncer, you would think the business owner would care enough to take action or implement proper training. I have worked in the restaurant business before and we were trained to be friendly to our customers, not make them feel scared, embarrassed, and uncomfortable at 11am in front of their family members.

If this establishment's owner and it's staff doesn't care enough to treat me with basic human decency after spending money here and wearing the tee shirts for years, I will simply just go elsewhere, and suggest the same to all of my local family and friends. Your bouncer is aggressive and scared my family away. What a shame that you will continue to lose business...

My experience at this establishment was a stark reminder of the importance of responsible management in hospitality venues.

The occasion was a birthday celebration for a 44-year-old friend, but the evening was marred by issues that should've been avoidable.

The first red flag was the presence of patrons who appeared to be underage. While I'm no expert in age verification, it seemed clear that many of the guests were not of legal drinking age.

This raises questions about the establishment's ID checking process and their commitment to complying with laws regarding alcohol service.

Adding to this concern was an incident with an aggressive patron who insulted our birthday guest. Rather than being removed from the premises, this individual remained, further souring our experience.

Even more disappointingly, the police officer on duty seemed to misuse his authority rather than ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for all guests. A conversation with him could have potentially led to a better understanding of his actions and how the situation could have been handled differently.

I look forward to spending time in establishments where I can mingle with like-minded professionals and engage in meaningful conversations. Instead, I found myself amidst college students indulging in cheap shots and attempting to instigate fights.

One particular comment from that night sticks out: "Do you know who I am? My friend owns the bar." This kind of immature bravado, coupled with the lack of professionalism displayed by the purported "owner", further detracted from the overall atmosphere.

In summary, if your idea of a good time involves witnessing a beautiful view of the Jupiter lighthouse while surrounded by underage college students causing a ruckus, then this venue will be right up your alley.

However, if you, like me, prefer a more mature and professional environment, you might want to look elsewhere.

Keep it...

We stopped in for lunch. Navigation brought us to a narrow street that ended in the Square Grouper's tiny parking lot. Construction activity was underway and many parking spaces were coned off. Our unwelcoming first impression was the presence of many Tow Away signs. It took us 15 minutes just to drive down each row looking for parking. Other cars were rudely camping behind a car they thought may be leaving soon and blocking the row for everyone else. As we arrived at least half a dozen other vehicles were also hunting for parking in the little lot. Frustrated, we drove away. But then we found a good solution. A free public parking lot was 2 blocks away on Love Street. My tip is to just go to that lot first to park and walk the short distance to avoid the parking lot mess that's on Square Grouper property. My suggestion to management is to take down some of the Tow Away signs and put something up advising of the free lot nearby. We got a table with a great view of the Loxahatchee River and Jupiter Inlet. It was a very warm November afternoon but was comfortable at the table in the tiki bar area. The vibe at the tiki bar was fantastic. We ordered beer (Contraband IPA by Tequesta Brewing, it's really good) and lunch. The grouper and chips were great. The hamburgers were very good. My tip on ordering food at any place with "Grouper" in the name is to order the grouper and you'll be delighted as I was here. Service is minimalistic; but it's one step up from pointing your phone at a barcode and that whole drill. Here, you order food at the bar. The barmaid gives you a beeper and when it goes off, you pick it up at the to-go window. The process worked for us and was easy. At least the barmaid opened the beer bottles (drought is not available) and handed them to us. We loved the food, especially the grouper. Also, the salad that is substitutable for fries with the burgers was...