Port 27 — Restaurant in Lake Hamilton

To Port 27 Management,

I am reaching out to express deep concern and disappointment over the hiring practices being carried out at your establishment. It has come to my attention that Port 27 is engaging in a pattern of offering employment to young adults, only to mislead, ignore, and ultimately take advantage of them.

Recently, my niece and nephew both applied to job postings you published. They were led to believe they had been officially hired—both signed intent-to-work documents, and my niece even began working. What followed was an extremely unprofessional and disheartening series of events. My nephew was strung along with promises of hours that never came. My niece, after working as directed, suddenly had all of her hours cut without explanation.

This kind of treatment is not only unprofessional—it is exploitative. Port 27 appears to be taking advantage of young, eager job seekers, offering them false hope and empty promises just to discard them when convenient. This is a shameful way to treat anyone, especially young adults trying to enter the workforce and build responsibility.

Misleading people into thinking they have a job, only to ghost them or eliminate their hours after getting them on the schedule, is a serious breach of ethical responsibility. If this is how Port 27 operates, it reflects a complete lack of leadership, integrity, and accountability within management.

I hope this message serves as a wake-up call. These individuals deserve better—and your future applicants will be warned accordingly if these...

Port 27 is a beautifully designed lifestyle spot tucked right off Highway 27 in Lake Hamilton, just past the Winter Haven line. The vibe was exactly what I love—laid-back, upscale without being stuffy, with lakeside views and thoughtfully curated shops. The pizza from the pizzeria was gourmet-level—fresh, flavorful, and perfectly baked. I didn’t explore every corner, but what I saw left a great impression. I’ll definitely be back (hopefully when it’s not blazing hot!).

That said, the only serious drawback is the traffic flow. There’s just one way in and one way out—for valet, guests, and vendors alike—and it's a tight fit. The entrance is located just beside a traffic light but not aligned with it, so it requires a U-turn to enter and a risky turn to exit. When leaving, you're forced to merge with high-speed traffic while also navigating around incoming vehicles. Visibility is a big issue—especially if you’re in a sedan like I was. I couldn’t safely see around a large truck turning in, even though the driver tried to help.

🚨 Suggestion: Redirect the exit behind the plaza near Floridino’s or rework the main entrance to align with the light and improve safety. As it stands, it’s a fender bender waiting to happen. If you go, I highly recommend using a rideshare service and getting dropped off just outside the main gate for easier access.

Aside from that, Port 27 is a fantastic addition to the area. Beautiful concept, great food, and lots...

I was witness to a humiliating and blatantly unprofessional shut down of a small 40th birthday celebration yesterday 9/6 around 6:30 pm. A few families, multiple with kids, were having what appeared to be a small gathering for a birthday party. They had no outside food or beverages and everyone appeared to be ordering plenty of food and drinks. I saw staff bringing pizzas and burgers and drinks to them. I heard what I can only imagine was a manager on duty pretty much just tell them all that “they should leave” since they didn’t formally go through Port 27 to organize the “event”. It was brutal. The kids and the families were embarrassed to be treated this way and it was abundantly clear that we, the onlookers, were equally as shocked. I asked a member of the birthday party if I had missed anything and she simply said “had we known a few balloons would cause all this we never would have come. How embarrassing”. The ballon’s in question!? There were only 6-8 ballon’s on one, singular table. The gathering was shut down as kids and families were still waiting for their food and drinks to be delivered. I saw the birthday girl walking out with her head down and tears in her eyes. I’ve never left a review, ever, but this was deeply troubling to witness. I would never spend another dime at this place. Never. I feel bad for the families and the onlookers. Also, the burger and potato chip meal I had was $23 and I’ve never been more...