Tiki Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Minneola

I travel all over by RV. I'm a Florida resident since forever but never been in this neck of the woods before. I picked this unfortunate establishment based on the fact that I'm hungry and it was nearby. Hidden and cozy might apply - but not. So dark i drove past it. Took a guess because. . Well lit signs - they have one but really hard to figure out where the heck the place was. The parking lot is like a bombed out runway in a war zone. Ground lighting non good for bat's, but not people. I carry a flashlight so i ventured in the direction of the smell of burning meat (usually a good sign that there's food) i could have been trespassing into someone's home.. . I found the alleged restaurant and sat The bar which had 3 customers and one person on the other side of the plank. After she casually finished her conversation she said 'hi ' and went back to talking. after more than a minute she walked out of sight. A customer said, 'someone will be right with you.' I thanked him. The person behind the bar returned without acknowledging me and went back to her conversation. Did i mention she didn't even look my direction? At all? After a few more minutes i was getting ready to leave. I'm hungry thirsty and this sucked.. a woman came out from the back and asked what she could get me...i said a menu... she said , "I'm sorry the kitchen is closed do you want a drink menu? " No was all i said and as i walked back to my car i needed my flashlight again on the boardwalk with tiki torches mostly unlit. At 10:30 pm where the web says they're open till midnight this is ridiculous!!! Trouble in staffing? I understand, put it here where we know up front. Instead of introducing a new customer to your quirky, one of a kind venue you honked off someone who will never be back AND will bad mouth you to EVERYONE he talks to about this place...tsk, tsk. . So far I've gone to two restaurants in Mineola area and had two less than stellar experiences... I'm glad I'm moving on cause i wouldn't want to live here and will never eat around here again. No photos cause it...

This place needs little in the way of great reviews. It's been here a long time and there's always a wait for tables. The location is beautiful and the grounds are well-kept. Our time here was very relaxing. But I will offer one compliment.

First though, allow me to digress for a moment. It's been my experience in recent years that I suffer from invisibility. Yes, that's right. I'm in my late 50s, with more disposable income than I've ever had in my life. But often times I will enter a bar or tavern and the servers can't see me. Weird right? They pass right by me over and over, and yet her I am ... thirsty. Hold up my hand ... nothing. Hold out some cash ... nothing. Call out to them ... maybe a "just-a-minute", with more nothing to follow. Thirsty; and willing to pay the establishment prices for drinks and food that I could have at home for much less money.

And I'm talking pre and post-Covid. This always confounds me. The first priority of any business should be to separate me from my money. I've already made the decision to come in; I've expressed my interest and intent to hand over my money for goods and services to be rendered; and yet I can't get a cold beer in front of me sometimes to save my life.

Okay, back to the compliment. Sorry for the rant.

Today at Tiki I had the most pleasant server named Amy. All I had to do was approach the bar, make eye contact with her, and ... wow! I'm not invisible anymore! And it was like this all day. In fact, everyone seated around the bar appeared to be getting amazing service ... from Amy and all the staff. So clearly the proprietor has their priorities in order. Provide exceptional service; collect money from old guys like me; and repeat. If only some other places could grasp this concept. I won't name any names (GJ).

Thanks for a great visit. See...

First off- ask for bug spray. Second, I'll bet this place gets INSANE sunset views. I literally just happened upon this place when the restaurant we originally planned for suddenly shut down for the evening upon our arrival due to a plumbing issue. They suggested we go here so we gave it a shot.

Literally just grab an empty table, otherwise you're standing around for a bit. But the food is worth the wait! They only have beer and wine but it was still worth it. I can't digest meat and have been avoiding mushroom cap burgers like the plague due to them just not sounding too appealing in general but that was my only option here, unfortunately.

Pros- My mind is blown. That was the BEST vegetarian burger it can be vegan but I love me some cheese I HAVE EVER HAD. I can't believe I waited so long to try this! I hope anywhere else I go makes it just as good but I didn't expect to be floored by a mushroom cap lmfao. I also gave their key lime pie a shot, SO GOOD they must use sweetened condensed milk or something, this thing was a beast. I've had tons of key lime pie and this was by far my favorite. Everyone else I was with had the burgers and wings and raved about their french fries and how good the food was. Great hang out spot, you can see the fish, even at night (with a flash light) while dining. They splash around and fight over stray french fries lol. Quite the show. Service was great too! No thrills but a friendly staff no less.

Cons- the wait for the food was very long. But the food was completely worth the wait! I think they should add a chips and guac or salsa or queso at sit down, that'd be perfect. That was my onky complaint and I really hope they take it into consideration!

With that said - I'll totally be back. Thanks so much for making a great night...