Lazy Turtle RiverFront Grill & Tiki Bar — Restaurant in Palm Bay

Our recent visit to The Lazy Turtle marked our third dinner at this Palm Bay staple. As always, the food was nothing short of excellent. They've managed to consistently maintain their culinary standards across our visits, a testament to their commitment to quality dining.

The restaurant's ambiance is equally praiseworthy, truly a place to unwind and immerse yourself in the tropical vibes that only Florida can offer. The Lazy Turtle, with its ambient lighting and tasteful décor, creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere that really adds to the overall dining experience.

What truly stands out at this establishment is the sushi chef. He's always been genuinely friendly, engaging with customers in a way that makes you feel like you're not just another face in the crowd. His warmth and professionalism stand out in stark contrast to the otherwise rather lackluster service we've experienced.

However, our satisfaction with the Lazy Turtle comes to a halt when it comes to the attention to detail from the rest of the staff. We've noticed an unwelcome pattern of neglect, most notably, we didn't receive our bread until it was practically time to leave. This, coupled with overlooked drink refills, made for a somewhat underwhelming experience.

Another significant flaw in our experience was the payment process. As we readied ourselves to settle the bill, our waitress was nowhere to be found. It was the bartender who came to our rescue, providing timely assistance when we needed it. To our dismay, as we left the restaurant, we saw our waitress, the manager, and a handful of other staff members enjoying a smoke break out back. It was disheartening to see such blatant disregard for customer service. The priority given to personal leisure over duty was crystal clear.

Perhaps the most glaring inconvenience is the parking situation. Their decision to reserve the entirety of the relatively small parking lot for valet services — despite it being a stone's throw away from the front door — is questionable at best. Being forced to park next door and make the trek to the restaurant added an unnecessary layer of frustration to our evening.

All in all, the Lazy Turtle shines where the food and atmosphere are concerned, but falls short in service and logistical convenience. It's a mixed bag, so approach with measured expectations. The exquisite food and the lovely ambiance may very well be worth overlooking the minor inconveniences for some, but a reassessment of the restaurant's service ethics and customer attention is...

We hadn’t visited this restaurant since it was Paisanos, many years ago. Since we enjoyed it then, we decided to try it with the new name, “Lazy Turtle”. We walked in around dinner time on a Tuesday evening, it was not busy at all. The hostess said to sit anywhere, so we began to sit at a table in the first dining room but were then told not to sit in that space, so we sat in the bar area dining room at a window seat with a great view of the river. We were welcomed promptly and our drink orders were taken. We requested water first, one with lemon and the other without. Both of our waters had a lemon in it, not a big deal but was just expecting a little more attention to detail since there was no one else seated and it looked like a really nice place. I ordered the three fish tacos with mixed vegetables and my wife ordered the Romano Chicken with mixed vegetables and Caesar salad (to replace the mashed potatoes). Our food took longer than expected since no one else was in the restaurant. Once it arrived, I received French Fries instead of the mixed vegetables, my wife received the mashed potatoes she didn’t want. Here is where it gets weird. We mentioned the mix up with our waitress, she acknowledged that she wrote it down correctly so the kitchen must have messed it up, however she never corrected it. She also didn’t attempt to discount the meal or anything like that. At any rate, my tacos were pretty good, out of the three, one of them seemed to be much seasoned differently (spicier) than the other two. Although I didn’t order the fries, they were really good. My wife was less than impressed with her dish. She said that the parmesan chicken was tasteless, unseasoned, chicken thickly coated in a crispy breading, and barely topped with a weak sauce and tiny bit of cheese. Her vegetables were badly overcooked and mushy. The mashed potatoes she didn’t want, but ate since the other food was not good, were tasty. Our drinks ran dry a couple of times, which again I thought was odd since it wasn’t busy. All in all, it was an o.k. visit, nothing that would draw...

Short version: Overall decent place with large portions, some employees that don't care and a few that really do. Ask for Emily and bring your appetite! Long review: Last night was Valentine's day. My boyfriend and I made reservations for 7:30 and arrived a little early. We decided to sit outside at the bar and wait for our designated reservation time and have a drink. Emily was bartending outside. Firstly I'd like to say it was not as busy as I'd expected it to be. Emily was absolutely incredible!! I ordered an espresso martini and was advised prior to her submitting the order it would have to come from inside and there might be a short wait. Fine, I'm in no rush! Little did I know the bar staff inside would take a half an hour to make it IF they made it at all. Emily eventually decided she would run inside to make it herself. It was very disappointing to see her running around doing the job of several the entire night. As we watched the inside bar staff goof around and chat all night, Emily was doing everything she could to ensure the satisfaction of the guests on the deck outside. Emily was definitely amazing! She recommended some wonderful drinks and was very attentive (as possible, considering she was wearing like 4 different hats). The food was AMAZING and the portions were huge! I ordered the lobster sushi roll, it was gigantic and I've honestly never had a better lobster sushi roll in my life! Best ever! The fish dip was really good too and again, they give you a lot of it with carrots, celery, and crackers. My boyfriend ordered the fish and chips and the size of the fish was astounding! They were huge too! He really enjoyed them. The drinks were amazing, the food was amazing, the service was mediocre at best (from everyone EXCEPT Emily, because Emily's service was top tier, incredible) and when we go back, we'll always...