WOODY’S RIVER ROO PUB, GRILL & TIKI BAR — Restaurant in Palmetto

Woody’s River Roo 8-31-24 First of all, when I pulled into the parking lot, I did not expect much from this place as it was not the fanciest place I have ever seen. We got there about 12 noon on a Saturday memorial weekend. This place was not full, but it was neatly organized and clean. Some tables were under the Tiki, some were out on the boat dock area with umbrellas to shade them and some were outside and inside the Gift Shop area yes, they have a separate Gift Shop. There was a 2nd bar out on the docks to help get drinks to people. There are lot of choices if you want to sit outside or inside with ac. If you sit under the Tiki, you can hear and see the musicians much better. Our waitress Missy came over fast and took our drink orders and left menus for us to look over. She came back with our drinks and took our orders and answered any of our questions being our 1st time there. I ordered Crab and Shrimp Dip for an appetizer. It consisted of Crab, Shrimp in a dip with Tortilla Chips. For my main dish I ordered the Seafood Boil which consisted of Shrimp, Mussels, Andouille Sausage, Potatoes and Corn all for 21.95 (it was on special) You could add a Lobster Tail for 15.00 extra which I did. One thing I found I really liked was Missy asked how I wanted my Seafood boil did I want it mild medium or Hot. Way to go guys now let’s see if it ends up like I ordered. The wife ordered a side salad as she wanted the lobster that I ordered with my meal. My dad ordered the BBQ Wings. My appetizer of Crab and Shrimp dip got delivered fast and I could not believe how good this was. I am telling you I have done tons of reviews all over SW Florida and this is the best I have ever had. To tell you the truth I could have eaten an entire large bowl of that dip. We were about ¾ way through my appetizer and our main dishes came out. My Seafood boil was very hot and seasoned perfectly just like I like I wanted. This dish was so good I was astonished. I can’t say enough how much I loved this dish and there was plenty of Sea food in my Boil to fill me up. My wife’s Lobster Tail was hot and seasoned to her liking as well. My wife’s Salad was plentiful for her to eat, and she loved it. My dad stated the wings were hot and seasoned perfectly. There was plenty for him to eat and he was done, he was full. The music did start a little late but it was nice to have it while we ate our meals, and it was not too loud so we could hear each other easily. This place hit on all cylinders for us. I cannot think of anything they did to get less than 5 stars from the service to the food to the music and even the vibe of the place was all terrific. The only thing they need to do, and this is not a deal breaker, is redo the men’s bathroom, it needs some real attention. If you get the chance to go you will not be disappointed. I know we will definitely be back. I give this place a top score of 5 stars, and I just don’t hand them out they have to earn them, and Woody’s did just that. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Follow Me On FB For More...

At Woody's River Roo. check you bill, you might just find a Switcheroo. Get a receipt and review it. Our tip magically changed from $13.00 to $18.22 after signing.

I frown upon restaurants that have suggested tips starting at 20%. Their handheld payment device had 20%, 22% and 24%. Of course, there is custom tip and no tip options. I asked for some extra time to calculate an appropriate tip based on an 80+ year old. I acknowledge there are other tables and in a rush to get to them, but give me a few seconds to consider an appropriate tip. Our bill was $70.94 plus $4.97 tax. We tipped $13.00 on the handheld. Reviewing the paper receipt the tip magically changed to exactly 24% of the bill. This included tipping tax. I am so glad we reviewed the receipt before getting up from the table.

I don't like creating a scene in public, and we didn't. We requested a manager. The manager brushed it off as a computer glitch. I don't believe that for a single minute. The manager said she voided the original receipt and reissued it again without the tip on it. I left a cash tip of $13.00. In retrospect, I should have left an $8.00, to reflect a $5 skew in the opposite direction. Note: I will be monitoring to make sure that invalid charge never posts and contest it if it does post.

Anyway... We identified an issue. We brought it to the attention of the manager. The manager remedied our issue. I can only hope appropriate action is taken so it doesn't happen to others. And I encourage senior management at Woody's to review all Amy M's receipts.

Senior management can reach out to me. But I stand by what is written above.

FYI, Their payment systems results in you tipping tax. I wonder if the state of Florida gets that money. Or is this rebutted as another glitch?

Had it not been for Amy M, this review would be 4 stars in our view. It's a shame really.

The run down for the day... My 80+ year old mother wanted to take my wife and I out to lunch. She likes views of the water and I proposed this place. We've never been here before, but we think we have seen it while driving northbound on rt 75 plenty of times before. Seating was comfortable, and our seats had a nice view. If they didn't have plastic chairs closer to the water, we would have sat there instead. Entree are a bit overpriced. Grouper bites were very good and were not all breading. Coconut shrimp were a little well done. Florida burger was good, but would have appreciated a bit more salsa and guac. I suggest sticking with the standard fries, they seemed more homemade than the onion rings or the sweet potato fries. They also tasted best out of all three sides.

Would we consider returning to Woody's? Honestly, I cannot say we would. We had a bad experience and it might have just been the result of...

First time coming down to Woody's. It was a little bit hot outside but that's Florida for you we decided to eat outside the atmosphere was inviting it was nice it was something different. We both had the Shrimp and Grouper Rice bowl. It was very delicious with the combination of flavors that was placed in the bowl. It had a Thai sauce a lil kick if you like a little spice to your dish. I was disappointed I hardly received any grouper maybe one sliver so it was disappointing to not see more grouper on the plate considering I paid almost $20 for the plate. I was expecting more seafood then I saw. I would have given a higher rating if there was more seafood in the bowl. Had a $5 margarita it was very good. Beer $3 in the bottle. Again if we had a a little bit more that you can see it portion for seafood, I have been to other establishments and it's been overflowing so it was disappointing to see a couple of shrimps on the plate. Overall experience was nice it was friendly as I stated we were outside so it's a little bit hotter than usual so check your outside temperature before you get there. Nice outdoor area overlooking the water and the bridge you can pull up with your Sea-Doo or your small boat. Parking was overflowing so it's probably good to have a takeout if you live close we managed to get parking after a little bit. We were leaving as they set up the live entertainment but I'm sure it was good it was packing up as we exited. So I guess get there early if you know that there's an event. Bill and total with two drinks and two bowls was $50 not including a tip Waitress was very nice great...