Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Plano

I’ve been reluctant to leave a review because I understand how difficult the economy is right now. However, after the treatment my colleague and I experienced a few weeks ago, I believe it’s best to share.

I live in Legacy West (over 4 years) and frequent this area often. It was a nice day so my colleague and I decided to go have a drink and appetizer after work. When we arrived, the outside area had PLENTY of opening seating. For reference, this was like at 5:15 on a Tuesday….not busy at all. We approached the hostess stand and inquired about seating and was told it would be 35-45 minutes for a table. And I said, “oh okay, are all the tables out here already reserved.” She replied, “no but I’m not seating you at a table larger than a two seater.” She also said this with much attitude and we were being extremely polite. So as I looked around, there were individuals that were literally a party of ONE sitting at tables for four/six, so I pointed it out to her. Like why do we have to wait for 45 minutes for an unreserved table, when others are happily seated in the same area. She then became irritated because she couldn’t provide a logical answer and went to get her manager.

The manager arrives and seats us without hesitation and apologizes about the “confusion.” So we finally sit and just begin to debrief from the day and our server arrives. His first question (he’d obviously talked to the hostess that was mad we got seated) “hi guys are we waiting on four more people.” I responded, we are not it’ll just be us for a quick drink and appetizer. He then says, “oh wow, big table for just you two” in which I replied, “look around, did you ask the other guest that are seated at 4 and 6 tables where the rest of their party was or did you just greet them appropriately and take their order.” He said no I didn’t ask them, I’m just saying we don’t usually do this. I then told him that the manager seated us here so there should be no questioning on our end and he should just take our order. I guess that upset him.

I then requested to speak with the manager because why are we STILL talking about this seating arrangement. Hadn’t been offered water or anything at this point.

The manager arrives, very nice initially, and literally apologizes and says “yeah, I’ve noticed that a lot with them…I think it’s a cultural thing.” Excuse me, what sir??? I couldn’t believe he actually admitted that and my colleague captured all of this on video which I will be sharing to my social media this week. I was blown away by his response and simply asked him to make sure we could more forward the rest of the evening and be treated like paying customers and not reminded of where we were seated by our server. For reference, I’m AA and my colleague is white. Everyone in the outside area was also non African American lol. Again, his words not mine because I don’t pull the racist card ever. I am very affiliated in this community and I’m always at legacy west.

So finally, we have our app and drinks and we’re chatting/laughing, enjoying our evening and the manager comes back. He said, “a lot of our staff are feeling threatened by you and if it continues I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Our faces…..completely shocked. I asked him what in the world was he talking about as we’d had no further interaction with anyone. Hadn’t looked at anyone, approached anyone, or even left our seats and I was facing the wall. He then said, “well not all the staff, just two people.” The butt hurt hostess and her following the leader friend, the server.” These people we still SO MAD that we simply got seated at an open table like everyone else in America. My friend (which is a doctor and very well known in the area) let the manager know these interactions were being recorded and we asked for our checks to leave. As they were getting the check, these people had the audacity to call security to watch us walk out and followed us harassingly. I honestly was so floored and shocked as I have NEVER experienced anything like this on that strip. I will be pursuing...

Update 9/24/2024: Had the pleasure of dining here today for lunch for the first time at the suggestion of Yelp! Walking in, the tropical ambiance wowed me and I immediately felt a vibrant and relaxed resort feel with an island vibe. We were immediately greeted by hostess Zoe and she checked us in for our 11:15 AM OpenTable Reservation; then gave us a choice between the patio or booth and seated us.

Alex was our server - impeccable, knowledgeable, attentive and receptive to our needs as well as a great conversationalist. It was good vibes from start to finish and I loved his attitude, enthusiasm, and energy. He truly cared about us and that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. My Mom and I were warmly welcomed like Family and truly enjoyed our meal.

Bartender José handcrafted an amazing Dancing In The Dark Tequila-based Espresso Martini which accompanied our meal perfectly. Too often at other establishments, I order Espresso Martinis and it’s too acidic, but this had the perfect balance of flavors. Well-executed and we will be back as semi-regulars for sure!

5/5 Hummus & Whipped Feta The contrast and depth of flavor was most noteworthy here. The olive-cucumber relish and honey figs with the flatbread for dipping made this a home run! We boxed up the remainder to enjoy tomorrow. I could make a meal out of this the next time. This starter alone is worth a return visit.

5/5 The Thai Shrimp and Scallops was the star of the show! The flavors melded together beautifully on the palate and the slightly tangy coconut curry invigorated the taste buds. The addition of asparagus and carrots complemented the entire dish very well.

5/5 Parmesan-Crusted Sanibel Chicken My Mom was raving about this dish, so you know I just had to sneak a piece off her plate. She and I agree that it was flavorful, tender, succulent, and remained hot throughout the meal. The almond rice and Yukon gold mash were the ideal accompaniments. She mentioned that she would get this again on our next visit.

All dishes excellent in terms of presentation and taste. Portions ideal. Prices are in line with where we feel confident and comfortable without compromising on quality and taste. We have added this restaurant to our list of rotations and will be frequent patrons. My Mom and I have already made a Reservation for Brunch and will be returning here for my 41st birthday celebration in December. —————————————————————————— I saw a dress in the window that I just had to have. Kaitlyn greeted Mom and me as soon as we walked through the door and provided stellar customer service. From start to finish, my shopping experience was quick and easy. She started a fitting room for me and asked me to direct any questions I had to her. She created a Tommy Bahama Account for me at checkout, so I am officially in their system as of yesterday afternoon. I ended up purchasing the dress in a small and two pairs of Olukai Beach Sandals.

As I came out of the fitting room, my intrigue turned to excitement, because there was a section of Olukai. I saw these spiffy little numbers out of the corner of my eye. These are the most comfortable, durable, and long-lasting Beach Sandals I have ever owned and clearly utilize quality materials. The footbed conforms to your shape and the sole provides reliable traction - which comes in handy especially for wet, rocky, and/or slippery surfaces. I still have my old Olukais from 2018, but decided to purchase two more pairs (a size 7 for me and size 10 for Mom). Will definitely return to this location when necessary.

Can't comment on the Restaurant section as we have not yet experienced it. We have made reservations through OpenTable and will return on Tuesday to have lunch. Have heard only...

Update: It pains me to give this rating but after a second bad experience I think I’m done with Tommy Bahama. I have been going to this chain (and the Plano location for six years) and other locations for at least 10 years and every time I am in Hawaii (Waikiki or California (Newport Beach) I make plans to eat there. I also belong to the loyalty club and shop their retail outlets often. About a month ago I ate at the Plano location and we came in at 5pm when the patio wasn’t busy yet. We asked to be seated by the glass and the hostess said since they were all reserved we couldn’t sit there. I also asked to be seated further from the live music area because I have hearing disability. She told us the only table available was next to the musician who was setting up. The tables against the glass and in the back were empty for a solid 90 minutes and at any given time there was always one or two tables empty. It was like she was making a point to not accommodate either of my requests because I did not have a reservation. Friday night we decided to give it another go and I made a reservation so we wouldn’t have any issues. The hostess was very kind and accommodated our request for a table near the fountain and the glass. Then things went downhill. I ordered the non alcoholic wine on the menu and was told they don’t have it but had forgotten to take it off the menu. Then I ordered a mocktail which was terrible. When the server noticed I wasn’t drinking it she asked if she could get me a replacement drink. I said that was great and explained I would have a mai tai but hated to drink on a work night. I was served a mai tai on the rocks that was straight up brown it has such a big floater on it. Tasted terrible and I usually love the mai tais here. It was a total alcohol bomb. Then I asked for veggies with the goat cheese appetizer. She said I could get carrots, celery and cucumbers and I told her that was great. When the appetizer came there were no cucumbers and the celery and carrots were rough cut in huge pieces and didn’t look clean and the carrots were half peeled. Then all three of us ordered rib eyes. My steak and my daughter’s were fine but my husband’s was overcooked (he asked for medium rare and it was fully cooked) and it was the sorriest fat filled ribeye I have ever seen. A manager came over and took the steak for a replacement. The replacement came when my daughter and I had almost finished eating. When our bill came we were charged for the terrible mocktail and the mai tai. I guess I didn’t understand that replacement meant you still had to pay for both. Though the steak was billed as “guest satisfaction” on the second order, we still paid for all three steaks. Mistakes happen but comping nothing was a slap in the face as we ate separately and had to wait for him to finish to leave. Eating out is too expensive for a less than stellar experience and in this case it’s three strikes and you’re out. So sad to see what has happened to this chain.

Older review: We always have great food here and their happy hour is a great deal, but it's only until 5pm. The mai tai is always good and delicious and the fish tacos are the best. They often have live music on their large shaded patio. Weekends can be really crowded but weekdays a reservation is usually...