Skillets - Port Charlotte - Peachland Promenade — Restaurant in Port Charlotte

If you are looking for a place that feels like it was decorated in the mid-1980's with mediocre, unmemorable food... Have I got the place for you! Our immediate impression was the decor (even though it is a new establishment) was painfully dated. Light wood tongue and groove with mismatched white chair rail awkwardly placed about a foot from the ceiling ... Preschool yellow paint and hideous "we got this on clearance" tile in the open kitchen. If there was any doubt the owners did not hire an interior designer, the dozens of food item photos on the walls drive the point home. It's like the terrible photos at the Chinese take out place but with eggs. Skillets definitely needs a marketing class.... Stat.

So, let's talk food. After all, Olympia Restaurant in Port Charlotte looks like a dumpster fire but the food rocks... So looks are not everything. Does Skillets measure up? Yes and no. It seems like they hold their name seriously. My co-diner had the Mediterranean Skillet and swore it was spectacular. He had it with sunny side up eggs and hashbrowns. He complimented how well the ingredients pared together and made a cohesive, tasty dish. He'd give it four stars... Only taking one away because the fried egg was far from having any crispy edges. It could have used another 30 seconds on the stove.

That brings us to the Sunny Eggs Benny. This is listed as a fan favorite on the menu, so I have to try it, right? Big mistake....HUGE! WORST Benny I have ever had. The egg was cool and just mush. No texture, just bleh. Again... Give it another 30-60 seconds and actually cook it properly so it isn't super soft and bordering on slimy. The "sun dried hollandaise" tasted like school paste with yellow food coloring. It was cool, congealed and flavorless. Whoever created this menu item has never heard of herbs or even salt or pepper. The only bright spot of this dish was the bacon. The bacon was thick, tasty and not at all greasy.

In summary, Skillets needs a huge overhaul. A branding consultant could do wonders to help them trim down the overbearing menu and give them a glow up. Better to make a few things well than offer pages and pages of mediocrity. The best thing Skillets has going for them is the staff. They have happy, attentive and professional employees. The place is very clean.(Of course, they just opened a couple months ago but still.) They have these adorable carafes for the coffee and the staff turn over tables quickly. The potential to have a good restaurant is there but they have a long way to go. They may succeed simply because there are painfully few breakfast places...

OMG. I had the egg sandwich. For menu options I asked for the bread to be grilled, the egg to be semi soft, shredded hash browns & I added bacon, crisp. The menu states that cheese is part of the sandwich, I did not see a choice of cheese type, nor did our server ask if there was a particular kind I wanted. For $20 without beverage included I had the most tasteless breakfast I have had, ever. The sandwich came without the cheese, so back it went. When the server returned my plate there was maybe a tablespoon of shredded cheese added on top of the egg and the sandwich & hash browns were cold, bacon was overcooked the first time the server brought my plate, & the sandwich was dry & flavorless. I just don’t even understand how they could make hash browns simply devoid of any flavor whatsoever. The potatoes were dry, even salt & pepper didn’t revive them. I would not have given this one star. I live in Punta Gorda year round & I’m not one of those crusty complaining old people. I have given only one other review with one star since I’ve lived here. My husband is an ex-chef & I’m not shabby in the kitchen either. I had 3 bites at the restaurant, when I asked for a box, the server looked at my plate & did not bother to ask if I was unhappy with my breakfast. I tried to give the leftovers CPR in my kitchen, nothing helped, so it all went in the trash. Bottom line, way too expensive for what it was. My husband & I went when they first opened & we had the same experience. My friends wanted to go yesterday, I went along & didn’t tell them about our initial experience. Obviously, things haven’t improved. There are too many choices for a good breakfast in PC & PG....

I had an amazing brunch. I have a little different appreciation and patience because I'm also a server. But I walked in and the room was packed, multiple large parties. Looked like most had just sat or recently ordered. Order screen was crazy. I sat at the bar and ordered my favorite all time breakfast "smoked salmon platter". Was absolutely delicious and enjoyed a couple cups of coffee. Being in the industry I was beyond impressed by the staff and kitchen staff. There was a Manager running the line making sure all the plates were going out properly and clean, wiping the sides if there was a smudge. He stayed cool as a cucumber reguardless of how swamped they were. The 3 in the kitchen, especially the head cook was incredible the way he worked, how much pressure he had. Constantly saying heard, responded respectfully when asked about eta on something. I know having an open window for kitchen sucks but I was beyond impressed by everyone in house. They all just kept going..like we have too. The head cook definitely needs a raise or a shot! The girls front of house were all helping each other as best they could. Very happy to have this place in our area. Thank you all for doing a killer job. Keep it up! I know yall had a few sassy customers that haven't been in industry, but we all get them occasionally. Wish I could've given everyone a $100 cause they all definitely showed up today...