Tamiami Tavern — Restaurant in Punta Gorda

Beef Sandwiches Were A Hit We have always been happy with their food on previous visits. Not so this time with the Chicken Nachos appetizer ($12.00 base, add $4.00 for the chicken). I typically order nachos to have as my dinner and our server assured me that the portion would meet my needs. Indeed, it is a large portion and it looks really appetizing, but appearances don’t tell you about taste. The large plate had a mound of corn chips, topped with grilled chicken pieces, roasted corn, pico de gallo, pickled red onion, fresh jalapeño slices (not pickled) and their house Blazin’ spicy cream sauce. It was supposed to have avocado and if it was there, I couldn’t find it. So let’s look at the components. The corn chips lacked a good corn flavor. Just blah corn chips. I would guess that they cut up one grilled chicken breast to spread over the chips and I found the chicken to be flavorless. The roasted corn kernels were good, just not very many of them. The pico de gallo and pickled red onions were the tastiest parts of these nachos, but sparse. I should have ordered more of both to amp up the flavor. I did not find the sauce to be ‘blazin’. I did see flecks of red pepper in the sauce which looked more like liquid cheese to me. To sum it up, this dish was disappointing and I would not order it again. My daughter ordered the Tavern Steak Hoagie ($22.00) and selected Truffle Fries as an upgraded side (add$2.00). Shaved ribeye was piled high on a garlic butter toasted hoagie roll. The meat was topped with mushrooms, caramelized onions, provolone and steakhouse aioli. Excellent flavor, a great sandwich. The truffle fries are to die for. I’m sure they were twice fried and the truffle – outstanding!! The Beef on Weck sandwich ($19.00) is my wife’s favorite here and they did not disappoint. Thinly sliced tender roast beef piled high on a toasted Kummelweck roll served with a side of au jus and ground horseradish, an excellent condiment for roast beef. She selected the upgraded Brussels and Bacon with Thai Glaze side (add $1.00). We have had these sprouts before and they are great! They roast the sprouts with bacon ensuring they get some good carmelization, toss them with some Hot/Sweet Thai chili sauce and serve it in a mini cast iron skillet to keep them hot. So, so good with just a little kick from the chilies in the sweet sauce. A great meal! We will go back for sure and I’ll try...

I have dined with the same friends at this establishment twice recently. The food was great both times but I feel it's important to share our latest experience for awareness.

I ordered the Empress Cod, which reads as follows on the menu: "Flaky white cod with our pistachio crust served over parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus, topped with our creamy lobster sauce 28; or our lighter bites portion 22"

When I placed my order the server asked for my choice of two sides, so I quickly chose balsamic cucumbers and sautéed mushrooms, not really thinking through what would go well with my entrée.

When the meal arrived, my plate consisted of the piece of Cod, a dish of cucumbers and a dish of sautéed thinly sliced mushrooms. Where was the risotto and asparagus the cod was to be served over??

Long story longer, I ate my cod while it was warm then grabbed a menu to make sure I hadn't misread it before inquiring with the server about the confusion.

The server's explanation was that you have the choice of your sides regardless of how the entrée is described on the menu. It just didn't make sense to me bc I didn't give any indication at the time I ordered that I didn't want it just the way it was "suggested" to be served - on top of risotto with asparagus!

The server wanted to be accommodating for the misunderstanding, so offered to talk to the manager about sending a side of risotto and asparagus home with me, which I appreciated. The manager (hostess?) came to me and explained she can give me the risotto and asparagus but that I would be charged for it. I was shocked and just told her no thank you. I made another comment about how misleading the menu and entire experience was and she suggested it be brought to the owner's attention.

I'm really really really hoping this feedback reaches the owners bc this experience was disappointing enough that we probably won't return anytime soon, nor would we recommend to others after the way our situation was handled.

Our first experience was great as none of this awkwardness occurred. It's very unfortunate that the staff did not have the courtesy to accommodate their customers who were their to support the establishment.

Lastly, the people sitting around the bar were so loud, it really put a damper on...

Had I done a review after my first visit, the rating would've been higher, but after the second visit, I can't say I'd be excited about going back. The place looked clean enough, good seating and the lights and decor were cool. Mary was a nice waitress. It was a quiet and pleasant Saturday morning breakfast. The food was decent but overpriced for what it is. I thought the same about the dinner menu Sunday night and realized they could probably charge less if they hadn't spent, who knows how much money, to upgrade to the most wasteful beer tap system I've seen. We watched so much more beer get wasted through the ReverseTap system and it took patrons a lot longer to receive their beverage. There were a couple drunk guys sitting at a table behind us, I watched one stagger out of the restroom before going to use the restroom, myself. I was flabbergasted, after doing my business, to stand up and happened to look through the gaping hole in the top of the wall to see the hallway security camera can see right into the ladies' room and the stall I was in! The giant black tubing, presumably for the ReverseTap system to be drained, went through the wall at the bar, across the hall, and into the ladies' room. They never blocked off the big open space above the tubing so not only is it ugly but completely invasive of the privacy expected in a restroom! When I came back to the bar area and informed my dining companion to be aware of the circumstances of the restroom, I pointed at the camera over the bar so she could have a visual to go with my description, and at that time the bartender yelled at one of the intoxicated men behind us to get out because he was bare foot! The guy had been there for, at least, an hour. I thought the timing was a little "funny" that it wasn't until I pointed at the camera pointing right at the bare footed fellow, that all of a sudden, he got kicked out. A bit disappointed in that second visit, to...