Daiquiri Deck Siesta Key Village — Restaurant in Siesta Key

This location was highly recommended and we could not wait to visit. Regrettably, this was not our experience. The first waitress came to our table and we asked a few questions as it was our first time. She returned but, only to advise us that she was giving us another waitress as her shift ended. However, she remained on the floor, waiting on others well into the afternoon. The second server was not fully engaged with us. Due to my dietary conditions (Celiac Disease), I needed to ask questions about the food and how it was made. I've been to many independent restaurants and I always get the opportunity to speak with a manager. She seemed bothered by it and was very uninterested. My son, who asked for a child plate, was not offered nor brought a soft drink. To confirm if the plate included a drink, we asked the waitress as we had not been given a kids menu. She replied yes but only Pepsi products. We told her our son does not drink any soda and all she could do was stand there. We needed to ask her what other drinks was available for him and all she could do was point to the soda fountain machine. I told her it was hard to see and she, with a sigh, said he could have a daiquiri; no refills. We said no, can you please advise if there is any other juices and she just stood there not interested. We then asked for lemonade and she walked away with no confirmation or acknowledgment. When the food came out, the burger was the driest I've ever seen and the texture was rubber like. This was so frustrating but due to my dietary restrictions , I had no choice but to eat this here as there was no other location that I had scouted out for that I could eat at. I was too upset to even call for the manager as truly there was nothing that could have been done to rectify this bad restaurant experience. I forced the food down and the bill. Why you might ask? Again, I did not have any energy left nor did I want to make it that more unpleasant for my family . Should we return to Siesta Key Village, we would not eat here nor would I...

First and foremost, big shout out to our server Ashley who wasn’t even working our area but just stopped by in passing to see if we had been helped yet, which we had not after having been seated for almost 20 minutes. She was fantastic! Very friendly and knowledgeable. But FYI if you are headed here for gator bites, call ahead to see if they have them because they did not and said they hadn’t had any for about a week so I don’t understand why that’s not noted anywhere on the menu or why they don’t inform you before you’re seated but that’s neither here nor there. And the menu should be updated here on Yelp because they no longer serve conch fritters either which was disappointing. The food we ordered was okay, not the best but not terrible either. Crab cakes (not pictured) are probably the best choice if you want something with good flavor. Not sure if it’s just this location but everything was just okay. People certainly must come here more for the daiquiris than the food. “Decked Out” Seafood baked potato - not worth it though, you can make at home. This certainly needed more seasoning so we took it to go and will season it at home. Sirloin steak sandwich was just not a good choice period, it was dry and had minimal seasoning. Once again, something we brought home to enhance. The Gouda and bacon mac and cheese bites were pretty good and we also tried their grouper bites (not pictured) in place of the gator bites and those were pretty good especially with the sauce they serve with the gator bites. The Lump crab & shrimp seafood Cobb salad wasn’t bad either, good if you want something light and somewhat healthy. Overall it was okay, can’t say for certain if I’ll ever go back to any of the DD locations. We were just passing coming back from seeing family in Sarasota heading back home to Tampa but can’t say I’ll ever make a special trip from Tampa...

45 years in Sarasota county... And visited each of the Daquiri Decks for many years. Venice, Anna Maria, St Armands, & both on Siesta. But our evening meal yesterday on Cinco De Mayo was one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences ever.

Seated by the sidewalk, the music was so loud, you had to yell at the server to make an order. She was on the phone at one point, and literally was SCREAMING into the phone to be heard.

The appetizer was barely warm, and Alligator bites are not good cold. Our company that we brought with us from Massachusetts was served fish that was absolutely not grouper. Grouper is a solid Filet, not a very thin cut flakey whitefish like haddock. Absolutely not acceptable and a DNA test on the protein would have confirmed it.

My burger was a food service frozen burger which came from boxes. Not fresh meat, but that was rubbery and is a huge departure from the years of Deck Burgers I've eaten.

Now the total coup-de-gras was the signature frozen drinks. On Cinco De Mayo, and a feature on the Margaritas, what was served was a watery attempt at an alcohol drink. I could have had 5 of them, and blown a legal limit DUI breathalyzer test.

So, you can get intimate service because your server has to go check to cheek to hear your order. Pay market for grouper and definitely not get Grouper. And get soaked drinks which might as well been "virgin".

I have eaten 2 times a week for 10 years at Venice location, and walked from my house on the island. I know what DD should be. And THIS ISN'T IT.

Best bet is to walk directly across the street to Gilligan's and get better food and not be slammed by music volume worth of a...