The Hub Baja Grill — Restaurant in Siesta Key

Horrible experience as a foodie here’s the things they need work on: food, ambiance, wait staff.

Let’s talk about the food: the one thing that can make or break a restaurant. We ordered the Hub Sampler and the Boneless chicken wings with the sauce on the side. The sauce portions were small for the price. We paid $10 for the sampler and we got three small salsas with a bunch of chips. The guacamole was under seasoned and stale. We can get a better plate of food from a place called Condado’s and they give bigger portions; thoroughly disappointed with my first time at siesta key in general let alone this place to represent it. Second, the chicken tasted like fish. Chicken SHOULD NOT taste like fish!!! Husband even got food poisoning. That’s cross-contamination and if the kitchen staff don’t know the basics of food safety and sanitation I would be weary to go there. They use either the same batter and/or fryer for both. Finally, on the wing plate, the celery was warm and on what we determined was salad mix, aka their garnish. If anyone has seen any decent chef on food network they should know not to serve inedible garnish. We set it aside and left it.

Now let’s talk about ambiance. It had appeal but to a niche crowd; the super drunk crowd. Music was way too loud that you couldn’t great. The patio takes that a bright LED that would shine on our plates making our food blurry and sometimes unable to be seen. After witnessing their sanitation and safety it feels like they’re hiding something intentionally.

Third, the wait staff was disrespectful; arrogant; and ignorant; a trifecta that resulted in not a good experience. When we arrived the waiter said the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes. So we will rested. When the waiter came back, he asked if we wanted to order anything else. This just resulted in us being confused and angry because he lied about one of two things he told us earlier. When paying, he said if he wanted our change. We said yes because it was about $15 more than the bill. His assumption was erroneous...

We were in the mood for something new. We did a google search for restaurants near siesta key beach and found this gem! The pictures of the food looked delicious and the reviews were very good. We arrived at 5:45 on Wednesday. Walking up the ambiance of the restaurant is amazing!! They have a nice outdoor patio area with plenty of tables and beautiful decor. We were seated quickly. Our server JORDAN was the absolute BEST!! He totally made our night that much more memorable! He was so funny and attentive. They also had live music which was really good! It started to get really busy around 6:30-7. They have appetizer and drink specials up until 6:00 which he got in for us. We started with the $10 nachos, and the $10 chicken quesadilla. The chicken on the quesadilla was very tender and seasoned nicely. The nachos were a very good portion for the price! I loved how there was such a good amount of fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion on top! We loved the fresh pico!! We also got the $6 rum punch, Delicious!!! We finished with the blackened mahi tacos which were perfectly seasoned and cooked. I really enjoyed the fresh slaw in them! I did not want to stop eating them! It came with rice and beans, which you think oh it’s just rice and beans but they were really good!! They put a verde salsa on the yellow rice which I don’t normally like, however this salsa really smacked!! Jordan was so amazing and let us try a tiny bit of the lobster bisque and wowwww!!!!! Phenomenal!! You could really tell the people making the food here are really putting their heart and soul into it!! He welcomed us back and recommended the ribs for our next trip!! They have a really good food variety here and we’re looking forward to our next visit! 5 star all the way! ! ! The restaurant is clean, food was excellent, the vibe is amazing, the workers we encountered were friendly, and the...

I've been visiting Siesta Key for over five years now, as it's one of my favorite beach spots, especially since I live in Tampa. On my recent beach day over Labor Day weekend, I decided to check out The Hub, a place that’s always drawn me in with its live music and friendly atmosphere. However, this visit left much to be desired.

Upon arrival, I encountered the "host," who I assumed was the owner. He appeared rushed and uninterested, avoiding eye contact even though I was clearly a potential customer. It's disappointing when restaurant owners dismiss younger patrons, assuming they’re not important to their business. Good service from them equals a good tip and review from me—don’t judge a book by its cover.

When we were seated, we requested chips and salsa. The waitress informed us of a $14-15 trio dip option that included salsa, queso, and guacamole. I specifically asked for just the salsa, but the plate came back with three separate bowls of salsa, and I was still charged the full trio price. Considering avocado is more expensive, this felt like blatant price gouging.

I ordered the chicken bowl but substituted steak, which came with a $7 upcharge. The steak, however, was the most disgusting piece of fake meat I’ve ever tasted—dry, flavorless, and so tough I nearly choked on it twice. I didn’t bother complaining because I doubted they’d replace it with anything better. My friend ordered the chicken Caesar salad, which turned out to be a pile of wilted greens topped with undercooked chicken. To top it off, I had a "skinny" margarita that tasted like nothing but margarita mix—no hint of alcohol whatsoever.

If you’re looking for a terrible dining experience at a Mexican restaurant run by incompetent staff, The Hub is your place. Never again! For two entrees, chips and salsa, and one drink, I was slapped with a $100 bill—definitely...