Hedera Tropical Grill — Restaurant in South Padre Island

After reading the positive Google reviews, my family and I decided to try Hedera Tropical Grill for dinner on a Tuesday evening (approx 7:45pm, restaurant hours indicate they close at 9). TLDR version - we didn't even get to try the food because of the massive wait times. I really wish this place the best of luck and am writing in hopes that the owner realizes they won't be in business much longer if my experience is the norm. Upon entering, the hostess advised it would be a 30-45 minute wait (which we did), even though the restaurant was pretty much empty - 1st red flag. We counted 14 empty tables in the dining room, along with a totally empty bar and patio. As we waited, 2 other parties came in and decided to leave due to the lengthy wait time. We also noticed water stains on the ceiling tiles. We were finally seated after the 45 minute mark, only to discover the dining room only had a 3 other larger parties, including a group that waited along with us and had just sat down. Out of the remaining 2 (with people who were seated prior to our entry into the restaurant) - 1 had just gotten their food and the other was waiting; looking miserable. Additionally, the menus provided were incredibly worn, one of them even had a hole in the middle - 2nd red flag. As the waitress took our order, we insisted on placing drinks + food for efficiency. After waiting 10+ minutes, we realized the table next to us was still waiting on their food (ordered before we were even seated). We asked the waitress to find out how much longer our food would be and she indicated it would be 25 minutes longer - final red flag. It was past 8:30pm. At this point we decided to cut our losses, cancel our order and ended up in the...

This is a fairly new restaurant, they don’t even have their liquor license yet. Very few tables, indoor dining, minimalist decor, nice background music. Hubby ordered the ribeye steak with chimichurra sauce and I had the basil pesto pasta with veggies. He was a bit disappointed in the flavor, finding both the steak and sauce to be bland. My pasta was very lightly coated with the pesto sauce which is the way I like it but I know some people (like my hubby) would prefer much more but it was a perfect amount for me. However, i opted for no additional chicken (as a vegan) and was asked if I wanted extra veggies and I definitely loved that option. However, when the dish showed up, I had to search for the veggies (zucchini and carrots). I definitely would have preferred a whole lot more. The taste was very good however. The waiter noticed my hubby didn’t finish his steak and asked how it was and listened politely to the criticism. Then when he returned with the bill, he provided a discount for the dish- a very nice touch which gets them 5 stars for service. We definitely appreciate that they, as a new restaurant, are asking for and responding to feedback. I think they will do well if they continue to respond to feedback from customers and continue to provide quality dishes different from other restaurants on the island. Also, as a last touch, I casually mentioned that we were there to celebrate my hubby’s birthday that day and they brought him a piece of cake and sang to him which was a nice unexpected surprise. We appreciate their thoughtfulness. We hope...

I think I was in a government experiment… Atmosphere – I called to book, but they didn’t take reservations, which I found odd. When we turned up, it made even less sense. They don’t sell alcohol. It was a huge room with only a few people in it (granted, it was kind of early), but the vibe was like we were being watched and tested on. I read the reviews on the walk to the nearest place to buy alcohol, and seeing so many 5-star ratings in the recent past… I just can’t see it. Even people sitting around us seem uneasy and the staff kinda seemed like they were hiding at times. (Odd) also the deck seating was being “worked on” but to me (tradesman) looked untouched (odd excuse). Service & Food – Out of the six of us, my basic burger and fries were good—I’d get them again. I was told the coconut shrimp was also good. But out of six people, only two were happy, and one of us didn’t even get their order. They did rectify it by comping the missing burger and fries, so to me, that’s a win. Fish tacos were definitely too small which I had a good laugh at. The staff seemed very willing to help and were easy to talk to; it just felt like it was either the restaurant’s first day open, or they’d hired an entirely new team that day. They don’t modify food at all too which was weird too.

If you go here, good luck! Treat it like the three-legged dog outside your hostel—you know something isn’t quite right, but you hope it’s doing better the next...