Splitsville Tiki + Social — Restaurant in Tampa

First time ever going here and it was for our daughter's birthday party. The building is amazing. The bar area, icecream shop, game area, and then two bowling areas. Doing a birthday on sunday, we got the private bowling area with the couches. I thought this was way better for a group of kids then the rolling chairs in the main area! (Can you imagine?) Upon arriving we went to the events room and were directed to our bowling station and introduced to our party helper. Everything was already set up, drinks ready with cups, racks waiting for pizza, all the shoes in the right sizes, and a variety of weights of balls. We were lucky we were on the end bc it got very crowded quickly and loud and if you are claustrophobic this is not the environment for you. Our helper had the worst with us being on the end, having to maneuver through a crush of people but he managed. When we needed more drinks, they appeared. When we needed more shoes, he got them. Some in our party wanted to order more food, it was done and delivered. Right away they start up the games and it is loud and crazy. They aren't kidding when they told us to be punctual! The kids had a super great time. Some of the parents helped the little ones with the rolling rack. After about 2 games, the bowling time was over. Then Pinhead came out (just at the time my helper disappeared....hmmm 😁) and they did dancing and introduced each of the birthday kids. Then we had cake and started to open presents. Here's where they should lose all stars but bc of our amazing helper they redeem them. A lady from the events office comes over and tells us we have to leave. Now. Because it is 2:01 pm and the party area has to be cleaned for the next party....at 3pm. I tell her ok, we will pack up as soon as my daughter is done opening presents (she's already opened some and we are quick). No, she says we have to move out of the party room NOW. Well we grabbed up everything and moved my whole family, including my sick mother to the ice cream parlour. All the tables were open and we basically took over the whole area (at this point they can bite me!). My daughter resumes opening the presents but with less enthusiasm. Everyone's at separate tables and can hardly see. I'm going around making sure we got everything and that everyone (sick mom) is comfortable. Because of this, I didn't get to see her open most things. When we get home later I realize I don't know who to thank for what because everything was so mixed up! We went around and said goodbye to everyone and then left. Overall the kids had a great time. Our party helper was amazing. And we really did get alot of bowling. I think they could cut the bowling down to an hour and have more time for cake and presents. Unfortunately because of that rude event lady messing up the end of our party and how hot it was and crazy, I don't think we will ever have a party there again. All together for the party, a bowling signature pin, 4 pizzas, drinks, it was $250. (Not included, I gave our helper a...

First and foremost, don't expect to book a lane the same day for the weekend. Plan in advance is what I was basically told. Supposedly there is a wait list but I wasn't offered to be on the list and there is ALOT of missing information the website, Google and Open Table doesn't provide. For instance, if you Google this place it says "Book A Table". It says nothing about how to book a lane. So I called. 2 times. No answer. However, the voicemail says " if you're calling to book a lane it's first come, first serve". So I said okay. I showed up at my reservation time. I'm told you need to book a lane in advance. I told the hostess that's not what it said on the voicemail. She then says we are completely booked for the night. So my 13 yr old niece still decided she wanted to eat there. Even though I was unhappy with the contradictive and confusing process we decided to still do the reservation for the table. We paid $50+ for basic/mediocre food. If you're going there go there to bowl and eat so it's worth it (I guess. I wouldn't know. I could figure out how to book a lane). The food is not worth it to just dine. I wish my niece would have just said let's go somewhere else. It wasn't worth just dining in. After the whole confusing deal with booking a lane I called today (6/6/22) to see if someone would answer, to make a complaint, and to ask about the process.

I left a message. A lady called backhours later. I simply asked her what the process was for booking a lane. She tells me the prices. Which first and foremost I didn't ask for. I told her my experience and she asked if I was told there was a wait. I told her I was never given the option. She then gets Gerald, a manager I guess. I explained the story again. So per him, it's always booked on the weekends and wait is always 2-3 hrs long, and he tells me to book a lane you can go to the website. He also says after about 5pm on the weekends more than likely the lanes are booked for the night based on the waiting list. I advised him there needed to be a note of some kind on Open Table about the wait times as wella on the website, the process to book the lane and advice it's best to book waaaay in advance. Or expect a long wait or to waste your time coming to the location and getting turned around. He wasn't sympathetic. A little defensive. Didn't offer anything for the inconvenience. The energy I got was everyone except my waiter was very nonchalant.

Overall, it was very confusing to book a lane, the food was average, and it was a waste of time. And no one was apologetic. No one had empathy. So go at your own...

A group of friends and I visited Splitsville on Saturday. A few days before our visit, one of our friends called to make a reservation. However, they were informed that reservations were not being accepted at that time. The person on the phone mentioned that if we arrived precisely at 4:00 p.m., there was a good chance they could accommodate our group. So, we followed their advice and arrived before 4:00 p.m. to find a relatively empty bowling rink.

Upon arrival, our friend tried explaining the prior conversation to the hostess. Initially, they informed us that getting a lane would be unlikely. After some negotiation, they agreed to let us play as long as we finished by 6:00 p.m., which worked well for us. As we were settling in, putting our names on the board, and getting our bowling shoes, a man approached us with urgency, insisting that we start bowling immediately or risk running out of time.

Given that we were all casual bowlers hoping to have a good time, we assured him that we were getting ready. Meanwhile, one of our friends went to retrieve her shoes and was told that the lane was only meant for two people. This confused us, and simultaneously, another person abruptly told us to leave. We were baffled by the sudden change in attitude within a matter of minutes. We had just placed our drink orders and intended to order food as well. Even our waitress couldn't comprehend why we were being asked to leave, suspecting it had to do with not having enough time to complete a full game with our group of eight.

We attempted to convey to the waitress that we didn't necessarily care about finishing a full game; we were content with bowling until around 6:00 p.m., as initially suggested. However, we found ourselves removing our bowling shoes and canceling our orders at the bar. It became apparent that this establishment lacked organization. Despite the numerous open lanes and the possibility of having reservations, their customer service was abysmal. They provided us with conflicting information, ultimately wasting our time and leaving us feeling frustrated. Even their employees indirectly acknowledged the disarray and behind-the-scenes chaos. Their attempt to advise us on what to do differently next time was met with a straightforward response: there won't be a next time.

In the end, we decided to hop on the trolley and make our way to Game Time in Ybor, where we enjoyed bowling and playing various other games. Our money was well-spent...