Tarpon Tavern — Restaurant in Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Tavern

While this is a Tavern with your classic bar, TVs playing with the sports games, and a lively crowd, the food is beyond what you would expect. In fact, as other patrons' plates came out, I was really excited to receive our meal. It was busy and a little bit of a wait to get the food, but it was worth it.

As a self-proclaimed pickle enthusiast, we decided to order the fried pickles. I had heard that they were different than most fried pickles, and surely they were for the better! The one thing I hate with most fried pickles is that there is more batter than pickle. The batter was very light, and you could even see the entire pickle through the coating; however, it was still crispy and golden. These guys achieved the perfect balance of crunchy exterior with a juicy, briny interior.

From first glance, this is not your ordinary bowl. The bowl is visually appealing: vibrant veggies, grilled chicken, rice, olives, feta, and onions. A creamy tzatziki sauce and naan bread points bring a simple dish together to make a truly great meal. As a vegetarian, finding well-curated food is always hard. In a way, it's annoying. And like many places, they had the classic Beyond Burger. (boring). So, I spiced it up. I ordered their Smash Burger and had them substitute the Beyond Burger patty with their Tavern Twister fries.

The burger came with grilled onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato and the ever-famous smash sauce. I had them add grilled mushrooms.

From the first bite, the Beyond Burger defied all expectations. The patty had a remarkably meaty texture, was juicy, and was cooked perfectly. The flavor profile really brings the burger to the next level. The flavors and taste with the different toppings surely made the burger the best, especially with the restaurant's signature smash sauce, a harmonious blend of tangy and creamy, which ties the entire creation together.

Whether you're a committed vegan, a curious flexitarian, or a die-hard carnivore looking to explore the plant-based realm, the smash burger with a beyond patty is a must-try.

I didn't take any pictures as I was on...

After a long day at Tarpon Springs incove we drove towards the town to eat at TT. Love the locale, well stocked bar and nice food options. Our server was friendly and with her help we decided on zucchini fries (order these - they where delicious and golden crispy with a lemon aioli that rocked), the Gyros taco and the Asian bowl. We clearly explained no onion on our gyros and our server took note. Our food arrived - gyros seasoning was good but it was full of purple onions, she took it back. 5 minutes later a rewrapped Gyro taco came back - they opened the original one and scraped some of the onions out, added more dressing and rewrapped 😔. Well we tried again, still full of onions! Server offered to have them remake, having worked in the restaurant business, sincerely I said no. The fries that came with the Gyros where delicious and those I recommend. On the asian bowl - I should have ordered a flatbread - watered rice with no flavor just a sop of a mess. The fried chicken pieces I pulled out, but the rice, blanched out broccoli and what seemed like La Choy Sweet n Sour sauce were a disaster.

Server apologized for the gyros dropped our tab on the table and left. Like I said years in restaurant business, no manager to be seen to inquire about the mishap, gyros meal was compted.

I loved your tavern but someone needs to work with the people in the back and following instructions. On the Asian bowl - please do something with the messy watery rice, it pays no homage to the "asian" in it title. Long grain rice, seasoning and a rice...

Oh boy, what a special experience at Tarpon Tavern! Saw the Smashburger special advertised on their website ,two patties, cheese, onions, etc. Sounded great. Plot twist: That’s not actually what you get.

First, I tried to order it to-go. Nope, specials are dine-in only. Fine, I’ll play along. I sit down, order two specials, and they ask if I want fries and cheese. Sure, why not? They conveniently forget to mention those cost extra but on the menu it says it's included. Then, the best part, my “Smashburger” arrives, but guess what? Only one patty. You know, even though their own menu says TWO.

And because they’re all about making sure you get the worst deal possible, you can’t order water with a special. You HAVE to buy a drink. So now I’ve got a $4 soda I didn’t even want.

Final bill? $6 for fries, $2 for cheese, $4 for a soda, and two missing patties. So much for a “deal.” Turns out, this special is just a regular burger, minus half the meat, but somehow more expensive. Genius. And it was awful, I'm guessing they're pre-made or something because it was hard and rubbery.

I eat out every day, sometimes twice a day. This isn’t about the money, it’s about restaurants thinking customers are too stupid to notice when they’re getting scammed.

The table next to me was complaining about the same issue, Congrats, Tarpon Tavern, you played yourselves....