Family from Delaware - most authentic Florida / gator place weve been all trip . Food was tasty, gator and entrees cooked great , drinks delishh . But what was cool is we ventured out of the restaurant to find 2 gator enclosures , headed to the boat ramp to find gators just hanging out on the pavement and banks . Truly a gem and would highly recommend. read more

I can't actually post reviews on Google on your behalf (I'm an AI, not a Google account holder), but I can give you the polished review text ready to copy-paste. Here's the direct link to the Google Reviews page for The Black Hammock (which seems to match "The Back Hammock" based on the details--it's home to the Lazy Gator Bar in Oviedo, FL) : Google Reviews for Black Hammock Restaurant. Just sign in to Google, head there, and drop this in: Oh man, where do I even start with Kevin at The Black Hammock? This guy isn't just a bartender--he's the ultimate host, a vibe curator, and the heart and soul of what makes this spot feel like your personal oasis. From the second I stepped into that laid-back hammock-themed haven (those swaying seats are pure genius for unwinding), Kevin's service had me feeling like royalty without a hint of pretension. I walked in after a brutal day, undecided and a bit drained. Kevin reads the room like a pro--spots my vibe instantly, greets me with that warm, genuine smile, and dives right in with spot-on suggestions that matched my mood perfectly. But it's his personal touch that shines: he remembered my name and a quirky detail from my last visit (months back!), turning a simple order into a real conversation that felt effortless and uplifting. He shared a quick, hilarious anecdote about a regular's epic fail story, getting the whole bar chuckling and connected. During peak hours, Kevin's a master conductor--zipping through orders with lightning efficiency, never missing a beat, always tossing in a friendly "Gotcha covered!" or a quick check-in to make sure everyone's good. He treats locals like old friends and newcomers like they've been coming forever, creating that rare sense of community in a bar. No ego, just pure hospitality that elevates the entire experience. If there's a Bartender Service Hall of Fame, Kevin deserves the top spot, a crown, and endless applause. Five stars? Nah, this guy's service is a flawless 10/10. Head to The Black Hammock and let Kevin show you what top-tier hospitality looks like--you won't want to leave! read more

I hate giving bad reviews but hopefully this inspires improvement from management. Service was good, as was the atmosphere, but the food was very disappointing. Worst of all was the hush puppies. They were like balls of fried yarn and absolutely inedible. We also ordered the mahi plate with a baked potato. Fish was tough (could just be bad luck) and the potato was cold. Like refrigerator cold. Overall a very disappointing visit and likely our last. read more

Delicious food! Great service! Fun ambience, old Florida laid back yet tasteful style. It's not just a carbon copy restaurant but one of a kind! read more

This was a fabulous suggestion from locals while we were visiting the Orlando area. The boat ride just by itself is worth the price but when you see a bunch of alligators and incredible bird life, it's just money well spent on a fun event read more

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Food was terrible. Service was great.. just the food was nasty and felt like I wasted my money.

I've lived in Oviedo for about five years now, and I haven't been able to make it out to the Black Hammock. After I heard that it recovered from Hurricane Ian, I thought to myself that I had to come out here and check it out and give this small business my support. Driving out to the place is fun. Small-ish, back roads that wind you through old Florida Americana. Then you make that final turn that aims you right at Lake Jessup and the compound starts to appear. Many buildings and fixtures with dining rooms and bars and animal exhibits. You'll have plenty to look at while you're here. We got inside and got seated promptly. The service team was dreadfully understaffed. But I'm not gonna knock them for that, because the dude we did have really was trying his best. He gave me his effort, and I appreciate that. We weren't terribly hungry, so we decided to identify the three best sounding apps and to split everything. We started out with the Frog Legs (Plump frog legs served fried with tartar sauce). Very well fried! Crispy crispy, and lots of good meat within. Not too oily or anything. I question the decision to serve it with tartar, though. Big fan. Could have used more seasoning in the batter. Then we moved onto the Corn Fritters (Sweet corn in pancake batter fried and dusted with powdered sugar). These were nice! Same, good fry. These people know how to fry things. Little corn kernels within the fritter, always fun. Juuust sweet enough. Could have used a small cup of dipping syrup, though. And finally, the grand finale, the Gatorlicious (Our famous delicacy, locally harvested and served your way with Honey Mustard). AKA, fried gator bites. We got 1/4 of a pound. Did not come with the promised honey mustard. It came with tartar. Not cool. But the fry was good. The meat was cut way too small, though. The batter-to-meat ratio was way off. I've lived in Florida my entire life. I've eaten some gator bites before. These need some help. Overall, I feel like this review sounds harsh. Sorry. It really was a good time being here. The sunset out on the back porch was literally 25% of why I stay living in Florida. I know they're probably going through some stuff after the Ian devastation, but I hope they solve their issues, because this place has massive potential. read more

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The food overall was OK! Some of the food we had lukewarm and some of it was very good! The staff was very nice and friendly and the overall atmosphere was pretty cool! read more

We walked in and it seemed promising, but were sat under a vent in an empty room, granted we could have asked to sit somewhere else. Our server wasnt the most attentive, and while the gator bites (not pictured) were warm and tasty, my mahi tacos came out cold and bland. My partner said the sandwich was warm but bland and had to get a side of seasoning which I went to the bar to ask for. The music went from 70's rock to modern pop, hip hop, and musicals. Not sure who was in charge of the radio but the inconsistency made the ambiance uncomfortable. read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - blackened mahi tacos - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

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This one is a good one Very woodsy vibe Parrots & gators Resturant, bar, and lounge Airboat adventures Decent menu - reasonable prices read more

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It's a shame this is a nice place but they need more bartenders and more than one register to ring up the drinks and food . It's a big bar it takes forever to get a drink so get prepare . Bartenders walk around with their heads down cleaning glasses and doing other stuff instead of looking at the bar to see who is standing there to get a drink . Honestly, this place can make so much more money if they add more help and another register. I will say this is my third time here with the same exact experience so it's not just the one off. It's how they run this place. read more

I'd wanted to try this place for a while. If you want a beer and fried food this is the spot for you but if you expect anything more than that it's not. Tried the Florida style gatorlicious it tasted fried. The two for one Rita's. The mint mojito that tasted like sprite. The fried pickles were good. The po boy was a bit dry but edible with extra sauce. read more

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5 stars for the drinks. Sara our bartender was amazing. The rum punch and coconut mojito was THE BEST ive had plus snuck up real good

I really think this is a hidden drinking gem of North Orlando. You can't beat the views or the cheap drinks. This was my second time here and I love any outdoor areas where I can drink and look out into the water. Granted, this place is a little dirty and could use some updating, but to stop in and enjoy a cheap margarita or bucket of beer? You can't beat it. And in my opinion, it has some of the best lake views around. I did have fried gator tacos that were just meh. I would say stay away from the food. But over all, the service was fine and the atmosphere was chill read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

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We haven't been to the Black Hammock in years and decided to go on Friday. The view was spectacular, the bartender "Alexis" was great, the drinks were good. The food, not so much. It took at least 30 minutes to 45 to get to us. I had the fish and chips, the greasy batter on the fish fell off immediately, the fries were cold and the cole slaw was warm. My boyfriend had chicken fingers and onion rings. His chicken fingers were so over cooked it was like eating sandpaper and the onion rings were soaked in grease. Nothing was eatable. We will not ever eat there again. read more

The stars are for the amazing staff and the place itself is very easy going and laid back comfy. The food was really horrible and way overpriced. I don't think anything was made " fresh".... Very disappointed. Really wanted this place to be in the " Keeper" list. Sadly it will be a " one and done" for me read more

Love this place! Best place to take your out of state friends. Do the air boat ride and then order best margaritas and yummy food. Best gator bites I have ever tasted! The chicken was great too. You can see live gators outside the restaurant and the ambience inside is rustic Florida living. Staff was great and welcoming and good for all age groups. read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - Black Hammock- Gator encounter after the airboat ride - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

The Black Hammock has a separate building with a bar with outdoor seating on the water, with a gift shop. There is also a stand alone restaurant at the front side of the parking lot. Motorcycle parking is further back by the gift shop and over to the side of the restaurant. We ate at the restaurant. The decor is primarily alligator along with other Florida lake decor. There's a bar section with TVs in the back toward the restrooms. Our server was good. Checking in for drinks and seeing if we needed anything. We got free corn fritters for checking in on Yelp YAY! They were sweet and tasty. I had the chicken club wrap which came with fries. I loved the fries, they are a little spiced like Arby curly fries. The wrap was good but ended up being too spicy for me (I have no idea why but I'm a mild salsa/wing type of gal so my tolerance is low). My husband did not find it even slightly spicy. Outside there is also a bird section with many parakeets, cockatiels etc. there's an alligator moat with 5-6 gators and you can even hold a small one. They have air boats and it's an overall unique place. I'd recommend trying it out. read more

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My boyfriend and I decided to come here for my birthday because it looked like an interesting place. It did not disappoint. After reading the reviews, we decided to eat in the restaurant rather than going to the bar. I had the blackened Gator tacos. I've lived in FL for over 20 years, so it's not something I usually would order, but I thought I'd try it since they weren't fried. They were very good with an excellent sauce on the side. He had the pulled pork, which was so good! We each had a beer with the meal and didn't have to go to the other building to get it. Nor was it on a separate bill. Also excellent was the flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream. Yum!! The food was good and what you would expect in an old Florida pub atmosphere. The service was prompt and friendly. Restrooms were clean. We walked to the bar afterwards to check out the birds and alligators along the way. There were several gators swimming in the lake. Overall, we were happy we tried it. Cool place. Tip: If you're going to order food, either eat in the restaurant or go there first to order takeout. read more

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When I husband had the chicken wings and he was violently sick that night and the next day. We went for the comedy show. The comedians were extremely racist. The other guests were so loud, and it was very difficult to even hear them. Did general manager try to shut down the patrons and ask him to please stop talking, and the people almost got in a fight. I had heard good things about this restaurant and that's why we went, but I would definitely think twice about going there again. My husband and myself are a biracial Couple, and we left because we felt unsafe. I would not recommend minorities going there after dark. read more

Three solid stars. Party of 18 today - food and drinks were delivered quickly. Everyone who had the shrimp Poboy loved it. Same with burgers. Ribs were over cooked and then camouflaged with too much bbq sauce. Blended pina colada tasted good but had a lot of huge chunks of ice. Alligator bites were mostly batter. French fries and ranch dressing were delicious Staff was friendly and helpful. read more

This is an old establishment in the boonies so nothing fancy. They also have a bar next to the building and they do airboat rides. This review is for the restaurant only. I had mahi mahi tacos $13.99 and my partner had the burger with gator bites $17 on top. The burger was ok not the best and worth the price. The fries were amazing though and crispy and well seasoned how I like it. I would drive out here just for the fries. The tacos were nice but the size of the mahi mahi was small like fish sticks. It left much to be desired. The accompanying sauce was delicious. read more

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This is not a place you go to for the food. The ambience is great. Right on the water. Cute shaded patio with lots to look at and you can watch airboats come in and out. Beautiful bar with a second floor overlook of the lake. Cute event space. Gators everywhere and a cute collection of birdies. You can feed the gators which was fun for the kids. Their margaritas were phenomenal and the service was great. I think they host bingo nights which would be super fun. The burgers were dry and nothing special. I'd come back for drinks and scenery. read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - Birdies - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

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Service was ridiculously slow, considering how many were there and I was the only one eating

Not worth your time, food sucks, service was decent. Prices wayyy too high for what you get. Place is dirty in every corner. Don't bother going here. However the birds are cool. read more

The comedy show that is done once a month is fantastic... Even the MC was funny! The drinks were good this time, as well as the service. They were packed, so I highly recommend getting there early. The food is like fast food, but with specialties, all around it was you would expect in a bar type atmosphere, for food. I would highly recommend the comedy night! We made some sweet friends! read more

I want to find something positive to say about this place. However, the service was almost non existent , the food was so bland, the sauces were right out of a jar (literally saw them pour jar sauce into the cups), the place is filthy, bathrooms are disgusting, the whole place has an unpleasant odor, the floors are sticky and you can hear your shoes stick with each step. I am not sure how this place hasn't been closed down with violations. They could do so much better with the concept they have. A deep clean and updating the decor would be a great first step. Remodeling the bathroom or at least give them a good scrub. I am annoyed I wasted $75 on an awful experience. read more

Food is really bad, cups smell like sanitizer. I had blackened mahi tacos and they were not blackened, the soft tortillas weren't even heated and tasted stale, then there was shredded lettuce and a teaspoon of salsa, that's it. My boyfriend had fish fry which was extremely small and overly fried. Hush puppies were so burnt they could be knocked on the table and could not break them. Server didn't ask how food was probably because she knows it's not good. read more

I read that Lake Jesup has the highest density of gators in Florida so I was already planning on checking it out. Eating gator was also on the trip bucket list so I decided to swing on by. There are a number of separate eating establishments here, though I'm sure they're all run by the same company and are basically the same. The restaurant is indoors but you can eat outside just a short walk away by the water if you want. People say gator tastes like chicken... and it's true. It really is like a tougher, gamey chicken. The Cajun aioli which is kind of like a spiced honey mustard was pretty good too. The seasoning could've been a bit lighter but not bad. You can probably sight some gators by the water here too without needing to go on an air boat tour, though that's definitely an experience in itself too. read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - gator bites - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE FOOD. Ordered the gator. It was very rubbery and over cooked. Sent that back and ordered fish and chips. The fish tasted like it was flash fried and the inside was not cooked completely. A bit slimy in the center. French fries were good but you can't really mess up French fries. Service was adequate more geared towards the drinking crowd. The restaurant could use updating. Very dingy and looks like needs a good cleaning. I guess it's fine when coming off an airboat ride, you are really hungry and don't care about quality of the food. read more

We had a blast with captain John Mines on our airboat tour! I have only been on an airboat once before as a child and WOW. I can't believe the amount of wild life and how much I learned from Captain John! Our ride was absolutely beautiful, and I especially enjoyed listening to fun stories about the nature and wildlife during certain stops during our journey! AND OF COURSE, seeing alligators! We saw at least 4 alligators during our 30 minute ride! John was so friendly and made us feel Extra safe with his Saftey demo before we launched off the dock. He has funny jokes, too to keep things lighthearted and fun for everyone! read more

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Excellent everything! Bingo night is a blast! Owner was there and turned up the music! Such a fun night! Thanks again!

The worst service I have received in YEARS. Stopped in for a late lunch around 3 pm on a Sunday prior to an airboat ride. There were about 6 tables seated, 5 of which had already eaten, so they were not busy. We were told by the hostess to sit anywhere. We sat for 20 minutes and not one single person (including the hostess had sat us) acknowledged us. Several servers walked by, made eye contact with us, we gave them they "hey we're here" signal. Not a single one came to our table. They were all back in the corner playing on their phones and hanging out. At this point we are getting closer to our airboat ride time, and getting SUPER hangry. We moved to the bar where there were 2 bartenders actively working. It took the bartender a few minutes to acknowledge us, not that big a deal. She finally took our drink order and said she was way too busy but would get to us when she could. (Again, only one table out of 6 hadn't been served their food yet.) At this point we feel completely unwelcomed and cash out our ONE drink that took 30 minutes to get. We went to the bar out back and sat on the patio. We noticed you could place to go orders. Put in an order and it was ready in 15 minutes. I ran and grabbed it from the bar, brought it back outside and had food to eat quicker than we were even ACKNOWLEDGED sitting inside. I had the fried catfish sandwich with fries. IT WAS SO GOOD! Based on food I would have given them a 5 star. My friend had the frog legs and gator tacos. He also said his food was amazing. They need some SERIOUS retraining with their wait staff. I have never felt so unwelcomed in a restaurant before. read more

Service was good but food not so. The atmosphere was La king as well. Don't think we will be back. read more

Worst tacos I've ever had and owner is ****head as far as I've seen. I use bait that has fillets larger than what came on my tacos. $15. read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - Fish tacos - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

Haven't been here in forever. And honestly, not much has changed. The place isn't pretty. It's like an old Florida fish camp. Server was great. Very friendly and attentive with just the right amount of checking in. New England clam chowder was the best I've had in a very long time! So good!! Wifey had fish tacos and she loved them. I had friend shrimp. Shrimp and fries were good. Slaw not so much...way too bland. The only thing that bothered me was the waitress sat our tray on an adjacent table so she could serve a plate at a time. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed several of my shrimp fell onto the other table. I became curious - how was she going to handle it? Well, she didn't serve those shrimp which I guess I appreciate. However, they were so good. I probably would have eaten them. Wife asked - why haven't you taken me here before? Sounds like we'll be back. :) read more

Food was very good & waitress was outstanding and very pleasant. Ambiance was terrific too.

The Cole slaw was literally spoiled. I gagged. My meal took forever, came out way after everyone else's. Grits weren't fully cooked. They tell you they serve coke products, but it's actually RC. The poor waitress didn't know. They were out of rice and subbed fries without notice. Someone couldn't have run to the grocery store and grabbed a bag for the night? I live on the other side of the country and was so looking forward to going there again after my wonderful meal last year. I won't be returning. And my family who lives locally won't either. read more

Black Hammock Restaurant - They've gone way downhill! - Seafood Near Me - Oviedo, Florida

The view was great but service was super slow and the food was marginal. Fish tasteless, fries unremarkable, soda not fizzy. read more

We came as a group. Many members of our group were from out of town, so this was a proud show and tell for us who live here in the Orlando areas. I am gonna have one review for all 3, the bar, the airboat tour and the dining room. 18 of us took the airboat tour. At $30/person, the tour was a great value. We could see a few gators, lots or birds and turtles. The Captain was very friendly and knowledgeable about Lake Jessup and gators. I compared this ride and that of the Airboat Tour on Hwy 520, and had to say the Hwy 520 has the headsets which allow the Captain and passengers interact better. They both had the baby gators for picture taking. But Black Hammock has a competitive edge -- its own bar and restaurant. It is quite a convenience. The Margaritta 241 deal was a hit. My friends tried Gator Bites, the fried nuggets with 2 flavors of your choices. The meat was a bit dry, but for those who have never tried gator before, it was ok. My blackened Mahi Mahi was great. Some of our guests had the Fried Cat Fish and Shrimp Tacos and loved them. Our young server Kenzie was very sufficient. She handled our large group with some help from another server, and everyone got our orders correctly almost at the same time. Some of our folks loved the gator cups which they could keep after finishing the drinks. I took away one star for 3 things, based on the comments from my group, but two of them are easy to fix. 1. We couldnt not have our 2nd margarita (from 241) ordered from the dining room. Guests who ordered the drinks at the Lazy Gator bar would have to go back to it, ordered the 2nd one (free) and carried it over to the dining room. A decent POS investment would resolve this issue at ease. 2. When we asked to substitute the whole set of the Cat Fish dinner side which had french fries to the whole set of Mahi Mahi side which had the healthier rice and vegetables, we were told no, even if we were willing to pay extra. Perhaps it was a large group. 3. The headsets which I mentioned above could make a difference. At $30, which was a slightly higher price, the passengers could have asked the questions any time rather than only at the stops. This is the owner's call, I guess. The gift shop was also very good. Overall, I would still give Black Hammock 2 thumbs up. It is much closer to the UCF area than driving to 520 for an airboat ride then go eating somewhere else. My 3 above thoughts were suggestions and not criticism. I have found a new fun place for my visiting guests. read more

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