I had never (gasp) been to any Gator's Dockside restaurant before but had heard some good things from friends; therefore, when my Mommy In Law and I were out and about... we decided to give it a try. Let me preface by saying, while we aren't official tasters or anything (ha) we are total foodies. We also are very cognizant of the value of our patronizing a business, and are pretty harsh critics typically.
We ended up having an amazing experience! Everyone we saw seemed genuinely happy to have us there (my Mommy In Law is quite a character lol). I am horrible with names, but the one I made sure to note was Ebony! We told Ebony that we were Gator Virgins (um, my Mommy In Law has odd humor ha) and she didn't skip a beat. It is nice when someone actually knows what their restaurant has to offer... and when asked "hey, if you like your (item) to be (cooked like, size, flavor, etc)... what would you recommend/think?" and actually get a human and invested response! Ebony was that hard-to-find combination of being attentive without hovering/annoying.
The food was really good, hot and fresh and prepared as we ordered. Drinks were refilled almost magically. The place was buzzing but we still felt valued (nice atmosphere) and CLEAN! I hate using public restrooms but... sometimes you must and I found it to be clean, well-stocked and as pleasant as possible.
We did end up spending a bit more than we had intended, but the whole experience was well worth it (NO REGRETS).
My Mommy In Law highly recommends the American Cheeseburger (this from someone who once told TGI Friday's they could keep their HOCKEY PUCK). It was moist, meaty (ha oops sounds like dog food but I swear, it's not) and generously portioned. She's a bit of a burger lover so this is high praise!
I was dealing with the remainder of a sinus infection, so I sought (and found) comfort in an order of Gatorizer's Wingers to take home :) But while there, I splurged on the Chimichurri Steak! I don't know if I should be glad I did.. it was Ah-may-zing! But... ha I better stick with the wings alone next time (ate with my son the next day and wow!).
We were celebrating my new full-time job, and happy to have done so with Gator's and Ebony in particular (she was just fantastic!). read more