We came here to celebrate a birthday and had made a reservation a few days in advance for a party…read moreof 12 (8 adults and 4 young children). When we arrived and walked through the front door, the restaurant was completely empty... No host, no staff, no one in sight. We waited around for about 15 minutes before deciding to walk around the property, where we eventually found a side entrance near the bar with two employees. When we told them we were there to dine, they seemed genuinely shocked by the size of our group, despite the fact that we reminded them we had a reservation.
We were then asked to wait another 15 minutes while they prepared a table. During this time, the air conditioning inside was not on, which is unacceptable given this is South Florida and the heat can be relentless. We ended up asking to sit outside, which was surprisingly cooler.
Once seated, we immediately noticed bird droppings on the floor and on a wall/pillar just inches away from our table. It was very off-putting and confusing why this wasn't cleaned, especially since the outdoor area is clearly meant for guests.
Service continued to be disorganized. After sitting for several minutes, we were finally asked if we wanted anything to drink, and we requested water. Immediately after that, we were asked what we wanted to order for dinner -- before we even had time to look at the menu. It felt rushed and poorly timed.
When the food began coming out, it arrived in random spurts rather than together. Half of our group received their meals and started eating, while the other half waited over 20 minutes. At one point, more of our food was brought out -- but instead of being served to us, it was left sitting on the bar nearby for about 15 minutes. We had to ask three separate times if that food was ours, get ignored, then FINALLY be told, "Oh yeah, sorry, we'll serve you now." By that point, the food had been sitting out, exposed, and had gone cold. Not to mention we were already outside so I'm sure some flies were on and around the food. The server attempted to give us the food and we told him it was cold. He then said he would "warm it up". We had to explicitly ask for fresh plates, which should never have been necessary. By the time the replacements arrived, the rest of the party had already been waiting 30+ minutes after others had finished eating. The entire experience just felt chaotic.
There was obviously a noticeable inconsistency in service. A table next to us appeared to be receiving extremely attentive service, while our table struggled to get even basic needs met. I think they may have been Georgian so they got special treatment. One of the particularly frustrating issues was water -- all of us were drinking water, and not once were our glasses refilled until the very end, when they were completely empty and we were visibly thirsty. Even then, we had to ask for more water!!
Because this was a birthday celebration, we had originally planned on getting dessert, but given everything that had happened, we decided to just ask for the check. Getting our check took an additional 20+ minutes to arrive. To add to the confusion, another staff member repeatedly brought food to our table that none of us had ordered, forcing our server to redirect him to the correct tables. It seemed like nobody was trained??
With all that said, the food and drinks themselves were very good overall and tasted unique compared to standard offerings in the area. Our waitress was also very kind, and it was clear she was overwhelmed and likely did not have enough support to properly manage everything.
The location is beautiful and has a great atmosphere, with fantastic views of the surrounding buildings and nearby water in Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately, the lack of organization, cleanliness, and basic service overshadowed what could have been a great experience. I really am rooting for them and hoping they can get it together because it has potential.