Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar

Wanted to say good bye to this place as it will be out of business soon and it could not be closing soon enough. I’m not sure why I remembered it fondly enough to say goodbye but that was an error. I’m not sure why i’m even wasting time with a review but the food was just that deplorable.
Ordered fish tacos– absolutely no flavor and it was beyond dry. Someone else in my party ordered the fish and chips. This was the saddest display of food I’ve seen in some time. I think vomit would look more appetizing. The fish literally looked exactly like Gordons fish from the freezer section of the grocery store. Except less appetizing.
Skip this place entirely!!!

Good location. Servers seemed new to the game but all they had to do was bring beer and explain what was a good me u selection. Had the tuna appetizer. Oh my it was terrible. Dis colored unflavorful and just gross. I’m a server so decided not to complain. Can’t believe they brought that out.
Oh BTW it’s been announced they are closing last day of February as landlord is not renewing lease.

We loved this place. The server was extremely nice and very patient with all of our menu questions. Sit outside and enjoy the view! The bar has a great selection of beers and of course they have my favorite beer, Islamorada Beer! We just wanted to grab a quick appetizer before we hit up the town of Bradenton. We had the Grouper Bites which we perfectly fried. This is a great place to just relax and do a little day drinking!

Great Tiki bar hangout with killer views over the river, we only had drinks, so yet cannot comment on the menu & unlike may reviews on this site, we found the service exceptionally good, friendly & quick… loads of parking, a little off the beaten track

Poor service low quality food. The server didn’t even bring us the right food… and don’t even come wanting a beer be lucky if you get more than one …

Only giving one star because I have to in order to post this! The staff is rude excluding the hostess she was sweet. The food awful and cold. The drinks not worth it at all! Never going back!
P. S. Management was awful lied to us then hid the remainder of the time only to be seen having a smoke with he bf sitting on a boat (positive was not hers) in the parking lot! To annoyed to even write more!!! Literally go anywhere else…

If all u want is a beer and and a view, this is perfect. Other wise what a waste of a perfect location concept. Service was the worst. Lazy sloppy. Manager is a joke, also lazy and sloppy. Food may have been the biggest disappointment I’ve ever had at any place in recent memory. How u can be dead at lunch in a prime location is beyond me. But after u sit there for a bit u realize why no one is coming back. I’m in the business and thus place is just sad. Truly breaks my heart to see a place the should have everything goin for itself and is just the worst… Obviosly starts with ownership, to management to staffing. Take some pride in what u have. This place is an embarrassment. Stay away! Save ur money!!! There are other options.

Not only they had slow service all night long, they also ruined the night for our wedding party after 10:45 pm. Be very careful reserving an event for a big party at this business, they have zero appreciation for your guests.

All in all a great place. Good View of the Manatee River. Great atmosphere. .Food I had was good and sat at bar and service was great. New FL transplant approved:)

Go for the view. Do NOT go for the food!
Food is subpar at best and is over-​priced. Fake cheese whiz sauce on the nachos (nachos need real cheese people). The shrimp are NOT deveined (go to mangrove grill for awesome peel n eat shrimp for a much better price) cheesy crab dip wasn’t good and wasn’t fresh (go to o’bricks for amazing crab & artichoke dip) ahi tuna was boring & bland. The sauce with the shrimp fritters was tasteless. We had a huge party and a lot of food was wasted because people just didn’t finish eating what was on their plates. On the flip, we had an absolute blast playing cornhole and volleyball and our waitress kept the drinks coming. The band was pretty douchey but the old people seemed to like it. In the entire Bradenton area this place prob has the best location but the food is absolute crap served in the cheapest plastic they could find.

This is one of my favorite places to eat. The place is very casual and right on the water. It’s kind of tricky to get to and you feel as though at any moment someone might try to carjack you, but it’s worth it once you get there. I’m surprised that it has a 2.5 average rating.
I’ve eaten here several times and never had a bad meal or bad experience. It was always slow and quiet. It’s very tranquil.
My favorite meal is the Chicken with the Mango and Pineapple salsa. You get two large chicken breasts topped with the salsa and a side item, which I always get the sweet potato fries. They are coated nicely with cinnamon and sugar, not too much, just enough to enhance the flavor. My other favorite item is the gyro. The tzatziki sauce is on point and just enough to keep the sandwich from being dry. The meat is hearty and it’s just a near perfect gyro. Their burgers are also amazing and they are not stingy with the amount they give you. My family tried their chicken salad when they visited and said it was delicious.
My biggest complaint is that if you ask for anything extra, you will most certainly pay for it… an arm and a leg at that, which I think is absurd. A teeny dollop of mayo on the side is 50 cents and if you want a flavored tea, you will pay $ 1 more, making it $ 3.50 for a drink. I get water now, but I am wondering when they will start charging for that.
We return because the food, experience and service is fabulous. I just wish they would stop being greedy with charging for those little extras. The meals are already a decent price, so there should be no qualms about giving a free side of mayo.

Amazing place.
Bradenton needs more places like this!
What a goldmine. If you eat there have the hamburger. One of the best burgers in town.
I drove the boat to the point, sat at the tiki bar, listen to live music and watch sports.
I brought the kids with me! They played in the sand, threw the bean bags and spiked a volleyball or two.
It is a wonderful place that could rival the Square Grouper in Jupiter.

Been there twice. Both times were horrible. I should have learned the first time but hey at least they are consistent. I had a margarita, grouper bites and a pulled pork sandwich. The margarita was sugar water In a plastic Dixie cup, the «grouper» was mainly fried batter with almost no trace of fish and the pulled pork sandwich tasted like they bought it in the frozen foods section of a supermarket and microwaved it. Great location, bad service, worse food. Save yourself the trip and hit the local McDonald’s, it will be less money, faster service and most likely better food.
After 73 reviews it only is rated 2.5 stars… wake up your doing something wrong.

Awesome water-​side casual dining. Great seafood! Excellent service! Please try the Shrimp Hush puppies! My grouper meal was delicious and very fresh! Prices are very reasonable!

Last night we went to Tarpon Pointe to watch the sunset. We sat at the main bar with Emily as our server. Emily was friendly and service was great.
We decided on sharing a pointe Black and Blue burger and within minutes of ordering our burger it was being set on the counter. We all were a bit shocked at how quickly the food came out but was impressed just the same.
The hamburger was lukewarm at best but the flavors of the hamburger were good. We finished our meal and then left for home. No sooner did we get home and we both got violently ill.
This apparently has been a trend of Tarpon Pointe after speaking with friends and family. Unfortunately after this experience we too will not be returning.

I wanted to try a new place on the water and this place ticks that box. But that’s about it. Service was slow and it wasn’t busy. (Lunch time on a Sunday). I had the shrimp tacos and they were ok but nothing to write home about. A friend had the shrimp po boy (which she liked). The sweet potato fries were like warm to cold. With so many other options on the water, it’s doubtful that I’ll return.

I was hoping the second time around would be better than the 1^st but I’m disappointed to report it was not. Although, we were greeted with a smile this time our server appeared overwhelmed and annoyed. She took our order, bought out the water, dropped off the check, & picked up the check. While she was picking up the check another patron stopped at our table and was asking her to give the check to him when she brings it to the table. She pulled his check out of her pocket & gave it to him. Politely he said «no, no just give it to me when you bring it over». And she was looking at him as if she was confused. Then I said «He saying he’s going I be the one to pay for the check so please give it to him when you bring it to his table.» She said «oh ok» & then rolled her eyes at him.
But this time I had the mushroom & provolone burger w/​fries. It «looked» good but it was just edible at best. I don’t think I’ll pay for another meal at this place. Man, I really want to like this place because it’s in a great location but oh well.

Been here three times now and food/​service continues to be mediocre at best. Usually in a party of three or four. at least 2 orders are wrong in some way — either the wrong preparation (fried instead of grilled) or undercooked.
This time the chef even came out and said «it was fine and cooked right». I’m pretty sure that if I can’t pull apart fish with two forks. it ain’t cooked.
Ambiance and location are good fun. It is a good place for drinks, but I wouldn’t bother with the food.

We were here sunday with family, my teenage son ordered the Grouper sandwich, grilled. Typically he inhales a sandwhich in about 5 seconds. However, he was eating it so slowly. I tasted it and learned why. It was as if the cook had spilled the salt on the filet. It was very, very salty. Sad that it was a $ 17 sandwich.
We love the atmosphere and location, but seems it’s been hit or miss on food.
Owners should spot check and taste the food they are charging people for without cooks knowing.

Tarpon Pointe is so Bradenton, I really wanted to hate on it. However, I came here after work one night with some work buddies and totally loved it. After the horrible band stopped making so much noise, it was a pleasure to drink their overpriced drinks and enjoy the outdoors.
Looking at their online menu, it looks expensive and not that great. The website also makes it appear that they do not have a full liquor bar, but they do. They even make daiquiris.
The food I had was actually really good bar food— loaded waffle fries, nachos, and chicken wings.
There are all kinds of locals here of all ages, and for various reasons. People even bring their kids because there is a volleyball court and cornhole games in the sand. Parking can get difficult on the gravel lot, so come early.
The best thing to do here is to come right after work, grab some unhealthy food and drinks, and take the stairs up to the top observatory deck to watch the sunset. I might come back when it is not so hot outside and attempt to enjoy myself again in the future.