Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle

Food is normally pretty decent but just had the worst experience. Sat on the patio for 10 minutes and no one even came to take our drink order. Will not be returning.

We got stook in Ft. Lauderdale and found this Dimond in the Ruff, food was delicious and services was amazing.

Tarpon Bend. The place mostly everyone who lives or works in Fort Lauderdale goes to for happy hour at some point in their lives. Why? Well, the 2−4−1 specials cannot be beat. I mean, can’t say I recall many other bars in this area with happy hour extending past 7 pm. During the week you can get a 2−4−1 drinks until 7 pm, but on Fridayyyyyyyyyy, you can get your cheap drink on until 10 pm! Great news for those looking to get hammered on a budget! Let’s not forget about their other specials, the Thursday ladies night where ladies can get schnockered for free and the brunch where screwdrivers and mimosas are bottomless from 10am — 4 pm (for the ladies once again). I was just here for a holiday lunch with my co-​workers and noticed they are running a «fantastic four» burger challenge at the end of each month. Apparently some poor bastard is going to get drunk, try to down a 4-​patty monstrosity and then try not to spew it all over his friends and other onlookers at the bar. I’ll skip that event, thank you very much. Back to the food, Tarpon Bend’s food is sadly either hit or miss. Burgers are standard, run of the mill burgers. Some of the better items on the menu include the Asian Tuna Burger, the fresh fish sandwich of the day and the dolphin reuben — all pretty solid. However the salads have been MEH. Food has taken forever or has come out cold on several occasions. Service has been lackluster during almost every visit. During my aforementioned co-​worker holiday lunch yesterday, the server looked like she was about to pass out and/​or cry and needed tons of assistance. Maybe she’s pissed that she’s on the naughty list and knows she’s going to end up with a lump of coal in her stocking? Maybe she was just overwhelmed with daily schenanigans from our presidential hopefuls? But damn girl, don’t rain on my friggin parade. My advice is to do like the other Fort Lauderdalians do and get your drink on during happy hour and get your lunch or dinner at any of the other nearby spots — Taco Craft or Rok Burger.

Food was very good. We ordered the garlic chili wings — flavorful and crispy. We had the spinach artichoke dip– comes with jalapeños and Pico de Gallo. It was Ok — not the best I’ve ever had. It’s served with tortillas chips. Burgers were tasty and large portion size. Comes with shoestring fries. Service was good. Several staff came to check on us, replenish drinks and clear the table. We had a party of 5 so an automatic 18% tip was added on to our bill.

My husband and I came out on a Saturday night, but we went early to miss the normal drunken Ft Lauderdale scene.
We were seated right away and the booth was huge.
We are both allergic to seafood so options are limited, but my husband and I expected that. We just wanted some drinks and appetizers.
We tried the spinach and artichoke dip. One of the best I have ever had, and the pico de gallo (spelling?) was awesome.
Then we tried the garlic chili chicken wings, which had little pieces of peanuts and sesame seeds on top. Oh man these were good.
It was also very nice to have one of the managers, Yaser, stop by our table. It’s refreshing to see management circulate and make sure all is well. Very nice guy.
We finished our visit with a slice of key lime pie and it was the perfect ending.

As one of the longest standing places off 2^nd in downtown Fort Lauderdale there is a reason for that. They have daily specials $ 5 burger Mondays, trivia night on Wednesdays where u can win 100 $ gift card there and a daily happy from 4 – 9 even on weekends with extended HH on Friday to 10. The bartenders even when busy rock. The pour of drinks are generous so Ciudado, that two for one might become 1,2, 3 floor! They have live bands always a rockin good time on Friday and have special matches playing on big screen during sporting events.
They have another location in Coral Gables which is a little more up scale but this location is laid back with wooden benches they have a second floor with another bar and the hook and line game. The age range is spread when it comes to happy hour so no matter what meet a new friend have a drink and do a little dancing after hours.

Tarpon burger is delicious and can’t complain about 2 for 1 happy hour. Very casual environment Good place to watch the game with friends. Overall, good experience.

Too bad I didn’t write this review the night we came back but just certain details an experience sticks to you that makes you remember.
It was during the Day of the Dead Festival last year, on a Sunday. My boo and I were hungry afterwards and decided to give this place a try. Once we entered is was pretty crazy. We were seated at a booth but the tables and floor were dirty. Everybody looked stressed. Nobody had time to clean up.
Finally after waiting less then 10 minutes our waitress came out and cleaned our table with a anti-​bacterial cloth thus providing our menu. We both had a craving for burger until finding out they ran out. Huh??? So I ended up getting a Dolphin BLT and my boo got a Dolphin Sandwich. So after ordering the wait begins… still waiting…**tick tock**
I looked from the time I checked in after ordering we were waiting for what seemed like 30 minutes. On top of that our waitress disappeared! Our drinks have since been dry. Shift change? Was she chit chatting? We were hungry and irritable until we finally flagged another server. Man was he helpful. He was on point to the beginning and end. Wish I remembered his name.
Overall the food was just ok, service was super spotty.
If you know you are going to be busy during a major event you would think to be prepared. The whole vibe of the joint was off. It was my first time going, I think my boo’s second but years ago. But we definitely won’t be coming back, not sure. There are other options along the strip which I have tried and will.

It’s a great place to come do happy hour from 4 to 7 pm almost everyday. .the food is great you will get your money’s worth

Can’t comment on the food here, just the «late night scene». Can’t remember what day of the week it was-​I want to say it was a Friday that was my last rendezvous over here.
This place is pretty typical of most of the Himmarshee bar scene, with a nautical theme. Most of the place is fish and boat themed. Upstairs is (in my mind) the upper deck-​and the easier to get to bar. The small balcony area upstairs toward the front is a nicer area that is well ventilated and usually much quieter if you’re not looking to scream over people, and since there are usually fewer people up there, it’s usually easier to get drinks.
Downstairs there is bumping music and a lot of TV screens so it tends to be more loud. Now mind you, I know it was Friday night at a BAR but it seemed to be excessive at a point for a place that wasn’t a club. Happy hour here is supposed to be a pretty good deal as well as ladies’ night, but I have yet to partake in either, sadly.
There was a good vibe here for the most part. I would love to come back for trivia and ladies nights, as I hear that both are pretty awesome. I did get stuck in the middle of either a group of frat dudes or a bachelor party and thus it made it difficult to wiggle up to the bar for a bit. However it did make snagging a few drinks on them easier :) Problem was the bartenders were a bit slow and swamped and didn’t seem to be paying attention to anyone else. Will come back again-​but Friday night at 10:00-either pack your patience or arrive more buzzed than I did!

Went to tarpon with a couple of coworkers Tuesday after work. Atmosphere was nice and laid back, they played 80’s soft rock :). However, with the emptiness of the business, lead us to a surprise as the three (black) patrons were placed in the absolute back of the restaurant by the kitchen. We asked for a booth and passed 5 empty booths to be seated in the back.
Our server, Nicole, was very attentive and made sure that we were well taken care of!
The food desired more seasoning, especially the calamari. A coworker ordered a cup of conch chowder that was more like a shot glass of soup for $ 4. Would I come back? Not for the food but certainly for the 2−4−1 drinks and $ 12 margarita pitchers during happy hour 4−9pm!

So I went to Tarpon Bend with a couple of friends…
The calamari was bland, not enough seasoning or flavor. Literally had to drench it in the Crystal’s hot sauce. My friend couldn’t even eat the her Conch soup due to no Conch in the soup. However, my burger was banging!
Our server, Nicole, was very attentive to our table. She definitely made sure we were well taken of. Thanks Nicole!
The atmosphere is definitely laid back. Due to lack of business, couldn’t see it in its’ full swing. They played soft rock, which was nice. The bar is kind of small compared to the rest of building.
Would I come back? Of course, but only for the 2−4−1 drinks and ladies’ night every Thursday night.

I won’t be back after tonight’s incident with an employee. I believe her name was Danielle? She’s a server at this location.
Basically my friends and I were waiting patiently for a drink at the bar. The server came over to the bar and wanted to get her alcohol before us.
Regardless if it was for a paying customer or her vodka, the way she handled herself was very unprofessional. She started to scream at my friend threatening him that she would get us kicked out. How rude can you be? I don’t care if you work for Tarpon Bend. We did nothing to deserve your nasty behavior.
What was her reason for threatening to kick us out? There was no valid reason. If you were having a stressful night I understand because I worked as a server for many years. But this is basic customer service 101 regardless if you may be on duty or clocked out.
I asked to speak with the manager regarding the employee. The manager tried her hardest to listen to our concerns and told us that the server would be reprimanded. I just hope that something was done to prevent unprofessional behavior like this from reoccurring in the future. I know I won’t be back as long as that server is there.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Wed. evening with friends, Trivia Night here is a great way to go. We went with a group of Unilocalers for my first time. We had a terrific, silly and profitable evening!
Every night, they have a drink special with a choice of beer or a specific cocktail. Since I’m not a beer drinker, I opted for the cocktail, which was made with cherry vodka and a choice of mixers for $ 3. I always forget that people actually make things from maraschino cherries, which always makes me think of cough syrup. Granted, this is my hangup, but the cocktail tasted pretty much like straight maraschino juice and didn’t have much of a kick.
We had eaten before we left home, but got hungry again from the smell of all the food being brought to our table, so my daughter and I decided to split a sandwich and fries. The mahi sandwich was recommended by a friend, so that’s what we got. There was a good sized, perfectly cooked mahi filet, along with some sauce and veggies on lightly toasted sourdough. The sauce was okay, it would have been better if they had served it on the side, but the fish was really good. The sourdough was nice, not too sour. We also ordered a side of sweet potato fries, which were delicious. Next time we’ll order a big plate of those!
The trivia competition lasted for about 90 min. There were 20 questions and a bonus. The questions covered everything from pop music to world geography. We had a great team and one the $ 100 certificate. We weren’t allowed to use it on that night, so we’ll be going back in another week or so to defend our prize, use the certificate and hope for another one.
Overall, this is a fun place to go, and we’ll be glad to go back.

Just back from a fun night of trivia and a fantastic meal with friendly service.
I ordered the Sizzling Seafood Kettle and not only the presentation is great the food was just as good tasting. The kettle arrives to your table filled with clams. mussels, calamari, fish, and jumbo shrimp in rich tasting tomato based broth that all gets ladled unto a really hot sizzling platter. Here’s a little tip order a side order of yellow rice and pour some of that broth over the rice you will thank me for it,

It’s my fault for coming here. I had really wanted to go to Rok: Brgr and didn’t know what I was getting my family into. When we arrived (at Rok: Brgr) at 2:45pm on Sunday it was a mad house! I’m sure everrrrryone knows this already but I’m out of the scene and just never thought about it. It was definitely not a place to bring my 1 year old daughter. So, out of all the options on the little strip, Tarpon Bend seemed the most family friendly.
The food wasn’t awful, the service wasn’t that bad and the environment is just fine but it wasn’t anything I’d go out of my way for. However, I believe it’s free mimosas if you’re a lady until 4pm every Sunday and if I was still a party girl I would be ALL OVER THAT!

We stopped by to hang out a little bit as we arrived early to Stache. We didn’t spend a lot of time here, but we had fun in the short time we were there. The bartenders were great, and the customers were friendly. We sat next to a guy that is a definite regular, and he was telling all kinds of funny stories. I think he was trying to set up his son with one of the bartenders. She was having none of that. Funny stuff. We really liked the vibe at this place.
We ordered a couple beers and some oysters and they were really good also. The next thing we knew it was time to head over to the event, so we paid the tab and off we went. It was a great start to an awesome evening. We will definitely stop there again if we are in the area.

Chances are if you’ve done any drinking in the Himmarshee/​Riverfront/​College side of downtown Fort Lauderdale, you’ve spent some time at Tarpon before. I know in almost a decade of living in the area (eww I’m old!) I’ve definitely had my fair share of drinks and sometimes food at Tarpon.
Over the years, I’ve found Tarpon to be best when sat at the bar… as the service at tables can sometimes be a little spotty in the evenings, or lunch at one of the outside tables.
On my last particular evening visit I came for happy hour (2 for 1 drinks from 4−7pm) on a Wednesday evening. The bartenders weren’t 100% on their game and seemed slightly bored instead of actively bringing me refills and thus increasing my spending, but on other visits I’ve found the bar service to be great.
I also ordered the calamari this time, which was a great price considering the portion.
And trust me, I’ve had my eye on their ridiculous burger/​bloody mary concoction for awhile now and I need to make here for brunch some time soon!
All in all, Tarpon is one of my favorite low-​key drinking establishments. No need to get fancy here, and the drinks are cheap!

2 ½ Stars
We have been here a few times and each time there are inconsistencies with the food. We always seem to find ourselves here on their $ 2uesdays night which is a great deal! They have three different types of sliders (Cheeseburger– Pulled Pork– Grilled Shrimp) that are $ 2 each on Tuesdays and they also have a special $ 2 draft beer which changes!
It seems each time we go I always have a different slider that is my «favorite» of the night. Not to say necessarily that it is amazing but that out of the three it is the best. Tonight’s favorite was the Cheeseburger slider as the other two were less than desirable. The Pulled Pork slider was served to us less than warm and the Grilled Shrimp had a funky taste. We also decided to try their Marsh Harbour Conch Chowder… Hmm there was completely NO conch is this bowl whatsoever! The taste was good but I didn’t exactly order vegetable soup.
The service is usually good but it depends on where you sit. The bar is the best spot to be noticed. This place gets packed on weekend nights so go early to get a seat. They have an outdoor patio as well and was voted the best place to bring your dog but we have never brought our pups here.
Overall, maybe a good spot to drink but we won’t be back to eat.

We have been here a couple of times over the past weekends. The first time we came around 10pm and the place was packed. We ordered a few rounds of drinks and listened to the music. Eventually we moved down to the dance floor but not many people were dancing. I guess the DJ was not playing the right kinds of music and people were just not in the mood. Plus the sound system was not so great and that didn’t help.
The second time we came during their happy hour on a Friday afternoon. I think its a great deal because its 2 for 1 drinks ’til 10pm. We had a round of drinks and found a table and continuing on with the drinks. Yes the place was very busy, and the waitresses were very slow attending our tables so we went straight to the bar and ordered our drinks there. However, then one waitress came back and said if we wanted to sit in the tables, we have to either order food or drinks from her. Hello? We’d have if you paid a little bit more attention to us in the first place. It was such a turn-​off and kind of killed our mood and we decided to move on to the other bars next door.
Over all its not a bad place to go to for happy hour, or perhaps your first stop of bar hopping on weekends.