This was a great little restaurant, with a loaded menu located at the Tahitian Inn Hotel that we were staying at. The wraps were delicious and their breakfasts were spot on too! We loved sitting outside in the patio section overlooking the lovely fish pond with waterfalls... Very tranquil!!
Bridgette K.
The Tahitian Inn does classic breakfast basics the best in South Tampa. I would say they have one of the top three pancakes in the South Tampa area, their coffee is delicious, and I never have to wait despite there being an always healthy size crowd on the weekend during the breakfast rush. They have experienced and friendly wait staff and I never have trouble parking. I would describe it as a place S. Tampa regulars go to frequently as I often run into people I know at the restaurant which makes it very familiar and friendly and inviting. The prices are extremely reasonable for this neighborhood. The hotel guests probably have no idea how lucky they are to have an actually good restaurant inside the hotel that people who aren't staying at the hotel come to on a regular basis.
Cori W.
Not great. Had the gyro. My First bad decision and then I had their ribbon fries which weren't done enough. All in all not a great experience I don't think I'd go back.
Joseph D.
One of my worst restaurant experiences. The service is horrendous for such mediocre food. There weren't many patrons in the restaurant, so there shouldn't have been an issue with getting decent service. We placed our order, an omelet and biscuits and sausage gravy, and waited. It wasn't a complicated order at all. We continued to wait and wait and wait as the restaurant began filling up. After about 20 minutes, our waitress told us our order was coming up. We continued to wait. We then noticed that patrons, who had come in after us, began getting their orders. We were still waiting. I finally summoned our MIA waitress and gave her a very public dressing down. She made excuses that the omelet wasn't made correctly and the cook had to make another. We were still waiting. Really, how long does it take to make an omelet? Were they waiting on the chicken to lay the eggs. In the end, it took over 45 minutes! NEVER again will I frequent this establishment.
Jessica D.
Not a bad place but we caught it on a karaoke night and we just had a long flight and were exhausted and just wanted a quiet night cap. The bartender was very nice.
Shara R.
Overall the best I can give after the interesting dining experience we had...is a 3 star review. We stayed at the hotel after the Bucs game and decided to eat here before leaving town. I'm sad we did. The empty restaurant should have been the indicator that something was amiss. The table of newly children-LESS mothers sitting in the corner cackling about how relieved they were than school had beckoned their little angels back for another school year. Their conversations ebbed and flowed about children, spouses, employment and errant inlaws. Why do I know these things? Because I was only sitting 20 feet from them in a nearly empty restaurant and hear their big mouths anyway! The only other table was an elderly man and his aide trying to have breakfast and they were clearly annoying him because in his loudest voice *despite having difficulty speaking, yelled across the room for them to shut up. They never even heard him. We ordered coffee corned beef hash, eggs and potatoes. Cuban toast. Meal decent. Cooked to order. Arrived promptly. Solid chow. Food: B Service: A Ambiance: F Will try again when it's not the first day of school.
Jerry G.
First time here! (been in Tampa over 25 years). We went with Friends on a mid Suday afternoon. Parking: right up front. Atmosphere: a little worn around the edges. Like a place built a long time ago and fast forwarded a number of years. Service: pretty good. quick with a smile. joked around with us. Food: I had the large Ybor salad with the house dressing (similar to the 1905 dressing at the Columbia). This was probably the best salad I've had in the past 15 years. The others enjoyed their meals....we're not talking anything fancy here. salads, sandwiches. etc. Price: not overly shocking. about right. Go back: sure....maybe in two to three weeks.
Lia P.
This cafe is attached to the historic Tahitian Inn and Spa. In the same location for over 60 years this cafe is a local gem. We came for breakfast after spending a night in the end after a business event. for breakfast I had the corned beef hash and eggs with home fries and pancakes. first I have to say, that the portions are huge! The food had a homey feel, the staff was extra friendly, the seating was comfortable and the cafe was very clean. if you're looking for home style cooking, nothing fancy but filling, then this is the place for you. The price is right and the food is good. My personal favorite were the pancakes, they're perfectly cooked and were very delicious!
Benny B.
Horrible food experience. The Eggs Benedict hollandaise sauce looked and seemed old rather than fresh made., the "fried potatoes" old and, worse.. The steak and eggs.. Raw instead of rare. Take the time to straighten this place out. It needs better FOH and BOH supervision and management Post note. The person who ate the Eggs Benedict became rather ill.
Chris P.
The food was average. The service was poor. Saturday morning with very few customers. Don't come here if your in a hurry.
My wedding plans were lost, then remade, then lost again. Turning my wedding into a horrible night! Nothing promised was delivered. To begin, I will say I waited a very long time to write this review. But it has taken this long for me not to burst into tears every time I think about my wedding at the Tahitian Inn. In February my husband and I put our down payment on the facility to have our wedding reception in the restaurant and patio. We gave this down payment to a women named Elisabeth. She quoted me a price that we agreed on and we planned the menu, decor, and seating arrangements. One month before our reception (November 11, 2013) my now husband received a call from a women saying that she saw our wedding on a calendar but did not know who we were, if we had payed, and what we wanted. She told him we would have to come back to re-negotiate. He stormed down to the inn in a rampage and explained to her this was already taken care of. The story he was told was that Elisabeth quit AND TOOK ALL OF THE WEDDING PLANS FOR EVERYONE WITH HER. So apparently I am not alone in this nightmare. Next thing we know we have to send all of our correspondence to a women named Susie who is ''Kind enough'' to honor our price we were quoted. Up until a few days before the wedding she emails back and forth with me trying to figure out who sits where and who eats what. I send her a seating chart and explained each name plate is color coordinated to their dish choice. Day of the wedding arrives. We go in an hour before (the time we are allowed) and the only person there IS A BAR TENDER! By the way seating chart is gone, entrees list gone! Also, we are told we can't have 6 to a table, at least 20 of my relatives are shoved in a booth in the back. Now my reception is AN HOUR behind. Also, we are told we can't have 6 to a table, at least 20 of my relatives are shoved in a booth in the back. There goes any grand entrance. I stroll in with tears in my eyes. Now I find out my hors d'oeuvres are not being butlered...why? No staff. My salads are served before the hors d'oeuvres and when I say something the waitress begins TAKING THEM BACK FROM MY GUESTS! Also, I am gluten free and so is my best man (this was explained multiple times to Elisabeth and Susie), we get croutons! I ask for the salads to be taken back...they come back with the croutons picked out..still crumbs. Both of us get food poisoning that evening. Then when entrees are served no one gets what they ordered even though their name tag SAYS WHAT THEY ORDERED! By now I am over it! I will say the bartender (her name tag said ''Toots'') she was not meant to be a wedding planner and did as best she could. She gave me at least two hugs and many drinks to calm me down. I'm pretty sure she got tipped a significant at least 3 times by family. That night after the fiasco is over my mother-in-laws air conditioner in her room goes out. She gives up and drives home. Oh yeah, one last thing- my husband payed the bill for the night, not my father as asked for...because of a ''credit card mix up''! My wedding is ruined and it has taken me until now not to get sick to my stomach trying to tell my story. Not to mention when I filed a complained with BBB I got a letter blaiming it all on me.
Chandani C.
My review is based on two visits to the hotel's restaurant. The first visit was great and the second was not so great! The reason I am giving the restaurant 5 stars is because the first visit far exceeded 5 stars! Visit 1: Susan was our server and she was just amazing! Our group of six was seated very quickly as we arrived for a late lunch (3pm) and the restaurant was fairly empty. Susan took down our orders and even asked all of us our names. She made it a point to address each of us by our name during the entire visit. We all ordered burgers/sandwiches and they were tasty and the portions were huge! They have unique takes on burger/sandwich combos and you can really taste how fresh all of the ingredients are! Susan really went the extra mile to make sure we had a great time at the restaurant. She's funny and makes a casual lunch feel like an epic event. Visit 2: This time we went for a late breakfast since we were staying at the hotel. Susan wasn't working in the morning so our server was Andrea this time. I'm not sure if Andrea is new or if she just doesn't keep up with what is going on at the restaurant. Everyone in the group ordered off of the menu, but I had seen that they had a chalkboard outside with a breakfast special of shrimp and grits so I ordered that. Andrea's response..."oh is that our special?" Hmm, okay she doesn't know the special, no biggie. The food took forever (I had enough time to go back up to my room, shower, get ready, and come back and talk to my friends for a bit) to come out despite the restaurant not being too filled. I was in good company and we weren't in a rush, so we weren't too concerned. Finally, the food came out and guess what... Andrea brought me their lunch special (why would I want fried fish and rice at 10am?) When I ordered, I didn't even say I'd like "the special," I specifically said shrimp and grits. I sent the food back and waited another 20 minutes for what I actually ordered. Luckily, the meal tasted great. My friend asked for a discount on my meal to which Andrea said she'll see what she can do since our "table is so complicated." She ended up giving a $4 discount which I wasn't too thrilled about. I am pretty sure any other restaurant would have comped the meal. Other than this, she was super forgetful and had to be reminded about things. She asked my friend if he wanted his milkshake to be chocolate or vanilla about 3 times within 5 minutes. She wasn't mean, but she had no idea what she was saying/doing. Moral of the story, the food is good and ask for Susan! As for the hotel, the rooms are clean, spacious, and comfortable. Our group had 2 suites and 1 regular room. The suites are way oversized and even the regular room was huge. There is even a spa on the 3rd floor which is super convenient.
Jim C.
The Tahitian Inn and Coffee Shop has been in Tampa for 60 years. Prior to the remodeling about 10 years ago, the coffee shop was a real "Mel's Diner'" like you see on TV with the round bar seats. Now it has a modern, attractive decor and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a good meeting spot for a business breakfast or lunch. They have an outside seating area and full bar. It is an old south Tampa standby that is always there for you.
Joseph O.
Boston Susan at the bar is a SWEET HEART! Great customer service. I recommend to all.
Brendan C.
The Tahitian Inn restaurant is a local favorite, if you want a great breakfast you can never go wrong at this breakfast shop. This restaurant mainly known for their breakfast from what I remember, I've been here several times over the years. They've been very consistent with their service and food quality. I love their french toast, however the rest of their breakfast menu is good and has never been disappointing. Most people on the street don't think about going to a Mom&Pop breakfast shop, let alone one in a hotel - however if it was a stand alone restaurant, this place would be always busy. Has a very nice family feel, the atmosphere is great and smells like tropical Florida. The outdoor patio seating has fans and a waterfall fountain/pond to give the place more accent. Overall always a good place to eat.
This was a great little restaurant, with a loaded menu located at the Tahitian Inn Hotel that we were staying at. The wraps were delicious and their breakfasts were spot on too! We loved sitting outside in the patio section overlooking the lovely fish pond with waterfalls... Very tranquil!!
The Tahitian Inn does classic breakfast basics the best in South Tampa. I would say they have one of the top three pancakes in the South Tampa area, their coffee is delicious, and I never have to wait despite there being an always healthy size crowd on the weekend during the breakfast rush. They have experienced and friendly wait staff and I never have trouble parking. I would describe it as a place S. Tampa regulars go to frequently as I often run into people I know at the restaurant which makes it very familiar and friendly and inviting. The prices are extremely reasonable for this neighborhood. The hotel guests probably have no idea how lucky they are to have an actually good restaurant inside the hotel that people who aren't staying at the hotel come to on a regular basis.
Not great. Had the gyro. My First bad decision and then I had their ribbon fries which weren't done enough. All in all not a great experience I don't think I'd go back.
One of my worst restaurant experiences. The service is horrendous for such mediocre food. There weren't many patrons in the restaurant, so there shouldn't have been an issue with getting decent service. We placed our order, an omelet and biscuits and sausage gravy, and waited. It wasn't a complicated order at all. We continued to wait and wait and wait as the restaurant began filling up. After about 20 minutes, our waitress told us our order was coming up. We continued to wait. We then noticed that patrons, who had come in after us, began getting their orders. We were still waiting. I finally summoned our MIA waitress and gave her a very public dressing down. She made excuses that the omelet wasn't made correctly and the cook had to make another. We were still waiting. Really, how long does it take to make an omelet? Were they waiting on the chicken to lay the eggs. In the end, it took over 45 minutes! NEVER again will I frequent this establishment.
Not a bad place but we caught it on a karaoke night and we just had a long flight and were exhausted and just wanted a quiet night cap. The bartender was very nice.
Overall the best I can give after the interesting dining experience we had...is a 3 star review. We stayed at the hotel after the Bucs game and decided to eat here before leaving town. I'm sad we did. The empty restaurant should have been the indicator that something was amiss. The table of newly children-LESS mothers sitting in the corner cackling about how relieved they were than school had beckoned their little angels back for another school year. Their conversations ebbed and flowed about children, spouses, employment and errant inlaws. Why do I know these things? Because I was only sitting 20 feet from them in a nearly empty restaurant and hear their big mouths anyway! The only other table was an elderly man and his aide trying to have breakfast and they were clearly annoying him because in his loudest voice *despite having difficulty speaking, yelled across the room for them to shut up. They never even heard him. We ordered coffee corned beef hash, eggs and potatoes. Cuban toast. Meal decent. Cooked to order. Arrived promptly. Solid chow. Food: B Service: A Ambiance: F Will try again when it's not the first day of school.
First time here! (been in Tampa over 25 years). We went with Friends on a mid Suday afternoon. Parking: right up front. Atmosphere: a little worn around the edges. Like a place built a long time ago and fast forwarded a number of years. Service: pretty good. quick with a smile. joked around with us. Food: I had the large Ybor salad with the house dressing (similar to the 1905 dressing at the Columbia). This was probably the best salad I've had in the past 15 years. The others enjoyed their meals....we're not talking anything fancy here. salads, sandwiches. etc. Price: not overly shocking. about right. Go back: sure....maybe in two to three weeks.
This cafe is attached to the historic Tahitian Inn and Spa. In the same location for over 60 years this cafe is a local gem. We came for breakfast after spending a night in the end after a business event. for breakfast I had the corned beef hash and eggs with home fries and pancakes. first I have to say, that the portions are huge! The food had a homey feel, the staff was extra friendly, the seating was comfortable and the cafe was very clean. if you're looking for home style cooking, nothing fancy but filling, then this is the place for you. The price is right and the food is good. My personal favorite were the pancakes, they're perfectly cooked and were very delicious!
Horrible food experience. The Eggs Benedict hollandaise sauce looked and seemed old rather than fresh made., the "fried potatoes" old and, worse.. The steak and eggs.. Raw instead of rare. Take the time to straighten this place out. It needs better FOH and BOH supervision and management Post note. The person who ate the Eggs Benedict became rather ill.
The food was average. The service was poor. Saturday morning with very few customers. Don't come here if your in a hurry.
Restaurantji Recommends
My wedding plans were lost, then remade, then lost again. Turning my wedding into a horrible night! Nothing promised was delivered. To begin, I will say I waited a very long time to write this review. But it has taken this long for me not to burst into tears every time I think about my wedding at the Tahitian Inn. In February my husband and I put our down payment on the facility to have our wedding reception in the restaurant and patio. We gave this down payment to a women named Elisabeth. She quoted me a price that we agreed on and we planned the menu, decor, and seating arrangements. One month before our reception (November 11, 2013) my now husband received a call from a women saying that she saw our wedding on a calendar but did not know who we were, if we had payed, and what we wanted. She told him we would have to come back to re-negotiate. He stormed down to the inn in a rampage and explained to her this was already taken care of. The story he was told was that Elisabeth quit AND TOOK ALL OF THE WEDDING PLANS FOR EVERYONE WITH HER. So apparently I am not alone in this nightmare. Next thing we know we have to send all of our correspondence to a women named Susie who is ''Kind enough'' to honor our price we were quoted. Up until a few days before the wedding she emails back and forth with me trying to figure out who sits where and who eats what. I send her a seating chart and explained each name plate is color coordinated to their dish choice. Day of the wedding arrives. We go in an hour before (the time we are allowed) and the only person there IS A BAR TENDER! By the way seating chart is gone, entrees list gone! Also, we are told we can't have 6 to a table, at least 20 of my relatives are shoved in a booth in the back. Now my reception is AN HOUR behind. Also, we are told we can't have 6 to a table, at least 20 of my relatives are shoved in a booth in the back. There goes any grand entrance. I stroll in with tears in my eyes. Now I find out my hors d'oeuvres are not being butlered...why? No staff. My salads are served before the hors d'oeuvres and when I say something the waitress begins TAKING THEM BACK FROM MY GUESTS! Also, I am gluten free and so is my best man (this was explained multiple times to Elisabeth and Susie), we get croutons! I ask for the salads to be taken back...they come back with the croutons picked out..still crumbs. Both of us get food poisoning that evening. Then when entrees are served no one gets what they ordered even though their name tag SAYS WHAT THEY ORDERED! By now I am over it! I will say the bartender (her name tag said ''Toots'') she was not meant to be a wedding planner and did as best she could. She gave me at least two hugs and many drinks to calm me down. I'm pretty sure she got tipped a significant at least 3 times by family. That night after the fiasco is over my mother-in-laws air conditioner in her room goes out. She gives up and drives home. Oh yeah, one last thing- my husband payed the bill for the night, not my father as asked for...because of a ''credit card mix up''! My wedding is ruined and it has taken me until now not to get sick to my stomach trying to tell my story. Not to mention when I filed a complained with BBB I got a letter blaiming it all on me.
My review is based on two visits to the hotel's restaurant. The first visit was great and the second was not so great! The reason I am giving the restaurant 5 stars is because the first visit far exceeded 5 stars! Visit 1: Susan was our server and she was just amazing! Our group of six was seated very quickly as we arrived for a late lunch (3pm) and the restaurant was fairly empty. Susan took down our orders and even asked all of us our names. She made it a point to address each of us by our name during the entire visit. We all ordered burgers/sandwiches and they were tasty and the portions were huge! They have unique takes on burger/sandwich combos and you can really taste how fresh all of the ingredients are! Susan really went the extra mile to make sure we had a great time at the restaurant. She's funny and makes a casual lunch feel like an epic event. Visit 2: This time we went for a late breakfast since we were staying at the hotel. Susan wasn't working in the morning so our server was Andrea this time. I'm not sure if Andrea is new or if she just doesn't keep up with what is going on at the restaurant. Everyone in the group ordered off of the menu, but I had seen that they had a chalkboard outside with a breakfast special of shrimp and grits so I ordered that. Andrea's response..."oh is that our special?" Hmm, okay she doesn't know the special, no biggie. The food took forever (I had enough time to go back up to my room, shower, get ready, and come back and talk to my friends for a bit) to come out despite the restaurant not being too filled. I was in good company and we weren't in a rush, so we weren't too concerned. Finally, the food came out and guess what... Andrea brought me their lunch special (why would I want fried fish and rice at 10am?) When I ordered, I didn't even say I'd like "the special," I specifically said shrimp and grits. I sent the food back and waited another 20 minutes for what I actually ordered. Luckily, the meal tasted great. My friend asked for a discount on my meal to which Andrea said she'll see what she can do since our "table is so complicated." She ended up giving a $4 discount which I wasn't too thrilled about. I am pretty sure any other restaurant would have comped the meal. Other than this, she was super forgetful and had to be reminded about things. She asked my friend if he wanted his milkshake to be chocolate or vanilla about 3 times within 5 minutes. She wasn't mean, but she had no idea what she was saying/doing. Moral of the story, the food is good and ask for Susan! As for the hotel, the rooms are clean, spacious, and comfortable. Our group had 2 suites and 1 regular room. The suites are way oversized and even the regular room was huge. There is even a spa on the 3rd floor which is super convenient.
The Tahitian Inn and Coffee Shop has been in Tampa for 60 years. Prior to the remodeling about 10 years ago, the coffee shop was a real "Mel's Diner'" like you see on TV with the round bar seats. Now it has a modern, attractive decor and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a good meeting spot for a business breakfast or lunch. They have an outside seating area and full bar. It is an old south Tampa standby that is always there for you.
Boston Susan at the bar is a SWEET HEART! Great customer service. I recommend to all.
The Tahitian Inn restaurant is a local favorite, if you want a great breakfast you can never go wrong at this breakfast shop. This restaurant mainly known for their breakfast from what I remember, I've been here several times over the years. They've been very consistent with their service and food quality. I love their french toast, however the rest of their breakfast menu is good and has never been disappointing. Most people on the street don't think about going to a Mom&Pop breakfast shop, let alone one in a hotel - however if it was a stand alone restaurant, this place would be always busy. Has a very nice family feel, the atmosphere is great and smells like tropical Florida. The outdoor patio seating has fans and a waterfall fountain/pond to give the place more accent. Overall always a good place to eat.