It's possible that Gilligan's is a good place to hang out with friends after leaving the beach if you want a few drinks while looking like you just came from the beach. Â However, don't eat here.
Girlfriend and I came here for dinner on July 4. Â Service was horrible. Â Our server kept going to other tables and while I hate doing this to servers because I think it's disrespectful, the only way to get her to come to us was to wave her over. Â And we weren't being impatient, but when your glasses sit empty for 10 minutes, and you ask for the check but it takes 15 minutes and then she doesn't come back for the credit cards for 10 minutes...anyway, you get the point. Â I am guessing the issue was it's a holiday - especially a beach holiday and this is a beach community - and we weren't drinking and she was busy. Â However, she didn't have trouble standing at the table next to us and chatting up a storm (and completely ignoring us in the process). Â What doesn't make sense to me is why you wouldn't at least check on us. Â If we were an undesirable table because we weren't drinking and our bill was small, then if you had checked on us at all, you probably could have gotten us out of there and turned the table at least 20-30 minutes quicker. Â And, guess what, we're good tippers. Â So you could have gotten us out fast and gotten a good tip on the check. Â Instead, you had us sit for way too long and got a sh*t tip for it.
Food was mediocre at best. Â Neither of us were impressed. Â I don't even remember what I got, but I didn't like it all that much. Â Best you can say is that it was food and it was edible and I didn't vomit.
Skip this place for food. Â If you want some cold beer or something, then fine, but you can get that somewhere else, too. Â There are much better places on Siesta Key
1.5 stars. The food is edible, but with so many other choices on the key, this is bar far the worst food. Â I am convinced that the only reason this place hasn't gone under is the fact that it is one of the closest restaurants at the beach and people are too hot and weary to go any further.
The only redeeming quality is the patio and general wide open layout of the interior, but even our table on the patio was tilted and the chairs were unfortable.
The server was slower than a blue-hair at a buffet.
On my 1st visit for a late lunch I was hungry and ready to try some of the tempting menu items. Â The menu was large but featured way too many fried items but since they were pushing it, I tried it anyway.
Had the fried grouper sandwich and it was terrible. Â Simply terrible and I could not even finish it. Â My friend had theblackened grouper and said it was so-so.
Our server was nice and fairly prompt so that was a plus.
Bathrooms were not terribly clean and the place was kind of dirty in general. Â Seems more like a late night dive bar than anything else.
Probably try another place next time.....
After laying on Crescent Beach for two weeks and regularly seeing Airplanes fly over pulling banners advertising Gilligan's my brother and I thought we would give it a try.
This place didn't even come close to my expectations. Everything went down hill from the moment we walked in the door. To begin the hostess only showed us the specials as she didn't have a full menu for us to see. We listened to her describe how wonderful the food was and decided to sit down.
We got a table and waited about 15-20 minutes for our server to come take our drink orders. We ordered a pitcher of beer which tasted watered down. Our server then asked us if we were ready to order. We then informed her that we didn't even have menus yet. So we waited for menus and then ordered our food. We had to wait a very long time for our food to come.
The food was worse than regular bar food. The only reason to visit Gilligan's is for cheap booze during happy hour. Don't bother trying anything.
Had to send my cocktail back because it tasted like bleach. Â Switched to a fruity pail cocktail and it was fine then we had a long island cocktail and it too tasted like bleach. Â Ordered the conch fritters and they were OK but came out burned and were still served by the bartender. Â An off duty bartender was sitting next to us at the bar getting hammered on free shots as she tried to pick up one of the tourists. Â The rest of the crowd was pretty iffy too. Â With so many other choices in the area there really isn't any reason to go here.
Review Source:We happened upon this spot while checking out the area. It had a fun outdoor patio section that we were told to help ourselves too. It took awhile for someone to come and get our drink order and even longer to get the drinks and they were not that busy. We all enjoyed our cold beverages though and the atmosphere as well. I would check it out again because who doesn't want to sit outside and enjoy an icy cold drink out of a pail?!?
Review Source:We went to Gilligan's Saturday night and had a less than great time. Out of the 9 of us who ordered food only 2 people ate theirs.. The food was lousy. The server never asked why most of the food was barely touched. Â They advertised Guinness cans for $4.50 each. when we got our bill we were charged $6.00 each. We showed the server the price that was advertised and after some back and forth he said he would check with the manager who he said wasn't going to change it anyhow. After a bit of a wait he informed us that he couldn't find the manager but he took one off the bill to make it right. Take from that what you will. No manager, but the server fixed it. All's well that ends well I guess. I'm not going back though.
Review Source:Ghetto-fabulous w/ a tourist-trap island theme...
crap tourist food, cool bartenders, tacky, really, really tacky florida/hawaiian gimmick.... you're on Siesta Key in SW Florida, wtf is w/ the Hawaiin shout-outs? silly, but the pickled zombies that come in would never know the difference...
I add a star because until I spent an evening here, I have never seen a woman squatting in a men's room urinal thinkin it's normal... Ghetto-tastic!!
Stay classy, Gilligan's! Thanks for the memories, if I was 10 years younger, 10 beers drunker & kicked in the brain by a donkey... this poser joint would be my spot!
Redonkulous & hilarious!! Good times!!!
cool outside area tho, so there's that.
Average bar food and drinks. Â Surprisingly small selection of draft beers for a place this size.
Staff looked almost exclusively college-age to mid twenties, and a lot of the female servers sported bare midriffs or short-shorts. Â One in particular was rockin a mean muffin top and showing heinous camel toe. Â Service was just ok. Â
Live music even during the daytime andthe tiki hut beachy atmosphere provided a nice backdrop for people watching. Â
This is definitely a party bar skewing to the young drunk set, and I wouldn't go near this place with a ten foot pole around spring break.
Our server was great and yes, it might have been Jessica. We got the Spiced Rum and Coke for $5 and it was pretty strong (unlike the Daq Deck across the street). Food was nothing to rave over but it wouldn't stop me from a 2nd trip. The music was good and the energy of the place was fun. I got a hamburger but next time might try the blackened grouper. Prices are consistent with overpriced Sarasota. Wish it had a water view. But it's Siesta Key and that's how it is.
Review Source:I just got got to give a shout out to Jessica. Â You are an amazing server! Â So attentive to detail and so interesting to chat with.
The food was alright and the atmosphere was a bit loud, but Jessica made up for all that. Â
If I was a local, I would come back just to see her. Â She really is that cool.
Oh, and for the person who said "A push-up bra does not guarantee a good tip", my personal research and experience in waitressing begs to differ. Â Unless there is a jealous heartless customer who never served people for a living at the table.
Jessica, you could wear a potato sack...and still make good tips. Â YOU are that COOL. Â Sorry some customers are not.
My girlfriends and myself went down to siesta keys for vacation and discovered Gilligans on our seconds night, needless to say we went back ever night after.
The bartenders were super attentive and made us feel right at home (especially 'Squeeks')
Gilligans has a beach like atmosphere with a peppering of a city night club. The music there is really fun to dance to and it is easy to request anything they haven't played!
We never tried the food but the drinks are above average, they are made to order! Everything from frozen margaritas to ice cold drafts.
I will absolutely come back to Gilligans if i ever find myself in siesta key again!
Food was horrible and WAAAY overpriced. My Margarita was barely palatable. Â By the way, Â how in the world can you screw up conch fritters? Â I should have known better because this place looks more like a bad dance club than a bar with decent food. Go to S.K.O.B. instead. Trust me on this one.
Review Source:This place is okay. Stopped here after a few hours on the beach. We liked that we could sit outside and that they have little misters to help you cool off on a hot day. Although the beer selection was horrible (a common problem in Sarasota, most places only serve bud-light type beers) the beer was only $1.50. Our waitress greeted us immediately and gave us the bill promptly. We did not try any food. We would probably come back if they had a better selection of beer, but the outside atmosphere was nice and the service was good.
Review Source:Note to our sever, Jessica. A push-up bra does not guarantee a good tip. That said, our service turned out to be okay. Better than I expected-though we did have to wait 15 minutes for our drinks. I was disappointed that it was so smoky -even inside. C'mon people-the beaches are so pretty here-why ruin it with your stupid cigarette smoke??
It was a bit expensive but what do you expect for a "resort?"
I would not go back however as there was no soap in the bathroom and I saw the bartender "wash" her hands with water. Unfortunately I witnessed this as we were waiting for our check. Gross.
Terrible experience. I understand now that this place is meant to be for drinks only, but because it claims to be a "bar and grill" we thought we could get a meal there. This was a mistake.
It took over 10 minutes to get acknowledged by a server. After that, it took more than 30 minutes just to get beers. Our server said it was because they needed to switch the kegs, but I work in a restaurant, and switching kegs takes 3 minutes, not 30.
The food got to us over an hour after our arrival. It was lousy- seemed like everything had been frozen. Just crapoy food, at an average price, that took way, way too long.
Go there for drinks only. Don't eat a damned thing, and order from the bar, because you will never get service.
This is where I spent most of my nights here on siesta key. Â Good sliders and pretty good drinks. Also some great live music.
This is also where i met all my friends i  made this vacation. Some pretty talented bartenders, one in particular who does magic while making drinks. He  throws bottles all around, never seen him brake a bottle, but  his drinks are very good and he is entertaining.
In my opinion this place had the best live music the whole week i was on the key. reggae one night, female rock vocalist and some towny rock guys who were pretty good as well.
i cant wait to go back!
Not a place to eat, but a nice local hangout bar to have a few pops. Thursday nights is a 2 man band called RPM that is pretty good and occasionally will have Larry Crane from Mellencamps old band sitting in. Much better than the overpriced crap from the Daquiri Deck. More stars if the food was better.
Review Source:Gilligan's is on the Siesta Strip (or whatever they want to call the main drag). It's one of multiple bars but one of the few I ventured into. It's linked to the "metro-esque" oontz-oontz music bar but if you can ignore that and the chain smokers inside then you'll have fun. August is not tourist season so it was pretty sparse, which I enjoyed. We bellied up to the outside bar and had a wonderful little blond bartender that whipped up some goodies for us. Outdoor seating is great and you can hit the front patio and watch everyone across the street at Daiquiri Deck acting like idiots after 12AM and feel better about yourself.
There were a couple pool tables, lots of little fun group spots to sit and chat, 3 bars total and plenty of cheesy music to shake your booty to. We missed the Sublime cover band but I hear they have some great live music there.
Seriously? How hasn't this been yelped yet either? Gilligan's is usually stop #2 or 3 on the Siesta key outings. After you have a couple daiquiris at the daiquiri deck you head over here to shake your booty. It's almost always hot and crowded, but its Sarasota people - there aren't very many options so go with it!
Many a fun, drunken night at this place.
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