For a bar, this is the best we've seen. The food isn't just good, its very good. Friday Happy Hour can't be beat! Two for One on nearly everything from 4 to 10. There is a live band that performs for a bit before a DJ takes over. The prices are very fair, the bartenders pour fairly (and don't water down the drinks), and you can't beat the river walk just down the street. It can be romantic and it gives you a chance to sober up for the drive home.
The servers are attentive and friendly. You really are made to feel welcome here.
There's lots of 30- and 40-somethings that make up the clientele, at least on a Friday night. You can park almost across the street for $10 for the night. There is other parking as well, we've just not parked elsewhere.
my number one complaint was the service  i was on vacation and my friend since he lived down there took me to this place it looked like a nice place, menu looked great but the issue was the service, we went to the host stand and she said we could take a seat outside, so we did well then we were wondering when we would see a server cause it was probable 10 to15 min later we were even greeted  by our server. then we had ordered drinks and the server dropped the drinks and left even though we were ready to order well about another 15 min later the server takes our order, i got the tuna burger, which was okay  at least it was cooked properly, so we got out food but the waiter never refilled our waters, and on top of that the waiter dropped our food with no silverware or napkins, and after 5 min of me siting staring at my food we get silverware, then we finish out food and it took for ever to get the checks and for the server to come over and take them,  i don't know what was going  on inside or what was the deal but the service was not that good, i hope when im back in the area next time, if i give it a try the service will be a bit better.
Review Source:I had a fun night here. The bartenders were quick, and the band that played did really good covers of 80s music. I only gave it 3 stars because the bar area is pretty cramped. They move the tables off of the dance floor around midnight, which gives more space but it gets crowded either way. They had Guinness, sam adams, bud, tarpon and 2 others on tap. The mixed drinks are nice and strong, not overloaded with ice. The price is ok... not a bargain... I'd come back here, it was still a fun night.
Review Source:Went on a Saturday and it was quite empty. Possibly 'cause the whole town was in Tally for the FSU game. :-D
But sitting at the bar was very laid back, although I would've liked more TVs.
There was a DJ playing 80s & early 90s throw back music. So that kinda tells you the type of crowd.
For drinks & an appetizer... def try the Mexican margarita!
Best happy hour in Ft. Lauderdale. Period. 2 for 1 everyday of the week for happy hour AND on TOP of the happy hour they offer $2-3 drink specials! Also, on Wednesdays ladies drink free....Fantastic. They also host live music on the weekends...The genres vary from country to rock...
The perfect 5:30 spot :-D
I really enjoyed this place and I will list the few things that i did about it .
I enjoyed the service both times I went here.. I came here once for a late night coffee right before they closed. The bartender served me up and before he sent me off he filled my cup of joe once again. I liked it that much I tipped 5 bucks and payed 2.50 for coffee. I know its not alot but the little things are what count. Moving on...
I had a guy of gay orientation as my server and he was quite dutiful and did his job very well. I really liked his hospitality. So much that if i hear of tarpon bend I would remember him being our server.
I uploaded a picture of what I ate that day- a delicious golden crusted  tilapia with a type of bitter lemon butter sauce and chopped peanuts on my sweet yam
Then again the bitterness that I tasted could have just been from the lemon juice i was squirting all over the place
PS: As for other factors that you may be wondering about, it was spacious, clean restroom, they have a cigarette machine in there which is something i always chuckle at because it brings back a certain memory of my pops. Clean Again!
Tarpon Bend is one of my favorite places to go for seafood. Consistently delicious, Tarpon Bend offers up a menu full of mainstay fish dishes and changing fresh catches that will satisfy even the pickiest South Floridian seafood eaters. All of this in a laidback atmosphere that is just as suited for a Monday dinner with the family as it is for a girl's night out.
For appetizers, check out the Mexican Shrimp Margarita. This stack of shrimp, black beans and avocado has a spicy tomato tequila-chile sauce and is served with tortilla chips. Also, the calamari served "Tarpon Style" is a tasty treat. This take on the classic dish is served on top of the marinara sauce and has hot peppers and spicy aoili tossed in.
For your meal, if you're in the mood for something simple and tasty, try the simply grilled fresh catch. Whether it's swordfish, salmon or mahi, it will be cooked to perfection and served with your choice of one of the two daily special vegetables (which, not surprisingly, vary by season and never disappoint). A little more unique is the fish sandwich, a simply grilled piece of fish on a toasted challah bun with key lime spread. If you're looking for something more exciting, try the sizzling seafood kettle, Tarpon Bend's take on fra diavolo. This dish, like it's name implies, is served sizzling in a cast iron kettle containing clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp and pieces of fish in a light tomato sauce. It's fantastic.
Also a lively bar, Tarpon Bend has regular live entertainment and shows a lot of sports games. And their 2 for 1 happy hour lasts from 4-7 Sunday-Thursday and 4-9 Friday and Saturday! You can't go wrong with good food and a comfortable place to eat and drink in. Give Tarpon Bend a try for dinner, a game, or a happy hour!
Living in Miami I rarely go hear any more, but when meeting friends up in Fort Lauderdale to see movies at the IMAX this is one of the restaurants I've got in my standard rotation.
They've got a good happy hour, with many drinks at 2-for-1, a decent menu, and fairly good service (if a bit slow at times).
There's rarely a wait for a table and food is always fresh.
We went there for lunch and they were busy in off season. I guess they have a lot of locals who work downtown come here to eat. Â
My friend ordered salmon and I ordered their lunch special, Chicken with curry. Â Mine was pretty good but the salmon was dried and it was $20. Â The total with 2 teas came out over $40 with tip it was $50. Â Wow it was expensive lunch.
By all means please wear your most comfy maxi and flops to this restaurant. Its extremely Cas.
The food was decorated nicely on the plate. Very impressive, actually. Appetizers were appetizing.
Staff was friendly.
Clean interior.
Burgers seemed to be the meal of choice.
It was just okay.
So sad to report that their grilled cheese sandwich has been changed. Before it was thick sourdough slices overstuffed with 3 kinds of cheese. Â Now it's served on your generic thin sliced bread, with a minimum amount of cheese. The added tomato and bacon don't help much. Â
At least they still have $5 cheeseburgers on Mondays. Â That prevents me from giving it 2 stars. Â And they still are one of the pet-friendliest places downtown.
One of the first Bars/ Restaurants I've been to in Ft Lauderdale, Tarpon Bend still is a great place to hangout. There is some authentic Tarpon Fishing memorabilia on the walls with chalk writing on Blackboards as to the Biggest Tarpon caught and other fun facts.
 I came here on a Sunday this time less busy but still a good vibe going. The Hostess sat me and my Man in a booth in the back. passed the Huge Center Bar.  Outside seating is good too to people watch the scene.  There's also an upstairs bar here which I enjoy people watching when times are busy.
 We ordered the in House Smoked Fish Dip, its made of Atlantic King Smoked Mackerel, comes in a Glass Jar for presentation served with carrots, celery, and Sesame Flatbread Crackers my fav .. love it when it doesn't come with saltines! It was a great appetizer.
For main it was Burger Night for me so I ordered the Big Cheese Burger. Its a 10 oz Burger with Fresh Ground Chuck, Melted Cheddar, Onion, tomato, lettuce, pickle, Mustard and I asked no Mayo. It come with fries, coleslaw, or potato Salad, I had the fries and they were okay.
 He had the Tarpon Burger which is the same but with Bacon... it was good.
 I recommend ordering a FISH dish here .. my first time ordering a Burger and just okay.. fresh but Ive had Many Better Burgers.
   2 for 1 HAPPY HOUR - Everyday
Sunday-Thursday 4-7pm * Friday 4-9pm * Saturday 4-9pm
   Ladies Night Every Wed After 7pm Drink Free
 For a Great place to get a Feel for Riverfront try Tarpon Bend.
I like this place for lunch and for happy hour. Â It's on the corner of 2nd street and has lots of room, but it gets so packed sometimes. Â They have a decent happy hour special. Â Their conch fritters are pretty tasty. Â
It gets pretty busy for happy hour and on the weekends. Â
They have live music and outdoor seating. Â It's a nice place to chill, grab a table, people watch, and listen to some music.
I can't speak for the nightlife here, I've only ever been here during the day, but I found them just average.
We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon, and the crowd was primarily families. They did have some great beer specials. I had a chicken sandwich, a little overcooked and mostly bland. My husband said his burger was fine, but more along the lines of something you would fine at a chain restaurant. We did like their little skinny fries, though.
The service was good, the waitress was always checking on us and made sure we were taken care of.
One neat thing, they gave my five-year-old these wax stick toys. They were unique and they kept him occupied almost the entire time we were at the restaurant. Way cooler than the standard coloring book and crayons they give you at other places.
friday night- this place is POPPIN!
they have a little dance floor which i always welcome with open arms! live band... another big plus for me! Â big bar right at the entrance, you walk through the door and trip over the bar... that's some smart construction... there seems to be an upstairs area, which i never made my way to, mostly because i got distracted by livin' on a prayer and stayed downstairs dancing and singing with strangers (2 of my favorite things to do)...
if you're nearby on a friday night... stop in for a drink... at the very least, you'll enjoy the good ol classic rock...
i'm a fan
I'm usually a huge Tarpon Bend fan but this Tarpon Bend is questionable!!
Lets start at the beginning, I came here on Sunday for HH and sat at the bar. Â The bartender, I wanna say Joe asked what we were drinking. Â
Me: What are the HH specials?
Joe?: Everything under the sun, except the specialty drinks on the menu.
Me: Ok I'll have a coconut mojito (my favorite at the Coral Gables location)
Joe?: Oh no we don't make those here...
Me: Ummm ok, do you have regular mojitos?
Joe?: yeah
Two minutes later Joe comes out w/ my drink and my boyfriends beer. Â 20 minutes later, onto my next Mojito...WRONG!!!!!
Joe?: oh mojitos are not apart of HH
Me: What?? I thought you said everything under the sun but whats on the list??
Joe?: Yeah but its on the list just under a different name?
WHAT????? Â Wouldn't that be your queue to inform me of that small detail when I ordered it????
Flabbergasted I tell you!! DISLIKE button!!!!
In many ways, Tarpon Bend epitomizes all that is Fort Lauderdale. It's a casual eatery with live music, a bar scene and outdoor dining in the heart of the downtown entertainment district.
Owned by the people who also own YOLO, if you just went to the Tarpon Bend website you'd get a completely wrong impression of the place, which seems counterproductive to me. They have staged pictures of fancy food, tables and chairs perfectly positioned with nice roll ups. You'd think it was a fancy restaurant. But it's really not like that at all.
Tarpon Bend can be described as "laid-back" anytime except on Friday and Saturday nights, when it resembles a club much more than a restaurant. The food and atmosphere are very casual, and there is music nightly. Groups of young people gather here in early evening for an economical dinner before a night of partying. Wednesday is ladies night, and they start rolling in about 9pm. Fridays are the busiest night, with happy hour starting right after work, 2 fers until 9pm and the crowd begins building after 7. After 11 Tarpon Bend transforms into more of a club for younger people.
It is, in fact, a better restaurant than you might expect. The menu has some interesting items; my favorite choice is the Seafood Kettle, which is seafood stew in a tomato broth. On a recent visit, we ordered the clams, which were quite good. They were in a tasty, garlicky broth and they gave us about 16 clams.
Their yellowfin tuna salad is overloaded with stuff; most girls I take here seem to order it however, and just eat the tuna. I wanted to try the jambalaya, which is only available as a special on Tuesdays.
It's always a bad sign when the rice is separated from the rest of the "stew". It means that they have a big pot in the back and it's the mass produced kind; so the rice won't have a chance to absorb any of the flavors. It didn't have the celery/pepper/onion "trilogy" that adds a nice crunch to the dish, and it was too soupy. It wasn't nearly as good as the version I had last week at Mango's; the sausage seemed more like chorizo and the chicken was grilled and tossed in. It also wasn't very spicy; a faux version for sure. I'd take the seafood kettle over this any day of the week.
They try to be a sports bar, but its just not the best place to go to watch the games. I went in during the Yankees-Tigers playoffs and every set was on college football. Plus TVs are in strange places, like way up in the rafters, and right behind where a band is playing.
Tarpon Bend is the best happy hour downtown on Friday night, with a good mix of old and young. You can eat, just have a beer, or try to pick up 22yo girls. Its everything Fort Lauderdale.
Missed happy hour by 40 minutes! Yikes!!!
Happy hour is from 4-9pm which you will not find in miami often. Not to worry because their drinks are reasonably price thanks to the area competition. We started drinking pretty early this night out. The place was full of college kids, some older crowd my age (30's) & then let's just say a few older guys that could have been my dad! Oh cougars too...Lol...
I tried drinking my Sierra Nevada beer, but found it wayyyyy too bitter, guess my adventure to try something new failed me today. Â Not to worry my trusty grey goose & cran to the rescue, splash of 7Up! Lime, yum!!!
Only pet peeve tonight is that I had 4 of them and they all came out sooo different each time, but oh well wasn't expecting perfection here. You come to las olas area for cheap divey bar fun!
They have plenty of beer on tap and bottles now as they have gotten with the program offering micro beer which surprised me too, ($4-$6) Which in turn I was wishing to know more about so I could order according to my taste.
We had some spinach chips (drunk stuck his hand while passing by our table... Lol Yeap! College kids I said.. But the bouncers whisked him out apologizing & they offered to replace our plate. Hubby almost got into a fight...an eventful night I tell ya...:)
Our waitress was on point & she started getting super busy as I could see after 1030pm. Â Friend had oysters & a Bacardi bucket ($10), u can have it as a rum runner or any other type of mix. 6 ounces of Bacardi btw. Music got better after 10pm with a DJ once thru stop serving food, they clear some tables for dancing. Note to management: please turn lights down because I noticed that no one wanted to dance with all the lights on the dance floor unless they were almost wasted. Who likes dancing while having a mc donald's warming spot light on...Not unless you crave some attention or wearing almost nothing and there's a pole next to you...ok so maybe it's just me...it kind of ruins the mood for me at least.
Overall we had a nice start to the night!
Keep up the good job Tarpon!
A Fort Lauderdale staple. Â Great lunch spot and also transforms to night life. Â
Great lunch spot. Â Salads are enormous and delicious. Â Everyone that I have had is awesome. Â Daily specials are offered including a catch of the day and burgers are delicious. Â Quality food.
Take out is extremely fast. Â
This picks up as a happy hour spot during the week with two for one specials and ladies night on Wednesdays. Â The turnover is especially noticeable on Fridays when it becomes one of the popular bars in the downtown area. Â Food is served until fairly late, I believe 11. Â Service at night is slow when trying to get a drink at a packed bar.
There are some good bands on certain nights during the week.
The only tackle here is sexual or romantic and on nights when it is hopping, there is plenty of live bait to tackle.
They do have the fishing records posted on the walls, giving it that rather festive fisherman type of decor and sometimes have ring tossing from the second floor, or so they say as I have never seen it.
The food is pretty much your diner and dive bar basics but definitely kicked up several notches making it far better than that classification of food.
They have a great happy hour where everyone seems to be truly happy and the place has an ideal location on the South side of SW 2nd, right on a corner in the heart of the Himmarshee District.
I'd like to rate it a four, but I'm really not a fan of the place as the food isn't exotic, wild or unique enough for me and since I'm knocking on the door of being 70 years old, the thirty something crowd of Tarpon Bend isn't going to be wanting to tackle me for their take home catch of the night.
Every time I'm around the area of Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle and in the Himmarshee District on SW 2nd, I can't help but notice how vibrant and alive the place is compared to the $82 million dollar Riverwalk which failure has done little more than suck the life blood out of the poor taxpayer and only benefited those thieving developers.
I went here last night with some friends and thought it was fairly decent. I had a Lauderdale Lemonade (great drink, but not cheap!) and a mahi sandwich. The sandwich was good, although the spread that they put on it was basically a puddle on the plate by the time it got to me. I didn't get to taste as much of that as I expected since it basically melted off. I ordered it with a potato salad that was quite good, and I'd recommend it.
The service was fine, and we didn't have much trouble getting a table on a weeknight, although it was still pretty busy!
This place is awesome. From the soups to the food. They get it. I first visited the one in the gables. Now I like to go to this one cause is walking distance to my Ft Lauderdale office. Their Chicken wings are awesome, their blakened Mahi sandwich is delish and the bartenders are pretty funny.
Like I said I have walked here from my office, however you might want to think about that if you are going there once it gets dark. The area has gone trhough tremendous revamp, however it is on the other side of the tracks if you know what I mean. But dont think about it cause it is literally across. two or three more blocks I would go Hummm...
I will keep going. Keep up the good food.
This is a good place to start your night. Â
No line, no cover. Â Live band, and DJ. Â Super laid back.
Bar downstairs, with a dance floor. Â Bar upstairs with a "balcony" where you can play some hook on a string game or just look down and people watch.
Drinks are cheap, bartenders are fast.
Go and have a fun night!
2nd time here and had a good time.
No waiting line. They have a bar downstairs and one upstairs. It was not that pack. We did arrive early though. They have a live band and switch it up to the DJ. Music was OK. It is a good place to start off the night.
Service is quick. We received our drinks quickly.
It's a very nice place over all.
When my buddy Luis S. and I were going to the most recent Elite event we arrived pretty early and we.were both famished so we decided to get some grub before the event. We stopped in to Tarpon Bend and when you walk in you get the feeling like you are in Key West. It's a very laid back atmosphere and makes you feel like you're on a vacation.
We decided we would both have the Blue Smoke burger and some fries. The burger itself was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious...the fries however were not my favorite. They were little shoe string fries and actually kind of hard. I still used a bunch of ketchup on them and ate them anyway.
Tarpon Bend is not the kind of place you take a girl on a first date, or bring your parents to for a nice dinner... at least I hope not!
More than anything else, it's a bar.
Thursday thru the weekend the crowd consists of recent college grads drinking beers and silly-dancing to live bands performing on the mini-stage.
If you're looking for a laid-back place to have some fairly cheap drinks, chat with other 20-30-somethings, and dance like no ones watching...keep this place in mind!
Fountain machine needs some fine tuning. The COKE was off.
The burgers were good and huge. I got a bacon and blue cheese one (forgot the special name).
Complaint - find some buns big enough for the burger. I'm not impressed by its size when everything is falling out.
The rice and beans were very good and french fries only okay.
We only ate lunch, so kept it simple. I might have been more impressed if I had been there for dinner and tried a more featured item.
If I'm in the neighborhood, I'd go back.
Chillin with a slew of up n coming Yelpers on Saturday afternoon...each of them diggin their plastic cup of root beer (included with their $5.95 all inclusive meal deal), losing their balloons, sulking under the table, you know.....just like us grown up Yelpers do when we get out together.
Love the high ceiling and cozy booths comfortably seating six.
Diggin the cold beer
Doris's Oysters looked great
Crab Burger too big but not super tasty....shoulda got the fries, the potato salad was too gloopy
Diggin another cold beer....
Thanking my lucky stars for the cool a/c though they have seats outside...wearing jeans in South Florida when the heat index is 105 is just WRONG.
Some nicely placed tv's. Â Stage set up for the nightly fun and frolics.
Spotless restrooms.
Friendly efficient staff.
A place I've been to in the past, and a place I'll be back to when in the area but not make a special trip.
I've only been to the IMAX theatre twice. Once to see U2:3D which I highly recommend, and once to see The Dark Knight, which I also highly recommend. Both times, my friend and fellow Yelper Ana P. went to eat at Tarpon Bend, just a few blocks down the IMAX/Museum.
The prices vary but they're relatively decent for fresh, hot food. I've had a burger and a chicken sandwich and both were great; filling, but not greasy. You can choose to sit outside or have a seat inside where there are plenty of TV's on for you to watch sports games. They have a large selection of seafood if that's your thing and the staff is friendly, which is always a plus.
I've only been to Tarpon Bend during off hours on the weekday and it's a great, relaxed atmosphere during that time; not loud or crowded. I can't vouch for the reviewers that mention the night time being packed, but I can imagine it would be.
If you catch an IMAX film and come out hungry, definitely check out Tarpon Bend.
I moved to Florida not too long ago from up North. Big change. Miss the change of seasons. I like to walk everywhere. Here, you have to drive everywhere...and deal with never-use-a-signal-100mph-lane-changin'-I will- NEVER- let-you-in-no-matter-what-- road freaks. (Sorry, was that out loud?)
Where was I? Oh yeah. I was getting to it. Two for One Happy Hour - that's why I moved to Florida. I need them to quell the road rage and have a good excuse to take cabs. Where I'm from, you're lucky to get 1/2 for one, so I'm grateful. Which leads me (I know- finally) to Tarpon Bend. The home of the friendly two for one happy hour - Thurs-Sunday - and the snacks and apps that are--- ttt tasty, tasty . (Hit it, Fergie...)
I have not had a meal here, but I've sampled many an appetizer at the bar and they have all been great. So, go ahead, order up.
Ambiance- best on the block- casual bar- friendly peeps, nice mix of a crowd. The place is always hoppin' with regulars and wannabe regulars. The outdoor seating area is ample. There is an upstairs area as well- and the place fills up on weekends when everyone comes out. to do the Himarshee bar-hop.
During my last visit with a pal, we enjoyed two drinks each and two yummy apps (Meatballs - excellent! Huge, soft, perfectly seasoned with some creamy ricotta on the side and a light tomato sauce) and the crab cake (very fresh and crabby - yum.) The bill was like $30. Pretty darn good.
I'm told their fish specials rarely disappoint- but I find the place to be better suited for small eats or a good hangover burger and beers on tap. Cosmos and Margaritas are good, too. Barkeeps are efficient, friendly and aim to please. Good place for lunch, too, btw.
So- while in the Himarshee area - hit Tarpon B. Take a cab. Or, if you must drive, please drink responsibly - and for the love of Pete- use your blinkers and try to keep it under 90 mph - Geez!
I love this bar. I've never had the food but I've come after hours many times and the drinks are always fast and cheap. Good atmosphere. Not bad music. There is an upstairs and a downstairs and both are fun. The best part is that on fri and sat night there are usually a few places to sit. This is very exciting to me!
I can't really put my finger on why I prefer this bar to any of the other ones in the Las Olas/Riverfront area but I do! I feel like they are strict about IDs though, so I wouldn't try using a fake. I am of age and they have tried to take my real ID several times. The bouncers here think they are slick. However, most bouncers are on an ego trip anyways or they would have a real job =P
This is a pretty popular happy hour spot in the Fort Lauderdale Las Olas district. Â The New Times says it's the best, so it has to be, right?
This is a great place to go if you're planning on meeting a bunch of wishy-washy people or a lot of complainers. Â Tarpon Bend is a real Lowest Common Denominator kind of bar, with a little something for everyone: Â Sports TVs, standing at the bar, outdoor standing room, outdoor patio furniture, food, beer, wine, alcohol, etc.
Word of warning: the ring game on the upper balcony is rigged; it is impossible to get the ring on the peg, due to too short of a rope. Â I heard some girls joking that it was an emergency pull for the overhead sprinklers in case someone's cigarette catches the balcony on fire. Â At least, I think they were joking. Â GOD, I hope they were joking!
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