Places you won't return in Sarasota/Siesta/Longboat

Got this idea from the Key West forum and thought it might be helpful here.

Post about a place or places you would not visit again in the Sarasota area.

Rules are no bashing and name calling just an honest report on an experience in the area that did not go well.

Could be restaurant/hotel/attractions etc.

Let the games begin........

~SRQgirl

Places you won't return in Sarasota/Siesta/Longboat

Well, I am sure you know mine!

I would not return to El Adobe Mexican Restaurant. The food was absolutely terrible (to show I am not just bashing, see my review for more details).

Places you won't return in Sarasota/Siesta/Longboat

this is fun, and yet i find myself speechless....i guess i will need some time to get going...

I do have one that might surprise: the new Daruma on Fruitville Road. We have been there three times, just to be fair. The first two times, there were NO vegetarian alternatives--no tofu! (shameful for japanese food). They have since added tofu, but the service is very slow, the food is very expensive, and there is better Japanese food in sarasota, so we are done with Daruma.

now someone just get me going....

Oh get going, lemstart! LOL

There are other places where I haven%26#39;t been too impressed and wouldn%26#39;t return to again, but El Adobe was so repulsive to me that I even had to write a review about it. I could not believe how bad it was. It just stuck out like a sore thumb.

What a great challenge; good idea, SRQgirl. And Lemstar is probably most fair by going to a place three times, either that or she%26#39;s a glutton for punishment!

For me, service can be a real turnoff -- either slow service or attitude of the wait staff or hostess/maitre %26#39;d. For that reason, Sam Seltzer%26#39;s, Baci, Cafe L%26#39;Europe and Colony Beach are on my do-not-return list. In terms of food, Cafe L%26#39;Europe again ranks down there as does Barnacle Bills (maybe I just had an ';off night'; at Barnacle Bills with old and poorly cooked fish; I may have to retry it because I know some of you think highly of it).

How about you, SRQgirl?

Many of the places I would never recommend have already gone out of business such as Don Pablos..

El Adobe, however, is definitely on my ';do not return'; list. Good Mexican? I think not.

Captain Curts, sadly, has a great location, but I have never had a meal I enjoyed there.

The last time I visited Crab and Fin on St. Armands, I felt the meal was over priced for the quality.

Gilligan%26#39;s Island%26#39;s food on Siesta was also greasy and I would not return.

Any Mel%26#39;s Diner or Big Al%26#39;s Sports Grill.

Any owner who gives his employees bad checks is on my ';blacklist';. Even though he made them good, he caused a lot of people a lot of pain.

There are many others....

It%26#39;s also a shame I can never recommend a really good Chinese restaurant in Sarasota. We have good Thai and other Asian, but not Chinese.

If anyone knows of one south of Bee Ridge Rd. I%26#39;d love to know about it.

~SRQgirl

Oh yeah, Crab %26amp; Fin; I forgot that one!

I don%26#39;t want to distract from the subject, but there%26#39;s an offshoot kind of category -- a place you wouldn%26#39;t go back to because of an aspect that didn%26#39;t appeal to you but might really appeal to others. For me that%26#39;s Tommy Bahamas on St. Armands. Good food and good service ... but usually noisy beyond belief. Some might love the ambiance, calling it lively and fun, a great experience. My taste runs to runs to quieter places where I can have a good conversation with my dinner partners (without shouting) while enjoying a fine meal as well.

I have to admit we kinda like Mrs. Chang%26#39;s Chinese buffet. Not gourmet Chinese, but we like it...and the Mayfield Ice Cream for dessert...:)

Hey SRQGirl, Did you see that person%26#39;s rebuttal to my review about El Adobe? He obviously hasn%26#39;t ever had real Mexican food...:)

Ca Vol,

I always find it interesting when a TA memeber only posts once. Makes you wonder about the source of the comment...relative of the owner?

~SRQgirl

Good point, and they obviously can%26#39;t read, LOL. I said I had better quesadillas at chain restaurants and he said if you want a chain-type quesadilla, don%26#39;t go to El Adobe.

He obviously didn%26#39;t understand that I was casting a negative light that chain restaurant food and that this place was worse.

I know we are crazy about liking Mrs. Chen%26#39;s and we hate buffets, but something about all you can eat sesame chicken and sushi (which is basically all I eat) that gets me...:)

Definitely lunchtime at Mrs. Changs, but it wouldn%26#39;t be a dinner destination for me except for maybe a great takeout to take home for a TV dinner.