Tiger - Key West

We arrived around 9 PM, and the bar next door was packed. The bartender was clearly overwhelmed, but when we finally caught her attention, we expressed our desi... read more We arrived around 9 PM, and the bar next door was packed. The bartender was clearly overwhelmed, but when we finally caught her attention, we expressed our desire to have dinner. She directed us through a curtain to the restaurant. Upon entering, we were met with a dark, empty dining room—there wasn’t a single other patron in sight. After a moment of awkwardly waiting, a kind lady came to seat us and took our order. It felt a bit uncomfortable, being the only diners, which seemed to inconvenience both the kitchen and our server. However, she was very pleasant. Unfortunately, the sake I ordered was not good—I couldn’t finish it. The food was decent overall, yet everything was excessively salty. My favorite dish was the deviled tea eggs; they were beautifully presented, but even those were saltier than average. The sticky meatballs were also okay, but we weren’t particularly impressed. The chickpeas were mediocre, and my husband disliked them so much that I ended up eating the whole dish, which we both found to be quite salty. We opted not to stay for dessert and regretted our choice of dishes, especially since the reviews had set our expectations much higher than what we experienced. While our waitress was very sweet, she wasn’t very attentive; we had to flag her down twice just for water refills. She also never checked in to see if we were enjoying our meals, which was disappointing, as we would have mentioned the excessive saltiness. At the end of our meal, I asked about the bathroom. She pointed me back toward the bar/lounge area. I walked through the curtain and found only one bathroom door, with a line of 5 or 6 people waiting. I decided against waiting that long and left feeling frustrated, eager to get home. Overall, it seems like the chef may have had an off night, and perhaps our waitress was ready to call it a day. Unfortunately, this experience means we likely won’t be returning.

We visited this restaurant to celebrate my 21st birthday, but had a disappointing experience. While they served me, they refused to give my mother champagne bec... read more We visited this restaurant to celebrate my 21st birthday, but had a disappointing experience. While they served me, they refused to give my mother champagne because her ID had expired, even though it had only just expired a few days earlier and getting a new one has been challenging due to COVID. The staff were quite rude, even accusing us of being undercover police and suggesting we were running a sting operation. This made me feel very uncomfortable, as if they thought we were out to get them. I loved the atmosphere of the place, but all the accusations really overshadowed what should have been a joyful occasion, leaving me feeling negative and sad.

My friend and I visited Tiger Bar on our first night in Key West, and we were blown away by the food, service, and atmosphere. We ordered lumpia, Asian sticky b... read more My friend and I visited Tiger Bar on our first night in Key West, and we were blown away by the food, service, and atmosphere. We ordered lumpia, Asian sticky balls, deviled tea eggs, and a new artichoke small plate, which ended up being my favorite. Chef Russ personally walked us through each dish, and it was clear how much thought and creativity he had put into the dining experience. I really wish we had saved this gem for our last night, as nothing else we tried elsewhere could compare! We will definitely be returning!

You should just come here. That could be the end of the review. Ha. Tiger bar is this teeny, dark, sexy little gem of a place. Definitely somewhere to go with y... read more You should just come here. That could be the end of the review. Ha. Tiger bar is this teeny, dark, sexy little gem of a place. Definitely somewhere to go with your honey and linger over whatever adult beverage you like to drink. My husband and I had a really late dinner there last week. We sat at the bar and chatted with the Chef, Russ, like old buddies. Though I'm kind of put out that I couldn't get his coconut rice recipe out of him, I liked the guy anyway. Ha. We ate a bunch of things, but I will be dreaming about the goat curry with coconut rice and lumpia for a long time to come. Sometimes you have a meal that just makes you happy because the ambiance, food and company are all perfectly right. This was that meal for us--we will absolutely be back.

The best food we've had in Key West hands down! Such a unique experience from the decor to the service and all the food in-between. Highly, highly recommend goi... read more The best food we've had in Key West hands down! Such a unique experience from the decor to the service and all the food in-between. Highly, highly recommend going to eat dinner here at least once. It makes for a perfect date night. Very well-priced, too. And the champagne room right next door is beyond beautiful. We are looking forward to going back.