# Help with restaurant option for Ocean Pointe stay.



## Dean (Apr 26, 2016)

We are going to OP in a few months.  Looking for suggestions for restaurants in general plus I need to find a good restaurant for 35-40 people for a family meal.  We normally do late lunch (like 1:30 to 2) or an early dinner (early bird times).  We need something family friendly and reasonably priced since we don't want to break the budget of some of the families going.  Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.


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## Saintsfanfl (Apr 26, 2016)

Can you drive? There are not very many restaurant options within walking distance. The few that are there are not good value on price. For a group that large and budget conscious a buffet might be a good option.


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## RJW (Apr 26, 2016)

For that large a group, I assume you are going for a private room or an area in the restaurant that can be sectioned off.


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## Fasttr (Apr 26, 2016)

Dean said:


> We are going to OP in a few months.  Looking for suggestions for restaurants in general plus I need to find a good restaurant for 35-40 people for a family meal.  We normally do late lunch (like 1:30 to 2) or an early dinner (early bird times).  We need something family friendly and reasonably priced since we don't want to break the budget of some of the families going.  Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.



Not sure what your food tastes are, or how close you need to be to Ocean Pointe, but you might ponder calling a place like the Mellow Mushroom at CityPlace in West Palm (http://mellowmushroom.com/store/west-palm-beach-cityplace).  Its not too far of a ride from OP, but there is plenty of shopping, etc to be had at CityPlace and the restaurant itself has a funky/fun vibe to it.  

You could even coordinate a DuckBoat tour (http://www.divaduck.com/) which leaves from CityPlace for your group which might be fun.  

Mellow Mushroom has a full menu, but specializes in create your own Pizza's and salads which are very tasty.  Might be a fun all around afternoon adventure for your group especially when paired with shopping or a DuckBoat tour.


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## ramsfan (Apr 26, 2016)

Duffy's is near Publix and has kid friendly meals, reasonable prices and is fairly large.


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## Dean (Apr 26, 2016)

Saintsfanfl said:


> Can you drive? There are not very many restaurant options within walking distance. The few that are there are not good value on price. For a group that large and budget conscious a buffet might be a good option.


I couldn't imagine doing such a location without having transportation.  It doesn't have to be cheap, just not overly expensive (lunch prices), family friendly and good food.



RJW said:


> For that large a group, I assume you are going for a private room or an area in the restaurant that can be sectioned off.


That's why we tend to do off time.  For those familiar with HH, we've done Crazy Crab there several times, Wild Wings, Salty Dog, Guiseppi's and Old Oyster Factor and for Gatlinburg, Calhoun's.  In Nashville we had it catered but it was the holidays.



Fasttr said:


> Not sure what your food tastes are, or how close you need to be to Ocean Pointe, but you might ponder calling a place like the Mellow Mushroom at CityPlace in West Palm (http://mellowmushroom.com/store/west-palm-beach-cityplace).  Its not too far of a ride from OP, but there is plenty of shopping, etc to be had at CityPlace and the restaurant itself has a funky/fun vibe to it.
> 
> You could even coordinate a DuckBoat tour (http://www.divaduck.com/) which leaves from CityPlace for your group which might be fun.
> 
> Mellow Mushroom has a full menu, but specializes in create your own Pizza's and salads which are very tasty.  Might be a fun all around afternoon adventure for your group especially when paired with shopping or a DuckBoat tour.


That's a good thought though we'd prefer more than the mostly pizza options and we prefer to avoid chains when traveling.  The 2 suggestions I got from the Concierge was Waterway Cafe and Carmine's but neither looked to be a great choice looking at their menus.  The concierge was going to check around.  Catering might end up being our best option.  Does anyone know a chef service that comes to your "home" in that area?


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## Dean (Apr 26, 2016)

ramsfan said:


> Duffy's is near Publix and has kid friendly meals, reasonable prices and is fairly large.


Thanks, I'll look at it.


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## Superchief (Apr 26, 2016)

The Pelican Café is located fairly close by and I've had good meals there. Captain Charlie's Reef Grill is a little further North and is a no frills seafood restaurant. On my last trip, I had a better meal there than Carmine's. They even prepared my brother's fish that he had caught that day while deep sea fishing. Carmine's previously was my favorite restaurant in the area, but service was terrible on our last two visits.

There is also a Bonefish Grill near Duffy's, but I don't think they have lunch. Although it is a chain, I've always had some of the best seafood on my trip at this location.


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## iamnotshopgirl (Apr 26, 2016)

I'm going to suggest the Sailfish Marina. It is in walking distance of OP has a varied menu and is large enough to handle a party of 30-40 people. I would think the only thing you would have to do is call in advance to make a reservation.


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## Quilter (Apr 26, 2016)

With that large of a group Johnny Longboats has a new restaurant called Two Drunken Goats that may reserve a section for you.  

Another casual possibility is PA BBQ not far away on US 1


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## Saintsfanfl (Apr 26, 2016)

Quilter said:


> With that large of a group Johnny Longboats has a new restaurant called Two Drunken Goats that may reserve a section for you.
> 
> Another casual possibility is PA BBQ not far away on US 1



New? It's been there 5 years  

I think it is way too small for a group that large. The bar takes up almost the entire inside. The only place possible would be the under cover patio but you would have to keep the 4 tops separate to fit everyone.


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## SueDonJ (Apr 26, 2016)

FYI, Two Drunken Goats isn't getting the love in this recent thread:  Marriott Ocean Pointe view question.


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## Quilter (Apr 26, 2016)

Another suggestion would be lunch in the restaurant at the Resort on Singer Island.   

It's Marriott managed.  We've opened a house account, had lunch and then my daughter and I had massages in the spa.   The house account gives you MR points.  

The outside gets busy on nice days while the indoor section stays relatively empty.  They might accommodate your group in one section.


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## Luvtoride (Apr 26, 2016)

Dean said:


> We are going to OP in a few months.  Looking for suggestions for restaurants in general plus I need to find a good restaurant for 35-40 people for a family meal.  We normally do late lunch (like 1:30 to 2) or an early dinner (early bird times).  We need something family friendly and reasonably priced since we don't want to break the budget of some of the families going.  Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.



Dean, my suggestion for a good restaurant for the big group is Saito's Japanese Steakhouse at Cityplace in West Palm.  It has the largest Hibachi tables I've ever been to and could easily accommodate your party on 3 adjacent Hibachi tables.   Reasonably priced and a great show by the chefs.  http://www.saitosteakhouse.com/locations.aspx

As for restaurants in general in the area our favorites are:  

Vic & Angelos at PGA Commons in Palm Beach Gardens.  Excellent Italian restaurant with great outdoor seating and THE BEST Banana Cream Pie I've ever had!  

Okeechobee Steakhouse- in West Palm- always have one dinner here when visiting Ocean Pointe.  Very good old style  steakhouse with great service and very good choice (not prime) steaks, so not crazy $$. 

 The Alchemist Gastropub on Clematis Street in West Palm...although the food is good (not great) management her knows how to treat customers.  Worth the visit just for the outstanding customer service and management attention! 
http://www.thealchemistgastropub.com/

There is no shortage of good restaurants in the area.   Enjoy! 
Brian


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## jjluhman (Apr 27, 2016)

We were at OP last month and had dinner at Two Drunken Goats.  We were a party of 12 with a reservation. 

The service was the worst that I have experienced in a very long time.  They were clearly understaffed.  They were out of cups so we had to wait 15 minutes for someone to wash them before the waiter brought water.  They were out of salad !  The food that was delivered eventually (one meal was wrong and was not delivered until everyone else was finished eating) was less than stellar and certainly overpriced.  The entire meal took over two hours!  We will not be going back.  

I cannot even imagine how long it would take for 35 people to eat there!

We all enjoyed our meals and service at Johnny Longboats.

We also enjoyed Guakamole's (walking distance - near Johnny Longboat shopping center and they take reservations)  They are small, not sure if they can seat your entire party) 
Address: west 33404, 1281 Plaza Cir, West Palm Beach, FL 33404
Phone561) 799-9355 

We ordered from Pizza Lino (they are near Guakomole's - thin crust pizza, salads - carry out & delivery) and had it delivered to OP.  We all ate (16 of us) outside under the covered deck next to the pool on a night that it was not being used for a special event).
2533 Beach Court, Riviera Beach, FL 33404


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## Dean (Apr 27, 2016)

Thanks, we'll continue to look at those options both for the large group meal and for general choices.  It's been a while since we've been to the areas.  I've only been there 3 times.  Once we drove down while vacationing at DVC Vero Beach while it was a hole in the ground considering buying there (we didn't), once with 2 buildings open and once shortly before building 5 opened.  Captain Charlie's Reef Grill looks to be a possibility for this group and seems to fit in with our usual preferences if they can accommodate us.  I'd looked at it a little already due to it's listing on tripadvisors.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 27, 2016)

I'm wondering I Roco's Taco's could handle your needs. Very good Mexican restaurant of decent size with indoor/outdoor seating. I've seen groups in there before but not certain how large of a group they could handle. 

There's also a Cheesecake Factory over by the Gardens Mall. I think the area it's in is called Downtown at the Gardens. They also have a very large indoor/outdoor seating area and are accustomed to handling groups of people.


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## Saintsfanfl (Apr 27, 2016)

I like the Cheesecake Factory suggestion. They would probably seat the group in it's own area. 

One problem with a lunch group that large is some restaurants have less staff during the lunch shift. 35 people will take two full time servers. For any place I would call two days before to make sure they know and staff it properly.


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## Dean (Apr 27, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> I'm wondering I Roco's Taco's could handle your needs. Very good Mexican restaurant of decent size with indoor/outdoor seating. I've seen groups in there before but not certain how large of a group they could handle.
> 
> There's also a Cheesecake Factory over by the Gardens Mall. I think the area it's in is called Downtown at the Gardens. They also have a very large indoor/outdoor seating area and are accustomed to handling groups of people.


Thanks.



Saintsfanfl said:


> I like the Cheesecake Factory suggestion. They would probably seat the group in it's own area.
> 
> One problem with a lunch group that large is some restaurants have less staff during the lunch shift. 35 people will take two full time servers. For any place I would call two days before to make sure they know and staff it properly.


Thanks, we do like Cheesecake factory.  I knew there was one at City Place, is this one the same or closer?  We plan to make a reservation and commit to it so I'll book it and commit once we have a decision and place that agrees to it.


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## Saintsfanfl (Apr 27, 2016)

Dean said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Thanks, we do like Cheesecake factory.  I knew there was one at City Place, is this one the same or closer?  We plan to make a reservation and commit to it so I'll book it and commit once we have a decision and place that agrees to it.



The Gardens Mall location is different than City Place. They are both about the same 20 minute distance away. If you are only going for lunch and want an easier place to park and get in and out of I would go with the Gardens Mall location at 11800 Lake Victoria Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. It is around the outside of the mall rather than attached to the mall itself.


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## turkel (Apr 27, 2016)

*Avoid*



Quilter said:


> With that large of a group Johnny Longboats has a new restaurant called Two Drunken Goats that may reserve a section for you.
> 
> Another casual possibility is PA BBQ not far away on US 1



I was just at Ocean Pointe would avoid 2 drunken goats at all costs. It is filthy dirty and I was extremely ill the day after eating there. Johnny Longboats is owned by the same company per another Tugger.

Wouldn't recommend either, sorry


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## beachgirls67 (Apr 27, 2016)

I would also vote for Rocco's Tacos. Good food and great atmosphere!! Not too expensive


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## dougp26364 (Apr 27, 2016)

Saintsfanfl said:


> The Gardens Mall location is different than City Place. They are both about the same 20 minute distance away. If you are only going for lunch and want an easier place to park and get in and out of I would go with the Gardens Mall location at 11800 Lake Victoria Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. It is around the outside of the mall rather than attached to the mall itself.



Two pluses for us with the one located at over by the Gardens Mall for us. 

1. It's easier to get to and find IMHO that the one at City Place
2. Free parking without having to have a parking ticket validated.

Just a note, it's not actually at the Gardens Mall but at another outdoor shopping/restaurant mall called Downtown at the Gardens. TooJays Deli and Whole Foods are also located at this outdoor mall. TooJays Deli is one of our favorite spots for breakfast.http://downtownatthegardens.com/dining


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## dougp26364 (Apr 27, 2016)

turkel said:


> I was just at Ocean Pointe would avoid 2 drunken goats at all costs. It is filthy dirty and I was extremely ill the day after eating there. Johnny Longboats is owned by the same company per another Tugger.
> 
> Wouldn't recommend either, sorry


 I "think" they're owned by the same person but, I wouldn't swear to it.


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## rovitm (Apr 27, 2016)

beachgirls67 said:


> I would also vote for Rocco's Tacos. Good food and great atmosphere!! Not too expensive





Favorite restaurant in that area.  Tuesday is all you can eat tacos.  There is one open in Brooklyn, but have not had a chance to try it out.


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## mj2vacation (Apr 27, 2016)

*Yardhouse*

One of our favorite places is Yardhouse. It's at the Gardens.   Huge menu, great for meat and potato types and vegetarians.  If some like to have a drink, they have over 100 beers and any drink imaginable.  

There is a happy hour between 3-6 on weeknights.  

It is one of the few restaurants that we have found that satisfies all in our family. 

Depending on when you are going, they are offering a buy $50 get $10 gift card deal.  They are a part of Darden Restaurants, so they take any Darden gift cards.


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## Saintsfanfl (Apr 28, 2016)

I love Yard House. There is one in Orlando at the Eye. Even though it's Darden it doesn't feel or taste like a large chain restaurant.


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## dioxide45 (Apr 28, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> I'm wondering I Roco's Taco's could handle your needs. Very good Mexican restaurant of decent size with indoor/outdoor seating. I've seen groups in there before but not certain how large of a group they could handle.
> 
> There's also a Cheesecake Factory over by the Gardens Mall. I think the area it's in is called Downtown at the Gardens. They also have a very large indoor/outdoor seating area and are accustomed to handling groups of people.



Cheesecake Factory may not meet the OPs idea of a lower budget option. Perhaps some dishes would meet that, but we have one 1.3 miles from our house and I can say that we don't go very often because of their prices. I can count on one hand the number of times I was there and on two hands the number of drinks they poured down my back on our last visit when the waiter dropped a tray full of drinks.


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## Dean (Apr 29, 2016)

Thanks for all the info.  I think the cheesecake factory would be OK from a budget standpoint, I just don't want to break the bank for the families.  While it's a chain, it's one we don't have local and do enjoy.  I'll likely steal some of these choices for other meals as well.  I honestly appreciate the information and willingness to help.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 29, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> Cheesecake Factory may not meet the OPs idea of a lower budget option. Perhaps some dishes would meet that, but we have one 1.3 miles from our house and I can say that we don't go very often because of their prices. I can count on one hand the number of times I was there and on two hands the number of drinks they poured down my back on our last visit when the waiter dropped a tray full of drinks.


 
I guess it depends on one's idea of low cost and what a person orders. We can typically grab lunch at Cheesecake Factory with two soft drinks and have the bill come in under $30 before tip. About the only way to get much lower would be to eat at McDonald's. Cheesecake Factory has such a large and diverse menu it's possible to find something for almost everyone in any price range.


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## Saintsfanfl (Apr 29, 2016)

Another option is stone crab at the Marina but it's about to go out of season. It about $80 for a combo with 4 jumbo claws and two sides. 

I love stone crab but so expensive...


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## dioxide45 (Apr 29, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> I guess it depends on one's idea of low cost and what a person orders. We can typically grab lunch at Cheesecake Factory with two soft drinks and have the bill come in under $30 before tip. About the only way to get much lower would be to eat at McDonald's. Cheesecake Factory has such a large and diverse menu it's possible to find something for almost everyone in any price range.



I guess I need to go over at lunch some time. If I don't mind waiting 30 minutes minimum for a table.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 29, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> I guess I need to go over at lunch some time. If I don't mind waiting 30 minutes minimum for a table.



We like to get there early. The restaurant at Downtown at Gardens isn't as busy as the one located at City Place. If we're there by 11:00 we've never had to wait. If you get there a little after noon it's probably a different story.

I hate waiting for a table, so we tend to dine at slightly off hours, either a little early or a little later than the typical meal time rush hours.


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## dioxide45 (Apr 29, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> We like to get there early. The restaurant at Downtown at Gardens isn't as busy as the one located at City Place. If we're there by 11:00 we've never had to wait. If you get there a little after noon it's probably a different story.
> 
> I hate waiting for a table, so we tend to dine at slightly off hours, either a little early or a little later than the typical meal time rush hours.



I was referring more to the one 1.3 miles from our home. It is always busy, except perhaps during the week but it is 11 miles from work...


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## Davidr (May 6, 2016)

+1 on the Cheesecake Factory. The one at the Gardens has a small room in the back But I don't think It's big enough for your group.  I would definitely call a few day ahead.  The Yardhouse may have a private room.  It's pricier than Cheesecake.


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## Dean (May 6, 2016)

Thanks all, we've gone back to one of the original options recommended by the concierge, The Waterway Cafe (www.waterwaycafe.com).  While the menu isn't ideal, it's not bad and they said all the right things when I talked to them including OK for the twilight menu, kids menu, AC, accustomed to such large parties and the like.  Plus it does seem to fit our preferences from a theme/ambience standpoint.  I do wish they were a little heavier on the shellfish but we weren't finding the perfect option.  As a minimum I've come up with some other good options for the week.  I do truly appreciate the help and info.


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## dougp26364 (May 6, 2016)

Dean said:


> Thanks all, we've gone back to one of the original options recommended by the concierge, The Waterway Cafe (www.waterwaycafe.com).  While the menu isn't ideal, it's not bad and they said all the right things when I talked to them including OK for the twilight menu, kids menu, AC, accustomed to such large parties and the like.  Plus it does seem to fit our preferences from a theme/ambience standpoint.  I do wish they were a little heavier on the shellfish but we weren't finding the perfect option.  As a minimum I've come up with some other good options for the week.  I do truly appreciate the help and info.




Been there, done that, would never recommend this place and will never go back. Mediocre service and less than average food quality. Sad that this is being recommended by the concierge and, it's another reason I rarely ask them for their opinion. Hopefully your experience is better.


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## Pompey Family (May 7, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> Been there, done that, would never recommend this place and will never go back. Mediocre service and less than average food quality. Sad that this is being recommended by the concierge and, it's another reason I rarely ask them for their opinion. Hopefully your experience is better.



I agree. Poor food, dated decor and average service. I got the impression they may have been good in the 80's but they haven't moved on!

I appreciate that the OP is having difficulty in trying to meet all their requirements, it's a shame that this place is one of the few that does.


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## billymach4 (May 7, 2016)

Davidr said:


> +1 on the Cheesecake Factory. The one at the Gardens has a small room in the back But I don't think It's big enough for your group.  I would definitely call a few day ahead.  The Yardhouse may have a private room.  It's pricier than Cheesecake.




Cheesecake Factory is our go to place when we don't trust or know the local establishments. They are always clean, and consistent.


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## Dean (May 8, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> Been there, done that, would never recommend this place and will never go back. Mediocre service and less than average food quality. Sad that this is being recommended by the concierge and, it's another reason I rarely ask them for their opinion. Hopefully your experience is better.


Thanks for the additional information and to all for their help.  To be honest, the concierge didn't seem to have much knowledge or hope for a group this size.  He seemed to think that the group size presented a great difficulty even with planning in advance and being able/willing to go at times generally slower like late lunch (1:30 to 2) or early dinner (4:30-5:30).


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## dougp26364 (May 8, 2016)

Dean said:


> Thanks for the additional information and to all for their help.  To be honest, the concierge didn't seem to have much knowledge or hope for a group this size.  He seemed to think that the group size presented a great difficulty even with planning in advance and being able/willing to go at times generally slower like late lunch (1:30 to 2) or early dinner (4:30-5:30).


 
You just keep highlighting why I don't use the concierge at a timeshare very often. For the most part they seem to be glorified body snatchers for the sales departments. A good concierge not only goes to the restaurants in the area frequently, they also develop a relationship with the owners/managers. A good concierge KNOWS the restaurants, not just their addresses and that they have a copy of their menu in a drawer. They can also arrange reservations that aren't always so easy to get by making the phone call yourself. In fact, the last timeshare concierge (DRI, not Marriott), literally handed us a list of restaurants in Sedona with sample menu's vs making recommendations based on personal experience. I honestly doubt she'd set foot in any of the restaurants on her list. We went to three of them. The one she highly recommended turned out to be nothing more than an expensive tourist trap with food that was average at best. One she had little knowledge of and therefore didn't recommend highly turned out to be one of the better restaurants we've ever eaten dinner. 

Don't get me wrong. I've run into some very good concierge's at Marriott timeshares over the years. Custom House use to have a great one (she's long since moved on) who could tell you estimated wait times and what was good, or not so good, at just about every restaurant in the area. But she was the exception to the rule.

There are so many options in/around Singer Island and West Palm Beach. To come away with Waterway Café as the best option only gives me a very low opinion of the concierge. I'm probably not a lot better recommending Cheesecake Factory but, that's not my job. I'd expect the concierge to offer more interesting options, maybe something in City Place which has a lot of unique restaurants in addition to the usual suspects such as Yard House, Cheesecake Factory or even Sailfish Marina or Johnny Longboats.


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## Dean (May 8, 2016)

dougp26364 said:


> You just keep highlighting why I don't use the concierge at a timeshare very often. For the most part they seem to be glorified body snatchers for the sales departments. A good concierge not only goes to the restaurants in the area frequently, they also develop a relationship with the owners/managers. A good concierge KNOWS the restaurants, not just their addresses and that they have a copy of their menu in a drawer. They can also arrange reservations that aren't always so easy to get by making the phone call yourself. In fact, the last timeshare concierge (DRI, not Marriott), literally handed us a list of restaurants in Sedona with sample menu's vs making recommendations based on personal experience. I honestly doubt she'd set foot in any of the restaurants on her list. We went to three of them. The one she highly recommended turned out to be nothing more than an expensive tourist trap with food that was average at best. One she had little knowledge of and therefore didn't recommend highly turned out to be one of the better restaurants we've ever eaten dinner.
> 
> Don't get me wrong. I've run into some very good concierge's at Marriott timeshares over the years. Custom House use to have a great one (she's long since moved on) who could tell you estimated wait times and what was good, or not so good, at just about every restaurant in the area. But she was the exception to the rule.
> 
> There are so many options in/around Singer Island and West Palm Beach. To come away with Waterway Café as the best option only gives me a very low opinion of the concierge. I'm probably not a lot better recommending Cheesecake Factory but, that's not my job. I'd expect the concierge to offer more interesting options, maybe something in City Place which has a lot of unique restaurants in addition to the usual suspects such as Yard House, Cheesecake Factory or even Sailfish Marina or Johnny Longboats.


In general I take what they say with a grain of salt but I'd say Marriott's concierge's have generally been helpful.  People should realize that most concierge's either don't work for the timeshare company or they work for the sales department.  And they're often compensated by the places they recommend giving a potential conflict of interest.  Since I haven't come up with places that truly fit what we'd like, I'll continue to look around.  Would Johnny Longboat's be able to handle a group of 35 to 40 seated all basically together?  The pictures I saw didn't look like their physical plant could handle such a group with the large bar and linear setup.


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## Pompey Family (May 8, 2016)

Dean said:


> Would Johnny Longboat's be able to handle a group of 35 to 40 seated all basically together?  The pictures I saw didn't look like their physical plant could handle such a group with the large bar and linear setup.



Despite liking neither Waterway Cafe or Johnny Longboats I'd take Waterway over Johnny Longboats every time.


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## dougp26364 (May 8, 2016)

Dean said:


> In general I take what they say with a grain of salt but I'd say Marriott's concierge's have generally been helpful.  People should realize that most concierge's either don't work for the timeshare company or they work for the sales department.  And they're often compensated by the places they recommend giving a potential conflict of interest.  Since I haven't come up with places that truly fit what we'd like, I'll continue to look around.  Would Johnny Longboat's be able to handle a group of 35 to 40 seated all basically together?  The pictures I saw didn't look like their physical plant could handle such a group with the large bar and linear setup.



I tossed Johnny Longboats out there just as a throw away as something I'd at least expect from the concierge but, like Waterway, it's not a place I'd recommend. Very overpriced and very mediocre food. It's popular with a lot of people as evidenced by the large crowds we see there every time we go by.

They have a large restaurant with a lot of seating. If you called them in advance they could handle it. The question is will they want to handle it. My impression in speaking with some of their employee's was they're not that interested in going out of their way. Keep in mind it's been probably 5 or 6 years since we've darkened their door so things may have changed.


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## jimf41 (May 8, 2016)

With 35-45 people I'd skip restaurants altogether. What you are really asking for is a catering hall. I've taken 17 to Cheesecake in Palm Beach and while they accommodated us the seating was not the best. One long table with 8-9 on each side, not conducive to conversation. With that many people I'd be looking at a park or a beach with adequate seating and just cater the food.

The grill areas at OP could not handle that many folks. There are dozens of caterers in the Palm Beach area so little GOOGLE search will give you a good selection to choose from.


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## dougp26364 (May 8, 2016)

jimf41 said:


> With 35-45 people I'd skip restaurants altogether. What you are really asking for is a catering hall. I've taken 17 to Cheesecake in Palm Beach and while they accommodated us the seating was not the best. One long table with 8-9 on each side, not conducive to conversation. With that many people I'd be looking at a park or a beach with adequate seating and just cater the food.
> 
> The grill areas at OP could not handle that many folks. There are dozens of caterers in the Palm Beach area so little GOOGLE search will give you a good selection to choose from.



Good suggestion.


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## Dean (May 8, 2016)

jimf41 said:


> With 35-45 people I'd skip restaurants altogether. What you are really asking for is a catering hall. I've taken 17 to Cheesecake in Palm Beach and while they accommodated us the seating was not the best. One long table with 8-9 on each side, not conducive to conversation. With that many people I'd be looking at a park or a beach with adequate seating and just cater the food.
> 
> The grill areas at OP could not handle that many folks. There are dozens of caterers in the Palm Beach area so little GOOGLE search will give you a good selection to choose from.


I'd also wondered about a private chef at the resort instead.  I'll keep working on things.


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## dioxide45 (May 8, 2016)

Dean said:


> I'd also wondered about a private chef at the resort instead.  I'll keep working on things.



Not sure that a private chef would be able to handle it all. 35-40 people is a big undertaking. Even a large restaurant would have a hard time serving that all on one ticket at the same time. I do think the catering idea is a good one.


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## tatmtr7 (May 8, 2016)

Palm beach shores timeshare right down the street across from Johnny Longboats has a restaurant that you might try. It would be an easy walk.


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## Superchief (May 10, 2016)

You might also want to contact the banquet services at the Marriott Singer Island Suites resort. Although their prices are typically higher than restaurants, Marriott usually does a good job with larger groups for quality and service. I ate at the resort restaurant there a few years ago an the food was excellent, and prices weren't any higher than the Sailfish Marina. The restaurant also had a nice ocean view. You could probably get MR points for the charges.


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## Dean (May 10, 2016)

tatmtr7 said:


> Palm beach shores timeshare right down the street across from Johnny Longboats has a restaurant that you might try. It would be an easy walk.


All I could find on their website was a tiki bar.  



Superchief said:


> You might also want to contact the banquet services at the Marriott Singer Island Suites resort. Although their prices are typically higher than restaurants, Marriott usually does a good job with larger groups for quality and service. I ate at the resort restaurant there a few years ago an the food was excellent, and prices weren't any higher than the Sailfish Marina. The restaurant also had a nice ocean view. You could probably get MR points for the charges.


Thanks, that's not a good choice for the situation.  To be honest this is more than just a group meal.  The ambience, feel and experience are part of the need which is one of the reasons we've avoided chains.  Plus, as stated, controlling the cost is part of the need as well.  I'd likely cancel it rather than go that route since it'd remove the essence of the intended experience.  For the places we go routinely, this is an easy choice but for somewhere we haven' been but a couple of times and that was many years ago, this has proven far more difficult than I anticipated.  For HH, MB, or Gatlinburg I can think of a dozen places that would be perfect.  And a handful at Vero Beach as well.  I do appreciate everyone's thoughts.


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## Saintsfanfl (May 11, 2016)

They have a full service restaurant but the service and food is definitely sub par. Other tables may also be occupied by timeshare sales personnel trying to catch fish. It is the closest restaurant to Ocean Pointe so it is convenient and they have a few animals.

They used to be on restaurant.com so if they are still there get the discount if you go.


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## Superchief (May 11, 2016)

Some locals highly recommended Joseph's Market for fresh and pre-prepared foods. They offer catering and carry-out. Although this may not be an option for your group meal, it could be worth a visit for other meals. I plan to go there upon my arrival on my next trip to the area. 


http://josephsclassicmarket.com/weekly-specials/


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## Dean (May 11, 2016)

Superchief said:


> Some locals highly recommended Joseph's Market for fresh and pre-prepared foods. They offer catering and carry-out. Although this may not be an option for your group meal, it could be worth a visit for other meals. I plan to go there upon my arrival on my next trip to the area.
> 
> 
> http://josephsclassicmarket.com/weekly-specials/


That's helpful and since we normally do a shrimp boil, it's likely something we'll take advantage of.  

I do truly appreciate everyone who's taken the time to respond.  Even though it's not produced anything that fits well, it's good to know I've done what I can do and that there are obviously great choices I'm missing that are fairly close.  Plus I've picked up on a number of items for other options while there.  Thank you all.


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## Dean (Jul 2, 2016)

Just to follow up on our trip to Waterway cafe.  We had 32 people and the event could not have been better.  The food was great, not good but great.  Everyone in the group save one ranted about how good their meal was and that person said the salmon was a little undercooked but didn't realize it until they got well into the meal.  The staff could not have been more efficient or helpful.  I can't think of anyway they could have done a better job or what we would have changed save a slight adjustment to the Twilight menu for some different choices.  I can heartily recommend them for such an event.


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## Superchief (Jul 3, 2016)

Dean said:


> Just to follow up on our trip to Waterway cafe.  We had 32 people and the event could not have been better.  The food was great, not good but great.  Everyone in the group save one ranted about how good their meal was and that person said the salmon was a little undercooked but didn't realize it until they got well into the meal.  The staff could not have been more efficient or helpful.  I can't think of anyway they could have done a better job or what we would have changed save a slight adjustment to the Twilight menu for some different choices.  I can heartily recommend them for such an event.


Thanks for the update. I'm glad you had a great experience and will keep this in mind for our future trips to the area. Do you have any other recommendations in the area (good or bad)?


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## Dean (Jul 3, 2016)

Superchief said:


> Thanks for the update. I'm glad you had a great experience and will keep this in mind for our future trips to the area. Do you have any other recommendations in the area (good or bad)?


If it's just Kim and I, we might eat out at least once a day.  Our only 2 meals out during the week at OP were the family meal and lunch on arrival, Johnny Longboats.  I must say it was excellent as well and not only did others in our group think so, many of them went back a second time including my son & DIL for date night.  Another part of our group flew and on the way out ate at Tin Roof and said we had to go there next time (sea food).


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