McGowan's Oceanside Tiki Bar & Restaurant

Has to be the worst place on Hollywood beach. Pina coladas are awful & made with low end pina colada mix. In fact it so bad i had to throw it away. Margaritas are even worse, the salt tray used to salt the rim of the cup looks as though it hasn't been change in months! I live here & was only down for the weekend, so figured I would give it a try, should have gone a few more steps down the beach to the Ocean Alley! The building is a nice chickee hut set up, but nothing more than that. Poorly run & it shows. I wont make the same mistake twice. Totally there to prey on tourists, no locals in their right mind would even consider going to this place.

Horrible,

The food and drinks were horrendous. The “World Famous Ceviche” was watered down, there was nearly any cheese in the cheese quesadilla, margarita was sour, and the tip was included and he didn’t even tell us so we had to ask. Over all $100 wasted for this crap.

Food: 1

Service: 3

No , just no,

Chicken quesadilla was legit just plain chicken with cheese. No seasoning . A beer was 9 dollars, go next door and they are 5.

Atmosphere looks cool until you realize it is ruined by the staff/owner.

Cool idea, terrible execution. Won't be there long .

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

Gotta give credit to the owner for his marketing and setup- I fell for it.
Shame on me for not reading the reviews first. Beers $8-$9! My husband was stunned and said wow that’s a lot for around here and the waitress said “you have a view of the beach”. Yeah along with every other restaurant next to you. A few doors down go get a bucket of beers (5) for $25. I ordered the “best ceviche” and the fish was chewy, drowned in lime juice but it was edible and I was hungry. Until I found a hair and it was game over for me. It takes a lot for me to complain and hair is the #1 ick I get with food. I told the bartender/owner and not a single apology came out of his mouth. Instead he questioned me and said he “couldn’t see it” when my husband and daughter even said “that’s a hair”. The owner and employees stood for a few minutes examining my food and talking behind us and I was extremely uncomfortable. I offered to pay for half of it, luckily they took it off the bill so thank you for that.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

Who remembers the 1982 film "Porky". Here is where they filmed some scenes.

No rating since it's not open.

This place is a joke! Good was good! The young lady that took our food order was ok. The crazy white guy trying to be a bartender sucked!!! Then had the nerve to put a gratuity on our check for party of 2! The white people next to us didn't get a gratuity put on. I guess they figured my husband being black wouldn't tip. They were so mistaken. Don't go here!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 5

Service: 1

I strongly don’t recommend this place to anybody. Check the bill before paying. Prices are not accurate. Attitude is horrible.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

AVOID AT ALL COSTS.There's a reason this place is empty when every other spot is jammed...Watered down overpriced "mojito" (with no mint..?)"Ceviche" tasted like Costco pickled fish. Pretty sure it's cooked fish with lime juice splashed over it.Calamari rings were tough, overcooked and rubbery.The tilapia sandwich was barely redeemable, and I'm sure that's becuase it was frozen pre-prepared Sysco/food service supply stuff.And don't get me started on the TWENTY PERCENT auto gratuity... FOR A TABLE OF 2. with no notification, and a scribbled unreadable ticket so I had to ask what the $16 (for an $80 tab) charge was for.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

My husband and I stopped in and we asked if they served a Pina colada cocktail in the pineapple he rudely answers and said no go down the broadwalk if you want half a pineapple with very little liquor in it. Also noticed he had very few people dining and closed early. Would not recommend.

Pina colada was pink not sure why expensive. Beer was def not cold

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 3

Really disappointing experience. Stopped in for a drink and appys. Got a miami vice and was charged 18$ and then the bartender added himself a 25% tip without telling us before hand and providing the bare minimum of mediocre service. Drinks were overly sugary and tasted of zero alcohol after being told they were strong. 0/10 wont ever be back, over priced and no value for the money.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari

I strongly don’t recommend this place to anybody. Check the bill before paying. Prices are not accurate. Attitude is horrible.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Food was terrible. We were starving after flying in and waiting to check in the hotel room, so we stopped here for lunch. My BLT sandwich was two tiny slices of cheap bread with cardboard like tiny thin bacon. My daughter’s calamari were tiny frozen like, definitely did not taste fresh. My husband said his burger was terrible, from cheap bun to tiny not tasty patty. Overall, all our food was terrible. Plus, they charge a 24% gratuity, highest in town. We spent almost two weeks in Hollywood, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, this was the highest gratuity included in the check.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2

A disaster, everything was dirty, the cutlery was dirty, the food was old and in poor condition and we were also discriminated against for being Argentinian and we were threatened. I really don't recommend it and the prices are very high.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Owner is unbelievably rude! Should have realized from the sign out front: "bartender=server=cook=owner" apparently he can't get anyone to work for him! We walked the boardwalk and stopped there for a drink after having water all day. Hadn’t had a single drink, and he refused service because he felt I was stumbling. I was shocked and said, are you serious? He then said it’s not so much you as him pointing to my husband who doesn’t even drink! He had a yeti with lemon water in it I believe this is the owner who was bartending and was just being a complete jackass, the other couple up at the bar looked at him unbelievably, and they left too. This place doesn’t deserve anybody’s money. Hopefully he’ll be forced to sell and people who have an ounce of decency will take it over. Heard from other places that the locals refuse to go there because he’s so rude, they do not recommend going there at all.

Service: 1