EDITORS NOTE: Groupon is to blame for me discovering this new hangout in Coral Springs (as well as several other reviews on this site. If you haven't already discovered it, GO SIGN UP NOW! Your average dining discount is about 50%, and there are very rarely any exclusions or conditions for redemption.
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When I saw this place listed in my daily Groupon email, my first thought was 'Isn't that the same font from those stickers from a clothing company on every car in town? That seems like a lawsuit right there.' It turns out a lawsuit is unlikely since it's actually officially endorsed by the original company.
They have company stores and offer franchises, which may explain the unusual spread of locations (land-locked Coral Springs, Jacksonville, and coming soon to Stuart). While I'm quite adverse to any stickers on my car (a car dealer once almost lost a sale to me because they wouldn't remove their sticker before I left the lot), I do truly love 'the salt life' so I figured I'd give it a try.
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When I saw this place listed in my daily Groupon email, my first thought was 'Isn't that the same font from those stickers from a clothing company on every car in town? That seems like a lawsuit right there.' It turns out a lawsuit is unlikely since it's actually officially endorsed by the original company.They have company stores and offer franchises, which may explain the unusual spread of locations (land-locked Coral Springs, Jacksonville, and coming soon to Stuart). While I'm quite adverse to any stickers on my car (a car dealer once almost lost a sale to me because they wouldn't remove their sticker before I left the lot), I do truly love 'the salt life' so I figured I'd give it a try.
The Beer:
The usual, plus some well-informed craft & import offerings like Wells Banana Bread. No competition with a proper pub (or World of Beer) but impressive for the casual dining restaurant that aims to be.
The usual, plus some well-informed craft & import offerings like Wells Banana Bread. No competition with a proper pub (or World of Beer) but impressive for the casual dining restaurant that aims to be.
The Food:
My first impression was that the suspiciously low price point for their varied menu with creative ingredients was a bad sign; either the food would be bad or the portions terribly small. It turned out that it's closer to the latter but still plenty of food. There were obvious signs of cost-cutting however. Having enjoyed (and smuggled home) proper Bahamian conch chowder made in the Bahamas, as well as some very good local bowls (Ernie's BBQ on US1 in FTL), Salt Life Food Shack's recipe is watery and shows more cost-cutting evidence in the form of lots of potatoes and small threads of conch.
Also, I felt that my Seared Mahi Poke Bowl with fresh vegetables did not have enough seared mahi in relation to other ingredients (while I was unable to finish my dish because I was full, giving me loads of admittedly delicious, sushi-style sticky rice is kind of cheating in my opinion). Also, true Hawaiian poke should contain raw fish, and I was disappointed to discover my 'seared mahi' was actually well cooked all the way through
The Staff:
Bright, eager, and helpful. eThe hostess apparently had the seating availability memorized; we requested an indoor table and without looking at a sheet she said she thinks one just became available and went to confirm. Even though it appeared packed, we were seated immediately.
Overall, the staff seemed quick and happy to resolve issues, although my server did argue with me briefly and then blame the bartender for a drink mistake- it is a HUGE annoyance to me that bartenders get blamed for mistakes in drinks that my server personally delivered to me, which provided them the chance to confirm the accuracy all the way to my table from the bar. I ordered a margarita with salt, which was brought to me without salt. Not a big deal, but when I pointed it out the mistake, she stated it's 'hard to see' salt on the rim and when I tasted it to confirm the omission she said "well I put it on the ticket, the bartender must have missed it."She then had it corrected (the salt is quite visible on the rim of their glasses, as it turns out...) and even became quite an entertaining and welcome part of the meal and all was forgiven, but for a moment I wasn't very pleased at all.
Overall, the staff seemed quick and happy to resolve issues, although my server did argue with me briefly and then blame the bartender for a drink mistake- it is a HUGE annoyance to me that bartenders get blamed for mistakes in drinks that my server personally delivered to me, which provided them the chance to confirm the accuracy all the way to my table from the bar. I ordered a margarita with salt, which was brought to me without salt. Not a big deal, but when I pointed it out the mistake, she stated it's 'hard to see' salt on the rim and when I tasted it to confirm the omission she said "well I put it on the ticket, the bartender must have missed it."She then had it corrected (the salt is quite visible on the rim of their glasses, as it turns out...) and even became quite an entertaining and welcome part of the meal and all was forgiven, but for a moment I wasn't very pleased at all.
The Info:
Despite any negatives I might have mentioned above and my general poor impressions of all chain restaurants, this one is still small enough to have good food and ingredients. I will definitely be back for lunch regularly. I am kind of expecting the quality to decline as time goes on, especially after watching the video on their site and seeing the guy in charge tell me that the whole thing was inspired by a phrase that became a drawing that became a tattoo that became a brand, but until that actually happens I'll continue to 'buy into the concept' (the teenage waitress in that same video says that it really makes a difference when you do!)
Despite any negatives I might have mentioned above and my general poor impressions of all chain restaurants, this one is still small enough to have good food and ingredients. I will definitely be back for lunch regularly. I am kind of expecting the quality to decline as time goes on, especially after watching the video on their site and seeing the guy in charge tell me that the whole thing was inspired by a phrase that became a drawing that became a tattoo that became a brand, but until that actually happens I'll continue to 'buy into the concept' (the teenage waitress in that same video says that it really makes a difference when you do!)
Recommended For:
Middle-age couples/singles who haven't become homebodys, Family dining, Drinks/appetizers with friends, Business Lunches, Weeknight Dining
Contact:
Phone: (954) 340-7258
www.saltlifefoodshack.com
Location:
2660 N University Dr
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Coral Springs, FL 33065
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