Restaurant Impossible - Padre Rita Grill Update

Photo - Food Network

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in South Padre Island, Texas to makeover the Padre Rita Grill.  The restaurant has been open for four years and has both food and music, but is apparently not good at either.  Robert needs to get rid of the tacky decor and get the owners to focus more on their bottom line to turn the restaurant around.  As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about the Padre Rita Grill to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant: Impossible):





Positive Reviews:

• "Ordered the South Padre burger and it was EXCELLENT! All food we ordered was hot and fresh! Service was excellent as well!.... The food here was less expensive than others we have eaten at, on and off the island."
• "This was our first trip to the island and I had researched all the restaurants. We were only there for a week but this was my favorite. I hesitated because of the bad reviews since the makeover but was pleasantly surprised to find a great restaurant and exceptional wait staff. And the food........outstanding!...On the negative side, the chairs that were chosen in their recent makeover are terrible. The men in our group didn't have as much discomfort and the ladies. They lean back too far and the fronts cut off circulation in anyone 5'6" or shorter. Your feet can't touch the floor. Still worth the visit even with this problem."
• "Food was good - Arrived early about 6:30pm for dinner and we were seated outside on the patio. Furniture wasn't particularly comfortable, but we weren't there to eat the furniture. I ordered grilled skirt steak salad which tasty but had a little too much lime juice on it....Our server was polite and though it took awhile to get our food, he kept us apprised of the status of our order."

Negative Reviews:

• "The hostess was very sweet and did a great job of hyping up the new menu by Chef Irvine. I honestly think Taco Bell or Taco Cabana would have been a better choice. The smoking margarita was not good. We had our hopes up for delicious  food and were very disappointed. The prices were far too high. The owner playing guitar and singing was speaking to my friend at the table saying he looked super bored. It was extremely inhospitable and awkward. Will definitely not go back there. Tourist trap."
• "I really wanted to like this place. When we walked in we were greeted by some sweet hostess who explained that they had just reopened from The Food Network giving them an overhaul....Staff- With the exception of the hostess the staff was very unprofessional and slow....Food- It was so cold who knows if it would have tasted better warm. The margarita was pretty, but I might as well have drank straight tequila.... The guacamole was in a condiments plastic container. Not worth the $10.  Overall, it was not a good experience. We saw several people walk out because of the service and one table refusing to pay for the quality of food they received. We should have taken that warning and left ourselves."
• "First impressions,  something out of a bad combo of Hee Haw and Miami Vice episode when it comes to looks.  Menu is severely limited.  Margaritas,  meh. Owner plays music so don't be fooled by the "live" music ads since it's only okay.  Singer talks more than David Lee Roth at a Van Halen concert."
• "First time visiting the island and saw this place looked busy so decided to give it a try. Big mistake. The water tasted horrible like something was wrong with it. Then the food came. The food was horrific. Took 3 bites and asked for our check. Food, service and atmosphere was very bad. If you see this place just keep driving."
• "I love Restaurant Impossible, but Robert sure screwed up this one. Some of my former favorites were the fabulous comfortable chairs, great deluxe nachos, variety, buffet, and tropic charm. Not any more since the Irvine makeover -- stark typical faux beach look is the word. I think they put the entire $10K into blue paint and ridiculous beach canvas changing room for the great musician"
• "The first time my husband and I went, it didn't go well. Since it was revamped and featured on Restaurant Impossible, we gave it a second try. That was a big mistake.... Nothing tasted fresh....When we were there many others began complaining about the service and quality of food. Save your money. Go somewhere else."

*Reviews from Yelp, Tripadvisor

Other News and Links:

• Here is the Padre Rita Grill website, and their Facebook page, which is kept up-to-date.  Their profile photo is a picture with Robert Irvine and their cover photo is another picture of Robert Irvine with the caption "South Padre Island Cuisine Created By Chef Irvine."
• Here is their menu, in which they have "Robert Irvine's Creations" marked with a star.  The menu looks much larger than the usual post Restaurant Impossible menus.
• Here are a few pictures of the interior from their Facebook page.
• The restaurant was originally named PadreRitaVille, but it they apparently had to change the name due to Jimmy Buffett.  I wasn't able to confirm that as the reason though. 
• The location the restaurant is listed for sale for $850,000.  The listing is still active, but has been on the market for over 4 years (1654 days as of writing this).  Another listing says the property is rented for $5,000 a month.  So, it appears it is the owners of the building are trying to sell and not the Padre Rita Grill owners.

Conclusion:

There are a lot more negative reviews than positive ones for Padre Rita Grill since the Restaurant Impossible visit with reviews complaining about the food and service.  Some people complained about high prices, while others thought the prices were less expensive than nearby restaurants.  People also had complaints about the new seating, which is uncomfortable. 

Padre Rita Grill seems to be very happy about their Restaurant Impossible experience with hostesses telling customers about it, the menu having "Robert Irvine's Creations" marked, and their Facebook page having Restaurant Impossible related pictures.  With the restaurant being in a large tourist area, maybe the appeal of visiting a restaurant that was featured on Restaurant Impossible can help bring in customers.


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