Margaritaville = Funsville

Entrance to Margaritaville

    Are you looking for a place to go that has a great atmosphere, good food, friendly staff, and is fun?  Yes, but what's the catch?  Well the only catch is the "catch of the day" served up any way you want it.  The Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant serves up all this and more.  Unlike the other casinos on the Coast, Margaritaville is small in size but big on fun.  When looking for the perfect date night hangout or a good time with family and friends, Margaritaville offers everything from food, music, dancing, and gaming all while sipping on your favorite beverage.

      Margaritaville offers three types of dinning to meet everyone's needs.  The first place you can dine is the buffet.  The "Feeding Frenzy" buffet is smaller than the other casinos on the Coast but the price is a value for the size and quality.  I have eaten there on several occasions from lunch to dinner, and it has always been good.  The food is well prepared and tasty.  There is not a lot of tables, but the wait has never been very long.  Obviously, the buffet is small to entice people to eat at the signature restaurant, Margaritaville. 

     Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant is very large with lots of seating capacity.  However, there is usually a lengthy wait to be seated.  Every time I have eaten there, the wait has been from 30 minutes to an hour.  The restaurant offers indoor seating, which has a stage for live bands.  It also has the "sacrifice to the volcano" show at the top of every hour.  Seating is also available on the outside covered balcony overlooking the marina.

     The food at Margaritaville is simple but broad.  The appetizers include about five choices with the most popular being the volcano nacho.  This is a heaping plate of nachos piled about a foot high layered with chili, melted cheese, grated cheese, black beans, sour cream, and guacamole.  Trust me when I say, it goes a long way as an appetizer.  I have ordered this many times for three to five people to enjoy, and it always hits the spot.  Entrees range from meals to sandwiches.  You have steaks, seafood, pasta or rice dishes, hamburgers, or sandwiches.  So, there is a choice for everyone.  All food items have an island theme making for exciting combinations of flavors.  My goal is to eat something different every visit, until I have tried them all.  I am half way there, and so far I have not tasted anything I did not like. 

     Finally, the last place to eat is at Sharkhead's Marina.  It is an outdoor pavilion, along side the docks, with plenty of picnic tables and patio tables to enjoy a vendor style meal.  The food is provided from one of four food trucks parked along side the docks.  The choices include a chicken truck, a barbeque truck, a hamburger and hot dog truck, and a desert truck.  All you have to do is pick a truck, order your food, and go sit down.  The food is delivered to your table when ready.  Sharkhead's Marina provides a bar for drinks and an open stage for live bands.  Dancing is allowed and encouraged.  Sit outside under an umbrella with family and friends, while taking in the Gulf breeze, listening to music, and eating comfort foods.  It does not get much better than that.  Each eating facility has it's own atmosphere for you to enjoy.  It doesn't matter if your dressed up or dressed down, just come and have fun.

    

     The casino has the same fun and exciting island theme throughout the gaming area. While the casino floor is much smaller than other casinos on the Coast, it is definitely not over crowded.  I am not a big gambler, but do now and then like to put twenty dollars into a penny slot machine to enjoy the action of the different themed machines.  For the true gambler, there are 25 cent, 50 cent, $1.00, and $5.00 slot and poker machines.  The casino floor also has an area for table games and a roulette wheel.  So as far as gaming is concerned, this small casino still offers all the same opportunities as the big casinos. 

       The friendly staff is another inviting draw to Margaritaville.  I can not say enough about the staff from every stand point.  The management and trainers have definitely handled this area well.  It is nice to go some place where the staff enjoys their jobs and it shows.  The staff from waiters to waitresses, hosts, servers, custodians, security, and stilt walkers all mingle with guests, talking, dancing, and having fun.  It makes the place come alive with their excitement feeding the guests.  Yes, I did say stilt walkers not street walkers.  The casino has stilt walkers in themed costumes walking around from restaurants to casino floor interacting with the guests.  I have fun watching them dance with their eight foot legs.  It is amazing to me that one of them has yet to fall down.  The casino, being small and the staff so personal, has enabled me to make several new friends all of whom know me by name when I arrive.  This personal approach has made Margaritaville one of my favorite hang outs.  I especially like to sit outside at Sharkhead's Marina and relax under the sun.  The only thing lacking there is a hammock for two. 

    

     

If you are in the area and looking for something fun to do, give Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant a try.  You just might like it.