Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen

2203 Aloma Ave.

Winter Park, FL 32792
  www.tibbysneworleanskitchen.com

 I had been to this restaurant one other time, for a group celebration in the private back room, which was amazing, and I knew then that I would be back. This time I came with my husband, and as we usually do when we go out, we sat at the bar. When we entered we were warmly greeted by the hostess who directed us to the bar. Once we had been seated we were promptly greeted by the bartender, who introduced himself, and advised us of the specials and happy hour, without us having to ask. I decided on the happy hour Hurricane which was served in a traditional hurricane style glass and was delicious, my husband went with the 3$ Schooner glass of Purple Haze.  If you are not familiar with the schooner glass it is a large chalice type glass and is a great deal at three dollars. Happy hour is from 4 to 6 daily and also includes 2 for 1 house wines and well liquor. The bartender offered us menus and went over a couple items and made specific suggestions. We ordered the muffaletta spring rolls and a cup of the chicken and Andouille sausage gumbo.  Both were delicious the spring rolls were stuffed with the typical muffaletta toppings and served with a creole dijonnaise for dipping. They were served hot and crisp, and were fantastic, don’t worry they still serve the traditional muffaletta sandwich which I had on my previous visit and it is straight from New Orleans.  The gumbo was as good as it gets, great flavor served piping hot. We decided to share the shrimp creole and it was served split into two separate dishes without us asking. This was a great choice, very traditional dish, plenty for us to share and delicious. I am not usually a desert person but have a weakness for bread pudding and after how impressed I was with the rest of the food I had to give it a try, I was not disappointed, it was hands down the best I have ever had and the portion was huge.  The atmosphere is fun and inviting, the staff is very friendly and professional, they hit every step of service and did so with enthusiasm, the manager even stopped by to say hello and make sure we were happy. The only thing to make note of is that the dining room is all tables, there aren’t any booths and I know to some people this matters, still it would be a shame to miss out on this place just for that. If you haven’t tried Tibby’s yet I highly recommend it, there are two stores in the Orlando area one in Winter Park and one in Altamonte Springs.

The Husband:

Tibbies! What a gem of an establishment. I am a food and beverage director at a convention hotel and am very critical of the specifics of service standards. When walking into this strip mall establishment I didn’t have high expectations. What I found was a well-trained and managed establishment with all sights and sounds of fun. While my specific review may show some points for owners/management to take a look at the overall experience was just that, a great EXPERIENCE.

1.       Curb appeal: strip mall so there is little any owner/manager can do about this. It is not very noticeable but the sign is nice.

First impression: The first step into the establishment is a shocker, you feel as if you stepped into a different country all together and it is visually stimulating.

Ambiance: This place has a great feel and unique atmosphere. I give full marks on the ambiance.

Total Points- 4 The only reason for the 4 is due to the strip mall. It is a hard find.

2.       Greeting: We were greeted by all the staff on the way in as well as on the way out. This shows a high level of pride and management. The bartender greeted us immediately and did all the proper special offerings and suggestive selling

Friendliness:  Every employee we encountered greeted us with a warm smile and truly looked to enjoy their job.

Personality: The establishment and personnel had such a great personality. So often you find a “small establishment” run like a “small establishment” where the staff mingles with themselves or regulars only which will eventual turn a place like this into the local dive bar. What I saw was employees that were well trained  and looked to enjoy the interaction with their guests. 

Total Points- 5

3.       Food and Service standards: The bartender did a good job of telling us the specials, my wife ordered the bartenders suggestion (Happy Hour Hurricane) the drink came in an eye appealing glass and was made correctly. I ordered a Happy hour draft (Purple haze) and this drink also was delivered in a unique glass. The appetizers ordered were eye appealing and delicious, I recommend the gumbo. Every part of the service was excellent and up to corporate standards. Cost Control was the only problem I saw here. When items were ordered the POS was not addressed immediately. The reason for the immediate ringing in of items is to ensure that every item that crosses the bar is paid in full. My wife was not charged for a 2 for 1 wine. This means that the owner/management indirectly paid us to drink. If there was a comp or promotional drink given it should be mentioned and rung in. If the bartender forgets to ring in one 2 for 1 wine a night by the end of the month the inventory should be short and management should be able to investigate and pinpoint the problem.

Total Points – 4 Bartenders need to address the POS immediately after each drink is ordered

4.       Cleanliness and upkeep: The place looked like it was brand new. If I were to nitpick the only thing I could see was that the floors needed to be swept. Not a major issue

Total Points – 5

5.       Value for Price Paid: The total package was well worth the $42 we spent.

Total Points - 5