[downeaster]

Stopped at El Santiago Club for our usual beer after golf this PM. We were told next Friday is their last day. We were told it is going to be a rec center. Although we will miss it I am not totally surprised.

[LittleDog]

That's a shame. We have stopped there for Sunday morning buffet and on Mondays for German night. We personally will be sad to see it go. Isn't this the same thing that happened at Chula Vista? I wonder what the background story is and whether the Villages were involved in this?

John

[jpharmat]

That is a shame ! My husband and I love to have lunch on the patio there. It has such a fun atmosphere.

[DaleMN]

When we first took the trolley car tour they stopped at El Santiago and the friendly raucous crowd within made us want to not get back on the trolley and join them all for a drink.
Unfortunately, last winter when we went there a couple of times the food and service was just not what it used to be.

[JohnM]

We have enjoyed MANY pleasant meals there ... it was one of our favorite restaurants in TV ... we will miss them ...

[ajbrown]

We used to go there for happy hour many years ago. Anyone remember the one pound hamburger they had on the menu way back when? They even had special buns made for it. Not too healthy, but it was so big it made folks laugh and point when they brought it out? . That could have 5+ yrears ago, I do not recall exactly.

[raynan]

OMG....what a shame. Our group just found it and we've been telling everyone about the Jimmy Buffet nights and are planning on being there tomorrow night. Found their New England lobster roll and clam chowder very good. Darn it!

[JohnM]

Yes ... DARN IT ... does anyone have any FACTS on why they closed ... was it financial? I don't understand why TV would need a rec center there .... isn't there some type of rec center on the other side of the parking lot?

[bxmt54]

The owners are from England....maybe they decided to go back. I remember a couple of years ago there were some visa issues for them and the staff ran it for the couple while they were in England getting things straightened out. I, too, will miss the place a lot. Best onion rings and sauce I have ever had. We always take visiting friends there to eat...just a real good, fun place.

[RichieLion]

Well, the village of Santiago does have one of the smallest crappiest Recreation Centers I've ever seen, so maybe this is a good thing for the residents of Santiago who don't even have an adult pool, but only a family pool. Santiago residents who don't want to swim with the screaming youngsters we all love, have to drive to Tierra Del Sol for adult company in the pool. We have plenty of places to eat. I think this is a good thing for the residents of Santiago.

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by bxmt54

The owners are from England....maybe they decided to go back.

If this was their motivation, I wonder why they didn't sell it ... if I knew ANYTHING about the restaurant business, I might have been interested ... it was a FUN place ... GOOD FOOD, GOOD SERVICE, GOOD TIMES ...

[ledfeather]

one of the best places In the villages for a meal and/or a casual drink. I visit at least 2 times per week and usually more. Staff is always friendly and up beat. Best chef in The Villages. My understanding is that the problem was purely financial due to slow business except during the prime season and high rent.

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by ledfeather

My understanding is that the problem was purely financial due to slow business except during the prime season and high rent.

I totally agree with your comments about the place and the chef ... I also suspect {i.e., NO FACTS} that it may have been financial ... we NEVER had to wait which was good for us, but not so much for the restaurant ... if financial, is there another restaurant going in, or, as rumored, a rec center?

[raynan]

Well, we went to dinner tonight with some of our neighbors and the waitress told us that The Villages took the building back to become a rec center. The owners were given 2 weeks notice and the employees got 1 week notice. Very sad. Such a fun place that our group in Pennecamp just discovered. We love Jimmy Buffet music and the New England Seafood on Wednesdays was great.

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by raynan

The owners were given 2 weeks notice and the employees got 1 week notice.

Didn't they have a lease? Definitely sounds strange ... VERY SAD NONETHELESS ...