Kekoon Restaurant & Lounge 15531 Sheridan Street, Davie, FL 33331

"TLDR: Service needs work, drinks need work, some food dishes need work = restaurant portion needs serious work; it’s good for music and hookah…more of a lounge than a restaurant. DETAILED REVIEW: CONS SERVICE: I made reservations. I walked in and there was no hostess near the front. Eventually, one showed up but then I had to wait again to be seated while following her to the table because the owner stopped her to talk. Things like that happen, but as a customer of an “upscale” establishment, service starts from the door. A sign saying "please wait to be seated", or seating the customer first before having managerial conversation longer than a quick sec, is a bit more in line with what you want the place to present. I waited for a while before finally being asked by a busboy if I needed anything. The waitress came a while after that, super polite, but unsure if my table had been helped yet. Keeping with this theme, throughout the night (which was not one of their busier time frames) I had to wait for longer-than-normal periods to request and then receive napkins, our drinks (which I still got like 20 minutes before my guest did despite us ordering at the same time), our food, sauce, and the check. I was also charged extra at first. It did get rectified, but that took extra time on top of how long it took for me to flag my waitress down, wait for the check, then flag her back down to inquire about the extra charge. Everyone is so kind, and do the best they can, but the rotation and attentiveness needs to be a bit more effective for the dining experience to feel welcoming and seamless. FOOD: This is very much more of a LOUNGE, than a RESTAURANT. It’s like the restaurant side—hostess rotation, communication, & command of flow, seating timing, service timing, menu options, menu options being available, waitresses and waiters being well informed on what is in stock, all dishes being consistently and evenly flavored, plating, beverage quality, providing necessary napkins alongside pre-tabled silverware rolls, ensuring the bill is correct, ensuring menus are correctly explained (if limited on items), etc.—needs serious work. If you’re going for music and hookah, and need a snack while you do that…then they’ve got you covered. But the restaurant side is lacking if you’re going for an overall dining experience. - The vegan dish, oyster mushrooms (escovitched), had no flavor except only in the carrots and onions. And it’s plated poorly/inconveniently. Was also dry. - The rum cake was just like a lemon pound cake with alleged rum drizzle. Didn’t taste it at all. - The drinks were subpar; had the Jah Jah and the margarita. - My fellow diner got chunks of fatty bits in her oxtail egg rolls (like *every* bite she took. It wasn’t my experience, but it made the overall food experience bad from the beginning) - Menu is limited, which is fine for it being the place’s first few weeks open—they can play with what works and what doesn’t. But that unfortunately leaves less options for favored food items (only one oxtail dish, for example, and it’s a small appetizer) and leaves some subpar options that don’t have great alternatives. PROS Some dishes: lamb chops were bangin! The quantity, the plating, the pairing with the mashed potatoes and asparagus…yes! And despite that “rum cake”, recommended by the chef, not tasting like rum cake, it was good with the ice cream and well plated. The oxtail egg rolls were EVERYTHING. So good. The food is definitely cooked WELL, just not every dish is great. Atmosphere: music is great at all times, bartenders seem to be enjoying their time behind the bar and have great energy, and the vibes are vibing—both indoors and outdoors. If the drinks didn’t come out so poorly, I would’ve made a home at the bar for the vibes! Potential: they have the right pieces for an upscale experience but they haven’t quite mastered that marriage of all of the above along with this upscale appearance. The illusion starts to crumble pretty quickly once you walk through the door."

"Went here on a busy Thursday night. Was two of us. We were seated right away. Breanne or Brianna was our waitress, ask for her. The Ambiance here is BEYOND AMAZING, the decor is beyond words. The staff is so pleasant. It showed through our server, she seemed so happy to work here and so happy to serve us. She was able to explain the menu in detail. The food has to be the BEST Caribbean food I've had in Florida. The Oxtail Springrolls (Appetiser) was so good, we had a second serving as our dessert. We decided to try the Jerk Chicken Pasta, as a kind of gauge. We were not disappointed, especially with the generous portion. This restaurant is now in the rotation. We can't wait to return. We even got to meet the General Manager and Owner. AWESOME PEOPLE. This is BEYOND 5 star, it's 5 DIAMOND."

"Service will get better I’m sure. For now the food took too long, waitress didn’t provide utensils and the wait for seating took forever. With that said, the staff’s very friendly and tried to accommodate. The ambiance amazing. I’d strongly recommend turning down the speaker outside and leave that area for conversations. I’ll definitely support"

"Great food and drinks. Very inviting ambiance. Delighted to have classy Caribbean dining. Opening night was amazing, it was also family friendly. eent back with my client here for business too and it was perfect !"