Jetsetter Lounge

Jetsetter Lounge 

4 out of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect with Jetsetter, after hearing some hype and seeing the varied menu on their website, but it lived up to my expectations and more. I'd been passing this neat deco location on my way to and from work for a few years, and I kept wondering when someone was going to turn it into something, so I was excited when Jetsetter arrived.

I'm going to give you a quick run-down of the pros and cons before I do my long review:

Pros: Wonderful food, delightful decor, great vibe

Cons: Understaffed, pricey if you go for food and/or fancy drinks, seating outdoors is at a premium unless you get there early

It's hard to spot Jetsetter unless you know what you are looking for because most of the building is behind some bushes, hidden from the road. Then you walk in, and the entire place is decorated in fab furniture that looks like it came straight out of Austin Powers.

We arrived at 8 and the place was chock full of dinner guests from then until when we left around 11. We sat out back in the outdoor tiki garden area, surrounded by a few pleasantly glowing tiki torches, some large statues, and a nice fountain. The gardens are completely isolated from the yuckiness of Dixie Highway.

It may have been on off night, but the place got so crowded, there were not enough chairs (or more importantly) servers for everyone. In fact, the only bar is a small one inside, and it seemed that the staff was only allowed to serve drinks via your server, not let you go to the bar yourself. So we waited a long time for our check and to refresh our drinks. This place was severely understaffed. Our waitress was a doll, though, we loved her.

All of our appetizers were excellent. While they seem pricey because they are exotic, they aren't pricey- they start at 5.95. We got a lovely pizza with spinach and goat cheese, delicious raw scallops with wakame salad nestled on top of them, and some neat "cigars" which were eggrolls with a latin pork and vegetable filling. Two people got entrees and they also enjoyed them. The portions seemed a bit small on the apps and entrees. I want to come back here for dinner some time, but early, to avoid the server rush when the drinks crowd arrives.

The crowd there was eclectic- a mix of hip 20 somethings and well-off 50 somethings. Fashions ranged from party dresses to hawaiian shirts. It was a very laid back vibe and the drinks, while expensive if you want the collectible mug, were reasonable for beers ($4) and well drinks ($5). And their well drinks use JD, Bacardi, etc. so it's a high quality well.

A band with a stand-up bass was setting up but we didn't get to hear them play. We had an awesome time at Jetsetter, and I just hope they hire more waitstaff, or set up a bar and bartender out in the patio area.

Jetsetter Lounge