Big Kahuna
Acacia Restaurant – Still As Bad As Ever
Okay it’s not often that I blast a restaurant but I have to wake Acacia up. You’re bad. I’ve given you ample chances to get good, you haven’t.
My wife has had an upset stomach for two days after eating their Alfredo, if that’s what you want to call it.
Your “gourmet” pizza is like eating bad Domino’s (before they changed everything). Your Sushi is second rate. All your other food is below average.
You serve sushi and pizza on the same menu? Are you kidding me, can you say identity problem? Sushi is a niche market, do it right or don’t do it at all.
Magens Point Resort is disgusting at best. It still smells like sewage and there are still stray cats running around everywhere.
I know this place is under new management but it’s not working. The quality of food is below average and who ever is the chef is not putting forth the effort that needs to be put forth.
It’s time to get serious or lose all the local business. I can hang out at the bar with Steve-O and have some apps and that’s cool but that’s it for me. I’m telling Acacia and everyone else that it’s time to shape up or ship out.
St. Thomas Blog no longer recommends Acacia as a restaurant. Hanging out at the bar is something completely different as long as it’s not smelling like crap and the cats aren’t bothering you.
I say this with love Acacia because we miss a good restaurant where you’re at. Get focused and improve quality.
Please feel free to disagree this is just my humble opinion.
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January 3, 2010 @ 5:59 pm
Margarita Said,
Wow – that’s a little harsh Kahuna!
I have eaten there twice and both times were fine. Nothing to write home about, but the service was attentive and the food did not make me want to run and write a bad review. I even thought the $5 sushi happy hour was a great deal – no, the sushi is not the best on island (far from it), but you really can’t go wrong with $5 shrimp tempura rolls… I hope Accacia takes heed to your post and steps up their game (I do recall that they were a little heavy handed with the salt and the crab dip was disappointingly made with imitation crab – 2 things I would recommend changing), but I will just attribute it to working out the kinks. I will give it another try. Good luck folks!
January 3, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
It’s tough love but until they improve quality I’m out. Think of it this way…would Pizza Amore serve sushi? Or would Enkai serve pizza? The two don’t go hand and hand and they don’t do either well.
I agree the $5 rolls are a bargain but if I want good sushi I go to a place that serves it. And I don’t mind paying for it.
This restaurant has been treated like the red headed step child for a long time…
I really want it to improve, really. This is only the second negative review I’ve done on the blog in 4 years.
January 4, 2010 @ 7:57 am
Connie Said,
Wow. So so sorry to read your review. We visit St. Thomas every winter and rent a house in Peterborg. There are so few convenient places to eat on the Northside. I read that Acacia serves breakfast which no one else does, as far as I’m aware, and we were looking forward to trying that. (It is vacation after all!)
I read your blog religiously, and appreciate your opinions.
January 4, 2010 @ 8:05 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
Thanks for reading religiously! I don’t know how their breakfast is or whether you’ll be down wind of the sewage smell. If you try it let me know, I’m only talking about their dinner food.
As a side note the service is always good.
January 4, 2010 @ 10:35 am
Doc Said,
Sadly I have to agree with you Kahuna. We are relatively new to the island (5 months) and live on the northside. We have tried Acacia three times. The first two times were average, but we were excited to find a decent place close to home. Service was good. The cat issue was weird, but not bothersome. We liked it enough to agree to come back.
However, on our third attempt, the sewage smell was so overwhelming, we could not stay to eat. My husband had already ordered me a glass of wine before I made the call to bail on dinner, so I stayed to finish my wine, which sadly, wasn’t very tasty either.
We are willing to give Acacia another try, but not until we get the green light that some major changes have been made.
Glad I’m not the only one who feels Acacia needs raise the bar. To anyone from Acacia who reads this, we are rooting for you to get back on your feet. Maybe scale back the menu to fewer items that you know you can do very well….. and of course, address the sewage thing.
January 4, 2010 @ 10:59 am
Alexis Karlin Said,
Good post Scott. You weren’t harsh at all you were honest and that is the name of this game…
I hate when restaurants try to do it all. It only works at the Cheesecake factory for one reason they are in malls. I’m sad Indago closed. Sam was the best chef on the Island and I really miss his dorito encrusted chicken…
I could make 1 million suggestions to Acacia Restaurant but do you think they are listening??
January 4, 2010 @ 11:00 am
Alexis Karlin Said,
btw Connie Magens Bay serves a really good breakfast..
January 4, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
Via Facebook:
Frank: I actually like the review. tough love can be a good thing if they actually listen to it and dont take it so personally.
January 4, 2010 @ 5:52 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
Via Facebook:
Jessica: Well said!
January 4, 2010 @ 5:53 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
Via facebook:
Janelle: I had an awesome seafood burrito for lunch there a couple of months ago. Always thought the cats were charming. Would never eat there for dinner as the food choices never appealed to me ( I can cook chicken and pasta dishes at home) but I did enjoy their lunch menu.
January 4, 2010 @ 7:28 pm
Brigitte Said,
So…Acacia knows what to do. When they FIRST re-opened the food was soooo good. The coco rubbed pork loin and the risotto cakes were worth a second and third trip back. But then they changed their menu
January 5, 2010 @ 7:43 am
Connie Said,
Thanks Alexis! I hadn’t considered Magens Bay for breakfast. Sounds perfect!
January 5, 2010 @ 8:12 am
Charles Said,
Wow, As the new owner of Acacia and Old Stone Farmhouse, I am truly disappointed to hear of your distaste for the restaurant. This comes particularly after we are investing so much trying to improve it. The idea is for the restaurant to offer a local value, which there are very few of. Sushi was in place there long before me and is the mainstay of the restaurant. We constantly get positive reviews on the sushi and I quite pleased with it. We are not a sushi bar or a pizza place or a fine dining restaurant. Just an inexpensive neighborhood restaurant that is trying to offer comfortable food choices where everything cost less than $20. We are still in transistion but I think it is much better than it was. Take it from me, it is much cleaner than it was and sanitary to eat there now. Customers always think they know but really don’t. It’s too bad that you don’t get to visit the kitchens of some of your favorite restaurants, you may be enlightened. As for Magen’s Point Resort, I don’t own that, I only lease the restaurant space from them. But Seriously, there are much worse places here. By the way, my last pizza at Pizza Amore cost $45 and we serve an 18 in pie for $20. I am glad to know you speak for all of the locals here. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about your experience at the Farmhouse. As for shipping out, I just got here and I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
Best,
Charles
January 5, 2010 @ 10:31 pm
Sarah Said,
What I want to know is — what toppings do you put on a $45 pizza??? We have lived here for 10 yrs, and love Pizza Amore, it is a great pizza place AND a great value for the island. Having said that, I have eaten at Acacia a few times since it opened and enjoyed the meals, even the sushi, though I’m no connoisseur. I appreciate the honesty of the post, but I think the criticism could have been delivered less harshly.
January 6, 2010 @ 9:30 am
Jennifer Said,
Is everyone forgetting about The Grill @ Mahogany Run?? Great food, close location, outside patio??? what more could you want!! Come on out!! oh, the farm house was fabulous!! acacia…um, its getting better…keep your head up!
January 6, 2010 @ 12:00 pm
Lol Said,
Damn you looked like u were having the time of your life, when i saw you guys there, licking your fingers after the hot wings, girls up in the hot tub, then for some reason you decide to have dinner, this thread is totally uncalled for.
January 7, 2010 @ 3:38 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
Yes “LOL” you are correct. We ordered the wings as an appetizer. When they came out they were under cooked so we sent them back. Upon the second delivery they were great!
Our friend attempted to use the hot tub but the hot tub was actually cold and had iguana crap in it so she didn’t use it.
I’m so happy this thread has sparked up spirited debate. The owner Charles and I have emailed privately on the matter and he knows there are issues in quality and he assures me he’s working hard to fix it.
If you read my post again you’ll notice I wrote:
“I say this with love Acacia because we miss a good restaurant where you’re at. Get focused and improve quality.”
I know some of the Acacia employees are upset with the post but you’re missing the point here. We want you to be great, we want to write a good review on you. Trust me, we like coming there.
The wait staff is awesome, the girl that waited on us was great. The dude with the dreads (I think his name is Jason) is always great. Steve-O pours a mean drink and our blog supported him when he was sick and in the hospital.
The food is just not good right now. This review is based on the last 4 times we ate there.
So Acacia can take this one of two ways. Be pissed at me for writing an honest review or they can use this as constructive critisism. We hope they choose to get better
January 7, 2010 @ 4:21 am
Old Stone Farmhouse Is Back Said,
[...] a side note this article was actually written prior to the negative Acacia review I did a few days ago. In no way did this change my review of Old Stone Farmhouse. They are indeed [...]
January 7, 2010 @ 6:38 pm
Old Stone Farmhouse Is Back « St Thomas Beach Resort Said,
[...] a side note this article was actually written prior to thenegative Acacia reviewI did a few days ago. In no way did this change my review of Old Stone Farmhouse. They are indeed [...]
January 7, 2010 @ 11:41 pm
What Said,
This is incredible…having worked at Magens Point Resort before (for 4+ years), I actually have to laugh at the dredged up memories just based on the cats. They really should be indicted into a hall of fame of some sort. They actually have Facebook pages of their own….I’m a friend of Princess. What a nightmare those cats, and that resort are. Indigo proved that regardless of the crappy conditions, you can still provide an excellent service. Thank goodness Kirsty and Ryan got away from that retchid place and were lucky enough to acquire an amazing location. Acacia could certainly prove again that they are a destination like Indigo did, but just like any other restaurant, you have to work your ass off. Good luck Acacia.
January 9, 2010 @ 8:10 am
Brian Said,
Your wife probably got sick because you were spending more time on the computer then her. Bash all you want, i think you need to find a way to be part of the solution rather then part of the problem. Posting things like that is not a productive way of dealing with the situation. Grow up please!!!
January 9, 2010 @ 9:14 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
@Brian, this blog is a business. Part of that business includes writing reviews on restaurants, tours, beaches, bars etc. Sometimes we write reviews that are negative because they were bad. This is one of those rare cases.
We’ve written over 600 articles and promoted hundreds of businesses.
Thanks for coming by we appreciate your feedback.
January 9, 2010 @ 9:58 am
Anita Davis Said,
i don’t always agree with scott white, but it’s his blog and he is allowed to recount his own personal experiences.
i am glad that the owner has checked in, and i hope that he is able to take control of the situation as best as he can without trying to shoot the messenger.
scott has no reason to trash or bash for malicious intent… it would only be bad for his business, which provides brand identity services. so apparently he could be putting out a potential client.
apparently he just felt that he had to express himself as a not-so-happy custy. we all have that right.
January 9, 2010 @ 10:06 am
I cant take anymore...... Said,
I dont work at Acacia.
But I will reiterate that you should watch how much you drink before you and write an “honest” review of another establishment. To me you appear scorned, not professional.
Did Acacia not give you enough freebies to win a good review??
January 9, 2010 @ 10:07 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
Via Facebook:
Marcie M:
“I read all the comments and it sounds like this restaurant needs to get their sh*t together. I also thought it was interesting how many people were actually angry about an honest review. I am a big fan of Yelp and I have gotten feedback on both my positive and negative reviews. I think it’s important to spread the word on businesses good/bad and otherwise. You did not “bash” them. You simply said the food was bad. They need to suck it up, get better or move on …the restaurant business is cut-throat. Good review.”
January 9, 2010 @ 10:37 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
@I cant take anymore,
Yea, that’s the reason I wrote the review…I didn’t get any freebies
Meanwhile back at the ranch we wrote a great review on his other restaurant “Old Stone Farmhouse”, http://www.stthomasblog.com/?p=3818
I have no motivation at all other than the food is bad at Acacia and it smells like sewage. Everyone on islnad knows this. I just happened to write it. So hate me if you want
January 9, 2010 @ 10:43 am
jessi Said,
I have eaten at Old Stone and it was FANTASTIC!!!I have not been to Acacia because everyone I have spoken to that has eaten there has said it’s “just OK”.
January 9, 2010 @ 10:49 am
Michele Said,
Honesty is the best policy!
You don’t see the owners/ staff at trip advisor writing comments. Its all about good/bad experiences and I hope with the feedback provided the management really takes a good look and steps it up.
As a person dining out several nights a week, I think its gross when there are cats around. The establishment may have a clean/ spotless kitchen but the cats don’t make it very clean.
PS: We usually get pizza from Island Time Pub on the East End….fantastic!!!
Love your blog, Scott!
January 9, 2010 @ 10:55 am
lisa Said,
Hello,
We at Acacia do follow and care about peoples opinions.
The past few years at this place have been interesting to say the least and we are trying to turn that around!
A new managment team is finally in place(as of last week) and we are working VERY hard to make this place a dining destination once again…
Please be patient and give us a little time to work out the issues.
I welcome any feedback in whatever form..It will only help us improve!
January 9, 2010 @ 11:05 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
Lisa welcome to the St. Thomas Blog and the island!
If you read my post objectively you’ll know that it was nothing more than tough love. Unfortunately the owner and employees at Acacia took it personally and have decided the best way to proceed was to attack me and the blog. I get it, they’re upset.
Listen to the locals on the blog, ask new people you meet what they think of Acacia, you’ll soon discover what I have written.
My wife and I put ourselves out there everyday promoting St. Thomas, we’re rooting for you!
January 9, 2010 @ 11:10 am
DJ Snow Said,
Good post Lisa, I think that is what everyone was waiting to hear.
The true test of a good restaurant is to adapt to the needs and wants of the guests. I think Scott’s post is not a personal attack by any means, but a chance for your business to seek improvement and improve yourself to new levels of excellence.
We can always use more restaurant choices on our island –and a good restaurant not only provides for the locals but takes care of our tourists and makes us a better destination overall for those who choose us over other tropical destinations.
I’m glad you are reading the posts and listening to what your guests have to say. You are only doomed as a restaurant owner/operator when you fail to listen to your customers.
(which it sounds like you are about to do)
Don’t get mad, don’t take it personal…take the comments to your next meeting and then action on the important things.
That’s how you succeed. Constant improvement until you are the best.
A new restaurant takes endless tweaks.
GOOD LUCK!
January 9, 2010 @ 11:30 am
Frozen in MN Said,
Question: the bad smell is mentioned a few times but no one said where it comes from. Is it a “dump area” or someone’s faulty septic? Is it curable? Hemmingway didn’t mind the cats but I’d bet he wouldn’t have liked the sewage. We always enjoy your info…
January 9, 2010 @ 4:05 pm
DJ Randy Said,
I agree with DJ snow. If I was a restaurant owner, I would want customer feedback whether good or bad. There is ALWAYS room for improvement.
Any word on the sewage smell issue?
January 9, 2010 @ 4:05 pm
another owner Said,
As an owner, a negative review is second only to a surprise health department visit in terms of disasters. I applaud the owner of Acacia for his demeanor in dealing with the review. I would have fed Scott cat tartare with sewage slaw on his next visit. Honest, unexpected, and tenacious reviews keep us all on our feet and give us insight into guests’ preferences. I won’t go into the food at Acacia, but that sewage issue has been there as long as I’ve been on-island (10 yrs.) and no one wants to smell that when and where they’re eating. I can smell it in the parking lot when I arrive and turn right around. Fix that first, the other stuff’s easy.
January 9, 2010 @ 4:06 pm
Local Guy Said,
In all honesty, we have never eaten there since Indigo became Acacia. However, we do frequently drive by, and we can affirm that there is usually a strong sewage smell. We have not dined there because friends who have eaten there told us we would be wise to avoid it. So until we hear otherwise, we will.
January 9, 2010 @ 4:52 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
@another owner,
They’re gonna take you seriously with the cat tartare with sewage slaw, but your sarcasm is not lost on me. I will make you pay for that with a reduced bar tab next week
How about St. Thomas Blog has increased my business significantly since we began advertising, how about that? Cat tartare and sewage slaw, you’re killing me over here, LMAO.
January 9, 2010 @ 5:40 pm
northside resident Said,
It sounds like scott has mixed reviews on acaia, mostly bad, but some good. He states how bad it is then tells the staff that he likes coming there. Well which is it? I have dined there several times, mostly for lunch and the food is quite good for the price. I have recently had their breakfast which was amazing. I can see how the cats are a hit or miss, I personally like them as they are well behaved and quiet. It sounds to me if you don’t like someplace, that you should indeed go somplace else and write things that actually need to be addressed such as the cruiseship review (which I aplaud you for). There are plenty of dining options on the island and for not liking acacia it certainly sounds that you are contradicting yourself by going back there a fair amount. And what is this about a lower bar tab? Spite? Either way, I do hope you focus more on reviews that help people avoid 35 dollar magens fees instead.
January 9, 2010 @ 5:58 pm
Soraya Said,
Congrats for your blunt comment. Is about time someone rates some of this restaurants with the honest truth. I lived in St.Thomas for 20 years so I know! but I take stray cats over those huge rats that runs around in Back Street
January 9, 2010 @ 6:17 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
A) The comment to @another owner (see above) is to a different restaurant not Acacia.
B) Thanks for being so passionate.
January 11, 2010 @ 2:05 pm
Matt Said,
Seeing owners take an interest in what’s being said about their places is great. If enough constructive criticism is provided, eventually change will occur.
Hopefully the criticism *is* taken to heart, though – Restaurateurs often think they know, but really don’t.
January 26, 2010 @ 9:48 am
Mister K Said,
My wife and I used to go to Indigo regularly and we had our first opportunity to go to Acacia last Friday night. One of the reasons we went was that I wanted to find out for myself how it is. My assessment was mostly good. The service was a bit slow, but they were quite busy. There was a GREAT band playing (from South Carolina), but unfortuately they were only threre that night and were touring St Thomas and St John as they were brought in to promote the new Firecracker Vodka. (they had drinks with the new vodka for $3!)
I felt our food was good. We had the Mussels that was good, albeit a fairly small portion for an entree. We also had a pizza. The crust was too heavy and needs some serious attention, but it was huge and we had two lunches with the leftovers. We also tried the pesto shrimp pasta which was almost as good as mine
Overall, we will go back again.
January 27, 2010 @ 6:52 am
lisa Said,
Hi..
Acacia update:
I wanted everyone to know that we have listened to your comments and are working our tails off and have just launched a new lunch and dinner menu at ACACIA! Everything on the menu is under $22 dollars and we are getting very posative feed back.(There are still some things we cannot control here,but we are making the changes needed for a better dining adventure.)The new Chef and his team are amazing..
If you have not been up here lately ,give it a try.Happy hour bar specials from 11am to 7 pm every day..Breakfast lunch and dinner 7 days a week (serving food from 7:30 am till 10pm nightly!) Looking forward to seeing you back Big Kahuna…soon!!
January 27, 2010 @ 7:00 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
@Mister K, apparently they have made some changes up there as Lisa mentions. We’re happy for them and truly wish them much success!
In the not so distant future we will send a mystery diner up there and have them do a fair unbiased critique.
January 27, 2010 @ 10:09 pm
Island Girl Said,
Lisa, thank you for the update and for your postive attitude!
February 10, 2010 @ 2:00 pm
John Stevens Said,
I have been to Acacia since the new line cook showed up, I use to work with him at Craig and Sally’s, he did’nt even go to culinary school and now they call him a chef what a joke. The menu has gone from $20.00 or less to $22.00 or less and the food is just ok. I to had the pizza the other night and for $20.00 it was bad, the crust was hard and the sauce, you cant put words or describe it was just bad, the service is way to slow, we asked the server for the manager and she said it was her day off. The manager lisa was working down at another restaurant Oceana for Partica and she was fired from there, so if the owner really wants to improve Acacia why the hell is he hiring a Chef who is not a chef and a person who was fired from another place.
February 10, 2010 @ 2:47 pm
John Stevens Said,
John Stevens,
You are right, the food is just ok, I know both the line cook and the manager lisa and I to would like to ask the owner why he is allowing Acacia to fall. The owner of Acacia said that he has invested time and money into Acacia, where doe’s it show. Does he not do background checks on his staff, the cook worked at The Old Stone Farmhouse as a line cook with the owner Charles before coming over to Acacia and before that he worked at Craig and Sally’s, he left Craig without notice and Lisa the manager she has worked all over the island, before coming to Acacia she was a wine-rep and has no knowledge or training of wine..When you have two restaurants on St. Thomas you need to make sure you kow what you are doing. By the way I hear the owner was fired from his last job in the states, he could’nt even make his restaurant on St. Croix be great.
March 2, 2010 @ 5:05 pm
tuna lover Said,
I went with a few friends for the happy hour sushi after they recommended it. Went on a Monday night after playing tennis and they were out of tuna which is the only sushi on the menu that i like. I was a little disappointed but got a Cubano sandwich and it was good.
Went back the next Monday and we placed our order early and came back about a half hour later.
We had to wait about an hour for anything to arrive and the first items were what my friends ordered, including spicy tuna (I requested it not spicy). 15 minutes later they brought more of my friends order so they were happily eating while I waited for my tuna. I asked them to check on it and the server came back to tell me they ran out of tuna!!
I was a bit upset and left without eating.
March 25, 2010 @ 3:28 pm
Line Cook Phil Said,
Seeing as how I have no memory of ever working with a John Stevens, and that this person seems to have an in depth knowledge of my culinary back ground, this post seems to come across as more of a personal attack than anything else. And seeing as I have never met you John, I’m curious as to what slight I have committed against you to foster such ire. I would love for the opportunity to be able to make it up to you. Feel free to come by for dinner on any night but Thursday, on me, and we can be properly introduced face to face.
regards, LCPhil
March 25, 2010 @ 5:18 pm
Lisa Said,
Hi everyone,
Well,
Seems like a previous “employee” has it out for us here at Acacia.
As anyone who knows who I am and my passion and knowledge for/of wine and where I have worked and the positions I have held in the wine world,I say to you “John Stevens” Knock yourself out with the slurs.
As for our customers..
I encourage any feed back about Acacia now and in the future. I am more concerned about bringing back our local and visiting guests.
We have a fun new event happening on the last Tuesday of EVERY month,It is your passport to the wine world.Come join us in Acacia’s Inside dining room for wine and lite bites from different regions every month from 7-9pm (Every last Tuesday)You will get 4 or 5 TASTES of wine and nibbles from that region for $30..Get a stamp for every month you attend,present your passport after you have traveled the world with us and I will pick out a complimentary wine for your dinner for two.
Thanks to everyone who has come up for dinner or lunch over the past few months and given us another try..We see familiar faces again and again!!
PS..Tuna Lover PLEASE come see me or give Acacia a call and ask for me..I would love to talk about your dining experience.
I heard about this visit,I believe you came in with DR.P?
I would love to make it right!
Lisa
March 28, 2010 @ 5:33 pm
Charles Said,
I have been debating on whether or not to even respond to the personal slander of alias John Steven’s last post. I can’t imagine that you know me or anything about me, so I have decided to tell you all a bit about myself and Acacia.
First off, I am married and have two daughters ages 2 and 3. I am from Dudley, North Carolina and a die hard Tarheel fan. I started cooking professionally in 1991 in Charleston, SC while going to Culinary school at Johnson & Wales University. I moved to St. Croix in 1996 and lived there on and off until 2006. I taught Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management at Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College in Birmingham, AL.
I worked in France at 3 star Michelin restaurant, Troisgros.
I have owned and operated 8 restaurants throughout my career; the first one in Philadelphia, three locations on STX, one in North Carolina, one in Alabama and now two here on St. THomas. Until now, I have always owned my restaurants independently without investors, backers or partners and that has always been very difficult. Anyone that has ever owned any type of business knows how difficult that is.
Currently, I have a strong support system in place with great business partners, Mr. and Mrs.f Prior, and this seems to be working quite well.
The last position I held was as Area Executive Chef, and Director of Food and Beverage operations for The Battle House, A Renaissance Hotel and The Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. My responsibilities there included managing a Staff of more than 100, 10 F&B outlets, and a banquet capacity of up to 5,000 guests. Additionally, financial accountability for an annual budget of over ten million dollars. The hoteI’s signature restaurant was recognized in 2008 and 2009 with AAA’s 4 diamond award under my leadership. I was a pre opening team member, worked there for 3 years and resigned my position with 30 days notice in August, 2009 to come to St. THomas.
Upon arriving in St. Thomas with my family, I spent 8 weeks renovating OSFH and re-opened it in Nov. 2009. I also took over Acacia simultaneously and have made the following improvements since then:
5 New Flat Screens at the Bar ($8,000)
New Bose Sound System inside and out ($5,000)
Complete redo of inside dining room ($15,000)
Complete redo of Cereus Wine Bar ($10,000)
Interior and Exterior Landscaping ($9,000)
New Linen, China, glassware, silver ($8,000)
I still owe the kitchen some love and its coming!
This may not represent very much to you, however for me these are monumental financial investments that I felt were needed to make Acacia thrive.
Since my takeover, despite some negative press and opinions, and management turnover, sales have increased by over 300%, and you can find a decent crowd there most nights. Most are locals and appreciate what we have done with the place and leave happy and feeling like they got a great value. Honestly, I am not able to spend as much time there as I would like because I cook nightly at OSFH. I am a worker. We are all workers.
There are still some inconsistencies, and opportunities, and I am sure there always be something to deal with but we are for sure on the right track.
Maybe teh best thing I have done so far was hiring Lisa Butler as GM and Corporate Wine Director. She has done and outstanding job taking ownership, transforming and running the restaurant and improving the service levels. Upon arrival now, you will notice the tables set properly, glasses perfectly polished and service basics in place.
Anyone who knows anything about wine here, knows Lisa and knows she knows wine. She manages our program which currently offers almost
1,000 different labels. Todd as the Assistant manager is a work horse and holds it all together when the place is slammed, which is often.
Phil, the Executive Chef, has brought the menu and cooking at Acacia back to where it should be and is continuing to improve it everyday.
We are doing all this and are still able to offer a great value and everything on the menu is still $20 and under. $5 sushi may take a while, but its fresh and well prepared, and one of the island’s best values. I am very happy with Acacia and apparently, my background check kept me from hiring you John and I am happy about that as well.
All in all Acacia is not falling but soaring, so thanks to you all for your support. Please come out and see for yourself.
Charles Mereday
April 1, 2010 @ 3:20 pm
DRUSS Said,
Word up ^
July 2, 2010 @ 10:20 am
chase stevens Said,
My wife and I stayed at Megans Point Resort, and I can say that we tried Acacia twice and both times were bad, the service did not exist and the food was just ok nothing to talk about, we asked our server on our last visit for the manager and she said the manager was off, who is running the restaurant if the manager was off. We dined at there other restaurant Old Stone Farm House and it was out of this world, from the time we arrived to our exit, I can only inform the oweners that if you want Acacia to be great invest some time into ensurring that the same standards at Old Stone are the same at Acacia, because if not! What the guest experience at Acacia will scare people away from Old Stone being that it is from the same owners.
September 9, 2010 @ 7:56 pm
lisa Said,
Hello,
I would Really love it if you would update your home page Big Kahuna…
We also would love to see you upat Acacia after all the changes made (to our place/menu…)
It has been an uphill battle,however we see the summit and are working hard every day to make it better and better..
September 9, 2010 @ 11:24 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
Not sure what you mean by update my homepage? We absolutely will be back, can’t wait to try the new Acacia out
October 19, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
lisa Said,
Hey there!!
Thanks for the hello back,
I just want to point out that we are front and center as ACACIA still bad as ever.(A January post that came when the management was limited at best..) I have put blood, sweat and some times tears at getting things back in shape..I have done the best in getting this place back in shape..(There are some things we cannot control,we are however addressing those issues with the responsible party)
The feed back has been SO positive with the new bar/lunch menu ,the new dinner menu..
Service is friendly and efficient
We are not doing Sushi anymore (as it was a problem getting out Sushi to a 100 seat restaurant with one sushi roller.) A problem I tackled and addressed ,some are not happy with the decision ,however,We are not a sushi restaurant and I will leave that for persons with sushi rolling teams!
We really hope to see you back up soon,and want to thank our supporting locals for the great reviews!!
Lisa
October 19, 2010 @ 1:39 pm
BIG Kahuna Said,
So pretty much everything i constructively critisized has been changed?
October 21, 2010 @ 10:43 am
Katherine Said,
Just got back from St Thomas and I have to say that Acacia must have changed everything since you were there because my experience was nothing less than perfect. The food was AMAZING, the best of our trip! I definitely suggest you give it another try!
October 21, 2010 @ 11:34 am
BIG Kahuna Said,
We will be reviewing them again shortly
October 26, 2010 @ 6:17 am
lisa Said,
Hey Big Kahuna,
The things we could control and change we have,I am not saying it is perfect,I strive every day to be better.My philosophy is,that if you think you have no more problems to fix or thing you have reached your goals and need not to work on things anymore,you just fell behind again.Every day we have to make sure we put forth the best we can…
I hope to see and meet you soon,however if I am not there when you dine,I look forward to ANY comments you,or anyone else for that matter,Good or Bad,Havre to say.
Cheers!
PS.. @ Katherine ,Thanks we are so glad you enjoyed your stay with us!!!