Jody A. Smith

Review of The Black Hammock

"Grub and Gators", well at least the grub is a def...

"Grub and Gators", well at least the grub is a definite, not good but a definite. BHA has a pretty nice setup where you can not only take an airboat ride but you also go through some marsh areas looking for alligators while you see many other animals. Obviously, since the reptiles are wild animals, sightings are never a guarantee. The upside is the airboat captain is very knowledgable about the area, wildlife and vegetation so not all was lost. The area where you board the airboats is fun and Caribbean like with outdoor bars and colorful decor.

The restaurant was not good, based on my experience. We were approaching our airboat reservation time and had enough time to grab an app. We ordered the onion rings and they were horribly cooked. I think the oil wasn't at the proper temperature because the rings were doughy on the inside and saturated with oil. When we picked them up they drained oil for about 10-20 seconds.

There are several gators held captive at BHA which always concerns me as far as treatment and should a wild animal actually be held in a 12x20'ish or even worse, a smaller aquarium.