Pre-fire exterior featured a plush elephant and a 9-11 mural.
Patriotic Restaurant, Flag-Waving Patrons
Homosassa, Florida
The tip on the Margarita Grill Restaurant: at dinnertime, the waiters hand out American flags to all the customers so they can join in a patriotic singalong. It was packed on a Saturday at lunchtime when we visited -- mostly with retirees and casually dressed tourists. The hostess told us that the singalong, led by one of the restaurant's owners (Tommy), was only on weekend evenings. We couldn't stick around for the performance, but there is ample evidence of their commitment to America no matter when you visit.
The restaurant interior is decorated with a mixture of American flags, patriotic banners, military insignias, and mounted fish. The restaurant is known for its ample margaritas. Its motto is: "Eat here or we both starve!"
On July 25, 2011, a fire destroyed the restaurant -- but it was rebuilt and reopened in 2017. The singalongs took up where they'd left of, and have continued ever since.
