PUDDLE JUMPERS
- Health grade
- D · 63/100
- Lake County rank
- Safer than 10%
- Diner rating
- 4.3 ★ · 2,610 reviews
- Violations
- 1 high-priority, 4 intermediate, and 17 basic
- Last inspected
- Jan 2026
By score it ranks safer than 10% of Lake County restaurants we grade. The report logged 1 high-priority, 4 intermediate, and 17 basic violations. And the recent trend is down. Higher-graded kitchens nearby are mapped below.
D grade · 63/100 · safer than 10% of Lake County restaurants we grade
Get directions Call (352) 508-5862
Safer options nearby
Higher-graded restaurants close to PUDDLE JUMPERS, by Florida DBPR grade:
- RUBY STREET GRILLE
- DOMINO'S PIZZA
Restaurant details
- Health grade
- D (63/100)
- Violations
- 22 total — 1 high-priority, 4 intermediate, 17 basic
- Address
- 111 W RUBY ST, Tavares, FL
- Cuisine
- American
- Categories
- American restaurant, Bar & grill, Cocktail bar, Family restaurant, Hamburger restaurant, Live music venue
- Price
- $20–30
- Rating
- 4.3 stars (2610 reviews)
- Seats
- 264
- Phone
- (352) 508-5862
- Website
- Official website
Community Rating
Reviews via GoogleWhat diners say — our read
Read the reviews alone and you would never guess the grade. Reviewers who mention front-of-house rate this place 4.6 on average — it is working in the restaurant’s favour. After that, wait times appears most often — 30% of the corpus, averaging 4.0.
A third strand, how food arrives, appears in 17% of them at 3.8 stars. The single most common rating left here is 5 stars (17 of 23). The split is 19 positive to 2 negative across 23 rated reviews, with 2 in the middle.
Set against that, the state's own inspection graded the kitchen a D (63/100), with 1 high-priority, 4 intermediate, and 17 basic violations recorded. Reviews describe the meal; the grade describes the conditions it was made in. The visit behind that grade was January 14, 2026. Its inspection trajectory is downward over the records we hold. On health score it sits safer than 10% of the Lake County restaurants we grade. For specifics, the last inspection cited handwashing and clean clothes.
The practical read: people enjoy eating here, and the kitchen still failed its last inspection. Those are separate claims, and only the second one gets checked by anybody. The underlying reviews are reproduced in full underneath.
Our own analysis of 23 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →
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I had the Berry Good Turkey sandwich and a side of the sweet potato tots, and it was very good. It is a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, with a chipotle raspberry sauce and brie cheese. The raspberry sauce and brie cheese really made the sandwich. It's a great flavor combination that I would not hesitate to order again. The service was fast and the atmosphere is great (I sat outside on their screened in patio). I definitely recommend this place.
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The staff were are and the food was awesome. There is such an incredible view. I even watched one of the sea planes take off. Highly recommend this place. The sunset is so incredible on the lake
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Food was OK. We had very good service. The biggest drawback was the 1% service fee. I’m not a fan of restaurants that charge service fees. Sure it’s not a lot, but it’s the principal.
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We hadn't been in a while, honestly service was not up to par. We've come back after a year, sat outside with Jay and he was terrific! New menu was great! We'll be back more regularly, things were great!
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Started out a little rocky, the host (Bianca ?) was very rude & not friendly and acted like us needing a table was inconveniencing her. Even while waiting in line for the bathroom, we could hear her bad mouthing the other servers and complaining about doing her job. Nonetheless, our server Alexis was wonderful, very efficient and even a little funny. Food was good!
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There were only a few great restaurants in the area, and this is certainly one of them. Every burger is awesome toppings are unique and, well the choices of sides are wonderful. The kettle chips are perfection, but OMG get the pork rinds. The sweet potato tater tots are also a must try.
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The best Onion Rings EVER!! From start to finish, it was a great experience. Delicious Foods and Jay is Super!!
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Great food Had fish and chips
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There wasn’t a lot of people, waited 45 minutes and the food was all cold unfortunately. Really wanted to enjoy this place because it’s cool that it’s on the lake and close by. Burger had soggy buns and the fries were cold. Tried to remember our whole order and messed it up obviously.
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We come to Tavares every year for Father’s Day and the trip is not complete until we have Puddle Jumpers. Jay has been our server for several years in a row and he is just the best!! Friendly, fast, and kind!! If you visit, ask for Jay! You will not be disappointed!!
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We we were a group of 12 and had a 1pm reservation. We had a wonderful waitress!! Food and drinks were very good!
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Staff not particularly friendly especially the hostess. Food was good but nothing special. Appreciate that it was served hot.
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My food was delicious & so was my margarita! Our server Jay was so kind & funny! 10/10 recommend!!
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Jennifer, our server was excellent. She was friendly, quick and responded very to all the requests of our 13 people group The pitadillia and wings were fabulous. The trip is worth it just for the wings. From the time we arrived and walked through the door till the end of our meal everyone was friendly, very kind, and helpful. The food arrived hot and it was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant with its great food and beautiful view.
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1st time visit and really enjoyed the place and bar tender Sarah was great with her menu suggestions. I had the chicken, broccoli and garlic mash, sauce was tasty. Great views over the lake and air planes too. I will try the roof top balcony on a Friday night sometime soon.
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Good food and service with a nice lake view.
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Simply love it! Pet friendly with their own menu, the food delicious from scratch and very warm, live music on their patio excellent and their mimosas to die for. The view is spectacular!!!!
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Food was Fantastic..cant wait to go back. Happened to be a ski jumping going on every 15 min or so . Was exciting
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Enjoyed our lunch
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We had such a great time at puddle jumpers! The food was Amazing! Highly recommend.
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Long wait time to be seated while the place was empty..disorganized and not very welcoming or personable. Place needs to provide better hospitality..
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6/6/26: (Original Review Below) My brother and I went here for a late lunch. We were seated right away and our server was the friendly and funny, Tyra (see photo below). She was a blast to kid around with, and she made for more of an enjoyable dining experience there. My brother had a grilled Mahi sandwich with aoli sauce and sweet potato tots for his side. I had the cheeseburger with fried onions that comes on toasted sour dough bread, along with sweet potato tots. Gosh, it was all so good and tasty! Next time, I'm going to ask for more onions, though. While we were there, it was nice to see other diners eating at the 3 pm hour, also. It shows that you can get a meal even though it's not the traditional lunch or dinner hours. And, they are small-medium pet friendly. One couple had a nice, well trained Australian sheep dog with them. BTW: you can sit indoors or outdoors. And, you'll find a full lunch and dinner menu. Of course there's a full open bar on premises. Have a beer or enjoy a Margherita. I enjoyed a nice draught Yuenling brewski with my meal. So, folks....if you can't decide where to go, you cannot go wrong with the delicious food, the great fun & attentive service, plus the atmoshere overlooking the lake. I'm sure that you'll come back just like we do. ORIGINAL REVIEW: We enjoyed a late lunch and we were glad we stopped here for most delicious hamburgers with cheese. They were large and tasty! I had very good onion rings with mine along with sautéed onions on the…
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Enjoyed a late dinner after a ride on the Dora Queen. Daniel was our server and the perfect way to end our night. He made it more than just a mundane dinner, he added personality and kept us smiling all night.
Overall Score
39 / 100
Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.
Opening hours
- Monday
- 11 AM to 9 PM
- Tuesday
- 11 AM to 9 PM
- Wednesday
- 11 AM to 9 PM
- Thursday
- 11 AM to 9 PM
- Friday
- 11 AM to 10 PM
- Saturday
- 11 AM to 10 PM
- Sunday
- 11 AM to 9 PM
Inspection history
The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.
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January 14, 2026 · Routine - Food
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
1 high-priority · 4 intermediate · 17 basic
- 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
- 12 — Handwashing; employee eating/drinking/smoking practices
- 13 — Clean clothes; hair restraints; jewelry; fingernails (×3)
- 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×3)
- 16 — Dishwashing facilities; sanitizer test kits; gauges (×2)
- 21 — Wiping cloths; clean & soiled linens; laundry
- 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
- 23 — Nonfood-contact surfaces clean
- 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
- 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided (×2)
- 32 — Bathrooms
- 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×2)
- 40 — Employee personal belongings
- 42 — Cleaning and maintenance equipment
- 51 — Other conditions of sanitary & safe operation
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August 6, 2025 · Routine - Food
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
0 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 13 basic
- 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
- 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
- 21 — Wiping cloths; clean & soiled linens; laundry
- 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized (×3)
- 23 — Nonfood-contact surfaces clean
- 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying
- 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
- 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×5)
This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →
Data last updated: January 14, 2026