Tiger’s first restaurant, The Woods Jupiter, a hit
When Tiger Woods decided to build a new restaurant, he did what he has always done in golf: surround himself with the best team, do his due diligence and work hard. Much like the start of his career, The Woods Jupiter is already receiving rave reviews.
Opened Aug. 10 at Harbourside Place on the water in Jupiter, Florida, The Woods Jupiter is packing in customers in its spacious, elegantly designed upscale restaurant and sports bar. There are 42 large flat-screen televisions throughout the restaurant, including 16 in the comfortable lounge area. While the dress code is casual, the décor, service, food and wine list are upscale.
From locally crafted beers on tap to creative mixed drinks and premium wines, your dining experience is sure to get off to a good start. In a word, the food is scrumptious. Among the early favorite appetizers are spicy calamari with blue cheese, lobster and jumbo crab cakes and lollipop lamb chops. Main entrées include a mouth-watering Waygu strip steak, twin lobster tails, a center-cut pork chop, rack of ribs, seafood pescatore, Chilean sea bass and roasted free range chicken.
Save room for dessert. Choices range from raspberry cheesecake swirl and crème brulee to key lime cake and s’mores casserole. There is also a selection of premium bourbons, cognacs and ryes, as well as a cigar list.
There are private booths with curtains, a private room for larger parties and an outdoor patio area. As you might expect, servers wear Nike gear and are attentive, not overbearing. The prices are reasonable, food is prepared with fresh, healthy ingredients, and there is even a kid-friendly menu and gluten-free items.
Woods was heavily involved in the planning from start to finish. He has added many personal touches, like bringing the bill arriving at the table wrapped in a scorecard from El Cardonal, his golf course design in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
“This is something I have wanted to do for a long time,” Tiger said. “I was included in every step because that’s the way I do things. It’s been a lot of work, but clearly it’s been worth it. I have a great staff, but I want to be actively involved too.”
Liz Balmaseda, who covers food and dining for the Palm Beach Post, recently offered five reasons why you should visit The Woods Jupiter:
- True to owner Tiger Woods’ brand ambassadorship, the servers wear Nike kicks and sportswear as they hand out luxuriously hot towels after each round of finger food. They check in often without hovering. Teamwork is apparent and tight. And the service is warm, genial and detail-oriented.
- Chef Carmine DiCandia comes to The Woods from Capital Grille, where he was executive chef partner. His meat dishes reflect extensive experience. The rib-eye sandwich is one of the best items on the menu, steak that is tender and flavorful and topped with drunken goat cheese. The bone-in pork chop is prepared to perfection. Even the prime burger needs nothing but the brioche bun; the patty is seasoned with bacon and onions.
- At first glance, the sleek main bar appears to be overly lit, glowing even. But you’ll want to belly up to it anyway, thanks to the comfy bar stools and excellent service. Aside from the main bar, there’s a small bar counter on the terrace, with a view of the main bar action. Either bar is good for grabbing a drink or a bite.
- Dress code is Jupiter upscale casual.
- You might catch a glimpse of Tiger.
Woods, the second-winningest golfer in PGA TOUR history with 79 victories and 14 major championships, lives nearby and stops by, shaking hands at the bar and chatting with customers.
“My kids love eating there,” Tiger said. “I’ll be at my restaurant a lot. I have been already. It’s my place, and I really enjoy it.”
He built the restaurant because he felt it would be beneficial to the community and an outstanding, unique addition to the Jupiter area. Just more than a month into the venture, he is right on the money.
“First, this is a lot more than a sports bar,” Woods said. “You can get an outstanding meal in a family-friendly atmosphere, but also kick back and watch games. To me, that’s fun. I wanted to create something that’s different from what we have in the area, and we’ve done that.”
The Woods Jupiter is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant recently started serving lunch, and reservations are accepted. Please call 561-320-9627 or visit opentable.com. To get more information about the restaurant, including full menu options, please visit woodsjupiter.com.
“Our neighbors and guests have been wonderful and very complimentary, and I really appreciate that,” Tiger said. “Football season is here, and we’ll soon have the baseball playoffs. I think it’s going to be really cool at the restaurant then. I’m also looking forward to the Masters in April. I’ll be at Augusta, but I think we’ll have lots of excitement that week. For all the golf tournaments that I play in, the service staff will wear my traditional red shirt on Sunday.”
