In a GQ article some time around 2005 or 2006 Le Tub was voted the best hamburger in the nation. It was quite a shot in the arm for a restaurant previously only known to locals. It appears they are suffering from the arrogance of success.
Le Tub is a quaint restaurant located on the west side of A1A in Hollywood beach. It has been there since 1975 and was originally owned by a guy named Russell Koheth who made a ton of money flying advertising banners across the beach. Russel originally bought a Sunoco station however it did not do well so he converted it to a restaurant. He decorated it with toilet seats and other bathroom fixtures and a legend was born. Russell passed away around 2005 and left the restaurant (in his will) to a fellow named Steve who had been managing it for about 15 years. Steve still runs Le Tub and does the cooking in a tiny sweat box of a kitchen. I really wanted to like Le Tub.
Unfortunately, lunch at Le Tub was aggravating at best. Parking is almost non-existent. Patrons would do better to park at the public parking garage across the street rather than waiting to get an empty parking spot in the tiny lot (which is free when you can find room). The menu is slim with hamburgers being the main item. The wait staff is terrible. I asked if there was an open table and was told, "I don't know, look for yourself". Once I sat down it took my waitress 18 minutes to say hello. When she did she would not take my order. Instead she asked if I wanted anything to drink. I ordered a mojito, but she said they didn't have those. I ordered a margarita and 16 minutes later she returned with my drink (served in a tiny plastic cup) and took my order. I asked for a burger medium rare. She asked me if I wanted it red inside, I said, no, pink, and she responded, medium then. Twenty eight minutes later it turned out it was well done. In all it took me one hour and two minutes to get a well done burger.
I sat back and smiled like a man who has just saved 20% of the tip and asked for a second drink. Needless to say it was delivered 23 minutes later. After I finished my burger I hunted down my waitress and coerced her into bringing me my check which she added up incorrectly, and it took me about five minutes to convince her the total was $27.92, not $37.92. After watching several tables come in after me and leave before me, I decided to personally hand her $30.00 and allow her to keep the change. The parking attendant got a five and after nearly an hour and a half I was out of there vowing to never return again.
It is a shame the wait staff is so poor, as the place was one of my favorite getaways for years. I used to bring clients there for lunch in the 1990s and had been going there occasionally since 1979. Alas, all good things must come to an end.
