The back in February, Rapscallions owner James Morgan said he wouldn't be selling the popular Land O' Lakes landmark to Hooters. And despite some confusion, the restaurant wasn't closed, it had simply changed its hours.
But a recent changeover happened without much notice. The restaurant is now called Mosquitoes Bar and Grill, and is under new ownership, according to a hostess who answered the old Rapscallion's phone number late Friday afternoon.
The staff was busy preparing for the Friday night crowd, so I was unable to speak to a manager or get details on the owner, however she did confirm that some Rapscallions dishes remain on the menu, but there also have been a lot of changes.
Mosquitoes opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
We will check back in with new ownership on Monday for more details. In the meantime, if you check out the new restaurant, let us know how you like it!
From my experience, I think you should try it again. You may have been subject to the awkwardness of opening a new restaurant, even if it's in the same facility. We had a great experience. It's "Back to the Future." Not only is the service that good old fashioned service we remember well from the 1950s and '60s, but the decor was quite cool retro. We were there Sunday afternoon with accommodating staff and well-prepared food. As we began to enjoy the retro interior, we realized that Cary Grant and Grace Kelly could have come in all dressed up for cocktails, but also Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello would have been comfortable with a Hawaiian shirt over bathing suit and flip flops. The things we liked: The layout and decor. It was oh-so-fifties Florida dinner clubbish. There was lots of room between tables where you could get up without bumping the person behind you. Palm trees in large pots around the seating area were actually real and not plastic. The lake view behind the outside dining patio really opened up the space, as well as being nice to look at. Continued below...
The staff and service. Both seating staff, kitchen, and waitress were most pleasantly accommodating to our dietary needs. What a change from where we've been eating. You know you're in a locally owned restaurant and not in a corporate-run cattle pen waiting for your turn at the prod. As a retired businessman, I had to appreciate the fact that as a new group of busboys came on duty, they went around and carefully double-checked every unoccupied table to make sure the person on the previous shift hadn't missed anything. They even put their heads down so they could see the light reflecting off the table so there were no missed sticky bits to embed themselves in my shirt or bare elbow creases. Even the entry level position was trying to do the job rather than just put in the time. The hostess was knowledgeable about their food offerings and was able to answer my dietary questions. And lo and behold, she didn't act like it was a big deal, but was gracious and thoughtful. Our waitress was prompt and attentive without interrupting or being obtrusive. She obviously checked for the correctness of our order before serving and even put the sauce on the side in case I had unknowingly not asked for that, considering my heart diet. The food value was good, with moderate prices, good size portion of quality ingredients, well prepared. We've found a new "regular" place to eat. A. T. Burke