VIP Mexican American Cuisine T.I.

What a great find! Very busy Friday night around 8- but such a fun vibe out back, the 30 minute wait didn’t matter. Sipping on a well poured margarita, listening to the live music next door and making friends with other fun people while waiting was a blast. We sat inside to eat. The food came fairly quickly and the wait staff was terrific! We had tacos and rice and beans and one of their bowls- all delicious. The prices were very reasonable. This will be a regular place to go for margaritas and Mexican food!!!

A “VIP” restaurant sounds pretty intriguing, but I’m disappointed to report it fell into the “just another American Mexican” restaurant category. It’s also a pretty odd setup if you park in the front and enter, or park out back and end up sitting inside. You have to literally walk through the kitchen to get from the indoor seating & bar to the patio and outdoor bar. If it feels wrong you’re going the right way. This place has all the classic offerings a Mexican place does- nachos, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, rellenos, chips & salsa or queso. Margaritas, of course, and they did have decent happy hour specials. Our service wasn’t great, it felt like our waitress kind of kept forgetting about us. The food was okay, nothing too special but checked the list for dinner. The best part was the queso- that was cheesy and creamy and yummy. But honestly probably wouldn’t come back with all the other dining options nearby.

Fun dive bar feel. Lots of seating. An outdoor covered bar area and an indoor seating area. The food is really great. Freshly fried chips. Fresh guacamole. The tacos are amazing. Able To accommodate some allergies. There is cross contamination so not celiac friendly. Thank you to the staff for a great experience!

VIP Mexican American Cuisine T.I. is a must visit if you are in the area. There is more than enough parking available within walking distance. The waist staff is attentive, courteous and responsive which adds to the dining experience. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating options. The menu has a great mix of entrees and the beach vibe tropical atmosphere also compliments the dining experience. I would have to suggest the fish tacos 🌮 if you're looking for an entrée.

Wonderful food, service, and atmosphere! We will definitely come back when we come back to the area. Highly recommend eating here!

Ate here our first night of vacation. Right across from our hotel. Thought “why not”. Well, very glad we did. Delicious food. Great drinks. Staff are AWESOME. Highly recommend.

Food was great! Service was great too! We will go back again. My husbands quesadilla was great and so was my steak taco and tostada. They didn't skimp on the meat either. Our order was $24 and no drinks since we had water (tip not included). I'm sure the steak taco made it higher in price. Their food was much better than the Mexican place next to John's Pass in Madeira Beach. Lluckily we didn't have to pay parking. Parking is the only downfall in our opinion.

Go there, where the locals eat! It has very tasty food and a nice and cozy atmosphere. Staff is friendly and cool.

Margaritas are bomb! Food is great! Servers are great! (The hostess with the fury moon boots was a little rude and could use an attitude adjustment) We love this place!

We've lived on Treasue Island for the last 11 yrs. We used to go to VIP on a regular basis, especially with out-of-town guests. No more. Approximately 4 years ago they hired a new, 50+ yr. old male, "door-whore"/seater/douche-bag, that has managed to upset and infuriate locals and tourist. We are regulars" at Ricky T's (next door to VIP), and have encountered his Gestapo like tactics stories from numerous people, that tried to be serviced at VIP, but came over to Ricky T's primarily because of him. Plus, their food is a marginal Tex-Mex that appears to come in plastic tubs from a commissary; but their other staff and Margaritas, are great! Now days, I would just as soon get a drive-through order at Taco Bell, and go to Ricky T's for Margaritas. This review is not to promote any other restaurants, but to illustrate one idiot can spoil a local, established restaurant. "One bad apple, can spoil the whole bunch girl..." Try some place else; lots of good Mexican food in St. Pete area, don't waste your time here.

Met a colleague here for lunch on a Monday afternoon. There were only a few parking spots out front of the establishment, that were already taken, so we proceeded to the back of the restaurant. We noticed there were a handful of spaces directly in the back but they too, were full. There was a parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, that appeared to be shared overflow parking for the shopping strip center (which the restaurant was located in). Before parking there, we walked up and spoke to a restaurant employee just to make sure we could park there. He said "yes, as long as you're dining here". So, both my colleague and I proceeded to park our cars. We drove separately so we had two vehicles. We went inside and waited for a few minutes to be seated. The owner saw us standing there and assisted us with a high top table pressed up against the wall, shoulder to shoulder with anyone who were to walk by as that is the seating arrangement in there. About 5-7 minutes later, we had not been waited on so the owner came over again and took our drink order. Shortly after, our waitress came over and took our order. We each ordered "authentic" Mexican dishes, which were highly catered to the crowd that tends to dine in there. It was not authentic, and definitely something I could easily make (better) at home. Prices were typical for the beach. Our waitress seemed very busy and I did not see any other waitress there meaning she was probably attending to everyone that afternoon. WORST PART of our time there, was when we exited the restaurant and returned to our vehicles. When we approached the parking lot, we saw a parking enforcer ticking vehicles, including ours! We explained to him what the restaurant employee told us and the parking enforcer explained that the restaurant employee misinformed us. We both received a $40 ticket that day, that would turn into $60 within a short time if not paid immediately. So, our lunch meeting turned into an a very expensive "lunch" and we were shocked when the restaurant denied telling us this. Will not be returning here.

A must try place when visiting treasure island! From the margaritas to the tacos to the people, this place is the real deal. The staff is always very helpful when it comes to the menu for recommendations. They also have rotating specials here which is nice to change it up from the regular menu. The dining area is small inside and they have a nice set up outside. Be sure to come early because this place is always busy. Everything we ate this time around was great! The queso in the trio dip was amazing and so was the tuna wraps. Here tacos are one per order so you can try multiple types. I did not get tacos this time around and with the tamale platter. I asked for no beans and I wish it came with more rice. Instead I got more salad which was hard to eat giving there is no dressing.

I was a bit uncertain about this place, as American Mexican food isn't my thing. I prefer restaurants that attempt authentic Mexican cuisine. I was totally mistaken. This food was outstanding. The wet burritos were so delicious, and the green sauce almost a religious experience. Staff and service were equally great. Had to go back twice to get my fix.

Almost passed this by because it looked a bit of a dive in a strip mall. How pleasantly surprised we were! Sat outside in the back. Service was prompt and friendly. Margaritas very tasty (always go with the Tajin rim). Food was excellent! I had the Mahi street tacos. My FIL said the "wet" burrito was one of the best burrios he has ever had. Homemade sauces were AMAZING!!!! Be careful with the little red one. Very casual beach attire. Would most definitely go back.

A meal at VIP is a must if you're in the Treasure Island area. This local spot is known for its delicious food, low prices, and strong but yummy margaritas. A friend and I stopped in for lunch on a Monday holiday and were promptly seated at the bar. FYI- this place is SMALL, so the bar is not seat yourself. A host will let you know which bar seats to sit in. The atmosphere is dive bar casual. You can come in your bathing suit and T-shirt if you want to. The bartenders here are always so friendly and efficient. I even recognize one from 5+ years ago! We quickly received our ice waters and two house margaritas, and ordered the Three Amigos Trio. I really enjoyed the freshness of the guacamole and salsa, but the queso was lacking flavor for me. For our entrees, my friend ordered a mini taco salad with chicken. It is so great that they have the mini option for some menu items. Who has room for a giant meal after all those chips anyway?! I ordered two carnitas tacos mexi-style. At $3 a piece, these are a steal! I always have to come to VIP when I'm home in St.Pete for the weekend. If you're looking for casual, delicious, and cheap, you can't go wrong with VIP!

Very friendly staff. Solid food. Good value, especially for a touristy/beach area. Would've been four stars, but the wait from appetizers to dinner took close to an hour.

This restaurant has fantastic service, and the food is excellent. If you are in the area of Treasure Island put on the top

I'm a local. Been coming here off and on for almost 20 years and I never felt the need to review this place because everybody already knows about it, hence the wait to get a seat no matter what time or say you come. Always slammed, service might suffer as a result, but everyone knows this place is fantastic even atnits busiest. You can't go wrong with Mexican egg rolls and they recently upped their salsa game with a blended hot that I poured on the house chunky and queso and wished I'd Had enough left over to bathe in. There's a reason why I treat my out-of-town friends here for 'tex-mex' and margaritas after a hot day on the sand. Park across the street, behind walgreens close to Publix, its less expensive than the parking directly behind hlthe restaurant.

This place is a hidden gem! It's tiny, with great tacos, burritos (try the wet burrito), and margaritas. It's super intimate, as they can maybe seat 30 people inside and another 30-40 on the patio, but very much worth it. It's an awesome spot, especially if you're coming from the beach.

Service wasn't the best. They left out part of my order for takeout. The girl at the bar didn't have a nice personality while taking our order. She acted like we were a bother.

Walked in for a dinner with my best friend and waited for a table outside. The wait wasn't long but when we got sat at the table, no one brought us menus or stopped by for ten minutes. The supposed server walked by us many times and didn't even bother to help us. After being ignored multiple times we went next door to Ricky T's where we had service right away. It's too bad because I was recommended VIP and won't be returning due to the lack of service.

La atencion no es buena , pedimos piña colada al bar y no sabian hacerlo, la comida de mala calidad especialmente la pizza mexicana , no recomiendo cenar en este lugar

So damn good! One of the best restaurants on the island, not fancy but food is so good! Service is great and the bartenders are a lot of fun to chat with. Love this place!!

Excellent Mexican food and the margaritas are kick-a$$ good and reasonably priced! I tried he Golden Cadillac and the Lime In The Coconut margaritas and they were both amazing!! We had an order of the fried jalapeño slices as an appetizer - again, so good!!! For an entree, I ordered the beef enchiladas that come with rice & beans. Flavor of food was awesome. If I ever get back to Florida, I'm definitely making this one of my "must stops". Great ambiance and music too!

August 12, 2023 4:30pm Comfortable interior. Bar atmosphere inside. Outstanding service and food

Hands down, this place has the best smothered burritos but our experience before being seated was disappointing. Whoever the hostess was (older man) he was just not a very friendly guy at all. Now I get this day we came was extremely busy, but to speak to us the way he did and make us feel so uncomfortable was unnecessary. And that we didn't even receive an apology or anything to show he cared is just uncalled for, but really what can we expect from a guy that is just rude. Had I not heard about how amazing these burritos were, we would have left. Bartenders were nice and the rest of the service was good. The chips and salsa are great , the margaritas are a very decent price for what you are getting and they are strong. The queso dip with refried beans and jalapeños added was amazing as well. The bar itself is small, very limited seating. And I'm not sure if it's always this way, but the day we came , you couldn't even sit at the bar without being on a waiting list, let alone order a drink from the bar. My smothered steak burrito was amazing, one of the best I've ever had. It's a shame this place rubbed me the wrong way. I'll prob give it another chance because of the food and drinks and the great prices, but hoping the service improves by then.

Jorge was an amazing server! Fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere and great service. Five stars!!!

When I visit my brother this is always my first stop. The margaritas are AMAZING. The food is always great. The wait can sometimes be long but with their margarita special I don't mind waiting. Deff a great local spot

VIP Mexican is Treasure Island's' secret treasure for sure!!! Everything is outstanding and worth it!!

The food was delicious, and Service was also amazing, Ambiance was very good. Loved everything

I would describe this place as a dive bar with food. The bartender was fantastic, the food was excellent, and they have a great drink menu. I really like the vibe, the music, and chatting with some of the locals. This place is on the top of my list for my next time in the area!

Visiting the area on vacation and ate dinner here and had a wonderful meal and great service. This is one of those places where looks are deceiving. It's very small and not fancy, with a bar in the middle of the dining room but the food and portions are fantastic. The prices were extremely reasonable for the amount of food you get. When I asked around, the locals mentioned this is where they get Mexican food and I get why. The large nachos plate is enormous with plenty to take home with you. I highly recommend this restaurant. Coral gave us great service so we will be asking for her when we return here.

Best homemade Mexican food around. The chicken chimichangas, Mexican pizza are my favorites. The margaritas are delicious.

What a great Mexican restaurant! Our second visit here and another fun time! We started with the chips and salsa, both very fresh and moved onto the chimichanga and the Mama Bex tacos. Can't say enough about how great the Mama Bex are! Lively atmosphere and the margaritas are awesome. A must try! Highly recommend if you like a high energy place

This restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. We decided to dine outside since a table was available sooner outside and it was a nice day. The seating outside includes picnic tables with umbrellas. There is a paid parking lot located behind the business. Our server was nice but not really that personable. We ordered a full order of beef nachos supreme since the server advised us that a half order was small. However the full order was too big for us. We felt like the full order could serve several people depending on your appetite. We were given an order of nachos that we didn't order at first and then out correct order was brought out soon after. The nachos were good, hot, and filling. Bring cash to pay for your meal or you will be charged 3% more to pay with a card.

This is a BAR that happens to serve great Tex-Mex food. The wIfe and I are regulars as a once a week luncheon stop. Service s always good. The place is very small inside but the offer outside dining on a nice patio. Ambiance: like I said it's a bar but we love the electric vibe of this place. If you're looking for good Tex-Mex and you're not in a rush, you've found the right place!

Ok. So I'm not crazy about leaving this review. First off, it was crazy busy so I was excited that it was going to be awesome. The wife and I got seated quickly outdoors. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We got the chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso plate as a starter. The chips were unsalted and borderline stale. The queso was alright. The guacamole had no flavor. The salsa was more like a pico de gallo with a little bit of chili powder; barely any flavor. My wife got a wet steak burrito. She said it was ok but the red sauce was good. Lots of cheese on top too. I got a chicken taco and it was very bland...ugh. I also got a specialty carnitas with bbq crema on it. It was good. Overall though, ehhh. Food: D+ Wait staff: A Ambience: C

Best margaritas in Bay Area! Awesome tacos! Fun place, a favorite of mine. Highly recommend!

Mexican food in an American style. It is good. It is fresh. It is what you expect in a Mexican restaurant here in the US. I was in the mood for Mexican food the other day. Living and residing at times in St Pete Beach it is not what you always see. So I had hear about VIP and decided to give it a try. There was a good crowd so it looked like the place to be. Inside the bar was packed. It is lunch time and the Happy Hour was already started. People having their drinks and eating their chips and tacos. It was a good thing to do if you had the time to do nothing else. We sat outside as the weather was perfect. We had a table to ourselves and were give the menu. The list was good. Lots to chose from besides the traditional tacos. We made our selection and waited. And waited. And waited. It took about 45 minutes for the meal to come out. Yes, the place is small, and had a crowd. But it took forever. And the waiter vanished for some time. Another showed up. And then another who finally brought the lunch. As for the meal, it was not bad. Good. fresh. Had a taste. Not too hot. Had to ask for more spice to give it a push into what you might want. The size was good for a lunch. It was fine. Then we waited and waited for the bill. It finally came and we handled that. The prices are a bit high for lunch. You might expect a bit lower especially since it was Happy Hour. But we took care of this and headed out. Overall it was not a bad place to be. It was what you expect. But where I had lived there was another establishment that severed Mexican dishes. It was owned by a family from Mexico and that was different. It was like being in their kitchen and having their meal they prepared. Maybe I will wait to go back. Gracias!

Really great food! We had the queso with chorizo, enchiladas, wet burrito, and tacos. All very good and food came out fast. We were all plenty full after. Great outdoor patio and very good house margaritas! A nice location, being slightly off Gulf Blvd. Will definitely be a go to spot in the area! The only downfall (not their fault) is that they only have 4 parking spots, otherwise need to park across the street (we were told it ranges but we paid $8 an hour, 2 hour minimum on a Saturday night). Parking lot is privately owned, so out of their control. Walk if you can; still worth the parking.

I have such a hard time giving you a 5 star review, because I know that telling Yelp something is great sometimes turns a place you can still get a table into a place where you'll never get a table again. But, I'll be honest anyway. Much like Florida this place is fantastic, wrapped in a sh**show to keep you guessing. The margs are fun, the nachos are a must-nail-it at a Mexican restaurant and that they do, including the salsa and queso, and the fish tacos are delicious. The only thing I've ever gotten here that I didn't like was the ginger margarita - it's very sweet. Might be up your alley if you're a big soda drinker, but, I don't drink soda, so, not for me. But I told you there's a sh** show here and that's really center stage, and the main reason to come here. I have never been here without something ridiculous happening. One time a lady fell down within 2 seconds of my arrival, due to her Nth margarita, which she spilled. She then from the ground threatened to sue the restaurant for 1 lost margarita. She was serious. The restaurant was so used to it, they were completely unimpressed and just helped her up and gave her another margarita. Another time a man ping-ponged off the sides of the hallway and into our waitress, and then even though he created the problem, threatened to fight her. He was adamant about it until our table pointed out, she works here so she can't fight him, but, we all can happily kick his ass. He did that thing where you leave because you've lost but you yell a lot to pretend you totally won this situation. Anyway there's always something crazy, that's what ya go to VIP for.

Awesome value for the price. Strong margs and awesome hot sauce that's flavorful and hot instead of just hot. Specialty tacos and churros are a must!!

Oh man, I love this restaurant we sat outside, even though it was rather toasty out that day. The food was delicious. The staff was really nice in our server was on top of her game. Tried some delicious stuff there. I think the shrimp tacos want me over that day, but always a pleasure to come here when I'm on vacation in the area and I highly recommend.!

We've eaten here quite a few times. It's a very unassuming place and it might be hard to find. The ambiance is not the best inside the restaurant because it is so tiny, but the food is amazing! Everything we get here is fantastic! The outside eating area has a little more room and the service is great too! Highly recommend!

Great Mexican cuisine. The wet burrito is a must try. Delicious cocktails. Located in Treasure Island.

We have been here before. The food had generally been good. This time, the service was unusually slow and inconsistent. One of the items that we ordered was steak fajitas. The steak strips were so tough we couldn't even cut them with a knife. We brought it up to the waitress's attention and asked whether we could get another one, and she told us 'the meat will probably be the same quality'. She said she would tell the manager. Manager never showed up, but the waitress said they would give us a discount. We ate everything else though (onions, peppers, lettuce, bread), and left the meat untouched (picture as we're leaving the restaurant). We got $3.40 off our bill! Not sure how they came up with that number, and whether we should be upset, be offended or just laugh. We mostly thought it was funny. Not so-funny-we-would-rush-back-to -this-restaurant-again though!

Stopped here on a Friday early evening. Place was packed. Food was great. Note to self: the Mexican Pizza feeds 2/3 people. They have outside seating and inside seating. The inside seating is along the back wall and beside the bar seating and it's loud. Like -- yell across the table loud. So if you want to have a conversation ask for the outside seating. Everything we had was great. Loved the guacamole! I wouldn't mind going back to try more items. But would not go back if I knew I had to sit inside.

Omg. This is hands down my new favorite Mexican restaurant!! It looks very unassuming from the strip mall entrance, but the patio and waiting area were super cute (bonus points for the bar outside). We had a short wait outside and eventually got seated at a high top. I was overwhelmed by how good everything sounded on the menu, so I asked our server for suggestions. I really wanted a taco, so I tried the Cajun mahi taco and a chicken enchilada. Both were fantastic. The chicken was breast meat and delicious. I get picky about the chicken used in restaurants sometimes, but this was amazing. I also had a house margarita and added a Grand Marnier float...yum! Excellent experience all around and I can't wait to go back next time I am in the area!

Honestly, this place has fantastic energy. It's in Treasure Island, so the patrons are giving all the vacation vibes. The booze is definitely flowing in here. My roommate and I came on a Tuesday night and it was very busy, about an hour wait to sit outside. We were able to be seated right away at the bar, so we were perfectly happy. I got a beer and she got a house margarita which she said was quite strong, and at $6, a steal. We ordered the three amigos which is a trio of dips (guacamole, queso and salsa). It was amazing. The queso was still edible even as the temperature dropped and we finished every last drop of it. We also got the "pesos" which are fried jalapeños. These were very crispy but lacked the spiciness we craved, which is of no fault to the restaurant, peppers are unpredictable. I got the Mexican steak entree and it was AWESOME. A huge serving of steak with beans and rice and two flour tortillas. The steak was flavorful and tender and the portion size was HUGE. I was not the biggest fan of the rice and the refried beans were definitely not homemade, but it was a great spot for Tex Mex style Mexican food. We would 100% return, especially for margaritas and queso

Truly a hidden gem! The best of Mexican food you will ever experience. Staff is amazing and welcoming. Have to give their margaritas a ten being the best I've ever had! Get there early always very busy!

Good authentic Mexican food. They give good size servings and are reasonably priced. VIP is always a go to restaurant when we are in town.

Home run of a Mexican joint- come early and hungry. Sit inside or out or at bar- same wait.

Not a bad tex-mex restaurant. We checked in with the host stand around 8:30pm on a Saturday night and it was a 20min wait for 1st available but it was quicker than that. We were seated inside on the high tops, seating is a little tight and everyone ends up walking the length of the restaurant through the server's stadium/expo. Restaurant has a weird set up, front door but host stand is at the back door. I imagine plenty of food and drinks has been knocked/spilled here. It was a fun night though. No drinks menu which made picking a fun margarita harder. I like that they had half orders and smaller portions. Ordered a half order of Mexican pesos, don't let the menu description scare you, ours weren't spicy at all. Margaritas took a little while to come out, we'd already eaten our japs, but had water. I did the shrimp street tacos which were good, no sides on it though. My husband had the Chicago style burrito (not sure what made it Chicago style, never even heard of a Chicago style burrito before), nothing seem to make it different from burritos we have in Texas, nonetheless it was good. Florida has weird salsa though, very chunky and almost shiny. Good meal, however. Music was a little loud but was at most places on Treasure Island.

I have eaten there many times and the food and drinks are typically good and priced reasonable. The place can be rather crowded at times. If find it rather unusual that you get to walk through a narrow hallway where food is being handled with a super tight bathroom right next to it. Some of the smells of trash and bathroom mixed just do not go well with food! I had a few occasions now where I was treated with an attitude. The recent installation of fancy ring light fans at the bar show the lack of sensitivity towards the customer. Blowing so hard that your food litterally turns cold in record time. Watched people search for other places just to get away from the vortex. When asked for the manager, he/she never showed........ so we left! Not going back anytime soon!!

Good atmosphere, very authentic, prety fast service, food was delicious! Drinks will knock you down!

This is a busy little Mexican restaurant- but worth the 45 minute wait. We put our name in for a table- then grabbed a drink at Rickey T's bar next door and listened to some great tunes. We went back after 30 minutes or so and were seated shortly after that. We ordered the standard margaritas on the rocks - they were great. Chips and salsa were $2.99 but a huge amount. We both ordered the wet burritos- with red sauce and cheese melted on top. I had the regular size with rice and beans. The wife had the mini. I probably should have ordered the mini- I didn't finish mine. It tasted great though- I was just full! I will be back to try it again next time I am in St. Pete Beach. Go be a VIP!

Go to the one on IRB... these bartenders don't make drinks correctly (had to remake my top shelf drink multiple times) & I've had to send my food back multiple times! Complete trash!

Great food. Highly recommend! A margarita is a must. VIP was recommended by a few locals. They each had their favorites. We were outside which was nothing special but the service and food made up for that