Just NOPE. We went on Valentines Day for our anniversary. Admittedly, I don't know much about the restaurant business since I only worked in the industry for 31 years. But all joking aside, I do know better than to go out on holidays. (Hallmark or Real). Food just wasn't good at all. Both quality and cooking left much to be desired. Lots of missteps and basics missing. Service was robotic and insincere. Clearly rehearsed and regurgitated. Highly disappointed overall. Too bad since I had expectations of a better experience. read more

The Braised Onion is a welcome addition to the culinary landscape of Ocala, Florida. Back in the day when I first moved to Florida, Ocala was a quiet place and while I found dome decent Mexican food on my trips to or through Ocala, there wasn't much else that the culinary scene in Ocala had to offer (at least as far as I had found). Ocala has certainly grown from when we would call it "Slocala" and on my last trip to Ocala, I was surprised at how much it has grown. With this growth, there has also been a growth in the restaurant options here in Ocala and the Braised Onion is a great option if you are looking for a great all-around experience. The Braised Onion has a warm ambiance that definitely enhanced the experience. The staff were professional and friendly and the food was an elevated version of comfort food. The Braised Onion is a great option and a perfect example of how Ocala is growing as a community. read more

Not all that and loud inside. I've had better for less money. Don't see myself going back. The only thing good about that night was our server. The food was just ok. read more

First time in and it was really good. Excellent service from Rachel and the menu was diverse. We ordered the liver and onions and the blackened grouper. When was the last time you saw those two on the same menu?? Anyway both were good and worth the trip. Desert pictured here was very good. Not too sweet and light. We'll be back next trip. read more

Braised Onion - Triple Layer Cheesecake. Fabulous! - New American Near Me - Ocala, Florida

My wife and I really enjoy Braised Onion. I have to knock off one star just due to cost as some of the menu items seem a bit high $$ IMO. Outside of cost, service is great, ambiance is chill, and the food is really good. They're always busy so the word is definitely out about this place! read more

Braised Onion is a cute, comfortable bistro type of restaurant with colorful onion paintings and art glass on the walls. Let's start with what we came here for...the food. The food was 5 stars. They are true to their mission of comfort food with a twist, or elevated in most cases. I had the soup of the day which was an onion, gouda cream based soup that was delicious! I had the seared grouper which came with roasted potatoes and green beans with pancetta. The group was seasoned nicely but I added some of the remoulade flavored butter from the rolls (garlic rolls...mmmm) and melted it over the grouper and I thought that was a win! The green beans didn't have much flavor and couldn't tell if they had been sautéed in the pancetta, but they were good fresh green beans which I love. The potato's were nice and crispy and salted, and really good. My husband had the short rib stroganoff which he said was really tasty. I forgot to taste it but it had a reddish sauce that gave it the twist on traditional stroganoff. We finished with a crème brûlée which was traditional and done perfectly. There were lots of flecks of real vanilla bean and the top was crunchy and ate like the best of the best. There was a raspberry coulis on the plate as well as fresh whipped cream and fresh berries if you wanted to add it to your bite. Epic! Service was friendly but maybe could have a little training in fine dining. Just a little refinement. Overall great food, cute restaurant and friendly service. I would dine there again. read more

Our family of 12 people went to Braised Onion today for lunch and to celebrate a birthday and pre-holiday get together. We had confirmed our reservation through OpenTable and arrived 15 minutes early. The Hostess at the front desk could have been a little more cooperative. She was asked twice if we could set up some table place cards and presents but she refused until after she set up a few other tables and then ours with menus. Once the menus were in place, she let us go back to set up. The Waiter, Matthew, did a great job. Very good attitude and accommodating. Freshly baked rolls were hot and delicious. Appetizers & Desserts - great flavor profiles, nicely done. We all enjoyed them and the plates were empty! My entree was a Cobb salad which was delicious and filled to the brim with goodies! Great ambiance and nice private room! OpenTable App: When I went to OpenTable to do a review, our reservation was deleted on the app. read more

Braised Onion - OpenTable confirmation screenshot. - New American Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Wonderful family run restaurant. It is exactly what they say.... Southern comfort with a flair. We love to go here for a late lunch/ early dinner and get a table full of appetizers. The fried green tomatoes are way better than the other southern restaurant downtown and are topped with a lovely crab salad. My favorite is the pow pow shrimp and also the crispy onion fritters. Both are crispy but not greasy and have a yummy dipping sauce. I also recommend the beef Wellington wraps, coconut shrimp, and crab cakes. They often have a lunch special of prime rib with sautéed onions and cheese on ciabatta bread. If they have it that day I always get it as it is full of flavor with the perfect amount of salt. For dessert I recommend one of their flight trios. They have homemade ice cream and delicious bread pudding which if I have room for I get but often have to skip it as I love all of their food. We make this spot one of our routine places. read more

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they have to most amazing macaroni and lobster dish. The service was fabulous and the atmosphere was quaint. We went for our anniversary and we thoroughly enjoyed the experiences. read more

I ate here with my husband, son, and my husband's aunt and uncle. The ambiance at the Braised Onion is really nice. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked. Our server was nice but young and not very attentive. They give you fresh, hot garlic rolls with whipped butter. We got the shrimp and grits appetizer, which was perfectly cooked and flavorful. We split lobster bisque, truffle macaroni, chips, green beans, and grouper. The lobster bisque was good, but definitely not the best I've ever had. The truffle macaroni was perfect. The chips were crispy and delicious. The green beans were slightly undercooked but tasty. The grouper was delicious, but it was a really small portion of almost $40. Dessert was the show stopper! We got the chocolate mousse, which was light, smooth, and perfectly chocolaty! I would definitely order it again. Rating from F to A +++ I give it a B+. read more

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Excellent food. Employees are great starting at the front door. We love when Alex is our waiter - he makes great suggestions - has a great smile and is intent on making everyone's experience 5 star! read more

Sat at the bar solo. Ordered a filet and an onion soup. The onion soup was really tasty - I'm obnoxiously obsessed with onion soup and have decently high expectations. The broth, onion, and cheese were all perfect but I wish the crouton was a little bit thinner (as I'm not so much). The filet was disappointment. It came with asparagus and mash potatoes and there really wasn't a seasoning on anything. All very bland and boring. And this comes from someone who doesn't add salt or pepper to anything (and my hubs DEFINITELY does). It also wasn't melt in your mouth. Quite chewy and tough. Bartender was nice and quick. He was running around with tables too and I didn't feel neglected at all. I would come back for the soup and try something else for dinner. read more

The ambiance here is always amazing just like the food but tonight took the prize for one of the best meals I have ever had. The black truffle waygu ravioli special needs to be on the menu permanently, I would never get tired of it. The ravioli was delicate and loaded with flavorful filling, the steak was perfectly cooked and the sauce was outstanding and that's coming from someone who isn't a fan of mushrooms. read more

So hubs has been wanting to try this place even before we moved to Ocala. We do a lot of digging regarding new places we visit and had good vibes about this place. We made reservations for our initial visit due to the website implying the preference. They close at 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays but for whatever reason, the latest reservation you can make is 8pm. When we finally made it here, we tried several items on our first visit. I had the lobster bisque and my husband had the French onion soup. Both were very good. I had an entree off the specials menu, which was stuffed lobster with crabmeat and lemon pasta. The stuffed lobster was good but the pasta was overloaded with lemon. My husband ordered the short rib stroganoff, which he loved. I wish there were a couple of pasta offerings on the menu. I feel like this place would make an excellent Alfredo or Vodka sauce! We visited a couple other times to sit in the bar area. I was not hungry some visits so I had the garden salad with bleu cheese. It was good but it was not screaming boldness. I am hoping to try the wagyu one of these days. The last visit, I was going to get the wagyu but opted for the filet and lobster tail. I was then informed they were out of lobster tails and offered shrimp. Nope, not the same so I declined. I ordered my filet medium with a bleu cheese crust. When my filet arrived, there was no bleu cheese. I sent it back and when it did return, there was barely any on. I cut into the filet and it is very rare in most spots. I did not send it back because it was close to closing time and I didn't want to be that person. I let our bartender/server know after but not in a complaining kind of way. I was just not impressed with the steak. The mashed potatoes were very bland but the grilled asparagus was delicious. There was a time we attempted to order a bottle of wine and they were out of stock so only twice there were those letdowns. A big issue I had was, we sat at a table our first visit and there was a kid spraying tables next to us to clean while we were eating. Not cool. The bartender Allison and the server Tony were the staff we liked the best. I also wish there was a happy hour because we would be visiting more. Oh and if you sign up for their VIP club, it just entails texts and emails reminding you to dine there. No coupons, events, or unique dinner specials. read more

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My family came to eat dinner here with my 3 and 6 year old. After 10 minutes of being there, the server Andrew told me that my 3 year old was being too loud and people were complaining. I was in shock as he wasn't being too loud and I asked who had complained. He said the manager. When i asked for the manager's name , he got nervous and said it was a "management policy". Basically Andrew doesn't like children and he ruined our whole dining experience. I won't be going back to this restaurant. read more

We met some family members here coming from Tampa. I had the short rib stroganoff which was full of meat and mushrooms so I took some home. The lobster mac was a hit with others with huge hunks of succulent lobster. Great place to spend a evening with family and friends. read more

Tonight we had a party of eight shortly around 4 PM. At that time, there was maybe two other tables being served. We were greeted at the front door by the host very pleasantly with a very nice smile. I really enjoyed the decor, music and overall ambiance within your restaurant. Our server Joanne E. asked what we were drinking and instantly it appeared she wanted us to hurry up all at once. Once she took our drink orders she literally tossed everyone's straws for their drinks around the table, while standing beside me as if she were throwing darts. She didn't appear as if she wanted a party of this size. Possibly, she felt she would be rushed, perhaps? From our standpoint, we were in no hurry to order and so maybe perhaps from her perspective that may been her view, but not ours. She was in a rush to take everyone's orders without making any recommendations or answering questions regarding the food menu. Also, she didn't particularly give us an opportunity to look at the wine menu and took it off the table. My wife did tell her she would like to see it once her food arrived, but she ignored it and took the menu away. Once our food arrived, which didn't take very long at all, so kudos to the chef and kitchen staff Everything at that point was pretty good. I personally can't say I enjoyed my Meal, which was the fish and chips. It was very bland with no seasoning except for the ketchup that I used. She did come back to ask us if we wanted refills on our drinks. Once we finished our meal, she brought two Dessert menus, handing one to one at the table And then literally tossed The other one in the middle of the table Similar to tossing the straws. A couple people in our party as well as myself have restaurant Hospitality experience and by far, we did not really appreciate her serving techniques. Perhaps more training? At this point I'm sorry but several of us agreed as well as myself that we will not dine here Again, nor recommend anyone to dine here as well. I wish this would have been a more positive and favorable review. Allen B read more

The location is very convenient, food is very good and the ambiance is great. Service is always great.

Went there before Covid with my wife with a group of people and the food was OK. It needed more spice and flavor but somehow they keep the place packed was in a group. My wife and I have different tastes. and if we both say the food is off then usually it sucks. Service was good and the drinks were good but the bland food was just not worth it. read more

Wow where do I begin?!?!.... ! We came here to celebrate Father's Day 2024. This place is just outstanding in service (thank you dear Joanne) and the food was just the most perfect comfort delicious food any foodie can ask for. We tried their famous onion soup; and let me tell you it was the best one I've ever had! The onion fritters were perfection... The lobster rissoto.... Oh my!!! Perfect temperature... the delicious warm butter to dip the lobster was soothing to my soul. I almost forgot to mention the amazing drinks we had! The margarita was perfect! If you want the best classic drink; you must try their Old Fashion. If you're looking for a great time and delicious "comfort" food you must check it out! Thank me later. read more

Braised Onion - Lobster Risotto - New American Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Date night out. Our usual place was packed. I called the Braised Onion to see if they offered call ahead seat and Mike told us to come on over. Shortly after arrival we are seated. Our waiter is welcoming, attentive and suggests specials and describes the food in mouth watering detail. The rolls and butter are just delicious. We could have had more but didn't want to spoil dinner. The portions are huge and the food tasty. My husband loved the meatloaf. I got the shrimp and grits and they were so flavorful with huge butterflied shrimp and silky smooth grits. We will be back! read more

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I dined here for lunch with a friend. I ordered the Eggplant Rollatini. It came out burnt. For the first time in my life, I asked to send it back. The second one came back just as burnt. The green beans on the side were more than al dente, but were mostly raw. I would return for other entrees such as the liver and onions, but I would say that things in this restuarant have suffered since the passing of the owner. read more

This place is a little hidden gem. The food is freshly made and the service is wonderful. My only complaint is it does take a little while but it's expected if your food is being prepared fresh. Totally recommend this place. read more

Braised Onion - Crème brûlée, which was fabulous! - New American Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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We just went for the first time! Amazing food, awesome service, great atmosphere ! We will Definitely be going back!

This is an adorable, cozy family-like restaurant with you guessed it, lots of decor centering on onions. We went on a Friday night with reservations and were seated immediately. We got the lemon martini, appletini, and an old fashioned. Both the appletini and old fashioned were well-balanced, the lemon martini tasted more like a lemonade. For food we got the braised onion soup, lobster bisque, and split a braised short rib pappardelle. I loved the onion soup, the cheese was perfectly melted over the bowl and down the side. The soup itself was not too salty and it had lots of onions. The pappardelle was cooked PERFECTLY and there was plenty of braised short rib, which was also done just right. Not too dry, which is my biggest fear when ordering short rib. Portion was also very generous. For dessert, we got the flight of 4 ice-creams (chocolate, vanilla, lemon blueberry, and strawberry). We were impressed by all of them, especially the vanilla. Apparently desserts are a thing here, next time I have to try more of their pastry items! Review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the service. It was stand-out excellent! She brought our food and drinks out promptly. If there was any delay, she would pre-empt it and let us know in advance. Since we were splitting a dish, she even offered to have it brought out pre-split in separate plates or a slightly larger portion size (for extra fee). I loved how she could anticipate our next questions and was so fast with everything. read more

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Our first time at the braised onion, we were greeted very kindly at the entrance, we did not have a reservation but were seated at a high top near the bar within minutes. The waitress was super friendly and had knowledge of the menu. The rolls and butter were delicious and we had the lemon drop martini! All very good. For dinner I had the pear salad and the onion fritters. My husband had the beef stroganoff. All the food was delicious. We can't wait to return! read more

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The food was truly excellent. My mother in law and I each had the French onion soup for an appetizer. It was the perfect blend of mozzarella cheese and the soup. Not too much mozzarella nor too little. Main dish for me was beef stroganoff with short ribs for the beef. Excellent. - Only ate about 1/2 and took the rest. Was full from the soup and the bread (warm) that came before the meal. The waitress was super. Attentive to the whole family. 7 of us in total. Ambiance was perfect for a mid afternoon dinner. Low lighting with nice comfortable furniture and solid silverware. I'd definitely return. read more

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We went with a party of 10. Service was on point. Great food and great ambiance. Definitely try the braised onion soup! It was delicious and we will be returning. read more

Second visit. Service was good overall. Food was average. Meatloaf was dry. Added shrimp to my salad..$14 for approx. 5 shrimp served in small bowl instead of on top of salad. Bread pudding served cold instead of warmed.Cod was dry. Few things not available. Disappointing considering the prices. read more

We had a wonderful family dinner at Braised Onion. All of the food was delicious, service was wonderful and prompt. We will definitely be back. Highly recommend the onion fritters, stroganoff and lobster risotto! You could taste the homemade aspect! read more

Our new favorite local restaurant! Great service. Hand crafted cocktails. Delicious food that gives you an experience for the chef's love of cooking. read more

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This place is always stellar! The Short Ribs were perfect. Wife had the Chicken Parm and said the same. Service is always on point. read more

The bar seems to have the best ambience and serves full menu. They treat us like family. It's fantastic. Food is always great and they are pouring our favorite drinks as we walk in the door. Warm, welcoming, wonderful!! read more

I had V wait on my best friend and I today. I have to tell you how refreshing it was to talk to a young person who LOVES what he does! Our meal was delicious and our drinks were absolutely AMAZING! We will definitely come back! I attended a business after hours there this week that was perfect, so I thought I would being my best friend here for lunch today. Keep doing what you do. Being a former restaurant owner, you strive to have wait staff like this. Thank you for an amazing experience. read more

Braised Onion - They didn't have a dirty martini on the menu but they made me the best one I have ever had! - New American Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Restaurant was recommended by one of my wife's work companions. We decided to try it out. We had an amazing dinner and the dessert was fantastic. Our server Camden was awesome, he was very pleasant and polite, most of all he was very attentive to our needs. Highly recommend this place, we never even knew where it was located! We will be back for sure to try some different items on the menu. read more

Service was not good at lunch. Very slow. Waitress did not check on us after serving and had to request bill. We did not eat our meal due tasteless shrimp and grits. read more

I had a truly wonderful time!! A+ For Food A+ For Service A+ For Ambiance Some may consider this to be a chic hangout my husband loved his meal as well!! We started with the onion loaf. You must try this truly unique dish. Hot and crispy on the outside and warm and soft of the inside. Stuffed with braised onions and covered with cheese and served with onion jam..its big and filling but a delight for sure! Onion soup; the best I have ever had! It was that good! Perfect balance of flavor and loaded with cheese. Coconut Shrimp! Tasty and delicious. Great texture! Chicken Parmigiana with risotto. This was a marvelous dish. Definitely 2 meals worth of food. The chicken was huge and cooked perfectly and the risotto was creamy, cooked perfectly and flavorful. The burger of the day was bacon and avocado and it did not disappoint!! The fries were also perfect! Crisp, hot and with a tiny bit of extra batter. They have a full bar. I went all out and had two pumpkin Martinis. They were 100% perfect. We did not have dessert!! We were too stuffed but will definitely next time!! Be sure to take a look around! The art is great too! read more

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My wife and i were looking for something different then our normal go to lunch spots. We happened to be in the area of the braised onion, and having eaten there before we decided to go again. Our first experience was very positive and i was surprised i didn't leave a review then. From what i remember everything was good to very good. So here goes this review. Parking is plentiful and easy. The ambience inside is very warm, cozy and inviting. The staff were all friendly and attentive. They seemed to be there when you needed them but weren't always interrupting to see how the food was like many other places. Great place for a romantic get a way dining experience. I had the grilled chicken Cesar spinach wrap with parmesan French fries and my wife had the same. I have to say, i think that was the best chicken wrap I've had in a long time. It was delicious and healthy. The French fries were also delicious and probably not as healthy as the wrap! Lol All in all it was a great time. It is a little pricey, but imho worth it. You get great service, great food and great ambiance. Highly recommend and we will be back again soon! P.s. my first time i had the cheeseburger and fries and it was delicious as well. read more

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After reading the many rave reviews about this particular restaurant, I decided to try it out. I must say, I was not impressed. I would not call it a fine dining house. The food was very ordinary and very expensive. My friend had the chicken marsala which was served "with the bones in". This was an unusual take on the dish. I had the liver and onions, it was OK. I ordered a side that did not appear as ordered but rather the original side which came with the dish as per menu. It had to be brought out later. The main dish was luke-warm. The service was fine. I will not go back. read more

The Braised Onion is a neighborhood gem with good quality and reasonable prices. The service is usually very good. It's got a nice bar and noise is moderate. We love going for a nice night out. I recommend the onion soup. read more