Delicious and fresh food Easy parking…read moreFriendly service Fast & easy Seating inside and outside

We were in Sarasota for the weekend and decided to stop by for dinner…read more As first timers, we checked out the menu online first. We loved the concept: fresh food prepared in-house. Produce and meats from local farms. Wholesome food, unique flavors, and lots of dairy-free options. My husband ordered the Faroe Island Salmon for his protein and I ordered the Honey BBQ Chicken. He said the salmon was phenomenal, and I enjoyed the chicken as well. We also ordered a bunch of vegetables on the side. The cucumbers were my favorite side and I did not care for mac & cheese. This is a cafeteria style restaurant, not full service. It's not clear one the website, so I thought I would mention this. The food is kind of pricey, but for the portion sizes we received and the quality of the food I think it's worth it. I had leftovers to take back to our hotel. I wish we lived locally, because we would definitely eat here often. Highly recommend your stop by and give it a try!

First time at Pura Vida, even though we have one local in Cali at South Coast plaza. Food was…read morereally good. Lots a healthy vegetarian and gluten free options. My girls are here for a soccer showcase and overall there not many healthy eating options around that I could find like this. I also like the decor of the inside as well. We'll be back.

I love Pura Vida Miami and visit many locations in South Florida and have been to this Lakewood…read moreRanch location a few times. Yesterday I ordered takeout and the experience left a lot to be desired. I arrived about 10 minutes after the quoted pickup time. My food was not in the takeout pickup area, so I did head to the counter. There were three staff members visible behind the front counter, one who was actively working and two, Brooke and Kari, who were talking to each other and some friends of theirs by the counter. The conversation was not work appropriate. While Brooke saw me, she was slow to approach the counter and offer assistance. When I advised I was picking something up she said it was likely being finished up, but she didn't seem to actually check at all. During this whole interaction, I could see a salad on the counter that I assumed, correctly would be mine. It sat waiting to be bagged for several minutes. This was ultimately packaged by a gentleman who appeared to be a manager who was on the phone all the time. The two girls who had been chatting with each other also spent substantial time talking with him. As he was "multitasking" this seemed to make the packaging take forever. When he bagged it he just set it on a side counter for another employee to take over to the pickup area, ignoring context clues that it might be for the sole person waiting nearby. It was just not an experience I expect from a Pura Vida, which is a pricier fast casual restaurant. As a customer, I felt ignored and not valued.

Went for lunch on Monday and I was pleased with the all around experience…read more We ordered a poke bowl, chicken enchilada bowl, and had the unsweetened teas. The poke was spicy and fresh with no unwanted flavors, the enchiladas were really flavorful and tender with some nice crunch from the cabbage, and the unsweetened tea was on point. The service was good, meal came out relatively quick and the counter person gave good suggestions. The ambiance is very good. The restaurant is clean, and has refreshing decor. I look forward to trying some other food in the future. Food 9.0 Service 8.5 Ambiance 8.0

3 1/2 stars. Four of us dined here for lunch. You order at the counter & they bring it out to…read moreyou. You have to get your own utensils, etc. Some of the food was good, some wasn't. The chicken noodle dish looked fantastic & my friend enjoyed it. I had the chopped veggie salad & really liked it. My other friend got a wrap & did not care for the actual wrap but enjoyed the inside of it along with the salad that came with it. My other friend got the avocado caesar & it was very heavily dressed & she didn't eat much of it. I noticed that they take a very long time to clear the dishes from the tables. We liked sitting in the shade outside but I guess with love bug season, we should have sat inside! I'd probably give it another try!

Great option Great food…read moreEverything was super tasty and don't pass on the peanut butter cookies in the fridge. Friendly staff and everything was super fresh. Love that you can sit outside too

As soon as we walked in we were really impressed with the lighting and how clean it is in here and…read morefresh was there a nice lighting and it smells lovely in here. The food menu is on the wall so it's easy. Just walk up there and pick your bowl you would like. I got the two base which is a number six menu item. You get two bases, two proteins, two veggies and one sauce. For my base I got sweet potato noodles and coconut rice excellent by the way really tasty. Plus 2 veggies I got the mushrooms and the sweet potato both really excellent. And then my proteins I got teriyaki chicken and the barbecue chicken both really good very flavorful and juicy. I also got a scoop of guacamole on it for up charge, of 2.00 and I also got the vinaigrette sauce which was included. Service was really great. Everybody was so friendly unhelpful. It's everything taste great and will definitely be back again.

This is a great lunch spot. I highly recommend sharing plates so you can enjoy more than one dish…read more My favorites have been the Brussel sprouts, sweet potato focaccia spread, and the eggplant rainbow bowl. Today, we enjoyed the eggplant rainbow bowl and Cesaer salad (came with crispy chicken). Both were delish as always. I was pleasantly surprised by the quick service. Within a few minutes of ordering, we had our dishes on the table. I love the decor. It's different vibe from the other restaurants in UTC. Small tables so perfect for small groups (2-4). If you like Mediterranean food, try it with a friend or two!

My husband and I came here for lunch on a Thursday a little after 12pm. There was no wait and we…read morewere quickly sat on the outdoor patio. Weather this time of year is great as it's not too hot. They have a covered patio for dining and an uncovered area near the bar for more lounging. Our server was fantastic and very friendly. We started with cocktails and an appetizer of the spicy crispy chicken wings. The wings were perfectly crispy and had a great spice to them. We both ordered rainbow bowls, I had the beef and my husband had the shrimp. Highly recommend to come hungry. The portions of the bowls were huge and had so much flavor. We can't wait to visit again and try other options on their menu as I'm sure they taste just as amazing.

Lunch today was a VERY pleasant surprise. I found Al Forno on Yelp, we were interested in finding…read morea good Shwarma sandwich place in the Sarasota area (we eat them a lot in NYC), but had, we'll say, "moderate" expectations. The storefront is nothing special at all, you order from a big tablet screen and then they have standard fast-casual seating. It doesn't look fancy at all and the restroom situation is weird (you have to go outside through a back alley for the men's restroom?). The workers were nice but I was only hoping for "solid" food. Then I took my first bite of the mixed-shwarma sandwich, and it was sublime. Perfectly cooked and well seasoned tender meat, they press the pita with just the right amount of salad/pickles, so the pita is crunchy and the meat isn't overwhelmed with too much salad like so often happens. Their house fries were spiced deliciously and fried fresh (which makes us want to try the Falafel, which we also saw them frying fresh). The food was *fantastic*, making it one of those diamond-in-the-rough places that you'd never guess had such good food. We're looking forward to going back and trying more on the menu, highly recommend if you're near UTC mall.

Stopped by Al forno Mediterranean Grill in UTC Sarasota with my uncle and had a good experience…read moreoverall. The food was solid, your typical Mediterranean cuisine but I will say it's a bit on the pricey side if you're just trying to grab a quick lunch. The tabbouleh parsley was chopped a bit larger than I personally prefer. I usually like it more finely chopped, but it was still fresh and enjoyable. Service was quick and the food came out fast, which I appreciated. There's limited seating inside, so it seems like it's set up more for takeout than dining in. Overall, a good spot. Just keep the pricing and seating in mind depending on what you're looking for.

Neat health food spot offering smoothies, salads, wraps, sandwiches, & smoothie bowls. Perfect for…read morea post workout meal or light refreshing snack. I tried their Tequesta Dragon bowl with a very delicious dragonfruit base for the smoothie portion & tons of fresh berries on top with granola blended in between. The portions were pretty reasonable and the preparation was quick. In and out service is always the best. The staff was very friendly and had some great recommendations. Plenty of seating indoors in addition to a full outdoor patio area.

If you are looking for a healthy easy lunch option this is your spot. They offer customizable…read moreoptions with something for everyone. My Caesar salad was good. Nothing overly complex or memorable. My husband got a comparable Hercules Warp, he said he wished getting it pressed warmed it a bit more. The Greens juice was good and we shared it, but would we pay ten dollars for it again, probably not. We got our food quickly and it was a convenient and easy option. We will likely be back to try more so see if other options stand out more than this as we are looking for healthy, convenient options like 3Natives.

I love CAVA, but my review and stars are specifically for this location. I am currently in line…read moreawaiting pita chips after already waiting 30 mins to even get my order taken. I have been here for about 45 mins at this point, and the line is consistently bottlenecking due to workers not staying in place. I would understand if the issue was that the location is understaffed, but with 6/7 people there is an efficiency problem. There is a lack of understanding or training during peak hours where employees are not staying in place but instead consistently moving around to do other things. I do not think it's an employee issue, but a training issue as all things they are doing do seem important, but it's not more important than the person standing in front of you. I would challenge the management team here to have better training for their employees on how to operate during peak hours.

I've been coming here for the past year and every time I go the staff are very friendly and the…read morefood is always fresh . They also give out amazing portions. This place is the reason I stopped going to chipotle, I highly recommend

We had a great time here! There was live music inside and very friendly staff and patrons at the…read morebar. The food was tasty as well.

The service was phenomenal, my beer was never empty. We sat outside and the staff came around…read moreplenty. Judge the dog was outside, so it is pet friendly in that aspect. Will visit again.

I was visiting on a work trip and after a three-hour drive, I desperately needed a place to sit…read moredown, unwind with a glass of wine, and enjoy a great meal. A quick Google search did not disappoint. I happened to be right across from a beautiful shopping center and spotted this stunning Greek restaurant. Mediterranean cuisine is my absolute favorite, so I was immediately excited. The only catch? I was cutting it close. They close at 9:00 PM on Thursdays, and I was just seven minutes away with about 30 minutes to spare. I decided to take my chances -- and I'm so glad I did. I sat at the bar and was warmly greeted by a very kind and welcoming bartender. I ordered two glasses of Pinot Grigio and an incredible platter with hummus, chicken skewers, olives, and sliced meats. The platter looked intimidating in the photo, but it's absolutely manageable for one person -- just be warned, the pita bread will fill you up quickly! Even though I felt a little guilty arriving close to closing and staying a bit past 9 to finish, the staff never made me feel rushed. If I hadn't felt bad about the timing, I absolutely would have ordered dessert -- and probably an espresso martini to top it off. Now I know for next time I'm back on the West Coast. The restaurant itself is beautifully designed with a classy, upscale feel -- even though I showed up looking like I had just survived a road trip (because I had). There's only so much glamour you can maintain after three hours in the car. I highly recommend coming here for dinner and then walking around the shopping area afterward. It's exactly my kind of shopping destination -- you truly have everything you could think of in one place. I just wish we had something like this closer to home.

Great place for a nice dinner or lunch. Food was really fresh and came out fast. I ordered the…read moreMonday special $27.99 3 courses, appetizer, a board with Cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh feta, fresh hummus, pita bread, roasted red peppers, olives, and deli meat. Main course was Eggplant rolled with spinach and feta covered in marinara, mozzarella cheese on top of mashed potatoes, green beans and a red pepper. The dessert was baklava with vanilla ice cream. And my wife had the meat trio, chicken skewers. Shrimp, and lamb gryo meat. Also came with green beans, fresh Taziki sauce, potatoes, and zucchini. Definitely will be back.