This was a great find. Working smokers outside gave the place that authentic BBQ feel, picnic…read moretables outside, more seating inside, wonderful service. This is what a BBQ joint should be. We even got to chat with Eddie the Pitmaster for a couple of minutes, he is the real deal. I love BBQ and to me, there is no such thing as bad BBQ. That said, this was super good. I tried their Beef Brisket Platter and part of their The Pig Mac. With Manny the humanoid pig looking on, we dove in. The brisket was flavorful, no sauce needed. There was plenty of fat and plenty of slices. For my two sides I tried their coleslaw, which was fine, and their cucumber salad. I'm a big flavor guy and love cucumber slices soaked in vinegar. After we had ordered our food another customer stopped by our table and praised their The Pig Mac so much, we added it to our order. What a great recommendation. It is a sandwich with a cheesy patty of mac n' cheese, pulled pork on the side. We even got another side and tried their potato salad made with both white and sweet potatoes. I liked the thinking outside the box potato salad. The pulled pork, like the brisket, stood very well on its own without sauce. The pork topping the cheesy patty just worked so well. We will be back.

Really yummy I am impressed 20/10 coming here every time I am on manatee ave if you're on vacation…read moreand love soul food you won't regret coming here ! Service was spectacular and was very lovely. The vibe was sincere very yummy corn bread definitely coming back I didn't say it already haha

A disappointing experience. Walked in around 7pm and the restaurant was completely empty. That…read moreshould have been our first indication. Our table ordered a couple of dishes: chicken and waffles, southern fried chicken, shrimp fried rice, and the hitman. The water tasted like it came straight from the water fountain outside the restaurant. Chicken was overly breaded and salty, and the corn cake was sour. I also don't know how they managed to dry out dark meat. The waffle was semi burnt. The shrimp "fried rice" was soggy, vinegary, almost sushi rice like texture, and shrimp was heavily salted. The hitman smashed burger... the hitman probably killed people with the insane amount of salt on the plate. See the theme? Lighten up on the salt unless you're trying to give your customers clogged arteries. Extremely disappointing considering all the great reviews we saw before going.

Spending a couple of days in Sarasota, FL and tried Fork and Hen for the first time. Their site had…read moreme at "soul food with a modern twist." The "Best Damn Mac and Cheese" is not false advertisement. Wow. Huge portion and worth every $13 penny. Elevated with Gruyère, donegal cheddar and reggiano cheese with a light béchamel and is so very good. I foresee myself craving this in the future and being sad I live in Orlando and can't even Door Dash. I really enjoyed the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict too - though some of my crab had a little fishy taste, but most of it was perfect. The Meyer-lemon hollandaise was creamy, light and just enough citrus flavor. Love it being served on soft foccacia bread with perfectly poached eggs. Service was fantastic! Our server "Erica" was amazing. She made great recommendations and even made a fresh pot of coffee for me, Including an iced version of it to go along with my husband's iced tea. She said portion sizes are even bigger at dinner! We will definitely be back.

This was an interesting restaurant. It was literally in a neighborhood and we thought we were in…read morethe wrong area, but no, the correct spot. We ordered the fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, a vegetable medley that included collards, black eye peas, Gabon beans, and boiled peanuts, and corn bread, which was delicious. However, the crab cakes were nothing but fried, seasoned bread and a half baked mac and cheese where the cheese was not even melted! I think what took the cake, was the waitress who was obviously having a bad day. We overheard a customer asking how much the cornbread, and she told him, "free because you don't like it!" Oh and when we tried to pay for the food, their credit machine could not read our numbers, so we had to give them three different cards and then received no receipt!! The ambiance reminded me of being at one of my friend's row houses in DC back in the day, so use your imagination. I think this is a place a lot of locals hang out and get better service. For first timers, good luck in getting a waitstaff with a better attitude.

Been waiting to try this place for awhile. Good food, nice folks. Out back has vibes like Owen's…read moreFish Camp. Great band tonight. I had shrimp and grits, a little bit of heat and yummy. Hubby had the fried chicken, nice crunch on the skin. Friend had the Korean BBQ pizza, delicious . Friend's hubby had the double smash burger, BIG. Banana Bread Pudding was so good, not too sweet. Key lime pie needs a little more tang, but good. Brownie a little disappointing, good taste but small. We will be back!

We're locals and don't usually go out for breakfast, but I was craving something really good, so we…read moredecided to give Sage Biscuit a try. I'm so glad we did. The food and service were excellent. We ordered the sage biscuit platter and the traditional eggs Benedict, and everything was delicious. The eggs were cooked perfectly. The pancakes were soft, fluffy, and full of flavor. The fruit was juicy and fresh. The potatoes had incredible flavor and just the right amount of softness. The sage biscuit itself was the star--fluffy on the inside, comforting, and reminiscent of Thanksgiving. The coffee was strong, rich, and exactly what my husband needed. Jose, the owner, left us with a kind gesture that truly warmed our hearts. We'll be back not only for the food, but for the kindness behind it. Thank you, Jose

Before embarking on a shopping expedition, we fortified ourselves at Sage. Locals all know it and…read moregreet one another as they sit down. We opted for counter service. Ashley was welcoming and took our orders. Being a creature of habit, I ordered a spinach, feta and tomato omelette. My wife chose the Mediterranean skillet breakfast; both with hash browns and a biscuit. We both polished off our meals and loved the seasoned potatoes. Fortified, mission accomplished.

Finally found an old school diner with super reasonable prices, great service and quick service!…read more This diner is in a strip mall with a few tables outside and a good number inside. There's even a few barstools towards the kitchen. Upon entering the waitress said I could sit wherever I wished, and brought menus for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast served all day. After looking things over - opted for a meat omelette. The omelette comes with hash browns, home fries or grits and toast. Just a very few minutes after ordering the food arrived. Food was well cooked, and tasted great with a little hot sauce. There's nothing fancy about the food but it's really good and you can't beat the price and service. Definitely will be a go-to if I'm anywhere close!

First time last time. Thoroughly disappointed. Heard great things about this place. Ordered Togo…read moreBLT And cup of Chili $15. Chili was flavorful. BLT was the saddest example of a blt I have ever seen. Literally 2 pieces of bacon and a mangled slice of tomato. Boo. I took a pic of the "sandwich". Unfortunately I cannot post here for you. Oh well. Maybe their slogan "Where nice still matters" means you are paying for nice friendly service, not great food. They certainly were nice.

Let's start with the fact that we walked in, were greeted warmly, and got a table immediately…read more Always a plus! The place was cute and CLEAN, which is another huge plus in my book. Our server, Mary, was amazing - she was training a new server, Amy, and they were both great! I overheard Mary explaining some "first-time customer protocol" to Amy, which happened to be to our benefit because they brought us a cinnamon churro donut to try! Such a sweet touch and a fun way to make first-time customers feel welcome. As we ordered, Mary offered suggestions and was helpful without ever being pushy. Both Mary and Amy were attentive and friendly, and the service was excellent. My husband ordered the Club Sandwich, my daughter ordered the Belgian Fruit Waffle, and I ordered the West Coast Arnold. Our ratings: Husband: 8/10 Daughter: 9.5/10 Me: 10/10 And please know that my husband is a HARSH critic, so an 8 from him is basically a 10. And that churro donut they so sweetly let us try? My daughter and I both tried it, and I'd give it an 8/10 for taste and a 100/10 for allowing us to try it! Overall, we had a wonderful first experience. Great food, great service, a clean and cute atmosphere, and little touches that made us feel welcomed. We'll definitely be back!

omg the salmon eggs benedict was the best eggs benedict I have ever had! loved it! cant wait to go…read moreback and enjoy it again nice looking restaurant with a cool atmosphere. it wasnt busy when we were there so it was nice and calm and the server was lovely. she was friendly and answered our questions. she was sweet to my girls who loved their kids meals. yum

DH & I have heard about Linger Lodge for months since moving to the area. We finally gave them try…read more We got a kick out of the taxidermy animals that surround the interior of the restaurant. Part of the appeal. For starters we had Alligator Chowder. We were disappointed as the bowl seemed to only have 1 piece of alligator. Yet it was flavorful and delicious. DH ordered the brisket with nachos. A hit, but too many nachos for him. I had the Linger Burger. Fantastic. I can see why folks love it. The side of fries were delicious too. Looking forward to coming back & trying other menu items.

So this was an interesting adventure... The place does…read morehave a southern - middle Florida charm about it. The porch was cozy and the views were nice. Our server was direct and prompt but not giving the southern slow down and enjoy your time kind of vibes to match the place. The taxidermy was fun and interesting. The kids did an enjoy the taxidermy scavenger hunt and getting a little treat out of the treasure box. Even with novelty factor, the food was just ok. Maybe I should have steered away from all the fried stuff... The Sunday bloody Mary special is a whole meal on its own! Next time, I'll just order that.

We were in town for a baseball tournament and wanted to find somewhere local that could accommodate…read moreour son, who has celiac disease. We landed on Riverhouse for lunch and overall had a great experience. Parking was very easy, and there was even a cart available to take guests to the restaurant, although we chose to walk. The only unfortunate part of our visit was the hostess experience. We waited at least five minutes without being greeted, which honestly didn't bother me much. What stood out was that when she finally came over, there was no acknowledgment or apology for the wait. It was my husband, our two kids, and me, and she asked, "Table for two?" When I asked if they had a gluten free menu, she seemed confused and told me I would need to ask our waiter because she was new. Being new is completely understandable, but the annoyed tone throughout the interaction unfortunately left a bad first impression. Thankfully, everything changed once we were seated. We had a great table outside with a beautiful view, and when we opened the menu, we were happy to see that gluten free options were clearly labeled. Then we met Johnny D. What an absolute breath of fresh air! He immediately brought great energy, was incredibly knowledgeable, and took amazing care of us. Our son wanted oysters, and because some oyster facilities may use processing methods that can be a concern for someone with celiac disease, Johnny went above and beyond to find out exactly where the oysters originated so we could feel comfortable ordering them. He gave us great recommendations, stayed on top of everything at our table, and truly made the experience memorable. Johnny D turned what started as a questionable first impression into a fantastic lunch. We will definitely be back!

The location of this restaurant is great for great views. At night there are stunning views of the…read morewater and the bridge. So it is really nice to sit outside if the weather is forgiving. The food wasn't anything to write home about. I ordered the lobster bisque and my company ordered chicken tenders. Neither were flavored very well. They were pretty bland. The service was very nice and the food did come out quickly. I wish I enjoyed the food better than I would be willing to revisit.

Charming little house with quaint seating and decorations very cozy delicious menu a lot of…read moresouthern dishes. My only complaint was we came on a Saturday for the live music and was a little disappointed.,it seemed like it never really got started - probably an off night in that department . We will definitely be back though! I had the chicken pot pie which was very good; my husband had the Florida shrimp boil and he really enjoyed it ! Really loved the atmosphere and the service was excellent !

My food tonight was not even edible, I ordered a New York Strip and it was obviously not a NYS, it…read morewas probably a flank or skirt steak. Definitely not New York Strip. However, my partners meal was perfect. Our meals from previous dinners were also great. The service was great and the ambiance was cozy. I will go back but I just won't order pricy steak again.

Great new place with amazing food! The Farmhouse Burger is…read moreabsolutely perfect! Mac & Cheese side was awesome. Good vibe with cool atmosphere. Prompt service and good location.

This restaurant is a nice, hidden gem. It's located in a strange spot with a lot going on in the…read morestreets around it, but not much happening in the shopping center. Don't let that fool you, the restaurant is really good. The servers are all super friendly and they know everything about the menu. Our regular server is very bubbly and full of personality, and we love seeing her, and watching her belly grow as she is going to have a baby! Anyway, the food is really good, the burgers are cooked to order and they are very tasty. I've also had the French dip, and it is really good too. The fries are cooked perfectly and they have Poutine as well, which I love! My wife just gets one of the salads and she says they are fresh and delicious. For a small place, they have an interesting menu- Kielbasa and pierogies are on it, which is something my mother in law always made, so I'll try that on my next visit, and they also have a seasonal menu. They have ice cold beers and a large selection of drinks, a small bar you can sit at and tvs all around, so please, stop in and give it a try. You'll be happy you did.