Rooster & the Till - (Near Tampa, FL)

Lwigy Collado The tapas/small plate concept at Taverna Ole offers a unique dining experience that everyone should try. We chose Taverna Ole for a birthday dinner, and if you’re a food lover, it’s like being a kid in a candy shop. The menu, though concise, is full of variety and options to suit different palates. I was a bit apprehensive about going because of some of the service reviews, but I’m glad we decided to try it. The service was excellent, and the team graciously made up for a small mistake. As patrons, we should remember that the tapas/small plate concept brings its own set of challenges for both the wait staff and the kitchen. The ambiance, enhanced by live guitar music, was exceptional. The tapas and entrées we ordered were full of flavor. Overall, the experience was memorable and noteworthy. Thank you, Zoe, Junio, and Sharon, for helping make my wife’s birthday a special one. We will definitely be back soon. If you’re reading this, please give them a try!

Kj Rep This place is AWESOME! We visited on a GNO. From the entrance to the atmosphere with beautiful chandeliers to the music, the impressive bar, and lounge and table seating options…it’s all swanky. Our server was Logan. He is super impressive. There were 7 of us. None of us even looked at the menu. Logan basically profiled each our flavor preferences and then brought us a cocktail of his choosing that he thought would be a match. He did not even write one single thing down. It’s kind of mind blowing. And every single drink was a hit!!! We sat on the velvet couches and it was just the perfect stop on our bar crawl. I highly recommend giving this place a try and requesting Logan to take care of you. The only very minor issue we had was with Austin. I thought he was the manager but after our encounter with him…perhaps he’s a host. It was just a little petty and unprofessional encounter at our arrival that started out our visit with a bit of negativity. I had called weeks in advance to make a reservation and request one of the couch areas. I thought I was going to have 6 or 7 people but I knew I had 5. If your party is 6+ they make you put down a credit card…so I just did a party of 5 knowing there was space for the extras at the couch area I had reserved. Austin and I specifically talked about this when I booked. There may have been a miscommunication and it could even have been completely on my side….i don’t think it matters. He was kinda snippy about it when our group was checking in…calling me out saying he would never have done our reservation like that and then acted put out and said they’d have to redo our table to accommodate our change, etc. We were seated at one of the couch areas, just like I had already reserved anyway…and we noticed that all of the couch tables were not only empty but each also could easily have sat more than the 7 of us as we did not even use 1 chair and we had plenty more room on the couch, too. So, I don’t really understand what happened, why it annoyed him so much, why he felt the need to reprimand me in front of my group, or why he acted like it was such a pain to accommodate when there were only even a handful of patrons inside. I would understand a little frustration on his part if I’d put him in a bad spot that was not easily remedied, but all things considered in this scenario, the professional thing to have done would have been just to be friendly and welcoming and seat us without incident at any one of the open couches. I still highly recommend CWs. I would’ve docked a star on service for Austin but Logan was phenomenal (as was every other employee we encountered) so I just couldn’t let that unpleasant minute with Austin skew the rating.

Brendan Jones Chris and the other manager and our waitress Millie gave me and my wife the best service imaginable. If I could score them higher I would , not only did they provide the best service but a special surprise from them to celebrate me and my wife’s engagement. This goes volumes above class and professionalism, this shows me where I’ll go to for any anniversary birthday or random occasion. This experience we had was phenomenal, no other restaurant has ever surprised and captivated me like this one. All of the props go to the staff at this wonderful establishment. They added on to our unforgettable evening! I recommend everyone here gets the highest respect and rewards if any! This was fantastic I cannot stress that enough!

Cameron Haffke We went to the Tides for our one year wedding anniversary and had a wonderful time. Our server Scott was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, very attentive, and overall made a positive impact on our evening. We loved the separated plating for shared appetizer. The crab cakes and grilled pear salad were both delicious. The best thing we ordered was the sweet tea brined pork chop with pimento cheese grits, absolutely incredible, tender and delicious. We highly recommend the Tides for a special occasion and hope to be back soon!

Miss T. I LOVE Hillstone! This is a great date night spot (recommended to make reservations for right before sundown so that you can see the sunset). There is a beautiful, small pier that you can walk outside onto. Theres seating there as well for lounging. Theres also seating by the walkway to the pier, and if Im not mistaken, I think Ive seen a firepit before, Im not sure. But all in all, it is a beautiful restaurant. The servers are personable and are good at their jobs. The food?! The food is DELICIOUS. This time, I had more than my usual (knife and fork barbeque ribs that quite literally fall off the bone). My mom and I shared the Jalepeño Queso with tortillas and the Southern Style Brussel Sprouts with lemon aioli and reggiano. The queso isnt my thing but it was yummy, and the brussel sprouts? I dislike brussel sprouts but I loved these. That lemon aioli was chefs kiss! My mom ordered the crab cakes and she let me try them. I might be getting those the next time! The drinks are good too. I usually get margaritas, but this time I had the Jackrabbit, which tasted very similar to a paloma but served up. I recommend Hillstone over and over and over again!

R Lin Scarpa’s may be small, but boy is it mighty! One of Lakeland’s best restaurants for many years, hands down. If you are at all a fan of Italian food, you have to come here. Since it is a small restaurant, you usually want to get a reservation ahead of time because it fills up quick. But it makes for a more intimate dining experience that’s really enjoyable. Dress a little nicer and expect the prices to be a little higher- but it’s really quality food so it doesn’t feel as bad to pay more. Everything I have tried here in multiple visits has been outstanding. I am especially a fan of their creme brûlée dessert, they have other options too but I can’t turn that down. You’ll want to also listen closely to the specials they have, they change every so often and are always delicious and unique appetizers & entrees. Seriously, love this place. It’s fantastic for special occasions or just an extra delicious dinner here and there. Couldn’t recommend more.