Maggie Mae's on the Bluffs — Restaurant in Belleair Bluffs

I was sorely disappointed in the food and the service wasn't much better. The front end staff were not in the least engaging, neither were they friendly. I had a to go order and I wasn't even offered a seat while I waited to pay. The food was ready even as I arrived, however I had to hang around in the doorway while I waited to pay (payment over the phone not accepted). The Original Maggie Mae's Burger that I ordered was NOTHING like the description... "Twin quarter pound 100% ground beef patties" Nope, more like 2 McDonald's cheeseburger patties. I'd be shocked if the total beef weight was more than 6 ounces. I got twice as much bun than burger- not a good thing when you're paying $10. I was even asked how I would like the burger cooked, (medium), but that made no difference because the patties were so miniscule they could only have been overcooked. No salt, pepper, or other evidence of seasoning only added to the injustice of this being called a burger. The unripened tomato and the gigantic lettuce leaf just highlighted the total fail of this mess. Even though I live within a sixty second walk from the restaurant, by the time I made it home the fries were stone cold and trying to reheat them only magnified the fact that they weren't freshly made to begin with. The second meal I ordered, which was for my son, was the Maggie Mae's Fried Chicken Sandwich: another disappointment. It seems like everyone is trying to capitalize on the furor caused by the Popeye chicken sandwich. Maggie Mae's should have bowed out of the competition. The chicken appeared to have been flattened to give the illusion of being bigger than it actually was. To say that it was bland is being generous: there was absolutely no seasoning evident. I had to really get creative to make this sandwich edible. Again, the tomato was not ripe and there was an over abundance of lettuce and bread ratio to meat. Luckily I keep locally grown tomatoes on hand: see the difference in the photo. Additionally, I requested cole slaw in lieu of fries but here again I was cheated. The 3 tablespoons of slaw were served in a condiment sized container. This experience was an all around flop: I wasted both time and money and worst of all, our hunger is not appeased. This is a clear case of an establishment not living up to the hype. Too bad, living so close I would have become a...

Although the servers are nice and personable (Allison is very personable) this place fell short on my 2nd trip. First of all my meal on both occasions was inconsistent. The grits the first time was too firm; almost congealed. The 2nd time they were better but on their way to being "grainy". I know grits are not that easy to cook. Really they aren't. But if you want it done right it does take a little art and experience, which you would think a line cook would have by now. Sadly they don't. One of my poached soft eggs was raw on the inside and I understand why because the outside yolk area looked a little sunny side-uppish, which only means that the eggs were poached ON some kind of surface (container) that was either too hot or too close to the heat and I'm sure when the cook saw this they thought they were done. Alas, they were not. That's what happens when you are busy and try to cook things too quickly that require some finesse. My crisp bacon was crisp but it was greasy suggesting that they deep fried them like some places do to ensure a quick even cook, which is something I cannot stand. The butter that they have in containers must have been sitting out a long time because when I opened them, they were already separated, which made me worry that they had gone bad. It was busy and the room "set up" and server process doesn't seem to aid the servers as they apparently just take tables as they come versus "stations", which means they have to run all over to serve everyone without being able to provide the service to any one. I had to get others to fill my coffee that were passing by and when I asked for extra napkins, my server never came back so I had to go in and take one from behind the counter myself. On a positive note, their French toast options (Frenchy original and the "crème brulee" version) are VERY good. So if you're going for that, its worth the trip. Although nice friendly people including the owner/manager, this just doesn't get my seal of approval for breakfast.

However, It is very close to my home so I recenlty went in and trid them for lunch and I must say that they do a good lunch (I've been back 2 times for lunch since). Very consistent lunch food so i'll recommend...

I've been eating at Maggie Maes on the Bluffs since their grand opening, and always enjoyed my dining experience. I recommended this place to everyone I knew, a first for me since I'm not easily satisfied eating meals out. My recent experiences have drastically changed. I've eaten here for both breakfast and lunch, and, as far as I can discern, there are no seasonings available to be used during food preparation. EVERYTHING is bland: the new organic baby foods on the market have more flavor than the food here. Today's meal: breakfast. Asked for eggs scrambled soft; received a clump of lukewarm rubbery eggs. Asked for whole grain toast: it was damp and limp. Asked for home fries cooked crisp: the potatoes were undercooked, cold and had no seasoning. I had to scrape them off my plate to have them recooked instead of receiving a fresh order. They were returned to me inedible ~ crisped to a burn with no potato left, but they still managed to be cold and flavorless. Even the bacon manages to have a funny "unflavor", nothing like I've eaten before. I didn't bother to draw attention to my lack of enjoyment in my meal: the last time I did so (lunch about a month ago) the manager /owner? came out to personally chastise me when I returned my food to the kitchen, uneaten, and asked for the cost to be removed from my check. Sorry Maggie Mae, no more riding the accolades received when you first opened, no more nostalgic benefit of the doubt from me or my family. The food here just isn't...