Green Door on 8th — Restaurant in Dade City

Let me start of by saying, I really liked my anniversary dinner at the Green Door on 8th and will go back. It was during the Kumquat Fevistal (I didn't even know there was a Kumquat Festival - great surprise).

Had a glass of the Pundit Syrah. Very good. We ordered the Chip and Blue appetizer. I thought it was tasty. I would have preferred the pork belly to be more consistent. Big pieces and small pieces and wish the amount was a little more generous.

I ordered a side salad with my meal. Good amount stuffed into a small bowl. I wish it came with a salad plate that I could spread out to get dressing on all parts of the salad. Tasty dressing. Tried the balsamic and the honey mustard.

My wife had the Filet Mignon with roasted potatoes and green beans. It was cooked perfectly and the quality of meat was very good. It was seasoned well. It would have been better with more moisture or a sauce. We asked for melted butter which was separated and no milk solids. Still very good but could be better.

I had the Everglades Catfish which was excellent. The crawfish etouffee was good. I wish it was more gravy-like so that it would incorporate better with the rice. I also thought a garnish of lemon would have been a good addition to bring in a more acidic/bright note to the dish. Good flavor. Good-sized portion.

I ordered the bananas foster bread pudding for dessert. Took a long time to come out and frankly did not meet my expectations. It was DRY and did not offer any hint of rum to the flavor. Was hoping for better.

Service was excellent and the ambiance was enjoyable.

It sounds like I am complaining too much for a 4 star review. But, I liked it and would go definitely consider a...

So I had family from NY come in to visit and made reservations for 11 people. I'll start off saying we are a interracial family. All the customers and I believe all the employees appeared to be white, except a black couple sitting outside because. Who later thanked us for coming, they were extremely uncomfortable as well. Because most of the white patrons gave us looks like we didn't belong. I'm white, I couldn't believe the looks my biracial daughters received. Honestly, it was disturbing and I would have said something. However, I had a lot of family with me and I did not want to lower myself to these peoples levels. It was awkward and I'm pretty sure our waitress felt the tension. Our waitress was great and was on point, very polite. She kept our drinks filled and made great food recommendations. I had steak and it was extremely good. Cooked and seasoned to perfection. Most of us liked our food. The kids macaroni and cheese was homemade and yummy! My sister had their gumbo but said it tasted like the salt container fell into it and everyone agreed. She over salts everything too so it was ironic for it to be too salty for her own taste. I thought it was a cute little place and watching the cooks was cool. I think the food was worth the expense. I definitely think they need more than one bathroom for everyone to share. I hate waiting in a line for the restroom, in a nice restaurant. Also, women do not want to share the bathroom with men. I just wish the customers weren't so ignorant and probably wouldn't recommend it to people of color. Or it would be GREAT if the owners and staff made sure to go over and beyond in service to make up for their patrons. Because it was...

1st time visit, and definitely not the last. We arrived for a last minute date night on a Saturday evening. Instead of waiting for an inside table (forgot to call for a reservation) we opted to sit outside. It was comfortable and our server, Judith, was awesome. From treating us like longtime friends to making wonderful suggestions, the experience was perfect. We started off with the Smoked Gouda appetizer. Crispy fried wedges with a little drizzle of honey and diced pork belly. It was a texturally incredible way to start the meal. Next, my wife selected the special for the day. Picanha and Shrimp with a bone marrow compound butter served with grilled corn on the cob and smashed fried creamer potatoes. The steak and shrimp were cooked great and the corn was devoured...but those potatoes were the star. Crispy, salty, tender... again texture was impressive. I opted for the Everglades Catfish...and I was not disappointed at all. At our server's recommendation I went with the grits instead of the rice. It couldn't have been a better dish. The crawfish etouffee was spicy but not overbearing. The grits were creamy and delicious. The catfish was lightly fried with a deft hand. Still flaky, the catfish had great depth when you got the perfect bite. For dessert, my wife had the Vanilla Cheesecake. It was silky smooth and delicate. My bread pudding was a true surprise though. Being a diabetic, I typically don't eat all of the dessert. This was worth the extra insulin. Warm, sweet, buttery, comforting...it was everything.

If you didn't get what I was trying to say...this place is...