Donovan's Meatery — Restaurant in Florida

Our first experience at Donovan's Meatery was, frankly, a culinary nightmare, a sentiment I never thought I'd have to express. Venturing out with my family for what we hoped would be a memorable meal turned into a regrettable ordeal that left us yearning for the reliability of many other Tampa steakhouses, no matter the distance. I'd honestly take an interstellar journey for a steak before stopping here, even though it is certainly much more conveniently located.

From the outset, our visit was marred by a wobbling table that threatened to spill its contents into our laps—a problem the staff attempted to rectify with the same ineptitude that characterized our entire visit, never once considering relocating us. This foreshadowed the disappointing service that followed, marked by its snail's pace and an inexplicable allegiance to Pepsi products, which on it's own should have been our cue to exit. No, Pepsi is not ok...

Despite the old-fashioned cocktails providing a fleeting moment of satisfaction, the meal spiraled into despair with starters that ranged from a pretty good lobster escargot to a charcuterie board that was an affront to the very concept, offering less variety and quality than a store-bought snack pack.

Our main courses continued this descent into culinary desolation. My ribeye and my wife's Valentine's filet/lobster special were both so devoid of seasoning and skill in preparation that they barely qualified as mediocre. In fairness the cuts were pretty good, just the preparation was not worthy of the meat. The only saving grace was my son's scampi pasta, which, despite being decent, was outrageously priced and easily outmatched by most Italian chain restaurant's rendition for a fraction of the cost.

Even the manager's acknowledgment of our wobbling table was a half-hearted apology devoid of action, perfectly encapsulating the apathy that seemed to define our experience. The dessert, much like the rest of the meal, was an exercise in disappointment, three people, three bites, three expressions of disappointment - further solidifying my advice to anyone considering Donovan's Meatery: Save your money and your evening. Opt for literally anywhere else, where the service is attentive, the food is palatable, and the tables don't double as seesaws. Our $400 expenditure for an evening of frustration and underwhelming fare could have been better spent at any number of establishments that actually value their patrons and their craft.

I appreciate the staff responding to my review here, but it certainly reads more like an ad than an apology, which falls directly in-line with the service received while onsite. All it would have taken was a little attention to detail and to the...

What better place to meet friends than at a Meatery? That's where our story ends.... Here's the beginning

This trip to Brandon was laid back. Laid back in the exam chair at my favorite gentle 'dental'men! After a wonderful checkup, I left with that squeaky clean Ahhhhhh! feeling. I was feeling so good that I even Checked In on Social Media. I guess that would be true 'Word of Mouth' advertising???

It was now Lunch-Thirty and I was ready to sink my teeth into something more palatable than a bitewing xray.

It was then that my phone pulled in the matching frequency of a friend's device. I got a text. They'd seen my location notification and knew I was now in their locale. The text read 'What are you doing for lunch?' I'd just done my online seek for something to eat and had decided to try out a Donovan's seat to which my friends agreed to meet.

I arrived first, giving me time to soak up the ambiance. I sensed a bit of that bons temp feeling of New Orleans mixed with a casual upscale cool. The decor was amazing and amusing. Clean, bright and cheery.

Sitting for just a minute I was introduced to our server-to-be Duyen, when my friends walked in. Duyen greeted us with that 'you know you're in good hands' spirit. She took fabulous care of us, ensuring our visit was as unique as her beautiful name.

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions to be made. Soup is a such a hearty start to a meal. I was faced with deciding between a Lobster Bisque or a French Onion soup. To ease my burden, I chose the French Onion and one friend chose the Lobster Bisque. Both soups were very flavorful and well deserving of consideration. Ultimately, after getting a teaser taste of the Lobster Bisque, I would choose it by a small ocean notion over the French Onion.

Perusing the menu, my eyes were drawn to the patty portion. The burgers. Something about the Brasstown Grass-Fed Beef Burger really moo-ved me. And that is what I ordered.

You'd think a burger is NOT a fair indicator of a restaurant's culinary prowess. But when you consider the many variables of meat blends, buns, spices, cooking & toppings? Then it's game on!

The Brasstown Burger was absolutely delicious! A perfectly cooked hunk o' patty with that squeeze pleasing juicy drippy moisten the challah bun yum! I'm a trumpet player and that thing hit a High note for me!

It was plain to see my friends were enjoying their food and the delightful flavors as much as our fun and camaraderie! And THAT, my internet friends, is what makes life so magical. Cheers!

Tell them John, Butch and...

I had a great Birthday dinner here! We had reservations for 5pm. On the reservation, it says to let them know if it's a special occasion upon arrival (not knowing if they give you a free dessert to celebrate). You definitely want to do this.

Service was great from the beginning. They were able to accommodate a request for a table by the window. It was Sunday, so it wasn't much of a problem. There were a few other groups of people already seated. It got busier as we were leaving. Our waitress told us they were out of wild game and the fresh catch. No problem. We were there for the steak.

We started our meal with the Cheesy Corn Fritters. They were good, but I didn't really taste any cheese. Maybe they should just call them corn fritters. The Prime New York Strip came out with the side dishes. We chose the Wedge Salad and the Cauliflower Alfredo. The sides are perfect for 2 people. The steaks were both undercooked to the point of being rare. I'm guessing this happens often as they ask you to cut into the steak to make sure it's the right temperature. My husband sent his back because it was too rare for him. He ordered medium. I didn't send mine back. Because Karen's are supposed to do that 🙄 , but I'm just a Karen by name (and I love my name). Besides, I'm okay with it being rare versus medium rare. What surprised me the most was that they immediately took my husband's steak back and it was back on his plate within minutes. That to me was super amazing! They are right on top of it. Hey, you just can't fix an overcooked steak. I get that.

Anyway, everything was great. The steak was a little under seasoned but I appreciated the wood grill flavor. It was also a very good quality steak. The sides were amazing! We really loved the Wedge Salad with the thick cut bacon and Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese. That was a big hit! The Cauliflower Alfredo was equally as good. We'd order the same sides again.

Will we back? Absolutely! It's great for special occasions. It has great ambiance, and the smoky aroma from the kitchen is so wonderful. The service is great. Parking was easy enough. There's also overflow parking in the back. They gave me a slice of carrot cake for my Birthday. I loved it because the cream cheese frosting wasn't too sweet, and I could taste all the carrot cake spices.

I just have one request. Please open back up for lunch on the weekdays. I'd be here more often if it were open for...