Watermark Grille — Restaurant in Florida

My partner and I have been loyal patrons of this establishment for the past couple of years, and our experiences have generally met our expectations, if not exceeded them. Notably, in the preceding year, we enjoyed outstanding interactions with one of their newer servers, Bryan, who left a lasting impression. It was with a sense of regret that we discovered, during our most recent visit, that he is no longer a part of the team. Mr. Bryan consistently brought a vivacious and engaging presence to our dining experiences, which was sorely missed and needed on this occasion.

This time around, we were attended to by a different server whose name seemed to start with either ‘B’ or ‘A,’ although I don't entirely remember. Regarding our meal, my partner ordered the shrimp, while I opted for the corvina, a dish I had enjoyed in the past. Unfortunately, the corvina presented an unfamiliar texture and a less-than-ideal flavor, which deviated from my previous experiences. The shrimp this time was quite rubbery in texture as well. My wife asked for extra sauce which we never received. When I conveyed my concerns to our server, her response was a concise ‘sorry,’ followed by an uncomfortable departure accompanied by a somewhat awkward chuckle. I assumed she would be back with some type of explanation, apology or maybe even a walk-by from the manager, but none of those happened. We just received our bill and that was the end of it.

As we were concluding our visit, we took a moment to engage the bartender in conversation and have one more glass of wine. We asked about Bryan's departure and they kindly shared that it had been the result of a regrettable mistake that was not attributed to him, yet he had borne the consequences. They expressed that his absence had a profound sense of nostalgia, not only among the staff but also among the loyal patrons who had come to recognize and appreciate his presence and that many have commented that they wish he would return. Hopefully this review receives the right person as overall this experience was quite a dramatic downgraded experience compared to the last few years. We will try again in a few months, hopefully it...

Went here for dinner while in the area for the 1st time ever. We will likely not ever go again. Let me preface that this opiniom is based solely on the food and the food alone because the service was impeccable. Our waiter was almost overly attentive and personable. He and the host are truly the only reason why this review has 3 stars. The vibe that I get from this restaurant is that they are trying REALLY hard to be fine dining but underneath the fancy lights and atmosphere they are a mediocre Applebee's. Looking at their menu online I had high hopes. I ordered the brie and French onion soup as appetizers and the scallops as my meal and added an 8 oz. Lobster tail to my order. The hubs ordered the calamari as an appetizer and the ribeye adding another 8oz lobster tail for dinner. I LOVE French onion soup, I typically get it anywhere it is offered. This was the worst FOS I have ever had. The broth seemed very watered down and u flavorful, the onions in the soup were undercooked hard and almost crunchy. Thata fine for a sandwich but not for soup. I was so disappointed. The brie app was not bad but really more of a desert than an app as it was very sweet with the raspberry syrup and powdered sugar. My scallop entree came with 4 small scallops, for the price I was expecting either more scallops or much MUCH bigger ones. I got the scalloped potatoes as my side with my meal and they were so oversalted they were inedible. My husband's steak was overcooked. Came out medium well despite having ordered it medium and his scalloped potatoes were also super salty. If this restaurants food was as good as its service they'd be a Michelin rated restaurant. But unfortunately despite the pretty exterior and interior decor and the great waitstaff the food is terrible and way overpriced for the quality. Very...

A popular location, to be sure!

Seating was an issue at first, with the hostess first attempting to seat our party of nine (9) all around one round top table where the chairs could not all be pushed in at the same time. Rather than move us to two open tables with benches that would have accommodated nine people with the addition of an extra chair, we were split over that same first table and a small booth adjacent to it across the aisle. Not quite the intimate setting we had in mind, but better than having no elbow room for an entire meal.

Very nice options of entrees for those who like items from land and/or sea. Dinner was appetizing and there was a fair sampling of adult beverages to pair with any menu choice, though not an extensive drink menu.

The desserts, on the other hand, were rather underwhelming. The creme brulee was premade and did not have nearly enough crisp to the top layer to be satisfying, either for the taste or the sensation of cracking through. The cake slices are LARGE and should not be consumed solo. The carrot cake was good but the chocolate cake was missing at best. The ice cream shakes were more milky than ice cream, which was yet another layer of disappointment.

The saving grace of the experience was the very attentive and knowledgeable server we had. Jess M. shared her personal pairings and preferences throughout the meal, provided extra chutney for the pork chops, recommended accompaniments to the mains and got along fabulously with our children. She was a pleasure to have with our large party of nine (9) and gave us...