The Banyan House Restaurant — Restaurant in North Port

Decided to try this place after over a year of it being on my "list of places to try". Drove an hour. For my birthday dinner. Probably one of the worst experiences I've had at a restaurant. Being in the business for 20+ years, being a foodie and home cook, I do have some expectations but try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt in any situation. This one was rough. Service was really bad. Server walked by and said she would be right with us, which I appreciate the acknowledgment, so we waited. She stopped by again and asked what kind of water we wanted, then left again. She returned with 1 item for a nearby table, and the final bill for another. Didn't have our water, didn't ask if we wanted another round of drinks from the bar, didn't stop or offer any recommendations. So we waited some more. She came back with drinks for another table, still no water. Stopped and said "Have you guys decided?" Well, no, we had never been, didn't have water, didn't have any other drinks, but decided to at least start with the duck tacos. We ordered a bottle of wine, but she didn't know which one we were talking about, fine. No big deal. She brings bread out and 2 wine glasses, but no wine, no waters, no convo, nothing. So we finish what we wanted to eat of the tacos but she never stopped to ask if they were ok or what we thought or anything. Still no water or wine. She comes to take the plate, and the empty bar glasses from the beginning. We ordered the French onion and the wedge. The bacon on the wedge was so thick, fatty, and tough, we couldn't even cut it. French onion was ok. Ate some, but was so over the entire experience. 20 min for wine bc she "couldn't find it"? Noticed no sheer sun shades either so the person I was with had the sun in his face. We decided maybe the bar would be a better experience so we closed out with the server, and went to the bar to finish the wine and order dinner. I'm not going to mention the servers name here bc dragging a name into a negative review online is not my MO unless you were rude or something. The manager knows who my server was. The bartender saw me walk up and explained she had to clear the space, so I waited for it to be cleared and wiped. We sat down with the remainder of our wine, in hopes 1 of the 3 bartenders would provide better service so we could order dinner and finish the night. Nope. We sat at the bar from 7:25 to 8:05 without a single one of them even saying so much as a hi, how are you, can I get you anything. 2 couples came, ordered drinks, finished them and cashed out. We still were not even offered water... Both couples told us they only came by for a drink bc the place was over rated and their experience hasn't been great there either so they only pop in for a drink on occasion and then move on to another place. I can see why. So after 15 min of empty glasses, no water, no drinks, no acknowledgment, we decided to leave. Because I've worked in this business as long as I have, I wanted to at least speak with a manager so I requested to talk to him. I think it's important for managers to be aware of what's happening on their floor, esp if a review comes up that's less than positive, so they aren't shocked when they see it. I was not at all by any means looking for something for free. I explained that to him bc after I told him about the experience he said "Well, what would you like me to do?" Idk, maybe to just have empathy and more awareness, esp because it was my birthday and an hour drive. He didn't honestly seem very genuine but maybe that's just my take away. He said that poor service isn't their goal there. All I could think of was, I sure as hell hope not because that's not really anyone's goal. It just felt like an empty thing to say. I was really bummed out that it was my birthday and just such a disappointing experience. We decided to go across the street to the Italian place, which we learned later was their sister store. Jackie was amazing at the bar. Her manager was great. They fixed the entire night, which will be reflected on...

At first, upon entering, I was impressed by the cleanliness and ambiance (the tw o huge, man-made Banyan trees were a great addition to the decor of the place! We made an online reservation for 6pm and arrived minutes before. Two parties came in after us, and there was no host/hostess at the hostess counter. We waited several minutes before we were seated. Our waitress, Tatiana, was very kind and attentive. However, due to the restaurant's lack of "busboys", she was required to clean other tables, which took her away from checking on us more often. We ordered drinks and appetizers, which were good. I really enjoyed the lobster fritters, and the ruby red tuna was good also. They did not have coke, but had pepsi, but I opted for a sweet tea. My husband got a special cocktail with the name Banyan in it. I treated it and was surprised with all of the many different flavors I noticed. My daughter ordered the Banyan cosmo with a smoke-filled bubble, which was cute, but the drink was way too strong. For our entrees, my husband ordered the 1/2 chicken with carrots and potatoes, my daughter ordered the lobster linguine with asparagus, and I ordered the black grouper, risotto, and roasted Brussels sprouts. My husband's chicken was not very flavorful, even though I did notice some hints of things, but the chicken no flavor INSIDE, as it was only the skin that had some flavor. The carrots were very soft and were cooked with honey, but were not GREAT, and his potatoes were okay, but underwhelming. My daughter's lobster was good, and the pasta was nice as well. The lobster didn't seem to be fresh, which was disappointing, as we are in southwest Florida... And lastly, my grouper.... I was so disappointed in my whole dish. The sauce on my risotto was very bland, and my roasted Brussels sprouts were soggy, and didn't have much seasoning. I noticed immediately with my first bite of my grouper, that there was a taste of chemicals. The inside looked shiny and I remember wondering if it was undercooked, or if it was just not fresh (frozen). And then the overwhelming scent overpowered my senses and I saw a bottle on windex in my mind. I took another bite, and the smell and taste of windex filled my head cavity even more. I told my husband and daughter that my fish tastes like windex, and my daughter stayed laughing at me. I had them both taste it, and my husband could neither confirm or deny the "windex" flavor, but he did say that he tasted "something". Then when my daughter tried it, she said she did notice a chemical taste to it, and then said, it was similar to ammonia. Eureka! Yes! Windex is made from ammonia! I did not finish my food, as I had lost my appetite. I did a smart search about grouper tasting like ammonia and found this: "An ammonia-like smell or taste is a sign that the fish is not fresh and may be starting to break down, as bacteria produce compounds like trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), which converts to ammonia-like odors as the fish ages. If you notice this, the grouper is likely spoiled and should not be consumed. Always check for freshness by ensuring the fish smells clean, has firm flesh, and shows no strong off-odors." 🤢

I finally told to waitress about my grouper when she returned to the table (after my daughter and husband finished their meals. I would've told her sooner, but she was busy bussing other tables). I did tell her about the ammonia smell, and she took the fish back to the kitchen. She said she would remove it from our bill. Overall, for what we paid and the location of this restaurant, I'd say that our experience was sub-par, and the food was utterly a disappointment. I will say that Tatiana was a very good waitress, and it is unfair that she had to neglect her costumers, in order to bus tables. I hope this restaurant makes some positive changes soon, or If not, I fear it will...

Unfortunately, this review will be honest and quite genuine. There were no service issues or atmosphere concerns. In fact, the venue is excellent. This review will focus on the food. We originally visited the Banyan house just after it opened. We were very displeased with the food and decided.... new restaurant give them six months and we'll give them another chance. Fast forward 10 months... we had a guest visiting from out of town. We had already explored all the other restaurants in Wellen Park, so we decided to give Banyan another shot. There were red flags. First open availability on Saturday evening. Second, dozens of empty tables. Third, no one else is coming in behind us .... After our meatball and slider appetizers, the ladies ordered the short rib mac n cheese dinner, and I ordered the lobster pasta. The food arrived in a timely manner. Our server was courteous and caring. What was on our plates had less flavor than a damp paper towel. I wondered if this "chef " tasted the food leaving his kitchen? How could it be possibly so tasteless at that price? Has the cooking staff tasted the food at the competitive restaurants in Wellen? The answer must be no. All the others taste good with some dishes that are great. The lobster tail was undercooked (raw center), and the pasta was in a watery milk stew that did not remotely resemble a professional Alfredo style sauce. It reeked of poor cooking skills. The plate was repulsive and made short work of my appetite. The steaks...One lady ordered medium rare, the other lady medium well. Both were medium rare. Their appetites were spoiled when the steak and mac and cheese tasted like nothing. We paid steakhouse prices for food that had less flavor than a chain restaurant or a golden corral. I'm highly disappointed considering the $180 spent. We took the steaks home as I promised to fix them. Sure enough, proper seasoning and a few minutes in the oven, and they were delicious. I attest, am no chef, but i know how to cook tasty food. We will not be back unless we hear that ownership has made the appropriate changes in the kitchen, starting with an employee tasting tour in Wellen Park. Otherwise, this spot will remain empty and go out of business after burning a ton of cash. The other restaurants are full of customers with wait lists every weekend. We live in Wellen and truly want culture and fine dining business in the area to succeed. We'd like more than a handful of choices. Please fix this kitchen. You have great property....