Brio Italian Grille — Restaurant in Orlando

We have regularly tried to go to Happy Hour here when we are shopping! It’s always been enjoyable and the food on the Happy Hour menu is very good! Up until our last 2 visits which will be my LAST!!! The first time we were unhappy was when the do called “greeter” took our names and told us it would be 20 or 30 minutes! There were several empty tables on the outside area which we had requested to sit! I pointed these out nicely and she replied very quickly “ Those tables are saved for 4 or more people!” So we waited and waited! Finally we were seated but 3 of the so called tables for 4 were STILL empty by the time we finished up, paid and left!!!! I guess they would rather have NO customers than have TWO regular customers who live here! I swore I would never go back! However I like to shop in the Mall and I like going to a nice Happy Hour so we returned a month or so later to my everlasting mistake! This time we were seated quickly in the very back and in the requested outside portion. HOWEVER, it was not busy in this area and we waited and waited and waited forever. Finally a nice person brought us the bread and say the waitress would be right with us! We sat there for at least another 15 minutes and it was not busy in this area! FINALLY a very sour looking and rude gal showed up with no apology for us sitting there so long! She never smiled, never looked at us just said “ what do you “want!” I ordered and then nicely asked are you okay, are you having a bad day?” She looked at me, said NO and the looked at my husband and said “ what do you want?” She did not deliver our food, I could plainly see her just standing at the bar! The server. Who brought our food was very nice and I told her that girl must be having a very bad day because she was SO RUDE! She apologized, we ate, thanked her and paid and told the hostess on our way out that that was the rudest person we had ever encountered in a restaurant!!! This place should be closed except it’s mostly tourists I guess that go there and they don’t care if they ever come back! We LIVE here and have for 50 some odd years and I can see now why Brio’s closed in Winter Park!!!!! We now go across the isle to have a cocktail at the CHEESECAKE Factory!” They are friendly, VERY accommodating AND APPRECIATE OUR business!!!!! Don’t go to this Brios unless you want to throw good money away on...

Brio Italian Grille is a chain of Northern Italian cuisine restaurants. Brio meaning lively and full of life was founded in 1992 by Rick Doody, his brother Chris, and Executive Chef Phil Yandolino as Bravo Brio Restaurant Group.. The first restaurant opened as Bravo Cucina Italiana in Columbus Ohio.. A second more upscale brand, Brio Tuscan Grille soon followed. In 2018 the restaurants were sold to Food First who struggled during the pandemic. They closed 48 of the 100 locations they owned before putting the remaining restaurants up for sale when they declared bankruptcy. In 2020 Brio and Bravo was purchased by Orlando based Earl Enterprises, who also own Planet Hollywood, Buca di Beppo, Earl of Sandwich, Bertucci's, Chicken Guy!, Seaside on the Pier, Café Hollywood, Mixology 101 and Tequila Taqueria.

Brio's motto is "to eat well is to live well." Open everyday for lunch and dinner, they have locations in 12 states, including Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. Popular items off their made to order menu include Chicken Marsala, Chicken Parmesan, and Pasta Woozie made with grilled chicken, fettuccine and alfredo. Also on the menu are bruschetta, pizza, pasta, steaks, seafood, soup and salads.

This Brio restaurant is located at the main entrance to the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. The have a large indoor dining room and outside the restaurant in the atrium of the mall. My group ended up here when the wait across the hall at the Cheesecake Factory exceeded and hour and Brio was seating immediately.

I started my meal with a very nice glass of Moscato ($9) followed by a loaf of their delicious complimentary hot bread. Dishes shared at the table included a strawberry chicken salad, artichoke dip, chicken marsala, and chicken limone. Some of the dishes were enjoyed more than others by our group but I liked everything I tried. Portions were large and dishes were fairly priced. One of the people in our party was celebrating a birthday and they provided a free scoop of ice cream with candles after the meal. I enjoyed my visit enough that I would consider coming back to my my local restaurant in Plantation for the happy hour from 3-7 that offers drink specials...

We have never been into this restaurant. We started out sketchy; we were brought to a table with NO room around it. We are both bigger there was no way we were fitting here. Now instead of sitting us in any of the MULITPLE tables around that table...we were brought back to the podium to be re-sat. The tour of the restaurant was a bit wild, and didn't make sense to us. The manager, Tiffany, noticed us and asked my husband of she could help us, cause she saw our tour. We did get sat, we were looking over the menu when Tiffany came to our table and apologized. We had a great laugh and spoke about customer service. She was an absolute delight. While standing with us our drinks came; and she backed into the server spilling water over the floor herself and the edge of the table!! It was a total accident but the way Tiffany, and Jojo proceeded the lunch was the way any guest should be treated! I told Tiffany we had never been in before and she got us the Spicy Shrimp and Eggplant appetizer.... oh my god. This is hands down the reason we will return. It was the best eggplant I've ever had, and my partner who doesn't even like eggplant loved it!!! Tiffany came back and checked on us, got us drink refills and even cracked pepper onto my salad. She was the most personable and friendly manager I've ever seen. I couldn't recommend her more, she went table by table connecting with the patrons. Making jokes with the kids; handling some issues at another table. During out seating THREE!!! other couples were attempted to sat at the table we didn't sit at. The server, an older gentleman, told them to stop and waited until all the tables were empty and personally moved 5 tables to give that table more room. That is the kind of service you see from happy associates. Thats what this manager is setting the expectation of. The staff we saw went to her numerous times and not once did she look annoyed or rude, she helped them. She got refills, she ran food, just absolutely amazing. I hope she continues with this company, because this is the kind of people you need to keep a location going. Our server Jojo was so sweet. Helping answer questions on the menu and bringing us our dishes quickly. I would definitely...