Mattison's City Grille — Restaurant in Sarasota

I don’t even want to type this review but my experience was so bad it had to be shared

My father and I are on vacation and we just finished golfing and were very hungry. This place was right by hotel and looked on surface to be a cool spot. I went to ask if they could get us in for a table of 2. The interaction was odd from the lady that greeted us—- she seemed weirded out we didn’t have a reservation. Sorry to ask to come eat at your restaurant? Honestly not a huge deal on greeting but it got worse after

My dad was parking (very busy night) and I sat about 15-20 minutes while he was finding a spot. During this— nobody greeted me— brought me a water— nothing. Once my dad sat down still nothing and people walking by us not asking anything.

I asked the only waitress I saw if she was our table— she said no but I will get him (she did and I appreciated that) finally he came out and of course we were ready to order everything from sitting 30-40 mins with no drinks water anything.

Our drinks took another 10-15 mins (we were drinking Diet Pepsi btw) We specifically asked for limes with the drinks but of course that didn’t happen. My dad went to bar and grabbed limes since our waiter was unreachable essentially the whole meal

Our food and appetizers came out at the exact same time. Food was not worth the wait. We also never got a refill on the drinks we waited 40 ish minutes for until we hunted down our waiter. I was eating meh food and thirsty. It would have been nice to of had a water or something. I noticed every table had one except us. This makes me think they bring you water once you sat down. We didn’t get that luxury.

At the end when paid my dad just gave him the credit card without waiting to see the bill because we thought he would disappear another 40 mins. We were ignored the whole time and it is almost like we were being avoided? Very odd especially after we asked about who our waiter was and u think they would cause a sense or urgency. Unfortunately it was shit service from start to finish

This was 1 star experience. I’m being nice with the 2 because the live music was good and vibe and I shot well in golf today. Really sad on last night of vacation to have the crappiest customer service experience I’ve had in a long time. We should have got up and left but were so hungry we were afraid of starting over at another restaurant.

I think we were being ignored because we were table of 2? I looked around and everybody had waters food and drinks. Our waiter seemed like nice dude (i think i only saw him for a total of 2 mins) but where the ball was dropped he knew it was a shit start and should have made it right. Instead avoided the problem and focused on the big tables with more than 2...

We actually opted to go to matthison’s on our way to another restaurant. We saw the outside torches and heard the live music playing and all agreed it would be a fun Sunday night dinner hangout. NOT! We chose several things from the menu including grouper for one of us and flat bread for the other and heard their calimari was good. We were told they were out of calimari, grouper, and all pizzas. But we weren’t told that until we were ready to order: and as we requested these items were told? We’re out, we’re out of that too, etc. How do you have one section of your menu pizza and say you are out of it! The couple behind us lamented about the same thing. And if that wasn’t enough we had the rudest, most unprofessional waitress I have ever had. We couldn’t believe it. Apparently we weren’t the only ones feeing this way. Another patron actually approached her about her service, or lack thereof on the way out of the restaurant. She argued with him and made excuses about how many hour she was putting in. No apology to the customer. It was unbelievable. Dessert time came and it was more of the same. My husband asked about the cobbler. We don’t have it. I asked about the seasonal special dessert. The answer... we don’t have that either in a very terse and rude manner. I then asked what out of the items on the menu do you have? She replied, all the things you didn’t ask about and rolled her eyeballs.

We are great tippers, we are customers who do not demand a lot. We order drinks and desserts, and we usually look to give more than a good tip and freindliness to waitstaff. This woman was rude. She got a tip! But only because of who we are. She was awful! She should absolutely not be working with the public! To add insult to injury, while we were finishing our dessert and drinks, they started vacuuming the bar area adjacent to us with a very loud vacuum.

If you are going to be open on a Sunday night... run the restaurant as if it were any other night. Hopefully this was not like other nights because the experience was not good at all. The food... we give a 2 out of 5! The atmosphere was very cool, but nothing makes up for the poor service and...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Madison's Grill in downtown Sarasota is a delightful spot for both locals and visitors looking for a great meal in a vibrant setting. Here's why it's a must-visit:

Cuisine: The menu at Madison's Grill is a delightful mix of traditional American fare with some innovative twists. Their Boursin Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Spinach and Artichokes is a standout - incredibly moist with flavors that dance on your palate. The brick-oven pizzas are another favorite, providing a comforting yet gourmet experience. They use high-quality ingredients, which shines through in every dish.

Atmosphere: Located right in the heart of downtown, Madison's Grill offers an inviting, open-air dining experience under a roof. The place has a lively adult bar scene, perfect for enjoying live music or just soaking in the energy of downtown Sarasota. It's a great spot for people-watching while enjoying your meal.

Service: The staff at Madison's are both friendly and efficient. They navigate the busy atmosphere with ease, ensuring that your dining experience is smooth and enjoyable. They're also quite knowledgeable about the menu, ready to make recommendations or accommodate dietary preferences.

Drinks: Their cocktail menu is impressive, offering classics alongside creative concoctions that complement their food beautifully. If you're there for happy hour, you're in for a treat with their selection of drinks.

Entertainment: Live music, especially on weekends, adds to the charm of dining here. It's not just a meal; it's an experience with the sounds of jazz or local bands enhancing your evening.

Overall: Madison's Grill captures the essence of what makes dining in Sarasota special. It's a place where you can enjoy excellent food, a great atmosphere, and quality service. Whether you're stopping by for lunch, dinner, or just a drink, you'll leave with a smile. Highly recommend for anyone visiting or living in Sarasota looking for a memorable...