The Ringling Grillroom — Restaurant in Sarasota

Food was OK. Our server Catherine walked past us three times without greeting us, shortly after we were seated and within the first 10 minutes. I noticed a manager standing at the side and told him that our server had not spoken to us yet. Catherine arrived at the table a few minutes later. The restaurant was not busy. When she arrived she did not have anything to say about her inattention. She was blasé as she begrudgingly took our orders and did not tell us about any of the specials, as other servers around us were doing. Our food came out in a timely manner and she plunked the plates in front of us and asked if we wanted anything else. My friend and I were reminded of service at a greasy spoon/diner, however the Ringling grillroom has more high-end dishes with higher prices and smaller portions to boot. Better service is definitely in order here. My friend asked for some fresh Parmesan cheese for his pasta. The cheese she delivered in a saucer was clearly the kind that comes from a shaker canister and was not fresh grated. After eating, Catherine cleared our plates but then quickly walked off before we could even ask for dessert. She walked past one or two more times before I managed to catch her attention to order some dessert. After crème brûlée and Keylime pie arrived, I tasted the crème brûlée which was cold all the way through. After waiting for Catherine, who walked by across the room ignoring us and then disappeared into the back for a while, I got up and asked one of the other servers if she could please ask our server to heat up the crème brûlée. To my surprise, the manager brought it out and asked if there was a problem. He had said he had warmed it up but told me that crème brûlée is served cold, and he had caramelized the top himself. I was surprised and asked him, if you caramelized it yourself then shouldn’t at least the top had been warm? He shouted at me, well, aren’t you the pleasant one! Threw his arms in the air, and then stormed back into the kitchen. He caused a scene with other customers, and did not come back. His attitude was extremely combative and distressing to me, my partner, and other diners around us, moreover he did nothing to address the situation. When Catherine brought out our checks, she ran the bill on a little machine at our table and took our credit cards right there at the table. She overbearingly stood over us with her hands on her hips and stared us down in a bullying manner as we input her tip. Again, this is the type of service one would expect at Waffle house or similar establishment, not a place that supposed to be as nice and more upscale as the Ringling grill. I should add that I have eaten at this establishment several times in the past few years and the service was nothing like this, I don’t know what’s going on. Will...

Granted it was Mother’s Day and you do not expect excellent service but we did not go on brunch time. We had 4:45 pm reservations, showed up at 4 pm and asked if we could move our reservation for that time, which they were gracious enough to do, however, we were six with a 2-month-old baby and a 14-month baby, and a comment was made as to the stroller not being allowed in, as to what are we to do with the babies? Anyhow accommodations were made and we were sat in the middle of the restaurant, on a round table that accommodated our double stroller for the babies. The waiter took a bit to greet us, and once she approached us she was a bit in a rush so asked to take the drink order together with the food order if we were ready, however, mistakes were made even then. Now onto the food: we ordered a calamari app, the calamari was bland and nothing to rave about, left most of it and only two out of the six in the party ate it. The burrata salad had to be picked apart for dead leaves and over ripe tomatoes. The steak and frites main dish was nothing to rave about, steak portion was small and tasteless, no steak knife was brought, fries were burnt and inedible. The chicken Milanese and salad was small and nothing short of an overpriced Sysco patty. The kid's steak same, small, hard, nothing to rave about with burnt, tasteless fries. We ordered two desserts and got one only along with a bill we didn’t ask for, as if rushed out. Our drinks were never refilled, nor were we ever asked for a refill on drinks. We did tip 25% on the total bill by the way. So, we are not about to punish workers for poor training or food quality for something they did not cook. The lamps could use dusting, the benches are worn, for a restaurant that claims to have a dress code (not enforced even though we were dressed the part no one else was), not cheap, and in a beautiful location, the food, treatment and overall condition of the place leave a lot...

I’m a Ringling member and father who visited with my 1 year old son for the afternoon. Being alone with my son, my experience at the Grillroom was distinctly uncomfortable and unforgettable experience that tarnished a father and son’s first trip the museum.

I tied to get a purchase a takeout order at the Grillroom and consider it very unaccommodating and improper.

After walking up and being stared at for a pause, I asked if the grill room did takeout. The response was, “we do, but there’s also the cafe upstairs with takeaway sandwiches and snacks.” I for a takeout order and was directed to the bar. Where the hostess told me I was only able to order there and I should jot stand or sit there afterwards.

The hostess stayed, a second greeter arrived and then the bartender who took my order. I was reminded by the greeter I was not able to be at the bar. She then proceeded to start touching my son’s feet without asking or saying anything else to me. The bartender entered my order incorrectly and had to briskly walk to the kitchen to cancel it. It was then reentered and I was told it would be a ten minute wait. As I walked out, the hostess said something to the effect of “okay, have a nice day then.” Which I took as her expectation I was leaving having not placed my order. I told her that I would be back shortly.

I purchased a shirt from the gift shop, toured the glass exhibit, and returned for my order. I was as again greeted and told I had to wait at a table and please sit and wait until it was ready. 30 seconds later the order was being carried from the kitchen.

Honestly, the experience was very uncomfortable and gives me little interest in taking my family to eat here again. The grilled chicken and fries were well cooked but very salty especially considering it’s a kids menu item. As a member to a number of other local institutions, it’s very odd to feel so displaced...