347 Grille by Coach Shula — Restaurant in Tallahassee

I don’t write reviews often, but this specific Shula location deserves recognition.

I travel quite a bit and I do my best to avoid both hotel restaurants and chains. Shula fell into both categories so my expectations weren’t high.

However - first and foremost was the service. Angel has been working as a bartender here for more than half a decade and anyone can tell he truly enjoys what he does. If you’re paying upwards of $15 for wine or a cocktail you want it to be great. Angel described everything perfectly from the most popular drinks to the most unique. He truly wants you to be happy with your cocktail or if you are choosing a wine from their large selection he was very helpful with suggesting food pairings. I ended up having a dirty martini because Angel said it was one of his favorites and the woman next to me at the bar was thoroughly enjoying hers. A dirty martini and blue cheese stuffed olives is usually a great start to a dinner and this was no exception.

After deliberating about the menu for quite a while I had narrowed down some questions. I am on a budget and a premiere steakhouse was not where I intended to end up but options at 9pm on a Sunday were slim so I opted for one of the less expensive options; grilled fish sandwich and a side (I had a loaded baked potato). The fish was a grilled or blackened snapper that they offered to prepare skin off for me since I was nervous about having to take it off myself. The portion of fish was very large, meaty, and the remoulade sauce was perfect. The loaded baked potato was a meal in itself and I didn’t intend to finish either but it was too good to take home I’m a takeout box.

Back to the service; because I truly believe this is why you should visit. I sat at the bar myself; my norm; but I never felt like I was alone. Angel ran a clean, efficient, comfortable bar while also attending to tables and preparing drinks. The Assistant Manager, Nate, checked on everyone’s drinks and meals and truly wanted to make their experience great. Please remember I sat down on a Sunday at 9pm and as I was finishing food just after 10pm they were happy to accommodate me to stay as they were clearing up.

Even if you are someone who avoids chains, you should make Shula at Hotel Marriott: Automatic Collection in Tallahassee part of your plans. Everyone is struggling during this time, but it was so clear that quality and work ethic have not dwindled here. Trust me that even with the price tag (and as someone who doesn’t eat any red meat) this is a place you will want to visit and enjoy. Major kudos to this Shula location for making my Sunday...

I took two colleagues to dinner at Shula's because I wanted them to have a special meal. The meal did not start well. We waited for the table for 15 minutes past the reservation time. Eventually we were seated. Our waiter was inexperienced but nice. In no way did the service approach good. It was barely adequate. Plates were left too long. Butter wasn't replaced. We had to ask for bread or rolls (these should just come). We had to ask for water (it should be the first thing on the table). There were explanations from various waitstaff that they were short that night. It seemed that the waiter was bussing the tables. (There should, at a fancy restaurant, be a busboy (person) to clear tables. There was none at this expensive restaurant). The waiter was embarrassed at his and the restaurant's inadequacy, but did not say much. We ordered appetizers and specials, 2 bottles of mid-price wine, and later dessert wine--I'll get to that. The wine list was contaminated by too many mediocre American wines. These were overpriced. Other wines were a better deal. The wines were okay. The entrees were not cooked as desired and no one wanted to make a scene by returning one to have it cooked properly. That an expensive restaurant would improperly cook an entree is a scandal! The only interesting things were the sides, of potatoes and a creamed spinach, or something. Like good Americans, we smiled and said everything was peachy keen when someone other than our waiter asked how everything was. It was mediocre. It was overpriced. It was boring. My colleagues ordered dessert. I got the wine list, again, and found on it the spectacular Chateau d'Yquem. A glass was just short of a hundred dollars. I ordered one with three smaller glasses so we could share. It was fabulous, as I know that wine to be. One colleague was won over by it. I gave her a fair share of the glass. By that time we were in a good mood, and the failures of the restaurant no longer rankled. The people in charge of getting the cars were very nice, too. I was glad to get home. The only memorable thing was the Chateau d'Yquem, the one item that Shula's had nothing to do with, other than make it available. I would not recommend this restaurant to anybody. There are fifty places in Tallahassee that are just as good, with better service at 1/4...

Here’s the scoop about Schulas 347 inside the Hotel Duval on Monroe St. Let’s start with the vibe and the service. I ate here three days in a single week to try different menu items. During all three visits the service was fantastic. The place was never busy, but still, the staff stayed on top of things and I was never neglected. As the for the automatic added 20 percent gratuity, they should make that stand out better. I learned after the first night not to add another 20 percent to the bill, that was on me! Now for the food. The first night, Steak Medallions. Cooked to the proper temp and soft , no complaints. The Mac and cheese that was an up charge, not worth it! Luke warm and the cheese was of low quality to me. The brussel sprouts had great flavor but they were not cooked to softness so the ends were really tough to bite. The first night they didn’t have French onion soup so I got the Caesar salad, it was delicious.

The next night ,I got French onion soup to start, but the cheese was not melted fully and the soup was lukewarm. For the main entree, I ordered Salmon, broccoli, and corn risotto. The food was delicious. The bread was soft and hot too.

Lastly, I got a house salad the third night. The flavor was good but the lettuce was on its last leg. Some pieces were wilted. I ordered the Shula burger with fries. The burger was hot, the cheese melted, and the first warm-ish.

I will say overall, decent quality, no way is it worth the price, but if you’re staying at the hotel, the convenience factor definitely weighs in. You may or may not be disappointed depending on what you order. Overall, I would only recommend if you don’t mind paying a premium for convenience, otherwise try something else. Again, the service was awesome, the kitchen just needs some...