Brio Italian Grille — Restaurant in Tampa

Birthday party in event room on the second floor. first time we've had an event at this restaurant. We've eaten here multiple times and the food is excellent. Service is always excellent. We would like to specifically thank Betsy Arfmann she helped organize everything and was very helpful with recommendations and made the night a big hit with family and friends. The chef that night was Nikki, the servers in general were excellent, very accommodating, very pleasant, very efficient, and two servers that were my point people were Manny & Glenda I cannot say enough about any of them. The manager was Joey and was very helpful throughout the process as well. We had a dance floor brought in by a company who their staff was excellent too. We had two people singing, so they set up in the one side of the room. we had 70 people eight people at a table. Everything was clean. We had hors d'oeuvres first they were excellent the calamari the shrimp cocktail the bruschetta for the meal we did family style and it was perfect. In fact, some of our guests go to events all the time mentioned how great it was that family style because the food was nice and hot when it came out it wasn't plate meal. The plate meal would tend to end up being cold or warm some times at other event centers. There was plenty of food family style. We had the Gorgonzola beef, the lasagna, chicken lemon, the broccolini, and the Penny vodka, the bread that is always good, the Caesar salad to start, in fact, many people had taken food home. They were provided so much food with family style. we did the premium drink tickets and that worked out really well. There's a bar outside and then also the waiters and waitresses will ask if you want drinks. The soft drinks were a part of the family style menu. Also, there was already water on the table. We had game cards related to his year of birth on the table. We came in early and set up the room. They gave us time to set up the room which was nice and we placed centerpieces and balloons. The chef introduced herself in the beginning for the night. She was very professional. We had two vegetarians and they accommodated them very well. Brought out separate dishes with a great presentation . They cut the cake nice and then boxed up the remainder for guests to take home. Definitely worth it. We will definitely have events again there. And we always go back and eat there. Thanks again to the wonderful...

My daughter planned her 23rd birthday celebration at Brio (Int’l Plaza) on Saturday March 2 at 7 pm because it’s one of our favorite restaurants in Tampa…or, it used to be. She made a reservation for 20, and upon seating, the guests began to order drinks and appetizers. The waiter carded only a few of the guests and when he got to my daughter, declined her ID, stating it was fake. The Florida DMV issues a DL in a vertical format for regularly registered (not permitted) drivers if under the age of 21. Since this was the case when we moved back to the state so she could get her Masters at USF, this is what she uses until it expires - six years from now in 2030. Anyone doing the math would instantly realize she is now 23. The waiter did not use common sense. Then a different waiter came to the table and continued taking orders but never checked any more IDs. One of the guests had a European ID that was NOT checked. Since it appeared everyone was going to have a good time except the birthday girl, my daughter asked for the manager. My daughter explained to the manager (Joey) that the ID was real and asked that if age was such an issue, why wasn’t everyone at the table carded. Joey was absolutely rude and unprofessional, calling her a liar (as all IDs HAVE TO BE CHECKED), and stood on the grounds that her ID was fake. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been with her and never had any issues with her age/being carded. We were together, in fact, when the DLs were issued. Joey spewed false statements including the fact that their restaurant doesn’t accept these types of IDs and that signs are posted to that effect. There are no signs posted either at the front door or at the bar area regarding the type of ID you have to have. It only says you have to be 21. In the interim, my daughter’s 25 year old boyfriend ordered his drink at the bar and WAS NOT CARDED. Going back and forth over the ID, Joey asked the party to leave. We will be addressing this issue to upper management at corporate, since it ruined their night and her birthday celebration. However I wanted to make this complaint public.

Funny, for as many times as we have been there before, we never had an issue with the same ID or her age!

They lost about $1000 in...

Me and my fiancé wanted to have an amazing evening at a fine dining restaurant We both ordered wine to start and didn’t receive our wine for 30 minutes, as well as the free bread. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and lobster bisque soup. They were both amazing. Then for dinner, I ordered lamb chops, medium rare. And instead of the chef telling me they could not prepare my lamb medium rare, they went along and cooked it completely well done. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more grey piece of meat and as hard as a rock than that lamb that the chef prepared. It was already super late in the night, so I did not really feel like them making me a new one and I certainly did not want to eat the one they prepared me, but that was my only option I could not get it free of charge which blew my mind as they messed it up completely. This ruined the night for us as I was still very starving when I left the restaurant. They did prepare me another meal but by the time it was done it was very late in the night. Our waitress gave us a free dessert to go. It was not enjoyable and needless to say we had a terrible experience dining here. I don’t know why the chef chose to cook my meat how he wanted to, but that is not professional at all at a fine dining restaurant. Manager should rethink there chefs. I spent $180 on this meal and the fact that I’d rather spend $180 on shake shack right across the street from Brio. Manager if you see this post I’m not upset that your chef messed this up mistakes happen, I’m writing this review for you when I did not get this meal taken off of my receipt when I declined this meal and told you how I wanted it prepared. But I still tipped very generously 25% because I don’t wrong people who have wronged me and it was not our...