Maestro's Restaurant — Restaurant in Tampa

It started bad from the time we arrived for our 5 PM reservation. We arrived at 4:55 PM to find the staff was in a meeting at the bar. Meeting broke and the staff began table preparation and the bartender began cleaning the bar. We are still in the reception area waiting to be seated. At 5:30 PM a young lady came and asked if we would like to be seated. Restaurant was 30 minutes late for it's first reservation. This was a first for me!

The dinning room looked pleasant with the salad bar in the middle, staff smartly dressed and attentive.

Our waiter Wes greeted us and since we have never been to the restaurant he explained the protocol.Buffet style soup and salad, then a choice of one of six entrees and one of four dessert.

Wes was GREAT, he took our drink orders and we were off to the buffet. Choice of two soups...cream of mushroom and seafood bisque. Both soups were delicious. mixed greens or spinach for the salad. Meat tray, cheese tray, fruit, olives, crackers, humus, and four dressing choices.

NICE SO FAR RIGHT?

Then come the entrees.....Between the six people at our table we had all of the entree choices covered. Sirloin steak, Meat loaf, Snapper, Chilean Sea Bass, Chicken breast, and the Chef's Choice... Pork Chop. My daughter was performing in the show at the theater so she was a little pressed for time (ESPECIALLY AFTER WE WERE SEATED 30 Minutes after our reservation time) but Wes assured us that there would be no problem getting her food first so she could be back stage on time.

Wes didn't lie....her food was out in a flash...( Meat Loaf ). I even commented on how fast the food was produced. I justified to myself thinking " How long does it take to plate a meat loaf " mash potatoes and broccoli?

Meat loaf was OK although the meat loaf at the Barrymore hotel across the street, was ten times better.

Turns out that the meat loaf was the best of class of all the meals served. Sirloin was second, Snapper, Chicken, Chilean Sea Bass, and coming in last was the "Chefs SPECIAL" Pork Chop.OR WOOD CHOP as it should have been advertised!

Bottom line for this restaurant:

Everything is made to look like Fine Dining however when you take the wrapper off this experience you find out that this is a slick ripoff, complete with a smooth talking car salesman/restaurant manager named Kyle. The food is precooked and reheated....you can not ask for a specific meat temperature and the fish is tough and bleeding water which indicated frozen and reheated. Lastly they automatically apply a 18% gratuity to the check and then ask for an additional gratuity. APPALLING based upon our experience.

TAKE MY CONSIDERED ADVISE....SAVE YOUR MONEY EAT AT HOME BEFORE YOU COME TO THE THEATER!

The EXPERIENCE is very similar to a BAD CRUISE LINE or most weddings.

Perhaps Executive Chef Edward Steinhoff should pay more attention to food quality. Maybe supervision over the four restaurants at the Straz Center is too big of a job for him.

Also there is no public records of his Executive Chef credentials nor any culinary training he may have graduated.

I was unaware that the Brooklyn New York Boiler Mechanic Union gave cooking lessons or for that matter owning a deli catering company qualifies a person to hold an EXECUTIVE CHEF designation?

This place has the potential to be Great however the kitchen needs to be...

Disappointed is a major understatement. I was so excited to dine here before our show but the experience was horrible in every way and ridiculously overpriced. I knew right away when we walked in and it smelled dirty that it wasn’t going to be good. The best part of the meal was the broccoli pepper Jack soup, which we really enjoyed. But that’s the only good thing I can say! The salad bar looked decent but I was turned off by the dirty plates. My filet entree was so bad I honestly couldn’t believe it. It was overcooked yet freezing cold, low quality meat, and somehow they paired meat with pesto sauce and mozzarella, which was just a completely wrong combination. Couldn’t even finish it. My husband said his steak and gnocchi dish tasted like it came from a can. This man can eat anything and even he couldn’t finish his. We were both horrified that bill was $180 after tip for such a terrible meal that was fast food quality at best. Left feeling completely ripped off. Service was also disappointing. Our server said he’d get us to our show on time, but it took forever to get our cold food and we didn’t even have time to get the dessert that was included. He was extremely condescending when we were 15 mins from show time and wanted our check ASAP. There are so many fabulous places nearby to dine at where you’d have a great meal for even cheaper. I hate to leave such a bad review but I simply cannot comprehend who thinks this place is good and I am still upset at how much money we wasted for what we got. Moral of the story: Best to never trust a “fine dining” restaurant that serves...

I’m conflicted about my rating on this establishment because I frequently visit the Straz and I really enjoy the convenience of being able to dine onsite. Unfortunately the food is nothing to write home about. Not bad, not special- just average food, which is disappointing considering the price point. I sure wish they’d offer a salad soup only option (without the entree). I really appreciated that the server explained which items are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free. The only thing that I flat out thought was not good was the coffee. Weak brew and not served hot enough. You’ve gotta have great coffee when you’re serving desserts with every meal. And especially when you are charging an additional four bucks for it! I love and support the Sttaz and the performing arts, but this is not a place that I would choose first if there were other alternatives within a block or two of the theater. With the construction Happening at the Straz, my hope is the restaurant will get a bit of a makeover, refreshing their offerings, decor and especially the lighting. They need a more modern vibe to attract the younger generations. The best thing about Maestros, aside from the location is the servers! Excellent service Model, if only the food and the overall dining experience could match the level of service I would come here...