Top Shelf Sports Lounge — Restaurant in Tampa

Terrible service. Some of the worst I’ve experienced.

We got our food and were never checked on again - no water refills, no nothing. We tried to flag down our waitress (Rachel Z) for the check multiple times and she looked at us and ignored us. She was doing a million other things - getting other table’s checks, taking orders, putting in orders… and there was never any acknowledgement when she walked past us, or at least an “I’ll be right with you.” After 10 minutes or so of waiting, we went up to the hostess to ask if she could ring us up instead, as my friend was going to be late for a work meeting at that point. The hostess could not ring us up, so she went to flag down our waitress, who proceeded to take orders for two more tables. Finally she came to us, and we paid. I asked for a receipt and she went off and took/brought out orders for more tables, then came back and asked if I needed a box (that was nice of her). But I had to remind her to bring my receipt.

Look, I know things get busy at lunchtime.. and Rachel seemed to be the only waitress for all the tables (or at least the majority). But there were SO many other employees bussing and standing at the bar.

Overall it’s extremely poor planning and training on management’s part. They should understand that during a workday in downtown Tampa, customers have places to be. Attentive service is necessary, and it’s not great if only one or two employees are able to take orders and ring people up so they can leave. Being ignored left a poor taste in my mouth, which is sad, because the food was actually good. I...

Do you like eating chicken tenders dry? No sauce? Do you like eating your meal with an empty drink? The bartender served us our first drinks and my bf his second after we ordered food. He didn't come back to us (at the end of the bar) until after we'd paid. We ordered 3 apps and the runner gave us 1 wrong. He tried to drop and run but I stopped him and said we didn't order egg rolls. We were missing the brisket quesadilla. To which he said, those are egg rolls. To which I agreed, egg rolls were on the table, but that wasn't what we ordered. He did check and instantly brought back the quesadilla and ran off. The bartender never came to make sure we'd received our order or needed anything. I sat my empty drink on the railing and spent my whole meal trying to get his attention for a refill but he made an effort to avoid coming to the end of the bar. The bartender making the drinks for servers did end up feeling sorry for us and refilled our drinks and gave us the check to close out and leave. We never got anything to dip the chicken tenders in. I don't think we fit the vibe or type of patrons...

My friend and I recently visited Top Shelf Sports Lounge in Tampa, Florida while in town for the World Vitiligo Day event at the Hilton Hotel. I’m from Gulfport, Mississippi and she’s from Pennsylvania. I ordered the beef quesadilla and she had the loaded fries—both were absolutely delicious and perfectly prepared.

What made the experience even better was how it all came together. We were literally standing in the middle of the street, unsure of where to go, what to eat, or even what we were in the mood for. We must have looked completely lost because a kind gentleman—who we later found out was either the owner or the manager—noticed us and warmly invited us in. He said we’d enjoy the food, and he was absolutely right.

The restaurant was clean, the drinks were great, and everything tasted fresh and made with care. If you’re looking for quality food, kind service, and a relaxed atmosphere, Top Shelf Sports Lounge is definitely the...