Hillview Grill
1920 Hillview St, Sarasota, FL, 34239
Hillview Grill Menu
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Address :
1920 Hillview St
Sarasota, FL, 34239 - Phone (941) 952-0045
- Website https://www.hillviewgrill.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Very Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : No
Categories
Burgers
Burger or Hamburger is savored as the most desired fast food meal in the United States. A hamburger is basically a sandwich prepared by stuffing ground meat patty, generally beef, between two slices of a bun cut in half. Hamburger is also famous for its seasoning. Most popular condiments used in hamburgers in the United States are mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Besides ground meat patty, hamburgers are also stuffed with lettuce, onions, tomato slices, pickles, and cheese.
Hamburgers are also categorized into two types in the United States. Fast food hamburger and individual hamburgers served at restaurants are two basic types of burgers served in the United States. The individual hamburgers served at restaurants are prepared using everything including lettuce, onion, tomato, and sliced pickles as well as melted cheese on the patty or crumbled on top. American restaurants also serve veggie burgers for those who don't relish meat. Cheeseburgers are also hot favorite in the United States.
McDonalds is the most popular fast food burger restaurant serving different types of burgers in the United States. On the other hand, there are several restaurants such as Burger King are famous for serving the best hamburgers in the United States. Most burger restaurants in the United States often serve hamburgers with French fries and other condiments. If you have a liking for burgers in the United States, then you won't be disappointed. You can easily find the best burger restaurants in your city on our Restaurants Listings directory. Check the reviews and ratings of the top burger restaurants and savor yourself with the best hamburger in the city.
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John C.
This place has really gone downhill. It's hard to comprehend how much this place had changed over the years. The food is still good, but the service is on life support. I really would like to see this place survive! Three stars, mostly because of the food.
(3)Meggie C.
Great happy Hour and a casual ambience. A new chef from Hawaii has turned this menu around. Great seafood and. Veggie platter option. I'll be back.
(3)Greg A.
Ribs were pretty good...nothing special. Staff was having trouble getting it together..didn't make for a pleasant meal.
(2)Steve G.
A quick update: The gazpacho soup is not quite as good as it was nearly 4 years ago, but the Salmon BLT I had was EXCELLENT! Better beer selection, too... Prices are up moderately, but competitive... By the way, the place was a bit more crowded than last time we were in. Did someone spill our secret? C'mon! I thought we had a deal?!?
(4)Shelley S.
Very disappointing. We are locals and have gone to Hillview for years. There is new management and the prices have gone up and the quality of the dishes is much lower. I had the boom boom shrimp. $9 for 7 small, tough shrimp. A small side of rice $3,ok ,but it had food from other dishes in it, gross! My husband had blackened fish tacos. No blackening, mediocre fish. Between the new menu, high prices, and quality of food, we won't be back. It is a shame because we have eaten there at least once a week for years. Time to find a new place! Oh and no soap or towels in the men's room. Brother went tonight and had wings. He said they were terrible and took 40 minutes to come out. Seems things are getting worse!
(2)Mike P.
Had a terrific dinner here. The #3 burger was really an exclamation point to the Greek flatbread appetizer. Service was great as well.
(4)Charlize R.
I have been to the Hillview Grill several times, usually on Thursday. The first few times I was pretty happy, but lately the burgers are over-charred (if you love the charred burger taste, you will be very happy). The service, which used to be excellent, has faultered lately. Hopefully things will improve. I won't give up on this restaurant altogether. If noise bothers you, avoid Thursday night.
(3)Jennie K.
Our meal was delicious and our waitress was excellent. Our waitress was accommodating to our party and to the fact that I had several food allergies. We were pleased that the food and waitress made up for the unwelcome greeting we received from the hostess. We had a reservation and there were several tables opened. The hostess kept giving excuses as to why she was not seating us. We almost walked out to go to another restaurant after waiting 25 minutes past our reservation time. It would be nice if the first impression we received in the door was more pleasant.
(4)susan s.
This review is not about food. You see, I didn't get a chance to eat. My friends and I were kicked out by the classless buffoon manning the host station. I've been lucky enough to have dined in restaurants all over the world. I've been visiting Sarasota every year for most of my life. But what I saw go down at the Hillview grill was beyond comprehension. I wish I could say my party got tossed for dancing on the tables or for participating in a wild food fight. (Okay, that's highly unlikely since they are my elderly friends.) But no. Our party was bounced for simply inquiring what time we would be seated. Here's the edited version: We had a reservation, but after standing around for 15 minutes, the gentleman in our party asked the host when we would be seated. That's when the host went postal. He snapped, "when I tell you you'll be seated." It deteriorated from there. My gentlemen friend is a soft-spoken grandfather, hardly threatening, and never raised his voice. T I felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode--remember the car reservation scene with Jerry and Elaine? The host became belligerent and told us to "go someplace else" and we didn't have a reservation anymore. Then he dramatically erased our name from the reservation book. This has never happened to me anywhere. Not in New York, not in LA, not in London, not in Beijing, not in Paris, not in Sydney. Nor had it happened to anyone in my party (all well-traveled and well-heeled.) So, dude at the host stand, you obviously hate your job. Get out of the hospitality business ASAP before you cost your boss anymore business. After you threw us out, we had a wonderful sushi dinner, just around the corner. And by the way, the women in our party think you need a toner on your over-processed, bleached hair--it's way too brassy. Try a different box of Miss Clairol. There. I said it. I feel better. Meow.
(1)Nancy A.
Four stars if for nothing else but their burgers. Went with a group not knowing Thursday burger madness. We have been here before to find the food mediocre But wanted to try it again. It is extremely crowded on Thursday...burger and beer for $10. You need a reservation but we were able to find seats at the bar. Which worked well since we chatted with interesting people to the side of us. The burgers were perfectly prepared, juicy and flavorful. The service at the bar fast and friendly. If it is a burger you crave I recommend Hillview or Square One....two of the best places in Sarasota for burgers.
(4)Sarasota R.
We are full time residents in Sarasota and have been going to the Hillview Grill for many years. Last year, we noticed that the quality of the food (and service) had deteriorated substantially.The portions were smaller; the prices were higher; and the friendly servers (who we knew by name) had left. However, the major disappointment was: the food had taken a major turn for the worse. Therefore, we decided never to go back again. However, tonight we thought we'd give Hillview Grill another try. What a mistake! It was unbelievable that a small piece of grouper with a little bit of rice and a few beans was $25. They used to serve huge portions with generous amounts of side dishes. Not anymore! The fish was lukewarm, tasteless, and came with a sorry-looking cheap southwestern sauce on top (which was supposed to be served on the side - not on the fish as requested). I'm not even sure it was really grouper (it tasted more like the cheaper - mahi-mahi - despite their claims to the contrary). My companion ordered "the special" - scallops and shrimp in a "light" cream sauce with pasta for $26. The scallops were under-cooked; there were only two small shrimp; and the "light" cream sauce was thick, heavy, overly rich, and barely edible. What a change from the old Hillview Grill with terrific food, reasonable prices, and great service. Even the nice host who usually wore a blue pin-striped shirt at the door was gone (or maybe he was hiding out somewhere). Now it comes to pass that this restaurant is being operated by a manager-owner who is an unfriendly, militant woman (and her husband) who only seem to care about cutting costs. This woman was rude, arrogant, and defensive when we nicely pointed out that my companion's meal was sub-par. In fact, I took one taste of her scallop pasta dish and was looking for a napkin to spit it out - the sauce was that bad. However, the owner was not the least bit interested in our comments and said that there was nothing that she could do about it. When she asked me how my fish tasted - I said, "it wasn't good, it wasn't horrible - it was edible." She'll defend her position by blaming us for not complaining sooner, but it was Valentine's Day, and my companion and I did not want to make a scene. It was only when I tasted my companion's dish that I realized why she looked so unhappy. The owner has accused us of just wanting a free meal - but, that's such a typical response from a person with this type of defiant mindset. We couldn't have cared less about the cost of the meal - we only wanted to enjoy our food and have a nice romantic evening out on Valentine's Day. Also, we have read the other reviews here and noticed that we're certainly not the only patrons who have been extremely disappointed with the food and the insensitive and rude treatment from the owners. The fact is, we do not like speaking with the owner of a restaurant to tell her how wonderful the restaurant used to be (before she owned it) - and how it has changed for the worse since she's taken over. However, it was so obvious to us that these owners are only interested in: cutting back on expenses, using inferior ingredients, and raising their prices - that we just had to say something. In our view: Peter and Tracy Geannopulos have absolutely ruined this restaurant. We used to love dining at this place, but needless to say, we're never going back. I'm sure that many other people must have noticed the change between the old Hillview Grill and this bad imitation of it. We sincerely hope that these owners will learn how to value their customers before the many good restaurants in the area take away all their business. However, on a positive note, our waitress was very nice, and the valet who parked the car was terrific!
(1)Vic O.
I'm very underhwelmed by this place. On a weekday, 12:30 pm, off-season, there's no hostess or server in sight to seat you, lots of empty tables and booths. Was with a friend, we ordered 2 entrees, Gyros sandwich and the Chicken Cobb Salad w/grilled chicken. Food was slow to materialize, it took 30 minutes, during which time I went to the rest room, then out to my car parked a block away and back before it arrived. But service was pleasant and attentive, not their fault about the timing. Cobb Salad. Very skimpy. 1/2 a hard boiled egg, cut into 2 quarters, a sprinkling of bacon, a nice portion of blue cheese, and 2 tiny strips of avocado. 1/2 of a chicken breast. Bleu cheese dressing was ok. But the Romaine lettuce was rusty red and brown, obviously from a bag. I had to pick out several pieces too brown to eat, although I ate some that were brown on the edges. Then I just gave up eating the lettuce. Blech. This is NOT FRESH food. The Gyros was right out of a box, and not the best quality from a box, either. It was served on a brittle, dry, toasted pita that was smaller than the portion of gyros meat (I think it was 3 slices of meat), so you couldn't fold the pita without it cracking in half. One should have the option of folding the gyros inside a nice soft piece of pita, but I'm willing to bet that pita bread was STALE to begin with (thus the toasting), so it wouldn't have been pleasant to eat it untoasted. Also NOT FRESH. This place seems to be the darling of the wealthy and elderly, although it couldn't be about the banal food. It exemplifies my major complaint about Sarasota's darling restaurants - their patrons are elderly (hey, I'm 61) and IMO, ignorant of good quality, flavor and freshness. These patrons have lost their senses of smell and taste, as well as their ability to see clearly, Thus places like this get away with serving poor quality food. I'd been there before for hamburgers, which were good, not great. That was in-season and the wait was ridiculous.What's the draw here? I can't figure it out.
(1)Lisbet S.
This is more if a 3.5_4.0 rating.On may 17 we came here for dinner on a Saturday night, as we were on vacation, I must say it was empty compared to the places in the same street. I don't know why, as our waitress was great, food was exactly as described on the menu,tasted very good, I wouldn't recommend getting steak, not that it was bad, but don't expect it to be steak house quality. I would recommend this place, they definitely need to build their clientele.
(4)Cathy M.
I would say the Tuna is a five star item. This is a small storefront restaurant near Sarasota Hospital that serves locals and seasonal residents. The menu has a great variety of items to choose from but if you like Sushi grade Tuna, it is the best item on the menu, Watch for the daily specials,
(4)Karen C.
Came at 6:30 on a Thursday for their $9 burger & beer night and didn't have to wait so I was pleasantly surprised. Although it is off-season so that probably has something to do with it! I really enjoyed my Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale and hope to be able to find it back home. For the burger I made my own - avocado & swiss. My burger came out cooked perfectly (medium rare) which it almost never does because most places like to cook burgers medium. Very refreshing. Fries were good but nothing special. I really enjoyed the burger except for the roll - it needed something else, maybe to be grilled or toasted? Waitress was friendly & helpful. 3 drinks + 3 burgers for $27, you can't beat that!
(3)John W.
I have eaten here twice with my family and enjoyed it very much. Both times we happened to go on a Thursday, so I ordered their Thursday burger and beer special ($9). I have to say that both times the burger was excellent and cooked to perfection. Their blue cheese burger (along with a draft of Sierra Nevada) is especially good. Hell, the kids hamburger is good! My wife has tried the pasta dishes, and they too, are surprisingly tasty and well-prepared. Service is efficient and both times our food came out of the kitchen within ten minutes of ordering. My only complaint is that the restaurant is small and surrounds the bar area, which can be excessively loud at times. Last night, some blow-hard from Ohio was sitting at the bar loudly telling everyone what was wrong with Florida. There was just no way to "tune" this idiot out. But hey! Floridians are used to tourist know-it-alls like that, so go to the Hillview Grill on thursday and get the Hamburger and a beer special. You won't be sorry!
(4)Tammy B.
Hillview Street is a vibrant area with many restaurants and shops. I chose Hillview Grill to get a burger, but was enticed by another option on the menu...bacon-wrapped meatloaf for $15.00 The menu offers "inexpensive" ($8.00) sandwiches all the way to filet mignon $26.50 or seared scallops $22.00. Sitting at the bar is the best place to dine if you want to feel a younger vibe.
(4)Peter S.
great time,Great food and great service What can I say ,I loved the place. The atmosphere was great , the service from the host ,waitress to the bartender was fantastic.They were not only very attentive but also patient and all possessed a good sense of humor.Last but not least , actually most importantly;the food was very tasty .everything was cooked to perfection.Best prime rib since Peter lugers in Brooklyn.There were four of us with 4 different meals and every one of us raved about the food. Amen baby Amen Remember to get five stars from me ,must have three great visits.
(4)Pandora S.
Been going to this restaurant for years and decided to go today to celebrate a friends birthday. Since I haven't been for a couple or so months, I was pleasantly surprised to see a revised menu. The menu was clear as to what the food selections are and not confusing, like some restaurants who have choice over load. The service was fair, but the food was very good. It's nice to have a restaurant you can count on to be consistent. I'll keep going for more years to come!
(4)Brian L.
We went on a Thursday night, for their $8 Burger and Brew special. First the good - the burgers were great, large an delicious, perhaps the best I've had. Mine came with extra crispy house made potato chips. The fries and coleslaw our friends got were also good. Wait staff was friendly, and the place was very nice, if a bit noisy. The bad - we had a 7:30 reservation and they were so overwhelmed we were not seated till 8:15 and our food didn't come till 9:00. Perhaps they were having a bad night, but with such a popular special, I suggest coming early.
(4)Memo D.
Large portions. 2 for 1 drinks after 3 PM. Good service.
(4)Ivan K.
How to start a review of a place that has so many faults? Reservations taken only on the 1/2 hour, not an issue, unless when you get there about 5 minutes prior to the res. time, the "host' says the others in your party must be seated since the name is crossed off. Where are they sitting you ask?, he has no idea (it is soon apparent he has no idea about much) and he replies they may be at the bar, at a high top, or in another section. Of course they have not yet arrived and are thus not seen when you look about the place. When they arrive, the res. was in their name, you are made to wait 25 minutes PAST the reservation time to get a seat. While waiting one of your party inadvertently leans against a dimmer switch which makes the some lights go higher and lower. Why it is placed where folks who are waiting can easily move the switch only the management can answer. However the "host" glares at my friend and is rather rude when telling her to not move the switch, as if she was aware she was doing so.. Finally seated, we order. When ordering one guest asks the waitress if the cilantro and tomato can be left off her fish tacos. I ask for a side of russian dressing and tabasco sauce. No problem we are told. The apps/soups arrive. The black bean soup is too spicy for my friend so she puts it aside. Next come the mains. My friend's fish taco comes with, you guessed it, cilantro and tomato. When we note this to the staff who brought it to the tablet he says he's only the food runner and stands there in silence for a moment. He then says he'll take it back to see if he can correct the order. Before he leaves I ask him to also bring the russian dressing and tabasco I had ordered for my dish. He says they do not have russian dressing ias it is not offered as a choice. When he returns with the correct fish taco dish for my friend he loudly informs me, as he puts some seemingly russian dressing down on the table, that "he made it himself". Nice of him. BTW since we received the apps we've not seen the waitress again, despite our drinks needing refills and any other issues she should have been interested in checking on. OK you may think so they got the "special" fish taco order incorrect but they fixed that. I might tend to agree, except my spouse's fish taco (standard regular order, no requests re same) has been served without the chipotle aioli sauce listed for it on the menu. At the time the correct taco is served to my friend we note to the "runner',(still no sighting of the waitress), that one of us needs a fork. After an initial blank look, he goes and brings one to the table. Unfortunately the folks was not a clean one, as he had gotten it from another table and it arrived with bits of food on it. As for the food, who cared at this point. To be fair the hamburger i had was fine. Other items either arrived not as ordered, see above, and/or, were not anything special. BTW as we ate someone else made the mistake of leaning on the dimmer switch near the entrance, I know this because for about five minutes the light fixture set above our table put on an annoying light show as it brightened and dimmed. When we got our check: it needed to be redone as we had been charged for items not ordered; the waitress noted that my friend had not eaten the soup. This after the bowl having sat on the table for at at least 45 minutes after she moved it from her place setting (the charge for the soup was removed from the bill); and, the waitress apologized for the situation stating it was her "first day working at the place". All in all a very poor excuse for a restaurant. Also i am still waiting for my tabasco sauce to arrive as requested.
(1)Jessica S.
This place was pitiful. To begin, we had a reservation for 8 people. The hostess told us they had 14 walk in and did not have a table for us, even though we had a reservation. The oysters Rockefeller looked like something my dog threw up, and tasted like Bologna, but were 25$. All of the employees seemed to be on drugs. Do NOT come here.
(1)doug w.
AVOID. while this used to be a reliable goto restaurant, there are new owners. The food is still good but the service is beyond terrible. we had three waiters come by to take our orders. it took about 20 minutes to get a bottle of wine. I could go on, but trust me...just avoid the restaurant for at least a few months until, hopefully, the new owners figure out how to run a restaurant.
(1)Jim H.
This is a neighborhood place in the busy SMH area. We had a reservation on a Friday night and though they were busy we were seated promptly. It was hard to pass up their current $9.00 burger and brew special which I imagine will disappear with each arriving snowbird, which this place seems to attract. The burger special is offered in a few different configurations; choices of cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon etc., along with a choice of French fries, sweet potato fries, Cole slaw or chips. It is nice to have choices on such a "value" offering. The burger was large and served with lettuce and tomato cooked exactly as ordered; medium rare. It tasted good and I ate the whole thing, but somehow it looked better than it tasted. Why can't higher end restaurants make burgers that are tasty like Five Guys or In-N-Out? My wife cut her large burger and ate only half also leaving a handful of sweet potato fries. At the end of eating, the waitress scooped it up so quickly that we couldn't request taking it with us, although I did call out "Miss" and was ignored or unheard. I would think a server would inquire if you wanted to take it with you, or seeing a large portion uneaten if everything was alright. Thinking about it now it was borderline rude, "Are you done" would have been nice. Oh well, it was a busy night. Friends (who are only occasional meat eaters) love their ribs. This is a casual place with good menu choices and reasonable pricing. I'm giving them 4 starts for value and atmosphere. The food and service gets 3 stars. Come on YELP, lets get half stars I know we can handle it!
(4)Shelley S.
Very disappointing. We are locals and have gone to Hillview for years. There is new management and the prices have gone up and the quality of the dishes is much lower. I had the boom boom shrimp. $9 for 7 small, tough shrimp. A small side of rice $3,ok ,but it had food from other dishes in it, gross! My husband had blackened fish tacos. No blackening, mediocre fish. Between the new menu, high prices, and quality of food, we won't be back. It is a shame because we have eaten there at least once a week for years. Time to find a new place! Oh and no soap or towels in the men's room. Brother went tonight and had wings. He said they were terrible and took 40 minutes to come out. Seems things are getting worse!
(2)Jessica S.
This place was pitiful. To begin, we had a reservation for 8 people. The hostess told us they had 14 walk in and did not have a table for us, even though we had a reservation. The oysters Rockefeller looked like something my dog threw up, and tasted like Bologna, but were 25$. All of the employees seemed to be on drugs. Do NOT come here.
(1)doug w.
AVOID. while this used to be a reliable goto restaurant, there are new owners. The food is still good but the service is beyond terrible. we had three waiters come by to take our orders. it took about 20 minutes to get a bottle of wine. I could go on, but trust me...just avoid the restaurant for at least a few months until, hopefully, the new owners figure out how to run a restaurant.
(1)Jim H.
This is a neighborhood place in the busy SMH area. We had a reservation on a Friday night and though they were busy we were seated promptly. It was hard to pass up their current $9.00 burger and brew special which I imagine will disappear with each arriving snowbird, which this place seems to attract. The burger special is offered in a few different configurations; choices of cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon etc., along with a choice of French fries, sweet potato fries, Cole slaw or chips. It is nice to have choices on such a "value" offering. The burger was large and served with lettuce and tomato cooked exactly as ordered; medium rare. It tasted good and I ate the whole thing, but somehow it looked better than it tasted. Why can't higher end restaurants make burgers that are tasty like Five Guys or In-N-Out? My wife cut her large burger and ate only half also leaving a handful of sweet potato fries. At the end of eating, the waitress scooped it up so quickly that we couldn't request taking it with us, although I did call out "Miss" and was ignored or unheard. I would think a server would inquire if you wanted to take it with you, or seeing a large portion uneaten if everything was alright. Thinking about it now it was borderline rude, "Are you done" would have been nice. Oh well, it was a busy night. Friends (who are only occasional meat eaters) love their ribs. This is a casual place with good menu choices and reasonable pricing. I'm giving them 4 starts for value and atmosphere. The food and service gets 3 stars. Come on YELP, lets get half stars I know we can handle it!
(4)Mike P.
Had a terrific dinner here. The #3 burger was really an exclamation point to the Greek flatbread appetizer. Service was great as well.
(4)Steve G.
A quick update: The gazpacho soup is not quite as good as it was nearly 4 years ago, but the Salmon BLT I had was EXCELLENT! Better beer selection, too... Prices are up moderately, but competitive... By the way, the place was a bit more crowded than last time we were in. Did someone spill our secret? C'mon! I thought we had a deal?!?
(4)John C.
This place has really gone downhill. It's hard to comprehend how much this place had changed over the years. The food is still good, but the service is on life support. I really would like to see this place survive! Three stars, mostly because of the food.
(3)Meggie C.
Great happy Hour and a casual ambience. A new chef from Hawaii has turned this menu around. Great seafood and. Veggie platter option. I'll be back.
(3)Greg A.
Ribs were pretty good...nothing special. Staff was having trouble getting it together..didn't make for a pleasant meal.
(2)Charlize R.
I have been to the Hillview Grill several times, usually on Thursday. The first few times I was pretty happy, but lately the burgers are over-charred (if you love the charred burger taste, you will be very happy). The service, which used to be excellent, has faultered lately. Hopefully things will improve. I won't give up on this restaurant altogether. If noise bothers you, avoid Thursday night.
(3)Jennie K.
Our meal was delicious and our waitress was excellent. Our waitress was accommodating to our party and to the fact that I had several food allergies. We were pleased that the food and waitress made up for the unwelcome greeting we received from the hostess. We had a reservation and there were several tables opened. The hostess kept giving excuses as to why she was not seating us. We almost walked out to go to another restaurant after waiting 25 minutes past our reservation time. It would be nice if the first impression we received in the door was more pleasant.
(4)susan s.
This review is not about food. You see, I didn't get a chance to eat. My friends and I were kicked out by the classless buffoon manning the host station. I've been lucky enough to have dined in restaurants all over the world. I've been visiting Sarasota every year for most of my life. But what I saw go down at the Hillview grill was beyond comprehension. I wish I could say my party got tossed for dancing on the tables or for participating in a wild food fight. (Okay, that's highly unlikely since they are my elderly friends.) But no. Our party was bounced for simply inquiring what time we would be seated. Here's the edited version: We had a reservation, but after standing around for 15 minutes, the gentleman in our party asked the host when we would be seated. That's when the host went postal. He snapped, "when I tell you you'll be seated." It deteriorated from there. My gentlemen friend is a soft-spoken grandfather, hardly threatening, and never raised his voice. T I felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode--remember the car reservation scene with Jerry and Elaine? The host became belligerent and told us to "go someplace else" and we didn't have a reservation anymore. Then he dramatically erased our name from the reservation book. This has never happened to me anywhere. Not in New York, not in LA, not in London, not in Beijing, not in Paris, not in Sydney. Nor had it happened to anyone in my party (all well-traveled and well-heeled.) So, dude at the host stand, you obviously hate your job. Get out of the hospitality business ASAP before you cost your boss anymore business. After you threw us out, we had a wonderful sushi dinner, just around the corner. And by the way, the women in our party think you need a toner on your over-processed, bleached hair--it's way too brassy. Try a different box of Miss Clairol. There. I said it. I feel better. Meow.
(1)Sarasota R.
We are full time residents in Sarasota and have been going to the Hillview Grill for many years. Last year, we noticed that the quality of the food (and service) had deteriorated substantially.The portions were smaller; the prices were higher; and the friendly servers (who we knew by name) had left. However, the major disappointment was: the food had taken a major turn for the worse. Therefore, we decided never to go back again. However, tonight we thought we'd give Hillview Grill another try. What a mistake! It was unbelievable that a small piece of grouper with a little bit of rice and a few beans was $25. They used to serve huge portions with generous amounts of side dishes. Not anymore! The fish was lukewarm, tasteless, and came with a sorry-looking cheap southwestern sauce on top (which was supposed to be served on the side - not on the fish as requested). I'm not even sure it was really grouper (it tasted more like the cheaper - mahi-mahi - despite their claims to the contrary). My companion ordered "the special" - scallops and shrimp in a "light" cream sauce with pasta for $26. The scallops were under-cooked; there were only two small shrimp; and the "light" cream sauce was thick, heavy, overly rich, and barely edible. What a change from the old Hillview Grill with terrific food, reasonable prices, and great service. Even the nice host who usually wore a blue pin-striped shirt at the door was gone (or maybe he was hiding out somewhere). Now it comes to pass that this restaurant is being operated by a manager-owner who is an unfriendly, militant woman (and her husband) who only seem to care about cutting costs. This woman was rude, arrogant, and defensive when we nicely pointed out that my companion's meal was sub-par. In fact, I took one taste of her scallop pasta dish and was looking for a napkin to spit it out - the sauce was that bad. However, the owner was not the least bit interested in our comments and said that there was nothing that she could do about it. When she asked me how my fish tasted - I said, "it wasn't good, it wasn't horrible - it was edible." She'll defend her position by blaming us for not complaining sooner, but it was Valentine's Day, and my companion and I did not want to make a scene. It was only when I tasted my companion's dish that I realized why she looked so unhappy. The owner has accused us of just wanting a free meal - but, that's such a typical response from a person with this type of defiant mindset. We couldn't have cared less about the cost of the meal - we only wanted to enjoy our food and have a nice romantic evening out on Valentine's Day. Also, we have read the other reviews here and noticed that we're certainly not the only patrons who have been extremely disappointed with the food and the insensitive and rude treatment from the owners. The fact is, we do not like speaking with the owner of a restaurant to tell her how wonderful the restaurant used to be (before she owned it) - and how it has changed for the worse since she's taken over. However, it was so obvious to us that these owners are only interested in: cutting back on expenses, using inferior ingredients, and raising their prices - that we just had to say something. In our view: Peter and Tracy Geannopulos have absolutely ruined this restaurant. We used to love dining at this place, but needless to say, we're never going back. I'm sure that many other people must have noticed the change between the old Hillview Grill and this bad imitation of it. We sincerely hope that these owners will learn how to value their customers before the many good restaurants in the area take away all their business. However, on a positive note, our waitress was very nice, and the valet who parked the car was terrific!
(1)Vic O.
I'm very underhwelmed by this place. On a weekday, 12:30 pm, off-season, there's no hostess or server in sight to seat you, lots of empty tables and booths. Was with a friend, we ordered 2 entrees, Gyros sandwich and the Chicken Cobb Salad w/grilled chicken. Food was slow to materialize, it took 30 minutes, during which time I went to the rest room, then out to my car parked a block away and back before it arrived. But service was pleasant and attentive, not their fault about the timing. Cobb Salad. Very skimpy. 1/2 a hard boiled egg, cut into 2 quarters, a sprinkling of bacon, a nice portion of blue cheese, and 2 tiny strips of avocado. 1/2 of a chicken breast. Bleu cheese dressing was ok. But the Romaine lettuce was rusty red and brown, obviously from a bag. I had to pick out several pieces too brown to eat, although I ate some that were brown on the edges. Then I just gave up eating the lettuce. Blech. This is NOT FRESH food. The Gyros was right out of a box, and not the best quality from a box, either. It was served on a brittle, dry, toasted pita that was smaller than the portion of gyros meat (I think it was 3 slices of meat), so you couldn't fold the pita without it cracking in half. One should have the option of folding the gyros inside a nice soft piece of pita, but I'm willing to bet that pita bread was STALE to begin with (thus the toasting), so it wouldn't have been pleasant to eat it untoasted. Also NOT FRESH. This place seems to be the darling of the wealthy and elderly, although it couldn't be about the banal food. It exemplifies my major complaint about Sarasota's darling restaurants - their patrons are elderly (hey, I'm 61) and IMO, ignorant of good quality, flavor and freshness. These patrons have lost their senses of smell and taste, as well as their ability to see clearly, Thus places like this get away with serving poor quality food. I'd been there before for hamburgers, which were good, not great. That was in-season and the wait was ridiculous.What's the draw here? I can't figure it out.
(1)Lisbet S.
This is more if a 3.5_4.0 rating.On may 17 we came here for dinner on a Saturday night, as we were on vacation, I must say it was empty compared to the places in the same street. I don't know why, as our waitress was great, food was exactly as described on the menu,tasted very good, I wouldn't recommend getting steak, not that it was bad, but don't expect it to be steak house quality. I would recommend this place, they definitely need to build their clientele.
(4)Cathy M.
I would say the Tuna is a five star item. This is a small storefront restaurant near Sarasota Hospital that serves locals and seasonal residents. The menu has a great variety of items to choose from but if you like Sushi grade Tuna, it is the best item on the menu, Watch for the daily specials,
(4)Karen C.
Came at 6:30 on a Thursday for their $9 burger & beer night and didn't have to wait so I was pleasantly surprised. Although it is off-season so that probably has something to do with it! I really enjoyed my Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale and hope to be able to find it back home. For the burger I made my own - avocado & swiss. My burger came out cooked perfectly (medium rare) which it almost never does because most places like to cook burgers medium. Very refreshing. Fries were good but nothing special. I really enjoyed the burger except for the roll - it needed something else, maybe to be grilled or toasted? Waitress was friendly & helpful. 3 drinks + 3 burgers for $27, you can't beat that!
(3)John W.
I have eaten here twice with my family and enjoyed it very much. Both times we happened to go on a Thursday, so I ordered their Thursday burger and beer special ($9). I have to say that both times the burger was excellent and cooked to perfection. Their blue cheese burger (along with a draft of Sierra Nevada) is especially good. Hell, the kids hamburger is good! My wife has tried the pasta dishes, and they too, are surprisingly tasty and well-prepared. Service is efficient and both times our food came out of the kitchen within ten minutes of ordering. My only complaint is that the restaurant is small and surrounds the bar area, which can be excessively loud at times. Last night, some blow-hard from Ohio was sitting at the bar loudly telling everyone what was wrong with Florida. There was just no way to "tune" this idiot out. But hey! Floridians are used to tourist know-it-alls like that, so go to the Hillview Grill on thursday and get the Hamburger and a beer special. You won't be sorry!
(4)Tammy B.
Hillview Street is a vibrant area with many restaurants and shops. I chose Hillview Grill to get a burger, but was enticed by another option on the menu...bacon-wrapped meatloaf for $15.00 The menu offers "inexpensive" ($8.00) sandwiches all the way to filet mignon $26.50 or seared scallops $22.00. Sitting at the bar is the best place to dine if you want to feel a younger vibe.
(4)Ivan K.
How to start a review of a place that has so many faults? Reservations taken only on the 1/2 hour, not an issue, unless when you get there about 5 minutes prior to the res. time, the "host' says the others in your party must be seated since the name is crossed off. Where are they sitting you ask?, he has no idea (it is soon apparent he has no idea about much) and he replies they may be at the bar, at a high top, or in another section. Of course they have not yet arrived and are thus not seen when you look about the place. When they arrive, the res. was in their name, you are made to wait 25 minutes PAST the reservation time to get a seat. While waiting one of your party inadvertently leans against a dimmer switch which makes the some lights go higher and lower. Why it is placed where folks who are waiting can easily move the switch only the management can answer. However the "host" glares at my friend and is rather rude when telling her to not move the switch, as if she was aware she was doing so.. Finally seated, we order. When ordering one guest asks the waitress if the cilantro and tomato can be left off her fish tacos. I ask for a side of russian dressing and tabasco sauce. No problem we are told. The apps/soups arrive. The black bean soup is too spicy for my friend so she puts it aside. Next come the mains. My friend's fish taco comes with, you guessed it, cilantro and tomato. When we note this to the staff who brought it to the tablet he says he's only the food runner and stands there in silence for a moment. He then says he'll take it back to see if he can correct the order. Before he leaves I ask him to also bring the russian dressing and tabasco I had ordered for my dish. He says they do not have russian dressing ias it is not offered as a choice. When he returns with the correct fish taco dish for my friend he loudly informs me, as he puts some seemingly russian dressing down on the table, that "he made it himself". Nice of him. BTW since we received the apps we've not seen the waitress again, despite our drinks needing refills and any other issues she should have been interested in checking on. OK you may think so they got the "special" fish taco order incorrect but they fixed that. I might tend to agree, except my spouse's fish taco (standard regular order, no requests re same) has been served without the chipotle aioli sauce listed for it on the menu. At the time the correct taco is served to my friend we note to the "runner',(still no sighting of the waitress), that one of us needs a fork. After an initial blank look, he goes and brings one to the table. Unfortunately the folks was not a clean one, as he had gotten it from another table and it arrived with bits of food on it. As for the food, who cared at this point. To be fair the hamburger i had was fine. Other items either arrived not as ordered, see above, and/or, were not anything special. BTW as we ate someone else made the mistake of leaning on the dimmer switch near the entrance, I know this because for about five minutes the light fixture set above our table put on an annoying light show as it brightened and dimmed. When we got our check: it needed to be redone as we had been charged for items not ordered; the waitress noted that my friend had not eaten the soup. This after the bowl having sat on the table for at at least 45 minutes after she moved it from her place setting (the charge for the soup was removed from the bill); and, the waitress apologized for the situation stating it was her "first day working at the place". All in all a very poor excuse for a restaurant. Also i am still waiting for my tabasco sauce to arrive as requested.
(1)Nancy A.
Four stars if for nothing else but their burgers. Went with a group not knowing Thursday burger madness. We have been here before to find the food mediocre But wanted to try it again. It is extremely crowded on Thursday...burger and beer for $10. You need a reservation but we were able to find seats at the bar. Which worked well since we chatted with interesting people to the side of us. The burgers were perfectly prepared, juicy and flavorful. The service at the bar fast and friendly. If it is a burger you crave I recommend Hillview or Square One....two of the best places in Sarasota for burgers.
(4)Peter S.
great time,Great food and great service What can I say ,I loved the place. The atmosphere was great , the service from the host ,waitress to the bartender was fantastic.They were not only very attentive but also patient and all possessed a good sense of humor.Last but not least , actually most importantly;the food was very tasty .everything was cooked to perfection.Best prime rib since Peter lugers in Brooklyn.There were four of us with 4 different meals and every one of us raved about the food. Amen baby Amen Remember to get five stars from me ,must have three great visits.
(4)Pandora S.
Been going to this restaurant for years and decided to go today to celebrate a friends birthday. Since I haven't been for a couple or so months, I was pleasantly surprised to see a revised menu. The menu was clear as to what the food selections are and not confusing, like some restaurants who have choice over load. The service was fair, but the food was very good. It's nice to have a restaurant you can count on to be consistent. I'll keep going for more years to come!
(4)Brian L.
We went on a Thursday night, for their $8 Burger and Brew special. First the good - the burgers were great, large an delicious, perhaps the best I've had. Mine came with extra crispy house made potato chips. The fries and coleslaw our friends got were also good. Wait staff was friendly, and the place was very nice, if a bit noisy. The bad - we had a 7:30 reservation and they were so overwhelmed we were not seated till 8:15 and our food didn't come till 9:00. Perhaps they were having a bad night, but with such a popular special, I suggest coming early.
(4)Memo D.
Large portions. 2 for 1 drinks after 3 PM. Good service.
(4)