4. Restaurants

Besa Grill

2542 N McMullen Booth Rd., Clearwater, FL, 33761
  • (727) 400-6900
  • Store is closed

Besa Grill Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Clearwater for healthy meals suggestion.

Kfc ( 1960 Gulf To Bay Blvd )
Chili’s Grill & Bar ( 25987 US Hwy 19 N )

Visit below restaurant in Clearwater for healthy meals suggestion.

Kfc ( 1960 Gulf To Bay Blvd )
Chili’s Grill & Bar ( 25987 US Hwy 19 N )

  • Kel G.

    I picked this place for my graduation celebration after seeing the menu online and liking the ambience. My family and I made a reservation and was sat in their semi-private wine room. The server was excellent - witty and attentive. The drinks and food were delicious. I along with many of my family decided to go with the prix fixe menu - appetizers, salad, entree and dessert for a great price. I would definitely recommend this place and if I'm ever in town, I would love to go again.

    (5)

  • Adam G.

    For the first time there the menu was actually very good we had a arrangement of many different types of food and everything that came to the plate and the table was extremely well cooked and tasted great! Service was slightly slow but it didn't matter with the comfortable seats out front. Good atmosphere and although the service was slow the demeanor of the waiter was great! Would definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Allison H.

    Great selection of creative dishes. It's never boring. Having been here so often though, I find this place "hit or miss" at times. There have been some inconsistencies after the 1st year they opened. Still, 2 out of 3 visits have been pleasant. I recommend their chimichurri, duck nachos and their jalapeño and mango guava martini. They are incredibly dog friendly. They have a great patio that lacks no detail and a dog menu. They even have dog beer. Seriously, who thinks these things up? It's worth a visit. If ur first experience is a "miss", please give it another try before writing it off.

    (4)

  • Mike M.

    I really want to like this place. Great atmosphere. Been here a couple of times, have had wonderful service and horrible service with no middle ground. The flatbreads are really good. The duck nachos are made of fried wontons and are greasy. Would be great otherwise. Filet medallions were nicely cooked with a horrid gravy. Mashed potatoes were fine Zucchini and onions were completely unimpressive. For how much they charge, this place should be so much better.

    (2)

  • Caitie O.

    Love their Sunday brunch! They offer all you can drink (and create) mimosa, margarita, or Bloody Mary's! The food could be better (or cheaper), but it's decently good. If you can make it in time, happy hour is always great! Wonderful outside atmosphere and a great stop for girls night!

    (4)

  • Marinda H.

    5 stars for atmosphere - love the decor Service is hit or miss Food is not at all worth the price My 6th visit and left with the same thought as every other visit - food is just not worth the price for the quality/taste/portion size. Guacamole and chips from the $8 bar munchies menu ended up costing $10.50 for 2 small tablespoons of not homemade guacamole. The server said we got 2 scoops and could chose from various flavors - neglected to say there was an additional $2.50 fee to mix and match - the 'bacon' guacamole consisted of bacon bits on top of regular guac and 2 1-inch strips of bacon for decoration - don't get lured in just because bacon is in the description, bacon lovers ;) As everyone else has mentioned, the duck nachos are the only thing worth ordering but they too are no culinary masterpiece (although thumbs up on the cilantro) - it's using wontons instead of corn chips, and duck meat instead of hamburger - go to Poblano's on Wednesday nights for $5 and get a much larger portion of similar tasting nachos - they use the same processed queso sauce I believe.

    (2)

  • Lori L.

    I went in for brunch earlier today...I was one of the first customers...so there is no excuse for a slammed kitchen. I ordered the eggs Benedict with a side of bacon. The order came out with an item not mentioned on the menu that I have food allergy. I informed the server and he came back with my order minus that item. Everything on my plate was either cool or at best lukewarm with little flavor. The bacon was a basic thin cut Publix bacon curled up...not what I would expect from Besa. For about $20 I expect quality...I would highly recommend not going to Besa for brunch items...overpriced poor quality food. I have had a far better breakfast experience at perkins. As for the food allergy...it usually takes about an hour to show a reaction...I am having a small reaction now...so makes me think they did not freshen my food but just removed the item...keeping the same plate and potatoes that made contact.

    (1)

  • Mike M.

    This is our second try, and frankly we expected much better, especially for the menu prices. For starters, our House Margaritas, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Chicken & Brie Flatbreads all tasted like they were fresh out of the packet or can. Nothing fresh-tasting in any case, and the margaritas were downright bad. We asked for some chips and pico de gallo. The chips were undoubtedly from the box in the back, and the salsa was as bland and tasteless as could be (the charge was $6 for the chips? At least Doritos have some flavor, so consider switching or making them!) Our entrees were actually decent. My wife had the Skirt Steak, and I had the Shrimp & Scallop Pasta. We both enjoyed the main course, and both looked and tasted fresh and appetizing, although, both could have used some help from the spice rack to add flavor. The best part of our meal was Calli, our server. She was attentive, personable and did a great job. She earned this review two of the three stars. The other star was for the free appetizer coupon that she gave us for our next visit. With a bill of $110 for such a mediocre meal for two, it'll be long time before we return (if ever). And from the looks of the tiny size of the crowd (one table of four and one with two guests) at this prime location, the word may have gotten around that there are plenty of other interesting, tasty and reasonably-priced restaurants very close by that are aware that customers don't come back unless they are satisfied. Sorry: two thumbs down.

    (3)

  • Gigi S.

    At this point we've had the Besa Besa shrimp, a well executed bang bang shrimp, the Seared blackened and sesame tuna dinner which provided a tuna steak prepared two different ways with buttered veggies and fluffy yellow rice. We've gotten lost in the wine options, and downed some 7-layer chocolate cake with a side of cool creamy milk to pour over it. We've had the cedar plank salmon with wild mushroom mashed taters that blew my socks off, and an acceptable key lime pie. The poblano relleno burned itself into my face, and my heart. The guac sampler is always a table favorite. The service has never left us wanting, so I have to give it the all too elusive five stars! Don't forget the drinks, always something new and tasty to try with a complimentary layout and decor!

    (5)

  • Robert F.

    One of the best spots to Brunch on a Sunday! The Bloody Mary/Mimosa Bar is fantastic. The manager came by to make sure we had what we needed and the food is AMAZING! The Guacamole trio was really good. Great prices and a friendly wait staff..A definite "must do"

    (4)

  • Melanie M.

    The duck nachos were fantastic, as were the cocktails. In fact, writing this right now is making me crave them again. I hear good things about their Sunday brunch, so I really look forward to checking that out as soon as I can. There was really only one part of my visit that I disliked. There was a price discrepancy between the menu and what I was actually charged though, and they wouldn't honor their error. I did let the owner know about it directly though, and he was well receptive to the feedback, and changed said issue for the future.

    (4)

  • Doug J.

    Inviting well appointed atmosphere, Besa is a higher end establishment with a menu that's a little adventurous. Osso Bucco made with pork, excellent. Prime rib and other traditional American fare. Salads are very interesting combo with proteins and a lot of flavor. Extensive wine menu as well.

    (4)

  • Amy A.

    There are some things that are really good here (ceviche, flat breads, burger), some things that are inconsistent (Parisian chicken, how many pastries they give for brunch, the drink menu) but the servers and bartenders are awesome! Great Bloody Mary bar at brunch. Try the steak flatbread with arugula instead of onion strings!

    (3)

  • Robert P.

    Very good food and excellent service. I had the Red Fish with mango salsa and it came out cooked perfectly and packed with a ton of flavor. The only thing I didn't care for (and it may be personal preference) was the ceasar salad. To me it wasn't anything special - but the entrees more than made up for it. The atmosphere is really nice and our server was excellent. I will definitely be returning.

    (4)

  • Lori K.

    Very nice environment, but food wasn't impressive. Tortilla chips for guacamole were stale, salmon wasn't out of this world, everything else seemed mediocre. There are other places where I'd rather spend my money on.

    (2)

  • Dianna B.

    My first impression on walking into Besa was.. Wow this place is SWANKY! The lounge music playing was classy, the interior is full of dark woods, rich upholstery and little bits of crystal dripping from the ceiling, and pretty purple accents. All in all the place is very visually appealing. The second thing I notice is why is it not at all crowded? There aer 2 tables of 8, both full of swinging silver foxes from what I can tel, a group of Sixties and a group of Eighties, but other than these two tables, the place is empty. My friend and I are kind of concerned, but the hostess seats us at a quiet booth (which is totally adorable, by the way - with its black and silver rose upholstery and purple pillows) and we wait for our waitress. The waitress is pleasant, warm and friendly but she really doesn't know the menu, and I can't fault her for that, it seems to be something that might change. However the items all appear to be fresh and the place smells wonderful, so my friend and I peruse the items and make our selections, he chooses the Turkey, avacado club and I choose the Besa Bistro Burger both came with fries. The Turkey Avacado Club was everything you'd think it should be, crisp and light, served on toasted white bread and a healthy side of fries. The Bistro Burger though. WOW! The Burger was done medium, topped with grilled portobello Mushrooms, goat cheese, fresh guaa, arugala, roasted red peppers and served on Chibata bread. Me, I asked for the red peppers on the side and they were happy to accomodate my request. The flavors all popped together nicely, the sharpness of the cheese and guac mixed beautifully and the meat was tender, it really was a damned tasty burger! Their fries had a good seasoning on them as well. It was so juicy that I had to separate the bun from the burger and eat the meat aside. However it was a very large portion and I left much of it behind, in favour of ordering dessert! I wanted to try their churros. Yummy fried dough sticks sprinkled with cinnamon sugar served with caramel and fudge sauce. You really can't go wrong, right? There are 4 of these, they are cut in half and so you're given 8. They are stacked log cabin style and brought to you on a plate. The first thing I said when I saw it was.. I'm going to need a box. With a cappucino - served with a rock sugar stick, this was the perfect way to end a meal. Good company, a good meal and nice atmosphere, I admit though I had my reservations, I will be back!

    (4)

  • Bill C.

    All I can really say is "unimpressed" big time. Menu items with "Latin" flavored is not my style. service slow and inattentive. Simple things ice tea refill comes in old glass w/o ice refill. Last word is "Caution ".

    (2)

  • Chris G.

    Its hard to even give one star. No silverware, no pastry's, had to ask manager for water. They brought out half the tables food. We had to send multiple plates back. I had to send my meal back and still came out over cooked steak and slimy undercooked eggs. It was supposed to be changed to fruit instead of potatoes that were wrong again. Then the owner came to our table and disrespected the whole table not only to us but also surrounding tables. By far the worst overpriced experience in years. Its a good thing there are Several options as I will NEVER be in this place ever again.

    (1)

  • Brett M.

    This place is awesome in every aspect, they remember my name. What more can I say. Friendly staff and the food is the best! Duck Nachos; what a clever invention this is. Stop in and get yours today.

    (5)

  • Mark H.

    Go here and eat TODAY because this place is up to snuff! Where to start? How about the menus? 3 different menus; lunch, discounts and dinner. As with most eateries, the lunch menu features soups and sandwiches, but also includes most of the dinner menu, but with smaller portions. The budget menu, called "pre-fix" is available between 4-6PM, and features about 8 grubbing variations designed for two people at the price of $25. The dinner menu, well is the dinner menu. Full portions at full price. How about the bar? FULL bar. Lots of tequila options, as well as anything else you could ever want to sip on. During happy hours, all cocktails at $2 less expensive, so I ordered two old fashioneds (damn that looks strange when spelled out), and they were deeeee-licious. Bartender was great. They also have a pretty large vino selection, and on Thursdays, all bottles are HALF OFF. Say what? How about the food? I order traditional guac to nom on while they were preparing my poblano relleno. The guac was great. Not the best around, but it did the trick. The stuffed chile was the belle of the ball though. Go look at the picture, and then finish reading this review. OR, look at the picture and just drive over there and order one for yourdamnself. This thing was HUGE for a lunch portion, and was incredibly toothsome. A poblano pepper stuffed with spinach and steak in a white Chihuahua cheese sauce? Yes please!! (We joked that the Chihuahua cheese was made from Chihuahua milk. Please don't let this be true LOL!) How about the atmosphere? La Chica said it best, it's "swanky," but it's not stuffy. I found it very classy and the staff was very down to earth. Those two don't usually accompany each other. 2 of us ate lunch and sipped on cocktails for under $45. Will. Be. Back. Lastly, I've read some of the less favorable reviews, and all I can say is give them another shot. Flamestone is their sister restaurant, and the manager from over there is now at Besa. I can only assume some of the kinks have been worked out, based on our recent experience.

    (5)

  • Andrea W.

    Excellent Happy Hour stop - delicious Flatbreads, duck confit nachos, nice wine list. Modern elegant decor, top notch service, great place for an afternoon cocktail after the sun sets...

    (4)

  • Natalie S.

    My boyfriend and I came here for our first Sunday brunch ever last week and had a great time. The infused vodkas at the Bloody Mary bar were absolutely delicious and we definitely got our money's worth in their classy, comfortable space. Our server was attentive and friendly. The ambiance is lovely and the booze is unlimited, and the do it yourself bar was kept clean and well stocked. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Teresa L.

    Nice place for a Sunday brunch and drink. Went for a friend's birthday celebration. We enjoyed the heck out of the $10 all-you-can-drink build-your-own Margarita/Bloody Mary/Mimosa bar! In fact, some of our party may have enjoyed it a bit too much as evidenced by the late afternoon hangovers. The staff was great! I was even able to beg a bottle of bubbly off one of them to add to our table - you know, so we didn't have to stagger the 4-6 feet from our table to the bar and back every time we needed to top off. Will definitely do this again!

    (4)

  • Russ F.

    They get one star for catering to someone's specific needs for a salad and the other for being able to cook a descent skirt steak, which any restaurant should do. Start off by being sat near the bar and kitchen no big deal except it smelled like we were sitting next to a bar and kitchen, that old alcohol mixed with cleaner smell. Then came the food. I got the grilled skirt steak with chimichurri, the steak was cooked well but what they call chimichurri looked like mashed up parsley or cilantro, I couldn't tell because it had no taste it was basically baby food green stuff. Then two people got the same order of fish with vegetables and rice supposed to be topped with a hollandaise sauce but it was missing the hollandaise , with bland tasteless rice. When we told the waiter he was unsure if it actually came with hollandaise . He then went to the kitchen and came back with a room temperature hollandaise that slimed out of the container. Needless to say the pickier of the two sent it back and requested a salad which came out quickly. I don't think I will come back as the people who brought me here were trying it for the second time and were not that impressed the first time either. At least they did apologize and take off the second fish entree.

    (2)

  • George H.

    Delicious meal at Besa Grill tonight. After being seated our server quickly arrived welcomed us and took our drink order. For an appetizer we enjoyed freshly prepared guacamole and warm tortilla chips. For our entree first we had well chilled Besa Salad, with lime vinaigrette dressing, light and refreshing. Our main course was perfectly prepared and plated grouper and shrimp, with steamed spinach and Besa rice. Scrumptious!! Highly recommend this fine restaurant. The owner Bill stopped by and welcomed us before and afterwards. One of our best dining experiences.

    (5)

  • Lisa H.

    This place is an underrated gem in Pinellas that you should visit... now. 6 of us went for brunch today, and I was so impressed that I had to immediately leave a review. First, you need to request Clifford for your server. In fact, call ahead before you go and make sure he's on the schedule. I am confidently able to say, best service I've ever had at any establishment, ever. He intuitively knew my dad and husband would need hot sauces, secretly refilled my empty mimosa (unlimited *self serve* mimosa and bloody bar), and was attentive without being the least bit overbearing. Ultra classy and I wish I could bring Clifford back to San Francisco with me. Their brunch menu is varied and includes great breakfast and lunch options. I had the crab cakes benedict, and the only recommendation I have is to add a bit more salt. Others at my table had the quiche lorraine, French toast, Cuban sandwich, and Belgian waffle. We all enjoyed our meals, which surprised me considering the variety of cuisines. The $10 mimosa and bloody bar is not to be missed. Yes, you can switch between bloody marys and mimosas with just the request of a different glass. (Side note: the French Toast came out a couples minutes after the rest of the dishes, and Clifford once again went above and beyond. He surprised us with complimentary churros. They were delicious and worthy of ordering.) The ambiance is swanky. And the high backs on the booth tables as well as smartly divided sections allow you to hear the rest of your group easily. Well lit but intimate, nice finishes and little chandeliers, I have no complaints about the decor or cleanliness at all. I remember when this shopping center was a Winn Dixie and a Jacobsons. I am thrilled to see great restaurants and cafes popping up here!

    (5)

  • Virginia G.

    Hadn't been here in a while and brought a friend who had never been. Started with the Basil Cucumber margarita for him and the cactus pear for me, love the drinks here, darn they're good! Of course had to a shot of a nice reserve on the side. Had guacamole for a snack, goat/bue cheese and traditional. Was very good! He loved the goat cheese guac and had to refrain from licking the plate. We then split a bowl of tortilla soup. Always good and served nice and hot! For dinner I had the chile rellenos, very good, nice and spicy! I'm sure they'd be too spicy for a lot of people but I like hot food. They were well stuffed and with a delicious sauce. Companion had the three tacos, fish I think, (darn tequila blurred the memory again!) He loved them. IN fact he enjoyed the whole experience from decor, drinks to dinner and the service was nice and casual too. Not rushed but always there when we needed him. I really do enjoy this place. BTW, there is NOTHING 80's about the decor here. .

    (4)

  • Caroline E.

    Wonderful Sangria. Lunch for two. The Prime Rib flatbread & Caprese avocado appetizer was just enough to share. Wonderful service and atmosphere!

    (5)

  • Christina T.

    Tonight was the second time we had dinner here. Like the first time, the staff was friendly and attentive. Food was Amazing again as well. Our only complaint would be the female trotting back and forth in 4 inch heels as she chased after a small child. This charade went on for the entire duration of our dinner (about an hour). The little kid was just acting like a normal child but not appropriate behavior when customers are trying to enjoy the dinner and atmosphere. At one point the kids was trying to talk to us and even sat on the bench beside us chattering away. We will definitely be back again, but hope the babysitting will be designated to the back office in the future.

    (4)

  • Kathy D.

    Let's start by saying the atmosphere, ambiance and decor are 5*. I loved the restraint just walking in & was ready to relax with a cocktail and peruse the menu. The restaurant was not that busy and we saw plenty of empty tables, but we had to wait almost 20 minutes to be seated. Once seated, it was about another 12 minutes to order cocktails and another 10 minutes to receive the drinks. Our server offered no apologies and went on with a business as usual attitude. If friends had not recommended this restaurant and I hadn't fallen in love with the iconic interior, we would have been out of there. Okay the review is turning painful, so I will keep it short and fair. For appetizers I got the duck nachos, which were oily and underseasoned. Cowboy had the guacamole with cheese that was gine, but not memorable. For an entree I ordered the prime rib rare and I received a slab of tasteless, tough & well done overpriced meat. He ordered the stuffed pepper, which was passable, but again unremarkable. Service was slow. We ended up having 4 rounds of cocktails as our hunger and blood pressure increased. We payed 5* prices for 1 star service and 2 star food. The drinks were excellent and once again the decor brautiful. I am sorry to say that is where the good impressions ended. Yup you know what happens next, it was my pick, so I ruined date night! Live and learn and don't let ambiance rule your stomach! I really think this restaurant has promise, I'll follow it and see if it improves. One can hope. What's a girl to do? Keep up date night, just next time make him pick.

    (2)

  • Sean K.

    Over priced Applebee's. Service is ok staff seems nice. Drinks are overpriced food is overpriced. I would not recommend and won't waste my money again!

    (3)

  • Terry P.

    Ordered steak tacos and received a burrito filled with steak-ums like they had just opened a box and put them in the microwave. Waiter didn't want to come over and when the plate was sent back mostly uneaten, he snickered when told tasted like steak-ums and then ran off. No offer to get something else or discount whatsoever. Terrible place for lunch and would not go back.

    (1)

  • Matt B.

    Dear Besa Grill, I really appreciate you guys reaching out to me after we had a poor experience on our first visit. The gift card you sent was generous, and being reasonable people we decided to visit and give the Besa Grill another go....We stopped in on Friday last week, and after we were almost seated in the section with the same server as our last visit, we politely asked to be seated in another section. The hostess was understanding and met our request quickly and with a great attitude. We decided to order a Delmonico, flatbread pizza, and a besa besa shrimp appetizer. We were served the same ultra dense bread, but this time had 4 tiny pre cut cubes instead of a basket full. Now when I think of a Delmonico I am thinking of a beautiful marbled delicious steak, what I received was a extremely thin disappointing steak. We really wanted this meal to change our minds about the Besa Grill but the besa besa shrimp where fried poorly and the coating broke off the shrimp and ended up in a big messy pile at the bottom of the bowl...the flavor was ok, we picked at them a bit and moved on. Now here comes the deal breaker... Really Besa? A long blonde hair baked into the flatbread pizza? Either we have exceptionally poor luck, or the Besa Grill has a incredible food problem. When the hostess walked by we told her about the hair in the pizza. She replied "yes, I see the hair in there"....then she walked away. ??? 5 minutes later our server came by the table. We informed her and she quickly got the manager. The manager is the best part of the restaurant and he again(just like last time) bent over backwards to get the pizza replaced, but at this point it would take a miracle to get us to come back. We ordered a fried Banana Cheesecake, I'm not exactly sure why...but heck maybe we were just loving the punishment. The dessert was delicious, by a landslide the best thing we have eaten at the Besa Grill. Overall in our opinion, the Besa Grill could very much use a complete food overhaul, but it's a beautifully decorated restaurant and a major disappointment that our experiences were so poor.

    (1)

  • Nancy E.

    Wow, what a find. Not sure why I didn't try it sooner. The Sunday mimosa/bloody mary/margarita bar was awesome as well as the crabcake eggs benedict. Can't wait to go back again!

    (5)

  • Roberto B.

    OMG AND GOLLY MOSES (Jesus and Muhammed too!) is this not the best li'l restaurant ever? Uh, hint to owners - your lime, steel/metal and black interior had such a Miami vibe you SO need to open here (but I'll tell you why you can't) - beautiful, clean restrooms, vibrant help and a beautiful "all American boy" named Brandon as our waiter - can I swoon already? But WAIT - oh does it get better - $10 all you can drink (do it yourself) mimosa/bloody mary bar. UM DID YOU HEAR BIG MOMMA - you can make your own mimosas with orange juice, hibiscus juice, orange mango, orange pineapple - UNLIMITED (don't drink & drive!). Delicious flava'd vodkas to do the same with Bloody Mary - shrimpies, celery, fruities, tomatoes - if you couldn't snag a free salad outta all that swag - well you're not a chonga! Buttery eggs benedict - yes, a tad overcooked, but still good. Did I mention (NO I DID NOT!) the free buttery pastries in a basket - an additional basket is $5.00 extra - but can you eat that much (even I couldn't!) of scones and biscuits and flavored croissant type buttery beauties - I wish I could tell you more about the pastries but I stuffed them too fast into my mouth - too too good. I wish you were here Besa baby - I'd give you the besos (and then some). But you know what - Miami just doesn't know how to behave - let's face it - there'd be a family with 12-20 something unruly kids and the big bad momma's and poppas would actually be treatin' the mimosa/bloody mary fixens as a free for all freebie salad and they would ruin it for everyone - so if you do indeed do Dade County one day my Besa Grill hipsters, do it on the downlow in a private hotel on the beach so you won't be overrun by the savage hordes of Genghis Khan that lately seem to be one's fellow diners in all too many Miami establishments.

    (5)

  • Marcio D.

    Outstanding! Great menu that is very balanced and well executed. All of the dishes were delicious and the service impeccable. Steve (our greeter and waiter) was excellent! He made some great recommendations and was very attentive. Highly recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Steve H.

    Excellent steaks and drinks. The fried calamari appetizer comes with a sauce...definitely a must try!

    (4)

  • Tim D.

    We had our moms birthday party last night at Besa Grill and I have to say it was excellent. We reserved the wine room in the back and it was perfect for our group of 10. The appetizer platter and lamb kbobs along with the Filet coulnt be beat. Our server was on the ball and couldnt be nicer. The manager (Bill) checked on us often and was as nice as could be. We cant wait to go back and try some of the new menu items they have.

    (5)

  • Kathy S.

    Besa grill was one of our favorite places; good food, reasonable prices and pet friendly. After today's visit, not so much. After sitting on the patio for 15 mins without being recognized, and the couple that came after us was served, we left. How difficult is it for a waitstaff person to acknowledge diners and take a drink order???? We will be back, but NOT due to today's service. Shame on the waiter

    (1)

  • Paul M L.

    Have been there many times and there sister restaurant "Flamestone Grill" and have not been disappointed !

    (5)

  • Amanda M.

    If I could give this place 0 stars I would. We have been here twice. The first time we were here was such a disappointment. My boyfriend wrote a truthful yelp review about our experience and the owner contacted him and sent him a gift card so we could give them another chance. We did. We weren't expecting much so we weren't surprised when it was another compete failure. I ordered one if their flatbreads. I started eating and found a very long hair in my plate. I told the hostess walking by and she didn't even stop. Needless to say this wasn't the only failure of the meal. We don't understand how there are so many great reviews for this place when we had nothing but horrible experiences. This place isn't for us but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. So if you want give it a try and see what you think.

    (1)

  • James N.

    So sad they the best help I received was from the bartender who was great because once my waiter received the payment he left us completely. I tipped the bartender after the waiter got a 30% tip because he go his money and left us. So sad for a place with such potential.

    (1)

  • Diane H.

    The guacamole trio is one of my faves! Everyone can pick a "flavor. Love the blue cheese in the guacamole! Fish tacos are delicious and the crab cakes were perfectly cooked! Love the $5 margaritas at Happy Hour! TV;s in the bar area. Service is good but not great!

    (4)

  • Ryan L.

    A real gem, one of the best in the area. Really nice collection of creative dishes and cocktails. They're the trifecta of above average food, cocktails and service!

    (5)

  • Jeanna B.

    I came all the way from downtown St. Pete to celebrate my birthday and showed my $40 Groupon, which expires today, to 2 different staff members before ordering. Only after I'd rung up a large bill did they say they say that my Groupon was no longer valid. Had I known, I would not have ordered as much as I did. Thanks for turning me into a non-repeat customer. First and last visit.

    (1)

  • Nadine H.

    Terrific Sunday brunch with outstanding service! The Quiche was delicious. $10 all you can drink Mimosas and Bloody Mary's. Ask for Clifford who provides excellent service!

    (5)

  • Richard N.

    I went for the Sunday brunch, and it was very nice. The $10 unlimited bloody mary and mimosa bar is outstanding. I had bloody marys which included a choice of citrus or spicy vodka, various spices, blue cheese stuffed olives, pickles, shrimp, and several types of sauces. Very good! I had the crab cake benedict which came with potatoes and asparagus. The crab cakes were perfectly cooked, drizzled with hollandaise, and topped with poached eggs. It's a beautiful restaurant, the service was excellent, and the food is very tasty.

    (4)

  • Lauren C.

    Wow! I came here with family for my 3rd and final birthday dinner celebration. They are total foodies like me and I knew they'd love to come to this place. Upon entering we were in love with the posh decor inside, no detail was left untouched in the designs. It wasn't very busy inside and we were immediately sat at a booth. The menu has an American grill with a latin american twist. They serve all varieties of Latin/American fusion, steaks, fresh seafood and more. Besa grill may not be "cheap", but the experience that you receive is worth every penny Our server came by to greet us and introduce herself and was very friendly. We started off with 5 appetizers to share: the salmon ceviche, tuna bowl crisps, duck confit nachos, guacamole trio (we chose goat/bleu cheese, mango and traditional) and avocado caprese. All were fabulous. My 2 favorites were the nachos and guac trio. If you've ever had the guacamole at Besa's sister restaurant Flamestone grill out in Oldsmar, you know how good it is! The chips that are served with it are also great because they are nice and airy and thin. Yum, yum. The ceviche was also heavenly. Nice and fresh without being too overpowering with the fish flavor. Everyone at the table kept raving about how good it was. For our entrees, everyone ordered a different steak. I had the regular cut prime rib which I ordered medium rare (it came out a bit more on the "rare" only side, but it was such a delicious cut of meat I could not complain) along with the seasonal veggie and garlic mashed. One of the other people at our table got the filet mignon with blue cheese, bacon and jalapeno encrusted mix. Holy moly that was fantastic! I wished I had ordered it on my steak as well. Throughout the entire experience, our server continued to do a fabulous job and made sure everything was fantastic (which of course it was) and she was very pleasant and warm. Finally, we topped off our evening with a fried banana cheesecake to share and coffee. Since the server knew it was my birthday celebration she brought it out with a candle on top which was a nice touch. After hearing all these great comments about the brunch (I'm especially excited for the mimosa bar :D ) I can't wait to come back on a weekend very soon and try it. The owner, Nick Pappas, sure knows how to create an absolutely stunning dining experience from start to finish!

    (5)

  • Brian T.

    Excellent food and service, it was very nice sitting outside and enjoying a nice romantic meal.

    (5)

  • Vasiliki A.

    By far the best Brunch we have ever had. We thought it was going to be super pricey and it wasn't. We love it, and will go again and again.

    (5)

  • Ali C.

    Based on the chips, drinks and guacamole this place would have gotten 5 stars, but the chicken and brie flatbread left something to be desired so 4 stars it is. Great place for a strip mall. If you are truly craving Mexican this is not your place. I've heard great things about the goat cheese / blue cheese guac, but didn't have it this time. I'll be back. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Austin C.

    $10 AYCD on Sundays is fantastic. Good food, great service

    (5)

  • Darrin B.

    Used a Groupon fir a nice lunch. Try the guacamole, they have several varieties. Our server's recommendations were spot on.

    (4)

  • Cathy B.

    First off, let me divulge I was here for an event so I did not pay for the food and drink, however, the gratuity we left was more than deserved. Sunday brunch here is a great deal especially if you love Sunday Fundays..... for $10 unlimited mimosa, screwdriver and bloody mary bar- and you pour your own! A few kinds of infused vodkas and several different juices offered and lots of garnishes including some fresh large shrimp! Service was fantastic- truly - without a doubt- even our waiter told us how much he loved working there- you can feel that vibe. Comfy outside couches and tables, intimate private room next to a glass enclosed wine vault. Gorgeous décor - cosmopolitan yet casual. The food we tried was really delicious. I highly recommend the shrimp - even for a nonseafood lover like myself I would go back and order it again!!! The crème brulees were great- but try their churros with a trio of sauces!!! The prime rib was cooked perfectly - definitely a winner!!!

    (4)

  • Scott H.

    I found this restaurant to have a trendy feel. The décor paid attention to lines and detail. I really liked the floor to ceiling glass wine cellar in the back. The walls were adorned with sophisticated ambiance that gave you the opportunity to relax but feel like you "had arrived". Every place has a positive and a negative. This location had just made some serious changes to the drink menu and our orders could not be completed. The change made it difficult on the server to answer questions. It is in dealing with negatives that makes a business shine. It was not long after the situation was explained we were approached with another server to assist in our questions; along with, several other servers who were dispatched behind our conversation to overhear the explanation. This was followed by visits from the manager with apology/explanation; along with inquiry on our service, drinks and meal once ordered. We had ordered a habanero margarita which was very delightful and I asked a specific question and the bartender explained it was a habanero reduction prepared in their kitchen. Our experience was positive because "the team" jumped in and handled an awkward situation and supported each other throughout the evening. The evening started with their Guaya Habanera Margarita and an order of Guacamole. The guacamole comes with chips and your choice of three out of five guacamole combinations. We ordered the traditional, goat and blue cheese, and mango. All were very good! I enjoyed the goat and blue cheese best, followed by the traditional. The appetizer was presented on a trendy, white, rectangular plate with the scoops spaced and several decorative handled spoons for sharing. The margarita was very tasty with a flavor that started with the sweet/sour expectation of a margarita followed with a delicate but spicy (just enough) kick of habanero flavor. The overall compliment was cool and refreshing. I ordered the Besa Tacos (steak) and was pleasantly pleased. Trendy would be the word again! The tacos were served in these little separator racks with black beans and rice. Tacos can be overpowered by one or two of the fillings like spicy ground beef or too much guacamole/sour cream. These were a symphony of compliments that required no extras or salsa to enhance. Each ingredient had a freshness that added to the others to create a singular uniquely delightful flavor. Likewise the beans and rice were fresh and not over powering. This is one of those places that I can say that I enjoyed the evening as well as that meal. Thanks to good company, nice place, with good food and drink.

    (4)

  • Maegan G.

    Well, our party of four went here last night. Waited about 15 minutes to be seated, no big deal. Unfortunately, we then waited about 15-20 more minutes before our waitress ever came over for our drink order. The best part was why she was so late... We were having trouble reading the menus, it's very, very, dark in there and to make things worse the little light we were supposed to have above our table was out. I had to read the menu out loud to my grandparents who couldn't see it at all. Waitress was late to our table because she had to read the menu to another customer who couldn't see it! She also mentioned that she agrees it's too dark and that it is brought up multiple times each night, but apparently the manager has yet to make the call to turn the lights up a bit. Why three stars then? THE FOOD. Yes, it is expensive, BUT, you do get what you pay for, which is nice. I paid a premium price and I got premium food. I ordered the avocado caprese, my boyfriend ordered a steak encrusted with jalapeno, blue cheese and bacon (amazing!), my Grandmother ordered the salmon soho salad and said it was to die for and my Grandfather ordered the pork shank (I forget what it was called specifically on the menu) and said it was also insanely good. We didn't get any water for the table, though it appeared every other table in the restaurant had a nice bottle of it. I think it's because we didn't order any alcoholic beverages, maybe? There was also no bread or anything at the beginning of the meal, though that's another thing I thought that other tables had? Either way, I probably won't be back unless it's a super special occasion, and even then I might be inclined to check out a place I haven't been to rather than return here. /shrug

    (3)

  • Carly C.

    Had a fantastic experience from start to finish. Wonderful ambiance with an interior that is glamorous but not pretentious...perfect for a "date night". The menu was creative and everything from appetizer to dessert (unbelievable homemade churros) was delicious and well developed in way that shows the chef and cooks truly understand food and flavor development. The wheel was not recreated but it was re imagined and made better. There was plenty of variety from Latin to new American cuisine without overwhelming with menu options. A hallmark of a good meal , in my opinion, is that after each course we had to to hold ourselves back from ordering more of it. That is not to say the portions weren't more than sufficient, but rather a testament to the deliciousness and addictive qualities of the dishes we had. The serving staff seemed to really take pride in the establishment and even the manager came by to check on us. Chef Simms came out to say hello as well (perhaps he heard our raving from the kitchen). Overall, an absolutely lovely dining experience that I highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Tiffany G.

    Great food! Great drinks! Their version of Bang Bang shrimp is WAY better than Bang Bang shrimp. Great environment, too! We will be back.

    (5)

  • R L.

    Got here around 9 pm and the kitchen was still open so let's eat at the bar. A great selection of alcohol which is great, the ambiance is classy and modern. I ordered a Stella on tap and my friends ordered a glass on chandonney and since we are both hungry, I ordered the pork shank which was tender, fall off the bone and delicious. My friend ordered the prime rib since he's a basic meat & potato guy and he said the prime rib was really good but he was expecting a larger portion. Overall a good place just to have a nice quiet dinner and the chef is from NJ. Highly recommended

    (5)

  • Chris L.

    I have eaten here several times, food is good. I had a steak burger today and It was good. A little dry but you have to expect that for a lean streak burger. Fries are average nothing to write home about. Friend had the smoked turkey quesadilla and enjoyed that. Pricing was good for the quality of food. Last time i had the guac sampler, really good.

    (4)

  • James T.

    When Besa Grill was brand new, we went and everything was good. The following time great. Every time after that it has only become better. After visiting seven separate Saturdays since, this restaurant has won me over completely and made it into my short rank of preferred restaurants. The servers are wonderful, be it exceptional at times, the prices are spot on for the food quality, and the atmosphere is beautiful. The drinks give the competition across the road (literally) a definite run for their money. Give this great place a try, you will not be led amiss. Keep up the great work!

    (5)

  • Jingles H.

    Besa Grille was a lovely little find for dinner with friends. The drinks menu is fab, I enjoyed the guava habanero margarita. It was so awesome I had another :) We enjoyed some very tasty appetizers: trio of guacamole and salmon ceviche. They were both excellent. We had four different entrees at our table, the shrimp & scallop pasta, the sea bass, a very large chicken salad and a skirt steak. All of them were ample portions, freshly prepared and full of flavor. I had the bass. It's been years since I've eaten sea bass (overfished) but I went ahead and it was just superb. I can't wait to return and sample other items from the menu.

    (5)

  • Heather R.

    I wont lie, I was a little hesitant on trying, I'm not a fan big of Flamestone but Besa's menu looked interesting. ONLY regret I have, is for not going sooner, the food is delicious!!! You have the choice of sitting inside or out. Inside is beautiful, very modern and very clean, outside is also very clean and well kept. As far as the staff, super friendly, attentive, always smiling really made you feel welcome. Bottom-line, wonderful staff, amazing food and the Cactus Pear, is one best martini's I've ever had!! Can't wait to go back:-D

    (5)

  • Noelle T.

    It was just okay. I've been wanting to visit Besa Grill and last night I finally had the chance. I've heard great things and every time I drive by it is packed so I had high hopes. The decor is almost trendy chic which I think is what they were going for, but it ends up a little too 80s. The booth where I sat was surprisingly comfortable and had throw pillows which was a nice touch. They really have a lot of tables crammed in there and we were pretty close to our neighboring table, but it wasn't that bad. I ordered a Skinny Basil Cucumber Gin Gimlet which was hands down the best part of my meal. It was happy hour so I got it for $6 and I like the skinny sugar free option. Very nice cocktail. Thumbs up to the bartender. Tip: If you want to order during happy hour make sure your clock is set 4 minutes fast, because I tried to get a second drink before it ended, my phone said it was 6:58 and their clocks had already turned 7:02. Oh well. For an appetizer we had the ahi tuna wonton cups which were very nice, though I would have liked the tuna to be cut a little smaller, and I was wishing for a side of wasabi (but that's just my preference.) We also had a side order of Yucca fries and they were sooo good! It is a small portion, probably only 6 fries, but they are big and really yummy. The side caesar salad was a bit on the oily side, I didn't even finish it. For main course I had the seared seabass with a lobster tomato sauce, and in lieu of the brocolli raab side dish I had spinach. I don't care for the bitter taste of brocolli raab but the spinach was no improvement. It was flavorless and unimpressive. The dish comes with a verde rice but I'm on a low carb diet so I skipped it. As for the "lobster tomato sauce" there was no sign of lobster either visually or in flavour, but it was nice. The seabass was seared crisp, but really had no remarkable seasoning or flavour. It was just okay, especially for the $26 pricetag. My husband had the pulled chicken and avocado flatbread which was really good and would have been nice as a lunch selection or even as an appetizer for 4. All around I would say it had its high points and low points, but I'm not dying to go back anytime soon, unless its for another drink!

    (3)

  • Desiree' C.

    We arrived at about 8PM on a Tuesday night (6/19) and there weren't very many people there. I was a bit concerned at first, but given that it is off-season and later on a weeknight, I attributed it to that. The inside of the restaurant is sleek and modern. Maybe a tad too dark but I love some of the light fixtures and the different decor they have. The manager and our server were both very pleasant and welcoming. The manager checked on us a couple of times during our visit and the server was a solid 4.5/5. The food did seem to take a little long to come out from kitchen but was tasty. My boyfriend had the skirt steak with chimichurri. He loved the steak and the rice, but thought the chimi could have used a bit more punch in the flavor department. I ordered the chile rellenos which were stuffed with seared filet, onion, cheese, and spinach. These things were HUGE. I could only finish one because they were like poblanos on steroids. The filet was done perfectly and tender and the tomato reduction served on top had a great kick to it. I will say that the spinach was almost a waste in the dish because everything else just overwhelmed it. Overall we liked it and will go back again.

    (4)

  • Jack R.

    Went for Mother's Day brunch. Food was so-so but amazing Bloody, Mimosa and Margarita bar.

    (3)

  • Chris E.

    Very nice inside, but it felt a bit pretentious from the music to the decor, but it was a Sunday evening right before a concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall, so maybe we weren't quite in the mood! Even so, it was trendy and still fun! The food was quite good and the service was a match as well. The Saucy Shrimp appetizer had a great color, texture, and taste. We each had a glass of wine, and while the list of wines-by-the-glass was not extensive, they were excellent. I had the sea bass and my wife tried the shrimp tacos; we enjoyed both of them very much. To end our meal, my wife wanted to try the churros which came with caramel and chocolate. I normally pass on the churros, but these were something different entirely! They were fantastic, but thick with cinnamon, sugar, and other yumminesses. If too much for you, it's easy to tap, tap, tap the excess off. Our new criteria is whether we would take out-of-town friends here, and Besa Grill gets a definite yes! We will be back, out-of-town friends or not! Update: We visited Besa Grill again a month later with my mother-in-law. She enjoyed the decor and couldn't decide what kind of drink to get, and the servers were quite gracious and accommodating. The meals were a mixed bag. My wife ordered the 6 oz filet (which was to-die-for tender!) and my mother-in-law and I ordered the grouper. Quite disappointing! It was too dry/firm (overcooked!) and a bit fishy tasting. We had raved about Besa before, but we'll temper that for now; maybe they had an "off night" in the kitchen.

    (4)

  • Craig S.

    Excellent service, food was very good. Have been several times and have yet to have a bad meal. Would recommend.

    (4)

  • Mariana R.

    The guacamole was Awesome!!... The ahi tuna was excellent too... My boyfriend ordered chile relleno and it was good too, just a little spicy for my taste, but he loved it...

    (4)

  • Andrea S.

    We've been here several times and were impressed. The last two visits, however were bad and worse. At lunch, Besa salad served without pumpkin seeds, abuelita hot chocolate cold. Then dinner the next visit...three entrees weren't hot, and the salmon portion was small. Two entrees sent back for a heat-up, but still not hot. Manager and chef came over. Told them chili rellenos beef was gristly and asked them about the portion size for salmon. Chef said dinner was 8 oz. No way it was! Turns out new kitchen staff served lunch portion. Bill was adjusted to lunch price and one entree removed. Learned several staff had moved from Flamestone in the last few months. That explains the change to me. Always felt Flamestone was overpriced and underwhelming. Sorry to see Besa take the same path.

    (1)

  • M K.

    Wonderful meal. Very stylish, sleek decor. Terrific, friendly service. We started (party of four) with the Gaucamole trio. Mango, corn with black bean and regular, all were excellent. The mango was a little bit sweet while the black bean and corn had a nice little spicy kick. We also had the ceviche appetizer, another winner. All four entrees were spectacular. I had a duck special, served over mashed potatos that was perfect. The other three in our group had the Tuna Tower, a chicken dish and a Sea Bass special. All got rave reviews. We passed on the deserts, but did enjoy cafe con leche and regular coffee. Will positively return.

    (5)

  • Katie C.

    I was very excited for Besa Grill to finally open! It is sometimes hard to find great date night restaurants in the area, and this is definitely added to the list now! The decor is really beautiful and the food was very tasty. We sampled a variety of dishes on our trip. We loved the calamari appetizer, and the pineapple guacamole was a crowd favorite! The various cocktails are very interesting (you definitely don't see a guava habanero margarita everywhere...it was delicious). I had the Nine Spiced Chicken for my entree and was very impressed with how flavorful it was. The Bolillo Plantain Bread Pudding was absolutely delicious for dessert. The only wish I have is for a better happy hour. They offer $2 off most drinks during that time, which is nice...but isn't enough to draw me in for that purpose only. Overall, I'd recommend Besa. The food is tasty, the presentation is impressive (the plating is beautiful), and the ambiance is great! Try it out :)

    (5)

  • Inga L.

    We had a really bad experience at this restaurant.The food wasn't good at all for the high price.. Not coming back..

    (2)

  • Tommy ..

    It was good but not as "incredible" as all the reviewer's have said. Nothing to special about this place to me, good food, nice staff, general run of the mill restaurant attached to a strip mall plaza of stores. Probably wouldn't go out of my way to go back but not a bad place.

    (3)

  • Michaela K.

    As everyone else has noted, the decor at Besa is amazing! I loved the color scheme and furniture. It was trendy and classy at the same time. We went for lunch. The service was excellent. Our waiter was attentive without hovering. We started with soup. I had the lobster bisque, which was amazing! My husband had the chicken tortilla soup, which was also good ... though I thought the bisque was better. The shrimp tacos were perfect ... literally the best I've had. My only reason for not giving them 5 stars was because the yellow rice and black beans weren't anything super special. They were good, just not as outstanding as the rest of the meal. We will definitely be back for more.

    (4)

  • Lynne T.

    We love Besa Grill. One of the friendliest places, great food and drinks. Amazing doggie dining for our four legged friends. We love sitting on the patio, ejoying a mimosa at their Sunday brunch. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Elizabeth L.

    STAY AWAY from the Besa Sunday "special" Prime Rib. Your 16 oz prime rib will have 7 oz of inedible fat and gristle. While the staff was most gracious after hearing of their failing, offering dessert, replacement steak and drinks on the house, this meal should NEVER have reached the bill. The prime rib had a peculiar texture and shape and was quite chewy and tough. Steak knives were even difficult to maneuver through this "meat". I will say that the mashed potatoes were very good, as were the snow peas. Besa, you fell VERY short. I suggest patrons view the prime rib before committing. It didn't even have the shape of a real prime rib.

    (1)

  • Meredith K.

    Based on the reviews we were excited to try Besa grill. Unfortunately we were not impressed by their food. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and ambiance is great. Their designer picked excellent finishes to give it a modern upscale feel. We started with two glass of wine from their wine menu. Their selection is ok with a few lesser known but high quality wineries. For an appetizer we ordered the duck nachos... Which let me say are a complete WINNER! They were amazing, served on wonton chips and with an avocado cream sauce. If our meal had stopped there they would have gotten 4 stars. For entrees we ordered the braised short rib and the seabass with tri-pepper sauce. The braised short rib was served off the bone (which I've never seen before) and was more like a beef pot roast than anything else. There was nothing special in either the flavor or presentation. It was served with "truffled mashed potatoes" which were plain mashed with no evidence of truffle anywhere (I love truffle and the taste is distinctive but it just wasn't there). Overall the dish was ok, but nothing special and could have stood to have been prepared with more acidity. The seabass, however, was the real loser of the night. To start the fish was overcooked and had a rubbery texture. On top of that the sauce was too overpowering for such a delicate fish. The flavors just didn't gel well together at all. Meanwhile the rice it was served with was undercooked and still crunchy. Overall the service was good, and the wait staff was extremely understanding. Between this, the duck nachos and the ambiance they got 2 stars which is generous considering the main courses were disasters. In order to improve they should "simplify" their mains. Focus on execution of the dishes. And revamp their existing preparation.

    (2)

  • Lane R.

    We like Besa better than their sister Flamestone. It is a little on the pricey side for a typical dinner out for us because we tend to get carried away and order way to much food. So we usually go on Wednesday for $5 margaritas and an appetizer. We have gotten the duck nachos every time. The wonton chips rock! All the tacos I have tried are good. The chile rellenos are some of the best I have ever had. And the Besa Rose margarita on the rocks is my favorite drink. Our servers and managers we have met are always friendly. We enjoy bringing our dog and sitting out on the patio. Now that the weather is getting cooler you will see us there more often.

    (4)

  • Yolonda B.

    I am so sorry I though t I had written this update long ago..I returned for another visit about a month later, and everything was perfect. I am sure it was just opening week trials :-)

    (5)

  • Peter Q.

    Its about time we get a classy and fun latin restaurant in the area! Great cocktails. Great food. My favorite is the stuffed pepper!!! The best!

    (5)

  • Jameson J.

    A surprisingly gorgeous restaurant situated in a boring looking complex. The fish tacos were absolutely STELLAR. Bringing water in a chilled wine bottle was a nice touch. The service was friendly. It is not in a touristy area and the place was PACKED for a weekday afternoon - and I understand why. It's perhaps a bit overpriced, but from what I had, it was great food.

    (4)

  • Peter B.

    We made reservation, but I had reservations about the prices. I was right. I don't feel we got our money's worth. Here's why: The Steak Tacos had a chintzy amount of meat, just a thin strip. The Chicken Tacos required extra salsa and cheese to get any flavor. Same for the Duck Tacos. We were in a party of 7, and nobody was blown away. The salad (Besa salad) was fine, buy I could have eaten 4 of them. They were small. The service was fairly good. Kudos for having reading glasses available for farsighted customers. We ordered Guacamole and thought it would be made fresh at our table. Instead, we got runny, wishy-washy guac without a lot of taste. Sorry Besa...which means "kiss" in Spanish. We are kissing any hope of a return trip, goodbye.

    (3)

  • Javier B.

    2nd time and service and food are great!!!

    (5)

  • Theresa L.

    Great decor, modern, and chic! Great cocktails. Guacamole trio is fantastic, my favorite is the mango one! Food is decent too.

    (4)

  • Tara S.

    Guac heaven and more! I am unfamiliar with the Clearwater area and at first I was weary about trying this establishment because the person who suggested it first recommended Bonefish... So glad we decided to give it a shot. We walked in and it was not what we expected. It was upscale with a cook contemporary vibe. We were seated at one of the half booths. Cool in theory, negative points for difficulty to get in and out and the down pillows feathers poking out (ouch). We started off with margaritas a cactus pear for him and a guava habanero for me. His was too sweet for my taste, but the guava one was out of this world. It was just the right balance of sweet and spicy. We were told the guac was amazing so we had to get the crab guac cocktail and it was out of this world. For our entrees he ordered the steak tacos and me the duck enchiladas. Both were delicious. My only complaint with the enchiladas was the tortilla. They were difficult to cut through. All and all a very enjoyable experience. If I ever make it out in that direction again, I'll make sure and stop in.

    (4)

  • Dawn D.

    Beautiful new place on the north corner of enterprise & McMullen booth. Sparkly decor, beautiful full bar, and tasty food. They have a nice carnivorus selection. I was there for lunch and had a turkey club with yuca fries mmmmm. I look forward to returning for dinner and drinks.

    (5)

  • Antonio P.

    Great food! Excellent service. The yuca fries are so good

    (4)

  • Linda E.

    I could eat here at least once a week! The ceviche was a mahi mahi served in avocado half..creamy, smooth, cilantro and pumpkin seeds. Superb!!! The fish tacos were flavorful and the hot sauces had flavor and heat!! The wait staff are attentive and go well beyond what is necessary to meet your requests!!!!!! Chris and Jes are very professional!!!!! They have duck tacos, lamb, beef, chicken and fish entrees.. the most difficult thing is deciding what to eat. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food!! Tables are located inside, in the bar area and in the dining room. If you have a group of 6-8, they have a table in an area that looks like you are in your own room. Decorations are intriguing!

    (5)

  • Keith B.

    Besa Grill has done a beautiful job redecorating an often used restaurant space. The servers are knowledgeable and professional. The food is good to delicious. The Guava-Habanero Margarita is delicious and there is a nice happy hour. The guacamole appetizer is nice, though not truly exciting. The Mahi entrée is a little dry and could use a sauce. The Grouper entrée was delicious. Overall, the prices are fair for the good quality. Service was very good until the place got busy and then it fell apart somewhat and we had trouble getting coffee and dessert. But when we did, the bread pudding was very nice. It is a nice place to go before a Ruth Eckerd Hall show and I would return.

    (4)

  • Jerry K.

    We had a great time--the atmosphere was great, service was excellent, and they made sure we had a wonderful dinner together for our anniversary. We started with the blue corn taquitos and guacamole. I love guacamole and they have one of the best. For an entree I had the Crusted strip steak and a besa salad, the steak was cooked to perfection. My wife had the grouper veracruz with tortilla soup. She is a soup fanatic and loves tortilla soup. We will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Vanessa Z.

    Where did the queso appetizer go? They took it off the menu and that was pretty much the ONLY thing I liked on the menu besides the ice tea. Growing up in the southwest, I love trying chile rellenos whenever I see them on a restaurant's menu to see if they have been perfected. Besa has a long way to go with that dish. I suggest to Besa's chef or owner, try Red Mesa's (St Pete.) melt in your mouth chile rellenos and take it from there. Oh & prepare to get an attitude from your waitress if you don't want to buy any alcohol or order any dessert. Now with all that being said, I do like sitting on the patio & listening to the house music, but the quality of the food needs to match the high prices.

    (2)

  • Louis M.

    Good atmosphere but food is pricey for quality you receive. Loads of ingredients don't always equal put together favors. Service was great quality just avoid the register area unless you want to get an ear full of servers making inappropriate comments about other dinners.

    (3)

  • Jan L.

    Food was very good, service excellent. Ambiance was great. However, guacamole was bland, and the Chili Rolano was so spicy, my wife could not finish her entree. There was a very large party, and the decibel level was so high, we couldn't carry on conversation without yelling. A bit overpriced for what we ordered. Next time, I'll go earlier and during the week when it isn't so noisy.

    (3)

  • Martin F.

    nice design, fair service average food at best. Really they gave me no reason to go back. save your money and close it up no one yet has been able to make it ther

    (1)

  • Rob D.

    Omg, fried banana cheesecake is a must have! Chile rilleno entree is HUGE. They did not have the baby back ribs and the bartender was a bit off but the ambience and overall experience was excellent!

    (4)

  • Borg M.

    Very pleased with Besa Grill after one visit. Chile rellenos were roughly comparable to Red Mesa's, in other words, very good. Wife liked her salmon -- flavor and portion. Unique bread was very tasty. Service was friendly and very good. Will go back.

    (5)

  • Dave S.

    A little pricey, but worth it. The decor was nice, the service was very good and the food was superb. The guacamole trio was delicious, the flatbreads were wonderful and the shrimp and scallop risotto was amazing. The steak tacos are also worth a mention. I love the menu creativity of this place. Nothing we tried was sub-par, and we can't wait to go back and try the rest.

    (5)

  • Melissa B.

    Love this restaurant!! Such a fantastic environment inside and also great for dining outside. I frequent this restaurant as much as I can, especially on Wednesdays for the margarita specials. The guacamole is one of my favs as well as the tacos. Pretty much you can't go wrong with anything though. The bar area is great as well and I've met with coworkers after work to have cocktails and apps.

    (5)

  • Joanne B.

    I wanted to try it as I heard the guacamole was delicious and since it was almost Cinco de Mayo figured we would give it a try...and people were correct the guacamole was delcious and the chips were thin and tasty as well. We also had the fish taco and a special of portabello lasanga...both were quite good. We finished the dinner off with some Churros. I ate 3 out of the 6 so i'll let speak for itself. The service was great, very attentive but not over bearing and the ambience was very nice. We have a groupon for lunch and we will be going back to use it - I want to try the duck tacos.

    (4)

  • Sarah D.

    Swanky! I love the interior of this restaurant...lots of modern metallics and dark wood. The food is supposed to be Latin fusion and the presentation is swanky too. I got the Chicken Tacos with a side of guacamole and my meat-loving daughter got the Petite Filet with garlic mashed. While the food was very good, we both commented that the main courses lacked any discernible seasoning. We both added salt and that helped some, but it would have been nice to taste some Latin spices to go with the theme of the food. The guacamole was absolutely delicious and did a lot to add flavor to the tacos and the garlic mashed potatoes were to die for! I'd also heard that their margaritas were not to be missed, so I tried the Mango one. It was very good, with freshly muddled fruit. One downside to this place is that it is quite pricy. My Chicken Tacos were $13, my daughter's steak was $24 and the margarita was $9. I'd definitely return, as I think it's a superior restaurant to its neighbor Carmel Cafe, but it will probably be reserved for special occasions.

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    My husband took me here for my birthday dinner. We decided to go on a Monday to avoid a crowd but we were still at the restaurant for a total of two hours, waiting on dinner and dessert mostly. Service was average, food was decent. Overall, it wasn't fantastic but it wasn't bad.

    (3)

  • Beka S.

    Went here for dinner one evening and was impressed. The decor was gorgeous, the atmosphere was lively, and the food and drinks were delicious. The prices were to be expected. By that I mean - these people take their restaurant seriously, they strive for higher class food and drinks, and they price it accordingly. It was on par with Bonefish Grill across the street and completely worthwhile. Will definitely be going back!

    (5)

  • Patti S.

    Had dinner at Besa Grill tonight. The braised boneless short rib was fabulous, just melt -in-your-mouth. And the Kahlua mashed sweet potatoes were like having sweet potatoe pie with your dinner. Also, the caesar salad..fantastic. Great caesar dressing with really tasty croutons. Very diverse menu...something for everyone. The service was fantastic (ask for Jess), and the ambiance is very nice...nice upscale decor. Definitely will be going back.

    (5)

  • Sharon E.

    Just had dinner for the first time here & have to say, we will definitely be back for 2nds & 3rds & so on.. The decor is amazing and surprisingly cozy. The waitstaff was superb. Our waitress gets 10 stars. She was knowledgeable & made sure everything we needed or wanted was taken care of promptly. Now to the food.. We ordered the Guacamole Trio and each one was excellent. We then ordered the Street Tacos & again did not disappoint in the least (except for the fact that I stuffed myself so much on guac & chips that I could only kill one Taco- watch out Breakfast!). We also ordered the Sweet Potato Tamale, so yummy & creamy and the Cilantro Lime Cojita Corn. The corn was off the charts scrumptious. I could eat a bucket of that & never tire of it. Everything had such a FRESH quality to it. Get the Cactus Pear Margarita to start..Quite refreshing for a margarita. It was also nice that one of the managers stopped by to introduce himself & to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. To all the other restaurants out there, this is a nice touch that you should incorporate. Makes the whole dining experience feel like your opinion & thoughts matter.

    (5)

  • Patti Z.

    Went during the DineTampaBay event. We were a party of 3 so we all chose different things to try. Appetizers: blue corn taquitos were the fave. Braised shortrib flatbread was very good. Quacamole was okay. Entrees: ahi tuna tower was not good, rice was warm and tuna was cold. It was an odd tasting dish. Guava ribs were okay but tough. Skirt steak with chimichurri was delicious. Dessert: bread pudding - only get if you like bread pudding. We took one bite and left the rest. Fried banana cheesecake was good, churros were good. Waitstaff friendly and competent. Overall, thought the food was okay, but overpriced. Dinner for this event was $35 plate (app, entree, dessert). Overpriced. Went to Aqua last week for the event and the $35 plate there was a fantastic deal with some really wonderful food.

    (3)

  • Kathy I.

    OMG we really really! wanted this experience to be good. We loved the prior 2 restuarants and had our very very first date here over five years ago. First impression is trendy, chic, and the decor is awesome. But...first, the inexperienced hostess tried to seat us at a table with plenty of empty booths (why do they do that?) and walked us around in circles before deciding on an open booth. The scallop and lime ceviche was bland, needed onion, more cilantro, and olive oil. The avocado was a smidgen unripe/hard. Just like their sister restuarant, Flamestone, my food, was, once again...cold. The past 4 times at Flamestone my food was cold. I should be fair and say lukewarm, just scary enough to think about foodborne illness. The red potatoes were hard and inedible, we returned them to the kitchen. My husband's filet mignon had a crust which made the steak hard to chew, and the portion was incredibly small. We were underwhelmed and won't be back.

    (2)

  • Shauna E.

    Really wonderful Easter brunch today. We had a noon reservation and were immediately seated upon our arrival. 4/6 of us indulged in the mimosa/bloody mary bar which is unlimited and frankly, amazing. Lots of juice choices, fresh berries, etc for the mimosas. The bloody mary bar has a choice of 3 infused vodkas, spicy tomato juice, lots of garnishes like chilled shrimp, blue cheese olives, cocktail onions, hot sauce, spices, lime, lemons, and even celery stalks. I ordered the crab cake benedict-- two perfectly poached eggs atop crispy, fried crab cakes that were more crab than cake, with a delicate hollandaise sauce with the perfect touch of fresh lemon and served with a side of red potato home fries. The dish was perfect. The rest of my group enjoyed their entrees, and we all enjoyed the complimentary basket of sweet pastries delivered to our table. I don't know if this is something they do every Sunday, or if it was just Easter specific, but they were delicious and a great treat. Our server was good as well. She had a light touch--she could sense we weren't in a hurry, so she didn't rush us, but we also never felt neglected. She seemed at ease and knowledgeable which added to the relaxed feel of our holiday. Definitely can't wait to come back, though I do hope their "normal" brunch menu has a little more breakfast, and a little less lunch.

    (5)

  • Jeff E.

    As a huge fan of the Flamestone Grill, I was extremely excited to try out their newest restaurant, the Besa Grill. I attended their recently started brunch, on Easter none the less, and was completely surprised at not only the high level of service, but the quality of food. First, the service was great. Our table for our reservation was already prepared, even though we showed up 10 minutes early. Our waitress was very attentive and checked on us regularly to make sure everything was great. I was especially surprised when the table next to us had a problem with a steak not being cooked as ordered, and the chef himself came out to address the problem, and promptly took care of the lady. Service like that is extremely hard to find these days, and is almost an instant five star from me. The service though is matched in quality by the food. I ordered a Frittata Rancheros, and I was not disappointed. The flavors were great, the ingredients tasted fresh, I could find nothing wrong with it. The fresh complimentary pastries were amazing and I could almost see myself wanting to order just a basket of them. My wife seemed to love the all you can drink Blood Mary bar, and it is a neat little twist that they have it. My seemingly only complaint is that the brunch menu is short on actual breakfast items, as compared to the Flamestone brunch, but seeing as it is only the third or fourth week of brunch service, I imagine they will expand the menu if it becomes succesful. Over all, I highly recommend the Besa Grill for an excellent night, or morning, out.

    (5)

  • Julia J.

    Came for girls night and had a fabulous hibiscus martini, guac and chips ( bacon guac was delish!) and the Besa shrimp. My friend ordered ceviche and that was great too. Very attentive waiter too! I'll definitely be back!!

    (5)

  • Lior S.

    So if being the number one beach town in the US (as voted by USA today for 2013), is not enough, here is another great reason to visit Clearwater: Besa Grill 2542 N McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL (727)400-6900 Www.besagrill.com Nestled in a quiet strip mall off North McMullen Booth Rd, this tucked away secret, is a force to be reckoned with amongst the local culinary establishments! Generally, before visiting a new restaurant I tend to check out their website. However, I must warn you, their current website does not do this local gem justice. The website describes the place as a casual Latin restaurant, and the pictures of the decor are understated and rather misleading. This is certainly not your typical Chevy's or Chili's. In fact, based on these pictures, we were quite surprised to discover a high end and modern decor with designer touches throughout. The quiet and welcoming ambiance with an urban vibe was more befitting South Beach in Miami or Los Angeles. The immense wine selection, enormous bar area, and best of class fusion menu, offers deliciously creative options for the most discriminating palates. Upon arrival, we were welcomed and greeted by an outgoing and knowledgeable general manager, Sam, who was eager to introduce us to the vast selections of wines, show us the wine room, inform us of the upcoming revised menu, which will be launched soon, and other exciting features of the restaurant. I rarely order off the menu, and this time, as usual, I was determined to give the chef a challenge, in order to test his true culinary skills. Since this was lunch time, I decided to go with the chicken sandwich. However, I generally do not enjoy the typical, run of the mill, plain chicken breast sandwich, so after informing our server of my zest for ethnic spices, and my aversion to creamy sauces, I was determined to put his creative skills to the test. Our lunch arrived quickly, and I was eager to give my special selection a try. Dare I say that it was truly a love at first bite! The ciabatta bread was toasted to perfection with slightly toasted crust, with soft and warm dough on the inside. The lean chicken breast had the ideal combination of spices that for those of us that enjoy this type of heat, and had just the perfect bite! This was coupled with a delicious olive tapenade topped with avocado. This marriage was certainly made in heaven! Furthermore, the size of the portion and the height of the sandwich was ideal. It was plentiful, yet manageable to bite into without causing a mess. I elected to give the French, or as I choose to call them, the American fries a chance, since as a wellness advocate; I rarely indulge myself with the starches. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised with these homemade fries. Although they were not the Steak Fries, these were thick, fresh, and very flavorful. Once again I was beside myself to have found another winner in Clearwater! And for that, I had to thank Chef Jesus in person. Furthermore, the ambiance of this restaurant, with its scrumptiously, faux alligator covered booth seats, are an ideal setting for a quiet business meeting, or a private and elegant dinner date with your significant other. The background music was soft and pleasant, allowing conversations to flow comfortably. The private dining area can accommodate up to 14 people, the larger dining area is ideal for larger parties, the ample and comfortable outdoor seating area is pet friendly, and the beautiful oversized round bar is the perfect spot for the Happy Hour gatherings. Based on the outstanding selection of fusion flavors, luxurious modern decor, excellent service, exquisite world wines, and all priced at an amazing value, Besa Grill clearly deserves a 5 star review!!! I cannot wait to come back and I am happy to share this experience with you, so you can enjoy the best beaches with an equally outstanding dining experience as well!

    (5)

  • Lban U.

    Consistently great! I have yet to get a bad dish here. Service is always fast and friendly. I usually flip flop between here and the place next door--Carmel Cafe.

    (4)

  • Jennifer B.

    I get most excited for: 1. Christmas 2. My birthday 3. Tampa food events This is why August 16-30, 2013 is making me a very happy foodie. This is Dine Tampa Bay's 4th Annual Restaurant Week. Combine Dine Tampa Bay with my most-visited and favorite restaurant of 2013, Besa Grill, and I'm doing cartwheels and dancing a jig. Last night I visited Besa Grill for a special taste test and preview of the Restaurant Week menu. It may be the beginning of this post, but if I may make a statement before I dive into the food I consumed: It must be said that when you visit Besa Grill, you can't walk away without trying a cocktail of theirs. Their concoctions are something they are proud of, and rightfully so! I've never had a cocktail that was anything less than stellar at Besa Grill so what does one do when you love the libations so much? Try many, obviously. Hibiscus Martini, Cucumber Ginger Martini, Acai Blueberry Martini, Dragon Berry Mojito. The Hibiscus Martini ranks up there as one of my favorite drinks that I've ever consumed. Ever. Composed of Stoli Vanilla with homemade hibiscus nectar, fresh lemon squeeze and splash of champagne, this cocktail has an impressive flavor, is gorgeous, and very easy to drink. We also tried a glass of Manifesto Sauvignon Blanc which has a super floral note of peaches, pink grapefruit, papaya, Meyer lemon, and a hint of cut herbs with a bold taste of pink grapefruit, orange creamsicle and papaya. It was like fruit juice, but with the sharp wine taste. Definitely something I can drink a whole bottle of. Just saying'. Now onward to the food. OF COURSE Besa would have a prix fixe menu that'll make you wish you had five stomachs. It was a long process deciding just which items to start with. Ultimately, we went with Calamari Fiesta and Avocado Caprese for appetizers. Tender squid with fresno peppers and jalapenos, served with a zesty tomato reduction, made up this Calamari Fiesta dish. I'm pretty particular about the fried breading on calamari. I like to actually taste the calamari and have a good balance of breading and squid. And, I'm pleased to say that Besa Grill knows how its done. This Avocado Caprese was made with the normal caprese elements (tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic), but with avocado (because avocado is awesome). Besa's caprese is a little different though in that their basil-infused oil highlights even more of the herb. I scraped the plate clean. Do you see those shreds of cheese? Yep,those were gone too. For entrees, we decided on the Parisian Chicken, an item I've been eyeing on the Besa menu for quite a while, and the Skirt Steak. The Parisian Chicken was a favorite of the night. Grilled chicken topped with truffle scented arugula, brie, oven-dried tomatoes red onion, served with garlic whipped potatoes and fresh farm vegetables. Squirt the dish with some fresh lemon for a highlighted flavor that just impresses all over again with each bite. If you've read any of my posts where I talk about chimichurri, you know that this vinegar, garlic, herb mix is an obsession of mine. I get abnormally excited when I see it on a menu and have a salivating hunger to try it. Like everything else, I loved Besa Grill's chimichurri, especially when paired with this perfectly grilled, lime-cilantro marinated Skirt Steak. Tender, juicy, amazing. So full from these dishes, we almost skipped dessert. Almost. Oh, who am I kidding? There was no way we were going to walk out of Besa Grill without some treats! These fried yum yums, tossed in cinnamon and sugar, and served with both a cajeta caramel and an abuelita chocolate dipping sauce, made me close my eyes as I experienced a childhood favorite of mine. Churros, in their purest form, are simply amazing. Besa Grill has a dessert called the Impossible Cake. This dessert happens to be my favorite dessert ever (no exaggeration) and happens to be available on the prix fixe menu for Restaurant Week. The Impossible Cake is part flan and part chocolate cake. The cake, being underneath the flan portion, becomes saturated with flan drippings and makes for the moistest cake known to man. As a side note, I DON'T EVEN LIKE CHOCOLATE, but Besa has converted me, at least for this dessert. Well, to be fair to my readers, I decided to order something different: the Fried Banana Cheesecake. It's not that I necessarily minded, but it's just one more dessert that I've tried and can say, "Yep, I've tried it and the Impossible Cake is still the big winner". With that being said, the Fried Banana Cheesecake was crispy and creamy, with dulce de leche ice cream, drizzled with cajeta caramel, and it was delicious. Thank you to Besa Grill for hosting me and my husband for dinner. Thank you to Dine Tampa Bay for having such a thing as Restaurant Week. Thank you to my stomach for expanding enough so I can fit all this food into my mouth hole.

    (5)

  • Rachel M.

    Thanks Nick P. for inviting us to come back, and try your food again. I will reiterate that this place is beautiful, and I love how I know that it is pet friendly, and they do have a nice outside patio. However, when I do go to restaurants, flavor and quality is more important. The food is extremely overpriced for the quality. I had the Twin Pork Medallions - Fire-grilled, serrano agave orange marmalade, kahlua sweet mashed potatoes, with yucca fries - $17. My husband had the Skirt Steak Garlic-lime-cilantro marinated, chimichurri - $18.50. The serving sizes were better this time than the first time. But the flavor/seasoning was still lacking. The Yucca Fries are still the best, but that's probably one of the cheapest things to make. What really influenced my rating was the temperature of the food. It was barely even warm. The Yucca Fries were the warmest, and everything else was coolish/cold. I didn't let the server know because I figured they would just use Chef Mike(microwave). I just dealt with it.

    (2)

  • Jan G.

    Jan Gallant From Magic Eye Communications Has Brunch at Besa Grille in Safety Harbor, Florida It wasn't a beach day, so my friends, Danny Bailey, Catherine Duncan and Jennifer Haley, joined me for brunch at Besa Grille in Safety Harbor, Florida. Upon entering Besa Grille, there is a very pretty outdoor patio for al fresco dining or having a drink while waiting for a table. Sundays are really special. We didn't know it, but they have a Special Drink Bar set up for patrons to 'make their own' mimosas and bloody marys. There is also a spot to make your own vodka and gin breakfast drinks, with all the accrutrements to go with them (like lemons, limes, olives, celery, hot sauce, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, as well as orange-mango juice, orange juice, and orange-pineapple juice). They even have a platter of fresh cold shrimp on a stick with salsa sauce to pick on while you prepare your 'breakfast drink.' Each table had a basket of fresh pastries to start. Our entrees were all very different and tasty in their own right. From French toast, to Eggs Benedict, then poached salmon with veggies, and a killer bean and veggie fratatta! We all loved our respective dishes. This is a great place for brunch, lunch or dinner. The atmosphere is really eclectic and pretty with blue and silver lighting, making each visit feel festive.

    (4)

  • Tony R.

    Besa Grill is one of my favorite restaurants. I have visited many times on on my last visit had shrimp tacos, tableside guac, and a agave margarita. The food and service has always been great and I love the decor. My wife usually gets the steak which has this awesome which is a little pricey but definitely worth it. I am planning on going for brunch soon now that I found this deal online today. livingsocial.com/deals/1…

    (4)

  • Tracey K.

    Update: the owner quickly contacted me and apologized for the horrible experience I had. He sent a gift card and my husband and I had dinner tonight-and it was a really nice experience. Food was wonderful, service was great and I purposefully watched the other servers and manager to see the level of service they gave other customers. I am happy to say it seems my first experience was a rarity (which I am glad). I appreciate the owner's attempt to restore a customer relationship and I am happy too say we will go back to Besa and recommend them to others. Nice job Besa!!

    (3)

  • Lisa N.

    Went for Sunday brunch to meet a friend who lives in the area. Neither of us had been before. We both had reviewed the menu in advance and were excited to try it. The interior is nice. Bold wall colors and everything looks pretty new, cool outdoor lounge seating. My friend and I both started out with the Mimosa/Bloody Mary bar. Unlimited, make your own for $10. Your server brings you a glass and you get started on your own. They provide ice, booze, mixers, and garnishes. The mimosa bar had sparkling wine, several types of oj (mango oj, pineapple oj, etc) different berries and syrups and liquors for mix-ins. I enjoyed my mimosa and my friend liked her bloody mary that she jazzed up with shrimp, pepper, pickles, olives, etc. We returned to the table to find our basket of "fresh baked pastries" (according to their menu). These pastries were sad. There was a small scone, a mini cinnamon wheel, and a raspberry danish. All looked like the standard pastries you would find at a hotel's continental breakfast. I would be shocked if they weren't from Costco or the like. The first basket is free with brunch, seconds are $6. Soon our brunch arrived. My friend ordered the Mediterranean omelet and I had the Quiche Lorraine with fresh fruit (instead of potatoes). Their Quiche Lorraine contained 3 kinds of diced bell peppers (not mentioned anywhere on the menu and not traditional to Quiche Lorraine). Well, I can't eat those so I asked for something else. The manager quickly came over and I asked for scrambled eggs/the traditional breakfast instead. He apologized and brought the dish right out. A dish of heaping scrambled eggs. Nothing else. Whatever. I ate it, they were fine but when the bill came they still charged me for the quiche. The waiter told me that the traditional breakfast that I got was the same price so he left it on. I then inquired what else came with the traditional since I only got eggs (and the side of fruit I took off the plate when they took it away). He told me that it also came with asparagus but I didn't want those (when he was taking away the pepper quiche he did ask me if I wanted to keep my asparagus to which I declined figuring they would be re-plating a new meal for me, not that that would be my only option for a side item). Ugh. I didn't feel like fighting with the waiter about the price but he went to find the manager. Nobody came by and he then dropped my check with a charge for a side of eggs and a side of fruit. Fine. I paid. During this debacle, we went back for seconds on our drinks. My friend works in the restaurant industry (in corporate) and I worked in the industry for almost 10 years. My friend pointed to the ice bucket next to the bloody mary bar. It had a plastic to-go bag inside which held all the ice. She then, noting that plastic to-go bags are NOT food safe, went to the bartender to get a fresh glass and fresh ice. I appreciate the service staff's ingenuity but it shows a lack of training on the management side that something like that would be allowed. In a nutshell, meh. I probably won't be back. Incomplete menu descriptions, poor handling of re-make and bill, and use of a non-food safe baggie to store ice. No thanks.

    (2)

  • Natalie A.

    They redid the menu and are under new ownership-awesome. When they have the Stuffed Mushroom app, take full advantage! The Chiles Relleños are great! Great atmosphere and cool bar area, definitely a great place. Ask for Steven, he's a great server, knows how to pace between appetizers, dinner and dessert.

    (4)

  • Linda P.

    Besa Grill stands out from the rest because they have mastered the art of fusion cuisine, featuring original dishes using varieties of ingredients from various cuisines and regions and combining them successfully. Their menu is an international journey, featuring Mediterranean, Mexican, Cuban, and Asian influences alongside American classic dishes that are inspired combinations of such cuisines. I've enjoyed eating here one several occasions, and my favorite choices include: Chef's ceviche of the day, scooped in an avocado half...fresh and delicious! The jumbo lump crab cakes, with fire-roasted green chili tartar sauce are divine The roasted tomato flatbread, a combination of plum tomatoes, basil, olive oil, fresh mozzarella, parmesan cheese and balsamic drizzle is ample and lovely! The rare seared Ahi Tuna, served with Asian slaw and wasabi is wonderful as is the Salmon, roasted on a cedar plank, topped with mango-chile glaze and accompanied by roasted garlic whipped mashed potatoes. I always enjoy the Besa Fish Tacos, served with black beans & rice. Kudos to the chef for creating an ingeniously eclectic menu, and doing it well!

    (5)

  • P.E. M.

    Hmmm-second time here....still-what is this place? Mexican? Hardly. Eclectic and rather short menu, heavy on seafood, duck, Chicken Parisian...in a "mexican joint?" Seems to be evolving into "Florribean" or International place. Maybe that's what it always was. The menu does have a decent list of steaks as well-I have yet to try any. Well the home made guacamole is always really good, the goat cheese version the best IMHO, and tried the mango-which as one patron remarked "the sweet of the mango overrules the savory of the tomato/avocado/garlic" which was a spot-on description. Greenhorn waitress was somewhat overwhelmed and very confused by drink order (although we were maybe 15 feet from the bartender and she could have consulted quite easily with her). Turned out that some of the tequilas listed on menu were no longer stocked, the ingredients needed for the signature cactus margarita were "out of stock until tomorrow" so not entirely her fault. Manager comes over and makes nice and explains-returns with R-rated sizes shots of tequila. Food? Pretty good-I had aforementioned Parisian Chicken-not what I expected-two skinless breasts on mashed potatoes with a brie and arugala salad on top of it all-clever-tasty-daddy like.Another member of the party had steak tacos (good but pretty hard to fail with that) and another had stuffed Poblano peppers (very good). OK guys let's get that bar situation figured out......

    (4)

  • Laura V.

    Went to Besa Grill for dinner. If you are a wine-o this is the place to be on Thursday night...half of bottles of wine. I am not a wine person but had red sangria. Very good sangria. Guacamole was most excellent as an appetizer. Had the traditional and black bean/corn. Both equally delicious. They have a great house salad. One of the best I've had in a while. Field greens, tomatoes, jicama and house made dressing--fabulous. For dinner I had ahi tuna. I am not a fan of blackened but gave it a try. Too spicy and too salty for me. The sesame crusted ones were great. Veggies were a little overdone to my taste and rice was ok/good. Nothing to rave about. Boyfriend got steak and mashed potatoes. It was good but felt over priced for entrees. I hear brunch is great and will probably try that. Outside of happy hour and appetizers I probably won't return for dinner. Cool atmosphere and nice waitstaff.

    (3)

  • Megan W.

    This past Sunday, myself and 14 other Foodspotters shared a table and multiple plates of food at at Clearwaters Besa Grill. We were introduced to the newly launched Sunday Brunch at Besa. I am currently looking at my calendar, looking for my next adventure to Clearwater where I can experience this brunch again. The first thing that excited me was that Besa Grill has a make your own bloody mary and mimosa bar - I was in heaven, especially when I saw the infused spicy vodka and infused citrus vodka. I promptly made myself a bloody mary, pickle and shrimp included - with the delicious perfectly spicy vodka. Our first dish of the day came out which was one of my favorites of the day. Besa Shrimp - Crispy gulf shrimp in a saracha agave aioli. It had the perfect amount of heat to it without being overly spicy. The pickled jalapenos were a perfect touch to this dish. We then received the Besa Salad with red onion jicama, cucumbers, pumpkin seeds and lime-cilantro vinaigrette. It is my goal to recreate that salad dressing. I would put it on everything! It was beyond. The next dish was Vanilla Bean French Toast - 3 sliced of Texas toast with a cinnamon vanilla bean custard and maple syrup. Where I am typically not a morning sweet tooth, I truly enjoyed this. The fruit was a nice touch and I would order this again! Around this time, I switched over to the Mimosa station, where I made myself a Dessert Pear and Orange Juice mimosa with a ton of fruit garnishes. It was so good, I may have poured me a second! Following the French toast was another favorite of the day - Crab Cake Eggs Benedict - Poached eggs over lump crab cakes with homemade hollandaise and Besa home fries. Many people at the table agreed that using the Crab Cake instead of bread was a perfect option. This truly made the crab cake stand out. Our final dish was Steak and Eggs - Prime Rib w/ two sunny side eggs and Besa potatoes. I really enjoyed the use of prime rib in this dish. At this time, I was beyond full and couldn't truly enjoy this amazing dish. The two bites I did consume were delicious and perfectly prepared. Out came desert and I couldn't say no. A tower of Vanilla Bean Creme Brule and a second tower of flavored Creme Brules - the Nutlella was my favorite of the group. And just when you think it's over, out comes a basket of Churro's with homemade vanilla bean, chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. They were the perfect ending to this wonderful brunch. I look forward to many visits back to this Clearwater gem.

    (5)

  • Kristen C.

    The atmosphere of this place is a bit off. The decor felt cheesy, kind of like a bowling alley maybe? Our server was inattentive and gave me shrimp tacos instead of fish, but he took fault and they took it off our check, which was very nice. The tacos were pretty good, but I wish the fish wasn't fried. It came with rice and beans, which were actually delicious! My husband got a grouper and shrimp meal, which was good, not great. I had the cucumber, cilantro margarita, which was pretty good- strong and not too sweet, but I did ask for the "skinny" version. Overall, it was a little too pricey for the quality of food and inattentive service.

    (3)

  • Cameron E.

    Took my wife here for Valentine's Day this year, and must say I was impressed with the lounge atmosphere and great food. A tad bit overpriced in my opinion, which is what is keeping me from voting 5 stars. Overall, great service.

    (4)

  • Kelleigh M.

    Went here on a groupon and had heard good things. The atmosphere is posh-very Vegas lounge feel to it. We arrived at 645 and their happy hour ended at 7pm. The "specials" menu that the hostess have us said $2 domestic drafts until 7-perfect. They had 3 selections: bud light, magic hat #9 and Stella. When I ordered the magic hat happy hour special, the server informed me that magic hat is $6.90, not $2. Odd-last time I checked magic hat is made in the USA. I changed my order to Stella and she informed me that is not on hh either. So basically, their $2 off hh special is only bud light????? Poor advertising and it started the night on the wrong foot. We ordered the guacamole trio-it was good but nothing phenomenal. It needed some more kick to it. For my entree I ordered the ahi tuna stack. Although the flavor was there, the size was not. Especially for $23. My boyfriend felt so bad that he didn't even try to snag a bite of mine and made the comment that if he took a bite, he'd be eating a good chuck of my meal. We ordered dessert-the flan/chocolate cake with a side of hot chocolate. Let me say it was a shooter and was NOT hot at all-in fact it was cold. We ended up dunking the cake in it because the cake was just meh. oh and when I asked if the cafe con leche was authentic-meaning Cuban coffee and a side of steamed milk, the waitress said no. It's just the regular coffee with milk poured in it. For $4.20, I expect the real deal. Instead we ordered regular coffee. I couldn't see justifying $4.20 for Luke warm coffee and milk. All in all, the meal was fine. If someone was going to take me to besa grill on their dime i wouldnt argue, but I'm not going out of my way to eat here again. I know it's owned by the Pappas family, and I expected more. All in all

    (2)

  • Susan H.

    Great lunch today . Greeted and Seated immediately. Sam, remembered me by name from an event I was @ a couple of weeks ago. I had the Besa salad with the AWESOME honey-lime cilantro vinaigrette dressing and the Havana Cuban Flatbread. HT had the Caesar Salad and the Chicken and Brie Flatbread. Worth the ride from Trinity. So far, have had Sunday Brunch, Lunch, and will definitely will be going to Dinner...

    (5)

  • Irma B.

    We have been waiting for a place like this to open around here, its sheek inside and foods great. My kids love their Duck tacos. They have good mango guacamole, if you like spicy you have to try their habanero margarita....spicy and good. We really enjoyed the crab cake, and the Rib eye with lobster mmmmm,.... We recently tried their duck nachos(my son ordered it) it was very good and its an appetizer big enough to have as your main dish. I ordered their rib-eye but was not impressed this time around,I actually fed off of my sons nachos and we still took some home.Their Habanero margarita still is one of my favorite drinks there.

    (4)

  • Shawna K.

    Besa Grill! Oh what to say! I guess Yelp said it best, you're A-OK I've been to visit you many times and I'm sure I'll go back to spend my dimes You are beautiful inside and out I love your decor without a doubt And a good patio is hard to resist with your cool couches, yours is definitely on my list If only your food was not quite as pricey for the portions and flavor, seems a little dicey But I love the amount of your cocktails that are skinny so that I can enjoy my booze and still stay mini Still a great hot spot for a date night with the hubby you're cool and hip without being too clubby!

    (3)

  • Ben V.

    We visited Besa Grill based on the many good reviews they had on yelp. Besa grill happened to be a part of the Dine In Tampa Bay Restaurant week. When we came in, we were quickly seated, and given menus by our waitress. Our waitress was nice however she made no mention of being a participant of Dine In Tampa Bay We asked the waitress about it and the way she responded gave me the impression that Besa Grill was not interested in advertising this to their customers. This is not something that I have experienced in Philadelphia or NY during restaurant week where the restaurant/staff provide you with both the regular menu and the restaurant week menu to review before deciding which option you will go with. We ordered drinks first- My wife had the mojito which was good but we've had better, and I ordered the guava habanero margarita and then the cucumber margarita. Of the two I liked the Cucumber Margarita which was quite refreshing. We had the calamari as an appetizer which the calamari was good, nothing fantastic but not bad, just average, but it was served with another sauce which was heavy with cumin which didn't taste very good so we ate the calamari on its own for the most part. We've had other non marinara type dipping sauces with calamari in the past from other restaurants that have been fantastic but this fell short. Next, for the main course, I ordered the skirt steak with chimichurri which was quite good (be sure to ask for a steak knife) and my wife ordered the grouper with cheese polenta which she loved and i thought was also very good and the best dish of the evening. The polenta was more of a grits like consistency rather than polenta cake if that is what you were expecting. Lastly, we tried the Incredible Cake which was a double layered cake, with chocolate cake on the bottom and flan on the top. It was good, but nothing special like I had expected based on a previous reviewers rave of it. Overall, we liked Besa Grill. Will we be back? Maybe, but there are so many more places in the St Pete/Clearwater area that we have yet to try.

    (3)

  • Leslie F.

    Recently, my friend invited a group to dinner at Besa for her birthday. I'd heard mixed reviews about the place which was slightly unnerving. I also wasn't too thrilled about having to drive all the way from Tampa to Clearwater on a Thursday night. Wow. No exaggeration at all-this place was absolutely stellar. The service was spot on from beginning to end and the cuisine was near perfect. An eclectic variety of fare; I was so impressed to see how well they executed both Mexican and Italian inspired food. From the indulgent, mouth watering Duck Nachos (that I couldn't stop eating) to the array of fun and unique flat breads, I was in food heaven. Aldo receiving high nods was the Trio Of Guacamole, Avocado Caprese, and the Scallop Ceviche. Their drinks were delicious as well. Cocktails like the Prickly Pear Martini and the Guava Habanero Margarita were not only interesting, they were downright amazing. I will certainly be making the drive to Clearwater more often for this place. I'm left wonderding why I heard mixed reviews at all. With all 7 dishes we ordered, every single one was awesome. Words from the Wise: Get their Duck nachos, the Roasted Tomato Flatbread, and the Avocado Caprese. You can thank me later.

    (4)

  • Blaire O.

    Coming to you live from my couch, still high from my gluttonous crusade on a piece of seven layer chocolate cake, I am reeling once again after a wonderful meal at Besa Grill in Clearwater. If the restaurant hadn't already won me over during a Foodspotting brunch last Sunday, I don't think I would have been mentally prepared for the edible seduction that unraveled before my eyes this afternoon. Oh, Besa, you are a restaurant after my heart. I could tell you about their extremely accommodating servers, or their stylish ambiance. I could go on about the wide variety of cocktails. Hell, I could spend a few good minutes talking about their chef, whose warm and friendly demeanor complements a seriously talented and innovative culinary mind; however, I won't because nothing in this review should compete with the beautiful, delicious food that I am about to bombard you (oh so sweetly) with... The food at Besa is American with a Latin twist, exactly how I like my men (okay, so Derren is French by descent, but you probably haven't met his alter-ego, Jose, who serenades me with Hall & Oates songs... 100% true). Tomorrow is Sunday, so we'll start with brunch, so that you all have a chance to make a reservation before they close (yes, I am that confident); I was invited to this Foodspotting event by friend and fellow blogger, Megan Wood of I Run For Wine, and happily sat amongst other local Foodspotters for a spectacular meal! You should start at their mimosa and bloody mary bar, where you can be whatever kind of alcoholic you want to... I was on antibiotics, so I was playing the role of recovering alcoholic for the day. Nonetheless, I'm pretty sure I had the prettiest drink at the table, since everyone wanted to take a picture of it. My juice look good (sassy accent recommended). Sitting next to Tracy's savory bloody mary, my drink looks oh so innocent. A basket of scones, cinnamon rolls, and banana bread, sprinkled generously with powdered sugar should wake you up, if the effervescent bubbles of the champagne, or the liberal sriracha in your bloody mary hasn't already (yes, I said it, sriracha in your bloody mary). Keeping with that theme, how about some Besa Shrimp, fried and tossed in a chipotle-agave aioli and sprinkled generously with pickled jalapenos? If it isn't clear already, it's seriously time to wake up, and these beautiful, succulent shrimp, with sticky sauce covering their crispy exterior are here to help you. Even out your decadence with a seemingly simple Besa salad.... that is, until you taste this extraordinary dressing. The chef makes an addictive honey-lime cilantro vinaigrette that will have you planning a kitchen heist at the table. The break from carby self-indulgence is short-lived, because even the strictest dieter cannot resist the vanilla bean French toast. It's covered in a rich vanilla bean sauce, syrup, and assortment of berries. You had me at vanilla bean. Crab cake eggs Benedict will certainly do the trick for those of you who just can't commit to a plate of sweet overload this early in the morning. You can forget about the English muffin, Besa has cut out the middleman, and given you a plate where crab and egg can meet exclusively in a pool of delicious hollandaise. You may find it hard to pay attention to the sweet potato hash staring you in the face, but once you have a taste, you'll have an even harder time deciding where to your put your fork next. Last, but certainly not least, the house-cured and smoked bacon, drizzled with balsamic reduction, was made for my mouth. Thick and hearty, this bacon was the perfect compromise between meaty and crispy, just the way I like it.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Accepts Bitcoin : No
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Trendy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Dogs Allowed : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Besa Grill

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