Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
5223 Orient Rd, Tampa, FL, 33610
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood Menu
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Address :
5223 Orient Rd
Tampa, FL, 33610 - Phone (813) 627-7600
- Website https://www.seminolehardrocktampa.com/tampa-restaurants/council-oak
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Dressy
Ambience : Upscale
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : No
Categories
Burgers
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Kayda S.
I had my husband's birthday dinner held on June, 27th for a party of 9 people. Took over 3 hours from start to finish, which is a long dining experience... I ordered 2 Raw Samplers for the table. As I (the hostess of the dinner) was about to eat an oyster; I noticed a little worm moving on the inside of the shell. I did not want to alarm my guests as they all ate parts of the sampler.. I gave the oyster to our server, Diego P and wanted to at least let the server know what was being served. Not once did the manager stop by throughout the course of our meal. As the checks were presented and after payment was taken, I asked to speak to a manager. The GM claimed she stopped by twice, but didn't know who to approach about the situation. This is completely false... The only people that stopped by were part of the service staff. All I was looking for was an apology and a reassurance that the seafood is delivered fresh... She just continued to claim she stopped by the table... Those little details in a guest's dining experience makes a big difference if to return or not...
(2)Atl C.
Great pork chop option and a truly great wine list. Nice ambience. Would be 5 stars if prices weren't a bit too overblown. Great service. Make sure you make a reservation.
(4)Chad L.
It's shocking to see some of the lower reviews on this restaurant. I am glad we were able to experience this for ourselves and I can tell you, this is one of the best meals we have ever had. Council Oak Steaks and Seafood is one of seven restaurants located in Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. We live a few miles away from Hard Rock and this was our first (not last) time dining there. A DELICIOUS appetizer which I strongly encourage anyone visiting Council Oak to try. Filet Mignon Beef Tartare, topped with arugula and quail egg. Words cannot even express how incredible this was. I ordered the wedge salad and it came out with a shot of chilled vodka!!! The bacon that came with the salad was to die for and is also an appetizer. Tip just get this salad and theres a salad and app!!! I ordered the signature 26oz Long Bone Cowboy Ribeye. This steak was dry aged for 21 days and no photo could truly represent it's size. Typically your initials are presented on the bone. When the chef found out my initials it appeared on the bone. Flattery at it's best! The steak was perfect. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared and left you wanting to eat all 26oz. I ate every damn piece there was on that bone! Upon walking in and out of Council Oak, the first thing you will see is the butcher station, where the steaks dry age for 21-28 days. Now this is when things become very exciting for someone who lives 6 miles from the restaurant. The Council Oak Butcher Shop not only cuts the steak on premises daily for the restaurant - but also sells the cuts for those looking to take a nice piece of steak home to prepare themselves! The photo of the long bone cowboy ribeye below shows the magnitude of this beast. Lastly, the atmosphere of Council Oak was romantic. Beautiful lighting all around, while hearing the sound of live piano in the distance. Our table happened to face the open kitchen, where I watched giant steaks, lobsters and one of the best looking cheeseburgers I have ever seen come out of the kitchen.
(5)Steve E.
I was invited to a super early birthday dinner by a certain very lovely ER nurse. She and I have a tough time coordinating our schedules, and so it was a great surprise when Brittany told me that she had scored a night off and made a secret dinner reservation to help me celebrate my birthday. I didn't know where we were headed until I picked her up, and she gave me the driving directions. The little minx had reserved a private table in full view of the big open kitchen at the Council Oak Steakhouse inside of the Hard Rock Casino, knowing that I would thoroughly enjoy watching the kitchen staff prepare our dinner. We parked at the Hard Rock, and made plans to hit the tables after our dinner. Thanks to a very helpful casino staff member, we followed the carpet all the way around the exterior of the casino until we saw the stone walls marking the entrance to the Council Oak restaurant. We checked in at the hostess stand, and really enjoyed the water feature peacefully trickling down the brick wall behind us, which masked the sounds of the nearby slot machines. Just beyond the hostess stand is the open-air meat carving area, and we had a blast watching the butcher pull big slabs of beef out of the special rock salt-lined dry aging room, and slice them up at his work station. He was carving the massive 26-ounce long bone Cowboy Ribeye steaks from an entire side of beef, and we marveled as he carefully trimmed away the fat and then weighed each steak before loading them onto a tray that was bound for the kitchen. There is a display case right out in front showing trays full of each cut of steak, so that you can pick and choose before being shown to your table. Before long the hostess walked us through this very elegant restaurant, and seated us in our private booth in front of the glass walls looking into the kitchen. Tabatha was our waitress, and she was there in a flash to cordially welcome us to the restaurant. It didn't register with me at the time, but she had asked each of us for our names and then made the point to call us by name throughout the evening. Nice customer service touch! Of course Brittany just had to tell her new best friend Tabatha that we were celebrating my 45th birthday a few weeks early. I threatened both of them with being roasted alive over a 1400-degree grill if anyone sang Happy Birthday or paraded a sparkler-laden cake through the restaurant with throngs of cheering wait staff in tow. Bah humbug! I ordered a bottle of one of Council Oak's proprietary red blend wines for our meal, and selected the Estancia, Reserve Meritage. Excellent wine, and very fairly priced! Tabatha had two other people assisting her, and while she was busy opening the wine, a basket of freshly-baked bread with three different spreads appeared on our table. Brittany and I ordered the Oysters Rockefeller to share as our appetizer, and they were baked with the traditional toppings of spinach, parmesan cheese, and a splash of Sambuca. Based upon Mark H's recommendation, I also ordered a crock of their very excellent French Onion soup with caramelized onions, parmesan cheese, and topped with melted Gruyere cheese. For my main course I had the 20-ounce New York strip steak cooked Medium (knowing full well that I'd be taking half of the steak home with me!). My delightful date daintily nibbled on her 8 ounce filet cooked Medium Rare, and gushed eloquently about the flavor of the dry-aged grass-fed beef. (I think that she's been hanging around with a Yelper for way too long!). To that we added a side of Holy-Wowsers-This-Is-Awesome creamed spinach, and nearly licked that serving bowl clean. Throughout the meal Tabatha was constantly checking on us and making sure that our wine glasses stayed full, and that we were savoring each bite of perfectly-cooked steak. She was super-friendly and extremely helpful -- not at all over-bearing. Britt and I really enjoyed looking through the big glass windows into the kitchen, and watching as the cooks took the various cuts of meat off the trays and slapped them onto the sizzling grill. We were able to watch as they prepped the appetizers, soups, and salads, and then artfully-assembled each serving plate with the various sauces and sides. Before long we were both stuffed and sipping the last of our wine, when Tabatha magically appeared and started assembling the Council Oak's legendary 151 Volcano dessert before our eyes. This incredibly decadent, and embarrassingly-showy confectionary delight is made with vanilla bean ice cream covered with Heath Bar crunch and then flambéed with 151 rum tableside. She lit it up (WHOOSH!) and then she and Britt grinned impishly and said Happy Birthday while all the tables around us oooh'd and ahhhh'd. Yeah, they got me! Everything at Council Oak is a la carte, so be prepared for lots of add-on charges. My recommendation is just to just relax, and enjoy an excellent meal with fabulous customer service!
(5)Todd B.
I hesitate going less then 5 stars, because it was free and a good time. Any meal that your boss orders 2 bottles of wine from the expensive pages, plus cocktails, and pays for the whole meal, and you're at a fancy steakhouse, should be a 5 star meal. But this wasn't. Frankly, there are better steakhouses in Tampa. It's a nice restaurant inside the Hard Rock Hotel. You can definitely get a good meal here if you're willing to allow them to bleed your bank account to death (or, have a cool boss). You come here expecting to pay a lot of money though, so I won't comment on the prices except to say that for cheaper, you can get better steaks in Tampa and for probably the same price, you can get some of the best steaks in America at Bern's (or so I am told - I haven't been yet). They had a 40 day aged bone in strip steak as a special. Strip steaks are my go-to at a new steakhouse. Even though the rest of the party ordered the cowboy rib-eye, and raved about how good it was, I went with my standard. It's how I judge any steakhouse and I would absolutely regret not getting it. If I got the rib eye and loved it, then I would have assumed the strip was awesome, too, and would have preferred ordering it. As it is, I went with the strip and it was disappointing. Had a better strip steak at both Flemings and Ocean Prime. That isn't to say it wasn't good - obviously it was good - it just wasn't the best in Tampa and therefore, not worth the 5th star. We also got creamed spinach and baked potatoes, which were delicious. For an appetizer, we got one mammoth stone crab claw each, which were superb - my god they were good. Finally, the rest of our party got salads, but I got a lobster bisque that I wanted to bathe in, but they would have kicked me out, so I decided to eat it instead. Honestly, I should have just gotten stone crab claws and lobster bisque, and I would have had a 5 star evening. Our service was a bit sub-par. She was very pleasant and knew her stuff and joked with us, but she disappeared for long stretches. I admit that you expect slower service at a fancy restaurant and I don't want to be rushed. But, she never came around to refill wine glasses and may have checked on us once. Yes yes, we are not incompetent and can pour our own wine from the decanter. Well, I'm incompetent - seriously, I'm an idiot. Anyway, the point is that when you pay an exorbitant amount of money for dinner - you expect a level of service. You almost expect them to chew your food for you, but that would be gross and I just threw up a little. so cancel that. At the least, you expect them to decant your wine and return to pour it and you expect to at least see your server occasionally in case you need something, and we didn't have that here. Council Oak is a fine steakhouse. If you're at the Hard Rock and gambling and drinking and want a good dinner, then you should definitely come here. It is good. It is very good. However, it is not the best and if you're closer to downtown Tampa, Westshore or South Tampa, there are better places to go.
(4)Dawn D.
We celebrated a birthday here recently. The food was spectacular but the service was underwhelming. We told the hostess we were celebrating a birthday. They made us wait for our table and then proceeded to seat us at a table right next to the kitchen where the noise of dishes clinging was incessant. In addition, they just carelessly stuck a candle in the piece of cake we ordered and made no effort to sing or make the birthday special. I visited before and they used to make the visit special by displaying the options on a tray. Again, great food but underwhelming execution. I expected more from this place and was disappointed.
(3)Jeremy H.
My wife and I visited Council Oak for our anniversary last year (after winning $800 at the blackjack tables, yay! ;) ) and we were not disappointed. This is an upscale steakhouse, much like Ruth's Chris (tablecloths, hot towel, the whole shebang). Under our waiter's recommendation, I had the "Cowboy Rib-eye", a 24 ounce monster rib-eye with the bone-in. It was really cool because they asked me what my initials were and when my food came out, my initials were seared into the bone! All the meat here is certified USDA prime, so a steak aficionado such as myself will find this place heaven. The sides were also superb, and the drinks were mixed perfectly. The decor is very modern, and the setting is intimate. You aren't going to be feeling like you're sitting in your neighbor's lap. There are candles on the table, perfect for a romantic dinner. In the back of the restaurant, you have a huge glass wall where you can see your food being prepared, and there is a huge meat locker where you can see just how fresh their beef is while it is aging. Reservations are recommended here because the place is kind of small, and usually busy because of it being attached to Hard Rock Casino, and if you get there a little early, you can enjoy live music and a drink before dinner at the lounge. The bartenders were all nice and they mixed my drinks well. The only reason this place didn't get five stars was because of the price. Yes, you get what you pay for, but Council Oak is one of those places where someone like me may eat once a year, if not once a lifetime. Definitely try this place out if you want to celebrate a special occasion with your significant other or loved one!
(4)Meagan V.
People say that Bern's is the best steak house in Tampa. While I do agree that the food is magnificent and the atmosphere is unbeatable, I have to disagree that they have the best steak in Tampa. We have had steak at Council Oak several times now and each time I can't believe how amazing the steak is! The cowboy ribeye is to die for! It is pricey, but you get a serious piece of meat and it is well worth every cent. You can also purchase meat from the butcher to take home and prepare yourself.
(5)Collin S.
Any steakhouse aficionado will leave satisfied, and the atmosphere is quiet enough where you can still enjoy a conversation. A bit pricey compared to other equivalent steakhouses in the area (the only thing keeping it from 5 stars), but the quality and service is excellent. When you walk in you can see the massive glass enclosed kitchen where your beef is aging. All the cuts are excellent, but I really enjoy the N.Y. Strip. It's served both with and without the bone, but really takes well to the aging. The french onion is excellent as well, and the Council Oak Corn is just incredible. I think that's bacon in there, but there must be something else as well to make it that delicious. The service I've received has always been outstanding as well. Servers are friendly but still make sure you have everything you need, and aren't afraid to make recommendations on both sides and wines. Another outstanding addition to Tampa's already large allotment of great steakhouses.
(4)Sean R.
FANTASTIC if you feel like emptying your wallet. Worth every penny
(5)Ryan K.
Simply a great steakhouse. A bit pricey but it is located inside the casino so not surprising. The raw oysters are fresh (rockefeller are amazing also) and the bacon appetizer is so straightforward but worth every penny. It's literally just a few pieces of thick (thick!!!) cut bacon. Not sure what they do to it but I wouldn't mind having one piece a day for the rest of my artery clogged life! The french onion soup is served in a goblet and tastes just as regal as it looks. The steaks are huge and delicious. I get mine Pittsburgh style (look it up and try it if you've never tried it) and it was cooked to medium rare perfection. The service is great and there is the perfect amount of checking up on you without the annoyance of someone asking you how everything is every 2 minutes. If you were able to win any money or just want to treat yourself to a fantastic steak dinner/dining experience than check out Council Oak....if you lost your shirt, I'm sure you can get a comp for the buffet FUN FACT: Some of salads (baby iceberg, chopped salad) come with a shot of vodka and blue cheese stuffed olive!!
(4)Cindy W.
Wow...AWESOME Steak Had dinner here on a Saturday night. Service was attentive, fun and outstanding. FOOD WAS INCREDIBLE. Great place for a steak. This has passed Ruth's Chris as my favorite steak place. Can't wait to come back!
(5)Lisa M.
Ate here last night for the first time and my boyfriend & I DEFINITELY want to go back.....both food & service were top notch! We were started with water, warm moist towels and a delicious bread basket with butter, sun dried tomatoes & goat cheese! Here is what we ordered to share and it was PLENTY of food: *Bone in Cowboy Ribeye-$60 (steak only, no sides included) cooked & seasoned perfectly....an amazingly delicious steak, we did not use any sauce at all....it was that good! *Side of Lobster Mac & Cheese-$16 (big chunks of lobster & very creamy. *Lobster Bisque-$10 (very yummy & creamy but a bit sweeter than I am use to) If you have a chance to visit here we highly recommend!
(5)EJ P.
I DID NOT HAVE STEAK. I had seafood. And it was OK. No big deal, and very expensive. However this restaurant has a bar that is a welcome respite from the noisy smoky casino.
(3)Saundra B.
Best steak ever! Worth every penny!! Do not waste your time at Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Texas de Brazil, or any of the other chain restaurants.. Bring your $$ and come here immediately! I'm not kidding you, this place has ruined steak for me because I am constantly comparing my meal to this incredible flavor and quality. Can't wait to come back for more!!
(5)Lisa W.
We attended a holiday party at the Council Oak and everything was perfect. The service was definitely 5 star, as was the food. We started with a seafood tower, then had mozzarella/tomato salad with a variety of tomatoes. Both were delicious. And, definitely get the bread basket. The focaccia bread is perfect and delicious. My favorite topping with the bread basket was the goat cheese... Yum! Wish I could have taken that home. My filet was cooked to perfection. We shared a bunch of sides and all were tasty: lobster mac n cheese (my favorite side), roasted Brussels, creamed corn and roasted potatoes. For dessert, I had the peanut butter/chocolate/banana deliciousness. One of the best desserts I've had in a long time. This restaurant is definitely expensive and a special occasion restaurant, in my opinion.
(5)Jerry H.
If I am going to be charged outrageous, ridiculous, incredibly overpriced prices, it'd better be perfect. It wasn't. $40 for an 8 ounce filet and it came out overcooked and almost cold (the waitress told me that "medium rare usually comes out cold"-REALLY???). The meat is aged in salt rock and apparently absorbs most of the salt. It was way too salty. The first steak went back and a second one came out, very rare with a charred crust on top. Now the charring is fine with me, but the cut of meat was terrible. It was stringy and lacked any real flavor. That was sent back as well (I think that is only the second time I've ever done that). I switched to the seared ahi tuna and while that was OK, I've had much better many, many places. Well, at least the french onion soup and the water were good. The service was fine, but the absurd prices and botched steaks (this is supposed to be a "steak place"???) will make this a one time visit. Council Oak can't hold a candle to either Bern's or Charley's, Ruth Chris or Fleming's. Not even close.
(1)Boon C.
Pricy restaurant but is worthies for it name. When you walk into the restaurant, you can see their aged beef display at the restaurant front. Impressive. Most of time you will see the worker prepare the lamb chop in front of the aged beef. They shave off the unwanted fat from the ribs bone and ready for grilling. Someone may ask me why steak predominate restaurant and eat the sea food. This restaurant may be the only one serve the African lobster. The price $65 provide two big tail and you can share one with your mate. This lobster tail is will preserve and fresh to deliver from Arica. The tail immediately came off from the shell and easy to eat. We also order the bearing sea king crab. The preparation is great. We enjoy our meal. Although it is expensive but is worth the money. The only thing downside is not about the restaurant. Due to the restaurant locate in the casino, the gambler usually smoke in the casino. You have to pass through this area to get to the restaurant. The service is good. We always like to see our neighbor what they have ordered when we are in the high class restaurant. The high roller or the winner is usually treat themselves a big steak. May be I should try them on my next visit.
(4)Mark H.
My recommendation, go with someone you love (or like a lot), order the 20 oz. NY strip and split it. It's a great bargain at $55 and if you split it, you're looking at $27.50 for 10 oz. of high quality steak. Could one person eat the whole thing? Sure, if they're lacking testosterone and they're trying to come across extra masculine in front of people. The sides and steak toppings are all a la carte, so if you want mushrooms and blue cheese, that will be an extra $15, thank you. Cha-ching. Again, not so bad if you're splitting the steak. Caprese salad = One of the best out there. $12 for 3 tomato slices and two pieces of mozzarella isn't bad, if (guess what?) you're SPLITTING IT. Do you see a theme developing here? =) French onion soup = Face melting. I long for the days of when The Colonnade was a great place to go and experience the best French onion soup in this quadrant of the galaxy, but they're long gone. There is a new French onion soup in town, and it's right here at the Council Oak. Refreshingly, they use Gruyère cheese instead of the standard issue Provolone. This makes for more of a sweet and salty cheese topping as opposed to the sharp and smoked flavor of Provolone. Hands down, best there is. Mojitos are very good as well, but at $12.75 a piece, not worth it. Drink before you go and save the money because ain't no damn mojito worth almost $13 freaking bucks. Volcano dessert, while it is impressive to watch the waiter set shit on fire next to your table, skip it. Go grab an Oreo Blizzard from DQ on your way home, pour two shots of rum in it and light a match. Boom! You just saved $15. Service = exemplary. Had a 6 o'clock reservation and we were seated immediately. Waiter was on the ball. No actual complaints other than the incessant sound of the saw buzzing in the butcher shop. That got old real quick. Better than Bern's? Nope, but certainly more economical if you do it right. Split, share and SPLIT!
(4)Michael C.
Yet another great experience. Excellent food, excellent overall service, great atmosphere. As with most fine dining establishments some of the staff can be a bit uppity at times, but it doesn't hurt your overall experience, and its never the head waiter either. You are most certainly getting your money's worth at the table.
(5)W W.
We consider this the Best Steakhouse in Tampa!! Have been several times. The steaks are fantastic (you see them being butchered as you walk in....you can even buy them from the butcher to take home). We have enjoyed the sides as well (they are very large, so share). I also had the Surf & Turf once and the Lobster Tail was also great. This place is expensive and it should be. Make reservations.
(5)Donald H.
A bit over-priced but very tasty steaks...! wait staff was very good...!
(4)Liz M.
We really enjoyed Council Oak for dinner. It was nice to be able to get in, on a very slow Tuesday night. We got served right away by a really great waiter. The bread basket is really yummy. We ordered the meat & cheese platter and bacon as an appetizer. It was delicious. The serving size was perfect. My husband ordered the porterhouse and it was cooked perfectly. I got the grouper, and it was wonderful. We will definitely return.
(5)Maria C.
The food was excellent. The decor...fabulous, service....fantastic. For a restaurant known for their steaks you should know how to cook them the right temperature. My husband and my friend both ordered medium well and had to send it back because it was in the medium to medium rare side. A chef from a fine dining restaurant should know how to cook a steak. Other than that it tasted delicious. Try their bacon......to die for!
(4)Scott D.
This is a take it or leave it type place for me. Steaks are good when cooked right but all three I have been here times they have been cooked wrong and had to send it back. I eat mine well done. How hard can it be to cook it well done? My wife eats hers medium rare. She has never got one cooked better than rare but she just eats it undercooked. Pretty expensive on top of that. Service is hit or miss. Will probably go again but just to use my comp dollars before they expire.
(3)Christina M.
I went here once for a friend's birthday and it was quite a memorable experience. The atmosphere is upscale and classy and there are nice touches throughout the restaurant. The service was great and the food, quite exceptional. I only wish I could grant this place 5 stars but I believe the prices are too exorbitant. They should have larger portions or lower their prices.
(4)Michael P.
On of the top steakhouses in Tampa! Pricey but for this type of quality, I don't mind it one bit. I always go for the Filet. It never ceases to amaze me. The wait staff is of exceptional value to this place, they are so friendly and know the menu in and out right off the top of their head. They have excellent dessert too.
(5)Robert W M.
One of, if not the best steak and seafood restaurant in Florida. Great food, service, and quality. For some it may be a little pricey, but well worth it for a special occasion. We had a great experience, enjoying every bite. Our steaks were tender and well seasoned. The side portions were served family style. I do not have a negative thing to say except the bread bowl filled us up, the condiments that came with it decadent. Get the filet mignon or the NY strip, you will not be disappointed. We will go back again, soon.
(5)Claire K.
Pretty good, all things considered. In two visits, we had: Filet (very lovely) French Onion Soup (pretty good) Caprese Salad (deelish) Spinach Salad (super yum) Wedge Salad (he liked it!) Peppercorn & Bernaise Sauces (Skip the Au Poivre, blah. Bernaise, tasty) Daphanoise Potatoes (Salty, but good) Garlic Mashed Potatoes (very good) The complimentary bread basket is noteworthy! 2 different breads, 3 different spreads. I love butter. Service was exceptional, the price tag comparable to other upscale steakhouses. Everything is a la carte, which tacks into the cost quite a bit. Presentation is great, ambiance pretty darn cool.
(4)Eric S.
The food is outstanding - what more could a carnivore want than to see the butcher in action backdropped by row after row of drying beef. Our server could've been a bit more attentive and skillful with the wine decanting/pouring. After decanting a second bottle of wine, he poured it directly into my glass. Aren't you supposed to wait a bit?
(4)Josh A.
My fiancee and I went there last night and had a reservation to celebrate our engagement from earlier in the day. We sat down in the dining area and were given a drink menu by a young lady. She said she would be right back to grab our order. 20 minutes later she never came back so we got up to order our drinks at the bar. She never came back to find us or anything which is unacceptable. We had a couple friends join us and then went to our table. We told our waitress we had 8PM VIP tickets to the Fray/Train concert and she said no problem. We had our orders in just before 7PM. 7:55 came and we finally got our food after complaining to our waitress about why it took almost an hour to get our food. It got worse...She recommended the broiled or steamed lobster tail with the surf and turf for 2 of us who ordered it. When it came out, both of our lobster tails were rock hard and very chewy/over cooked. The gentleman and waitress offered new ones but we were already at 8:30 and missing a lot of our concert and had no time to wait, nor did we want to reheat a lobster tail the next day. All they offered was to take the 2 lobster tails off the bill which was unacceptable. We spent $400 between the bar and dinner. We didn't have time to address this appropriately, and finally just asked for the bill to get out of there. We missed half of our concert and had very poor service and food. I really hope someone gets back to me on here from Council Oak to make this right. I looked on their website for a place to address concerns and I didn't find one. Josh
(1)Lori L.
Went here when it was Floyd's & the food & entertainment was soooo good & went here on Sat & the food is still amazing!! Couldn't get enough of the scrumptious colossal stone crabs! The claws & the sauce it came with was so delicious! I also order 2 dozens oysters on the half shell & still delicious! My husband ordered the lamb chops & mushrooms & it tasted as good as it looked! My g-friend & I split a NY strip & it was cooked to perfection! My perfection is medium rare! Yummy! Drinks were good & wait staff awesome! It's a bit pricey so we'll be going here for special occasions. The only negative is walking through the really, really smokey casino. The smoke doesn't effect you in the restaurant but once your out of the restaurant...don't inhale!!
(5)Tamara S.
Really really good. Steak and crab legs. Yummy. Pricey but well worth the luxury. Service was wonderful, personable and attentive. Highly recommend for a special night.
(5)Nicole F.
We LOVE this place. They seriously have the BEST steak I have ever had at any high end steak restaurant. The service, the food, the ambience, everything. Hands down great!
(5)Blinda W.
A. M. A. Z. I. N. G. Food and service is very good!! Great atmosphere, very romantic! I always order the pork chop. Sounds boring I know, but this it not your ordinary pork chop!! It's butterflied and served with a lemon sauce and capers. So yum's!!!! Corn is a MUST!!! Everything that we have had here is off the charts!! Do ask the price of their specials!!!! I almost ordered a $100 steak!! Thank God a friend with us asked the price HA!! Otherwise I would have been washing dishes ;)
(5)Jack S.
Probably my favorite steakhouse in the area and who would have guessed it was in the Hardrock? They dry age their steaks in house and as you walk into the restaurant you can see racks upon racks of beef aging amid giant blocks of pink salt. I highly recommend the cowboy ribeye. It comes out with a big Flintstones style bone sticking out that almost makes you want to pick it up and gnaw on it. When it comes to beef, I really prefer dry aging over even Wagyu style and they do it right here. Sides are very solid too, lobster mac and cheese was my wife's fave and black truffle fries are excellent. Service is good and good selection of single malts. The only downside that I wish they would correct is that the bathroom is outside in the casino and up a floor. Fine dining should really have it's own bathroom. In this case, I'll make an exception.
(5)Lance L.
Atmosphere was great. I would have given it 5 stars if the seafood was great. So I guess I shouldn't order seafood at steak restaurant. Next time I come I will order steak. Service was great too.
(4)cubino O.
Definitely one of the best steak restaurants in Central Florida area. We ordered the cowboy ribeye (medium rare), porterhouse (medium rare plus) and the filet (medium rare plus) and they were all delicious! Price is definitely reasonable considering the amount of food they give you. Service was excellent. Bonita took care of us very well! A great place to go for a special occasion or if you're craving some yummy beef!
(4)Dean D.
I'd like to say this place was fabulous, their beef certainly is top notch. Service, at least this night, was the pits. Sat in the lounge area, it wasn't even busy. The two girls were running about frantically, yet we sat for most of the night with our used dishes piling up and glasses empty. Escargot appetizer, stone cold. One of us ordered Caesars Salad with no anchovies, somebody dropped it and ran away. Anchovies for all, thank you very much. Entree was outstanding, they do serve a good filet. For this kind of money, you deserve only exceptional service and this night was a clear miss in that regard.
(2)Megan W.
Council Oak Steaks and Seafood is one of seven restaurants located in Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. We live a few miles away from Hard Rock and this was our first (not last) time dining there. I have seen some biased reviews on Yelp but am glad we experienced it for ourselves. This meal was one of the best we have had in 3+ years living in Tampa. My fiance Gabe and I started off with Blue Point Oysters on the Half Shell. They were served with horseradish, cocktail sauce and mignonette. We devoured them in a second, wishing for more. Why does this always happen with Oysters!! Up next was a DELICIOUS appetizer which I strongly encourage anyone visiting Council Oak to try. Filet Mignon Beef Tartare, topped with arugula and quail egg. Words cannot even express how incredible this was. We will be feasting on this dish quite often in a few weeks while visiting Paris, but it will be difficult to compare to Council Oaks. Gabe ordered a 26oz Long Bone Cowboy Ribeye, the signature steak at Council Oak. This steak was dry aged for 21 days and no photo could truly represent it's size. Typically your initials are presented on the bone. When the chef found out my twitter and instagram handle, it appeared on the steak. Flattery at it's best! The steak was perfect. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared and left you wanting to eat all 26oz. Gabe ate about half of this before he waved the white flag. Since I am technically on my wedding diet, I went for the healthiest steak option, ordering the 8oz filet mignon. I typically order filets at restaurants and can say with utmost certainty that this filet had more flavor than any other I have ever tried. I love this cut because it melts in your mouth but the filet is not known for it's flavor. If you want flavor, you go for what Gabe ordered. At first bite, my mouth was shocked. I didn't say a word and gave Gabe a bite - only to have him exclaim the same as I was thinking. Shockingly, the most impressive dish of the evening does not go to a steak.....it goes to a side dish. Prior to entering Council Oak, we were told there was a side dish we couldn't leave without ordering - Lobster Risotto Jambalaya. We love lobster, risotto and jambalaya.....so we decided to go for it and both freaked out. As I am writing this, I am fighting a strong urge to call Council Oak and order this to-go. Living 6 miles from this restaurant is going to be dangerous. The amount of lobster in this "side dish" was no joke. While I do not know the total pound, I am going to guess a minimum of one whole Maine Lobster. Chunk after chunk of perfectly prepared lobster meat, inside of perfectly spiced jambalaya and risotto instead of rice.....I mean, it doesn't get any better than this. I also ordered a side of wild mushrooms in garlic butter who sadly didn't get much attention. My fork kept finding it's way back to the Risotto. Upon walking in and out of Council Oak, the first thing you will see is the butcher station, where the steaks dry age for 21-28 days. Now this is when things become very exciting for someone who lives 6 miles from the restaurant. The Council Oak Butcher Shop not only cuts the steak on premises daily for the restaurant - but also sells the cuts for those looking to take a nice piece of steak home to prepare themselves! The photo of the long bone cowboy ribeye below shows the magnitude of this beast. Lastly, the atmosphere of Council Oak was romantic. Beautiful lighting all around, while hearing the sound of live piano in the distance. Our table happened to face the open kitchen, where I watched giant steaks, lobsters and one of the best looking cheeseburgers I have ever seen come out of the kitchen.
(5)Joey B.
Let me start out this review by saying, my family and I are frequent visitors of the Council Oak. We probably go once a week and sometime every other week. We had an experience last night, that will probably stop us from ever visiting establishment again. We pay very good money to go to this restaurant. Last night, that was not the case. We raved about this restaurant to a relative from New York and we decided why not take him out and let him see for himself. It all started out great, a normal dinner. We got our usual waitress, Karen, who by the way is wonderful. Absolutely nothing wrong with the wait staff. She was very attentive as usual. Then comes time to order. We order 3 long bone ribeye. It took a little while longer for our steaks to get out to us, which was understandable being a holiday weekend. We finally got our steaks and 2 out of the 3 steaks came out RAW, completely charred on the outside and RAW on this inside. My wife and I share a steak and she automatically pushed her steak to the side and wouldn't touch it. They took it back to the back and recooked it. It comes back and it is even more charred on the outside and STILL RAW on the inside. At that point my mother who was with us as well decided it was time to get someone. The kitchen manager, I believe, came over and offered to make another steak. We finally got that steak out to us after about 30 minutes. All of our sides were cold, our dinner guest had already finished his food. We cut into our steak, STILL RAW. So raw that when we cut it open, it was still bleeding. Finally we had enough and my mother decided it was time to get a manager. It took the manager another probably 20 minutes to get out to us. When she finally came out, the first words that came out of her mouth were "What's wrong now". The whole time this lady was talking to my mother, she was beyond condescending. Basically telling my mother all she does is complain and they just can't "please" her. Telling my mother the way she orders her steak is incorrect. Then she took the steak out that mind you, had TWO BITES taken out of it. This lady had the audacity to say, "You've pretty much ate all of it, huh, must of been real bad". At that point, our guest from out of state had to walk away because of the absolute rudeness coming from this manager named April. She begins telling my mother how she has dealt with my mothers complaining on multiple occasions. Which is very untrue. My mother has only complained one other time in the probably 100+ times they've been there and it was for the same thing. My mother spoke to a pregnant woman that time, which was not this very rude condescending woman. This lady should not be allowed in the hospitality business. She cannot treat a paying customer with one ounce of respect and treats them as though they are the dirt on the bottom of her boots.
(1)Duane D.
I will flesh this out for you, but let me sum it up quickly: This is a good steakhouse, but very overpriced. The good -- the restaurant itself is very nicely appointed and interesting to look at. I love the modern style and the use of rich, contrasting woods. The open kitchen is very appealing, as is the "butcher shop" up front. The acoustics are fine, and the place is not overly loud or depressingly quiet. The atmosphere is very good. The service was also good. At times we waited a bit too long for things, but overall our waiter was very pleasant and attentive. He was not a big upseller, which I don't care for. Good marks for service. The food was very good -- but not so good as to be particularly memorable. My steak was pretty tasty, although slightly undercooked. The sides were good, but not great. The onion soup and the salads were nice. The volcano desert was good, and the whole flambe at the table thing was interesting. However, the prices are quite high in my opinion. An 8 oz. filet mignon was $38 a la carte. The sides are large enought to share, but not for more than 2-3 people at most, and ran 9 to 12 for most. It all adds up, and our bill for two people (with no alcohol) was over $140 before gratuity. All in all, it was a good meal, but I wouldn't go back without a good reason. I could have a better meal at Berns or Ruth's Chris -- and the Berns meal would be about 2/3 the price.
(3)Caitlin C.
I went on Valentine's day. The bread basket was great and large. I had a mojito that was really great. Now you're probably wondering why I have two stars. This is a steak place and the steak I had was bland, boring and over cooked. I didn't bother sending it back because it took 30 mins to cook in general. We also had the lobster which was also over cooked. If you like over cooked over priced food feel. It's really not worth it. But the sides are really good. So I suggested if you find yourself here stick to sides and appetizers and drinks. Pass on main courses. It was bad.
(2)Scott R.
This is a great place for steak lovers, they also have seafood that is great as well. Unfortunately they don't have a fresh salmon dish to offer for the seafood foodies!! Side dishes are served family style and are huge so if your a party of 4 1 side order can feed all of you no problem. Probably with some left over! The atmosphere is like any other casino fancy steakhouse. Always great!! I think casino steakhouses are very overpriced. But that's due to the comps they give out. The servers are always pleasant. There is also a bar lounge area as well but those cocktail servers you can see have attitudes unless your a regular there. They don't hide that at all. If you can ask for the server Richard you will be in great hands!!
(4)Michael P.
probably the best steak i've ever had (and i've had many), great carrot cake too!
(5)Steven L.
DO NOT LET THE STEAKS ON THE FRONT DISPLAY FOOL YOU...Steaks are under seasoned and just tasteless! Place is very classy and clean. Inside the Hard Rock casino. Come here and grab a drink, grab a seat, and on watch the live band play. Service is attentive but very fake. I know the waitresses are doing their jobs and they have to be nice to everyone, but you can just sometimes tell deep inside their friendliness is all a show and they're just plain bitchy...good thing they don't show it and try to give a smile. Ordered a porterhouse, and it came out medium as we asked, but there was no flavor whatsoever. The char and grill on the steaks seemed okay, but the flavor was just plain bland and nonexistent. We ordered the steak around 12am midnight, maybe the head chef was already gone..? Because this steak could not have been cooked by a pro. The cocktail shrimp appetizer comes with 4 huge tiger shrimps with cocktail sauce. This was so much better than the porterhouse.
(3)Jason T.
Excellent, food, excellent service. Attractive, dim and atmospheric and complete with musical entertainment (in the lounge where we had dinner.) Very pricey (expect to pay in the $300 neighborhood for 2 for dinner, and that's without going crazy) but a nice experience overall. (And since it's in the casino, maybe you can pay for your dinner with your winnings.)
(5)Michelle M.
We had my bachelorette party dinner at Council Oak Steaks and Seafood in the Hard Rock Casino. This restaurant gets packed so make sure you make dinner reservations! Even though we had dinner reservations we had to wait thirty minutes for a table. The wait wouldn't have been that bad, but we were in heels and there was no seating area to wait at. The restaurant is GORGEOUS. From the moment you walk up to the hostess stand you see the brick wall with beads of water trickling down it. The restaurant is very classy and modern and has a large open kitchen. I love that diners are able to look into the kitchen because you never know what kind of environment your food could be cooking in... everything looks clean and sterile in the Council Oaks kitchen! The prices aren't cheap, so save this spot for a night that you want to splurge on a good steak. There wasn't a single item we ordered that wasn't cooked to perfection. The USDA Prime dry aged filet mignon melted in your mouth. We got a side of perfectly steamed asparagus to accompany our steaks. Our table also got a macarroni dish for the table to split and it was to die for! I finished the meal off with a creme brulee... so good! It was a huge portion so I split it with my sister.
(4)R B.
Awesome place, steak and atmosphere. Love this place. Cowboy ribeye rocks my world. You will love this place. Bar is a great area to hang out next door. I dont gamble but i love this place. Great place to bring a hot date ;-)
(5)Alicia P.
First visit, went with Mom and husband. Now, since you're already in the Hard Rock and spending an afternoon and night, you don't leave to eat. This option was already in thought when we went, so we made a reservation and reserved a booth. Reserve the booth if you haven't - it's a great view. There's all of 3 of them. Facing the all glassed in kitchen. Very nice kitchen. Clean, neat, watch your steak get grilled. So my husband had the Cowboy ribeye. WOW it's pricey. Not his favorite cut because it's so fatty. It was good, but he wouldn't do that steak again. Nice touch with the huge bone and his initials carved into it. But he'd go with a strip steak next time. My porterhouse was nice. A little too much fat on the strip side for me. More leftovers for dinner 2 nights later.... It was good, but I wouldn't get it again for that price (everything is a la carte like a lot of steakhouses, but not all....) My Mom got the pork chop milenesa. Now. This was FABULOUS. I had some of it for leftovers 3 days later and OMG it was WONDERFUL and one of the less expensive entree choices on the menu. Seriously spectacular. We had a shrimp cocktail It was 4 jumbo shrimp. For $18. Really? They could have done 6 shrimp and at 3 bucks a piece would have still made a killer margin on them. They were good, don't get me wrong, but not worth $18 for 4. The cocktail sauce was awesome! We had the lobster bisque. I split it with my husband. It was really good. Top of the line. One of the best, flavor-wise. It was just a tiny bit loose. Overall, very very good. And we would get it again and split it! We all 3 split one salad. It was definitely enough. We all split a side of garlic mashed potatoes. They were good. And we all split the tower of onion rings. They were oily and don't reheat well (even broiled). Overall, we'd go again but we wouldn't get those steaks and wouldn't make a special trip. Now that we have experienced quite a bit on the menu. We still have to try the seafood side and we will order much less food! We didn't get to try dessert - will have to save room next time. Added note: Forgot to mention that they have live music, sometimes a trio, sometimes acoustic, sometimes a solo artist. Have been here since this last review and sat right in front of the stage to listen in on the great music!
(4)John W.
This place is worth a trip. Got the NY strip and it was very good. Get one of the dry aged steaks at the top of the menu. The filet my girlfriend got was very good but not as good as the dry aged steaks. Didn't try any seafood but the lobster at the table next to us looked good. Friends were getting the tab for my bday so got sides they wanted, corn and roasted potatoes. Corn was good with bacon and cream sauce, skip the potatoes, they were just OK. If I was there by myself they have better sounding sides. The service was slow but good, worked out well to catch up with friends but might of been too slow for a couple. Dessert was their biggest failure, nothing you'd expect at a restaurants like this. Saved room but then didn't order anything.
(4)Jim B.
Waitress was nice, lobster was good, but both our steaks came to us cold. Sent them back with the same results. The Head Chef came out and said they slow cook the steak at 108 degrees (yes 108!). With my body temp at 98 I can see why the steak was cold. It was also very salty! They only took the steaks off the bill and we stall paid $177 plus tip, for the two of us. Avoid if you you are looking for a good steak. Everything else was great.
(1)Mike L.
Chose this restaurant because my wife and I were on a one day visit from Orlando. We were in the mood for fine dining and this is the only choice in the casino aside from an asian noodle bar, sandwich shop, sushi bar and the Hard Rock itself. I had the Surf and Turf with an 8oz Filet and lobster tail. The filet was not grilled evenly on both sides. You can view the chef's preparing your meal through a giant glass window and it did not appear as though she was under stress to get the food out quicker. I did notice, however, that she was using a quick read thermometer which may be the cause of the uneven cooking. I asked for medium rare on an 8oz filet (which I have had many, many times. One side was a bit purple just below the surface of the meat. The other side had lost its rosey appearance altogether. An inexperienced grill person using an instant read thermometer would not have known the difference. Maybe there is a policy of not touching the meat, I don't know - I just know the end result. The lobster tail was quite good but I prefer my lobster a bit underdone off the grill to account for carry over heat. It was a little tough. The gravy boat that the clarified butter came in was too large for the amount needed. I wondered if they ran out of the regular vessels. The bread basket was well thought out and tasty. What they call focaccia was merely a doughy bread with tomato on top. The red pepper / olive spread was very, very good. The service was spot on and very friendly. I drink much liquid while eating and my glass never went dry. With drinks, two appetizers and dinner I think the bill was around $200. My wife and I had a great time and the food was wonderful. However, when you spend $65.00 for surf and Turf - there should not be any complaints about the preparation. That is an issue for the Manager or Head Chef to figure out during quality control.
(3)Rachel M.
I use to rave about this place until last time I went for my husbands birthday. I ordered the South African Lobster Tails. What makes them unique and taste so good is the truffle butter sauce they USE to serve with the meal. Now you get Red Lobster butter. I even think Outback has better sauce for there turf. Anyway I was really disappointed because it's not the same without the sauce. The chef won't even make it for you if you request it. So I never going back for the tails there again. I really loved the location in the casino makes for a fun night but not much fun without Truffle Butter. :0(
(2)LC D.
Located in the Hard Rock Casino, its a small space but fills up quick. I was with a girlfriend and we were drawn in my the live music. It was impossible to get a spot at the bar but after standing around the bar we finally got 2 bar seats. Everything else seemed to be on a fairly long wait and the turn around time was high so don't expect to stand and hope for something to clear up. The bread basket was well worth the cheat but they were not willing to give us more... better off I suppose and the fries were the best i've ever had, I suppose my taste buds were the under the influence but we ordered 2 baskets and were too full to eat anything else. Additional seating on the out of the entrance on the other sie of the bar is available but again don't expect the men to give up there seat to you so easily
(4)Martin C.
Food wasn't bad but definitely not worth the prices they charge...I can't say I would never return but I would rather go somewhere else considering all Tampa has to offer
(3)Steven K.
Celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday with her boyfriend and my fiance, at the Hard Rock Casino and it was a great experience. The overall quality of the food, service, atmosphere and experience were all top notch. The restaurant is designed as a true steakhouse, complete with an in-house butcher and it is every bit worth the price. I love steaks, but in the Tampa area it is difficult to find a true steakhouse worth its billing, especially for a quality steak. The food was pricey, but is well worth the price you pay...on the same level as Burn's. I had the cowboy ribeye and it was one of the top 3 steaks I have eaten in my entire life. I ordered it medium rare and it was grilled perfectly, they even carved my initials into the bone. I used a little of the applewood smoked himalayan salt they had on the table and it truly made it the most flavorful steak I have ever ordered! (The waitress gave me a little to take home, so I could use it when I grill) The sides were very good and prepared perfectly, the hollandaise for the asparagus was the only item that left me expecting something more. The escargot was presented very well and tasted amazing...we had a first-timer try it and loved it. I would suggest this steakhouse to anyone looking for an amazing meal with a intimate and romantic setting (smooth jazz playing). This place is the real deal and if you appreciate a great steak (they only have prime grade and they dry age it for 21 days) and a night out, this is where you need to go.
(5)Brian B.
My wife and I went here on our 5th anniversary on a friend's recommendation. We were both VERY pleased with the experience! My wife ordered three filet mignon medallions garnished different ways. I had to go with the cowboy cut ribeye (by far the best cut of steak). It was cooked to absolute perfection. My wife's filet medallions were excellent as well with great garnishing. We also ordered the Capricci Salad and the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese One of the best restaurants that I have ever been to. As far as quality of steak: beats Bern's Steakhouse in my opinion. The ambiance and dining areas are nicer as well. If I had to say one negative thing, it would be that our waiter gave us a bottle of wine that was more expensive than the price point that I gave him when ordering a bottle of wine. It wasn't too much more, however, so I ended up just paying the difference. I highly recommend Council Oak and will be back soon! It is an expensive place to eat, but great when you want to treat a loved one and/or yourself to an excellent meal.
(5)Kevin M.
I absolutely love this place. This is an upscale restaurant and quite pricey but well worth it. They have the best steak I've ever had, and I love their French onion soup. The staff there is always extremely nice and on point with everything. They really know what they are doing. Like I said its expensive but if you get the opportunity to go one day it is definitely worth it.
(5)Beth B.
After a fun time at the casino, decided to have some dinner. Checked out the buffet (looked fabulous, but wanted something a bit nicer). Went to Council Oak. What a nice surprise. Although we ate only from the left side of the menu (small plates), the food was wonderful, the service was fantastic, the wine selection was great. Price was a bit high, but not out of line for what we had, had we been in any other setting (other than a casino). Recommend to anyone who wants a lovely meal, in a fine setting.
(4)Brian M.
2.75 stars. Over-rated and way overpriced. Made reservations and then we got there right on time and the three jabber-jaw college girls made us wait in the lobby for a good 20 minutes past our reservation time. There was no where for us to sit while we waited and had to be subjected to the loud, bustling and smoking people outside the waiting area. No rhyme or reason was given for the hold-up. Once we got inside the seating area of the restaurant, there were plenty of empty tables; thus not sure why we had to wait? One of the big disappointments about this place is the dress code. We were dressed semi-formal (dress pants, shirt and tie for me and a nice dress for the lady). But there were people in the restaurant (and not just at the bar) dressed in shorts and baseball caps. Women were in jeans and t-shirts. If you're going to have a nice experience and spend a ton of money, they really need to do something about their dress code and spruce up the clientele. Once seated, we were completely invisible to the wait staff. No one asked if we wanted water or even give us a menu (drink or food). We were eventually recognized and compensated but the damage was already done by that point. If you are hungry you might as well snack on something before arriving. Ignoring the bitterness of the above rants; I want to be honest, truthful and unbiased about the food. We decided to go with the Steak Special for the night which was a 41-day salted aged steak. We ordered our steaks medium and they came close to it but the steak was quite chewy. Had to really dig and tear with the steak knife and chew a ton on it in order to eat the "Special" steak. It was somewhat flavorful and juicy but I've had better steak on my own grill or at a local steak place around the neighborhood corner. The asparagus side item was cold and tasteless. Completely bland with no butter or proper salt to flavor it. If you wanted to salt and pepper your side items, you couldn't unless you wanted to use the insanely large sea / garlic / bacon salt containers on your table. Not good for the mashed potatoes or other sides. The worst part was that the steak was over $55.00! We knew it was going to be expensive but to have chewy sub-par steak and then pay over $55.00 for it?! This place needs to really step up its game if it wants to be considered a top steak restaurant in the Tampa area. All in all, you're better going off to one of Tampa's other great steak places. The Council Oak has a lot of work to do in regards to its food, prices, customer service, atmosphere and dress code.
(2)Nicole A.
Been here so many times. I love it and the food is amazing!! I love there surf and turf and snapper over risotto both of these dishes are my favorite. Their servers are very quick and attentive! Overall great experiences every time I have eaten here.
(5)Julie C.
LOVE THIS PLACE! We decided to make a trip here for dinner and the casino of course for New Years and the food as always was AMAZING! Service was great! We actually didn't have reservations and ended up sitting at the bar for a drink and then getting a table from a cancelled reservation! We ended up getting the seafood raw bar platter for two! AWESOME! Included fresh shrimp, lobster, clams, oysters, and king crag! Served on ice and you know it looks good when others around you are telling you how great it looks! HA! We enjoyed this with the lobster bisque and ceasar salad.... Oh and a bottle of Le Crema to top of the perfect evening and dinner! I would tell anyone.... go here!! It is awesome!!!
(5)Stefanie M.
Went last night to celebrate 2 birthdays. Council Oak was the choice of one of the birthday people. I had never been there but expected good things. My daughter and I had been to the steakhouse at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and loved it. We had reservations and were seated immediately. Let me just say now that service is very very good. The hostess was attentive and efficient. They also have several people at the front, so people are not kept waiting. Server was efficient and attentive without being overly so. Portions are HUGE, so be prepared. It reminds me of The Palm in that sides really are for sharing. Each dish was superb. Onion soup had plenty of onions in it, the escargot were plump and beautifully seasoned. My diver scallops were perfect. Several of us had the lamb chops. They were excellent. Cooked perfectly. I wanted a little more seasoning, but the flavor of that aged meat with the charcoal grilling was all it needed. Our other people had lobster and King crab. Both said their meals were great. Council Oak sells their meats to the public. Believe me, I'll be going back just to buy the raw lamb chops. All the meat is Prime and dry aged. You can see it on display, aging. Dessert was some beautiful and tasty chocolate cake. All in all, it was an excellent dinner in nice surroundings. One of the other service staff has a more than passing resemblance to Chef Marcus Samuelsson. In talking to him, it turns out he is also from Ethiopia. The kitchen was immaculate. It reminded me of "Hell's Kitchen" kitchen. Decor is sleek and cozy contemporary. Sincerely, the restaurant reminds me a lot of Las Vegas. Definitely worth a visit for a wonderful meal. Yes, it is pricy, but you really get 2 servings (more with the sides), so with some planning it doesnt have to break the bank.
(4)Greg B.
Wow!!! This is meat paradise!! Great steak, sides, drinks and service. Will definitely go back when in Tampa. The Hard Rock Casino is great too.
(5)J D.
I am in Tampa on business and went to this restaurant based on a recommendation from a colleague. He invited to come check out the Hard Rock Tampa style. The restaurant is very upscale and reminds me of many of the restaurants in Las Vegas. You can watch the butcher cut the beef at the front of the restaurant.....I'm not really into that, but it is interesting. The restaurant is decorated in a modern decor....don't know how else to describe it. They have an action kitchen where you can see what they are doing. Appetizers - I had a Caprese Salad, which was very good. My colleague had the crab cakes....he said they were delicious. Entree - I had the New York Strip. They serve dry aged beef.....I ordered mine medium-well....and it came out slightly overdone...but it still tasted wonderful. Sides are ordered separately. I ordered Au Gratin Potatoes.....yum! The wine selection was decent....could have been better. The wines by the glass was good. Will I return? Yes....but it's kind of pricey, so only if I want to impress a client or come with my better half. Would not come back for sport.
(4)Jaski K.
After a successful Blackjack run, my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to a steak dinner. Because there was a 2 hour wait, we decided to eat at the bar/lounge within the restaurant and am glad we did. Though the lounge area was more low key than the main dining room, the ambiance was wonderful. The decor was modern/contemporary and there was a live acoustic band playing cover songs and originals. Both my husband and I had a 10 oz bone-in filet; his topped w/ blue cheese and mine w/ wild mushrooms. The steaks were good, but I had ordered it medium and found it to be a tad overcooked. We also had half a dozen oysters and a side order of au gratin potatoes. The oysters came w/ the traditional cocktail and horseradish sauce, as well as a shallot vinegarette sauce. We enjoyed them. The potatoes were too salty, but good otherwise. For dessert my husband had the soufflé w/ chocolate sauce and found it to be average. I had a trio of mini sugar-free chocolate desserts and found them to be delicious! Although you can probably get a better steak at Capital Grille or Bern's, if you're at the Hard Rock Casino and are looking for good food and a lively atmosphere, Council Oak is a solid choice.
(4)Mike H.
Overall I'd give it a 3.75. Had the seafood for 2 was really good just a little on the I'm sharing it with an infant. How am I suppose to share 1 crab leg. Lobsters were good just again on the small side. Clams oysters both good and fresh as w the shrimp. Lobster Mac and cheese was great. Also recommend the crab cakes pretty much all crab and no filler so 2 thumbs up. Bread wasn't a fan of. I'd be back but come on if I'm gunna pay 140$ I don't wanna be getting beer and wings 2 hrs later cause I was still hungry.
(4)Kipp C.
Great food and service! It is expensive but worth it! It can get loud on the bar side but the experience of tasting their steaks is worth any shortcomings this place might have!
(5)Edward L.
OK I ate there twice. The first time the bill was 101.00. Surf and Turf 60,00 lobster tiny and so was fillet. Sure steak was delicious but fillets are. It includes absolutely nothing. Had a salad, french soup that was horrible and ice water total 101.00 no joke. Just total rip off and not worth it. I had a friend that wanted to go and said food was awesome. So went back my 20 oz NY strip ordered medium was burned on one side and i cut into it was well done. Told the waiter, hated how we had 2 different ones that were never around. The waiter brought the steak back cut in half and said chef said is medium. I turned my flashlight on my cell phone and no pink totally well done. 20 minutes later my friend done with her meal. Some old creepy guy in a cane said we wont charge you. Oh great thanks. And dinner was over, never will return. It really is not worth the hype of 20 day rock salt aged steaks. The NY strip was the worst bland no flavor steak I ever had. The lobster bisque was no flavor and there ice berg lettuce was a joke with tiny bit of blue cheese on some not fresh lettuce they give you a shot a vodka with it woopty doo. Stay clear ridiculously overpriced. Have no idea why this place would get reviews, poor food, service and management. Oh and very dark couldn't see menu. Ill pass try Bern's steakhouse instead or Ruth Chris, actually anywhere.
(1)Edward L.
OK I ate there twice. The first time the bill was 101.00. Surf and Turf 60,00 lobster tiny and so was fillet. Sure steak was delicious but fillets are. It includes absolutely nothing. Had a salad, french soup that was horrible and ice water total 101.00 no joke. Just total rip off and not worth it. I had a friend that wanted to go and said food was awesome. So went back my 20 oz NY strip ordered medium was burned on one side and i cut into it was well done. Told the waiter, hated how we had 2 different ones that were never around. The waiter brought the steak back cut in half and said chef said is medium. I turned my flashlight on my cell phone and no pink totally well done. 20 minutes later my friend done with her meal. Some old creepy guy in a cane said we wont charge you. Oh great thanks. And dinner was over, never will return. It really is not worth the hype of 20 day rock salt aged steaks. The NY strip was the worst bland no flavor steak I ever had. The lobster bisque was no flavor and there ice berg lettuce was a joke with tiny bit of blue cheese on some not fresh lettuce they give you a shot a vodka with it woopty doo. Stay clear ridiculously overpriced. Have no idea why this place would get reviews, poor food, service and management. Oh and very dark couldn't see menu. Ill pass try Bern's steakhouse instead or Ruth Chris, actually anywhere.
(1)Chad L.
It's shocking to see some of the lower reviews on this restaurant. I am glad we were able to experience this for ourselves and I can tell you, this is one of the best meals we have ever had. Council Oak Steaks and Seafood is one of seven restaurants located in Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. We live a few miles away from Hard Rock and this was our first (not last) time dining there. A DELICIOUS appetizer which I strongly encourage anyone visiting Council Oak to try. Filet Mignon Beef Tartare, topped with arugula and quail egg. Words cannot even express how incredible this was. I ordered the wedge salad and it came out with a shot of chilled vodka!!! The bacon that came with the salad was to die for and is also an appetizer. Tip just get this salad and theres a salad and app!!! I ordered the signature 26oz Long Bone Cowboy Ribeye. This steak was dry aged for 21 days and no photo could truly represent it's size. Typically your initials are presented on the bone. When the chef found out my initials it appeared on the bone. Flattery at it's best! The steak was perfect. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared and left you wanting to eat all 26oz. I ate every damn piece there was on that bone! Upon walking in and out of Council Oak, the first thing you will see is the butcher station, where the steaks dry age for 21-28 days. Now this is when things become very exciting for someone who lives 6 miles from the restaurant. The Council Oak Butcher Shop not only cuts the steak on premises daily for the restaurant - but also sells the cuts for those looking to take a nice piece of steak home to prepare themselves! The photo of the long bone cowboy ribeye below shows the magnitude of this beast. Lastly, the atmosphere of Council Oak was romantic. Beautiful lighting all around, while hearing the sound of live piano in the distance. Our table happened to face the open kitchen, where I watched giant steaks, lobsters and one of the best looking cheeseburgers I have ever seen come out of the kitchen.
(5)Steve E.
I was invited to a super early birthday dinner by a certain very lovely ER nurse. She and I have a tough time coordinating our schedules, and so it was a great surprise when Brittany told me that she had scored a night off and made a secret dinner reservation to help me celebrate my birthday. I didn't know where we were headed until I picked her up, and she gave me the driving directions. The little minx had reserved a private table in full view of the big open kitchen at the Council Oak Steakhouse inside of the Hard Rock Casino, knowing that I would thoroughly enjoy watching the kitchen staff prepare our dinner. We parked at the Hard Rock, and made plans to hit the tables after our dinner. Thanks to a very helpful casino staff member, we followed the carpet all the way around the exterior of the casino until we saw the stone walls marking the entrance to the Council Oak restaurant. We checked in at the hostess stand, and really enjoyed the water feature peacefully trickling down the brick wall behind us, which masked the sounds of the nearby slot machines. Just beyond the hostess stand is the open-air meat carving area, and we had a blast watching the butcher pull big slabs of beef out of the special rock salt-lined dry aging room, and slice them up at his work station. He was carving the massive 26-ounce long bone Cowboy Ribeye steaks from an entire side of beef, and we marveled as he carefully trimmed away the fat and then weighed each steak before loading them onto a tray that was bound for the kitchen. There is a display case right out in front showing trays full of each cut of steak, so that you can pick and choose before being shown to your table. Before long the hostess walked us through this very elegant restaurant, and seated us in our private booth in front of the glass walls looking into the kitchen. Tabatha was our waitress, and she was there in a flash to cordially welcome us to the restaurant. It didn't register with me at the time, but she had asked each of us for our names and then made the point to call us by name throughout the evening. Nice customer service touch! Of course Brittany just had to tell her new best friend Tabatha that we were celebrating my 45th birthday a few weeks early. I threatened both of them with being roasted alive over a 1400-degree grill if anyone sang Happy Birthday or paraded a sparkler-laden cake through the restaurant with throngs of cheering wait staff in tow. Bah humbug! I ordered a bottle of one of Council Oak's proprietary red blend wines for our meal, and selected the Estancia, Reserve Meritage. Excellent wine, and very fairly priced! Tabatha had two other people assisting her, and while she was busy opening the wine, a basket of freshly-baked bread with three different spreads appeared on our table. Brittany and I ordered the Oysters Rockefeller to share as our appetizer, and they were baked with the traditional toppings of spinach, parmesan cheese, and a splash of Sambuca. Based upon Mark H's recommendation, I also ordered a crock of their very excellent French Onion soup with caramelized onions, parmesan cheese, and topped with melted Gruyere cheese. For my main course I had the 20-ounce New York strip steak cooked Medium (knowing full well that I'd be taking half of the steak home with me!). My delightful date daintily nibbled on her 8 ounce filet cooked Medium Rare, and gushed eloquently about the flavor of the dry-aged grass-fed beef. (I think that she's been hanging around with a Yelper for way too long!). To that we added a side of Holy-Wowsers-This-Is-Awesome creamed spinach, and nearly licked that serving bowl clean. Throughout the meal Tabatha was constantly checking on us and making sure that our wine glasses stayed full, and that we were savoring each bite of perfectly-cooked steak. She was super-friendly and extremely helpful -- not at all over-bearing. Britt and I really enjoyed looking through the big glass windows into the kitchen, and watching as the cooks took the various cuts of meat off the trays and slapped them onto the sizzling grill. We were able to watch as they prepped the appetizers, soups, and salads, and then artfully-assembled each serving plate with the various sauces and sides. Before long we were both stuffed and sipping the last of our wine, when Tabatha magically appeared and started assembling the Council Oak's legendary 151 Volcano dessert before our eyes. This incredibly decadent, and embarrassingly-showy confectionary delight is made with vanilla bean ice cream covered with Heath Bar crunch and then flambéed with 151 rum tableside. She lit it up (WHOOSH!) and then she and Britt grinned impishly and said Happy Birthday while all the tables around us oooh'd and ahhhh'd. Yeah, they got me! Everything at Council Oak is a la carte, so be prepared for lots of add-on charges. My recommendation is just to just relax, and enjoy an excellent meal with fabulous customer service!
(5)Ryan K.
Simply a great steakhouse. A bit pricey but it is located inside the casino so not surprising. The raw oysters are fresh (rockefeller are amazing also) and the bacon appetizer is so straightforward but worth every penny. It's literally just a few pieces of thick (thick!!!) cut bacon. Not sure what they do to it but I wouldn't mind having one piece a day for the rest of my artery clogged life! The french onion soup is served in a goblet and tastes just as regal as it looks. The steaks are huge and delicious. I get mine Pittsburgh style (look it up and try it if you've never tried it) and it was cooked to medium rare perfection. The service is great and there is the perfect amount of checking up on you without the annoyance of someone asking you how everything is every 2 minutes. If you were able to win any money or just want to treat yourself to a fantastic steak dinner/dining experience than check out Council Oak....if you lost your shirt, I'm sure you can get a comp for the buffet FUN FACT: Some of salads (baby iceberg, chopped salad) come with a shot of vodka and blue cheese stuffed olive!!
(4)Cindy W.
Wow...AWESOME Steak Had dinner here on a Saturday night. Service was attentive, fun and outstanding. FOOD WAS INCREDIBLE. Great place for a steak. This has passed Ruth's Chris as my favorite steak place. Can't wait to come back!
(5)Kayda S.
I had my husband's birthday dinner held on June, 27th for a party of 9 people. Took over 3 hours from start to finish, which is a long dining experience... I ordered 2 Raw Samplers for the table. As I (the hostess of the dinner) was about to eat an oyster; I noticed a little worm moving on the inside of the shell. I did not want to alarm my guests as they all ate parts of the sampler.. I gave the oyster to our server, Diego P and wanted to at least let the server know what was being served. Not once did the manager stop by throughout the course of our meal. As the checks were presented and after payment was taken, I asked to speak to a manager. The GM claimed she stopped by twice, but didn't know who to approach about the situation. This is completely false... The only people that stopped by were part of the service staff. All I was looking for was an apology and a reassurance that the seafood is delivered fresh... She just continued to claim she stopped by the table... Those little details in a guest's dining experience makes a big difference if to return or not...
(2)Atl C.
Great pork chop option and a truly great wine list. Nice ambience. Would be 5 stars if prices weren't a bit too overblown. Great service. Make sure you make a reservation.
(4)Dawn D.
We celebrated a birthday here recently. The food was spectacular but the service was underwhelming. We told the hostess we were celebrating a birthday. They made us wait for our table and then proceeded to seat us at a table right next to the kitchen where the noise of dishes clinging was incessant. In addition, they just carelessly stuck a candle in the piece of cake we ordered and made no effort to sing or make the birthday special. I visited before and they used to make the visit special by displaying the options on a tray. Again, great food but underwhelming execution. I expected more from this place and was disappointed.
(3)Duane D.
I will flesh this out for you, but let me sum it up quickly: This is a good steakhouse, but very overpriced. The good -- the restaurant itself is very nicely appointed and interesting to look at. I love the modern style and the use of rich, contrasting woods. The open kitchen is very appealing, as is the "butcher shop" up front. The acoustics are fine, and the place is not overly loud or depressingly quiet. The atmosphere is very good. The service was also good. At times we waited a bit too long for things, but overall our waiter was very pleasant and attentive. He was not a big upseller, which I don't care for. Good marks for service. The food was very good -- but not so good as to be particularly memorable. My steak was pretty tasty, although slightly undercooked. The sides were good, but not great. The onion soup and the salads were nice. The volcano desert was good, and the whole flambe at the table thing was interesting. However, the prices are quite high in my opinion. An 8 oz. filet mignon was $38 a la carte. The sides are large enought to share, but not for more than 2-3 people at most, and ran 9 to 12 for most. It all adds up, and our bill for two people (with no alcohol) was over $140 before gratuity. All in all, it was a good meal, but I wouldn't go back without a good reason. I could have a better meal at Berns or Ruth's Chris -- and the Berns meal would be about 2/3 the price.
(3)Caitlin C.
I went on Valentine's day. The bread basket was great and large. I had a mojito that was really great. Now you're probably wondering why I have two stars. This is a steak place and the steak I had was bland, boring and over cooked. I didn't bother sending it back because it took 30 mins to cook in general. We also had the lobster which was also over cooked. If you like over cooked over priced food feel. It's really not worth it. But the sides are really good. So I suggested if you find yourself here stick to sides and appetizers and drinks. Pass on main courses. It was bad.
(2)Scott R.
This is a great place for steak lovers, they also have seafood that is great as well. Unfortunately they don't have a fresh salmon dish to offer for the seafood foodies!! Side dishes are served family style and are huge so if your a party of 4 1 side order can feed all of you no problem. Probably with some left over! The atmosphere is like any other casino fancy steakhouse. Always great!! I think casino steakhouses are very overpriced. But that's due to the comps they give out. The servers are always pleasant. There is also a bar lounge area as well but those cocktail servers you can see have attitudes unless your a regular there. They don't hide that at all. If you can ask for the server Richard you will be in great hands!!
(4)Michael P.
probably the best steak i've ever had (and i've had many), great carrot cake too!
(5)Jaski K.
After a successful Blackjack run, my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to a steak dinner. Because there was a 2 hour wait, we decided to eat at the bar/lounge within the restaurant and am glad we did. Though the lounge area was more low key than the main dining room, the ambiance was wonderful. The decor was modern/contemporary and there was a live acoustic band playing cover songs and originals. Both my husband and I had a 10 oz bone-in filet; his topped w/ blue cheese and mine w/ wild mushrooms. The steaks were good, but I had ordered it medium and found it to be a tad overcooked. We also had half a dozen oysters and a side order of au gratin potatoes. The oysters came w/ the traditional cocktail and horseradish sauce, as well as a shallot vinegarette sauce. We enjoyed them. The potatoes were too salty, but good otherwise. For dessert my husband had the soufflé w/ chocolate sauce and found it to be average. I had a trio of mini sugar-free chocolate desserts and found them to be delicious! Although you can probably get a better steak at Capital Grille or Bern's, if you're at the Hard Rock Casino and are looking for good food and a lively atmosphere, Council Oak is a solid choice.
(4)Mike H.
Overall I'd give it a 3.75. Had the seafood for 2 was really good just a little on the I'm sharing it with an infant. How am I suppose to share 1 crab leg. Lobsters were good just again on the small side. Clams oysters both good and fresh as w the shrimp. Lobster Mac and cheese was great. Also recommend the crab cakes pretty much all crab and no filler so 2 thumbs up. Bread wasn't a fan of. I'd be back but come on if I'm gunna pay 140$ I don't wanna be getting beer and wings 2 hrs later cause I was still hungry.
(4)Kipp C.
Great food and service! It is expensive but worth it! It can get loud on the bar side but the experience of tasting their steaks is worth any shortcomings this place might have!
(5)Scott D.
This is a take it or leave it type place for me. Steaks are good when cooked right but all three I have been here times they have been cooked wrong and had to send it back. I eat mine well done. How hard can it be to cook it well done? My wife eats hers medium rare. She has never got one cooked better than rare but she just eats it undercooked. Pretty expensive on top of that. Service is hit or miss. Will probably go again but just to use my comp dollars before they expire.
(3)Maria C.
The food was excellent. The decor...fabulous, service....fantastic. For a restaurant known for their steaks you should know how to cook them the right temperature. My husband and my friend both ordered medium well and had to send it back because it was in the medium to medium rare side. A chef from a fine dining restaurant should know how to cook a steak. Other than that it tasted delicious. Try their bacon......to die for!
(4)Saundra B.
Best steak ever! Worth every penny!! Do not waste your time at Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Texas de Brazil, or any of the other chain restaurants.. Bring your $$ and come here immediately! I'm not kidding you, this place has ruined steak for me because I am constantly comparing my meal to this incredible flavor and quality. Can't wait to come back for more!!
(5)Lisa M.
Ate here last night for the first time and my boyfriend & I DEFINITELY want to go back.....both food & service were top notch! We were started with water, warm moist towels and a delicious bread basket with butter, sun dried tomatoes & goat cheese! Here is what we ordered to share and it was PLENTY of food: *Bone in Cowboy Ribeye-$60 (steak only, no sides included) cooked & seasoned perfectly....an amazingly delicious steak, we did not use any sauce at all....it was that good! *Side of Lobster Mac & Cheese-$16 (big chunks of lobster & very creamy. *Lobster Bisque-$10 (very yummy & creamy but a bit sweeter than I am use to) If you have a chance to visit here we highly recommend!
(5)EJ P.
I DID NOT HAVE STEAK. I had seafood. And it was OK. No big deal, and very expensive. However this restaurant has a bar that is a welcome respite from the noisy smoky casino.
(3)Lisa W.
We attended a holiday party at the Council Oak and everything was perfect. The service was definitely 5 star, as was the food. We started with a seafood tower, then had mozzarella/tomato salad with a variety of tomatoes. Both were delicious. And, definitely get the bread basket. The focaccia bread is perfect and delicious. My favorite topping with the bread basket was the goat cheese... Yum! Wish I could have taken that home. My filet was cooked to perfection. We shared a bunch of sides and all were tasty: lobster mac n cheese (my favorite side), roasted Brussels, creamed corn and roasted potatoes. For dessert, I had the peanut butter/chocolate/banana deliciousness. One of the best desserts I've had in a long time. This restaurant is definitely expensive and a special occasion restaurant, in my opinion.
(5)Jerry H.
If I am going to be charged outrageous, ridiculous, incredibly overpriced prices, it'd better be perfect. It wasn't. $40 for an 8 ounce filet and it came out overcooked and almost cold (the waitress told me that "medium rare usually comes out cold"-REALLY???). The meat is aged in salt rock and apparently absorbs most of the salt. It was way too salty. The first steak went back and a second one came out, very rare with a charred crust on top. Now the charring is fine with me, but the cut of meat was terrible. It was stringy and lacked any real flavor. That was sent back as well (I think that is only the second time I've ever done that). I switched to the seared ahi tuna and while that was OK, I've had much better many, many places. Well, at least the french onion soup and the water were good. The service was fine, but the absurd prices and botched steaks (this is supposed to be a "steak place"???) will make this a one time visit. Council Oak can't hold a candle to either Bern's or Charley's, Ruth Chris or Fleming's. Not even close.
(1)Boon C.
Pricy restaurant but is worthies for it name. When you walk into the restaurant, you can see their aged beef display at the restaurant front. Impressive. Most of time you will see the worker prepare the lamb chop in front of the aged beef. They shave off the unwanted fat from the ribs bone and ready for grilling. Someone may ask me why steak predominate restaurant and eat the sea food. This restaurant may be the only one serve the African lobster. The price $65 provide two big tail and you can share one with your mate. This lobster tail is will preserve and fresh to deliver from Arica. The tail immediately came off from the shell and easy to eat. We also order the bearing sea king crab. The preparation is great. We enjoy our meal. Although it is expensive but is worth the money. The only thing downside is not about the restaurant. Due to the restaurant locate in the casino, the gambler usually smoke in the casino. You have to pass through this area to get to the restaurant. The service is good. We always like to see our neighbor what they have ordered when we are in the high class restaurant. The high roller or the winner is usually treat themselves a big steak. May be I should try them on my next visit.
(4)Christina M.
I went here once for a friend's birthday and it was quite a memorable experience. The atmosphere is upscale and classy and there are nice touches throughout the restaurant. The service was great and the food, quite exceptional. I only wish I could grant this place 5 stars but I believe the prices are too exorbitant. They should have larger portions or lower their prices.
(4)Michael P.
On of the top steakhouses in Tampa! Pricey but for this type of quality, I don't mind it one bit. I always go for the Filet. It never ceases to amaze me. The wait staff is of exceptional value to this place, they are so friendly and know the menu in and out right off the top of their head. They have excellent dessert too.
(5)Robert W M.
One of, if not the best steak and seafood restaurant in Florida. Great food, service, and quality. For some it may be a little pricey, but well worth it for a special occasion. We had a great experience, enjoying every bite. Our steaks were tender and well seasoned. The side portions were served family style. I do not have a negative thing to say except the bread bowl filled us up, the condiments that came with it decadent. Get the filet mignon or the NY strip, you will not be disappointed. We will go back again, soon.
(5)Claire K.
Pretty good, all things considered. In two visits, we had: Filet (very lovely) French Onion Soup (pretty good) Caprese Salad (deelish) Spinach Salad (super yum) Wedge Salad (he liked it!) Peppercorn & Bernaise Sauces (Skip the Au Poivre, blah. Bernaise, tasty) Daphanoise Potatoes (Salty, but good) Garlic Mashed Potatoes (very good) The complimentary bread basket is noteworthy! 2 different breads, 3 different spreads. I love butter. Service was exceptional, the price tag comparable to other upscale steakhouses. Everything is a la carte, which tacks into the cost quite a bit. Presentation is great, ambiance pretty darn cool.
(4)Eric S.
The food is outstanding - what more could a carnivore want than to see the butcher in action backdropped by row after row of drying beef. Our server could've been a bit more attentive and skillful with the wine decanting/pouring. After decanting a second bottle of wine, he poured it directly into my glass. Aren't you supposed to wait a bit?
(4)Todd B.
I hesitate going less then 5 stars, because it was free and a good time. Any meal that your boss orders 2 bottles of wine from the expensive pages, plus cocktails, and pays for the whole meal, and you're at a fancy steakhouse, should be a 5 star meal. But this wasn't. Frankly, there are better steakhouses in Tampa. It's a nice restaurant inside the Hard Rock Hotel. You can definitely get a good meal here if you're willing to allow them to bleed your bank account to death (or, have a cool boss). You come here expecting to pay a lot of money though, so I won't comment on the prices except to say that for cheaper, you can get better steaks in Tampa and for probably the same price, you can get some of the best steaks in America at Bern's (or so I am told - I haven't been yet). They had a 40 day aged bone in strip steak as a special. Strip steaks are my go-to at a new steakhouse. Even though the rest of the party ordered the cowboy rib-eye, and raved about how good it was, I went with my standard. It's how I judge any steakhouse and I would absolutely regret not getting it. If I got the rib eye and loved it, then I would have assumed the strip was awesome, too, and would have preferred ordering it. As it is, I went with the strip and it was disappointing. Had a better strip steak at both Flemings and Ocean Prime. That isn't to say it wasn't good - obviously it was good - it just wasn't the best in Tampa and therefore, not worth the 5th star. We also got creamed spinach and baked potatoes, which were delicious. For an appetizer, we got one mammoth stone crab claw each, which were superb - my god they were good. Finally, the rest of our party got salads, but I got a lobster bisque that I wanted to bathe in, but they would have kicked me out, so I decided to eat it instead. Honestly, I should have just gotten stone crab claws and lobster bisque, and I would have had a 5 star evening. Our service was a bit sub-par. She was very pleasant and knew her stuff and joked with us, but she disappeared for long stretches. I admit that you expect slower service at a fancy restaurant and I don't want to be rushed. But, she never came around to refill wine glasses and may have checked on us once. Yes yes, we are not incompetent and can pour our own wine from the decanter. Well, I'm incompetent - seriously, I'm an idiot. Anyway, the point is that when you pay an exorbitant amount of money for dinner - you expect a level of service. You almost expect them to chew your food for you, but that would be gross and I just threw up a little. so cancel that. At the least, you expect them to decant your wine and return to pour it and you expect to at least see your server occasionally in case you need something, and we didn't have that here. Council Oak is a fine steakhouse. If you're at the Hard Rock and gambling and drinking and want a good dinner, then you should definitely come here. It is good. It is very good. However, it is not the best and if you're closer to downtown Tampa, Westshore or South Tampa, there are better places to go.
(4)Liz M.
We really enjoyed Council Oak for dinner. It was nice to be able to get in, on a very slow Tuesday night. We got served right away by a really great waiter. The bread basket is really yummy. We ordered the meat & cheese platter and bacon as an appetizer. It was delicious. The serving size was perfect. My husband ordered the porterhouse and it was cooked perfectly. I got the grouper, and it was wonderful. We will definitely return.
(5)Josh A.
My fiancee and I went there last night and had a reservation to celebrate our engagement from earlier in the day. We sat down in the dining area and were given a drink menu by a young lady. She said she would be right back to grab our order. 20 minutes later she never came back so we got up to order our drinks at the bar. She never came back to find us or anything which is unacceptable. We had a couple friends join us and then went to our table. We told our waitress we had 8PM VIP tickets to the Fray/Train concert and she said no problem. We had our orders in just before 7PM. 7:55 came and we finally got our food after complaining to our waitress about why it took almost an hour to get our food. It got worse...She recommended the broiled or steamed lobster tail with the surf and turf for 2 of us who ordered it. When it came out, both of our lobster tails were rock hard and very chewy/over cooked. The gentleman and waitress offered new ones but we were already at 8:30 and missing a lot of our concert and had no time to wait, nor did we want to reheat a lobster tail the next day. All they offered was to take the 2 lobster tails off the bill which was unacceptable. We spent $400 between the bar and dinner. We didn't have time to address this appropriately, and finally just asked for the bill to get out of there. We missed half of our concert and had very poor service and food. I really hope someone gets back to me on here from Council Oak to make this right. I looked on their website for a place to address concerns and I didn't find one. Josh
(1)Lori L.
Went here when it was Floyd's & the food & entertainment was soooo good & went here on Sat & the food is still amazing!! Couldn't get enough of the scrumptious colossal stone crabs! The claws & the sauce it came with was so delicious! I also order 2 dozens oysters on the half shell & still delicious! My husband ordered the lamb chops & mushrooms & it tasted as good as it looked! My g-friend & I split a NY strip & it was cooked to perfection! My perfection is medium rare! Yummy! Drinks were good & wait staff awesome! It's a bit pricey so we'll be going here for special occasions. The only negative is walking through the really, really smokey casino. The smoke doesn't effect you in the restaurant but once your out of the restaurant...don't inhale!!
(5)Tamara S.
Really really good. Steak and crab legs. Yummy. Pricey but well worth the luxury. Service was wonderful, personable and attentive. Highly recommend for a special night.
(5)Nicole F.
We LOVE this place. They seriously have the BEST steak I have ever had at any high end steak restaurant. The service, the food, the ambience, everything. Hands down great!
(5)Blinda W.
A. M. A. Z. I. N. G. Food and service is very good!! Great atmosphere, very romantic! I always order the pork chop. Sounds boring I know, but this it not your ordinary pork chop!! It's butterflied and served with a lemon sauce and capers. So yum's!!!! Corn is a MUST!!! Everything that we have had here is off the charts!! Do ask the price of their specials!!!! I almost ordered a $100 steak!! Thank God a friend with us asked the price HA!! Otherwise I would have been washing dishes ;)
(5)Jack S.
Probably my favorite steakhouse in the area and who would have guessed it was in the Hardrock? They dry age their steaks in house and as you walk into the restaurant you can see racks upon racks of beef aging amid giant blocks of pink salt. I highly recommend the cowboy ribeye. It comes out with a big Flintstones style bone sticking out that almost makes you want to pick it up and gnaw on it. When it comes to beef, I really prefer dry aging over even Wagyu style and they do it right here. Sides are very solid too, lobster mac and cheese was my wife's fave and black truffle fries are excellent. Service is good and good selection of single malts. The only downside that I wish they would correct is that the bathroom is outside in the casino and up a floor. Fine dining should really have it's own bathroom. In this case, I'll make an exception.
(5)Lance L.
Atmosphere was great. I would have given it 5 stars if the seafood was great. So I guess I shouldn't order seafood at steak restaurant. Next time I come I will order steak. Service was great too.
(4)Mark H.
My recommendation, go with someone you love (or like a lot), order the 20 oz. NY strip and split it. It's a great bargain at $55 and if you split it, you're looking at $27.50 for 10 oz. of high quality steak. Could one person eat the whole thing? Sure, if they're lacking testosterone and they're trying to come across extra masculine in front of people. The sides and steak toppings are all a la carte, so if you want mushrooms and blue cheese, that will be an extra $15, thank you. Cha-ching. Again, not so bad if you're splitting the steak. Caprese salad = One of the best out there. $12 for 3 tomato slices and two pieces of mozzarella isn't bad, if (guess what?) you're SPLITTING IT. Do you see a theme developing here? =) French onion soup = Face melting. I long for the days of when The Colonnade was a great place to go and experience the best French onion soup in this quadrant of the galaxy, but they're long gone. There is a new French onion soup in town, and it's right here at the Council Oak. Refreshingly, they use Gruyère cheese instead of the standard issue Provolone. This makes for more of a sweet and salty cheese topping as opposed to the sharp and smoked flavor of Provolone. Hands down, best there is. Mojitos are very good as well, but at $12.75 a piece, not worth it. Drink before you go and save the money because ain't no damn mojito worth almost $13 freaking bucks. Volcano dessert, while it is impressive to watch the waiter set shit on fire next to your table, skip it. Go grab an Oreo Blizzard from DQ on your way home, pour two shots of rum in it and light a match. Boom! You just saved $15. Service = exemplary. Had a 6 o'clock reservation and we were seated immediately. Waiter was on the ball. No actual complaints other than the incessant sound of the saw buzzing in the butcher shop. That got old real quick. Better than Bern's? Nope, but certainly more economical if you do it right. Split, share and SPLIT!
(4)Megan W.
Council Oak Steaks and Seafood is one of seven restaurants located in Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. We live a few miles away from Hard Rock and this was our first (not last) time dining there. I have seen some biased reviews on Yelp but am glad we experienced it for ourselves. This meal was one of the best we have had in 3+ years living in Tampa. My fiance Gabe and I started off with Blue Point Oysters on the Half Shell. They were served with horseradish, cocktail sauce and mignonette. We devoured them in a second, wishing for more. Why does this always happen with Oysters!! Up next was a DELICIOUS appetizer which I strongly encourage anyone visiting Council Oak to try. Filet Mignon Beef Tartare, topped with arugula and quail egg. Words cannot even express how incredible this was. We will be feasting on this dish quite often in a few weeks while visiting Paris, but it will be difficult to compare to Council Oaks. Gabe ordered a 26oz Long Bone Cowboy Ribeye, the signature steak at Council Oak. This steak was dry aged for 21 days and no photo could truly represent it's size. Typically your initials are presented on the bone. When the chef found out my twitter and instagram handle, it appeared on the steak. Flattery at it's best! The steak was perfect. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared and left you wanting to eat all 26oz. Gabe ate about half of this before he waved the white flag. Since I am technically on my wedding diet, I went for the healthiest steak option, ordering the 8oz filet mignon. I typically order filets at restaurants and can say with utmost certainty that this filet had more flavor than any other I have ever tried. I love this cut because it melts in your mouth but the filet is not known for it's flavor. If you want flavor, you go for what Gabe ordered. At first bite, my mouth was shocked. I didn't say a word and gave Gabe a bite - only to have him exclaim the same as I was thinking. Shockingly, the most impressive dish of the evening does not go to a steak.....it goes to a side dish. Prior to entering Council Oak, we were told there was a side dish we couldn't leave without ordering - Lobster Risotto Jambalaya. We love lobster, risotto and jambalaya.....so we decided to go for it and both freaked out. As I am writing this, I am fighting a strong urge to call Council Oak and order this to-go. Living 6 miles from this restaurant is going to be dangerous. The amount of lobster in this "side dish" was no joke. While I do not know the total pound, I am going to guess a minimum of one whole Maine Lobster. Chunk after chunk of perfectly prepared lobster meat, inside of perfectly spiced jambalaya and risotto instead of rice.....I mean, it doesn't get any better than this. I also ordered a side of wild mushrooms in garlic butter who sadly didn't get much attention. My fork kept finding it's way back to the Risotto. Upon walking in and out of Council Oak, the first thing you will see is the butcher station, where the steaks dry age for 21-28 days. Now this is when things become very exciting for someone who lives 6 miles from the restaurant. The Council Oak Butcher Shop not only cuts the steak on premises daily for the restaurant - but also sells the cuts for those looking to take a nice piece of steak home to prepare themselves! The photo of the long bone cowboy ribeye below shows the magnitude of this beast. Lastly, the atmosphere of Council Oak was romantic. Beautiful lighting all around, while hearing the sound of live piano in the distance. Our table happened to face the open kitchen, where I watched giant steaks, lobsters and one of the best looking cheeseburgers I have ever seen come out of the kitchen.
(5)Joey B.
Let me start out this review by saying, my family and I are frequent visitors of the Council Oak. We probably go once a week and sometime every other week. We had an experience last night, that will probably stop us from ever visiting establishment again. We pay very good money to go to this restaurant. Last night, that was not the case. We raved about this restaurant to a relative from New York and we decided why not take him out and let him see for himself. It all started out great, a normal dinner. We got our usual waitress, Karen, who by the way is wonderful. Absolutely nothing wrong with the wait staff. She was very attentive as usual. Then comes time to order. We order 3 long bone ribeye. It took a little while longer for our steaks to get out to us, which was understandable being a holiday weekend. We finally got our steaks and 2 out of the 3 steaks came out RAW, completely charred on the outside and RAW on this inside. My wife and I share a steak and she automatically pushed her steak to the side and wouldn't touch it. They took it back to the back and recooked it. It comes back and it is even more charred on the outside and STILL RAW on the inside. At that point my mother who was with us as well decided it was time to get someone. The kitchen manager, I believe, came over and offered to make another steak. We finally got that steak out to us after about 30 minutes. All of our sides were cold, our dinner guest had already finished his food. We cut into our steak, STILL RAW. So raw that when we cut it open, it was still bleeding. Finally we had enough and my mother decided it was time to get a manager. It took the manager another probably 20 minutes to get out to us. When she finally came out, the first words that came out of her mouth were "What's wrong now". The whole time this lady was talking to my mother, she was beyond condescending. Basically telling my mother all she does is complain and they just can't "please" her. Telling my mother the way she orders her steak is incorrect. Then she took the steak out that mind you, had TWO BITES taken out of it. This lady had the audacity to say, "You've pretty much ate all of it, huh, must of been real bad". At that point, our guest from out of state had to walk away because of the absolute rudeness coming from this manager named April. She begins telling my mother how she has dealt with my mothers complaining on multiple occasions. Which is very untrue. My mother has only complained one other time in the probably 100+ times they've been there and it was for the same thing. My mother spoke to a pregnant woman that time, which was not this very rude condescending woman. This lady should not be allowed in the hospitality business. She cannot treat a paying customer with one ounce of respect and treats them as though they are the dirt on the bottom of her boots.
(1)W W.
We consider this the Best Steakhouse in Tampa!! Have been several times. The steaks are fantastic (you see them being butchered as you walk in....you can even buy them from the butcher to take home). We have enjoyed the sides as well (they are very large, so share). I also had the Surf & Turf once and the Lobster Tail was also great. This place is expensive and it should be. Make reservations.
(5)Donald H.
A bit over-priced but very tasty steaks...! wait staff was very good...!
(4)Steven L.
DO NOT LET THE STEAKS ON THE FRONT DISPLAY FOOL YOU...Steaks are under seasoned and just tasteless! Place is very classy and clean. Inside the Hard Rock casino. Come here and grab a drink, grab a seat, and on watch the live band play. Service is attentive but very fake. I know the waitresses are doing their jobs and they have to be nice to everyone, but you can just sometimes tell deep inside their friendliness is all a show and they're just plain bitchy...good thing they don't show it and try to give a smile. Ordered a porterhouse, and it came out medium as we asked, but there was no flavor whatsoever. The char and grill on the steaks seemed okay, but the flavor was just plain bland and nonexistent. We ordered the steak around 12am midnight, maybe the head chef was already gone..? Because this steak could not have been cooked by a pro. The cocktail shrimp appetizer comes with 4 huge tiger shrimps with cocktail sauce. This was so much better than the porterhouse.
(3)Jason T.
Excellent, food, excellent service. Attractive, dim and atmospheric and complete with musical entertainment (in the lounge where we had dinner.) Very pricey (expect to pay in the $300 neighborhood for 2 for dinner, and that's without going crazy) but a nice experience overall. (And since it's in the casino, maybe you can pay for your dinner with your winnings.)
(5)cubino O.
Definitely one of the best steak restaurants in Central Florida area. We ordered the cowboy ribeye (medium rare), porterhouse (medium rare plus) and the filet (medium rare plus) and they were all delicious! Price is definitely reasonable considering the amount of food they give you. Service was excellent. Bonita took care of us very well! A great place to go for a special occasion or if you're craving some yummy beef!
(4)Kevin M.
I absolutely love this place. This is an upscale restaurant and quite pricey but well worth it. They have the best steak I've ever had, and I love their French onion soup. The staff there is always extremely nice and on point with everything. They really know what they are doing. Like I said its expensive but if you get the opportunity to go one day it is definitely worth it.
(5)Beth B.
After a fun time at the casino, decided to have some dinner. Checked out the buffet (looked fabulous, but wanted something a bit nicer). Went to Council Oak. What a nice surprise. Although we ate only from the left side of the menu (small plates), the food was wonderful, the service was fantastic, the wine selection was great. Price was a bit high, but not out of line for what we had, had we been in any other setting (other than a casino). Recommend to anyone who wants a lovely meal, in a fine setting.
(4)Alicia P.
First visit, went with Mom and husband. Now, since you're already in the Hard Rock and spending an afternoon and night, you don't leave to eat. This option was already in thought when we went, so we made a reservation and reserved a booth. Reserve the booth if you haven't - it's a great view. There's all of 3 of them. Facing the all glassed in kitchen. Very nice kitchen. Clean, neat, watch your steak get grilled. So my husband had the Cowboy ribeye. WOW it's pricey. Not his favorite cut because it's so fatty. It was good, but he wouldn't do that steak again. Nice touch with the huge bone and his initials carved into it. But he'd go with a strip steak next time. My porterhouse was nice. A little too much fat on the strip side for me. More leftovers for dinner 2 nights later.... It was good, but I wouldn't get it again for that price (everything is a la carte like a lot of steakhouses, but not all....) My Mom got the pork chop milenesa. Now. This was FABULOUS. I had some of it for leftovers 3 days later and OMG it was WONDERFUL and one of the less expensive entree choices on the menu. Seriously spectacular. We had a shrimp cocktail It was 4 jumbo shrimp. For $18. Really? They could have done 6 shrimp and at 3 bucks a piece would have still made a killer margin on them. They were good, don't get me wrong, but not worth $18 for 4. The cocktail sauce was awesome! We had the lobster bisque. I split it with my husband. It was really good. Top of the line. One of the best, flavor-wise. It was just a tiny bit loose. Overall, very very good. And we would get it again and split it! We all 3 split one salad. It was definitely enough. We all split a side of garlic mashed potatoes. They were good. And we all split the tower of onion rings. They were oily and don't reheat well (even broiled). Overall, we'd go again but we wouldn't get those steaks and wouldn't make a special trip. Now that we have experienced quite a bit on the menu. We still have to try the seafood side and we will order much less food! We didn't get to try dessert - will have to save room next time. Added note: Forgot to mention that they have live music, sometimes a trio, sometimes acoustic, sometimes a solo artist. Have been here since this last review and sat right in front of the stage to listen in on the great music!
(4)