Haven't been here since Prom Night in 19-schimminy! I think back then this place was haughty, now it's a bit old. We came here for Mother's bday, she chose it. Food was decent (I forgot how small bay scallops were)...nice view of the bay & tables are big enough to seat large parties. Reminds me of an old country restaurant because the decor is so ancient - wow!
(3)
Doyle J.
I had an excellent grouper sandwich with coke slaw. The Key Line pie was good but slightly tougher on texture than my own.
(4)
Karen L.
This must be the new hot spot in tampa . . . if you are retired and over 70. We went here for lunch around Christmastime, and there were lots of tables of older ladies wearing Christmas sweaters, the type one would see at an ugly Christmas Sweater Party. One lady was actually knitting at the table. The decor is as old as the average patron, very outdated. As for the food, not good. The fries were bland and soggy, and I barely touched my tuna sandwich. My companions' meals were better but they were still just so-so. Other than the gorgeous view, there is absolutely no reason to go here.
(2)
Marie W.
I really enjoyed this place. Seafood is good. Environment isn't bad, just old which is fine. It's really nice eating at the window and looking out on Bayshore. Parking is ample which is amazing for the area. Service was good. Have no complaints. They were attentive. Definitely a place to try.
(5)
Ryan E.
If you're 90 and love the early-bird, this is the pace to be. I keep hoping the owners will turn this place into a BLT STEAK. I can dream...
(3)
Ed S.
I don't know what everyone is whining about. Just had a lovely dinner at the Collonade. It is old school, in a good way. Tip-good for groups. Reasonable prices. Blackened grouper sandwich was perfectly done. Fries were double fried yum.'wifey' salmon was good. The mini muffin basket that comes instead of bread is SO good, I had three. Fast and friendly service. Real family atmosphere. Will come back. Gorgeous view over the bay.
(4)
Amy Z.
I echo almost everything Michelle M says below. I wanted to like it. I was the youngest person there. I loved the view, but the food and service weren't there for me. I had the shrimp sampler platter. 3 fried, 2 coconut, 2 grilled, and 3 stuffed. OK, but not great at all. I enjoyed the potatoes on the side more, which is sad.
(2)
Kelleigh M.
This is a Tampa landmark, but sadly the food is mediocre. Located on beautiful Bayshore and boasting one of the best views in the area, this restaurant is past its prime. It's sad because it could be a great restaurant, but it's dated look and over priced mediocre food hold t back. They offer BOGO draft beer so I ordered shock top-it was flat. For my meal, I had the blackened grouper sandwich. The fish quality was great, but they ruined it with WAAY too much seasoning. It was soooo salty that I had to rub it off my fish. And I wasn't able to eat the bun because it was soaked in the seasoning. For my side, I chose the ceasar salad. Sake thing. Way too much dressing and it ruined the salad. Would I return? No. There are much better food options in Tampa bay.
(1)
Linda G.
I've been patronizing this restaurant for many years. A favorite of mine is veggie pasta,it's awesome....zucchini, asparagus,artichokes, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, very light garlic olive oil sauce. Also comes with a choice of salads and of course the mini-muffins. Yes, there have been some negative experiences but nobody's perfect. When this is brought to the attention of staff,all is well. I must say all the comments regarding the restaurant being filled with senior's sounds rude. Colonnade is a staple in the neighborhood with a very long history which would only equate to a loyal senior customer base. Would you rather be surrounded by loud, unpleasant people. Just check out the view,quit whining about the customers and/or how old the place looks,guess what is is old.
(4)
Lola B.
This place is pretty good, location and views are awesome! Can never go wrong with the grouper! Servers good as well.
(4)
Shannon T.
Great option for lunch especially with the view and closeness to Ybor. Great service and love the blackened grouper. Like the muffins especially the to go baggie for later.
(5)
Kent O.
Salad dressing was watered down. Waiter didn't know menu, Decor is mid 1960's and needs upgrade. Booths and tables dirty. Dinner took long time (20 min. Scallops in butter had little taste. Not a place I would recommend!
(2)
Sarah L.
Yes, this restaurant could be a nursing home. Yes, it may feel like the place where old fisherman's dreams come to die. Yes, you can find a walker parked within 8 feet of your table at any time. BUT, french fries. The Colonnade has some of the best fries this side of the county! So what? You have to deal with the occasional waft of Aspercream. Deal with it. The shrimp salad sandwich will make you want to jump up and shake the crap out of your fellow diners. DON'T! They're crazy old and you could kill them!
(4)
Yana M.
One positive was the view. Food left much to be desired lack of presentation and flavor. My salmon came out extremely raw and had to send it back. Server didn't offer to remove from the bill. We also ordered the oyster po' boy which came on a huge piece of bread with 5 mini oysters on it. Lettuce in the house salad was brown.
(1)
Tim M.
Wow, one of my favorites for many years, but no, no...no! The grouper sandwich no more. Tiny portion, no flavor... Not fresh, not even sure it was grouper? Very disappointed in the meal... But what great company we had for the evening 5 star company at a 2 star restaurant.,..
(2)
Savitre S.
Delicious food, unbeatable view, unique layout. Makes a nice quiet Sunday afternoon all the more delightful. I had the conch chowder which was easy on the wallet (as is always a factor for me) and had the perfect amount of spices and seasonings, as well as BACON!!! Others with me ordered a sashimi style dish and buffalo shrimp, which they also enjoyed, but I didn't try. As we had arrived there in the afternoon, and sat around long enough to talk, we welcomed in the dinner hour, where they brought over complimentary blueberry and cornbread muffins. Delightful! I ate every last one that I brought home with me. As I've mentioned before, I no longer drink, and neither does my boyfriend, but he said the sangria can't be beat and the other couple with us enjoyed a pitcher while they were there. I am a big fan of Bayshore Boulevard, which is like the Tampa Bay version of Chicago's Lake Shore Drive (I am a Chicago native!)- so I would definitely come back here for the view alone. Adding great food to that certainly takes the cake. It is a little out of my way and higher priced, which would not make the Colonnade my first choice. But my first time there is definitely not my last.
(4)
Ashley N.
I don't understand why this place is only rated three stars?! The atmosphere is incredible. The view is beautiful. The server we had was Breeze and she was hands down the best server and so accommodating. The person behind us had a complaint and she handled it so well. The group sandwhich was the best they have in South Tampa. Had the alligator as well which was so fresh! We will definitely be back!
(5)
Kate E.
Good food good prices and lots of it. I've been here several times for dinner and brunch on Sunday. Could use an update on the decor. Definitely caters to an older crowd. But the food is delicious. I had the Brie bacon and egg sandwich was yummy! My boyfriend had the chicken and waffles which he are every bite.
(4)
Kathy D.
Man o man it has been a long time since I have visited this Tampa Restaurant icon. Can't say much has changed. The decor is the same, menu looked about the same , except a bit higher, due to the years. Staff was great and handled a large group very well, no complaints on the service. I had the broiled scallops and of course they weren't real, they were the small punch out scallops. For what they were they were spot on and had a great light butter and herb sauce. For sides I had a nice fresh salad ( they really had balsamic vinegar) & a baked potato that appeared old & the sour cream was warm & seperated. Overall my meal was quite good. And yes, before you ask, they still have the mini muffins as their bread, not as good as I remember. It seems like lately I am dining with several people. One ordered the ah I tuna, the first time it was totally raw. They took the same tuma and threw it in a fry pan or oven and it returned looking like beef. That was not accepted back at the table, it really was attrousious looking and inedible. Next they tried the salmon salad and it came with the salmon so dried out and overcooked that had to go back. Keep in mind this is the same person! The second salmon salad was perfect, 2 hours latter my friend got to eat! Another person in my party got surf & turf and ordered his steak medium. His meal came and he struggled with it awhile, fish & steak overcooked and dry and chewy. He did not bother sending it back, as he had seen the other person desperately trying to get edible food. The last person had a crab cake as an appetizer and it took 30 minutes to get hot sauce, well that tells that story! He got the fried seafood platter and was pleased with his food. We all left and went somewhere else for desserts, dinner took way to long! What's a girl to do? I love that we have this restraunt in our city overlooking Tampa Bay. Sorry, they need to step up food quality.
(2)
Dominick T.
This is a Tampa institution. It was originally a hamburger joint on Bayshore, and turned into a leading Seafood place. There is a full bar, plenty of fresh florida seafood, and the view that no other place can match. It is busy on Sunday and Saturday for brunch, and there is nothing better than looking out while sipping coffee with Seafood crepes. The Quiche is also excellent. I like ordering the platters for dinner, but I would also recommend the coconut shrimp. The clientele is going to trend older, but this place has been here a long time, and there are a lot of condos around it.
(4)
Bob K.
Prices are high on starters But large servings. Wanted it rare it came med. Bun was average. Nice water. Good view of BayShore & Tampa bay.
(3)
Julie S.
The service here was fabulous! Drinks were refilled before they were empty. The food was okay. I got the make your own and got grouper checks and fried shrimp with a salad and baked potato. The shrimp was jumbo sized but I only got 3 and I got about 10 small grouper cheeks. I wish they would have evened it out because the grouper cheeks weren't that good and were very bland. I had to order a side of buffalo sauce to make them edible. Overall, good restaurant. Good service. I just happened to order something I didn't really like and that isn't really their fault.
(4)
Katie B.
Love this place! There isn't a better view in Tampa. Food is amazing and the drinks are awesome escpecially the banana daiquiris. The staff is very pleasant.
(5)
Vickie J.
I remember coming here as a kid, and we would wait for hours, especially on Fridays during Lent, to eat at this Tampa staple. You could have good food with a gorgeous view, and amazing muffins. So today for my mom's birthday, which fell on a Friday during Lent, we went to a seafood restaurant. They said on the phone they would not take reservations for our large party of 12. Well, we should have known when we showed up at 7:00 on a Friday night, and we were seated right away, something was wrong. The restaurant was empty. I had arrived a couple of minutes early so I could drop a cake off for dessert as a surprise for my mom. When we all got seated, the waiter came over and announced that they had a cake in the back. Surprise ruined. It took 30 minutes for the waiter to take our drink orders. He had 1 other 4-top table. It didn't take terribly long to get our drinks. It took 1 hour and 10 minutes before the waiter brought out the bread/muffins. Once he brought out our muffins, that's when he took our orders. We had been planning on ordering a few apps, but with the service, we decided to skip that. It then took another hour before we got our food. Mind you, the restaurant was empty. And not all of the food came out at the same time. The birthday girl's food came out a good 5-10 minutes after everyone else's. We were almost done eating our food. My food was luke warm, at best. One of the guests, an avid fisherman, who is well familiar with fish, ordered the grouper, and he got cold, rubbery, non-grouper. Nobody liked their food, and the only food that was even warm was my mom's. And apparently they ran out of tartar sauce, so instead of telling us this, they brought out sour cream instead... and didn't tell us. Like we wouldn't know the difference????? Ruined the already cold, gross food even more. The waiter was rude and took 4 tries to bring us what we asked for once we finally got our food. I didn't get my salad before dinner like everyone else, even though I asked for it when he first forgot me. Let's see... what else... one of the cloth napkins on the table was dirty-gross - looked like it hadn't been washed at all. And one of the dessert plates they brought for the cake was dirty... A manager never came by at all to check on us. I didn't see one at all because I was going to say something. And I was looking. Overall dinner was 3 hours +. Great company, but horrible restaurant, service, and food. Noone in my group will ever go back here again. It really is a shame too.
(1)
Sue C.
We were riding past the Colonnade and thought we would give it a try. We were greeted nicely at the door, given a window table with a fabulous view of the bay, and Kevin our server came over quickly to take our drink order. My husband had the grouper sandwich which was served with coleslaw and those wonderful French fries. I had the combo fish and shrimp plate with the coleslaw and French fries......both meals were really good. The fish was not overly cooked, the coleslaw was fresh and had a nice flavor and the French fries were oh my goodness good. The mini muffin basket was served warm and was also very nice. Drink refills were served without being asked. We will be back.
(4)
Jess C.
This place was a joke. We found this place b/c a concierge highly recommended it. The best thing was something not even on the menu.....fried clam strips appetizer. Fresh, hit, fantastic. From there it went downhill rapidly! The Stone Crab claws were so over cooked all you got after wresting with it was some shreds of crab. C'mon man! The Grouper had zero flavor and looked like it had been thru the ringer. Definitely 3 thumbs down.
(1)
Guy L.
I've been going to this place since 1984. I was born in Tampa in 1985 and grew up a few blocks away. My mother had a bizarre hormone-fueled obsession with the Colonnade's stuffed flounder while I was in the womb. For an entire trimester of my gestation she exclusively ate take out from the Colonnade, and then some. When I was born, my head was so large the doctors feared for her life. Long story short, I ended up a Mensa level genius while my siblings struggled to be legally classified as not mentally retarded. I attribute almost all my success in life to the Colonnade. Needless to say, I was distraught when I read all these hateful reviews plastered all over Yelp. I hadn't been back to the Colonnade in at least ten years, but I decided to make a pilgrimage to see if this legendary south Tampa staple took a turn for the worst. After all, it's hard to be consistently excellent when you've been operating with the exact same business model since a time when Hitler still wasn't sure where he wanted to take his political ambitions. First and foremost, the decor. Anyone who has a problem with the decor of this restaurant needs to pack up their bags, pay their outstanding tab at the lodge, and go the f*ck back to whatever New Jersey or Californian classless sh*t hold they crawled out of. The decor here has not changed since as long as I can remember, and I actually still have a print of a piece of Fish art that used to hang in the bathroom that my dad finally bought after taking a couple thousand pisses there circa 1989. It's a SEAFOOD restaurant that has arguably the best view of Hillsborough bay and the Tampa Skyline there is, glass tables filled with ancient crustaceans, memorabilia from world war 2 era maritime vessels , and trophy fish stuffed by legendary taxidermist--literally all over the place. If this decor bothers you then you are a flat out moron, really there is no other term. If Antique roadshow came through there they'd offer them seven figures for the whole collection, but you know what? The Colonnade would say "f*ck off", just like they do when people try to buy the real estate their restaurant sits on even though it could easily support a multi-million dollar condo that would likely be filled with complete douche bags that have no respect for the rich history of Tampa. But I digress. The food is exactly as I remembered it: superb. The assortment of muffins they put on the table were as fresh and diverse as ever, but still had a plurality of blueberry muffins so I didn't have to dig around. The scallops were so fresh they could've been poached right out of the bay that day. The waiter wasn't exactly a Nobel laureate, but he got the job done in a reasonable amount of time and managed to make eye contact here and there. Finally: the old people. They are mostly segregated to the northern dinning section like they always have been, just go to the other dinning hall if they cause you so much disgust. I mean I get it, no one wants to be reminded of their inevitable death while eating delicious fried seafood, but there is a reason the old people are here. It is because they've eaten more meals than all of us and at the end of their life they can say with more certainty than any tasteless carpet-bagging twenty-year-old hipster that the Colonnade delivers an outstanding experience every single f*cking time--and they've been doing so since 1935. Five stars isn't enough for this place. If you feel this establishment deserves less, please exhaust yourself rating the revolving door of poorly planned hip restaurants on Howard that cater almost exclusively to the bankruptcy attorneys of Tampa. 80 years and still thriving, your stars will never be able to change that.
(5)
Ashley H.
We decided to come in last night on our vacation in Tampa. I wanted a seafood place that wasn't super fancy but had a great meal, potentially on the water. When we walked in, we learned that The Colonnade was established in 1935, and that it is still very popular today! It was definitely packed, and we waited about 10-15 minutes for a table. We were given little mini blueberry and corn muffins as we sat down, as well as our drinks. We ordered coconut shrimp while we perused the menu. It was tough to make a decision, as it's a big menu and it was our first time here. The coconut shrimp were good, although they seemed more like standard fried shrimp than coconut. They also gave us 5 shrimp, which made it tough to split things evenly. I ordered the Shipwreck Platter, which consisted of broiled scallops and shrimp stuffed with crab. My fiance ordered the Cajun fried catfish. When I received my entree, I was a little disappointed to see that the scallops were actually bay scallops (this was not specified on the menu), and that I only received 3 stuffed shrimp for the entree. While it was definitely enough food (they give you a lot of the bay scallops), I would have ordered differently had I known this was the case. My fiance's catfish did not taste Cajun at all, and the breading was constantly falling off of the fish. It wasn't very crispy in most parts, and it was definitely a cooking flaw that the breading kept coming off. Overall, we both felt like we ordered the wrong entrees, but we would be willing to try this place again sometime. The service was attentive and the food was decent.
(3)
Kevin F.
Dined there today with three others found the food and service to be good but for the money I found the portions to be small. No salad before dinner no vegetables with dinner just 1 side. The sword fish was good but very thin. It also would have been nice to inform us prior to being seated that the air conditioning was not working
(3)
Don K.
Went to enjoy some seafood and not necessarily for their great view or old ambience. The firecracker shrimp and gator bites where plenty of appetizer for the 7 of us. Salads might of well came from a bag but the house made dressings were a big help. My snapper was overcooked and sons French fries were cold. However everyone else were pleased with their entrees, although they were drinking heavily. The waiter should have been more attentive. Aside from that it was an enjoyable evening but Shells has equally good food for one less $.
(3)
Jerry G.
Been coming to the Colonnade since the late 80's. Great scenery from the front area of the restaurant, overlooking the bay to bay boulevard and the bay coming into Tampa. The last time, I caught a bunch of dolphins playing close to the road. The service was quick and we were seated right away. We had a large group of people and the put us off in the left side of the restaurant with a great view of the road and bay. We've been here about 2 times over the past month with this group and I've had their catfish one time (always love a good catfish), and a grouper sandwich the other time. Both were lunches. The prices were within reason for a lunch meal. The side were standard -fries, cole slaw, etc. If you've not been here, its worth a try. Parking is in the back of the restaurant which helps maintain the view of the road and bay. Have never been there and not had a parking space available.
(4)
Steve Y.
I have lived in Tampa for four years now and I drive past the Colonnade almost every day, I have been wanting to try it ever since I moved here and now that I have I could kick myself for waiting so long! Overall excellent experience from the ambiance to the food to the service. We were greeted immediately upon seating by our very friendly waiter Louie, who was very attentive throughout our entire experience although the restaurant was admittedly at about half capacity while we were there. And we got a corner window booth with a fantastic view of the bay and downtown Tampa. Food rating: excellent. With such a large menu we had trouble deciding what to order because we wanted everything. But since we both love gator, my partner and I ordered the Wild Florida Gator appetizer and it was delicious and the portion was very generous, which is not always the case when ordering gator. My partner then ordered the Crunchy Grouper which was fried in an almond and corn flake coating and it was wonderful. I had the Seafood Pasta which was also delicious and loaded with seafood. We are "healthy" eaters and usually clean our plates but we had to take some home because the portions were generous. Louie even bagged our mini corn and blueberry muffins and we had them for breakfast the next morning. I definitely recommend the Colonnade!
(5)
Uyen D.
Tried my hardest to like this place, but I would give the food 2/5 and the service +1. After passing by this place while exploring the beautiful bayshore sidewalk and mansions, we finally decided to try this place out. Once we sat, we got a menu that looked pretty good - affordable and lots of seafood options. I got the grouper sandwich with clam chowder, mom got the tropical chicken, and my dad got their classic combo (fried catfish and scallops) and calamari for appetizer. The calamari portion was huge and had huge pieces of calamari however, the breading was over salty.. But I told myself I'll see how they do on the entrees. Also they brought out my clam chowder - looked like grits, overly thick, and salty. I asked my server if I could switch to conch chowder and she gladly did, which was very nice of her however the conch chowder was overly salty as well. I did enjoy the basket of cornbread and blueberry muffins. As for the entrees, My grouper sandwich was very good - bread was buttery and the fish tasted fresh (?) my moms tropical chicken over rice - salty and my dad's combo - nothing special. I tried my hardest to love this place .. The view, location, family owned, great servers, Just the food.. Fell short. I guess it's a great place if you want to just enjoy the view, a drink and a small appetizer. Maybe their menu needs some revamping.
(3)
Jeff D.
Took the whole clan to brunch and was not disappointed. This place has been around for a long time and has a solid following in the area, it focuses on seafood and fried is there game. I enjoyed everything and there was not a complaint at the table. The only thing I would say is the carpet needs some updating.
(4)
Michelle M.
Meh. I really wanted to like The Colonnade, but the food and atmosphere was just blah. It's a shame because the location is great and I loved the view overlooking Bayshore Boulevard. My husband and I visited the Colonnade for a late lunch/ early dinner and were quite amused that we were one of the few patrons under 50. This wouldn't have bothered me if the woman in the booth next to us wasn't hacking up a lung. I seriously thought she wasn't going to make it through her meal! We ordered the clam chowder and the shrimp salad sandwich - both very disappointing. The clam chowder was too rich and the seafood didn't taste very fresh. My shrimp salad sandwich was drowned in tons of mayonnaise and had no flavor. It was served on a stale, store-bought croissant. The corn muffins that everyone raves about? Not sure if I got a bad batch, but the muffins turned into crumbs every time I tried to pull the wrapper off. How do you butter a pile of dry crumbs? Needless to say, we won't be back.
(2)
Gary L.
Food and view is great. Service is as slow as molasses. Spent a half hour waiting to pay bill! Place was half full on a Sunday brunch! I think I got a waitress that does not like to work on Sunday's ! Would I come back?....probably, but would ask for express service .
(2)
Nichole C.
The first time I dined at The Colonnade, was in 2010. My boyfriend at the time wanted to go there for his birthday. That turned out to be the night, my boyfriend proposed! Fast forward to Valentine's Day, 2014, and my HUSBAND, wanted to go and reminisce at The 'Nade. How to describe the place and food, four years since my last visit, now that I'm more of a foodie... It's a classic place. The decor is old school, like an old steakhouse, if you can picture that. If you get a window spot, then you cannot beat the view! The clientele, appears to be mostly senior citizens, who are regulars, there. The food was so-so, and it pains me to say that, as people rave about this place. To start, we ordered the calamari, which by itself was fantastic, actually but the marinara, it came with was not only not good, but not necessary. A wedge of fresh lemon, or a remoulade would have been better. But that's what I mean about "old school", as I think marinara was the staple sauce years ago. We then opted to split the stuffed shrimp and scallops platter. The shrimp was deeeelish! The scallops were sad, and tiny served in a dish of butter. Again, just old school. The roasted potatoes we ordered as a side were nothing special. I just don't think they've changed their menu in years, if at all. Not to say that's a bad thing, if the majority of your patrons are older, anyways and that's what they keep coming back for. Our server was fine, but seemed rushed. Though while we waited in the bar before dinner, our bartender was a pleasant lady. The Colonnade will always be a special place for us, but it won't be somewhere we're running to go back to, either.
(3)
D W.
Really enjoyed the food here. Loved the shrimp basket there fries were great. Our waiter Breeze was amazing as well as the whole staff
(5)
Ben B.
We went here for dinner despite all the average to blah reviews we read. The food was below average as was the service My advice, tear it down and build condos !
(1)
Donna T.
We were in Tampa on a house hunting trip and drove along Bayshore Blvd to look at the gorgeous homes when we noticed this restaurant nestled in between the homes. It was mid- afternoon on a weekday and not many cars in the parking lot. I made a quick check of the reviews on Yelp and, despite the overall rating and several negative comments, decided to give it a shot. We received immediate service and it was our choice to take some time to review the varied menu. I saw conch chowder on the menu and ordered it while I continued trying to decide on my entree. It was very tasty with large meaty chunks of conch in a delicious tomato base with spices and veggies. I decided in the crab cake sandwich and my husband ordered the mahi mahi. I chose tartar sauce on my sandwich which came with cole slaw and thick cut french fries. It was a generous sized crab cake with a large tomato slice and lettuce on a crispy bun. Delicious - but messy. The fries were very,very tasty as was the rest of my meal. They served the little muffins but I did not partake. My husband managed to wolf them down- there was a combination of blueberry and cornbread. He said they were great. He also enjoyed his meal as well as the friendliness of our waiter. Total bill around $30 before tip. Service was great and so was the food. Yes, the decor is dated but I frequent restaurants based on the quality of the food and service- not to the carpeting and paint on the walls. There are far too many restaurants that look beautiful and have a very pleasing ambiance but the food is overpriced and service is lacking. We will be going back. This is what dining is all about. Simplicity, good food and service at a reasonable price without a lot of pretense. And if "old people" bother you, don't live in Florida. They need to eat too. And they have money. So go to Mcdonalds because they don't eat there. That's why they're old and still alive.
(4)
Jacquelyn D.
The view is gorgeous! The food is delicious! Go for it! I suggest the gator and the coconut shrimp from the appetizer menu! We celebrated my grandfathers birthday, and the entire staff came out to join in the celebration! It was quite lovely.
(4)
M J.
Horrible service and the food is very mediocre. I do not recommend. Extremely disappointing.
(1)
Deborah H.
I love coming here as soon as I get off the plane from Cincinnati. For me, The Colonnade is not just about the food (which I really like), it's also about the exhale....I'm in one of my favorite parts of the world, looking out at Tampa Bay. I really like their cole slaw, and while mentioning something as seemingly inconsequential to a seafood restaurant as cole slaw may not be important to everyone, REALLY good cole slaw is one of my favorite things....crispy cabbage and carrots with a light, not goopy dressing, served COLD. Slaw people know the let down when you start a meal with bad slaw.....it's hard to recover! Enough about slaw. The grilled grouper was good, but a little soggy on the inside. The crispy outside was excellent. Didn't have the crab cakes, but my dining companion did, and said they were excellent. He has tasted crab cakes across America and put these in his top five! Service was good. We had a really attentive, knowledgeable server. Like several other reviews have stated, you will not find a lot of diners under the age of 70, but who cares? Age brings good taste and a discerning palette, plus I like being the youngest chick in the room! I say that everyone who visits Tampa should eat at The Colonnade just once during your trip....relax, let yourself become mesmerized by the view of Tampa Bay and have a few mini blueberry muffins....it's all good, people!
(4)
Carly R.
The Colonnade was just all right. The main attraction is, of course, the fantastic views of the bay and downtown (at night, the lights are spectacular). However, everything else at this restaurant is lacking (save for the muffins...they are delicious). The decor involves a boring, outdated marina theme with giant fish carcasses on the walls, wood columns with ropes tied around them, etc. Also, this is definitely not the place to go if you're a young adult...it draws a more "seasoned" crowd. I thought the food was overpriced for the quality. My salmon was cooked nicely but very under-seasoned, and the Hollandaise sauce, salad, and side dish (sweet potato) were uninspired. Service was decent, but I will most likely not be back.
(2)
Amanda L.
The service and view are great! The food: Muffins: excellent Salad: ranch dressing was gross Clam chowder: rich and tasty Mashed potatoes: excellent Sweet potato fries: really tasty Captain's plate (deep fried clam strips and tiny scallops): disappointing & flavorless Stuffed shrimp: bland, but cooked perfectly Salmon: plain but good, cooked perfectly
(3)
Alicia P.
Meh. This used to be a stellar hot spot. For young and old. Mostly old. 20 years ago, I used to love to bring my parents. 8 years ago, it became less desirable. And now.....only if you want fried shrimp or the fried seafood platters is it any good. Last visit was about a week ago. The waiter was dull at first, but then he got better throughout the night. He became very accommodating. The food was decent, we knew we had to order fried shrimp! Best thing on the menu. Our salads were quite good this time too (no brown, wilty lettuce). Would we go back? On the rare occasion for something fried from the sea....yes.
(3)
Jomo R.
The food was ok, nothing memorable. I'd actually forgotten that I had eaten here before. The server was nice and the atmosphere is awesome. The dining area overlooks the water across the street so it's very relaxing. The pasta potions are generous so if you are in the area and hungry, stop by. Just don't expect your socks to be blown off.
(3)
Sassy B.
Seems a bit run down. Outdoor tables were rusted. Funky smell when you walk in. Waitress was '.ok.' Food not worth the price. Had shrimp platter, all the shrimp were way overcooked. My husband ordered grouper and shrimp. Fish piece small, two shrimp on top of rice pilaf, also overcooked. The only plus were the muffins served before dinner and a view of the water. So-so meal, not worth the trip or the money.
(2)
JR H.
My family had raved about this place as having amazing prime rib and seafood. During my week in town I figured I would give it a shot. I started with the French onion soup. It had great flavor, but it was cold. Next I had a salad with my steak. The ranch dressing tasted like it came straight out of an economy sized jug, which I guarantee it does. My filet came out cooked perfect and seasoned right. My other guests enjoyed their meals and the view.
(3)
John B.
The median age of the clientele hovers around retirement, but I'm gonna go in a new direction and say that this place would actually be an innovative, albeit counter-intuitive, dating venue for a young couple, especially on a second date. Here's why: 1. The location is beautiful. Get a bayside table. In the summer, get there just after the early birds leave, but before sunset (7-8pm). In the winter, you're on your own, but the sun still sets in the distance and the Tampa skyline never moves. 2. The lighting and mood is very relaxed. How 'relaxed' is the lighting? We saw at least four people using their phones to read the menus, so it's as close to candlelight as you'll get without actually setting anything on fire. If the lighting is annoying, go for lunch on the weekend, just be prepared for a wait. 3. The food is great. There's nothing trendy or hip about it. This is American seafood, and it is designed to be fresh and delicious, not aesthetically cute and unfulfilling. Lots of fried stuff, too. Don't be ashamed to take things with you (ever). 4. Imagine the people watching you can do. No joke. We listened to a conversation behind us (well, behind her) and the lady was talking about how a guy was cheating on his wife with his niece's friend, then one of his kids found out about it so he divorced his wife and killed himself. We were gripped by this story until we found out she was talking about a TV show she had seen on "The Net's Flicks." Oh well, it was really entertaining, and commenting on the rest of the people in the room was also amusing. 5. The prices are reasonable for such a popular restaurant. They don't even take reservations because they know that people are going to be coming in and out of there like they have been for years. It's just that awesome, and they don't charge you some lame environmental fee like some trendier hipster joint down the road might. This is a place to talk, eat, and get out of there without having to dip into your 401k. Overall, unless you're brimming with confidence and your date likes heavy American seafood, this might not be a good first date venue. There are lots of kinks and butterflies to work out on a first date that might actually benefit from an obnoxiously loud and uncouth younger crowd eating around you, but any date beyond the first would be just fine here. I mean, why not, right? Zig, while everyone else is zagging. It's not a country club, anyone is welcome, and the wait staff make you feel that way (especially if you're young).
(4)
Rob W.
The Colonnade has been around almost forever. It has not changed much in that time. The location is great and you have magnificent views. The food is pretty good, but not outstanding. I usually get something in the seafood category here and am satisfied. I still enjoy coming here, it is kind of an old reliable place.
(3)
Kevin K.
Worst experience ever. We waited over an hour for our food once we ordered. When it finally came out it was cold. The waiter didn't seem to care one bit. I don't know if the food is typically any good but the service was just terrible.
(1)
Billy Joe J.
My cousin has a condo within short walking distance of this restaurant. I was in town during Gasparilla and what a wild time that was. We actually ate quite a few meals here during my stay, and the food, along with the service was top notch. The prices here are very reasonable and there's a nice view of the Bay from this restaurant. We ate here mostly during lunchtime and it was tasty!
(5)
Jason B.
My family and I were in town this evening and we were all hungry for some seafood. When we travel we try to find places that are local favorites so I asked some of the staff at our hotel and some other friends from the area. We decided The Colonnade fit what the family was looking for mostly so we decided to give it a try. First, the location is gorgeous. It's located on Bayshore Drive, which borders the Tampa Bay, and this evening it was a full moon so the whole bay was lit up beautifully. My son is a crab leg lover so he ordered the 1.5 pounds of snow crab legs. My wife ordered the crab stuffed flounder, my daughter got a dish of alfredo pasta with grilled chicken and splurged and got the Captain's feast: baby scallops, fried shrimp, fried oysters, clam strips, white fish strips and a crab cake and a cup of clam chowder. Son polished off the snow crab with just a little help from mom and dad. My wife is not a fan of fish generally and loved her flounder. Daughter loved her meal. My meal was a bit of a mix. I'm reminded that I'm not a big fan of oysters so I only ate one of those, but the rest of the meal was very good. The baby scallops were perhaps the sweetest breaded scallops I've ever eaten. I made a mistake and waited until the end to try and eat the crab cake, I was so stuffed I just didn't enjoy it much. The filling was loaded with crab, but I wasn't a big fan of the batter/crust on it. We all had delicious salads to start the meal, along with tiny little blueberry muffins and cornbread muffins. We polished off two baskets of muffin before the meals even showed up, perhaps the beginning of our downfall. Overall this is a very nice establishment. Very quiet and low-key ambiance filled with more mature patrons in general. This evening, this vibe worked much better for my family and I, as I wasn't interested in surrounding my family with a loud, younger party and bar crowd at a more younger themed restaurant. I'd definitely recommend.
(4)
Mike M.
Me and my wife were going to give this place a third shot after two failed attempts at this restaurant! We waited for 15 mins after sitting down for a waiter and no one came. I spoke to the manager and he just ask where we were sitting and didn't even offer up an apology so we left! This place use to be a great restaurant but has declined in my book! It's a shame because I really enjoy the view. I won't be back!
(1)
Rafael S.
Great experience coming from Miami to celebrate with my son and his new wife. The best was the service with Benny. The sangria was good and all our plates. Great view.
(4)
Shelly J.
This was a difficult place to review... I could give it a five or six, or a one star depending on the visit. The Colonade is a Tampa icon and has been around for ages. The restaurant and menu are about the same as always. Service can be hit or miss. Usually they seem pretty pokey and one time our server quit in the middle of her shift, after our dinners had been placed at another table. That whole meal took about 3 hours and no one was happy. The manager comped us a dessert which hardly made up for the awful experience. The food, however, has always been great. No real complaints there. The Colonade is not a cheap place, but is not brutally expensive either considering seafood isn't cheap. You might try avoid going on times that you know will be busy to get better service. When it gets busy, the service seems to slow down to a crawl.
(3)
Mary B.
We went to the Colonnade on Mother's Day at my grandmother's request. It is definitely not on the top of my list of Tampa restaurants. The view is amazing, but that's about it. The food is incredibly unimpressive, the service is alright, and I don't think the restaurant has been updated in the last 30 years. I got the cobb salad, and it wasn't bad, just nothing that good. I asked for my shrimp grilled instead of broiled, and the waiter looked at me very odd. Seeing that they had grilled shrimp for other entrees, I didn't see this to be a big deal. I did end up getting what I wanted, but didn't expect for it to be quite so difficult. If you are looking for good seafood in Tampa, go anywhere but here - unless you want it to be beer battered and fried.
(1)
Krytal P.
Overpriced. Not good. My fish tasted watered down. There is better places for the money. We spent 103$ I was willing to spend the money on good food and just wasn't impressed.
(1)
Chris C.
I gave this place 4 stars and I'll never come back. This restaurant executes its menu perfectly. The service is exactly right. The ambiance is spot on. If you're 65+. If you stop here to do what other Yelpers do (treat grandma), you will have a great time. Enjoy her company, relish the views, dig the old school vibe, and leave full and happy.Sometimes it's about making sure your family is happy and you're enjoying the moment. It doesn't always have to be a culinary high point. If grandma's home knitting, you should eat somewhere else :-)
(4)
Jason H.
I had the swordfish and it was tasty...though it started to get bland towards the end. I led with this because it sort of sums up how I feel about The Colonnade. It was good but it just seemed like it was missing something, like it could have been better in some intangible way. I'll definitely return as there aren't a ton of seafood spots on this side of the bay.
(4)
Jeremiah D.
Colonnade benefits from its great location and courteous staff. I did, however, have some reservations about the food. The cornbread and carrot cake muffins were absolutely delicious. The New England Clam Chowder was a little on the cold side, but very hearty and filled with generous chunks of clam. The grouper sandwich, which was advertised as being voted "Tampa's best," was the most disappointing portion of the meal. It was very bland and virtually flavorless. Although not a big fan of tartar sauce, I tried using quite a bit to add some flavor. The fries were a little over fried as well, but the grouper definitely could use some work. The view and staff are fantastic - just wish I could say the same about the grouper.
(3)
EJ P.
I have to preface this review by saying that I am a big fan of anything that reminds me of my grandparents. And that is what this place does: It looks like, smells like and is full of grandparents. If you like the kind of place that is very kitsch, full of elderly people, and stuck in the 70s, this is your place. I like to go here because it's got great views and it's very retro and the food is not atrocious. I go like once every 2 years. But I wouldn't recommend it unless I know the person very well and they are a big fan of retro.
(4)
Amber N.
Nice place. Big window views of the bay are gorgeous. The food is fine, as is the service. Nothing to rave about, definitely not upscale, just fine. With the kind of water views offered, this restaurant that's right on Bayshore Boulevard could be a hot spot where people would be willing to pay a little more, but there is no upscale ambiance. Oh, and if you want Caesar dressing on your salad instead of the other standard choices, they'll charge you an additional 35 cents. LOL. Little things like that are just silly. Anytime I've been there most of the clientele have been senior citizens (and their parents... LOL). The place has early bird specials and has a little bit of a diner feel. Again, it's an OK place, but not for someone looking for fine dining. With new management, menu and ambiance that place would make a killing. It's incredible no one has taken advantage of that yet.
(3)
Hue L.
Beautiful location on the Tampa waterfront. You can stroll the waterfront walkway with gorgeous sunset and see the Tampa skyline from the distance. Unique decorum inside with large windows for a fantastic view of Tampa bay area. Great ambiance. We had the alligator popcorn for appetizer, I had the lobster Bowl, my husband had crab cakes for dinner. The lack of good seasoning prevents this place from earning a 5 star rating, although I would still recommend this place if you have not been there before.
(4)
Kyle H.
Great food, decent prices, fun times. If you walk in at lunch you may think there is an AARP convention in town, but don't let that keep you from coming. Dinner is packed, they don't do reservations (for small groups).
(5)
Diane H.
Went here for a birthday dinner party of 18. We shared appetizers of Oysters Rockefeller which were dry to their style of baking bread crumbs on top, crab and spinach dip which was extremely fishy tasting and an order of Buffalo shrimp which were pretty good. I was afraid to order fish after tasting the crab so I ordered the crunchy chicken made with almonds and corn flakes. The chicken was fine but I didn't like the pineapple dipping sauce served with it. I would've preferred ranch dip. My husband loved his Delmonico steak. The kids all had pasta meals with no complaints. When it came time for our checks all hell broke loose. Meals were charged twice and others paid for the wrong meals. Service was fine up until that point.
(3)
Angela A.
This place is a seafood staple in Tampa Bay. The place itself is wonderful. All wooden log beams with an amazing coastal New England feel; in addition to an amazing view of the bay across the street. The servers start you off with a basket of mini muffins instead of traditional bread. Though throughout the years they've kept reducing the variety of muffins, as now they only serve blueberry and corn bread muffins, but great tasting, nonetheless. The food is excellent and the seafood is even better. The pasta is mediocre, but then again, it's not what they're known for.
(4)
Lisa N.
Haven't dined here in years and went for a business dinner with out of town guests. Our guests enjoyed both the food and the view of Bayshore Blvd. The grilled grouper was very nice. It was black grouper which is one the top varieties (and priciest). It was well prepared on the grill and served with a side of lemon and the option of tarter sauce or cocktail. The grouper dinner came with two sides and I chose the baked potato and the veggie of the evening- green beans. Other options include: sweet potatoes, salad, coleslaw, etc. All meals come with mini muffins. They are assorted varieties and are served warm with butter. If you ask nicely, they will give you some to take home. The Colonnade has many seats by the window and we were easily given our window request on an average Wednesday night. FYI- There are a ton of squirrels that hang around outside the restaurant which was surprising to me since I lived very close by and never saw more than a squirrel or two. These little guys are a bit much as they run up and down the outside window ledge (scared our guests enough to jump in their seats) and on the board walk leading to the front door. So if you have a squirrel phobia, you should probably stay away. :) Overall, we had a very nice dining experience. Everyone enjoyed their food. I would definitely bring out of town guests here again.
(3)
R. G.
Ok so yes it's a nice view, but you pay for good food and as much as I wanted this restaurant to be added to my list of good seafood spots it just fell flat. The best part of the meal sad to say was the baby muffins served as a bread and the baked potato. The stuffed shrimp were dry and flavorless, the crab cakes ugh! And in almost all cases the food was under if at all seasoned. Add all of that add the high pricing and it spells out NOT COMING BACK. Seating for hundreds and on a Friday night only 4 tables occupied. That should have been the first red flag. I really wished that I could find something to cheer about but $60 for 2 people with no booze and a bad taste in my mouth? Not so much.
(3)
Ellie M.
I have driven by here many times and have always wanted to try the Tampa institution. Since my grandmother was in town last week for lunch, I thought it was the perfect choice (the more mature, grey-haired crowd seems to like it here). Our waitress looked like she was about 80 herself, was named 'Flo,' and was (naturally) sweet as pie. We ordered the grouper sandwich and special grouper cheeks (both fried) and we were pleased with the food. The sandwich was better (nice, light batter) and as others have said, I think that is by far the safest bet. Coleslaw, fries, and iced tea on the side. If you want to venture into steak or stone crabs it seems pretty obvious you'd be disappointed here - it's not a place to go for a 'nice' dinner, it's good for the basics and the experience. All-around pleasant, and we got a perfect booth by the window so we had the lovely view of the bay. Made me feel very happy to live in Florida, and enjoy all it has to offer on an average Wednesday.
(3)
Nikki K. A.
View is great and the muffin basket is nice.
(2)
Mike S.
Overall favorite seafood place in Tampa. Although some other fish houses have high points on certain items, such as smoked mullet, fish spread or oysters, this Tampa standard keeps producing high quality seafood of great variety on a consistent basis. My standard "test dish" for seafood is the fried combo platter and theirs is great. Light breading, not greasy, full flavored fish/shrimps/oysters, sauces, good fries, slaw and puppies. Good selection of appetizers too, and you can order grilled instead of fried. Their view across Bayshore and Tampa Bay is incomparable, and the interior of the dining room is classy without being pretentious. Parking lot is shaded by old oaks. Check out the history of this venerable eatery. You can support an institution, and enjoy fine food without being institutionalized.
(4)
Jacqui S.
This might be a Tampa institution but its time has passed. I have dined at the colonade on bayshore 3 times and each time I left thinking maybe I picked the wrong dish. The food is mediocre at best. Too much mayo and store bought sauces/dressings. The vegetables taste like they came out of a prepackaged bag. The food overall, seems like it was reheated out of a freezer. The interior of the restaurant is dark. The carpets are old and dingy. The whole interior no longer looks rustic, just dirty. The ceiling tiles have water marks. Does not appear like any maintenance has gone into this place for a long time. The location and views are the only saving grace. Beautiful spot overlooking the bay. That's the only reason I visited 3 times. But now I will not waste anymore money there, unless Datz takes it over.
(2)
Daniel L.
We're an old Tampa family, and we've been coming here for three generations. I live in Lakeland now, but when I come to Tampa with my wife we often eat here. Besides the history, and the fact I grew up sailing the Hillsborough Bay, of which the restaurant has a gorgeous view, the food is great. The menu is small, and a lot of it is fried. Try the fried grouper - it will win you over in two bites. In fact, anything grouper on this menu is worth trying. I've tried most of the menu at one time or another, and, so far, I've not had a bad dining experience at the Colonnade. The service can be lackluster at times, but it's not a common problem, and speaks more to the individual servers than the establishment. The decor and ambiance haven't changed in 30 years, at least. Hopefully they've dusted the plastic plants in that time, but I haven't climbed up to take a look. I'm not a fan of their muffins, though others rave about them. They fall apart when you try to take them out of the wrappers. I hate chasing muffin crumbs around my plate, trying to mush them together to make a mouthful. But that's almost inconsequential. The entrees are why you're here. Fresh fish, freshly prepared, that's the hallmark of the Colonnade. Keeping the menu small is a great idea - they do a few things extremely well. It really is a throwback type of place, somewhere that doesn't seem to change ever, and you walk away hoping it never does.
(4)
Janelle E.
A few of us went to Collenade because it was close to our hotel and had a good view of the bay...that's about where the good ended. The wine list was small, but I found one to go with. The glass it came in was ridiculous small and weird....NOT a good wine glass! I was all jazzed up for some good gulf shrimp and ordered the shrimp cocktail...SO disappointing! It tasted like they just took it out of the freezer. For my meal I ordered the tropical shrimp with rice, sweet potato and a salad. The salad was pretty good, the sweet potato was delish, but the shrimp was awful. It tasted like frozen shrimp with some sweet stuff on it. I had some coupons for a free drink or key lime pie so I opted for the key lime pie that I heard was really good...again, disappointment. It was a really large piece of pie, but it wasn't that good. I think I can get better key lime from Marie Calendar's in the grocery store. I won't ever go back but it wasn't the worst I've ever had...
(2)
Fritz E.
Fine dishes. Will never be considered a top destination for dining for the food but the location has just an amazing view of Bayshore Blvd. Seems to be the regular type of restaurants people have been eating at for 20+ years. Nice for them to be around for that long. The issue tends to be that the menu & flavors get locked in to what the old timers expect...
(3)
Jason C.
Not premiere Tampa dinning, but the grouper sandwich was a home-run! We had a group of 20 and the service was VERY slow. While the decor is a bit dated (1970s) and the average clientele is a bit older, the views are amazing if you can score a window seat.
(3)
Donna M.
I would have only given 2 stars except that our waitress was very nice. Five at the table had clam chowder and all five complained that the soup was cold. The waitress replaced it with hot and was very apologetic. The seafood was mediocre. My oriental salad was advertised as having orange slices. It came with only 4 thin slices on top. They still had the peel on them so by the time you tried to cut off the rind, you had no fruit left not to mention all the work it took. Kitchen service was very slow. We left thinking we wasted 2 hours and $75 bucks.
(3)
Bill C.
Like Kojak's Ribs, The Colonnade sits on a terrific location...and takes a big fat dump. Took my mom and her husband for lunch this weekend. Why? Because old folks DIG this place. Unfortunately, the seafood and service make Red Lobster look like "Roys". The shrimp I ordered was obviously out of a freezer and had been sitting awhile on a pre-prepped dish of grits. Very tough and rubbery...tasted like fake lobster but not as good. The side of cornbread looked good but was flavorless. The service was ok. At one point, my 85 year-old "step-dad" complimented the waiter on the food (laughably enough) to which he he expressed great surprise, telling us that usually people complain. I'm with him. At any, Sunday around noon, terrific view of the Bay, rich part of town...and 1/3 rd full of seniors who consider Tapioca pudding to be the acme of dessert excellence. I know the Colonnade is a S. Tampa landmark...so SELL IT TO SOMEONE WHO CARES!
(2)
SH K.
Wont't add to what the other posters have said re the older people patronising the place, but it's true. I really like that the windows are huge, so you get the nice view, and the whole place feels so bright and airy despite it being indoors and having wooden panelling, etc. Food was so-so... had the chicken fried with almond and corn flake coating.. meat was a bit thin...
(3)
William T.
The food here is one step above McDonald's and three steps below Red Lobster. I've had the prime rib and filet here before, every time I had to send it back because they would cook it until it's bone dry. Tonight they didn't even have steak because they were "sold out" so I tried some fish and scallops. You would think a place next to the water would have fresh fish but it's not. The seafood here tastes prepackaged and frozen. The appetizers came at the same time as the entree which was also annoying and an example of how mismanaged the kitchen staff is. Nothing worse than having your entree get cold because you're still on the appetizers. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. The only people that eat here are ones that don't have any taste buds. I really can't see how this place has been in business all these years.
(1)
HR M.
Bad, yet again. Third strike, OUT!!! The latest visit was the climax culmination of bad experiences. The server took our order and repeated it back. After a fairly long wait (without being crowded), he delivered our plates to the table. As he was delivering, he called each plate by name as we ordered them. However, my wife's plate had a chicken wrap and NOT the scallops wrap that she ordered. Based on our looks, the server asked if there was a problem. We said she ordered the scallop wrap. He checked his notepad and indeed confirmed what we had ordered. He then had the AUDACITY to ask....well, will that be okay with you? I said no, we want what she ordered. "Well, then I'll go ahead and put that in" with a somewhat put-out attitude. He then brought the side order fries from the first order. Then about 10 min later, he finally brought the correct order. The wrap was barely edible. Oh, and I did not mention we had to clean our forks before we could use them. HORRIBLE! NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)
Heath H.
My grandmother has come here since the 50s and I just had the opportunity to dine here on a recent trip to Tampa. I wanted the stuffed lobster I had heard so much about but it wasn't in season. I was treated to stuffed flounder instead and it was insanely great! The calamari I had as appetizer was great as well. I can't say much about the conch though... I had a group of 9 with me and the service was dead on and all our meals were placed on the correct ticket as well. I will be back the next time I'm in town.
(4)
Shelley P.
Nice view of the water in a Tampa landmark. Get the onion rings if you have a few peeps that will share. Yes, they are good. Mini muffins instead of bread is a nice change.
(4)
Benjamin M.
I dropped by this famous seafood restaurant for lunch on a Saturday. While the food and service were average, the view of Tampa Bay was amazing! My date and I dined at a table next to an enormous window overlooking Bayshore Boulevard and the bay on a beautiful Tampa afternoon. I ordered the charbroiled Grouper and received about what I expected--nothing spectacular, but certainly superior to Red Lobster or any other chain seafood. Lunch for two was about $40, and I felt that the food was reasonably priced. The show of sunbeams dancing on the bay definitely added to the value of the experience. This classic Tampa seafood restaurant makes a nice little lunch date if you and/or your date appreciates scenic views of Tampa Bay.
(4)
Lisa R.
My husband and I wanted stone crabs and a view so chose this place to take my mom, a seafood lover who was visiting from Canada. We went with some trepidation due to the reviews but there were also some great reviews. Ample parking, nice view, reasonable prices and great service. The ambiance needs freshening up, to say the least. Not one shred of sophistication or style. Got a decent bottle of wine for $25 from the miniscule wine list, husband got a Newcastle which was on tap. Fried green tomatoes were quite good. However they got soggy immediately; the best friend green tomatoes I've had are laid out on a plate not piled in a basket. A basket of miniature muffins made me think of Costco or some such industrial food place. Apparently there were 3 different flavors but they all looked the same to me. Served with a bowl of open your own butter packets, ice cold. Bleh. One of the best parts of eating out is hot delicious bread with butter at the proper temperature which you don't have to wrestle out of a little plastic pot. Green salads fresh and plentiful although unimaginative. Mom loved the home made bleu cheese dressing, my Italian dressing tasted bottled. Stone crabs were described as medium sized but they were rather small. Seemed cheap though; about $20 a pound a la carte as I recall. They were good. Served cold. My combination plate of scallops and stuffed shrimp was not good. I asked about the scallops, wanting to make certain I didn't get deep fried...I expected 3-6 big scallops with a nice sear and I got a metal scallop shell thing from the '70s with about 20 scallops the size of pencil erasers swimming in a bland pool of butter. The stuffed crabs were ok I guess, but also cold. My mom had the shrimp platter sampler and proclaimed it average. My husband loved his buffalo chicken sandwich. Our bill was about $100. Very reasonable but would have been better spent elsewhere. I won't go back.
(2)
Nolan R.
How have I not been to this place? I've walked, ran, and biked past it hundreds of times...depending on the workout. I also assumed it was only for the over 60 crowd. Wow was I in for a surprise...most of the people in there at 7pm on a Friday were under 40...not that it matters. I've found that older folks wont pay for crap, so if they eat there - it's a good sign. I couldn't decide on the salmon fillet or the fried grouper. I'm sure fried grouper is their specialty and I'm an idiot for ordering the salmon but whatever... The salmon came grilled. It was fairly good..but I know, I just know...I should've ordered the grouper dang it. Their little muffins they bring you are great and the service is TOP NOTCH. When that happens I don't mind paying the required 18% gratuity. Every time I eat at a place that has a required tip the wait staff is always superb. Maybe more places should start doing this?? I should note their menu is HUGE and has something for everyone. I can't wait to go back and try that grouper. I have a feeling this is the start of a nice little relationship between "The Nade" and Nolan.
(4)
Allen E.
This place is great!!! Not to expensive either! The view of the bay is amazing! This place literally gives you so much food! You will not leave this restaurant hungry. They have the best clam chowder I have ever had and even have great non seafood. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)
Mark H.
What the hell happened to the Colonade? When I was growing up, this place was almost majestic. This was where you wanted to be seen eating on a Saturday evening. Now, it's just a place to eat; nothing special. At one time, they had the best fried grouper sammich in the Bay Area--Hands down! They used to serve up this ultra-flakey, tender, super-thick grouper filet on a fresh bun with lettuce and tomato. But times change, I guess. The chica and I went for my birthday a few years ago, and the entire experience was so bad that we vowed to never return. The waitress looked visibly UPSET that we were seated in her area. I heard her mumble, "I just can't take this anymore. I've got too many tables." Right then and there, I knew the situation was going to rapidly deteriorate; and it did. It took about 10 minutes to get in a drink order, about another 10 before we got the drinks, about another 10 before we placed our order and nearly 30 minutes before we could get our check. I hate being held hostage. But none of that was the worst part of it all. The worst part was that my grouper sandwich was not a filet, but 4 grouper nuggets smashed together on a bun. Yeah.. 4 grouper nuggets. I was like, "Wow... No better way to thank me for eating here since the early 80s like serving me this make-shift grouper filet made of 4 nuggets." Haven't been back since and it makes me sad. A small part of me died that day.
(2)
Howard Z.
Every time I head down to Tampa to see family, we seem to wander around to this place. Food here is great; and you get a great view of the shore. Always get a pitcher of sangria. Crowd tends to be older (Think grandparents) but its not like its awkward or anything. Come for the seafood, because well that's in the name.
(4)
Danielle R.
Somehow I've lived in Tampa for quite some time and only discovered this place this past weekend. I had family in town and was looking for a more unique place to bring them. I read an article that this was the place to find the best grouper sandwiches so off we went. My Uncle and husband both got the traditional fried grouper sandwich and they said it was great. My mom got hers grilled and also really enjoyed it. As for myself, I was eating light so I got a shrimp cocktail and side salad. The side salad was your average side salad, but the shrimp were very fresh and tasty. A very cute and eclectic place to visit with beautiful water views!
(4)
Gina D.
The view is fantastic! The staff is very nice. You don't feel as if you are being rushed to finish. I had the seafood pasta. It was delicious! Be aware that the serving is gigantic, so you will be able to enjoy your leftovers. My boyfriend had the clam chowder to start. It was very rich and flavorful. For his entree, he had the crab stuffed shrimp. They were really good too. For dessert, my boyfriend really liked the coconut cream pie. I had the chocolate bourbon pecan pie. Yummmm!!! Make sure you save room for dessert. We had a relaxing evening and a great meal. The prices are very reasonable. You can have a great evening out without breaking the bank.
(4)
Nicolle H.
Where do I start? This was one of the best seafood restaurants I've enjoyed while visiting Florida. I am frequent visitor to Florida and don't know why I was not brought to this place sooner. They have an extensive menu and an early happy hour. If you enjoy fried food from time to time, you'll really enjoy this place. They also have Fresh fish cooked to your liking and Pasta. The Soft Shell Crab sandwich was delicious, the Captains Platter allows you to try a little of everything as well as the the Combination Platters.
(5)
Jim B.
You know whats awesome about the Colonnade? Its been there FOREVER. My parents went there in the 50s when it was a drive in. I've been eating there on and off for decades... and really, little ever changes. The muffins are always good, the bar always full of old S Tampa people having a meal and a couple of stiff ones... and the decor is a time warp back to the last renovation in the 70s. In the last wave of development the place almost gave way to another residential tower, but the economy turned and the Colonnade lives on. I'm glad. While it will never be 'fine dining' it will always be a place I enjoy once in a while. Here's hoping it soldiers on for a few more decades.
(3)
JCC L.
A Tampa institution... Have been going here for years and never have been disappointed. On my most recent visit I had jumbo stone crab claws and they were the best, very fresh and generous portions. For an appetizer you can't go wrong with the fried green tomatoes or the gator bites. Enjoy!
(5)
Chris M.
What a great place! The drive up is gorgeous as you go under the spanish moss hanging in front of the entrance. The vibe is very much Florida seafood restaurant and the view out on Bayshore is second to none. The Jumbo shrimp seafood pasta is A+. The Alfredo is some of the best I have ever had. Also, highly recommend the Oysters Rockefellar as an appetiezer. Our waitress Gayle was amazing! She gave us a sample of the conch chowder and will definetly be back to have more.
(5)
Robert S.
The Colonnade is ingenious. I never thought combining a classic seafood restaurant with a nursing home would work out so well. A great place to eat fried shrimp while enjoying the perfect view of the sun setting on Tampa Bay and also your withering lifeforce. Where the aroma of fresh oysters, the smell of lingering death, and the morgue-refridgeration-cellar temperatures present an atmosphere that acts as a memento mori in your disappointment of a mid-life. Ah, yes. A great place to take your family for a 3:00 dinner and watch your grandparents gum applesauce with a look of pie-eyed joy about their shriveled, salty faces. Yes, applesauce is on the menu. How perfect is that?
(2)
Diane C.
We go to this restaurant once or twice a month and sit in the back bar which has cozy booths full screen TV's and good service. There's no view there, but at night who cares about the view? In the daytime we try for a front booth with a view of the bay. When lobster is in season I LOVE this place! If there is not lobster on the menu I will usually get a salad. The Cobb and the Asian chicken salads are good. I sometimes get the house salad and stuff myself with the great little basket of rolls that they serve instead of bread.
(4)
Jen H.
This place was so gross, thinking about it makes me feel a little nauseous. Not because the food is disgusting, but because everything is breaded and fried and not fresh. I just cannot eat that much fried and breaded food in one day. Judging by the other reviews of this place, Tampa has really bad taste in food. Or at least the Yelpers do. First I would like to point out that most of the guests here are over 70. Second, it has a nice view. It is across the street from the bay. Not on the bay. So no great or wonderful view, just okay. Host was very accommodating about us insisting on a booth with a good view. The little muffins they bring out at the beginning are weird for dinner. The clam chowder seems like it is from a can and kind of gross but still edible. I got the captain's platter and every single thing in it was fried, including the crab cake and the oysters, which I did not expect. Even the french fries were bad. I think the only thing that was okay were the conch fritters. I would never ever ever come back here.
(2)
Adrienne K.
First trip to Tampa, Florida. Before my trip I've heard alot about stone crab claws, so that was a 'must try' on my list this trip. The Colonnade is right on the bay, with very nice night view of downtown city lights on the other side of the water. We ordered Fried Calamari, Fresh Gulf Grouper, and Fresh Stone Crab Claws... Instead of sliced bread, the restaurant serves the cutest mini muffins in a basket =) FRIED CALAMARI ($8.99) - Hand breaded and cooked to order. Served with The Colonnade's rich marinara sauce. Very nicely priced for the portion served. Taste was pretty good. I think if it comes spicy would be better for this dish. FRESH GULF GROUPER (Market Price) - Charbroiled over an open flame, broiled in lemon butter, golden fried or crunchy fried in The Colonnade's unique almond & corn flake coating. We ordered the grouper broiled in lemon butter. The fish was a little fishy and a little overcooked. I didn't think market price was fair. FRESH STONE CRAB CLAWS (1 LB Medium Claws $23.99, 1 LB Large Claws $37.99) - Served chilled with The Colonnade's unique mustard sauce or drawn butter. Not sure if that was the holiday special price, because it was printed on a piece of paper enclosed in the menu. The claws were served cold. I didn't mind that at all because the meat was fresh and sweet unlike other crabs that I've tasted. We ordered the large claws so it only came with 6 pieces. It was kinda pricey, but hey we don't eat like that everyday, so why not live it up! =) Service was good. We had a good experience. When we return to Florida, will definitely return for more Stone Crab Claws!
(4)
Makaio A.
The crab cakes were some of the best I've ever had. The seafood quiche was also amazing. The view is also nice and the inside had character.
(4)
Moraima D.
Did not like it at all. Great location though and it looks cozy from the outside, that's what made us stop and try it. Nothing seemed fresh, rice pilaf tasted like rice from a box, the broccoli was ugly. My husband just had a sip of his onion soup because it was so bad. Many of the menu items are breaded so that tells you a lot right away that is not the freshest food. Would not recommend this place at all.
(1)
Celeste R.
Lifelong Tampa residents told us this restaurant could be good and could be bad, but when we woke to a beautiful day, we thought it would be just the place for a late lunch. Its location looking ut over the water is lovely and the dining room is very comfortable. Our server was very personable and gave us time to look over the enormous menu. My friend ordered the shrimp cocktail and one of the specials, shrimp scampi. I ordered the chargrilled grouper and the server asked if I was sure I wanted it chargriled since everyone ordered it broiled with lemon butter or fried. I said no, I wanted it chargrilled. The shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were a good size but overcooked just a little, which happens. The shrimp in the scampi, however, were like rubber. My friend is not one to complain and started eating it. I cut into my grouper - which looked great - and it was half raw inside! We finally had to ask another server to get our server, who had not checked back with us, and she took the fish away for a new piece. I waited about 15 minutes and out came another piece which was OK. She said she was sorry about that but it was a "brand new grouper" and a little thicker than usual so they hadn't known how long to cook it. I then mentioned my friend was eating it anyway, but the shrimp in the scampi was way overdone and rubbery. She nodded and said, "Yes, sometimes that happens. I think the kitchen is having problems today." I know I could have asked to see the manager, but I let it slide. She asked if she could bring a dessert menu and we said yes. Unfortunately there were no prices, or we might not have ordered two desserts that were $5.99 each and certainly not worth that price. So, those of you who love this place, you've obviously been very lucky! We will try it again someday, but for the $67 (before tip) that it cost us, I would have much preferred Bonefish Grill.
(2)
Jeremy T.
My wife and I decided to try this place out for a late lunch to enjoy our meal with a view. They still had the brunch specials going on, but wanted lunch. We started with the fried green tomatoes, they were good with a tangy aftertaste. We also got some salads and crab cakes as well to start with. When you go be prepared to wait at times for your waiter because there seems to be a customer to waiter ratio that could cause a delay in trips to your table by your waiter, no complaints just means be prepared to make the most of the delay with table conversation. We had various seafood items for our entree, we had shrimp cooked a variety of ways, crabcakes, and also had a yellow tail snapper that was very tasty. After all of this food we were absolutely stuffed and decided to take dessert to go. We will definitely come back with family and friends who visit the area, or to have a special meal for two. I mean you could come here or go to a place like the bonefish grill where you would probably spend more there and have a lower quality of meal and experience. This place is definitely worth the trip and wait.
(4)
Chuck A.
Yuck. Heard this was a good place to eat: It was not. Had a waitress, Flo, who was too old to be efficient. She took care of the older people before the girlfriend and I. By that I mean they sat down after us, got drinks and food before us and we knew what we wanted. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer, which was fresh enough, but you could tell they had been sitting there a while, and still had the window ticket with the order and Flo's name on it. Whoops? I got the grouper which almost made me sick it was so bad. I ended up leaving the "market price" ($$$$$) grouper sit and eating the sides and some more calamari from the appetizer. Boo. The one good thing about this place is the scenery. It has huge windows opening up to the water. Very nice on a clear day. Give it a shot, don't order the grouper and if Flo is your waitress, leave...unless you're over 65.
(2)
Donald H.
Wonderful ambiance...a great view of the bay...! Supurb seafood & always great service...!
(5)
M R.
After living in Tampa for 15 years the hubby and I decided to try the colonnade for the first time. The building itself is old and in need of a bit of updating but it was clean and somewhat charming. The view along bayshore was amazing. The water and city skyline was just lovely. However the service and he food were not at all what we expected from the south Tampa area. Our waitress Kim was in attentive and didnt have a clue about the items on the menu or the market prices of the listed specials. She was also a bit clueless about making recommendations. So either doesn't like the food or she just isn't a good waitress. Now about the food. It was rather bland and tasteless. I had a combo of stuffed shrimp and a crab cake. The shrimp were over cooked and tough and the crab cake was one of the worse that I've ever had. We also had the stuffed mushroom appetizer. They were just as bland and flavorless as the rest of the meal. Definitely not worth the money or the drive. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. You'll be glad you did.
(1)
Tom R.
The reviews had me torn both ways looking on foursquare but I have been there twice now in the past month and love the view of the bay from our window seat. The second time, we had to wait a good 20 minutes for booth window but the place does get busy in the early afternoon. It's like an old person's spot on the weekends apparently and you know they like to eat dinner at 3:30-4pm so that was probably why it so busy still. I like getting the fried calamari and the Angler's Platter is great and really fills you up.
(4)
David G.
This place has outstanding service and very well done food. First of I'm a dentist in the area and since most of the patrons are much older and time isn't an issue the waiters always make sure my order gets in quickly and out to my table faster then the other patrons who aren't in any rush. I really appreciate this since I enjoy a nice well prepared lunch rather then fast food but don't always have the time for it. The food is always perfect. I have tried most of the sandwiches on the lunch menu and there's isn't a bad one on there. I really like the roast beef with fried green tomatoes since they are crispy and delicious and complement the beef beautifully. I also highly enjoy the scalop and avocado, I always have a hard time deciding between those two. If you dont mind sitting with bunch of grey hairs, it's a great place to eat.
(5)
Andrew B.
Awful. Slow service over fried food. Ordered Mac and cheese for my daughter and took 30 mins to come out. Crab cakes were not good. Bad lighting couldn't see a thing inside. There are much better places. Try Datz or subway up the street.
(1)
Mellie R.
I consider The Colonnade a waterfront restaurant because you can't get any closer to the bay at this point along Bayshore Blvd. Large picture windows offer great views of downtown Tampa over the water with nothing between you and the view except folks walking/jogging along the waterfront. This is the place I take family visiting from out of town when we don't need/want white tablecloth service but are looking for comfortable dining a step above chain seafood (Shells, Red Lobster, etc). The menu is varied and offers something for everyone. We love the fried green tomatoes and muffins (served with real butter, even if it is wrapped pats-remember, nothing fancy here). Deserts are good, my mom enjoys their Key Lime pie. They can comfortably handle large groups and it's not unusual to see families dining together. I don't believe they take reservations but they do have a large bar and seats outside for waiting. Service can be spotty, as others have mentioned, but nothing that's ruined our dining experience. If you're looking to impress, take your guests elsewhere. But, if you're looking for good seafood and good prices and great views, this is the place. To sum it up in one word: dependable.
(4)
Karen N.
This was a wonderful find for our family, thanks to AAA and Yelp! We were searching for a seafood restaurant that also had meals that would satisfy our Florida craving for seafood and also for the youngsters. We started off with alligator bites that were fan favorites and a great precursor to the meal to come. I had the Grouper Oscar with some of the best crab meat I've ever tasted. The delicately pan-fried grouper was 100% delicious and the teenagers that had a taste also agreed. My dear husband had the shrimp and salmon and while the salmon was deemed not extraordinary, the shrimp was lovely. The middle kid, age 15, had the tropical chicken and it was a hit. The sauce was delicately orange and a hint of curry. The eldest son, age 18, had the shrimp and crab cakes. I was shocked the crab cakes were fried but he thought it was delicious and if it was half as tasty as the crab on my dish, he certainly was in for a taste treat. The youngest, age 10, had the chicken fingers...maybe for the 8th meal in a row. She was not disappointed. Then, according to other "Yelpers", dessert was in order. The key lime pie was the BEST EVER! Better than anything we ever had in Key West, which is saying something. The chocolate lava cake was decadent and great. Oh...and the muffins were fine..nothing spectacular but different enough to grab the kids' attention. The service was impeccable and the view was the best we had during our stay in Tampa. Thanks to the Colonnade for capping off an excellent weekend of football, family and fun!!! If we find ourselves on a return trip to Tampa, we will return!
(4)
Gertie O.
I've eaten at the Colonnade twice-- first time around wasn't great so I gave it a second chance, but I won't be going back going back. I gave it two stars because of it's incredible location and views, but the food... is just not good. Items don't seem fresh, the menu is unimaginative, most choices are fried and unfortunately it causes the whole restaurant to smell old, fried, and fishy. The whole place depresses me.
(2)
Tiffany W.
I give it 4.5 stars. We came here for dinner this evening at about 7:30pm. Would be excellent for lunch so you could see the view. It was too dark being wintertime for us to see the bay. This is a fairly large restaurant. We didn't have to wait. We were seated right away. I ordered jumbo grilled shrimps (5 or 6 pieces). They weren't that jumbo. They seemed medium to me. :P For an add'l $6.99 to go with the entree, one could order a lobster tail, which I did. I asked them to put the butter on the side. You get 2 sides. I ordered sweet potato and salad. My hubs ordered a grilled salmon & had sweet potato and cole slaw. He was happy with his meal. They gave us corn muffin which he was happy with. The food came in a reasonable amount of time. The lights were a bit dim in the restaurant. Visibility a bit of a challenge while looking at the menu.
(4)
Gerald S.
Best truly jumbo fried shrimp in Tampa Bay
(4)
Taz and Kazi J.
Went there for a luncheon. Food was good and our server was awesome. Great sense of humor but kept a straight face. Funny guy. I only had a salad but there were compliments all around from the table. They need to kill the flies buzzing around the windows. Will go again
(3)
B R.
The food is below average to terrible. Location and view is great. Need to change menu.
(1)
Katy M.
On our last night in Tampa, we decided we wanted Seafood. I got on the computer and began looking for restaurants on Yelp.com . I came across The Colonnade Seafood Restaurant. We had passed the restaurant on the way back to our hotel earlier that day so I knew where it was located. The reviews were good so we decided to give it a try. The one thing about the menu was there was a lot of fried food. We like to have things baked for ourselves and for our 16 month old daughter but we decided we were on vacation and we hadn't had fried seafood in quite some time. The restaurant is easy to locate. We waited about twenty minutes for our table. The staff was super friendly. Once the waiter took our order, he brought us muffins to snack on. We were surprised because there were corn muffins and blueberry muffins; both were delicious. My husband ordered the baked cobia with a salad and rice pilaf. I had the combination plate with fried shrimp and baked scallops along with a salad and a sweet potato. We received a lot of food and it was great. My husband said the rice pilaf was a little salty. The one negative thing I would say about the restaurant was when it got dark outside; there wasn't enough lighting in the restaurant. It would make reading the menu difficult. Other than that, it was great. We dined at the restaurant on September 4th.
(4)
Bob L.
People come to the Colonnade for many reasons. People who grew up in South Tampa will tell stories how it once was a tiny hang-out for the local teenagers. Others will proudly brag how the place resisted being knocked down for a condo. My father who was a strong New Englander always picked this place when he came up from Englewood Beach. He liked the seafood and the view of Davis Islands, and the huge selection of food for everyone. I guess as I get older, I like the Colonnade because it is reliable and has a large menu with something for everyone, a well-trained staff, and decent prices. I too head for the seafood. As for people who complain about the old people - well, too bad, you're looking at the USA in 30 years. Who do you think are living in most of those condos along the Bayshore - 20 year olds? Take a closer look around the Colonnade and you'll see three generations of the same family at the table. That tells you somthing.
(4)
David S.
If you love fried fish, this is probably a good place for you. It's a step above Red Lobster and two or three above McDonald's fish sandwich. In their defense, I have never had their crab claws. The view is great, but if you really want to enjoy the view, I would suggest you grab a fish sandwich from Pane Rustica (the fish special changes daily), park your car on Bay to Bay and Bayshore and cross the street to one of the benches on Bayshore and eat there.
(2)
Jon C.
Great food at this dog-friendly restaurant. Went here on a date after walking along the bay shore. The ahi tuna app and grouper entree were both delicious. The service is the only reason for the point off because we waited quite a while for someone to even show an interest in taking our table. After 20 minutes of waiting, though, we ended up with a very pleasant waitress who brought steak and shrimp tidbits for the puppy and checked on us regularly.
(4)
Jan H.
Awful. Just awful. Don't go there. Seriously, wish I would have read the "awful" reviews before I went. It's just terrible. Just moved here to Tampa. Wanted to try it for the reputation. Sorry I did. Don't waste your money. Ick. Terrible.
(1)
daphne m.
This place was great. First we had a window seat the view was great the kids kept watching the fish jump out of the water . But the heat from the window was really bad could not cool off from the heat. First we had the calamari it was ok there was not enough sauce to finish the plate after the sauce was gone it was just a deep fried mess I will pass on this the next time around. Then we had the clam chowder (new England) this was one of the best I have found in Florida. We from California and moved out here a few years ago this clam chowder is really close to the one we get in San Francisco. I had the stuff shrimp and scallops with rice. The scallops were great but the stuff shrimp was under cooked and had lots of celery in the mix. Never tasted the crab I will pass on the stuff shrimp as well. My husband had the prime rib this was a large and cooked just the way he wanted it. It didn't have lots of flavor but the size I would think was a 10 or 12oz and he ate half of it. We loved the place and will go back I will pass on a few items and try others instead but the clam chowder was hands down the best I will go back just for the chowder.
(4)
Shana O.
This was great. They had a large menu and friendly service. it was cold inside but we sat outside on the patio and it was like a little island. their food is not all fried and while the mashed potatoes i had with dinner tasted like they were instant, everything was still very good. the little muffins are a little strange with dinner but they were delicious.
(4)
Meg B.
Certainly a favorite of mine although it is a little bit off the beaten path for me as I live in Brandon. The view is beautiful as you see straight across the the bay along Bayshore Blvd and the restaurant has large windows all along the three sides closest to the bay. They serve little baskets with a variety of muffins instead of the traditional bread and they're quite good. You'll drop about $40 for two people but the portions are HUUUGE. My husband and I usually get seafood pastas and will end up being brought these large platter like bowl/plate hybrids mounded high with pasta. We never finish as it seriously has to be close to a pound of noodles per person with close to a pound of seafood mixed in. Always high quality and very good. I love the fried green tomatoes which are served with great homemade ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Salads are lovely here as well. Certainly if you're in the area it's a must! The service is great too.
(4)
Robert B.
Great ambiance, very good food, wonderful view of Tampa Bay. My family had lunch here at the end of March 2010 and it was a really pleasant experience. The day we ate there, they served a soup de jour that was a roasted red pepper bisque that was just great, smooth but intense with flavor.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Janeene S.
Haven't been here since Prom Night in 19-schimminy! I think back then this place was haughty, now it's a bit old. We came here for Mother's bday, she chose it. Food was decent (I forgot how small bay scallops were)...nice view of the bay & tables are big enough to seat large parties. Reminds me of an old country restaurant because the decor is so ancient - wow!
(3)Doyle J.
I had an excellent grouper sandwich with coke slaw. The Key Line pie was good but slightly tougher on texture than my own.
(4)Karen L.
This must be the new hot spot in tampa . . . if you are retired and over 70. We went here for lunch around Christmastime, and there were lots of tables of older ladies wearing Christmas sweaters, the type one would see at an ugly Christmas Sweater Party. One lady was actually knitting at the table. The decor is as old as the average patron, very outdated. As for the food, not good. The fries were bland and soggy, and I barely touched my tuna sandwich. My companions' meals were better but they were still just so-so. Other than the gorgeous view, there is absolutely no reason to go here.
(2)Marie W.
I really enjoyed this place. Seafood is good. Environment isn't bad, just old which is fine. It's really nice eating at the window and looking out on Bayshore. Parking is ample which is amazing for the area. Service was good. Have no complaints. They were attentive. Definitely a place to try.
(5)Ryan E.
If you're 90 and love the early-bird, this is the pace to be. I keep hoping the owners will turn this place into a BLT STEAK. I can dream...
(3)Ed S.
I don't know what everyone is whining about. Just had a lovely dinner at the Collonade. It is old school, in a good way. Tip-good for groups. Reasonable prices. Blackened grouper sandwich was perfectly done. Fries were double fried yum.'wifey' salmon was good. The mini muffin basket that comes instead of bread is SO good, I had three. Fast and friendly service. Real family atmosphere. Will come back. Gorgeous view over the bay.
(4)Amy Z.
I echo almost everything Michelle M says below. I wanted to like it. I was the youngest person there. I loved the view, but the food and service weren't there for me. I had the shrimp sampler platter. 3 fried, 2 coconut, 2 grilled, and 3 stuffed. OK, but not great at all. I enjoyed the potatoes on the side more, which is sad.
(2)Kelleigh M.
This is a Tampa landmark, but sadly the food is mediocre. Located on beautiful Bayshore and boasting one of the best views in the area, this restaurant is past its prime. It's sad because it could be a great restaurant, but it's dated look and over priced mediocre food hold t back. They offer BOGO draft beer so I ordered shock top-it was flat. For my meal, I had the blackened grouper sandwich. The fish quality was great, but they ruined it with WAAY too much seasoning. It was soooo salty that I had to rub it off my fish. And I wasn't able to eat the bun because it was soaked in the seasoning. For my side, I chose the ceasar salad. Sake thing. Way too much dressing and it ruined the salad. Would I return? No. There are much better food options in Tampa bay.
(1)Linda G.
I've been patronizing this restaurant for many years. A favorite of mine is veggie pasta,it's awesome....zucchini, asparagus,artichokes, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, very light garlic olive oil sauce. Also comes with a choice of salads and of course the mini-muffins. Yes, there have been some negative experiences but nobody's perfect. When this is brought to the attention of staff,all is well. I must say all the comments regarding the restaurant being filled with senior's sounds rude. Colonnade is a staple in the neighborhood with a very long history which would only equate to a loyal senior customer base. Would you rather be surrounded by loud, unpleasant people. Just check out the view,quit whining about the customers and/or how old the place looks,guess what is is old.
(4)Lola B.
This place is pretty good, location and views are awesome! Can never go wrong with the grouper! Servers good as well.
(4)Shannon T.
Great option for lunch especially with the view and closeness to Ybor. Great service and love the blackened grouper. Like the muffins especially the to go baggie for later.
(5)Kent O.
Salad dressing was watered down. Waiter didn't know menu, Decor is mid 1960's and needs upgrade. Booths and tables dirty. Dinner took long time (20 min. Scallops in butter had little taste. Not a place I would recommend!
(2)Sarah L.
Yes, this restaurant could be a nursing home. Yes, it may feel like the place where old fisherman's dreams come to die. Yes, you can find a walker parked within 8 feet of your table at any time. BUT, french fries. The Colonnade has some of the best fries this side of the county! So what? You have to deal with the occasional waft of Aspercream. Deal with it. The shrimp salad sandwich will make you want to jump up and shake the crap out of your fellow diners. DON'T! They're crazy old and you could kill them!
(4)Yana M.
One positive was the view. Food left much to be desired lack of presentation and flavor. My salmon came out extremely raw and had to send it back. Server didn't offer to remove from the bill. We also ordered the oyster po' boy which came on a huge piece of bread with 5 mini oysters on it. Lettuce in the house salad was brown.
(1)Tim M.
Wow, one of my favorites for many years, but no, no...no! The grouper sandwich no more. Tiny portion, no flavor... Not fresh, not even sure it was grouper? Very disappointed in the meal... But what great company we had for the evening 5 star company at a 2 star restaurant.,..
(2)Savitre S.
Delicious food, unbeatable view, unique layout. Makes a nice quiet Sunday afternoon all the more delightful. I had the conch chowder which was easy on the wallet (as is always a factor for me) and had the perfect amount of spices and seasonings, as well as BACON!!! Others with me ordered a sashimi style dish and buffalo shrimp, which they also enjoyed, but I didn't try. As we had arrived there in the afternoon, and sat around long enough to talk, we welcomed in the dinner hour, where they brought over complimentary blueberry and cornbread muffins. Delightful! I ate every last one that I brought home with me. As I've mentioned before, I no longer drink, and neither does my boyfriend, but he said the sangria can't be beat and the other couple with us enjoyed a pitcher while they were there. I am a big fan of Bayshore Boulevard, which is like the Tampa Bay version of Chicago's Lake Shore Drive (I am a Chicago native!)- so I would definitely come back here for the view alone. Adding great food to that certainly takes the cake. It is a little out of my way and higher priced, which would not make the Colonnade my first choice. But my first time there is definitely not my last.
(4)Ashley N.
I don't understand why this place is only rated three stars?! The atmosphere is incredible. The view is beautiful. The server we had was Breeze and she was hands down the best server and so accommodating. The person behind us had a complaint and she handled it so well. The group sandwhich was the best they have in South Tampa. Had the alligator as well which was so fresh! We will definitely be back!
(5)Kate E.
Good food good prices and lots of it. I've been here several times for dinner and brunch on Sunday. Could use an update on the decor. Definitely caters to an older crowd. But the food is delicious. I had the Brie bacon and egg sandwich was yummy! My boyfriend had the chicken and waffles which he are every bite.
(4)Kathy D.
Man o man it has been a long time since I have visited this Tampa Restaurant icon. Can't say much has changed. The decor is the same, menu looked about the same , except a bit higher, due to the years. Staff was great and handled a large group very well, no complaints on the service. I had the broiled scallops and of course they weren't real, they were the small punch out scallops. For what they were they were spot on and had a great light butter and herb sauce. For sides I had a nice fresh salad ( they really had balsamic vinegar) & a baked potato that appeared old & the sour cream was warm & seperated. Overall my meal was quite good. And yes, before you ask, they still have the mini muffins as their bread, not as good as I remember. It seems like lately I am dining with several people. One ordered the ah I tuna, the first time it was totally raw. They took the same tuma and threw it in a fry pan or oven and it returned looking like beef. That was not accepted back at the table, it really was attrousious looking and inedible. Next they tried the salmon salad and it came with the salmon so dried out and overcooked that had to go back. Keep in mind this is the same person! The second salmon salad was perfect, 2 hours latter my friend got to eat! Another person in my party got surf & turf and ordered his steak medium. His meal came and he struggled with it awhile, fish & steak overcooked and dry and chewy. He did not bother sending it back, as he had seen the other person desperately trying to get edible food. The last person had a crab cake as an appetizer and it took 30 minutes to get hot sauce, well that tells that story! He got the fried seafood platter and was pleased with his food. We all left and went somewhere else for desserts, dinner took way to long! What's a girl to do? I love that we have this restraunt in our city overlooking Tampa Bay. Sorry, they need to step up food quality.
(2)Dominick T.
This is a Tampa institution. It was originally a hamburger joint on Bayshore, and turned into a leading Seafood place. There is a full bar, plenty of fresh florida seafood, and the view that no other place can match. It is busy on Sunday and Saturday for brunch, and there is nothing better than looking out while sipping coffee with Seafood crepes. The Quiche is also excellent. I like ordering the platters for dinner, but I would also recommend the coconut shrimp. The clientele is going to trend older, but this place has been here a long time, and there are a lot of condos around it.
(4)Bob K.
Prices are high on starters But large servings. Wanted it rare it came med. Bun was average. Nice water. Good view of BayShore & Tampa bay.
(3)Julie S.
The service here was fabulous! Drinks were refilled before they were empty. The food was okay. I got the make your own and got grouper checks and fried shrimp with a salad and baked potato. The shrimp was jumbo sized but I only got 3 and I got about 10 small grouper cheeks. I wish they would have evened it out because the grouper cheeks weren't that good and were very bland. I had to order a side of buffalo sauce to make them edible. Overall, good restaurant. Good service. I just happened to order something I didn't really like and that isn't really their fault.
(4)Katie B.
Love this place! There isn't a better view in Tampa. Food is amazing and the drinks are awesome escpecially the banana daiquiris. The staff is very pleasant.
(5)Vickie J.
I remember coming here as a kid, and we would wait for hours, especially on Fridays during Lent, to eat at this Tampa staple. You could have good food with a gorgeous view, and amazing muffins. So today for my mom's birthday, which fell on a Friday during Lent, we went to a seafood restaurant. They said on the phone they would not take reservations for our large party of 12. Well, we should have known when we showed up at 7:00 on a Friday night, and we were seated right away, something was wrong. The restaurant was empty. I had arrived a couple of minutes early so I could drop a cake off for dessert as a surprise for my mom. When we all got seated, the waiter came over and announced that they had a cake in the back. Surprise ruined. It took 30 minutes for the waiter to take our drink orders. He had 1 other 4-top table. It didn't take terribly long to get our drinks. It took 1 hour and 10 minutes before the waiter brought out the bread/muffins. Once he brought out our muffins, that's when he took our orders. We had been planning on ordering a few apps, but with the service, we decided to skip that. It then took another hour before we got our food. Mind you, the restaurant was empty. And not all of the food came out at the same time. The birthday girl's food came out a good 5-10 minutes after everyone else's. We were almost done eating our food. My food was luke warm, at best. One of the guests, an avid fisherman, who is well familiar with fish, ordered the grouper, and he got cold, rubbery, non-grouper. Nobody liked their food, and the only food that was even warm was my mom's. And apparently they ran out of tartar sauce, so instead of telling us this, they brought out sour cream instead... and didn't tell us. Like we wouldn't know the difference????? Ruined the already cold, gross food even more. The waiter was rude and took 4 tries to bring us what we asked for once we finally got our food. I didn't get my salad before dinner like everyone else, even though I asked for it when he first forgot me. Let's see... what else... one of the cloth napkins on the table was dirty-gross - looked like it hadn't been washed at all. And one of the dessert plates they brought for the cake was dirty... A manager never came by at all to check on us. I didn't see one at all because I was going to say something. And I was looking. Overall dinner was 3 hours +. Great company, but horrible restaurant, service, and food. Noone in my group will ever go back here again. It really is a shame too.
(1)Sue C.
We were riding past the Colonnade and thought we would give it a try. We were greeted nicely at the door, given a window table with a fabulous view of the bay, and Kevin our server came over quickly to take our drink order. My husband had the grouper sandwich which was served with coleslaw and those wonderful French fries. I had the combo fish and shrimp plate with the coleslaw and French fries......both meals were really good. The fish was not overly cooked, the coleslaw was fresh and had a nice flavor and the French fries were oh my goodness good. The mini muffin basket was served warm and was also very nice. Drink refills were served without being asked. We will be back.
(4)Jess C.
This place was a joke. We found this place b/c a concierge highly recommended it. The best thing was something not even on the menu.....fried clam strips appetizer. Fresh, hit, fantastic. From there it went downhill rapidly! The Stone Crab claws were so over cooked all you got after wresting with it was some shreds of crab. C'mon man! The Grouper had zero flavor and looked like it had been thru the ringer. Definitely 3 thumbs down.
(1)Guy L.
I've been going to this place since 1984. I was born in Tampa in 1985 and grew up a few blocks away. My mother had a bizarre hormone-fueled obsession with the Colonnade's stuffed flounder while I was in the womb. For an entire trimester of my gestation she exclusively ate take out from the Colonnade, and then some. When I was born, my head was so large the doctors feared for her life. Long story short, I ended up a Mensa level genius while my siblings struggled to be legally classified as not mentally retarded. I attribute almost all my success in life to the Colonnade. Needless to say, I was distraught when I read all these hateful reviews plastered all over Yelp. I hadn't been back to the Colonnade in at least ten years, but I decided to make a pilgrimage to see if this legendary south Tampa staple took a turn for the worst. After all, it's hard to be consistently excellent when you've been operating with the exact same business model since a time when Hitler still wasn't sure where he wanted to take his political ambitions. First and foremost, the decor. Anyone who has a problem with the decor of this restaurant needs to pack up their bags, pay their outstanding tab at the lodge, and go the f*ck back to whatever New Jersey or Californian classless sh*t hold they crawled out of. The decor here has not changed since as long as I can remember, and I actually still have a print of a piece of Fish art that used to hang in the bathroom that my dad finally bought after taking a couple thousand pisses there circa 1989. It's a SEAFOOD restaurant that has arguably the best view of Hillsborough bay and the Tampa Skyline there is, glass tables filled with ancient crustaceans, memorabilia from world war 2 era maritime vessels , and trophy fish stuffed by legendary taxidermist--literally all over the place. If this decor bothers you then you are a flat out moron, really there is no other term. If Antique roadshow came through there they'd offer them seven figures for the whole collection, but you know what? The Colonnade would say "f*ck off", just like they do when people try to buy the real estate their restaurant sits on even though it could easily support a multi-million dollar condo that would likely be filled with complete douche bags that have no respect for the rich history of Tampa. But I digress. The food is exactly as I remembered it: superb. The assortment of muffins they put on the table were as fresh and diverse as ever, but still had a plurality of blueberry muffins so I didn't have to dig around. The scallops were so fresh they could've been poached right out of the bay that day. The waiter wasn't exactly a Nobel laureate, but he got the job done in a reasonable amount of time and managed to make eye contact here and there. Finally: the old people. They are mostly segregated to the northern dinning section like they always have been, just go to the other dinning hall if they cause you so much disgust. I mean I get it, no one wants to be reminded of their inevitable death while eating delicious fried seafood, but there is a reason the old people are here. It is because they've eaten more meals than all of us and at the end of their life they can say with more certainty than any tasteless carpet-bagging twenty-year-old hipster that the Colonnade delivers an outstanding experience every single f*cking time--and they've been doing so since 1935. Five stars isn't enough for this place. If you feel this establishment deserves less, please exhaust yourself rating the revolving door of poorly planned hip restaurants on Howard that cater almost exclusively to the bankruptcy attorneys of Tampa. 80 years and still thriving, your stars will never be able to change that.
(5)Ashley H.
We decided to come in last night on our vacation in Tampa. I wanted a seafood place that wasn't super fancy but had a great meal, potentially on the water. When we walked in, we learned that The Colonnade was established in 1935, and that it is still very popular today! It was definitely packed, and we waited about 10-15 minutes for a table. We were given little mini blueberry and corn muffins as we sat down, as well as our drinks. We ordered coconut shrimp while we perused the menu. It was tough to make a decision, as it's a big menu and it was our first time here. The coconut shrimp were good, although they seemed more like standard fried shrimp than coconut. They also gave us 5 shrimp, which made it tough to split things evenly. I ordered the Shipwreck Platter, which consisted of broiled scallops and shrimp stuffed with crab. My fiance ordered the Cajun fried catfish. When I received my entree, I was a little disappointed to see that the scallops were actually bay scallops (this was not specified on the menu), and that I only received 3 stuffed shrimp for the entree. While it was definitely enough food (they give you a lot of the bay scallops), I would have ordered differently had I known this was the case. My fiance's catfish did not taste Cajun at all, and the breading was constantly falling off of the fish. It wasn't very crispy in most parts, and it was definitely a cooking flaw that the breading kept coming off. Overall, we both felt like we ordered the wrong entrees, but we would be willing to try this place again sometime. The service was attentive and the food was decent.
(3)Kevin F.
Dined there today with three others found the food and service to be good but for the money I found the portions to be small. No salad before dinner no vegetables with dinner just 1 side. The sword fish was good but very thin. It also would have been nice to inform us prior to being seated that the air conditioning was not working
(3)Don K.
Went to enjoy some seafood and not necessarily for their great view or old ambience. The firecracker shrimp and gator bites where plenty of appetizer for the 7 of us. Salads might of well came from a bag but the house made dressings were a big help. My snapper was overcooked and sons French fries were cold. However everyone else were pleased with their entrees, although they were drinking heavily. The waiter should have been more attentive. Aside from that it was an enjoyable evening but Shells has equally good food for one less $.
(3)Jerry G.
Been coming to the Colonnade since the late 80's. Great scenery from the front area of the restaurant, overlooking the bay to bay boulevard and the bay coming into Tampa. The last time, I caught a bunch of dolphins playing close to the road. The service was quick and we were seated right away. We had a large group of people and the put us off in the left side of the restaurant with a great view of the road and bay. We've been here about 2 times over the past month with this group and I've had their catfish one time (always love a good catfish), and a grouper sandwich the other time. Both were lunches. The prices were within reason for a lunch meal. The side were standard -fries, cole slaw, etc. If you've not been here, its worth a try. Parking is in the back of the restaurant which helps maintain the view of the road and bay. Have never been there and not had a parking space available.
(4)Steve Y.
I have lived in Tampa for four years now and I drive past the Colonnade almost every day, I have been wanting to try it ever since I moved here and now that I have I could kick myself for waiting so long! Overall excellent experience from the ambiance to the food to the service. We were greeted immediately upon seating by our very friendly waiter Louie, who was very attentive throughout our entire experience although the restaurant was admittedly at about half capacity while we were there. And we got a corner window booth with a fantastic view of the bay and downtown Tampa. Food rating: excellent. With such a large menu we had trouble deciding what to order because we wanted everything. But since we both love gator, my partner and I ordered the Wild Florida Gator appetizer and it was delicious and the portion was very generous, which is not always the case when ordering gator. My partner then ordered the Crunchy Grouper which was fried in an almond and corn flake coating and it was wonderful. I had the Seafood Pasta which was also delicious and loaded with seafood. We are "healthy" eaters and usually clean our plates but we had to take some home because the portions were generous. Louie even bagged our mini corn and blueberry muffins and we had them for breakfast the next morning. I definitely recommend the Colonnade!
(5)Uyen D.
Tried my hardest to like this place, but I would give the food 2/5 and the service +1. After passing by this place while exploring the beautiful bayshore sidewalk and mansions, we finally decided to try this place out. Once we sat, we got a menu that looked pretty good - affordable and lots of seafood options. I got the grouper sandwich with clam chowder, mom got the tropical chicken, and my dad got their classic combo (fried catfish and scallops) and calamari for appetizer. The calamari portion was huge and had huge pieces of calamari however, the breading was over salty.. But I told myself I'll see how they do on the entrees. Also they brought out my clam chowder - looked like grits, overly thick, and salty. I asked my server if I could switch to conch chowder and she gladly did, which was very nice of her however the conch chowder was overly salty as well. I did enjoy the basket of cornbread and blueberry muffins. As for the entrees, My grouper sandwich was very good - bread was buttery and the fish tasted fresh (?) my moms tropical chicken over rice - salty and my dad's combo - nothing special. I tried my hardest to love this place .. The view, location, family owned, great servers, Just the food.. Fell short. I guess it's a great place if you want to just enjoy the view, a drink and a small appetizer. Maybe their menu needs some revamping.
(3)Jeff D.
Took the whole clan to brunch and was not disappointed. This place has been around for a long time and has a solid following in the area, it focuses on seafood and fried is there game. I enjoyed everything and there was not a complaint at the table. The only thing I would say is the carpet needs some updating.
(4)Michelle M.
Meh. I really wanted to like The Colonnade, but the food and atmosphere was just blah. It's a shame because the location is great and I loved the view overlooking Bayshore Boulevard. My husband and I visited the Colonnade for a late lunch/ early dinner and were quite amused that we were one of the few patrons under 50. This wouldn't have bothered me if the woman in the booth next to us wasn't hacking up a lung. I seriously thought she wasn't going to make it through her meal! We ordered the clam chowder and the shrimp salad sandwich - both very disappointing. The clam chowder was too rich and the seafood didn't taste very fresh. My shrimp salad sandwich was drowned in tons of mayonnaise and had no flavor. It was served on a stale, store-bought croissant. The corn muffins that everyone raves about? Not sure if I got a bad batch, but the muffins turned into crumbs every time I tried to pull the wrapper off. How do you butter a pile of dry crumbs? Needless to say, we won't be back.
(2)Gary L.
Food and view is great. Service is as slow as molasses. Spent a half hour waiting to pay bill! Place was half full on a Sunday brunch! I think I got a waitress that does not like to work on Sunday's ! Would I come back?....probably, but would ask for express service .
(2)Nichole C.
The first time I dined at The Colonnade, was in 2010. My boyfriend at the time wanted to go there for his birthday. That turned out to be the night, my boyfriend proposed! Fast forward to Valentine's Day, 2014, and my HUSBAND, wanted to go and reminisce at The 'Nade. How to describe the place and food, four years since my last visit, now that I'm more of a foodie... It's a classic place. The decor is old school, like an old steakhouse, if you can picture that. If you get a window spot, then you cannot beat the view! The clientele, appears to be mostly senior citizens, who are regulars, there. The food was so-so, and it pains me to say that, as people rave about this place. To start, we ordered the calamari, which by itself was fantastic, actually but the marinara, it came with was not only not good, but not necessary. A wedge of fresh lemon, or a remoulade would have been better. But that's what I mean about "old school", as I think marinara was the staple sauce years ago. We then opted to split the stuffed shrimp and scallops platter. The shrimp was deeeelish! The scallops were sad, and tiny served in a dish of butter. Again, just old school. The roasted potatoes we ordered as a side were nothing special. I just don't think they've changed their menu in years, if at all. Not to say that's a bad thing, if the majority of your patrons are older, anyways and that's what they keep coming back for. Our server was fine, but seemed rushed. Though while we waited in the bar before dinner, our bartender was a pleasant lady. The Colonnade will always be a special place for us, but it won't be somewhere we're running to go back to, either.
(3)D W.
Really enjoyed the food here. Loved the shrimp basket there fries were great. Our waiter Breeze was amazing as well as the whole staff
(5)Ben B.
We went here for dinner despite all the average to blah reviews we read. The food was below average as was the service My advice, tear it down and build condos !
(1)Donna T.
We were in Tampa on a house hunting trip and drove along Bayshore Blvd to look at the gorgeous homes when we noticed this restaurant nestled in between the homes. It was mid- afternoon on a weekday and not many cars in the parking lot. I made a quick check of the reviews on Yelp and, despite the overall rating and several negative comments, decided to give it a shot. We received immediate service and it was our choice to take some time to review the varied menu. I saw conch chowder on the menu and ordered it while I continued trying to decide on my entree. It was very tasty with large meaty chunks of conch in a delicious tomato base with spices and veggies. I decided in the crab cake sandwich and my husband ordered the mahi mahi. I chose tartar sauce on my sandwich which came with cole slaw and thick cut french fries. It was a generous sized crab cake with a large tomato slice and lettuce on a crispy bun. Delicious - but messy. The fries were very,very tasty as was the rest of my meal. They served the little muffins but I did not partake. My husband managed to wolf them down- there was a combination of blueberry and cornbread. He said they were great. He also enjoyed his meal as well as the friendliness of our waiter. Total bill around $30 before tip. Service was great and so was the food. Yes, the decor is dated but I frequent restaurants based on the quality of the food and service- not to the carpeting and paint on the walls. There are far too many restaurants that look beautiful and have a very pleasing ambiance but the food is overpriced and service is lacking. We will be going back. This is what dining is all about. Simplicity, good food and service at a reasonable price without a lot of pretense. And if "old people" bother you, don't live in Florida. They need to eat too. And they have money. So go to Mcdonalds because they don't eat there. That's why they're old and still alive.
(4)Jacquelyn D.
The view is gorgeous! The food is delicious! Go for it! I suggest the gator and the coconut shrimp from the appetizer menu! We celebrated my grandfathers birthday, and the entire staff came out to join in the celebration! It was quite lovely.
(4)M J.
Horrible service and the food is very mediocre. I do not recommend. Extremely disappointing.
(1)Deborah H.
I love coming here as soon as I get off the plane from Cincinnati. For me, The Colonnade is not just about the food (which I really like), it's also about the exhale....I'm in one of my favorite parts of the world, looking out at Tampa Bay. I really like their cole slaw, and while mentioning something as seemingly inconsequential to a seafood restaurant as cole slaw may not be important to everyone, REALLY good cole slaw is one of my favorite things....crispy cabbage and carrots with a light, not goopy dressing, served COLD. Slaw people know the let down when you start a meal with bad slaw.....it's hard to recover! Enough about slaw. The grilled grouper was good, but a little soggy on the inside. The crispy outside was excellent. Didn't have the crab cakes, but my dining companion did, and said they were excellent. He has tasted crab cakes across America and put these in his top five! Service was good. We had a really attentive, knowledgeable server. Like several other reviews have stated, you will not find a lot of diners under the age of 70, but who cares? Age brings good taste and a discerning palette, plus I like being the youngest chick in the room! I say that everyone who visits Tampa should eat at The Colonnade just once during your trip....relax, let yourself become mesmerized by the view of Tampa Bay and have a few mini blueberry muffins....it's all good, people!
(4)Carly R.
The Colonnade was just all right. The main attraction is, of course, the fantastic views of the bay and downtown (at night, the lights are spectacular). However, everything else at this restaurant is lacking (save for the muffins...they are delicious). The decor involves a boring, outdated marina theme with giant fish carcasses on the walls, wood columns with ropes tied around them, etc. Also, this is definitely not the place to go if you're a young adult...it draws a more "seasoned" crowd. I thought the food was overpriced for the quality. My salmon was cooked nicely but very under-seasoned, and the Hollandaise sauce, salad, and side dish (sweet potato) were uninspired. Service was decent, but I will most likely not be back.
(2)Amanda L.
The service and view are great! The food: Muffins: excellent Salad: ranch dressing was gross Clam chowder: rich and tasty Mashed potatoes: excellent Sweet potato fries: really tasty Captain's plate (deep fried clam strips and tiny scallops): disappointing & flavorless Stuffed shrimp: bland, but cooked perfectly Salmon: plain but good, cooked perfectly
(3)Alicia P.
Meh. This used to be a stellar hot spot. For young and old. Mostly old. 20 years ago, I used to love to bring my parents. 8 years ago, it became less desirable. And now.....only if you want fried shrimp or the fried seafood platters is it any good. Last visit was about a week ago. The waiter was dull at first, but then he got better throughout the night. He became very accommodating. The food was decent, we knew we had to order fried shrimp! Best thing on the menu. Our salads were quite good this time too (no brown, wilty lettuce). Would we go back? On the rare occasion for something fried from the sea....yes.
(3)Jomo R.
The food was ok, nothing memorable. I'd actually forgotten that I had eaten here before. The server was nice and the atmosphere is awesome. The dining area overlooks the water across the street so it's very relaxing. The pasta potions are generous so if you are in the area and hungry, stop by. Just don't expect your socks to be blown off.
(3)Sassy B.
Seems a bit run down. Outdoor tables were rusted. Funky smell when you walk in. Waitress was '.ok.' Food not worth the price. Had shrimp platter, all the shrimp were way overcooked. My husband ordered grouper and shrimp. Fish piece small, two shrimp on top of rice pilaf, also overcooked. The only plus were the muffins served before dinner and a view of the water. So-so meal, not worth the trip or the money.
(2)JR H.
My family had raved about this place as having amazing prime rib and seafood. During my week in town I figured I would give it a shot. I started with the French onion soup. It had great flavor, but it was cold. Next I had a salad with my steak. The ranch dressing tasted like it came straight out of an economy sized jug, which I guarantee it does. My filet came out cooked perfect and seasoned right. My other guests enjoyed their meals and the view.
(3)John B.
The median age of the clientele hovers around retirement, but I'm gonna go in a new direction and say that this place would actually be an innovative, albeit counter-intuitive, dating venue for a young couple, especially on a second date. Here's why: 1. The location is beautiful. Get a bayside table. In the summer, get there just after the early birds leave, but before sunset (7-8pm). In the winter, you're on your own, but the sun still sets in the distance and the Tampa skyline never moves. 2. The lighting and mood is very relaxed. How 'relaxed' is the lighting? We saw at least four people using their phones to read the menus, so it's as close to candlelight as you'll get without actually setting anything on fire. If the lighting is annoying, go for lunch on the weekend, just be prepared for a wait. 3. The food is great. There's nothing trendy or hip about it. This is American seafood, and it is designed to be fresh and delicious, not aesthetically cute and unfulfilling. Lots of fried stuff, too. Don't be ashamed to take things with you (ever). 4. Imagine the people watching you can do. No joke. We listened to a conversation behind us (well, behind her) and the lady was talking about how a guy was cheating on his wife with his niece's friend, then one of his kids found out about it so he divorced his wife and killed himself. We were gripped by this story until we found out she was talking about a TV show she had seen on "The Net's Flicks." Oh well, it was really entertaining, and commenting on the rest of the people in the room was also amusing. 5. The prices are reasonable for such a popular restaurant. They don't even take reservations because they know that people are going to be coming in and out of there like they have been for years. It's just that awesome, and they don't charge you some lame environmental fee like some trendier hipster joint down the road might. This is a place to talk, eat, and get out of there without having to dip into your 401k. Overall, unless you're brimming with confidence and your date likes heavy American seafood, this might not be a good first date venue. There are lots of kinks and butterflies to work out on a first date that might actually benefit from an obnoxiously loud and uncouth younger crowd eating around you, but any date beyond the first would be just fine here. I mean, why not, right? Zig, while everyone else is zagging. It's not a country club, anyone is welcome, and the wait staff make you feel that way (especially if you're young).
(4)Rob W.
The Colonnade has been around almost forever. It has not changed much in that time. The location is great and you have magnificent views. The food is pretty good, but not outstanding. I usually get something in the seafood category here and am satisfied. I still enjoy coming here, it is kind of an old reliable place.
(3)Kevin K.
Worst experience ever. We waited over an hour for our food once we ordered. When it finally came out it was cold. The waiter didn't seem to care one bit. I don't know if the food is typically any good but the service was just terrible.
(1)Billy Joe J.
My cousin has a condo within short walking distance of this restaurant. I was in town during Gasparilla and what a wild time that was. We actually ate quite a few meals here during my stay, and the food, along with the service was top notch. The prices here are very reasonable and there's a nice view of the Bay from this restaurant. We ate here mostly during lunchtime and it was tasty!
(5)Jason B.
My family and I were in town this evening and we were all hungry for some seafood. When we travel we try to find places that are local favorites so I asked some of the staff at our hotel and some other friends from the area. We decided The Colonnade fit what the family was looking for mostly so we decided to give it a try. First, the location is gorgeous. It's located on Bayshore Drive, which borders the Tampa Bay, and this evening it was a full moon so the whole bay was lit up beautifully. My son is a crab leg lover so he ordered the 1.5 pounds of snow crab legs. My wife ordered the crab stuffed flounder, my daughter got a dish of alfredo pasta with grilled chicken and splurged and got the Captain's feast: baby scallops, fried shrimp, fried oysters, clam strips, white fish strips and a crab cake and a cup of clam chowder. Son polished off the snow crab with just a little help from mom and dad. My wife is not a fan of fish generally and loved her flounder. Daughter loved her meal. My meal was a bit of a mix. I'm reminded that I'm not a big fan of oysters so I only ate one of those, but the rest of the meal was very good. The baby scallops were perhaps the sweetest breaded scallops I've ever eaten. I made a mistake and waited until the end to try and eat the crab cake, I was so stuffed I just didn't enjoy it much. The filling was loaded with crab, but I wasn't a big fan of the batter/crust on it. We all had delicious salads to start the meal, along with tiny little blueberry muffins and cornbread muffins. We polished off two baskets of muffin before the meals even showed up, perhaps the beginning of our downfall. Overall this is a very nice establishment. Very quiet and low-key ambiance filled with more mature patrons in general. This evening, this vibe worked much better for my family and I, as I wasn't interested in surrounding my family with a loud, younger party and bar crowd at a more younger themed restaurant. I'd definitely recommend.
(4)Mike M.
Me and my wife were going to give this place a third shot after two failed attempts at this restaurant! We waited for 15 mins after sitting down for a waiter and no one came. I spoke to the manager and he just ask where we were sitting and didn't even offer up an apology so we left! This place use to be a great restaurant but has declined in my book! It's a shame because I really enjoy the view. I won't be back!
(1)Rafael S.
Great experience coming from Miami to celebrate with my son and his new wife. The best was the service with Benny. The sangria was good and all our plates. Great view.
(4)Shelly J.
This was a difficult place to review... I could give it a five or six, or a one star depending on the visit. The Colonade is a Tampa icon and has been around for ages. The restaurant and menu are about the same as always. Service can be hit or miss. Usually they seem pretty pokey and one time our server quit in the middle of her shift, after our dinners had been placed at another table. That whole meal took about 3 hours and no one was happy. The manager comped us a dessert which hardly made up for the awful experience. The food, however, has always been great. No real complaints there. The Colonade is not a cheap place, but is not brutally expensive either considering seafood isn't cheap. You might try avoid going on times that you know will be busy to get better service. When it gets busy, the service seems to slow down to a crawl.
(3)Mary B.
We went to the Colonnade on Mother's Day at my grandmother's request. It is definitely not on the top of my list of Tampa restaurants. The view is amazing, but that's about it. The food is incredibly unimpressive, the service is alright, and I don't think the restaurant has been updated in the last 30 years. I got the cobb salad, and it wasn't bad, just nothing that good. I asked for my shrimp grilled instead of broiled, and the waiter looked at me very odd. Seeing that they had grilled shrimp for other entrees, I didn't see this to be a big deal. I did end up getting what I wanted, but didn't expect for it to be quite so difficult. If you are looking for good seafood in Tampa, go anywhere but here - unless you want it to be beer battered and fried.
(1)Krytal P.
Overpriced. Not good. My fish tasted watered down. There is better places for the money. We spent 103$ I was willing to spend the money on good food and just wasn't impressed.
(1)Chris C.
I gave this place 4 stars and I'll never come back. This restaurant executes its menu perfectly. The service is exactly right. The ambiance is spot on. If you're 65+. If you stop here to do what other Yelpers do (treat grandma), you will have a great time. Enjoy her company, relish the views, dig the old school vibe, and leave full and happy.Sometimes it's about making sure your family is happy and you're enjoying the moment. It doesn't always have to be a culinary high point. If grandma's home knitting, you should eat somewhere else :-)
(4)Jason H.
I had the swordfish and it was tasty...though it started to get bland towards the end. I led with this because it sort of sums up how I feel about The Colonnade. It was good but it just seemed like it was missing something, like it could have been better in some intangible way. I'll definitely return as there aren't a ton of seafood spots on this side of the bay.
(4)Jeremiah D.
Colonnade benefits from its great location and courteous staff. I did, however, have some reservations about the food. The cornbread and carrot cake muffins were absolutely delicious. The New England Clam Chowder was a little on the cold side, but very hearty and filled with generous chunks of clam. The grouper sandwich, which was advertised as being voted "Tampa's best," was the most disappointing portion of the meal. It was very bland and virtually flavorless. Although not a big fan of tartar sauce, I tried using quite a bit to add some flavor. The fries were a little over fried as well, but the grouper definitely could use some work. The view and staff are fantastic - just wish I could say the same about the grouper.
(3)EJ P.
I have to preface this review by saying that I am a big fan of anything that reminds me of my grandparents. And that is what this place does: It looks like, smells like and is full of grandparents. If you like the kind of place that is very kitsch, full of elderly people, and stuck in the 70s, this is your place. I like to go here because it's got great views and it's very retro and the food is not atrocious. I go like once every 2 years. But I wouldn't recommend it unless I know the person very well and they are a big fan of retro.
(4)Amber N.
Nice place. Big window views of the bay are gorgeous. The food is fine, as is the service. Nothing to rave about, definitely not upscale, just fine. With the kind of water views offered, this restaurant that's right on Bayshore Boulevard could be a hot spot where people would be willing to pay a little more, but there is no upscale ambiance. Oh, and if you want Caesar dressing on your salad instead of the other standard choices, they'll charge you an additional 35 cents. LOL. Little things like that are just silly. Anytime I've been there most of the clientele have been senior citizens (and their parents... LOL). The place has early bird specials and has a little bit of a diner feel. Again, it's an OK place, but not for someone looking for fine dining. With new management, menu and ambiance that place would make a killing. It's incredible no one has taken advantage of that yet.
(3)Hue L.
Beautiful location on the Tampa waterfront. You can stroll the waterfront walkway with gorgeous sunset and see the Tampa skyline from the distance. Unique decorum inside with large windows for a fantastic view of Tampa bay area. Great ambiance. We had the alligator popcorn for appetizer, I had the lobster Bowl, my husband had crab cakes for dinner. The lack of good seasoning prevents this place from earning a 5 star rating, although I would still recommend this place if you have not been there before.
(4)Kyle H.
Great food, decent prices, fun times. If you walk in at lunch you may think there is an AARP convention in town, but don't let that keep you from coming. Dinner is packed, they don't do reservations (for small groups).
(5)Diane H.
Went here for a birthday dinner party of 18. We shared appetizers of Oysters Rockefeller which were dry to their style of baking bread crumbs on top, crab and spinach dip which was extremely fishy tasting and an order of Buffalo shrimp which were pretty good. I was afraid to order fish after tasting the crab so I ordered the crunchy chicken made with almonds and corn flakes. The chicken was fine but I didn't like the pineapple dipping sauce served with it. I would've preferred ranch dip. My husband loved his Delmonico steak. The kids all had pasta meals with no complaints. When it came time for our checks all hell broke loose. Meals were charged twice and others paid for the wrong meals. Service was fine up until that point.
(3)Angela A.
This place is a seafood staple in Tampa Bay. The place itself is wonderful. All wooden log beams with an amazing coastal New England feel; in addition to an amazing view of the bay across the street. The servers start you off with a basket of mini muffins instead of traditional bread. Though throughout the years they've kept reducing the variety of muffins, as now they only serve blueberry and corn bread muffins, but great tasting, nonetheless. The food is excellent and the seafood is even better. The pasta is mediocre, but then again, it's not what they're known for.
(4)Lisa N.
Haven't dined here in years and went for a business dinner with out of town guests. Our guests enjoyed both the food and the view of Bayshore Blvd. The grilled grouper was very nice. It was black grouper which is one the top varieties (and priciest). It was well prepared on the grill and served with a side of lemon and the option of tarter sauce or cocktail. The grouper dinner came with two sides and I chose the baked potato and the veggie of the evening- green beans. Other options include: sweet potatoes, salad, coleslaw, etc. All meals come with mini muffins. They are assorted varieties and are served warm with butter. If you ask nicely, they will give you some to take home. The Colonnade has many seats by the window and we were easily given our window request on an average Wednesday night. FYI- There are a ton of squirrels that hang around outside the restaurant which was surprising to me since I lived very close by and never saw more than a squirrel or two. These little guys are a bit much as they run up and down the outside window ledge (scared our guests enough to jump in their seats) and on the board walk leading to the front door. So if you have a squirrel phobia, you should probably stay away. :) Overall, we had a very nice dining experience. Everyone enjoyed their food. I would definitely bring out of town guests here again.
(3)R. G.
Ok so yes it's a nice view, but you pay for good food and as much as I wanted this restaurant to be added to my list of good seafood spots it just fell flat. The best part of the meal sad to say was the baby muffins served as a bread and the baked potato. The stuffed shrimp were dry and flavorless, the crab cakes ugh! And in almost all cases the food was under if at all seasoned. Add all of that add the high pricing and it spells out NOT COMING BACK. Seating for hundreds and on a Friday night only 4 tables occupied. That should have been the first red flag. I really wished that I could find something to cheer about but $60 for 2 people with no booze and a bad taste in my mouth? Not so much.
(3)Ellie M.
I have driven by here many times and have always wanted to try the Tampa institution. Since my grandmother was in town last week for lunch, I thought it was the perfect choice (the more mature, grey-haired crowd seems to like it here). Our waitress looked like she was about 80 herself, was named 'Flo,' and was (naturally) sweet as pie. We ordered the grouper sandwich and special grouper cheeks (both fried) and we were pleased with the food. The sandwich was better (nice, light batter) and as others have said, I think that is by far the safest bet. Coleslaw, fries, and iced tea on the side. If you want to venture into steak or stone crabs it seems pretty obvious you'd be disappointed here - it's not a place to go for a 'nice' dinner, it's good for the basics and the experience. All-around pleasant, and we got a perfect booth by the window so we had the lovely view of the bay. Made me feel very happy to live in Florida, and enjoy all it has to offer on an average Wednesday.
(3)Nikki K. A.
View is great and the muffin basket is nice.
(2)Mike S.
Overall favorite seafood place in Tampa. Although some other fish houses have high points on certain items, such as smoked mullet, fish spread or oysters, this Tampa standard keeps producing high quality seafood of great variety on a consistent basis. My standard "test dish" for seafood is the fried combo platter and theirs is great. Light breading, not greasy, full flavored fish/shrimps/oysters, sauces, good fries, slaw and puppies. Good selection of appetizers too, and you can order grilled instead of fried. Their view across Bayshore and Tampa Bay is incomparable, and the interior of the dining room is classy without being pretentious. Parking lot is shaded by old oaks. Check out the history of this venerable eatery. You can support an institution, and enjoy fine food without being institutionalized.
(4)Jacqui S.
This might be a Tampa institution but its time has passed. I have dined at the colonade on bayshore 3 times and each time I left thinking maybe I picked the wrong dish. The food is mediocre at best. Too much mayo and store bought sauces/dressings. The vegetables taste like they came out of a prepackaged bag. The food overall, seems like it was reheated out of a freezer. The interior of the restaurant is dark. The carpets are old and dingy. The whole interior no longer looks rustic, just dirty. The ceiling tiles have water marks. Does not appear like any maintenance has gone into this place for a long time. The location and views are the only saving grace. Beautiful spot overlooking the bay. That's the only reason I visited 3 times. But now I will not waste anymore money there, unless Datz takes it over.
(2)Daniel L.
We're an old Tampa family, and we've been coming here for three generations. I live in Lakeland now, but when I come to Tampa with my wife we often eat here. Besides the history, and the fact I grew up sailing the Hillsborough Bay, of which the restaurant has a gorgeous view, the food is great. The menu is small, and a lot of it is fried. Try the fried grouper - it will win you over in two bites. In fact, anything grouper on this menu is worth trying. I've tried most of the menu at one time or another, and, so far, I've not had a bad dining experience at the Colonnade. The service can be lackluster at times, but it's not a common problem, and speaks more to the individual servers than the establishment. The decor and ambiance haven't changed in 30 years, at least. Hopefully they've dusted the plastic plants in that time, but I haven't climbed up to take a look. I'm not a fan of their muffins, though others rave about them. They fall apart when you try to take them out of the wrappers. I hate chasing muffin crumbs around my plate, trying to mush them together to make a mouthful. But that's almost inconsequential. The entrees are why you're here. Fresh fish, freshly prepared, that's the hallmark of the Colonnade. Keeping the menu small is a great idea - they do a few things extremely well. It really is a throwback type of place, somewhere that doesn't seem to change ever, and you walk away hoping it never does.
(4)Janelle E.
A few of us went to Collenade because it was close to our hotel and had a good view of the bay...that's about where the good ended. The wine list was small, but I found one to go with. The glass it came in was ridiculous small and weird....NOT a good wine glass! I was all jazzed up for some good gulf shrimp and ordered the shrimp cocktail...SO disappointing! It tasted like they just took it out of the freezer. For my meal I ordered the tropical shrimp with rice, sweet potato and a salad. The salad was pretty good, the sweet potato was delish, but the shrimp was awful. It tasted like frozen shrimp with some sweet stuff on it. I had some coupons for a free drink or key lime pie so I opted for the key lime pie that I heard was really good...again, disappointment. It was a really large piece of pie, but it wasn't that good. I think I can get better key lime from Marie Calendar's in the grocery store. I won't ever go back but it wasn't the worst I've ever had...
(2)Fritz E.
Fine dishes. Will never be considered a top destination for dining for the food but the location has just an amazing view of Bayshore Blvd. Seems to be the regular type of restaurants people have been eating at for 20+ years. Nice for them to be around for that long. The issue tends to be that the menu & flavors get locked in to what the old timers expect...
(3)Jason C.
Not premiere Tampa dinning, but the grouper sandwich was a home-run! We had a group of 20 and the service was VERY slow. While the decor is a bit dated (1970s) and the average clientele is a bit older, the views are amazing if you can score a window seat.
(3)Donna M.
I would have only given 2 stars except that our waitress was very nice. Five at the table had clam chowder and all five complained that the soup was cold. The waitress replaced it with hot and was very apologetic. The seafood was mediocre. My oriental salad was advertised as having orange slices. It came with only 4 thin slices on top. They still had the peel on them so by the time you tried to cut off the rind, you had no fruit left not to mention all the work it took. Kitchen service was very slow. We left thinking we wasted 2 hours and $75 bucks.
(3)Bill C.
Like Kojak's Ribs, The Colonnade sits on a terrific location...and takes a big fat dump. Took my mom and her husband for lunch this weekend. Why? Because old folks DIG this place. Unfortunately, the seafood and service make Red Lobster look like "Roys". The shrimp I ordered was obviously out of a freezer and had been sitting awhile on a pre-prepped dish of grits. Very tough and rubbery...tasted like fake lobster but not as good. The side of cornbread looked good but was flavorless. The service was ok. At one point, my 85 year-old "step-dad" complimented the waiter on the food (laughably enough) to which he he expressed great surprise, telling us that usually people complain. I'm with him. At any, Sunday around noon, terrific view of the Bay, rich part of town...and 1/3 rd full of seniors who consider Tapioca pudding to be the acme of dessert excellence. I know the Colonnade is a S. Tampa landmark...so SELL IT TO SOMEONE WHO CARES!
(2)SH K.
Wont't add to what the other posters have said re the older people patronising the place, but it's true. I really like that the windows are huge, so you get the nice view, and the whole place feels so bright and airy despite it being indoors and having wooden panelling, etc. Food was so-so... had the chicken fried with almond and corn flake coating.. meat was a bit thin...
(3)William T.
The food here is one step above McDonald's and three steps below Red Lobster. I've had the prime rib and filet here before, every time I had to send it back because they would cook it until it's bone dry. Tonight they didn't even have steak because they were "sold out" so I tried some fish and scallops. You would think a place next to the water would have fresh fish but it's not. The seafood here tastes prepackaged and frozen. The appetizers came at the same time as the entree which was also annoying and an example of how mismanaged the kitchen staff is. Nothing worse than having your entree get cold because you're still on the appetizers. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. The only people that eat here are ones that don't have any taste buds. I really can't see how this place has been in business all these years.
(1)HR M.
Bad, yet again. Third strike, OUT!!! The latest visit was the climax culmination of bad experiences. The server took our order and repeated it back. After a fairly long wait (without being crowded), he delivered our plates to the table. As he was delivering, he called each plate by name as we ordered them. However, my wife's plate had a chicken wrap and NOT the scallops wrap that she ordered. Based on our looks, the server asked if there was a problem. We said she ordered the scallop wrap. He checked his notepad and indeed confirmed what we had ordered. He then had the AUDACITY to ask....well, will that be okay with you? I said no, we want what she ordered. "Well, then I'll go ahead and put that in" with a somewhat put-out attitude. He then brought the side order fries from the first order. Then about 10 min later, he finally brought the correct order. The wrap was barely edible. Oh, and I did not mention we had to clean our forks before we could use them. HORRIBLE! NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)Heath H.
My grandmother has come here since the 50s and I just had the opportunity to dine here on a recent trip to Tampa. I wanted the stuffed lobster I had heard so much about but it wasn't in season. I was treated to stuffed flounder instead and it was insanely great! The calamari I had as appetizer was great as well. I can't say much about the conch though... I had a group of 9 with me and the service was dead on and all our meals were placed on the correct ticket as well. I will be back the next time I'm in town.
(4)Shelley P.
Nice view of the water in a Tampa landmark. Get the onion rings if you have a few peeps that will share. Yes, they are good. Mini muffins instead of bread is a nice change.
(4)Benjamin M.
I dropped by this famous seafood restaurant for lunch on a Saturday. While the food and service were average, the view of Tampa Bay was amazing! My date and I dined at a table next to an enormous window overlooking Bayshore Boulevard and the bay on a beautiful Tampa afternoon. I ordered the charbroiled Grouper and received about what I expected--nothing spectacular, but certainly superior to Red Lobster or any other chain seafood. Lunch for two was about $40, and I felt that the food was reasonably priced. The show of sunbeams dancing on the bay definitely added to the value of the experience. This classic Tampa seafood restaurant makes a nice little lunch date if you and/or your date appreciates scenic views of Tampa Bay.
(4)Lisa R.
My husband and I wanted stone crabs and a view so chose this place to take my mom, a seafood lover who was visiting from Canada. We went with some trepidation due to the reviews but there were also some great reviews. Ample parking, nice view, reasonable prices and great service. The ambiance needs freshening up, to say the least. Not one shred of sophistication or style. Got a decent bottle of wine for $25 from the miniscule wine list, husband got a Newcastle which was on tap. Fried green tomatoes were quite good. However they got soggy immediately; the best friend green tomatoes I've had are laid out on a plate not piled in a basket. A basket of miniature muffins made me think of Costco or some such industrial food place. Apparently there were 3 different flavors but they all looked the same to me. Served with a bowl of open your own butter packets, ice cold. Bleh. One of the best parts of eating out is hot delicious bread with butter at the proper temperature which you don't have to wrestle out of a little plastic pot. Green salads fresh and plentiful although unimaginative. Mom loved the home made bleu cheese dressing, my Italian dressing tasted bottled. Stone crabs were described as medium sized but they were rather small. Seemed cheap though; about $20 a pound a la carte as I recall. They were good. Served cold. My combination plate of scallops and stuffed shrimp was not good. I asked about the scallops, wanting to make certain I didn't get deep fried...I expected 3-6 big scallops with a nice sear and I got a metal scallop shell thing from the '70s with about 20 scallops the size of pencil erasers swimming in a bland pool of butter. The stuffed crabs were ok I guess, but also cold. My mom had the shrimp platter sampler and proclaimed it average. My husband loved his buffalo chicken sandwich. Our bill was about $100. Very reasonable but would have been better spent elsewhere. I won't go back.
(2)Nolan R.
How have I not been to this place? I've walked, ran, and biked past it hundreds of times...depending on the workout. I also assumed it was only for the over 60 crowd. Wow was I in for a surprise...most of the people in there at 7pm on a Friday were under 40...not that it matters. I've found that older folks wont pay for crap, so if they eat there - it's a good sign. I couldn't decide on the salmon fillet or the fried grouper. I'm sure fried grouper is their specialty and I'm an idiot for ordering the salmon but whatever... The salmon came grilled. It was fairly good..but I know, I just know...I should've ordered the grouper dang it. Their little muffins they bring you are great and the service is TOP NOTCH. When that happens I don't mind paying the required 18% gratuity. Every time I eat at a place that has a required tip the wait staff is always superb. Maybe more places should start doing this?? I should note their menu is HUGE and has something for everyone. I can't wait to go back and try that grouper. I have a feeling this is the start of a nice little relationship between "The Nade" and Nolan.
(4)Allen E.
This place is great!!! Not to expensive either! The view of the bay is amazing! This place literally gives you so much food! You will not leave this restaurant hungry. They have the best clam chowder I have ever had and even have great non seafood. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Mark H.
What the hell happened to the Colonade? When I was growing up, this place was almost majestic. This was where you wanted to be seen eating on a Saturday evening. Now, it's just a place to eat; nothing special. At one time, they had the best fried grouper sammich in the Bay Area--Hands down! They used to serve up this ultra-flakey, tender, super-thick grouper filet on a fresh bun with lettuce and tomato. But times change, I guess. The chica and I went for my birthday a few years ago, and the entire experience was so bad that we vowed to never return. The waitress looked visibly UPSET that we were seated in her area. I heard her mumble, "I just can't take this anymore. I've got too many tables." Right then and there, I knew the situation was going to rapidly deteriorate; and it did. It took about 10 minutes to get in a drink order, about another 10 before we got the drinks, about another 10 before we placed our order and nearly 30 minutes before we could get our check. I hate being held hostage. But none of that was the worst part of it all. The worst part was that my grouper sandwich was not a filet, but 4 grouper nuggets smashed together on a bun. Yeah.. 4 grouper nuggets. I was like, "Wow... No better way to thank me for eating here since the early 80s like serving me this make-shift grouper filet made of 4 nuggets." Haven't been back since and it makes me sad. A small part of me died that day.
(2)Howard Z.
Every time I head down to Tampa to see family, we seem to wander around to this place. Food here is great; and you get a great view of the shore. Always get a pitcher of sangria. Crowd tends to be older (Think grandparents) but its not like its awkward or anything. Come for the seafood, because well that's in the name.
(4)Danielle R.
Somehow I've lived in Tampa for quite some time and only discovered this place this past weekend. I had family in town and was looking for a more unique place to bring them. I read an article that this was the place to find the best grouper sandwiches so off we went. My Uncle and husband both got the traditional fried grouper sandwich and they said it was great. My mom got hers grilled and also really enjoyed it. As for myself, I was eating light so I got a shrimp cocktail and side salad. The side salad was your average side salad, but the shrimp were very fresh and tasty. A very cute and eclectic place to visit with beautiful water views!
(4)Gina D.
The view is fantastic! The staff is very nice. You don't feel as if you are being rushed to finish. I had the seafood pasta. It was delicious! Be aware that the serving is gigantic, so you will be able to enjoy your leftovers. My boyfriend had the clam chowder to start. It was very rich and flavorful. For his entree, he had the crab stuffed shrimp. They were really good too. For dessert, my boyfriend really liked the coconut cream pie. I had the chocolate bourbon pecan pie. Yummmm!!! Make sure you save room for dessert. We had a relaxing evening and a great meal. The prices are very reasonable. You can have a great evening out without breaking the bank.
(4)Nicolle H.
Where do I start? This was one of the best seafood restaurants I've enjoyed while visiting Florida. I am frequent visitor to Florida and don't know why I was not brought to this place sooner. They have an extensive menu and an early happy hour. If you enjoy fried food from time to time, you'll really enjoy this place. They also have Fresh fish cooked to your liking and Pasta. The Soft Shell Crab sandwich was delicious, the Captains Platter allows you to try a little of everything as well as the the Combination Platters.
(5)Jim B.
You know whats awesome about the Colonnade? Its been there FOREVER. My parents went there in the 50s when it was a drive in. I've been eating there on and off for decades... and really, little ever changes. The muffins are always good, the bar always full of old S Tampa people having a meal and a couple of stiff ones... and the decor is a time warp back to the last renovation in the 70s. In the last wave of development the place almost gave way to another residential tower, but the economy turned and the Colonnade lives on. I'm glad. While it will never be 'fine dining' it will always be a place I enjoy once in a while. Here's hoping it soldiers on for a few more decades.
(3)JCC L.
A Tampa institution... Have been going here for years and never have been disappointed. On my most recent visit I had jumbo stone crab claws and they were the best, very fresh and generous portions. For an appetizer you can't go wrong with the fried green tomatoes or the gator bites. Enjoy!
(5)Chris M.
What a great place! The drive up is gorgeous as you go under the spanish moss hanging in front of the entrance. The vibe is very much Florida seafood restaurant and the view out on Bayshore is second to none. The Jumbo shrimp seafood pasta is A+. The Alfredo is some of the best I have ever had. Also, highly recommend the Oysters Rockefellar as an appetiezer. Our waitress Gayle was amazing! She gave us a sample of the conch chowder and will definetly be back to have more.
(5)Robert S.
The Colonnade is ingenious. I never thought combining a classic seafood restaurant with a nursing home would work out so well. A great place to eat fried shrimp while enjoying the perfect view of the sun setting on Tampa Bay and also your withering lifeforce. Where the aroma of fresh oysters, the smell of lingering death, and the morgue-refridgeration-cellar temperatures present an atmosphere that acts as a memento mori in your disappointment of a mid-life. Ah, yes. A great place to take your family for a 3:00 dinner and watch your grandparents gum applesauce with a look of pie-eyed joy about their shriveled, salty faces. Yes, applesauce is on the menu. How perfect is that?
(2)Diane C.
We go to this restaurant once or twice a month and sit in the back bar which has cozy booths full screen TV's and good service. There's no view there, but at night who cares about the view? In the daytime we try for a front booth with a view of the bay. When lobster is in season I LOVE this place! If there is not lobster on the menu I will usually get a salad. The Cobb and the Asian chicken salads are good. I sometimes get the house salad and stuff myself with the great little basket of rolls that they serve instead of bread.
(4)Jen H.
This place was so gross, thinking about it makes me feel a little nauseous. Not because the food is disgusting, but because everything is breaded and fried and not fresh. I just cannot eat that much fried and breaded food in one day. Judging by the other reviews of this place, Tampa has really bad taste in food. Or at least the Yelpers do. First I would like to point out that most of the guests here are over 70. Second, it has a nice view. It is across the street from the bay. Not on the bay. So no great or wonderful view, just okay. Host was very accommodating about us insisting on a booth with a good view. The little muffins they bring out at the beginning are weird for dinner. The clam chowder seems like it is from a can and kind of gross but still edible. I got the captain's platter and every single thing in it was fried, including the crab cake and the oysters, which I did not expect. Even the french fries were bad. I think the only thing that was okay were the conch fritters. I would never ever ever come back here.
(2)Adrienne K.
First trip to Tampa, Florida. Before my trip I've heard alot about stone crab claws, so that was a 'must try' on my list this trip. The Colonnade is right on the bay, with very nice night view of downtown city lights on the other side of the water. We ordered Fried Calamari, Fresh Gulf Grouper, and Fresh Stone Crab Claws... Instead of sliced bread, the restaurant serves the cutest mini muffins in a basket =) FRIED CALAMARI ($8.99) - Hand breaded and cooked to order. Served with The Colonnade's rich marinara sauce. Very nicely priced for the portion served. Taste was pretty good. I think if it comes spicy would be better for this dish. FRESH GULF GROUPER (Market Price) - Charbroiled over an open flame, broiled in lemon butter, golden fried or crunchy fried in The Colonnade's unique almond & corn flake coating. We ordered the grouper broiled in lemon butter. The fish was a little fishy and a little overcooked. I didn't think market price was fair. FRESH STONE CRAB CLAWS (1 LB Medium Claws $23.99, 1 LB Large Claws $37.99) - Served chilled with The Colonnade's unique mustard sauce or drawn butter. Not sure if that was the holiday special price, because it was printed on a piece of paper enclosed in the menu. The claws were served cold. I didn't mind that at all because the meat was fresh and sweet unlike other crabs that I've tasted. We ordered the large claws so it only came with 6 pieces. It was kinda pricey, but hey we don't eat like that everyday, so why not live it up! =) Service was good. We had a good experience. When we return to Florida, will definitely return for more Stone Crab Claws!
(4)Makaio A.
The crab cakes were some of the best I've ever had. The seafood quiche was also amazing. The view is also nice and the inside had character.
(4)Moraima D.
Did not like it at all. Great location though and it looks cozy from the outside, that's what made us stop and try it. Nothing seemed fresh, rice pilaf tasted like rice from a box, the broccoli was ugly. My husband just had a sip of his onion soup because it was so bad. Many of the menu items are breaded so that tells you a lot right away that is not the freshest food. Would not recommend this place at all.
(1)Celeste R.
Lifelong Tampa residents told us this restaurant could be good and could be bad, but when we woke to a beautiful day, we thought it would be just the place for a late lunch. Its location looking ut over the water is lovely and the dining room is very comfortable. Our server was very personable and gave us time to look over the enormous menu. My friend ordered the shrimp cocktail and one of the specials, shrimp scampi. I ordered the chargrilled grouper and the server asked if I was sure I wanted it chargriled since everyone ordered it broiled with lemon butter or fried. I said no, I wanted it chargrilled. The shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were a good size but overcooked just a little, which happens. The shrimp in the scampi, however, were like rubber. My friend is not one to complain and started eating it. I cut into my grouper - which looked great - and it was half raw inside! We finally had to ask another server to get our server, who had not checked back with us, and she took the fish away for a new piece. I waited about 15 minutes and out came another piece which was OK. She said she was sorry about that but it was a "brand new grouper" and a little thicker than usual so they hadn't known how long to cook it. I then mentioned my friend was eating it anyway, but the shrimp in the scampi was way overdone and rubbery. She nodded and said, "Yes, sometimes that happens. I think the kitchen is having problems today." I know I could have asked to see the manager, but I let it slide. She asked if she could bring a dessert menu and we said yes. Unfortunately there were no prices, or we might not have ordered two desserts that were $5.99 each and certainly not worth that price. So, those of you who love this place, you've obviously been very lucky! We will try it again someday, but for the $67 (before tip) that it cost us, I would have much preferred Bonefish Grill.
(2)Jeremy T.
My wife and I decided to try this place out for a late lunch to enjoy our meal with a view. They still had the brunch specials going on, but wanted lunch. We started with the fried green tomatoes, they were good with a tangy aftertaste. We also got some salads and crab cakes as well to start with. When you go be prepared to wait at times for your waiter because there seems to be a customer to waiter ratio that could cause a delay in trips to your table by your waiter, no complaints just means be prepared to make the most of the delay with table conversation. We had various seafood items for our entree, we had shrimp cooked a variety of ways, crabcakes, and also had a yellow tail snapper that was very tasty. After all of this food we were absolutely stuffed and decided to take dessert to go. We will definitely come back with family and friends who visit the area, or to have a special meal for two. I mean you could come here or go to a place like the bonefish grill where you would probably spend more there and have a lower quality of meal and experience. This place is definitely worth the trip and wait.
(4)Chuck A.
Yuck. Heard this was a good place to eat: It was not. Had a waitress, Flo, who was too old to be efficient. She took care of the older people before the girlfriend and I. By that I mean they sat down after us, got drinks and food before us and we knew what we wanted. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer, which was fresh enough, but you could tell they had been sitting there a while, and still had the window ticket with the order and Flo's name on it. Whoops? I got the grouper which almost made me sick it was so bad. I ended up leaving the "market price" ($$$$$) grouper sit and eating the sides and some more calamari from the appetizer. Boo. The one good thing about this place is the scenery. It has huge windows opening up to the water. Very nice on a clear day. Give it a shot, don't order the grouper and if Flo is your waitress, leave...unless you're over 65.
(2)Donald H.
Wonderful ambiance...a great view of the bay...! Supurb seafood & always great service...!
(5)M R.
After living in Tampa for 15 years the hubby and I decided to try the colonnade for the first time. The building itself is old and in need of a bit of updating but it was clean and somewhat charming. The view along bayshore was amazing. The water and city skyline was just lovely. However the service and he food were not at all what we expected from the south Tampa area. Our waitress Kim was in attentive and didnt have a clue about the items on the menu or the market prices of the listed specials. She was also a bit clueless about making recommendations. So either doesn't like the food or she just isn't a good waitress. Now about the food. It was rather bland and tasteless. I had a combo of stuffed shrimp and a crab cake. The shrimp were over cooked and tough and the crab cake was one of the worse that I've ever had. We also had the stuffed mushroom appetizer. They were just as bland and flavorless as the rest of the meal. Definitely not worth the money or the drive. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. You'll be glad you did.
(1)Tom R.
The reviews had me torn both ways looking on foursquare but I have been there twice now in the past month and love the view of the bay from our window seat. The second time, we had to wait a good 20 minutes for booth window but the place does get busy in the early afternoon. It's like an old person's spot on the weekends apparently and you know they like to eat dinner at 3:30-4pm so that was probably why it so busy still. I like getting the fried calamari and the Angler's Platter is great and really fills you up.
(4)David G.
This place has outstanding service and very well done food. First of I'm a dentist in the area and since most of the patrons are much older and time isn't an issue the waiters always make sure my order gets in quickly and out to my table faster then the other patrons who aren't in any rush. I really appreciate this since I enjoy a nice well prepared lunch rather then fast food but don't always have the time for it. The food is always perfect. I have tried most of the sandwiches on the lunch menu and there's isn't a bad one on there. I really like the roast beef with fried green tomatoes since they are crispy and delicious and complement the beef beautifully. I also highly enjoy the scalop and avocado, I always have a hard time deciding between those two. If you dont mind sitting with bunch of grey hairs, it's a great place to eat.
(5)Andrew B.
Awful. Slow service over fried food. Ordered Mac and cheese for my daughter and took 30 mins to come out. Crab cakes were not good. Bad lighting couldn't see a thing inside. There are much better places. Try Datz or subway up the street.
(1)Mellie R.
I consider The Colonnade a waterfront restaurant because you can't get any closer to the bay at this point along Bayshore Blvd. Large picture windows offer great views of downtown Tampa over the water with nothing between you and the view except folks walking/jogging along the waterfront. This is the place I take family visiting from out of town when we don't need/want white tablecloth service but are looking for comfortable dining a step above chain seafood (Shells, Red Lobster, etc). The menu is varied and offers something for everyone. We love the fried green tomatoes and muffins (served with real butter, even if it is wrapped pats-remember, nothing fancy here). Deserts are good, my mom enjoys their Key Lime pie. They can comfortably handle large groups and it's not unusual to see families dining together. I don't believe they take reservations but they do have a large bar and seats outside for waiting. Service can be spotty, as others have mentioned, but nothing that's ruined our dining experience. If you're looking to impress, take your guests elsewhere. But, if you're looking for good seafood and good prices and great views, this is the place. To sum it up in one word: dependable.
(4)Karen N.
This was a wonderful find for our family, thanks to AAA and Yelp! We were searching for a seafood restaurant that also had meals that would satisfy our Florida craving for seafood and also for the youngsters. We started off with alligator bites that were fan favorites and a great precursor to the meal to come. I had the Grouper Oscar with some of the best crab meat I've ever tasted. The delicately pan-fried grouper was 100% delicious and the teenagers that had a taste also agreed. My dear husband had the shrimp and salmon and while the salmon was deemed not extraordinary, the shrimp was lovely. The middle kid, age 15, had the tropical chicken and it was a hit. The sauce was delicately orange and a hint of curry. The eldest son, age 18, had the shrimp and crab cakes. I was shocked the crab cakes were fried but he thought it was delicious and if it was half as tasty as the crab on my dish, he certainly was in for a taste treat. The youngest, age 10, had the chicken fingers...maybe for the 8th meal in a row. She was not disappointed. Then, according to other "Yelpers", dessert was in order. The key lime pie was the BEST EVER! Better than anything we ever had in Key West, which is saying something. The chocolate lava cake was decadent and great. Oh...and the muffins were fine..nothing spectacular but different enough to grab the kids' attention. The service was impeccable and the view was the best we had during our stay in Tampa. Thanks to the Colonnade for capping off an excellent weekend of football, family and fun!!! If we find ourselves on a return trip to Tampa, we will return!
(4)Gertie O.
I've eaten at the Colonnade twice-- first time around wasn't great so I gave it a second chance, but I won't be going back going back. I gave it two stars because of it's incredible location and views, but the food... is just not good. Items don't seem fresh, the menu is unimaginative, most choices are fried and unfortunately it causes the whole restaurant to smell old, fried, and fishy. The whole place depresses me.
(2)Tiffany W.
I give it 4.5 stars. We came here for dinner this evening at about 7:30pm. Would be excellent for lunch so you could see the view. It was too dark being wintertime for us to see the bay. This is a fairly large restaurant. We didn't have to wait. We were seated right away. I ordered jumbo grilled shrimps (5 or 6 pieces). They weren't that jumbo. They seemed medium to me. :P For an add'l $6.99 to go with the entree, one could order a lobster tail, which I did. I asked them to put the butter on the side. You get 2 sides. I ordered sweet potato and salad. My hubs ordered a grilled salmon & had sweet potato and cole slaw. He was happy with his meal. They gave us corn muffin which he was happy with. The food came in a reasonable amount of time. The lights were a bit dim in the restaurant. Visibility a bit of a challenge while looking at the menu.
(4)Gerald S.
Best truly jumbo fried shrimp in Tampa Bay
(4)Taz and Kazi J.
Went there for a luncheon. Food was good and our server was awesome. Great sense of humor but kept a straight face. Funny guy. I only had a salad but there were compliments all around from the table. They need to kill the flies buzzing around the windows. Will go again
(3)B R.
The food is below average to terrible. Location and view is great. Need to change menu.
(1)Katy M.
On our last night in Tampa, we decided we wanted Seafood. I got on the computer and began looking for restaurants on Yelp.com . I came across The Colonnade Seafood Restaurant. We had passed the restaurant on the way back to our hotel earlier that day so I knew where it was located. The reviews were good so we decided to give it a try. The one thing about the menu was there was a lot of fried food. We like to have things baked for ourselves and for our 16 month old daughter but we decided we were on vacation and we hadn't had fried seafood in quite some time. The restaurant is easy to locate. We waited about twenty minutes for our table. The staff was super friendly. Once the waiter took our order, he brought us muffins to snack on. We were surprised because there were corn muffins and blueberry muffins; both were delicious. My husband ordered the baked cobia with a salad and rice pilaf. I had the combination plate with fried shrimp and baked scallops along with a salad and a sweet potato. We received a lot of food and it was great. My husband said the rice pilaf was a little salty. The one negative thing I would say about the restaurant was when it got dark outside; there wasn't enough lighting in the restaurant. It would make reading the menu difficult. Other than that, it was great. We dined at the restaurant on September 4th.
(4)Bob L.
People come to the Colonnade for many reasons. People who grew up in South Tampa will tell stories how it once was a tiny hang-out for the local teenagers. Others will proudly brag how the place resisted being knocked down for a condo. My father who was a strong New Englander always picked this place when he came up from Englewood Beach. He liked the seafood and the view of Davis Islands, and the huge selection of food for everyone. I guess as I get older, I like the Colonnade because it is reliable and has a large menu with something for everyone, a well-trained staff, and decent prices. I too head for the seafood. As for people who complain about the old people - well, too bad, you're looking at the USA in 30 years. Who do you think are living in most of those condos along the Bayshore - 20 year olds? Take a closer look around the Colonnade and you'll see three generations of the same family at the table. That tells you somthing.
(4)David S.
If you love fried fish, this is probably a good place for you. It's a step above Red Lobster and two or three above McDonald's fish sandwich. In their defense, I have never had their crab claws. The view is great, but if you really want to enjoy the view, I would suggest you grab a fish sandwich from Pane Rustica (the fish special changes daily), park your car on Bay to Bay and Bayshore and cross the street to one of the benches on Bayshore and eat there.
(2)Jon C.
Great food at this dog-friendly restaurant. Went here on a date after walking along the bay shore. The ahi tuna app and grouper entree were both delicious. The service is the only reason for the point off because we waited quite a while for someone to even show an interest in taking our table. After 20 minutes of waiting, though, we ended up with a very pleasant waitress who brought steak and shrimp tidbits for the puppy and checked on us regularly.
(4)Jan H.
Awful. Just awful. Don't go there. Seriously, wish I would have read the "awful" reviews before I went. It's just terrible. Just moved here to Tampa. Wanted to try it for the reputation. Sorry I did. Don't waste your money. Ick. Terrible.
(1)daphne m.
This place was great. First we had a window seat the view was great the kids kept watching the fish jump out of the water . But the heat from the window was really bad could not cool off from the heat. First we had the calamari it was ok there was not enough sauce to finish the plate after the sauce was gone it was just a deep fried mess I will pass on this the next time around. Then we had the clam chowder (new England) this was one of the best I have found in Florida. We from California and moved out here a few years ago this clam chowder is really close to the one we get in San Francisco. I had the stuff shrimp and scallops with rice. The scallops were great but the stuff shrimp was under cooked and had lots of celery in the mix. Never tasted the crab I will pass on the stuff shrimp as well. My husband had the prime rib this was a large and cooked just the way he wanted it. It didn't have lots of flavor but the size I would think was a 10 or 12oz and he ate half of it. We loved the place and will go back I will pass on a few items and try others instead but the clam chowder was hands down the best I will go back just for the chowder.
(4)Shana O.
This was great. They had a large menu and friendly service. it was cold inside but we sat outside on the patio and it was like a little island. their food is not all fried and while the mashed potatoes i had with dinner tasted like they were instant, everything was still very good. the little muffins are a little strange with dinner but they were delicious.
(4)Meg B.
Certainly a favorite of mine although it is a little bit off the beaten path for me as I live in Brandon. The view is beautiful as you see straight across the the bay along Bayshore Blvd and the restaurant has large windows all along the three sides closest to the bay. They serve little baskets with a variety of muffins instead of the traditional bread and they're quite good. You'll drop about $40 for two people but the portions are HUUUGE. My husband and I usually get seafood pastas and will end up being brought these large platter like bowl/plate hybrids mounded high with pasta. We never finish as it seriously has to be close to a pound of noodles per person with close to a pound of seafood mixed in. Always high quality and very good. I love the fried green tomatoes which are served with great homemade ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Salads are lovely here as well. Certainly if you're in the area it's a must! The service is great too.
(4)Robert B.
Great ambiance, very good food, wonderful view of Tampa Bay. My family had lunch here at the end of March 2010 and it was a really pleasant experience. The day we ate there, they served a soup de jour that was a roasted red pepper bisque that was just great, smooth but intense with flavor.
(4)