GrillSmith

Great happy hour selections! Food is fantastic as well as the wine selection. Bartenders are always very nice.

Great meal and helpful server! First we had the Voodoo shrimp app. Very flavorful w/​a kick. Then I had the skirt steak. Cooked perfectly and better than any ribeye I have had lately. My co-​worked had the pork chops and they were outstanding. Everything we ordered was suggested by our server. Only downside; this restaurant is at the mall and it wasn’t very busy. But if want a low-​key delicious meal, give this place a try. If I lived in Tampa this would be a regular spot for me.

I love their Sunday breakfast and brunch– it’s completely amazing. Their lunch/​dinner menu is good but nothing major pops out at me. Service is always good and dogs are allowed on the patio which is a nice touch. The patio would be a great place to relax after work or even throw a get together with friends. Inside tends to be a little dark as far as lighting goes for my taste. I will probably only eat here again if someone suggests it first or if it’s Sunday breakfast/​brunch. I like the location at the mall because it is very central. Prices are moderate overall. Staff has always been friendly too. All in all– just okay.

We had traveled literally all over Tampa on a last minute whim to get dinner at a nice restaurant, only to be greeted by an hour or more wait. So we traveled to Brandon near my mother-in-law’s hotel. Most of the restaurants also had a 60−90min wait, but GrillSmith which is located off the grid in the mall, had no wait at all. The service was fast and friendly, bread fresh & hot, and their food was really good. Their mojito’s are fabulous and ribs — fall off the bone. I would definitely go here again!

It was pretty much an «okay» experience. We came on a Wednesday evening and were sat very quickly. Our waitress looked like she hated her life and messed up our order. It wasn’t too big of a deal because we just got more food in the end. I still cannot believe the server heard salmon instead of steak. She was one of those that had the obvious fake smile on and made us really feel she hated her job. Took a while for her to comeback to get our order after giving us our drinks and she also disappeared pretty much the entire time after that. Took her another 5 – 10 minutes to come back to us to fix our order problem. The «How was your food» line came about 15 – 20 minutes after we received the fixed entrée. It doesn’t take much to be happy with service at a restaurant and I really hate when the servers just never show face until 15 minutes after everyone finishes their food to give the check. Come on guys, this is a upper scale restaurant that needs to at least have decent service. Just show that you care about your table and smile a little bit and I tip over 20% every time. To add another point, we spoke with the manager more times for general questions than our server because we saw him more. I hate when you feel like you have to order immediately because your afraid of not seeing your server for another 20min.
Also if your getting the combination entrée, please note that the portions are tiny. The manager told us the steak would be 6oz and the salmon would be 6oz as well. After eating outback’s 6oz steak I can conclude their portion is more along the lines of 4oz for the steak and 4oz for the salmon. I believe the shrimp was only 4 medium sized pieces.
Overall, will not be coming back. All this is is just a upscale version of outback or the typical american restaurant. My favorite food was the small side of asparagus that came with my combination. I’ll give it ³⁄₅ stars because it really was just an «A-​okay» experience.

Great outdoor dining options. We enjoyed the lounge atmosphere with our toddler. The crab burger is good but could be more seasoned. Good jalapeño Mac n cheese. Hubby liked his crab Benedict but the potatoes were cold and stale. Okay coffee. Excellent service, very attentive.

Would of been 4 stars if the service was better. Our server took over 30 minutes to take our order! I hadn’t been to GrillSmith in years and decided to have lunch with a girlfriend who was visiting. After debating over Bahama Breeze and GrillSmith we opted for GrillSmith. The food was not terrible, but nothing special either. I had the Buffalo chicken sandwich and my friend ordered the fried fish, which looked pretty generic. Coleslaw was very bland and I got about 6 frenchfries with my sandwich. Not as good as I remembered, probably won’t be going back again.

Brandon’s best kept secret! Great burgers and ribs! Thai chicken app hands down the best along with stuffed chicken ravioli… nice and plenty draft beer and wine collection!

Has a fantastic lunch and great service from our friendly server Nadia.
The Napa Valley salad was excellent, so was my husbands Oak Barrel Salmon.
My favorite was definitely the Crème Brûlée. Two thumbs up!

The food was very good. I went around 1400 on a Thursday afternoon and the place was pretty empty. I guess in that area most of the places get busy for the lunch and after-​work crowd. My wife enjoyed the food and so did I. I do like places with a short menu instead of trying to cater to every palate.

Very good service and food. I will return

I had such a wonderful lunch. I ordered the Buffalo Chicken sandwich. It was amazing. Seriously the best buffalo chicken sandwich I have ever had. It had just the right amount of tang so that it wasn’t overpowering. I ordered the jalapeño mac and cheese for my side. Wow! It was absolutely delicious. The amount of spice was spot on.
Our waitress was great. She made good recommendations and was very accommodating. I ordered one order of Chicken fingers for the boys and told her they would split it. She had the kitchen split it for us. I love when restaurants do this. It saves me a little time.
The décor is really cool in this location. It is very modern and clean looking. I love the wall of wine bottles when you walk into the restaurant. They will definitely be seeing more of me in the future.

When is travel on business one of my colleagues has become utterly dependent on me handling the dinner selections, and I usually have no problem with that. In this episode (Tampa FL) our immediate vicinity was awash in typical chain eats, and neither of us had any interest in those.
Thanks again to my fellow Unilocaler’s who have pushed Grillsmith up higher on the reviews. I have to agree… this place is a good, local alternative. My only ding against them was the very slow service, otherwise it would be four stars.
BTW: Thank you for the $ 5 check in offer… that translates into some gratis thai shrimp appetizer.
Highlights:
The Chimichurri skirt steak was cooked to a perfect medium and came with an excellent version of the «sauce». I had green beans and garlic mashed potato, which were decent enough.

I’ve recently discovered Grillsmith and their awesome happy hour!
We came here after work and were very pleasantly surprised.
Service: our servers and the staff were more than friendly! They catered to our picky palettes and were super nice and cordial!
Food: I tried the beef steak tip eggrolls — yum! we also had their bruschetta and lettuce wraps which were both delicious. There were tons of appetizers and eats to choose from that were $ 7 or under!
We’d definitely come back again, as it’s local and a great please to get together for happy hour!

Update! I had a feeling that after going back to this location, my opinion would change. Since this review I have been to this Grillsmith on two separate occasions, both of which were positive experiences! I think my original review was just a fluke.
Recommendations for Grillsmith: Lemon Feta Chicken, Fitness Chicken, Salmon salad, Stoli Ravioli, Chimichurri Steak… all yummy in my tummy! Make sure to check out their happy hour on Wednesday, as well, as it is a really good deal.

So I’ll start this review with the fact that I have started on my New Year’s resolution for 2013 to slim down a bit and was a bit fearful going to a restaurant establishment for the first time knowing that I had to keep healthy in mind as I chose my meal. I had to take a colleague out to lunch and figured that GrillSmith would be a good place to find a variety of dishes to suit my needs.
We were pleasantly surprised when we walked in and were one of the few parties dining in this restaurant for lunch. It’s located at the Brandon Towne Center, however, it is on the opposite side of all the other major restaurants so I think people overlook this establishment when thinking about trying one of the restaurants at the mall.
We were promptly seated and served our drinks as we walked in. I was also pleasantly surprised that they offer a coupon for your first Unilocal check in on the mobile app. We all ordered a variety of meals. I had to keep my healthy living initiative in mind so I ordered the «Fitness Chicken.» It’s a chicken breast served with their seasonal vegetable and another side of your choosing. On our visit the seasonal vegetable was Greenbeans. I accompanied it with the mashed cauliflower as my additional side. I wasn’t sure what to expect having gotten the «healthy» meal off the menu as they can sometimes be a bit bland and a major let down. I was quite surprised though, as the chicken was cooked to perfection and very flavor for just being a grilled chicken breast. I couldn’t complain with the veggies either.
Our server automatically applied a discount to our bill, without me even mentioning that I had a coupon. Guess I’ll get to use it on my next visit. Overall, this is a great spot to stop for a quick lunch that isn’t of the fast food variety and they look to have a pretty decent happy hour as well… Maybe next time!

My daughter ordered spaghetti & meatballs and the meat was horrible. I even tasted it to make sure. I ordered the Mediterranean salmon with jasmine rice and green beans. The salmon was delicious, but the sides were overwhelmingly salty. When I told the manager about our food issues, he wanted to defend the meat and thought my over-​salty sides were simply an uneducated palate on my part. To his credit, he did offer to replace the items, but it was too late for me by then — I was irritated. The worst part was when we got the check, it was wrong! Ugh.
This chef will NOT be going back.

Not bad. A bit overpriced for the portion sizes, but it’s a nice place with a friendly staff and the food is above average.

I tried not to like it. It’s a chain restaurant and it’s in a mall. In a mall, it may as well be a Houllihans or an Applebees. With low spirits and lower expectations I approached the host desk and was greeted by not one but four. «Uno.» I stated as I held up an index finger. I was greeted by four pleasant smiles and was lead from the large open foyer to the dining area near the bar. The place was charming, with dark wood and a warm glow from the antique brass and glass lights. But, I got an uncomfortable feeling as I looked around. The place was deserted. It was 7pm on a Wednesday night. Where was everyone?
The waiter approached and took my drink order. I studied the menu:
GrillSmith-Dinner-Menu.pdf
I decided on a cup of Caribbean Pumpkin Crab Bisque «Rich and creamy, finished with toasted almonds and a dollop of cream» for a starter and the Chimichurri Steak «Argentenian-​style chimichurri skirt steak, grilled, basted and served with a spicy citrus parsley, fresh citrus and cilantro pesto» for an entrée. It came with two sides and I opted for the seasonal vegetables and the Au Gratin potatoes.
The soup was perfect for a cool fall night. Exactly as described, rich creamy sweet and a touch of spice. I had a cup, wished for the bowl and mopped up every drop with the warm bread sticks that accompanied. The steak was a perfect medium and was tender and delicious. The vegetables were medallions of green and yellow squash, crisp and well seasoned, I finished them first. The potatoes were excellent as well. The meal salvaged an otherwise forgettable day.
I passed on dessert though there were quite a few that sounded good and as I got up to leave the door next to the bar opened and I was embraced by live music. Intrigued I investigated and found a lively bunch out on the terrace, eating and enjoying live jazz. So that’s where everyone was!

1. Incredible and Superb Meals
2. Upscale environment
3. The best restaurant in Tampa