Salt Rock Tavern

Came here for lunch on Saturday, no wait. Second time here and both occasions the food was very good. Service was a little slow not around much, but food was good.

The food was awesome and our server was very attentive. I really don’t have anything to complain about when it comes to this facility. Excellent selection of beer as well.

I should not complain about the addition restaurant alternative we have in Oldsmar, especially for having a trendy one like Salt Rock Tavern. The layout in Salt Rock is functional, and the atmosphere is mostly for younger crowds, in which contrast with its next door Ramba Grill that attracts AARPs.
Salt Rock Tarvern offers a very eclectic menu that can instantly triggers one’s appetites; for example, truffle parmesan fries, pear, bacon and wild mushrooms flatbread, the rooster burger top with fried egg. The menu definitely serves its purpose to attract the impulsive and adventurous patrons. Salt Rock Tarvern also sells many craft beer. It is very relaxing to sit at the bar having a cold beer, nibble some $ 5 appetizers during happy hour, and watch ball games. The bar and its extended drinking area is large enough to hold at least 50 people to watch games. The dinning area is separated from the bar. It is ideal for family of four or small group. Each booth has a small flat TV for guests to watch games as well.
Service is prompt and I always enjoy chatting with the bar tender. However, for the last three time I visited this restaurant, I have not had any dish that is memorable despite how much I like what the menu displays. I ordered early bird tavern brine rotisserie chicken at my last visit. The chicken had no flavor.
Since both Salt Rock and Ramba Grill are run by the same company, I probably will come to Salt Rock Tarvern for a drink and a snack during happy hour, then cross the alley to Ramba Grill for dinner. For folks who likes meat dishes, Salt Rock has better options, but if seafood is the preferred choice, go to Ramba Grill instead. Cost are compatible at both restaurants.

This place is very good. Go during happy hour on weekdays for fantastic deals. Not enough gluten free options, but the bun less burger is awesome. Good food, fun atmosphere and family friendly. Usually the service is great but we had one really bad server. Overall this place is definitely worth trying out.

My main reason for not getting five stars is that they do not serve any type of complimentary appetizer like bread. I never leave full as the portions are quite small but I have spent a lot of money. Likewise, sometimes kids need something to munch on while you wait on your food. There is a lot of downtime while you were waiting for the food. I would consider this place 83% kid friendly. I base this on the vibe and logistics. They have booths which are awesome that have TVs but you cannot put a high chair at those because they are raised up on a platform.

Salt Rock has a «yuppie bourgeoisie housewives of Oldsmar» type of feeling to it, not going to deny it. That seems to be the crowd that frequents this establishment. But luckily for me, I don’t run with that crowd, so I don’t have to listen to their boring conversations. Now on with the food and drink.
They have a great happy hour M-​F from 4−7pm. They have good specials on appetizers during this time, I believe half off. I have enjoyed the raw oysters and the filet mignon skewer as of late. Very fresh oysters and the chimichurri sauce that comes with the tender filet skewer was very delicious. They also do a mean rotisserie chicken nacho set up.
They always have a great beer selection including local craft beers from the nearby breweries in Saint Pete, Dunedin and Tampa. The staff has always been very attentive too.

Quickly becoming one of my favorite spots. I was always a fan but after experiencing their Sunday Brunch? SOLD!
An outdoor bar to watch sports or open indoor dining where the booths have TVs. Yes, you read that right, gents. Go for dinner or have a tapas feast with all their delicious apps. Just make sure you order the french onion soup dumplings. They look like escargot, but they’re really are sent from heaven yum. The calamari is probably my second favorite. I try to stay away from fried food but their calamari is like kryptonite because it’s not your typical fried calamari. It’s so good it doesn’t even need sauce. It’s has a little bit of an asian kick to it.
If you REALLY want to be wow’d though, go for Sunday brunch and try everything from omelets, fresh seafood and make sure you end with dessert where they make waffle cones (cups) right in front of you! Save room. It makes for a Sunday Funday start.

Solid place for descent food and drinks. I thought it would be your typical tavern place but was pleasantly surprised by the food and good beer selection. We ordered the stir fry and it tasted good but it wasn’t very «typical»… the dish looked like a stew, which is odd for a stir fry. We told our waitress and she said that was going to mention to the kitchen. Overall it was a good experience and I would probably go back. Also, I was surprised that it wasn’t very busy for a Saturday night but the service was just ok… the waitress could’ve come to the table more often and we found ourselves waiting for her to come by a couple times so we could order more food and drinks.

Such a disappointment, especially after the great reviews I’ve read. A couple of caveats to this review — first, I am only reviewing brunch and most of the reviews I’ve read are not about the brunch. Second, I am trying to be more honest in my reviews (not that you care), and according to the Unilocal definitions, 3 stars is «A-​OK» and 2 stars is «Meh. I’ve experienced better.» I think in the past I would have given this 3 stars, but if «A-​OK» is okay, then that means you can come here and have a reasonably good meal (did I just blow your mind with that?) and «meh» is unimpressive, not memorable, not worth coming to.
Lets do the good first — service was fine. Granted, the brunch is a buffet, but my water was kept full and my mimosas were replaced quickly and my dirty plates were removed quickly. The tavern itself is very nice. Everything is dark wood, restaurant is well separated from the bar for more privacy, and they have a covered outdoor bar. Also, the brunch comes with 2 mimosas, bloody mary’s or screwdrivers, and is very reasonably priced for an AYCE with 2 drinks at $ 20.
The food here though just was not that good. There was an omelet station, and the omelets were fine — probably the best thing there — but missing some fillers. They had bacon, sausage (no ham) peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and cheese. Firstly, no ham? Secondly, no shrimp or some protein for the non-​meat eaters (can’t bring my girlfriend here)? I realize this is almost everything you could put in an omelet, but a real omelet station has more, like HAM!!!
They also had made to order mini belgian waffles, which were fine, and a carving station with roast beef and roast turkey, neither of which were very good. Dried out and tough. The hot plates included scrambled eggs (dried out), bacon and sausage, french toast sticks (yes, like the kind you’d get at burger king), pre-​made biscuits and gravy (i.e., gravy already on the biscuit, not biscuit with a tureen of gravy on the side), and eggs benedict. There was some stir fry options, 1 seafood option that I saw, but maybe I missed one, not including the cold shrimp, some cheese and meats, and some croissants with salmon. Dessert-​wise, there were some cinnamon rolls, cookies, and a few unidentifiable desserts. I’m sure I am leaving stuff out, but it doesn’t matter.
I was here at 10:30, maybe 11:00. Right after they started. There was no excuse for dried out scrambled eggs and dried out meats on the cutting board. And french toast sticks? Really? That’s the best you can do?
Even still, I would have at least gone to 3 stars if the food was worth eating, but it just wasn’t. There was nothing I ate that made me happy to have spent my brunch here. It was either dried out, or bland, or dried out and bland.
If you don’t know the area well, there is another restaurant in Oldsmar called Cityfish. They do a brunch buffet that is excellent. At least double or triple the choices, most of it tasty and high quality, with an all you can drink mimosa bar. It’s more expensive, but not by much (maybe $ 5-​$ 10 more) and much more worth your time.
If I lived in the area, I would probably come back for dinner based on the reviews of other Elite’s, so by all means, come to Salt Rock and enjoy a lunch or dinner. Do not avoid Salt Rock based on my review. I just can’t recommend it for brunch.

This place was awful! The food was so gross and everything was made with sugar. They use «coca» buns made of sugar. Their drinks were poorly made not even garnished correctly.
The grouper may have been decent dice it’s the only thing freshly caught.
*Dont get soft shell crab
*Dont get Rotisserie Pulled Chicken

Although not too far from home, I had never tried this place. It is quite nice and we will be back.
Salt Rock has a nice atmosphere — upscale, but fun and comfortable. There is an extensive selection of beer, wine and craft cocktails at reasonable prices.
The menu is interesting, and all of the selections we saw in our group were creative, high quality, and presented very nicely. We had a great evening with friends.
If you sit in a booth, there is a TV in each booth, which is nice for Saturday nights when you might want to keep an eye on a college game. ;)

I need to start off by saying… I struggle to give poor ratings but have to be honest.
I believe this place deserves a 2.5 ratings. Why… well, let me start. When we arrived we stood there for a few minutes… not being greeted by anyone. We finally decided to just sit at the bar. The bartender was very nice. We decided on two apps, a salad and a burger. When the apps came out they just didn’t look appealing. The rockin shrimp were anything but rockin. Actually, the shrimp were rubber and the batter was burnt. The staff was kind to amend the order and re-​fry up a new batch. Unfortunately, the shrimp were just a rubbery. I didn’t have the heart to tell the staff. Moving on to the 2^nd app— the only good thing I can say… the small piece of pork belly was tasty. As for the rest, not so good. The fried tomato lacked flavor and the pimento cheese spread was overpowering.
Moving onto my salad— I ordered it with dressing on side. It came out fully dressed. The staff was very nice to make me a new one. And last, the burger… we ordered it medium rare and it came out well done. The piece of steak on top was chewy… and my friend had to ask for the cheese he requested and mayo. They literally brought out two slices of cheddar on a plate…
Needless to say, our experience was subpar! The staff was friendly to fix the issues and they took the shrimp off the bi. But in the end… we won’t be returning.

I came here with a friend for a late night dinner on a Monday night. She wanted to try it out as a friend of hers is a server here, so we knew we would get good service. We started off with the deviled eggs of the day. Apparently it’s one of their signature items and they have different styles of deviled eggs on the menu each day. On the day of our visit it was topped with candied bacon and jalapeño. Since both the server and manager were raving about them, I figured they were worth a try. They were just alright, but seemed like they had been in an overly cold refrigerator all day, as they literally had ice chips on top. They didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
From there we just decided to get a few more small bite items, but none of it was really worth writing home about. The experience ended up being average overall. I might try it again, but won’t be rushing back soon.

me and the misses were real excited to try this place as we heard that they served chargrilled oysters. after coming back from new orleans, we have been on a hunt for these little suckers and thought we had a spot. unfortunately their version didn’t come as close as we wanted. none the less they did have a lot of other cool looking things on the menu.
we decided to go tapas style and elected to order a whole bunch of the interesting appetizers vs the main dishes so we were able to get a good sample of many of the more interesting dishes. menu wise theres lots to try, and appeals to all types of hungry diners. with many cool and interesting things to try however the food just fell short. tastes were pretty bland and didnt live up to the expectations set forth by their menu descriptions.
the interior was nice and modern looking inside but just fell short of our taste buds that night. the interesting drinks they served up however were pretty good !

Goodness everything looks soo good… on paper. The descriptions of the items were droolworthy… when they were presented ‘meh’. Definitely disappointed. We did tapas style and ordered a whole bunch of apps. Prices were bad but food was just OK. I think the kitchen staff was paying around with each other because our burger took about an hour to come out to the table and when it did the whole bun was bloodsogged (i got medium rare burger) and the truffle fries were more dried out than crispy.
The waiter, I don’t think he ever told us his name, was very nice. Drinks are awesome here. I’d go back to grab a drink at the bar and eat the candied bacon… after I ate somewhere else…

My fiancé and I went to Salt Rock on a recommendation by family. We had a long over due date night and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is very nicely done, cozy for a date night but still family or friends out night kinda place to, .the food was delicious. The service was great and the prices are reasonable.
We will be going back again when we find the time.

First, let me start off with first impressions. The hostess greeted us and then proceeded to take us to the back of the restaurant, passing about 6 empty booths and tables. Now I understand why, so that all of the servers can get their share in the serving, this I learned later but as a patron of your establishment, this doesn’t mean anything to me. If I see empty tables sit me there.
The place is a cute little place and the ambiance is very grown and sexy. I think this will be a nice place to come for an adult evening out. There is an outside area with a bar that is nice. We sat inside and the booths are roomy and each booth against the walls have televisions in them which adds a nice touch.
Now to the food. We had the buffet brunch, and it was average. The selections were few but fitting for the audience, which was middle aged to older. There were eggs, an omelet and a waffle station, bacon, sausage, salmon, potatoes, and biscuits and gravy. They also had a warm lunch food station that had grouper in a red spicy sauce which was ok and beef tips with onions and red peppers. The beef was tough and lacked flavor. Then there was the raw bar which had oysters and peel and eat shrimp. I don’t eat oysters but the shrimp wasn’t cleaned and the cocktail sauce was spicy which made my nose flare up.
You get 2 drinks with the buffet which could be a mimosa, a screwdriver or a Bloody Mary. I had the mimosa and they were delicious.
My husband went to get waffles and the guy only made him one which was very small, and my husband is no little guy. He said the omelet was really good and they are made fresh which makes a huge difference. There is also a dessert bar, which has pudding shots, cookies, fresh made waffle bowls with all of the toppings and ice cream.
The staff is ok but nothing to ‘Yelp’ about they are very average. No one went out of their way to make any of the guest feel welcomed, from what I saw.
Overall, I would not recommend this place for their brunch but I would like to come back on another day to try their menu foods and check out the adult ambiance vibe. I give it 3 stars because in my opinion, the Hard Rock has a much better brunch buffet at a better cost, if you don’t mind the drive.

I’m so glad I finally got to eat here. Wow! I’ve been missing out. Being a craft beer drinker I never knew how close all these varieties were to my house till now. Their HH which is from 3 – 7 is a deal. $ 5 pub glasses? YES please! Wish I would’ve tried the HH apps. Definitely next time.
I was with two other girlfriends and we ordered dinner. I had the Crabcake sandwich. Delicious! My other friends ordered meatloaf and a burger. Both DEVOURED their food before I could finish mind and I was scarfing mine down.
Loved every bit of this dining experience!

While looking for a brunch to attend, I came across this one. It is by the same company that owns Island Way in Clearwater, so I didn’t think it could be too bad. It runs from 10 – 2 on Sundays and is $ 19.90, which is an easy price to swallow.
When we arrived, what used to be a Melting Pot is now a very open seating place, comfortable with plenty of tables. The food was laid out on different tables, and while the selections were decent, they were kind of picked over by the time we got there at 1pm. There were an assortment of breakfast foods: Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, blintzes and even hand made omelettes. There were stir fried items, beef and chicken and there were oysters and shrimp on ice.
The buffet also includes 2 drinks in the price, either a Mimosa, screwdriver or a do it yourself bloodymary. It’s a pretty good deal.

Salt Rock Tavern is a fun spot in Oldsmar for craft beers, handmade cocktails, and a nice mix of menu options from bar appetizers all the way up through full-​on dinner entrées.
Salt Rock Grill can be found along Tampa Road (Hillsborough Avenue extended) in the same shopping center (and directly across the driveway) from their sister restaurant, Rumba Island Grill. While Rumba promotes themselves as a playful Caribbean tiki bar, Salt Rock is a more elegant setting for steaks, chops, chicken, and seafood. Other members of this restaurant family include the Island Way Grill, and Salt Rock Grill, both closer to the beach.
Salt Rock Grill doesn’t open until 4pm for the dinner crowd, and they offer a very generous Happy Hour lasting until 7pm with some fantastic pricing on food and drinks. Many of the appetizers are priced at $ 5 during Happy Hour, which gives you lots of small plate options while you enjoy a drink, visit with your friends, or ponder your dining choices for later in the evening.
The menu contains a nice mix of grilled meats and seafood, along with some classic comfort food. You’ll see rotisserie chicken, ribeye steaks, and roasted pork loin, together with meatloaf, shrimp and grits, and chicken Cordon Bleu. They offer salmon, fresh-​caught Grouper (in season, of course), and some stir fry options. You can also choose, soups, salads, burgers, sammies, and flatbreads.
If you’re a regular diner at Salt Rock Grill then you might want to scope out their Tavern Favorites deal which gives you two full meals for $ 25. That includes a house salad, choice of entrées, and ends with your choice of a mini-​dessert.
I was there on a drizzly weekday night, and ducked inside in between the torrential downpours. To my delight I was there during Happy Hour and took advantage by ordering a dozen char-​grilled oysters and an ice-​cold beer — all for special pricing. SCORE! After slurping my way through the oysters I also ordered their shrimp and grits which turned out to be big, plump Gulf shrimp simmered in a spicy creole sauce, and served over creamy, smoked gouda Anson Mills grits. Very tasty, and definitely worth a try.
If your travels take you through Oldsmar on Tampa Road, then I think you’d enjoy Salt Rock Grill as a nice place to stop for Happy Hour or dinner. It’s classy, yet casual, and the food is delicious!