Jackson’s Bistro Bar & Sushi

Best service and ribeye ever!!!

Well, I still give them props for their food selection and service. However, they lost me when they decided to do away with their bottomless mimosas.
The stated reason when I spoke to the staff was liability issues due to people drinking too much. Really, so why does virtually every other restaurant that offers bottomless mimosa not seem to have that problem.

The waterfront views are why you come here. This is an upscale Bistro with beautiful décor and we experienced great service, granted it wasn’t crowded during the week at lunchtime.
Having been here once before for one of the best Unilocal events, I had tasted many of their menu items. I should have probably stuck with some of my faves from that tasting, but was in the mood for a lobster
roll. The Sammy, not the sushi.
As I had tried the lobster Mac n cheese at the event, I was anticipating a great lunch.
While the lobster was tasty, it was drenched in mayo, rendering it heavy and wouldn’t order it again. So this is where the elusive half star would be useful.
Hubby enjoyed his sushi but didn’t rave about it.

The view here is probably one of the best restaurant views in Tampa. The food was excellent too, but the service was some of the worst that I’ve ever had in my life.
Parking is underground and can be validated up to two hours if you’re dining. Pull into the Westin area and look to the left for the ramp to go down. I missed it the first time, so I called and asked about parking. The girl who answered the phone was completely unhelpful and not able to just say «pull into Westin and look down to your left».
When we finally made it, we went inside and told the hostess that we wanted to sit outside. She said to us «it’s first come, first served seating». So we sat down and waited and waited. I saw the waitress several times and she never acknowledged us. Thirty minutes later, I went back to the hostess stand and explained. She then said «oh, I thought that you wanted to sit by the bar». Ummmm, I didn’t say anything about the bar. Finally the same waitress that kept passing us up, took our drink order and it was literally another 15 minutes before she brought them back. We arrived there at 3:30 and it was 4:30 by the time our order was placed. At some point we were informed that the lunch options were limited, and bread wasn’t available until 5. Why in the world did they have the oils set up at each table at 3:30 if bread wasn’t available. I ordered chicken tenders and an order of fries as and specified as appetizers and told her I’d wait until 5 to order the lobster mac and cheese. Everything came out at once and I must say everything was excellent. The tenders looked burnt, but they didn’t taste like it. The portion of fries on the side was tiny. But come to find out, they came with the tenders. Because the menu didn’t indicate that fries came with the tenders, I thought I was ordering the appetizer sized fries. Did I mention that the lobster mac and cheese was awesome?! Literally the best I’ve ever eaten. I can now see myself ordering lobster mac and cheese wherever I see it offered, but none will ever compare.
A final mention was that someone, who appeared to be a manager of some sort dumped the water from the top of the umbrella at the table next to us. It literally ricocheted over my daughter. He never acknowledged it or apologized. His exact words were «it’s better to do that now, then it to happen later».
The food was good, but every encounter with a human being here was odd and nothing that it would find in a five star restaurant

Great waterfront view. With such a a great view does the food have to be good? Not really but. .. Let me be clear, this is not just a great view but REALLY good food as well!
Much different experience than in the past couple years ago.
Outside experience: Great outdoor bar with tables. Full service along with excellent view of Sail Pavilion, Convention Center, and a lot of action on the water with boats, paddle boards, bikes, Pirate Water Taxi and much more!
There are ceiling fans but if it is really warm out you may want to sit inside or in shade. The restaurant may also want to consider putting in small swamp coolers like they did at Columbia Café. This would cool it down a couple degrees outside, especially when they lower the shades when the brutal sun comes in.
Inside Dining: We sat at the bar and enjoyed friendly and attentive service.
How’s the food? Quite impressed! Sushi was great! Tasted fresh and the rolls were made with expertise. Good flavor and good ingredients. We had the lobster tempura roll and a couple other salmon rolls. Perfect bite outside on a hot day. We have also tried the wedge salad that I would highly recommend. Good amount of dressing and bacon. Other items we enjoy: Lobster Bisque and Crab Cake. We have had the Calamari and although it is good next time I will ask for sweet sauce on side. They mixed it together and it seemed a little much and way to sweet. So calamari at your own risk.
Good cocktails, nice wine and beer list.
Happy hour 4−7pm Monday-​Thursday and Fridays 4pm-​11pm.
Only drawback are the restrooms. They are relatively clean but every time I have been here they have always been a little messy. Paper towels and toilet paper on ground. I know it is difficult to keep clean with a large restaurant but I do often see staff taking breaks so maybe someone could check the bathroom every now and then. Just a thought. A clean bathroom is always a nice sign at a restaurant.
Grey experience overall and will be back against soon!

Kind of an odd experience at the outdoor bar. I couldn’t figure out if the bartender was intentionally being rude, or if that was just her demeanor. But regardless, if I have to sit there and try and figure it out, it’s a problem. We waited for quite a long time before we were acknowledged, and then a while longer before I drink scam. She also seemed irritated needing to run two credit cards for the three of us. Not sure why that was a problem when you’re sitting at a bar. Most of the time at bars people have individual or small groups for their checks. We did not order cheap entrees, so I’m not quite sure why I felt like an outsider. Maybe it was me, but there are plenty of empty seats at the bar, so it’s not like we were taking up space from other people who are waiting. Didn’t exactly make me feel excited to ever return…

Nice spot for lunch or dinner. They have a very wide variety of cuisines, so this is a great place to go with a group. I recommend the Half Moon roll as well as the calamari. Service is friendly. Tap list could use some work, but as long as Jai Alai is available I will not complain.

I really wanted to love this place because the view is A+. I was at the conference center and had a while before I needed to catch my flight back, so I did the short walk across the bridge to the restaurant that looked like it had killer views.
Killer views it had. Food to match, it did not.
To start, the menu is kind of awkward. Mini-​plates are mixed with entrees, so it was kind of hard to figure out exactly how to order enough. I ended up getting a sushi roll, wings, and the thai summer rolls.
The food was just OK. I tend to eat everything on my plate and I left some of each — nothing was more than average.
I see that they are a dance club; for that, I could see them being amazing. Huge space, great views, and a big bar. But for lunch, just pass.

This was my first time here. This place was amazing! We went for Mother’s Day I went on the waiting list about 3 weeks before and got a call the Wednesday before to confirm I was in! The price for that day was 36.99. There is parking below the restaurant it is way convenient. The restaurant validates 2 hours after that it’s a $ 1 for every 30 min. We got an outside table it was about 80 degrees out but it was not too hot. You are covered and there are fans. This place is huge there is so much seating. There was lots of people. The buffet section is a bit overwhelming. A suggestion is you should make a trip around or stalk people’s plates to make a decision on what you want to try. The plates weren’t washed great so look carefully. The food was good. There was so much to choose from. Tea water and coffee is included in the price. There is also a full bar. The view from the outdoor seating is amazing! It overlooks the channel. Everyone we encountered was very nice and helpful. I will definitely be making a trip back. It’s 4 and not 5 because the buffet section is in disarray, the dirty plates and the food wasn’t 5 star but still good.

Jackson’s Bistro Bar & Sushi is located on beautiful Harbor Island on the water near the Tampa Convention Center. This place has a huge outside area that is really great. There is sometimes live music as well with a huge bar.
My boyfriend and I have eaten there for regular lunch and I am now reviewing it after eating there for Sunday brunch. Prepare yourself for a delicious buffet style breakfast.
What they have:
An assortment of sushi and other seafoods.
French toast, pancakes, muffins, cinnamon doughnuts, cinnamon rolls and other bakery items
An assortment of antipastas (olives with feta) pasta salads, meats with mozzarella in a vinaigrette
Omelets, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs.
Bacon, sausage
Biscuits
And more…
The dessert round was also awesome because there was a chocolate fondue tower with marshmallows, strawberries, bananas and pineapples to dunk in the chocolate… need I say more.
Also more finger desserts and ice cream with toppings to choose from was available.
Definitely a great buffet for the price. just under $ 30 a person.
Service was good. a little slow towards the end but they were quite busy.
Overall a really elegant setting on the water. The majority of people there had their Sunday’s best on. dresses, skirts for women, nice pants and shirt for guys, although this wasn’t a requirement. I feel like this is a great family place, a great date spot, a great place for friends and a great place to take people coming from out of town. Really it is a great place for any and all occasions to enjoy with everyone.

I’ve had mixed feelings of my past experiences when I’ve been to Jacksons for both food and/​or the bar or club portion. My most recent visit this past weekend changed my outlook on the place and left me pleasantly surprised. I ventured in with a couple of friends on a Saturday night as we were looking for something to do in the area. We ended up at the outside bar where they had a group of various DJs spinning house music. Now this is my type of music and the crowd ended up getting larger as it turned out there was some sort of White Party going on this evening. Overall, the quality of the drinks and the music just got better as the hours went on and I was surprised to have enjoyed myself so much at this place based on my prior experiences.

This review is only about the gelato stand, «Fast Jack’s» where I stopped after dinner one night. It’s a cute stand on the street side of the restaurant that’s open til 10 pm. and I got delicious gelato (white chocolate and Nutella cheesecake!) in a small cup for $ 3.29. It was delicious! They also have smoothies, other beverages and coffee. Great for dessert while dining there, or after, to go, or for a quick stop. Very convenient!

Nicely located on Harborside: ask for exterior table on pleasant days.
Food and service good: I’d particularly commend the Main Lobster Roll (generously sized)

Nice bar and restaurant in premier location, directly on the water, with magnificent views of downtown Tampa across from convention center. Packed happy hour with nice mix of people, good drink specials till 7pm. Good food menu for noshing at the bar-​sushi is very good as well. Parking is underneath and they validate for the first 2 hours.
My only negative was the elevator to the garage, not sure if there was another, but shared with kitchen crew transporting racks of food between floors, seemed unsanitary and frankly they had work to be done and one was rather rude and tried to bully us in the elevator. This is the reason for my 3 stars.
The view, setting and happy hour very nice, although walking through the packed dining room to get to the rest room it appeared to be a mess inside. For that reason I’d recommend happy hour, no desire for dinner there (although great menu) and rude staff. Also cute separate gelato bar outside!

Sat at the bar, dining alone. Had the crab cake entrée. Mostly made with crab, not overpowered with fillers or seasonings, just lightly seared on the outside to a perfect crisp and full of fresh chunks of sweet crab.
Service was fast, staff was friendly. Looked like quite a long wait for a table during dinner time on a Thursday evening. Nice atmosphere, huge wine selection. slightly spendy but was worth every single dime.

This is our go to spot when we want to get dinner by boat. We live in Apollo Beach and Jacksons is a quick 25 mins at a comfortable speed.
The manager Michael, is easy to work with and more often than not he can accommodate my party of 2 – 10 in the outside patio bar where they have live music.
We pull our 32′ boat right up to the sea wall and tie off.
If you like light food and fresh veggies, the. You must try the Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Yummy!
We also like wine from bin 452. It’s an Italian Pinot Grigio and not too expensive. Bodega V? Something.
Sitting inside? Ask for Augusto. If you’re sitting in the patio bar then Ann Marie is the best.
Live music most nights until 8p and on Saturday they turn the entire outdoor patio bar into a dance club with live DJ. $ 20 cover charge for the club.

Well the restaurant interior was cool, the walk from the Westin hotel was short, the loud noises heard all night from Jackson’s sucked staying at the hotel next door.
However I read one reviewer telling me they could make accommodations for gluten-​free allergen patrons such as myself and didn’t want to pull the car out of the garage so decided to check out Jackson’s. Our waiter seemed informed, knowledgeable and up to speed on me explaining my allergy and offered choices and checked with the chef what was gluten free. The menu here is expansive and in dire need of a consolidated focused menu, the menu is an all around the world trip it seemed like with sushi, steaks, fusion foods, Italian, etc.
The Miso Soup was excellent and brothful as it’s hard to mess up miso, I also got the $ 14 Rum Rummer drink which could have been a bit stronger and served with a proper hurricane glass for the price. I told the chef I’ll try the short rib entrée and he told me he could do it gluten-​free and would be perfect, I asked him if it’s marinated with soy or anything and he seemed confused about «soy» containing gluten. However when my entrée arrived it was entirely covered in deep fried onion strings… So now my lady has her entrée I have to send mine back and explain this is wheat and I need it remade/​removed.
He quickly brings me back the same dish that is still covered in crumbs of wheat all over the short-​rib. they just removed all these onion strings while it was still covered in wheat. However I picked off most parts of it and continued to eat it which later proved horribly wrong as I was sick the rest of the next day. I’d figure for the price point this place could easily accommodate an allergy sufferer but to my demise they were not up to par. So be warned if you suffer from allergies, the waiter I encountered this night was off his game with a dead restaurant.

Convenient location walking distance from the convention hall.
Nice view, by the water, near the bridge, heaters outside if it’s cold.
Ok food, nothing special. Service good but young person not knowledgable. Excited their veggie burger was gluten free without the bun. It was just ok. Pricey for not much. $ 15
Wi fi password is their tele number. The server didn’t know that. This is a business area, you think he would.
Not happy that the chef does not read the box of what the ingredients are for their seasoned and battered French fries.
They have gluten, so beware.
Do not listen to their claims. No one bothers to go read the box, not even the manager.
Wish I would have asked him to put it in writing that it was gluten free.
It is not.
I got sick, I have an allergy, as I told them over 5 times when I questioned.
Not returning, convenient or not.

We had an event with a large party, therefore they had a set menu for us. The fig dressing that they served with the salad was awful. No one at my table liked it. The eggplant entrée that I decided on was pretty tasty. The chocolate cake was also good. The service was okay. They do valet the parking but only up to a certain amount — just a heads up.
I was disappointed that they are a sushi restaurant but the options on our set menu were steak, chicken and eggplant.

I know there have been recent management changes, but I am still not a fan. I have never found the sushi or the food to be very good here.
I was just recently here to do my due diligence for a birthday party. The bartenders were very friendly, and the bar is beautiful with a great view.
I had the Bonjour to drink which was made with Ciroc Vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liquer, and topped with champagne. This cocktail is like a dream for me, made with my three favorite ingredients. The Bonjour was very good and I could have several more if I had had the chance.
I ordered the Tuna Tataki, which was served with yuzu ponzu. It tasted ok and the ponzu was kind of blah. Not the best I have ever had.
After we were done pregaming, we moved to our VIP Cabana located on the Patio. The view was beautiful but I just found the rest of the ambiance to be obnoxious. Anytime our table would order a bottle, a server would walk up with a flashing light and hold the bottle in the air. The flashing light and whole show was a little too much for me and I was thankful I wasn’t an epileptic because there would have been seizures abound.
I am not a fan of the crowd here. This was my scene years ago, but not anymore. Would I come back? Probably not.
The restaurant is nice with a beautiful view. The patio is great place to have a cocktail. The service here is ok. If you aren’t into the club scene, I would stay away on Friday and Saturday nights. Also, keep in mind the bridge to Harbour Island is closed, so plan extra time to reroute your drive.