a cockroach crawled on our table. wasn't the best experience but also wasn't the worst. :/ I wish I took a picture of it but was distraught

I went on a Tuuuesday evening, and overall everything was as I expected. it was busy until about 8 and then died down. Food: all really authentic and good. I had the 18oz ribeye which didn't look like an 18oz and I'd give it 3.5/5, especially for the $. Also, I tried their la bestia pizza 4.5/5 (app size) and pomordoro pasta 4/5 (small size means a scoop of pasta), and deserts: zeppole & bedino.. both 4/5 (essentially choc pudding with mini donuts and vanilla pudding with a couple small sugar cookies in a way) Service: 5/5, they were very personal and attentive even during peak time. Adrienne is awesome! Atmosphere/Venue: 5/5, restaurant itself was very modern yet old school western like. Valet was great (even though I'd rather it was Safeway) - free, just tip atleast a few bucks! Dress to impress with the other fancies in the restaurant.. jeans and a nice! tshirt minimum.. I would rate at a 4.5/5, but giving it a 5 to bring up the overall rating for all the lazy people that won't post good ratings.. read more

Came here for brunch on Sunday, we were seated right away. Our server was excellent and made sure we had everything we needed. I had the smoked salmon eggs Benedict with cheese grits and they were awesome. Definitely will come back. read more

Ava - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The menu looks delicious. It is The now more common pizza place not rooted in old school Chicago or New York style. Smaller size with options for a bigger pie. Crust is medium thick not doughy. Ingredients are scattered in larger chunks rather than smaller throughout. Basically meaning that when you order the sausage pizza, one will not get a sausage in every bite. On our visit we had an epic fail. Isn't phrased Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper a staple for any restaurant serving pizza? They were out of both and looked at me dumbfounded, like asking me to deal with it. Send someone to the store and buy some. How long does that take. Offer me a $2.00 discount coupon for a return visit. Step up and meet the challenge. Customer service is king. I wish I had known before ordering. With so many other choices at Armature Works, I would have opted to eat elsewhere. read more

Yesterday we were celebrating a birthday and decided to try out Avas. The food was absolutely wonderful, but the service was horrid. We understand that during busy hours service may not be as adequate as possible, but the restaurant was completely empty. Our waitress, Olivia, was inattentive, bored, and took at least 30 minutes to take our order. She did not once check in on how our food was, or ask us about refills on any of our drinks. We had to get out of our seats to ask for our refills. She was apathetic, didn't Introduce herself, nor did she act as if she had any Interest in us. Possibly she was having a bad day, but the service was so sub par that we don't want to return. The 20% tip was already included, but that shouldn't give a server an audacity to offer poor service like that. Also when paying in cash, they apparently "round up" your bill and do not offer change, which wasn't mentioned anywhere. We've never had to write a review, but we were so disappointed and repulsed with the service especially since it was a birthday! We're only giving 2 stars because of the food. read more

I wanted to try this place for a while and all I can say is that it was worth it. Had the meat and cheese apetizer with freshly made bread, the meatballs where delicious and the fresh pasta. I can't wait to go back and try the pizza. The staff was great from the valet parking to the waiter. We got seated in this separate room like a party room with a nice decor that made me feel like if I was inside a cellar. Well done! read more

We had dinner at Ava a couple of weeks ago. When the credit card bill came, SOMEBODY added on an extra $10 to the tip. We have called twice and left a message for the manager but no return call. Very disappointing because we really like the food. read more

Just OK nothing special. Very noisy. Waiters seemed more interested in the younger crowd than we senior citizens. read more

My first time in Florida and had the best experience! Calyn was my server and she so sweet, spunky and full of zest for life! The food was great (had breakfast pizza) She's amazing. Super friendly and attentive. read more

Had a delicious pasta dish earlier today. Homemade pasta with pomodoro and basil. Decent size! I thought it would be smaller ($14) my boyfriend was not a fan of his toast beef sandwich- it was rather dry and on hard chibatta bread which wasn't a great combination. ($11) Our waiter was great but the hostess was very unfriendly and scoffed at us for not having a lunch reservation on a not so busy Friday afternoon. Lunch you can dress casual but you can tell people there are dressing to impress. The bread before our meals was delicious and cost $3. There is complimentary valet parking. read more

I'd give the place a 5 if they put more cheese on my margherita pizza. Dough is delicious, just slumped on the cheese.

This place blew me away! The food and service were magnificent and the ambiance was excellent. We would definitely go again. From appetizers to dessert, everything was wonderful! I recommend this restaurant to all. Foodies, wine lovers, this place has it all! read more

I wish we could give half stars, I'd give it a 2.5. I've heard mixed reviews, but my friends said the mussels and meatballs were great. We ordered mussels and they were overcooked and over seasoned. Even the garlic bread smelled like burnt smoke. The pizza was fine, nothing to write home about. The bar and the drinks were great. If I returned, it would only be for drinks and the charcuterie platter. read more

LOVE this place! I always bring friends and visitors here. The pizzas are amazing! The margarita and kale are my favorites! The kale gets nice and crispy on top and all are thin and delish! I have had the octopus salad for lunch and the dinner app and they are both amazing , its gilled too so healthy :) Our table got the bone marrow and loved it and the pork belly as an app as well. The drinks are always great and the staff is very friendly and on point. The sirloin is a huge portion. i don't have anything bad to say about this place and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great meal with a fab atmosphere!! read more

Stopped in for a quick drink while waiting for a reservation down the street. Hosts and everyone were super friendly and attentive for a Friday night. Stephanie was so sweet and got our drinks quick knowing we were only here for a minute. Highly recommend for drinks and apps!! read more

Jordan was such an amazing waiter! He made sure we all had a great time and we really enjoyed the day here!! Will definitely come again.

Nice atmosphere, but the food could be better. The portions are relatively small but tasty. They're in a cool part of South Tampa. We need more resraurants like that in the Bay area. read more

Arrived for a nice meal with our mom and was completely disappointed in all aspects. Service seemed annoyed when we arrived around 8:30 pm. Waiting staff was far from exceptional. "We have a house blend but wouldn't recommend it, but we have a cheaper one if that's what your going for"---nope not going for the cheaper wine lol just was asking for a good recommendation?! Then asked what the noodle choices were and we received an eye roll and one response "S" noodle---wtf does that even mean lol! Ordered chicken parm and a ragu- both meals seemed to come out cold and tasted like straight kerosene. I know they use wood burning fire but the taste was unreal and didn't seem healthy. We asked the waitress what the flavor of straight charcoal was and she just said it shouldn't taste like that but gave no resolution. We sat next to their open kitchen and the whole meal the chefs were messing around throwing out the word "fuck" and repeating "vamenos get the fuck out of here". It became so awkward with our mom there, we ended up asking if they wanted us to leave lol! Again, no apologies from the serving staff for the awkward situation. Just had to finish our meal and pay $150 (don't forget the cheaper wine we had too ;) ) for the most awkward experience and charcoal tasting food. Very unfortunate and will not be recommending this restaurant to out of town guest, clients or friends. Pretty embarrassing how poor the whole experience was. read more

Incredible food! Incredible service! Incredible bartender! I ordered a pizza, which was delicious and bigger than expected. I couldn't finish it. The bartender made drinks using a piece of wood that he smoked with fire and then fills the glass with smoke. The atmosphere was relaxing, and the music playing matched. Trendy spot. Perfect for a date. read more

Ava - Bar - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

A friend and I decided to roam around the south tampa area for drinks for a casual evening, and checked out AVA great corner spot located on South howard ave across from 717 South same owners. The drink choices from the bar are amazing they do things a little more unique here then you would get from your casual upscale bar. The bartender DANI shoutout to her. amazing drink she made unique to the flavor palate i was looking for. The options they had there you don't find often. its a Amazing trendy open atmosphere semi loud but it had a open concept feel and you can see everything going on where they prepare the meals its very nice and i will return. read more

Went for brunch today. Sat outside. Our table got bottomless mimosas, salmon Benedict, Bloody Mary w blue cheese stuffed olives, etc. Everything was so good. Service was great! Our server was so personable and attentive. I've had a couple bad experiences at other restaurants lately so today was a breathe of fresh air. Highly recommend. read more

Pretty bad wood fired pizza. We ordered the margarita and added sausage. It wasn't quite done because the cheese wasn't melted. It took forever to chew since the dough wasn't quite done either. I'll stick with my favorite spot in Dallas read more

Ready great reviews for pizza a couple years ago and was underwhelmed we we tried it out. We go to a lot of restaurants and are fortunate to have so many options to chose from. Decided to go back on Sat. night to give it another try, had margarita pizza as an appetizer and it was still bland. Salad was decent. Spaghetti Parm and other dinner with macaroni with vegetables were unseasoned and were bland as well. Prices were on the high side for what you got. Much better quality options available down the street. Service was OK but nothing special. This one is off our list. read more

When picking a dinner spot for a night out with friends, I suggested Ava since my previous 2 visits were fantastic...and of course, once again, I was not disappointed. The service is great and the atmosphere is unique and elegant. But most importantly, the food is delicious! Tonight, I had the grilled swordfish, and it was excellent. The salads are fresh and tasty, and the Salumi appetizer had a variety of interesting cheese selections and spreads our whole group enjoyed! The Cavatelli al Ragu was also very delicious. Plus, it was fun dining in the private room in the back of the restaurant-very cool and great for our group night out! I am always looking for unique dining experiences in Tampa where I can take my out of town friends, and Ava is an excellent choice! read more

I enjoyed the outside seating and the waitress was nice, but overall it was overpriced and the food just wasn't that good. The portion sizes were a little small and for the most part the food was under seasoned. I will say I liked the shrimp scampi appetizer. The spaghetti and meatballs lacked seasoning. It tasted straight out of the can and like there was no herbs no salt no nothing and they're were only 2 small meatballs. The rabbit gnocchi was a little bit better but was still bland and not good. The drink I got tasted great (I think it was something with fruit vodka and soda water) but it was weak. I asked for an extra shot of vodka on the side and they charged me $9 for it. Overall was it terrible? No. But ridiculous price for what it's worth. For a dinner for 2 we ended up paying around 130. Wouldn't recommend read more

We had high expectations given the other claims and reviews for this restaurant and its owners. The grilled vegetable appetizer was great,possibly the best we have had. However, the service level started to slide after that along with our entrees. We ordered the mushroom pizza it came out soggy not crisp as we asked for. My order of the chicken Parmesan was disappointing. It tasted about as good as something you would get at Perkins. For this level of hype and at this price point,you expect quite a bit more. The wine was warm and so was the water. If you want ice you have to ask for it. We ordered bread and it came after we finished our entrees. The atmosphere was very nice and welcoming. Service was average at best. read more

Lol please. Go to the Olive Garden. We had a party of 8 and they didn't have enough cups for water, the food came out ten minutes apart and the food was bland. My Moscow Mule was 12$ and tasted like a lemonade with vodka. Seriously people, don't do it. Please. read more

The food is excellent (excellent!), the service top notch, and the decor is just beautiful. The atmosphere is laid back and comfortable, but still sophisticated enough to feel like a special night out. The bar section is spacious enough for a group without feeling too crowded. Even the bathrooms are pretty! Great variety of menu choices - in my opinion there is something for everyone. So far my favorite are the mussels and the meat board. Overall, a great restaurant! read more

Very unique menu with baby portions... but it was tasty! I went for something new and completely different when I ordered the Bucatini alla Vaccinara- oxtail pasta. The pasta was homemade and the oxtail melted in my mouth... but the portion size was very very small for a $20 plate. Other portions at our table were slightly larger but overall, everyone in the party was still hungry after a split appetizer and their main course. If you love fresh Italian food, this place is worth checking out. read more

Yummy and differnt cocktails and great pizzas. Prices are a little high so make sure your wallet is full!

So tonight was my first time dinning at this establishment. There is a free parking garage or complimentary valet, which is great for a South Tampa restaurant to offer. I went here for dinner tonight with my boyfriend's mom and our server was amazing. The space was amazing. What was not amazing...the FOOD! I ordered the chicken parm and she had their Cavatelli al Raga pasta dish. My chicken parm was so dry and there was barely any sauce for the spaghetti. Her pasta dish was so bland that our server had to bring over salt and pepper as well as other spices in little bowls to our table. Not only did the food really stink when we asked for more flavor to be added we had to add the spices ourselves... Also, we had to use the same silverware for our bruschetta appetizer with out entrées. Talk about not caring about mixing flavors or just having normal dining etiquette. Most importantly when a bill comes to over $100 dollars for just two glasses of wine with mediocre food you most especially don't except to have to fix the food yourself. I will definitely not be coming back and I will definitely not recommend this place. This is not an Italian Restaurant...this is an worse fake Italian's version of Olive Garden.... read more

I like the place food servers buttttt pizza it's over cooked burn to say it right. Looks like they don't know how to use the Italian brick oven because waitress told me That's the way it is .. excuse me! I know what Italian oven pizza looks! .. I asked for mushrooms and onions and let me tell you those ingredients were totally incinerated. I recommend the place of course no pizza read more

Me & my girlfriend went here because it was on the 'Top 50 Restaurants in Tampa Bay' and it definitely didn't disappoint. We didn't have a reservation but the host said seating at the 'pizza bar' was first come first serve and it was a great spot! We had two signature drink which were great and had tomato mozzarella salad for an app. We HAD to order a pizza because that's what their known for and opted for their take on a margarita pizza. It was delicious the only thing we didn't like is that they don't slice it for you unless you ask. I would definitely go back and bring my other friends out to try Joe Madden's baby! read more

Let me start by saying that I never leave reviews but would be remiss if I did not leave one for this establishment. I have traveled the continental United States of America, including the Dakotas, and I have never been to a worse red lobster in my entire life. First, let me start by stating that there was not one lobster or cheese biscuits. B, the atmosphere was very quaint but was lacking the standard nautical theme that I have become accustomed to after decades of service to Mr. Lobsters brand. I will admit that my omelet was tasty (especially considering that I was not even aware that The Lobster severed breakfast) and I would rate their egg dishes a solid 7.85 but the 2 hour time limit on bottomless mimosas made me feel as though I was back in communist Russia. Furthermore, after a mere hour and a half, the treat of a waitress, Casey, approached our table and informed us that our 2 hours of bottomless had come to an end. My children had never been disappointed to such a degree. Overall , this is the worst red lobster I have ever visited and I will not be returning :( read more

What a great restaurant. I had the filet with gnocchi and it was delicious. My kids each had a wood fire pizza and they were happy. Make sure to save room for the desserts, the zeppoles did not disappoint! read more

Brunch review!! the food was good but but nothing spectacular. I had the shrimp and grits, it was a good choice, very flavorful. It left me craving something sweet so I got their lemon tart which was perfect. Nice creamy consistency, crumbly crust, and served with blue berries. Friends tried the tiramisu French toast and the biscuits and gravy. I sampled both and liked them okay. The French toast was a little dry and needed a lot of syrup. The server was not super attentive, my friend ordered a side of bacon and it was forgotten. We had to wait for someone to come back by to remind them about it but they took it off the ticket without us asking, so I appreciate that. MVP goes to the bottomless mimosa. It's only $15 for 2 hours and you can choose different flavors. I can usually go hard on bottomless at brunch but 1.5 did it for me this time. Overall good experience if you are looking for a nice, simple brunch. read more

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My husband & I have very little time together- busy jobs, lots of responsibilities- so when we get an opportunity to go to a nice dinner we want to ENJOY it. We had a near perfect experience at Ava. The food was rustic & flavorful. The chicken liver appetizer took us right back to Tuscany. I had the lamb shank (a personal fave!) and Jon had the grouper. Both were well cooked, not overly seasoned and deftly plated. Dessert was the (excuse the pun!) icing on the cake. The zepolis & the pudino were both stellar & really fun to share. Though you might not want to. Our server, Richard, was appropriately attentive & genuinely kind as were all the staff we encountered. We truly had a great experience. Cannot wait to return. read more

Service was sub par . Food tasteless. Overpriced. We had a group of 8 as a reservation. The service was slow. Meals came out at different times..my co workers fish was inedible due to the amount of bones. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

This place is in a perfect location. If you're in south Tampa you've gotta try it. I sat at the bar on a Wednesday evening. The bartenders were super friendly and wasted no time getting me a menu, helping me order, and getting a drink. I ordered 3 small plates and all were mind blowing. Roasted vegetables, FRIED KALE (), and meatballs. Can't go wrong. Oh and the food came out in less than 10 minutes. Amazing experience will definitely be back. read more

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In Tampa for a business trip and decided to check it out. I sat at the pizza bar and ended up talking with the executive chef, Josh, for the entire meal. He was awesome and we had a lively conversation throughout my meal. He talked to me all about their house cured meats and their home made bread. His passion for the food showed not only through the conversation but also the food. I would strongly recommend Ava to anyone that has a passion for quality food and drink. read more

Ava - House cured meats! - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida