Man man man!!!! This place is a double threat. If the food doesn't absolutely blow your mind, I recommend a triple tail with a mushroom risotto, then the bartender Roy will keep you happy. I am not from Florida but I make it a point no matter what Florida city I visit to get back to Chef Rolf's! Roy the bartender makes the best old fashioned and will pair a drink with your food easy. He is a great conversation and I will continue to come back just for him! The food is outstanding! Best risotto I've ever had. Best scallops I ever had. I'm from San Diego so I've had great sea food, but this place blows any seafood I San diego out the water. 5 for atmosphere, 5 for food, 5 for bar if Roy is working. read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - Scallops with mushroom risotto. - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

OK, it's not your normal review so your experience may vary. We organized a birthday party for a 94 year old relative and her friends. Erna watches Chef Rolf on TV and only wanted to go there for her birthday - no compromise and who am I to argue? We had a total of 8 people and Chef Rolf and his staff gave us all the Royal treatment. There was a lot of "I don't like that", "can I substitute mash potatoes"? Our sever was fantastic and accommodated us with a smile. The prices are a bit high but this seems to be the trend lately in this area and help is not easy to find. Overall, the birthday party was a success! read more

Stayed at the hotel for 10 days, every meal (including three catered breakfasts and a dinner for 70 people) was delicious. Every individual me I ordered was fantastic, good portions, and prepared well. I saw several reviews complaining about service, but that hasn't been my experience at all. Everyone was friendly and, yes, they probably wouldn't fit in at some snooty "fine dining" restaurant, but consider what are you coming for. Local character, authentically good food, and super relaxed atmosphere. I'll be back personally and will continue to bring groups here as well, no complaints just thanks! read more

Food was good service is HORRIBLE. Added extra food on our bill. Watered down drinks. The manager kicked a bird that was by the pool.

We were so disappointed in this restaurant. It looked great on line but don't be fooled. We opted to eat inside since it was extremely hot this day. Service couldn't be worse. The person that waited on us was not trained properly. I believe he/she was having trouble entering our meals into the computer. I have worked in restaurants all my adult life and I know the helpless feeling you get when you're unable to enter your customers meals. I felt badly for him/her but we were hungry and looking forward to these meals. We also had an appointment at 7 pm but the meals took so long to arrive that we missed it. There was a young man that was very helpful to us and we actually looked for him to give him a nice tip but we're unable to find him. If it hadn't been for him , we would have never gotten bread, extra au jus, etc etc. Bottom line..TRAIN YOUR PEOPLE BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON THE FLOOR. This was a terrible dining experience. read more

Soup of the day was Chicken Noodle. It was overly salty. The salt was over powering. The salad was very good the Sunset Special was ok only two pieces of asparagus. White rice with no sauce. There was six in our party. There had the soup and told waitress is was way too salty . Wife's prime rib was over cooked and fatty as it seemed to be sitting there for awhile. The six of us decided next week to try someplace else. Staff was fine but I'm not paying for the staff but for the food. What a shame as Chef Rolf had a great restaurant in Salty Water Cafe. This was a disappointment read more

I am just getting around to reviewing Chef Rolfes Florida Kitchen on Christmas Day. I have been here many times and have had outstanding food especially the pizza. The buffet at Christmas was a true disaster. I brought a large group of 14 and everyone was so disappointed especially since the price was over $30.00 not including dessert or prime rib. The lamb was horrible, dry and tasteless. Bread was almost frozen... we expected fresh.sides were underwhelming and mostly cold. The presentation was worse than any cafeteria line. My only suggestion to Chef Rolfe would be NEVER do a buffet ever again. Stick to what you do best and shine! read more

This is a hidden gem! The food is amazing! I stayed at the hotel for a week and ate beers every night. I highly recommend the scallops and the she-crab soup. The grouper sandwich is one of the best I've ever had! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - She-Crab soup - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

No coke, not all beer on menu is available, dinner lukewarm and presentation leaves alot. Piano Music was not necessary and lightning was sparse The food did have a good taste and the portion was large. read more

Nothing fancy, but the food is excellent and the service is top notch! It's inside the Casey Key Resort, Mainland. There was live music on Friday night (outdoors), people were having sun and dancing. Loved it! Our server, Brendan was very attentive. Had a great time! Highly recommend. read more

Christmas lunch/ dinner. Great menu today and everyday. Many options. Even vegetarian and gluten free options. Nice place. Service was good at first but then I had to go ask for our waitress because we sat there for awhile with no drinks and no one helping us. Little more costly then I usually go too...worth it???touch to say because there are SO many amazing restaurants out there equally as expensive but several fair less expensive....maybe for a special occasion but no place I'd go regularly....the bread was too crusty for my liking. The olive oil and balsamic was wonderful, loved the balsamic!!! LOVED! I had the peppermint gelato which was nice but nothing extraordinary . Sea bass dinner was good but also not amazing. The cauliflower on the dish was very tasty but hey it's cauliflower... certainly not worth the $42+- for the dinner just for good cauliflower. read more

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My wife and I had a wonderful experience last night. The staff greeting and smiles kicked off the evening. The house salad is the best I have enjoyed for many years. I had the flounder and shrimp and my wife had a deluxe chicken sandwich. Both of us commented on how fresh everything was. We could taste freshness in everything we bit into. The atmosphere was superb, with white linens, but could be enjoyed in casual attire. You all rocked! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will be back! read more

First time here (lunch), and thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. Our server Chris was the best. Don't know the label, but house wines were -$4 during happy hour. The NE Clam Chowder was pretty good, but honestly, we've had better. It was full of decent chunks of clams, but lacked a bit of flavor. We both had grouper sandwiches, and Chris kindly changed out FF for grilled Cauliflower for a slight upcharge. We did get the Gelato afterwards (Salted Caramel and Mixed Berry). Do not pass this up, well worth it. Ambiance is very pleasant, with white table cloths, beautifully framed (huge) photographs of their entrees on the walls. Restrooms were very clean, and there was ample free parking. Chef Rolf greeted us on our way out to check if everything was to our expectation. We'd definitely go back and try something else off the menu just to experience another dining treat. read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - Grouper Sandwich with Slaw & FF $16 - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

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Had Easter Brunch there - very disappointing. Over priced for limited selection buffet. No dessert and drinks (coffee, tea,etc.) not included. The food was very disappointing. Atmosphere was also disappointing. Will not be returning read more

Read this review: We are regulars of the neighbor business (who will remain nameless) to this place with the great happy hour and delicious burger. We happen to come across the menu online and said, "what the heck, lets give it a try"...well try and try and try we did. First, if you have kids - go here! Not garbage chicken, but white meat morsels! Chicken fingers are delicious and huge portions! Next up - flat bread. Olive oil drizzle with balsamic sweetness, fresh cherry tomatoes - let's keep going. Grouper sandwich - flaky crust, seasoned delicately and brioche bun make this fish sandwich one of the top in the area. Last, but not surely least - the BURGER. Punch me in the face good. Lightly touched with an amazing condiment and gooey brie made this "dessert" a delight! Amazing pricing, amazing food and amazing service. As Tom Brady would say, "let's go" and we shall again and again. Great job! If the owner reads this review which I hope they do... great service and great chef. Bravo! read more

One of our favorite restaurants here in Sarasota. A chef prepared meal right in front of you. The food is outstanding and one of a kind. HIGHLY recommend read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - Ceviche - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

We went to Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen last night and didn't stay! When we walked in there was no one...no one...in the restaurant, except for a cook in the kitchen. The tables were bare. No tablecloths, silverware, glasses, nothing! It looked as if we walked into a school cafeteria. There was a leak in the roof, probably not great since we're expecting a hurricane to hit in one day. There were no waitstaff or hostess. We waited for a few minutes and then decided we would probably not be happy if we stayed. It's hard to imagine how you can serve fresh food if there is no one to buy it. read more

We had a truly amazing lunch here. Everything was so fresh and delicious! I had the triple tail sandwich and my daughter had a gourmet burger. Excellent upscale restaurant, great service with such fresh food. Support local small business owners and skip the chains! Chef Rolf's is a great place to visit! read more

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Terrible food at high prices. We waited awhile before trying his new restaurant. We weren't fans of his other restaurant and will not be returning to this one. read more

Bad new years eve experience. Ordered a specialty drink off their menu, tasted terrible. Sent it back and asked for an old fashion. Terrible again. It was clear the bartender didn't know how to make drinks. For $12 I'd expect the bartender to be better. After 25 minutes we were told the appetizer was on its way. Never was. Came out with our dinner, which arrived after about an hour. Maybe it only bothered me, but they had a bright orange extension cord running to the piano through the dining area. Instead, of tape or proper protection, there was a chair on top of it so people wouldn't trip. There is no attention to detail at this restaurant unfortunately. The interior of the restaurant looked old and tired. Postive note: the waitress was very nice and wanted to make things right. But she was set up to fail. She had no chance. Food was mediocre at best. Oh, and almost all the new years eve specials were already on the original menu......... Very high prices for a poor experience. read more

I heard that the hotel was under new management and decided to try the food (there was an event on the pool deck area with about 200 people), drinks at the Tiki bar (3 bartenders were slinging drinks) and I did a bit of socializing. It was a fun evening by the pool, the food was okay and the drinks were doubles (a bit spendy at $28 each pour). Not a place I would personally find myself coming again. read more

Chef Rolf's is one of our favorites! This dinner was to celebrate a birthday. We started out with the escargot, which is the best we have ever had. My husband commented that it was better than what we had in Paris. The birthday boy had the surf and turf, NY strip and lobster tail with Mac &cheese. He ate every bite! My Triple Tail topped with shrimp scampi was amazing. You must try the Chef's special apple dessert, delicious! Our waiter Brent was fantastic. He took very good care of us. I love this restaurant, coastal upscale but not pretentious, great service, and delicious food. read more

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I can't get over how GREAT this restaurant is. We just learned that before 6 pm they have a 3 course meal for 20.00. But my favorite is for sure their SUNDAY brunch that have piano music to accompany your meal. read more

We asked the hostess how long the wait would be for a table, she said it would be 10 minutes, that wasn't an issue, we actually 30 minutes and the hostess was no where to be found, my boyfriend and I got a drink from the bar, my parents were also waiting with us too, the bartender approached us, asked us what we needed, my mom asked her when would be seated, the bartender said I'm only in charge of making drinks, and then started yelling, and my mom says ok, we're leaving then bartender says ok bye. We will not be back. The bartender is extremely rude and unprofessional. read more

While visiting Sarasota from New York I always like to try new restaurants , this one was recommended by my cousin and I'm so happy she did. Chef Rolfs is definitely one of the best restaurants I've dined at in the Sarasota area and we dine out a lot!! definitely a top choice for my return visits and especially upon completion of our new home here in Sarasota, this will be a regular for us. Two of us had the halibut special it truly was amazing the flavor was delicious and it was placed on top of ravioli, and my cousin had the scallops over risotto, fresh and prepared to perfection, I highly recommend dining here , we also enjoyed live piano music and Chef Rolf even came out to visit and introduce himself, great evening. read more

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My wife and I went to Chef Rolf's on Valentine's Day. So I'll give them a pass on the almost 30 minutes we waited to get waited on. They were busy and short staffed. We waited several minutes to get our drinks. Had to ask for bread and water. Our waiter was very polite and doing his best. We ordered dinner and the wait time to be served was much quicker than we were expecting. Food arrived and was very tasty. I ordered the flounder and shrimp combo which was on the special menu menu for Valentines Day. Though tasty, the portion size might have been big enough for my 9 y.o. granddaughter. Three(3) small shrimp, two(2) spears of asparagus, a couple of tbsps of rice and a piece of Flounder that was 1/4 inch thick and was no bigger than my mini cellphone. If you're into tasty and small portions, then absolutely go give the place a try. If you like value for your buck, then go somewhere else. I'll not be returning. read more

The seafood is to die for. Great happy hour and the service is served with a smile. They have two 1lb lobsters for $30.00 and they are delicious. read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

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3 Years ! 3 Years open and we tried this joint today for the 1st time... Man , we missed a lot of good meals I guess... I got nothing but love for this upscale " Diner" after our 1st visit... An incredible meal featuring the Bacon Pizza , Mussels with Garlic Bread and a delectable piece of Black Forest cake baked by the Chef himself...Just let me go back to the Pizza for a sec to tell you : DON'T MISS IT !! read more

Over priced with bad service. 45 min before we got our drinks. Food came out luke warm. Had to go to the bar to get a second drink. Will never go there again. read more

I had the Blackened Grouper Sandwich. It's FANTASTIC. The Grouper was cooked perfectly. The Brioche Bun seemed to be straight from the oven. Best Grouper sandwich I have had in along time. We had the Fried Apple for dessert. OMG. Even if you don't like Apples. Do not leave without having the Fried Apple. Our server Barry was great as well. Very attentive and pleasant. Great dining experience. read more

We had dinner with friends tonight. Our first visit. Everyone's meal was so delicious and our waiter was excellent. The menu has a wonderful variety and we all want to go back to try other dishes. Highly recommend!!! read more

The food excellent. The service excellent. The ventilation terrible. Excellent overall experience but be prepared to leave smelling like the kitchen grease. Whatever they are cooking your going to smell it when you leave. Very disappointing for such a awesome menu & staff.. read more

I wanted to love the place, the prix fixe menu seemed attractive. Our waitress was pleasant, drinks were OK. But, it seemed like every dish arrived a few minutes after it should have. If you're having what is basically grouper 'fish and chips' the fries ought to be hot out of the fryer, and the fish shouldn't be greasy, as if it was fried 20 minutes ago. It wasn't crowded, when the food is ready it should be served right away. The ice cream and apples had the ice cream in a little teacup; well maybe it was ice cream when it was scooped out, but it had mostly melted when it arrived. Maybe it takes a while for a new place to get it all together, let's see what happens. read more

This place is Amazing! My burger was cooked perfectly! What a great little find in Sarasota! All of the food looks great and boy do they have a selection of food! I highly recommend trying Chef Rolf's! read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - I had this burger and it was amazing! Whatever sauce they put on it must be magical! It was by far the best burger I have ever had! - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

Quirky atmosphere- great food, generous portions and attentive waitstaff and chef! Great find.

We had our local family there today for the Christmas Day Buffet and it was fantastic. $32.49 pp for Leg of lamb, Salmon and/or Glazed Ham. Salad Buffet and Chicken Dumpling Soup and Lobster Bisque. Live music and attentive wait staff it was kind of like a large family setting with large round tables where needed and all covered in white lined including the chairs it could have served for a well for a wedding party. We will be back as soon as we can. read more

Best brunch we've had in FL. Fine dining at very reasonable prices. The food is amazing! read more

Chef Rolf's New Florida Kitchen - Amazing brunch! Prices are in line with diners, but food is fine dining. Kicking ourselves that we didn't come sooner! - Seafood Near Me - Osprey, Florida

This place was absolutely amazing!! Couldn't ask for a better dining experience. The food was incredible and the awesome staff puts it over the top. read more

I'd love to give a locally owned restaurant accolades, but this is quite possibly one of the worst restaurants in Sarasota. I am literally right now drinking an over-sweetened coffee drink to try and get the nasty flavors out of my mouth. Slow and unprofessional with waiters lacking basic food service skills. Food was slow and the quality was disappointing. Trout was terribly over seasoned, almost like a pan fried catfish that you'd find at a truck stop along I-70. The pork chops had a not-quite-cooked pink (still undetermined whether these came with a side of tape worms) and the lobster slimy and possibly still alive. Im not sure what else was on the plates- everything became a coagulated mess of wilted green, rock hard orange, and gravel textured rice from an extended time under the warmer. I hate being mean, but the food was really bad guys. read more

We have been there 3 times now in the past couple of weeks. The food is amazing, the staff is awesome! So glad we finally decided to try Chef Rolf's out. I dream of the triple tail with mushroom risotto! Roy, the bar manager, is the best!!!! read more