We went for Saturday brunch prior to Les Miserables at the Straz. Total cost including non-alcoholic beverages and 20% tip for two was $109. The selection was good and tasty. The hot food was only warm. The service was OK. The ambiance is "banquet hall;" nothing special at all. I think for the cost, regular coffee should be included. We would come back due to the location. Our reservation was at noon. We did not feel rushed, so walked over to the Morsani theater at about 1:30, in time to go to our seats for the performance. read more

Maestro's Restaurant - Brunch menu - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Great food and awesome service. We are here before a show. It was fantastic. I would definitely dine here again before a show.

The primary reason this is four stars is because of the convenience if you're seeing a show at the Straz. You can get there early, use the valet parking, have a nice sit down dinner and some drinks and then go see a show. So the location is 5 stars, the experience and service is 5 stars, and the food is decent, but nothing I would rave about. The salad and soup bar, which comes with the prix fixe meal is good. I really enjoyed the wild rice soup. The mains were edible and dessert was the best part of the meal, which is saying something for someone that does not have a sweet tooth. I would never come here specifically to dine, but will definitely be back the next time I have tickets to a show at the Straz. read more

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We were the second people there. Arrived at 11:55. Were told they would open closer to noon. 12:03 were finally brought to our table. Went to buffet and serving utensils were not on both sides of the line. Nor were signs of what was there. Brunch was being served. EVERYTHING was cold. Not warm, COLD! Eggs, bacon, scallops (which if not spoiled tasted awful), chicken (only thighs, no white meat), soup (labeled as seafood but was in fact tomato basil and had no ladle until I asked for it). Salad was ok. Pastries were ok. Server was efficient and saved the rating of 2 vs 1. read more

Stopped in here for dinner befor our show and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The food is really good and the cost was extremely reasonable. The drinks are pricey though. Overall I think this is a solid choice for dinner before the show and you not be hungry when you leave. If you do it is by choice read more

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I went there for dinner prior to seeing a show at the Straz. The price was as expected, the food was fine, the drinks were expensive, but the convenience of being right there at the Straz to have dinner prior to the show is unbeatable. Had it not been a last minute show for me, I would've probably done a little more research and gone somewhere else to dine. It's rare that I am in Downtown Tampa, and I have a list of places to visit nearby. Overall, the service was great and the company amazing that helps make the evening more enjoyable. read more

A wonderful place to eat prior to a show at Straz Center. Before the main course came out, you have access to a salad bar and soups. The lobster bisque was very good. Our party had the whole fish and steak. The fish was cooked perfectly and delicious. They said they can remove the head and tail but we opted to have it whole but it was deboned. The steak was also very good with the truffled mashed potatoes. Nice place, good food. Will be back. read more

we were greeted by the hostess, taking to our table, our server was excellent. She explained every step of the menu and make sure our food came out on time and hot. I am the ambience of the restaurant was outstanding. We sat at the window, perfect view of downtown Tampa, and up the Riverwalk. read more

Maestro's Restaurant - This is the entrance to Maestro. We had a great meal and ready for the show. - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Food is just okay. Pricey, but you are paying for the convenience. Disappointed they don't let you order just the soup and salad bar anymore, because the entree selection is very limited. read more

Before the Lion King performance last month we decided to give them another chance but I can not say anything positive. The chicken was dry and bloody at the bone, the ($17.00) martini was something that I never tasted before and never want to taste again! The fish was way too salty and nothing but a few veggies to go with it! The salad bar was OK but nothing to rave about. And of course the prices were out of this world for what we got...so no not going back and definitely not recommending! read more

As far as I can tell this restaurant is "part of Straz" - every link I clicked took me to the Straz website. Menu is limited fixed price around $58. They have a wonderful appetizer bar - seafood included (oysters, shrimp, etc.). And that's one of the issues with the restaurant. The appetizer bar is so extensive and good it's a meal in itself! By the time your entree comes you're full. My lobster was basically cold and it sat on a sauce that was funky. You had to ask for drawn butter. Wine list didn't meet my needs. Staff were pleasant but not great. When you have the drink/wine menu open and you're looking at two pages side by side that say Red Wine in big letters, I expect the server to have their brain in gear, when I ask where are the white wines listed? To which my server points to the duplicate page of red wines and says "..right there...". On the positive side - good location if you're going to the Straz, food was okay, check the menu first to see of that's what you really want for dinner, price is reasonable, noise level was low, spacious seating and they get your out in time for the show. read more

Well it all started when we went to the hostesses yesterday to check in for our 5pm reservation we had a show the lion king 4/2 at 7:30pm . We were there 5min early so was another couple that his wife was in a wheelchair and did not get much help when seated . They told us to wait they were not ready yet . We waited until 5:15pm no apologies for the delay the restaurant manager even went to the front to talk to the very rude hostesses and saw us and never acknowledged our presence with a hello or will he with you soon . The hostess where just talking within them self personal stuff not very professional. Then as we walk in to be seated the restaurant felt more like a cafeteria then a nice sit down dinner . The food was awful it felt like generic food heated up . The only pleasant thing was our waitress Katrina very polite and friendly. This dinner was over priced and horrible again felt like warmed up food made the day before with no flavor and the food came out cold. BEWARE DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY BIG DISAPPOINTMENT RIGHT BEFORE OUR SHOW . read more

We have been here a few times now and every time it's been great. I love that they change the menu with the play so it's different every time. The salad bar is great but the soup is a must!! read more

We were more than pleasantly surprised! We were attending the opening night of Fiddler On The Roof and our friend suggested the restaurant. The restaurant, by design, has a number of major challenges. With a large number of theatre subscriptions the restaurant has a large number of fairly demanding regular customers, reservations fill up pretty quickly, EVERYONE wants a very specific time, and most want a specific table or to be near the salad bar. On top of this, the menu seems to change with every show which is pretty demanding on the kitchen and wait staff. With that said, the hosts are very accommodating with seating. Our hostess appeared to be new and left several groups, including ours standing in the middle of the dining room to go back and check on table assignments. Our server came over right away and offered drinks gave us the lay of the land and she was very on top of the timing to make sure everyone was finished to get to the 7:30 show on time. We started with the Salad Bar which is included with the price of the entrees. It offered an assortment of meats and cheeses, hummus, roasted vegetables, a tossed salad with condiments and several dressings, as well as a good number of composed salads and two soups. The featured soup, to go with the Fiddler on the Roof theme was chicken and dumplings. It was excellent with a nice mix of diced carrots and celery, plenty of good-sized pieces of chicken and lots of dense, spaetzle like, dumplings. Being raised around a lot of older Eastern European, Jewish women I was skeptical about the quality of some of the entrees which included Brisket, Chicken Paprikash, Sea Bass and a Lamb Porter House as well as a vegan Stuffed Cabbage that sounded amazing. I could not have been more wrong! The Brisket was a good as it gets, nice size slices that were super tender but not falling apart, a rich tomatoey gravy, sauteed root vegetables, and roasted baby potatoes. My husband had the Sea Bass which was cooked perfectly, moist and flakey with a light lemon butter sauce, green beans, and a rice blend. One of our friends had the Brisket and the other the Lamb, which also had rave reviews. They ordered a bottle of wine with tier entrees and the manager who had been very visible in the dining room checking on tables stopped by to open and serve the wine for our server. The desserts, also included with dinner, were on display as we entered but we must have walked right past them. I, with some hesitation, ordered the Apple Kugel dessert. It blew it out of the park! The noodles were cooked just enough to blend with the apple and egg filling but still have some texture. The apples were seasoned well and the caramel drizzle was a great addition. I also tried a bite of our friends Glutenfree Chocolate Cake, it was made with a rich chocolate ganache, walnuts, and seeds (sesame?) It was dense, rich and delicious. My husband, who loves cheesecake, heard cheesecake and seemed to glaze over the blintze part. Asking for the pear sauce on the side, I was sure he was going to hate it. To my surprise, he raved about the creaminess and texture. For opening night, I think the staff did a great job with the service and the kitchen was amazing! read more

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My husband and I live right across the street from the Straz center, but we had never been to my Maestros...so when we bought our tickets to see Wicked on Valentine's Day we made reservations for dinner. We walked over and we're seated by the hostess immediately and our waiter Brody (super cool surfer name) greeted us only a moment later, told us about the specials, explained the menu and took our drink order. Soup and salad bar is a good option for only $25 per person if you don't want to fill up with an entrée and there's a huge selection of antipasto type offerings. My sweetheart and I opted for an entrée along with the salad bar since we had two hours to linger before our show. Brody took our entrée order but was kind enough to not place it with the chef until we gave him the OK which I thought was very thoughtful. The food was good, not five stars, but good...The service was a solid four stars. I've seen some reviews balk at the price but it's the convenience you're paying for and I felt that the cost was justified. And I almost failed to mention that you can take your adult beverage to go!! read more

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I had never even really heard anything about Maestro's, but it seemed like an obvious choice for a date night at the Straz. I'm very glad we chose it as it was a nice treat. You have to have reservations and they theme the menu based on the show. We were not seeing "Hello Dolly", but were actually there for another show in a smaller theatre. Regardless of that, we enjoyed the menu greatly. Our waitress visited our table when we sat down and let us know that her goal was for us to enjoy our meal and not be rushed to get to our show. It was a nice touch that they kept on top of the meal with the show time. They have a full bar and drinks are priced as they would be at any nicer restaurant. It is a flat price that includes salad bar and dessert. The salad bar was awesome. On top of salad, there was meat and cheese, pasta salads, and 2 soups to choose from. Everything was fresh and I had to watch myself to not fill up before my meal. As for our meal, I got a steak dish and my spouse got a chicken with a cream sauce. We enjoyed both so much that we ended up sharing them. For dessert I got Devil's food cake and my husband got Tiramisu cheesecake. Both were lovely! We had a great time and commented that we would def dine there again. Although it is pricey, it includes a lot and the service was awesome! read more

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So dissatisfied with our meals tonight. The Antipasto bar was good not great. The meals were not edible. My wife's scampi was so salty her lips were tingling and my Osso Buco was very tough and the sides tasted as if they had been prepared days ago. We saw at least 2 other meals go back to the kitchen. Manager came over and basically apologized but not....tried to say the shrimp were salty because they were local shrimp and the Osso Buco was his favorite dish and I must have gotten the 1 bad piece. Customer service should have dictated our meals comped...but we still got charged for the antipasto bar at ~26/pp. Waitstaff was great...that's why I'm giving 2 not 1 Star. read more

I planned a special Holiday surprise for my adorable date, and we kicked off the evening with a meal at Maestro's restaurant in Tampa. Maestro's is the high-end restaurant adjacent to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, which features premier tableside service. Chef Edward Steinhoff had created a unique menu to complement the show, and since we were planning to see "An American in Paris" following dinner, we knew that we'd be enjoying a fine French-inspired meal. The restaurant was decorated for the Holidays with festive trees and colorful seasonal greenery. After being seated, our server, Alix, helped me to select a delicious bottle of 2013 Argentinian Mairena Malbec. That's not a vintage which you'll likely see in Tampa, and Alix said that they only had a few bottles left in their cellar. It was delicious, and I'm very glad that we had the chance to enjoy a bottle. The meal starts with a visit to the Antipasti table, located in the middle of the dining room. Each night Maestro's features two different soups, and a wide variety of gourmet salads, fresh and fire-roasted vegetables, seasonal fruits, artisan cheese, charcuterie, and rustic breads and crackers. Yum! For my main course, I ordered the Chef's Local Catch, and that turned out to be pan-seared grouper with a light lemon cream sauce, which was served with roasted vegetables and rice pilaf. Very delicious, and not too heavy. After clearing the plates, Alix was back with the dessert tray, and I got talked into a light and flakey French pastry, layered with heavy cream and raspberries. It was delicious and extremely decadent. For the record, the dinner is prix fixe, meaning all of the meals on the menu are offered at a fixed price, and that includes your visit to the Antipasti table, along with your choice of main course, and dessert. Wine and kisses were extra! Candace and I really enjoyed our dinner, and thought this was the perfect opening act for a night at the theater. The hostess very kindly took a photo of us standing in front of the Christmas tree in their lobby before we dashed next door to see the show. read more

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My husband and I went here before our show on a Sunday afternoon. We weren't sure what to expect, they were serving a buffet style brunch which was great I love brunch. Much to my disappointment we could have had the same meal at a Holiday Inn Express for free and it would have been better. The food was terrible and Luke warm at best. We paid $90 (with tip, the waitress was great) for 2 of us to share a made to order omelette, the only edible thing there. And the table was so wobbly I almost had a plate in my lap a couple of times. I can count on one hand how many bad reviews I have ever left but I felt people need to be warned. It was my birthday celebration and I sat through a 2 1/2 hour show starving. Even the pastries were tasteless, it was really bad. read more

My dinner tonight was outstanding: local snapper with a Parmesan crust over a sweet potato mash with asparagus. The snapper was so soft it was like butter! The sweetness of the mash was a wonderful contrast. And their soup and salad bar was excellent as always. I had the seafood bisque which had a lot of sherry - nothing wrong with that! Considering the meal includes the salad bar and the dessert, the price is well worth it! read more

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Since this was my first visit to the Straz and we expected large crowds for Hamilton, having dinner there seemed the best choice. They kept us on time but never rushed. The salad and antipasto bar was quite good. Everything was fresh and very tasty. For our entrees my wife had the rib eye and I had the chicken Alexander. Presentations were very elegant. Her steak was perfectly cooked with a nice crust. Could have been a little more seasoned but still tasty and tender. My chicken was very moist and nicely stuffed with Boursin and artichokes. The sides were properly cooked and good. My risotto was excellent. For dessert we had chocolate rum cake and cheesecake. Her cake was rich with a nice rum flavor. My cheesecake was ordinary but had an almond crust that was one of the best crusts I've ever had. Will definitely make a return visit for the next show we attend. Made the evening quite nice. read more

Went to dinner before a show. Food was absolutely fabulous!! Service was also wonderful! Will definitely be back

Food was fantastic. All delicious. No issues with quality & taste. Pricing is high, but to be expected at this type of venue. Service was poor with gross negligence of adding too & hiding stuff within the bill. Will not return. read more

We dined last night at Maestros for the second time. The food was wonderful and was themed for the show perfectly! The service was outstanding and the drinks were fun with a theme of the show as well! The desserts were impressive and you could tell they put a lot of thought into the research of the ingredients to make you feel like you were having a dinner in another country. The show was Aladdin and you really felt it in the food! We will return. read more

I've come here several times before shows at TBPAC, and my experiences have been meh... Maestro's is trying hard to be a 5 star restaurant, but it misses the mark by quite a bit. The entrees here are nothing special, and with a semi-fixed menu you usually only get a few choices. They are always plated beautifully but are really nothing to freak out about. For the most part they've been okay, but this last visit I ordered the chicken florentine and my chicken was incredibly dry. The dessert bar always looks promising, but what it really turns out to be is a buffet of frozen desserts that are too sweet for my tastes. During this last visit the lady manning the bar wasn't even sure what most of the plates were, and at least two of the cream pies were still frozen in the middle. Major disappointment. Maestro's gets an extra star for their salad bar, because frankly, it's amazing. A wide variety of fruits, cheeses, crackers, breads, and salad mixings, plus usually two soup choices that have always been delicious (if it's an option, go for the tomato basil bisque - superb). Overall though, I'd say Maestro's is all talk and little action. It is convenient if you're looking to have an early dinner before catching a show at TBPAC (no battling Tampa traffic to make it to curtain time). But most nights, it's definitely not worth the high price. read more

This was so disappointing. We dropped almost $400 for four people before the show, and not one of us had a good meal. The salmon and red snapper was dry. The vegetables and the rice tasted far too strongly of cilantro and were also dry. The bread we requested never arrived. I will say the soup, salad and charcuterie in the middle of the room were good. Service was friendly but spotty. I feel so ripped off by the high price. Never again will I eat here. read more

Coq au vin was very good. Better than my short ribs which, quite frankly, weren't. Short ribs that is. It isn't that the preparation was bad, although mine at home are better, but that there was no rib, and no fat, hence no taste. Short pours were the order of the evening. For their prices it is disappointing. I said something and got a little extra on round 2, but still.... The salad bar was very good, with nice variety, and the lobster bisque was awesome! Service was ok. It is less than an ideal situation with everyone coming and going at the same time. Having waited tables in my youth I empathize, but they still could have done a better job with attitudes. read more

It's convenient if your seeing a show. The food is nothing to write home about but it was not terrible. A little over priced but that should be expected for the venue. On the Plus side.....The Ambiance is nice and the desert selections are really good. read more

Great Salad bar and soup. Not so good on entrees. Pricey for food quality. Service "excellent". read more

Went here during the week before watching a show at Straz. This place is just so so. When entering it looks very nice, good decor, nice bar, pleasant ambiance. The service was on the slow side and the wait staff was fair. Our waitress took way too long to get to us, Infact two other waiters asked us if anyone had come to the table and then they said they would let our waitress know. When she finally arrived she wax nice and bubbly but had no handle on the menu. The food itself was average, the description on the menu makes everything look so tasty. I had the 5 hr beef stew my wife had crab stuffed trout, we were not impressed. Guy at next table over had salmon and even he said it was just ok. Salad bar was good, soups lacked flavour. The only reason to come here is for the convenience of going to the Straz after dinner. This helps out during the week when rushing from work and the heavy traffic at that time of night. But if you can dine somewhere else and can make your show, do it. Food 2.5 Service2.5 Ambiance 4.0 Convenience 5.0 read more

Disappointing is the word that sum up the experience. For two people out bill was a little over $100 including tip. We each had dinner and one glass of wine. Dinner came with unlimited trip to a salad bar. The salad bar itself was fresh but had very limited selection of options, not to mention that many popular items for salad toppings like eggs or chick peas were missing. Only 3 salad dressings were available, which is again very limited selection. I had seafood bisque which was flavorful and rich. Main course had about 7 options, all carefully themed to go with show Once we were about to see. The show takes place in Ireland and has many Czech characters, so the dishes had cute names like "Czech, please". I had snapper and my boyfriend had a fillet. Both plates were cooked very well but had absolutely no flavor. None! They were bland, not even salt or pepper was added. We had desserts as well. The cakes were overwhelming, super sweet. All in all, for $100 in Tampa area one can enjoy much better meal with wider selection and better flavors. You won't see me again at Maestro's. read more

Maestro's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This place is AWESOME! I'm actually mad at myself for not coming here sooner. The menu changes per show, and did not disappoint. I went before Momma Mia and everything was Mediterranean themed. Dinner opened with a the large salad bar in the middle of the room. This is not your typical lame salad bar with wilted iceberg lettuce. It has high quality salad fixings + pasta salads, olive trays, meats, cheeses, fruits, hummus, dolmades and two soup choices. I'm vegan, so usually it's hard for me to dine out at seasonal and rotating menu places but I found out Maestro's always has a 100% plant based dish! (Not to mention a gluten free dish too) Following the Mediterranean theme, they had a spinach spanakopita that was out of this world. Portions were just right with the salad bar. The rest of my party ate meat, and equally raved about there dishes. Desert there were four choices, and my waiter brought out lemon sorbet for me - a very attentive and kind wait staff. I'll be back for the next show! read more

It started bad from the time we arrived for our 5 PM reservation. We arrived at 4:55 PM to find the staff was in a meeting at the bar. Meeting broke and the staff began table preparation and the bartender began cleaning the bar. We are still in the reception area waiting to be seated. At 5:30 PM a young lady came and asked if we would like to be seated. Restaurant was 30 minutes late for it's first reservation. This was a first for me! The dinning room looked pleasant with the salad bar in the middle, staff smartly dressed and attentive. Our waiter Wes greeted us and since we have never been to the restaurant he explained the protocol.Buffet style soup and salad, then a choice of one of six entrees and one of four dessert. Wes was GREAT, he took our drink orders and we were off to the buffet. Choice of two soups...cream of mushroom and seafood bisque. Both soups were delicious. mixed greens or spinach for the salad. Meat tray, cheese tray, fruit, olives, crackers, humus, and four dressing choices. NICE SO FAR RIGHT? Then come the entrees.....Between the six people at our table we had all of the entree choices covered. Sirloin steak, Meat loaf, Snapper, Chilean Sea Bass, Chicken breast, and the Chef's Choice... Pork Chop. My daughter was performing in the show at the theater so she was a little pressed for time (ESPECIALLY AFTER WE WERE SEATED 30 Minutes after our reservation time) but Wes assured us that there would be no problem getting her food first so she could be back stage on time. Wes didn't lie....her food was out in a flash...( Meat Loaf ). I even commented on how fast the food was produced. I justified to myself thinking " How long does it take to plate a meat loaf " mash potatoes and broccoli? Meat loaf was OK although the meat loaf at the Barrymore hotel across the street, was ten times better. Turns out that the meat loaf was the best of class of all the meals served. Sirloin was second, Snapper, Chicken, Chilean Sea Bass, and coming in last was the "Chefs SPECIAL" Pork Chop.OR WOOD CHOP as it should have been advertised! Bottom line for this restaurant: Everything is made to look like Fine Dining however when you take the wrapper off this experience you find out that this is a slick ripoff, complete with a smooth talking car salesman/restaurant manager named Kyle. The food is precooked and reheated....you can not ask for a specific meat temperature and the fish is tough and bleeding water which indicated frozen and reheated. Lastly they automatically apply a 18% gratuity to the check and then ask for an additional gratuity. APPALLING based upon our experience. TAKE MY CONSIDERED ADVISE....SAVE YOUR MONEY EAT AT HOME BEFORE YOU COME TO THE THEATER! The EXPERIENCE is very similar to a BAD CRUISE LINE or most weddings. Perhaps Executive Chef Edward Steinhoff should pay more attention to food quality. Maybe supervision over the four restaurants at the Straz Center is too big of a job for him. Also there is no public records of his Executive Chef credentials nor any culinary training he may have graduated. I was unaware that the Brooklyn New York Boiler Mechanic Union gave cooking lessons or for that matter owning a deli catering company qualifies a person to hold an EXECUTIVE CHEF designation? This place has the potential to be Great however the kitchen needs to be MUCH tighter. read more

Excellent service from the time we were seated until we left. The staff was constantly attentive to our every needs. Every course flowed from one to the next. The highlight of the evening was when the executive chef personally came to our table to talk to us about his personally selected menu to compliment the show we see that evening, The Sound of Music. Our waiter was superb in making sure we always had everything we needed and when the meal was over, our appetites had been appeazed. A definite repeat when we see the next show. read more

We've been a member of the Straz Center for a number of years but have not utilized any of the restaurants associated with the center until this year. We've been to Maestro's 3 times this year before 3 of the shows. It is set up as a semi buffet in that the soup and salad bar are set in the center of the restaurant and you can get up and go back a number of times before your main entree. There are usually two soups, lobster bisque and and a second one that is different each time. They pride themselves on their lobster bisque. It is about a 7-8 on a scale of 10. Not the best I've had but close. The salad bar is difintely complete with breads, salads, humus, cheeses, pickled this and that. They offer you 4-5 different entrees and for children they have chicken fingers. I've had beef entrees and one time their pork chop entree. The entrees are fairly large and decent. The last time, I had the Beef Wellington which came with a dark beef gravy and a mustard based sauce on the side. I remember mentioning to my wife that it was probably one of the best combination of flavors I've ever tasted, second only to a well done Chicago Hot Dog. read more

Maestro's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Went to the restaurant for dinner before Wicked. I didn't have high expectations because of the other reviews, but the food was pretty good and the service was excellent. My lamb was overcooked, but the manager saw it and was extremely nice about getting a new plate out within minutes - I didn't even have to ask. And he bought us a round of drinks! The cafe may be overpriced, but a 3 course dinner for $34 at the Straz Center is a deal as far as I'm concerned. Especially since you are paying for the convenience of having your last drinks poured into a to-go cup and being able to walk down to the show with them. I would definitely recommend it. But make reservations if you want a table - they were booked weeks in advance so we had to eat at the bar. read more

The food was average, nothing to write home about for sure. The flank steak was very under done for my taste. It was pricey but the location was so convenient. The traffic is very congested during the week and it was nice to dine and then just walk to our seats. For that alone the price seemed worth it. read more

I didn't have the buffet, I ordered from their a la carte menu. The outside seating is very pretty as long as the weather is good. The burger was excellent, although a few more veggies would have been nice. My friends had the Ybor panini which was also pretty good. The price is more than fair for a restaraunt that is connected to a theater. Overall, I was very satisfied with the convenience and the food. read more

Maestros was magical Chef Ed is the magician from cocktail to dessert, everything was outstanding!

Great service! They were out of the carving station and personally brought new food to our table when it was ready!