Like others said, the food is surprisingly good here. Shared a couple of things: - the crab cake: best thing I had here, soft and flavorful - key lime grouper: tasty sauce which went well with the fish and rice. The artichokes here were also delicately cooked - daily flatbread: a surprise hit, we'd get this again - cuban: our least favorite. Not bad per se but the meats were too thickly sliced for a Cuban read more

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Good atmosphere and good food. Taking a break from the wondrtfull sites of The Ringling. We had the turkey and grilled chicken panini's. The sandwiches were served promptly, fresh and hot. The side of fries were delicious and seasoned well. The side salad was fresh served with delicious dressing. It was a pleasant surprise of having good food inside a museum. Carol our server was very kind and attentive. read more

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*almost* everything in here was soooo good. I booked a reservation for here since I'd be spending the day at the museum. I didn't really have high expectations but I really enjoyed the food a lot!! Make sure to have a reservation if you're going down peak meal hours as it was a full house in there. My group ordered the grilled chicken panini, meatball sub, and fish sandwich. For sides, we got the sweet potato fries and salad. The portion were pretty big!! And the chicken panini was honestly delicious. I could understand why people come here just to eat. The salad was great as well. The service was very prompt and nice and the inside was cute, spacious and with the option of inside or outside seating. The only bad thing was the water. We all got a glass of water initially and when I tell you that water was DISGUSTING. Genuinely tasted like it was contaminated. It was drinkable with like 4 lemons in it but we all ended up getting something else to drink. The food was amazing, though, and if I was ever back I'd eat there again. read more

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When we were last at the Ringling we missed out as the Grillroom was booked with an extensive waiting list. This time we made reservations well in advance through the Ringling Museum website. The restaurant is located in the Visitors Pavilion of the Ringling Museum, the Grillroom offered a relaxed, modern dining experience with a seasonally inspired menu of fresh salads, artisan sandwiches, and chef-crafted entrées. It was the perfect stop for a leisure lunch break during my museum visit. Indoor and outdoor garden seating is available. On this visit, we sat down for lunch, which is something I always do at museums to reset and renourish before exploring more. David was professional & knowledgeable about our choices. For lunch, I ordered the crusted Aji tuna Niçoise with fingerling potatoes, tiny beans, grape tomatoes, olive pesto with a citrus vinaigrette. My husband ordered a grilled salmon BLT sandwich with rice pilaf. Both were delicious and reflect what chef Lydell Page has brought to the kitchen. Trained at Houston's Cordon Bleu, he makes his sauces and gravies from scratch daily. The combination of flavors were surprising; in fact, our dishes were so good, I forgot I was in a museum. David recommended the signature warm apple crumb cake that's made in house for dessert, we couldn't resist & it didn't disappoint. read more

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I usually have good things to say about eating out in Sarasota, but not today unfortunately. Let's file this review under "How Not to Run a Restaurant." I am talking about The Grill Room at The Ringling Museum. We had a nice lunch there last year and made reservations for dinner tonight. We get there only to find there is a private function, with a guy making speeches at a microphone, tons of people milling about, and not enough waitstaff. They wanted to stick us in a windowless corner right by the entrance, which would not have been any quieter. We stayed 10 minutes and left, canceling our drink order. They should have closed the restaurant for the private function. With driving, that's an hour of our lives we are never getting back. What a joke! Lesson learned: if you make rezzies, confirm there is not a private function at this restaurant, since they clearly don't know what they are doing. Or better yet, don't waste your time. Postscript: They ended up cancelling our reservation after we left and it turns out you cannot leave reviews on OpenTable without a reservation. This is just one more sign of ill will. I will never, ever go back and it's too bad because we really did enjoy lunch there last year. read more

If you are going to the Ringling museum, do yourself a favor and eat at the Grillroom. It is very upscale, great food, fairly reasonable, with excellent service. The big burger was big and tasted great. The chicken pannini can easily feed two. For your side pick the side salad, it is excellent. Our server Carol was wonderful. read more

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I never expected that my favorite meal in Sarasota would be at the restaurant at a museum. But it was. Three of us had a late lunch at the grill room. With no reservations, web out our name in the list, went for a walk around the grounds, and returned in 30 minutes. My wife was very pleased with her fancy hamburger. The friend and I both were surprised when our salade nicoise arrived. The salads were beautiful and topped with perfectly prepared tuna. What a treat. The waiter was lovely and very helpful. The woman at the hostess stand seemed a bit frazzled. Tip: make reservations before you go. read more

Food service and setting are worthy of revisiting the grill room. I honestly wished they had longer evening hours

We always have a great meal at the museum when we visit. Today was no different. Blackened salmon and ravioli were amazing. Great service as usual. Make reservations even if you think it is an off time. They fill quickly. read more

I liked our server Danielle.She is amazing at what she does. She knows what you're celebrating even when you don't tell her.What an amazing experience we had with her being our server. I can't wait to come again! read more

Food and service were very good. Fish was very professionally presented and tasted great. Service was very nice but just a bit slow. Also, pretty pricey. But understandably so given the venue. read more

Outstanding lunch. Service and food excellent. Had the black bean burger and my wife had the Caesar salad. Both were excellent. Nice environment and great service. read more

I ordered my regular order and the salad was so much worse than previous visits. The greens were just half pieces of romaine, where before it was mixed greens. Two pieces were dark and mushy (spoiled). In the past, the salad has had many apples and other veggies. This salad included one small apple slice and one thin, but full length of the plate, carrot slice. Management has changed and hopefully these are just transition pains. The worst change is the payment system. The server brings a hand held device and patrons are forced to choose a tip while the server holds the device. This may prevent me from returning. It's very uncomfortable and makes the experience more like going to a chain restaurant with bar food. read more

The food was a very big positive surprise. We didn't expect the quality level that we found. Servers were very pleasant. Not much atmosphere, but the convenience of being near the Asolo Theatre is the reason we chose it. read more

Stopped in for lunch with my son and daughter in law while visiting The Ringling . It was a busy day and were not sure we would get a table, but since we were able willing to sit on the patio, we sat right away. All three of us had the truffle burger, which was cooked nicely and tasted delicious. We all enjoyed it and agreed we would order it again. Would recommend. The patio was a nice atmosphere and quiet, with fish and turtles swimming in the pond. read more

Really love this place.everything I've had here has been great...mahi tacos,flatbread and hummus are my go too. But everything I've seen come out of the kitchen looks great and people dining there seem very happy with their meals. The food quality and pricing is excellent. I wish it were a bit closer because we would go more often. read more

Wonderful! The food is DELICIOUS ! The dining room has a lovely ambiance; casual but with a a classy feel. The service was wonderful (shout out to Judge H for treating us so well) There's lots of options on the menu. Family friendly inside only seating. The grounds if Ringling are beautiful and the museum is fantastic (grab a ticket after lunch or dinner). Definitely need to make a dining reservation as the hours and seating is limited. read more

The photo posted is one of their starters. I highly recommend it. It pairs really well with the meatballs. I also got a pasta dish, however I forgot to snap a pic because I just digged in the moment it was placed in front of me. This place is situated inside the front of the museum, so I'm not sure if u need access to the museum to go into the restaurant. The seating inside is definitely a lot tighter than you would expect, but when I came to eat, maybe only 25% of the restaurant was occupied. Service was fast, the server we had was phenomenal! read more

The Ringling Grillroom - American Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Our group of four enjoyed everything we had. The service was great too. They have indoor and outdoor seating plus a bar. The prices are about average. If you get alcohol, you're welcome to take them with you while walking around the gardens. read more

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We have been to the Ringling multiple times and never dined here so we decided to give it a try. Just looking at these pics makes my mouth water. We ordered a chicken Caesar salad, salmon with broccoli and chicken with rice from the kids meal. The Caesar salad is among my favorites! The dressing is creamy and flavorful, and I enjoyed the slice of crouton. There was an abundance of cheese which I really like, and the chicken was really moist. The salmon was excellent! It was blackened with a jerk rub, and the presentation of everything was beautiful, as is the Ringling itself. The kid's chicken and rice was also good, with the rice having a light flavor. There is an option to dine inside the modern dining room or outside on the patio next to a sparkling pond. Both are wonderful options, and we chose inside because it was a little hot out. We will definitely book a reservation every time we visit the Ringling. I'm craving the food! read more

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We are so glad you brought back the calamari for lunch. We love it and missed it last year when you changed the menu. Salmon BLT was fantastic as was the truffle burger. Love the food here! We'll be back. read more

The Ringling Grillroom - Truffle burger. - American Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Who would have thought you could get a gourmet meal at a museum restaurant? Well this Grill room does it. Such wonderful, creative and tasty food and so reasonable. We LOVED it. We went there twice it was so good. I want to give a shout to Helen at the hostess stand who was an angel. she was helpful and kind and so sweet to us. She helped us get a table get settled get our food ordered and all with a smile and compassion. Thank you Helen. Also, Dawn our waitress was superb. We loved how she validated our orders and helped us order and was so cute to put our order in quickly so we could get served promptly. She has a great personality. So fun and witty. read more

I gave the Grillroom two chances, but did not have a great experience either time. The first time I went, the service was excellent, but the rice pilaf I got was swimming in water and slimy. This most recent time I came I got the two tiny burgers without a bun (gluten allergy) and a G-Room salad without cheese or dressing for a side. They were really good with food requests/removals. However, they forgot the cheese with the burgers I got (it was listed on the menu), and they tasted weirdly sour. The salad also had dressing and according to one of my fellow diners, tasted bitter compared to theirs. The service was also not as good as my last time. Despite the fact that the place was practically empty, it felt like we were being rushed. While it was not the servers fault at all, there were kids screaming for the whole hour we were there. The kids' mother was sitting just outside the giftshop entrance on her phone for the whole time we were there, forcing her kids to sit around doing nothing at a circus museum. I get why they were running around screaming, but I am surprised no staff members approached her to see what was going on. It would have been nice to hear the water by our outdoor seating. read more

The Ringling Grillroom - Lettuce core found in salad - American Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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So disappointed with my experience at the Grillroom. We went on a Monday a couple of weeks ago for lunch. Our server was also the bartender. We had a short window to catch a flight; 45 minutes. Our server said no problem. We ordered the special for the day, a hot pork sandwich and a grilled chicken entree. We had to flag another server over to help us as time was running short to check on our order. The Bartender who was servicing us was busy chatting it up with a customer seated at the bar, her back to us. She finally came over when she saw what was happening. She said our order was coming. It arrived with the sandwich completely cold. Half of the pork was fat. The sauce on the chicken was absolutely cold, right out of the refrigerator. We were out of time and paid and ran for the flight. I called the manager the next day. She said she would check with the other manager and get back to me in the afternoon. She never called nor followed up. It pains me to write this as I am a member of the Ringling and have always enjoyed the food, service and ambiance. read more

Attended a reception for my Alma mater here a few nights ago. Easy parking, lovely venue and great service by wait staff. Cocktails were good as were the apps. Exceeded my expectations. read more

First time visiting this location. Unless you have reservations the wait is fairly long due to the location. Ours was about 45 minutes. Gave us enough time to walk over to tour the museum. Service was great, and the pineapple rum cocktail was delicious. We ordered the jumbo crab cake as our appetizer and it was great. Very flavorful. We ordered the seasonal flat bread, burger, and chicken dish (I don't remember the name of, sorry). Everyone enjoyed their dish. The chicken entree was just lacking flavor. Our waitress was great. Personable, kind, and honest. The ambience is very nice as well. White table cloths that gives the establishment a fine dining feel. They also had this purple gator skin back drop on the side that was very cool. They have indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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Everything was great - except my food. Our server was sweet, but very busy. She took a while to make it to our table, and then took a while to bring our cocktails to us. My friend and I are both gin lovers, so we had the "The Gin Job" with gin, basil, cucumber, lemon & lime, and tonic, and it was excellent. For lunch my friend had the Caesar salad with salmon added to it, and it was a generous salad, with a huge piece of salmon. She really enjoyed it. For lunch I had the Crusted Ahi Tuna Nicoise salad, and it was a joke. DO NOT GET THIS. The salad part consisted of one handful of microgreens, 2 olives, 2 tiny tomatoes, and 2 tiny potatoes. Plus 4 flavorless slices of tuna. For $19. Thank heavens we shared an order of french fries, because otherwise I would have still been hungry. It's convenient to eat here, and other tables' food looked good, but stay far, far away from the Nicoise salad. read more

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Food and service are exceptional ! Not to be missed. The ambiance is laid back. An excellent find in a unique setting.

The vegetable wrap with a side salad was probably the best item we ordered. The filet that they serve for lunch, whether it's an add-on to the salad or the kids' meal uses the end of the tenderloin and not center cut. It be filet is mushy and over cooked as it's the end pieces. The lettuce is pretty much all wilted - even the produce at the back was wilted - and they did not take the salad off the menu (hint - order instacart to get some fresh lettuce if in a bind). The service is okay - the manager came to check on us but orettt much did nothing. read more

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We had a great meal, service and food were excellent. The got us served and done in time for the ballet, next door at the asolo.

Spent a great deal of time walking and working up an appetite, stopped in to this fantastic little restaurant tucked in the Ringling grounds, The Caesar salad with chicken was tasty and hit the spot, had a Rum pineapple drink which was tasty. Service was prompt and helpful. Great way to knock down your hunger while touring the grounds. read more

The Ringling Grillroom - Caesar Salad w chicken - American Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We were just there on a very stormy day and took refuge in the restaurant. They have a god kids menu and many adult choices. They had creamy clam chowder soup that day and it was a comfort and warm dish. The double burger was also good and the boys liked the chicken tenders. Service was excellent. You can dine inside or outside.The museum is great as well. They are still not totally repaired from the hurricanes, but worth the trip. read more

I went to visit the museum and planned to get a quick lunch here, I was shocked by the elegant white tablecloth restaurant and sophisticated menu. I ordered the meatballs and Caesar salad, my table also got the burger and the fresh pasta. Everyone loved what they got. I'll definitely be going back to the Ringling just to visit the grillroom, and maybe make a reservation to sit on the patio overlooking the pond next time! read more

Fantastic mahi tacos enjoyed on the patio with a beautiful sunset! Wonderful staff and very convenient before a show at Asolo Rep! Will go back often. read more

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4 Stars for the positives: Atmosphere, surroundings, service, simplicity of menu & specials. I strongly recommend! In- and out-doors, was pretty. Cocktails were lovely, well mixed, strong & tasty. Menu was interesting, simple to read. Specials were attractive. Service very nice. Negative: Fish tacos ($17) w/ a Caesar Salad (browning ho-hum lettuce, one thin sliver of a fake crouton). Fish Tacos were 3 TINY chunks of salty, fried fiish on a thin, ho-hum corn tortilla, topped with what seemed like canned black beans & canned corn. MEH. Not great. Very small portion of very salty fish. Burgers were decent. Desserts were mostly great. Go for the lava cake. Have to say the Creme Brulee (I'm an expert ) did not seem to be made with heavy cream. Lovely to look at but more a thinner custard for SURE. Still, I would go back to try something else, for good service, interesting menu, lovely atmosphere and cocktails. read more

The Ringling Grillroom - American Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Joining friends for the day walking the grounds at the Ringling Brothers Museum was very enjoyable. We had reservations at the Grillroom at 2pm and at 1:45 we were text our table was ready so we walked towards Restuarant. The place is very pretty. Service was excellent and servers at tentative. Food absolutely delicious for each of us! I had shrimp and scallops with polenta and an awesome side salad. Yum yum One of my friends had a huge burger that had a fried plantain on top. Weird but she said it was really tasty. Another had the fish tacos, she really enjoyed her selection. Also ordered was a hot lobster roll, was told it was delicious. I highly recommend this Restuarant read more

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Our dining experience at the Ringling Grillroom, now under new management, was excellent. Stephanie, the new manager, was exceptionally helpful, and our server, Judge, was wonderful. We'll definitely be dining there again. read more

This restaurant was better than I expected! The service was very fast and my burger was delicious. The atmosphere was very quiet and overlooking the pond, we had a very enjoyable lunch. read more

The Ringling Grillroom - American Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We were pleasantly surprised at how good this place is. The food was delicious. Service alittle slow but I'll take it for getting a good meal, Ambiance is adorable with the Ringling Circus theme. Would def go again! And the view is pretty across the street from the beach. read more

Awesome View with turtles! I got the pasta and it was so good!! Just large eggs noodles and veggies, no meat. Perfect for lunch! read more