Hidden gem in Bartow! Service, drinks, and food all 5 star! Competitively priced,! Quaint environment, great place for a date night Our server Sarah was spot on perfect read more

Zest Bar and Grill - Spicy Cajun shrimp and cheesy grits! Perfection! - Seafood Near Me - Bartow, Florida

We flew from New York for a very special baby shower at Zest It was incredible ! They had someone there at 930 so we could set up early the staff was so top notch they helped so much. The room was stunning roomy and so many tables for decorations and gifts! During the shower the service and food were beyond any expectations! I highly recommend Zest in every aspect food, service and beautiful decor! read more

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Absolutely loved the place-it's clean, well kept, the staff super friendly and the food rocks out with your $&@; out. Bartow-do yourself a favor and keep this place open. read more

Zest Bar and Grill - A Pretty Boy in his habitat eating a great meal here at Zest. - Seafood Near Me - Bartow, Florida

We decided to try a new place while working for a few weeks in nearby Winterhaven, and this was worth the short drive to try something new. Zest has a good menu that satisfied the 2 coworkers and I. I enjoyed the empanadas as an appetizer and had a cuban sandwich which was pretty good as well. All and all a good visit in a nice setting with easy onstreet parking nearby. Staff were friendly and efficient. I would come back. read more

This place is pretty good. It's a new spot in my little town of Bartow. I decide to eat outside their patio. It was a beautiful evening but what I didn't account for were the mosquitoes. The owner really need to light up some citronella for the patio. My server was extremely helpful she made tons of recommendations. Honesty, when I reviewing the menu nothing really spoke to me expect the margarita & the bread pudding. In the end I ordered the beef empanadas, a chicken sandwich all based on the server recommendation. I knew I didn't have room for dessert. The sandwich was served with kettle chip. Actually all of their meal is served with kettle chip. That's ok but variation of side would've been nice to substitute. Fries, rice, or a side salad. My meal ended up costing me around $46.00 and it was just me. I would go back but only for drink, the empanadas, & try their citrus bread pudding. Oh, I can't wait. This time around I will sit inside maybe at the bar. I didn't get a chance to soak in their decor. Next time. read more

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I visited Zest Bar and Grill with co-workers for lunch recently and had a nice experience. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits. Creamy savory grits were topped with tender shrimp, melted cheese, and flavorful Cajun seasoning. Overall, Zest is a nice addition to the Bartow food scene. read more

Zest Bar and Grill - Shrimp and Grits - Seafood Near Me - Bartow, Florida

Very pleasant lunch with my sister. Drove from Lakeland to check the restaurant out. It was easy to find with parking available and although they have outdoor seating, we chose indoor. Katie showed us to our table and greeted us with menus and took our drink order. They offer several lunch specials in addition to the menu. I chose the Philly Steak Sandwich on special and Sid got the Cuban. Each were large portions and served with warm kettle chips. The sandwiches were outstanding and so were the chips. I definitely recommend them. Everything was spot on! 5 stars! read more

Everything this place has to offer is on point. The appetizers and drinks are amazing! Barry at the bar makes you feel right home and definitely entertaining! The service was above my expectations and we will definitely be back. This place also has a fabulous event room for any type of gathering. read more

Overall great experience. My wife and I had lunch there recently and had a very enjoyable meal. I ordered the fish and chips and she got the shrimp po'boy. We shared and really enjoyed both. The presentation was beautiful and looked exactly like what I had seen on social media which is what brought us from Lakeland to Bartow. The service was fast and efficient and the ambiance is great too. We will definitely revisit and recommend to anyone that wants fresh seafood. read more

My lunch experience was "ok". I found the indoors freezing so chose to move outdoors, where I was the only customer and "forgotten". Nice area though. I had ordered while inside so my food came out reasonably quickly but that was the last I saw anyone. No drink refills, no "do you have everything you need", etc. I'd asked for a medium rare cook on my burger but it came well done. It was thick and ingredients were fresh, far too big for a normal mouth. Fries were nothing to write home about. It seems to be trying to meet both bar & restaurant needs, to me it comes across without a solid identity. I will go back some day and hope to up those stars. read more

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What a great lunch! Burgers were the best!! Cuban sandwich was full and pressed perf. Great service too!

After doing takeout from here a few times, we finally found ourselves with the time to dine in while in town. It was around 4 on Saturday (when most of downtown bartow begins to shut down for the weekend) and there was only one other party seated at a booth towards the back and a man sitting at the bar. I enjoy the direction they went with in terms of decor; the place is comfortable and inviting with that "farmhouse chic vibe" that much of the new businesses in downtown bartow have. We ordered a variety of dishes, I went with a chicken sandwich that came with the house made chips. The sandwich had a lot of flavor and was not at all dry. I also really like the cilantro mayo they make. We had a round of Arnold palmers, which were also delicious and they brought us pickles upon request for our toddler. The only drawbacks is that the menu is fairly limited and the kids menu didn't really have much for little guys, like no fruit or applesauce or milk. But all in all, I love little privately owned restaurants as this. The food has much more character than the chain restaurants that embody south Florida. Seeing as this is one of the few options for dining in the downtown area, we will undoubtedly be back, as our family who lives there enjoys it as well. read more

Zest bar and grill is a cute place to check out if you are ever in Bartow. They have indoor and outdoor seating areas/service. I ordered a salad and added chicken for lunch. The salad was huge and I took home leftovers. The chicken was ok. This place was pretty empty in the middle of the week for lunch but after work it seems to be the place to be! read more

Zest Bar and Grill - Seafood Near Me - Bartow, Florida

Their food was delicious. I had the Zest burger and will definitely have it again! The service was excellent and went over the top for me when my coke didn't quite taste right. She made sure we were well taken care of. It's a small and private space that was a delightful atmosphere. We will definitely be going back! read more

Barry the bartender is very personable and knowledgeable in drinks. The atmosphere is cozy. It's nice to have a place like this in Bartow.

The staff is top notch! Food is always fresh, hand cut steak, never frozen seafood, cocktails out of this world with fresh ingredients and juices, house made syrups. Local spirits and beers along with names brands! All situated in a historic building! read more

Zest Bar and Grill - Summer Shine! BlackBerry moonshine, blackberry brandy, limoncello, fresh lime juice, and pineapple juice - Seafood Near Me - Bartow, Florida

Great food and better service. Never been disappointed when eating here. Full bar if that is your thing with signature cocktails.

Had a great lunch here yesterday. Caesar salad with grilled shrimp Other friends had delicious fried fish and hamburgers Service was excellent too Looking forward to going back. read more

Decided to try brunch on the recommendation of a friend. Folks...go to Zest. Bartow finally has a great little restaurant!! It is deceiving from the outside ... because there's lots of space inside and the outdoor patio with fans and a TV are super nice...till the bugs come...lol. seriously it was a perfect morning to eat outside and I loved we had the option to do so. The waitress was very good and Barry...you make a superb champagne cocktail. He brought it to me personally as he said he was thrilled to make one because nobody ever orders it. The eggs benedict were perfectly cooked...have to admit I did ask for more hollandaise sauce...not a lot on the plate...and it was sooo deeelish I had to have more. The 3 egg Omelet seemed a bit small but nonetheless was very tasty and I loved the potatoes...purple and sweet were used as well as white and it just made the plate beautiful and it was very flavorful. Lots of choices for brunch and really...reasonably priced in my opinion. The ambiance is nice with lots of old polk county Florida photos...they really do pay homage to the area very well. We plan to go back for dinner to try something else. Welcome to Bartow, Zest. I've found a neW place and I LOVE IT. read more

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Found this place on Yelp. We were on our why to Bok Tower coming from Brandon. FANTASTIC! Immaculately clean, the decor was thoughtfully planned, and the food was delicious. My husband, our two girls, and I had the Cuban burger, the Summerlin burger, the Chicken and shells, and the fish and chips. Fries go on my top five. Service was prompt and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Wonderful time relaxing on the deck listening to music it's great to hear different musicians so much talent working together Will definitely go again read more

We had a great 80th birthday celebration! The fish & chips and shrimp & grits were super yummy! Try a Havana salad too! The summerlin burger is big enough for leftovers!! The outdoor patio is a lovely setting and our server Reagan was so attentive and cheerful. We lucked out with a night of live music as well. Cary the owner even stopped by to make sure our evening was great! read more

Amazing atmosphere, food, and service!! I love the quaint little place, and just a short walk to the local brewery or wine tap !!

When walking in you get greeted by the entrance right away, they don't walk you to a table rather they tell you to pick a table which is a not as welcoming. When we sat down at our table we were greeted very politely and took our drink order right away. You could tell that the inside of the place is more busy then the outside which is a more calm and relaxing. The food came out on time, not too fast or too slow. The food was very tasteful, I order my steak as medium rare and I got medium rare. When you bite into the steak all the juices run in your mouth. The fries were excellent with the side of zest slaw. We weren't rushed the whole service and had a great time. read more

Zest Bar and Grill - 10 oz New York Strip with fries and zest slaw on the side - Seafood Near Me - Bartow, Florida

My husband tried this place on his own one weekend and would not stop raving about the food and atmosphere! We went the next day and I can confirm, it's a great spot. Barry is a superb mixologist and we had a great conversation with him at the bar. The management even showed us their private event space for future use! I would recommend to anyone! read more

Great atmosphere, great service, and great food. Will definitely return. Glad we stumbled on this place. An instant "favorite "!

My husband loves their seafood combo- I'm not a fried fish person but the fish definitely looked like a good white quality fish. A couple of shrimp fell off my husband plates and the waitress brought him a plate of extra shrimp. I had the ribeye sandwich- one of the best I have ever had. The service was excellent. read more

Excellent food and service! And offers indoor and outdoor seating. I've been here a few times and have never been disappointed. The staff is friendly and the owners will even introduce themselves and remember your name when you return. The days and hours of operation are a little off most places so make sure you check before heading there. But you won't be disappointed I promise!!! read more

Overpriced, food not that good. Pasta Primavera was disgusting. Their menu online set $14 for the pasta , but they charged $20. They were higher on all prices than they are on their menu online. We will not go there again. read more

Cute decor...owner on premises...cheerful staff...had a yummy burger and bread pudding delicious.