Great Find. Â This natural food restaurant is certain worth a trip when you're in town. Â It was such a long time since I had "meatloaf" I went for it and glad I did. Â Healthy sized portion which melted in your mouth. Â Interesting Boca Dito break tray. Â Menu item fo at the taste of the various items.
Review Source:Decent food in Tampa? This place surprised me. 4 stars for food (and this is with comparing it to most Tampa restaurants)....2 stars for service. Our waitress said some interesting things like "hi sorry, I'm so tired" "I wouldn't get the grilled cheese, the goat cheese is sooo strong and gross" and "the sandwich press is broken so we don't have the Cubano...I ate it without being pressed and it was disgusting". These are really weird things to say to customers and her attitude in general was so strange. The entire staff seemed way too relaxed and annoyed to be there. Other than that, the bean/avocado/pineapple salad was great and the burger was hot and good. Good quality bun and cheese. Fries were amazing. I will definitely be back to try more but the staff needs to change
Review Source:I went for brunch on a Saturday morning. It was pretty empty.
The interior is lovely but very close to surrounding tables.
I had the Hangover Panini and it was delicious! One of the best brunches I've had in a  LONG time and it was so much food. I could have split it with a friend and have been plenty full.
Unfortunately, I gave it four stars since my friends I was with ordered pancakes that weren't anything special and a salad that was surprisingly small and not that tasty.
Also the valet parking is odd. The parking lot is very small so you pull in, give them your keys, and they park the car like 10 feet from you so not sure why I can't do it myself. If you want to park yourself then you'll have to walk a few blocks.
We've had mostly good experiences at Boca, with some meh service, but overall great food and a fairly comfortable atmosphere. Good idea to make reservations in advance. I like that everything is local. organic, and sustainable. Meals do not come with any complimentary bread and if you want something to nosh on the breads & spreads platter is a little steep for just two people at $12, good for groups though. On sundays it turns to biscuit and jam for brunch. Â It is very loud inside!
My favorite on the menu is Scallops and beets, and I always add a side house salad, which is super-fresh bibb lettuce in a yummy light chive/herb vinegarette dressing.
I also love their eggs benedict for Sunday brunch, but will ask for the steak on the side next time as it made my bread very soggy. No worries though, it was all delicious!
Best server we've had to date was Dan F, and I will request his section in the future. He single-handedly is the reason I bumped this review up to 4 stars. Love the food, not the best value, but a good fresh meal with "green" values if that's important to you. One of the few restaurants you'll get grass-fed organic beef.
I have never had a bad experience here. Â Everything has always been spot on delicious. Â I highly reccomend it for lunch or brunch. Â I've had so many different things on the menu that I'm reluctant to suggest just one. Â Order any of it. Â It will be great. Â Eat it. Â Wash it down with a bloody mary(or three). Â Go home. Â Nap.
Review Source:I'm really conflicted about this place. We went for dinner and then brought my visiting mother the next morning for Sunday brunch and had two very different experiences.
It was extremely crowded for dinner, and as we were seated in the center of the restaurant at an elevated table, we couldn't even hear each other across the table. Once we got over that and got to eating, we didn't even care anymore because the food was so good! We shared mussels, flatbread with bacon and tomatoes, and the salad with bacon, goat cheese, and other goodies. All three were really fantastic, but the tomatoes on the flatbread were sort of grainy.
Brunch was a different story. We had the bread sampler, which was really great, but the meal went downhill from there. Between three of us we ordered the duck egg BLT, the eggs benedict with steak, and the bourbon maple french toast. The BLT was good, but both of the other entrees were really disappointing. The steak on the eggs was overdone and so thickly cut that it was hard to eat. The french toast didn't taste anything like bourbon, was made on sub-par bread, and was lacking the berries and chantilly cream. The waitress didn't mention that they were out of berries and chantilly until after we asked about it. We were given a discount, but I don't think we should have had to pay for the french toast at all.
I really appreciate their farm to table concept, so I'll probably be back! It was pretty expensive--I think $$$ would be a more appropriate rating.
Very average food, it has a pretentious hipster feel to it which I don't like.
Everything is so sustainable, free range, gluten free, organic, etc.
If you are into that, GREAT! Â But from a foodie stand point.... this isn't up to standard of a great restaurant.
Mussels were small, fresh, but small. Â Sauce was overly sweet and thick. I've had better I must say.
Sleek and modern eatery in the Soho district...
I had the split pea and ham soup which was hearty and delicious and the free-range 1/2 chicken which was simply amazing.
Definitely a must try while in town!!
Sleek and modern eatery in the Soho district...
I had the split pea and ham soup which was hearty and delicious and the free-range 1/2 chicken which was simply amazing.
Definitely a must try while in town!!
I feel very fortunate but I have never had a bad meal here. Â I hear some people have inconsistent experiences but we have only had stellar food, fresh drinks, amazing servers and a very good experience.
The restaurant is hip, clean, eco friendly, subtle and energetic. It mixes a wide range of ages which I enjoy. Â You can sit next to a family and next to hipsters all at the same table. Â Our recent experience was stellar food. Â My husband had melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Â It was so amazing that my food was an instant regret even tho it too was wonderful. Â Hands down, the short ribs are some of the best tasting slow cooked food I have EVER had. Â
My dish was the Moroccan fish and vegetables with couscous. Â Light, fluffy cous cous with an aromatic undertone of Tumeric, Saffron and Cumin. Â Really cooked perfect. Â We also ordered a Spinach salad to share. Â It came out beautifully split and you could tell they cared. It has warm balls of goat cheese fried goodness. Â Holy hell, I could eat a plate of those little morsels. Â I begged them to make an appetizer or even dessert of them! Â They laughed and mentioned I wasn't the only one to suggest that. Â Hint Hint - Take it!
Lastly - a concise and well rounded wine list but even better, their hand crafted cocktails. Â Some very inventive creations that take one out of their comfort zone. Â I tried several and each and every one were fantastic and refreshing.
We try and go often. Â If this gem of a restaurant was in St. Petersburg, I would be there way too much. Â It is however a very hard to beat South Tampa experience to us.
I've probably been here at least once a month for dinner and once a month for sunday brunch and am rarely disappointed. Â Even spent New Years hear for a great 4 course meal. Â
The food and drinks are very creative. Â My gf frequently orders the staff meal, that is different every time and I always find myself eating off of her plate. Â You cant go wrong with that selection
My personal other favorites so far have been the spaghetti squash and the homemade pb/jam and bread appetizer you can find at brunch
Only major gripe is the "complimentary" valet parking. Â I always feel obligated to tip, but the lot is not very big and they usually park my car 20 feet from the door, which I dont feel like I need to pay someone to pass me my key
Not bad food, but not great in my experience. Had the roasted peppers several times, the last time, they were all so hot we couldn't enjoy them. I told the server, and his reaction was "oh, they aren't all supposed to be hot"...but they were. More bread helped, but that was an additional charge.
The last time , I'd made a reservation well in advance. When we arrived, we were told we'd have to sit outside, because I hadn't specified inside. Â Food was not great either, I feel like someone isn't watching the quality control at all times....the salad with pineapple was filled with the inedible core, no pieces of juicy pineapple. Service was almost grudging. Come on, if you want to succeed, you have to treat customers like you care if they are happy!!!
At this point, I have been here far too many times to count. Â This is still my go to for a nice dinner date. Â However, my biggest gripe with Boca is its lack of consistency. Â I have been here on all days of the week, and perhaps the lack of consistency is based on the staff changes, but there is definitely a real difference on some days of the week. Â Several examples:
We LOVE the roasted bone marrow appetizer. Â For any foodies, this is a MUST TRY. Â We've ordered this dish at least 5 times. Â I'd say 2 of the times, the bone had been roasted too long, and the marrow was no longer the gelatinous goodness, instead it was more solid and burnt. The mustard with this dish has varied each time - sometimes its a dijon, sometimes its a grainy mustard. Â All delicious, but always slightly different. Â Once we did not receive arugula on the plate... suffice it to say, the execution is inconsistent. Â This is only one example of a dish where we've dealt with the inconsistencies.
There have also been several times where the food  received is not as described on the menu.  Since I am an individual that picks up on the details, and many times its in the details of a dish that sway my decision, receiving a plate that has a substitution (like spaghetti squash instead of acorn squash), without being told ahead of time, is disheartening.  I understand that the kitchen deals with whatever ingredients they have on hand, but that should be something that is advertised to its customers.  One of our more absurd experiences was ordering a berry crumble, and being given an APPLE crumble... the waiter never blinked an eye and when he handed it to us, told us it was berry (there was no apple crumble listed on the menu, so we weren't accidentally given another dessert). Â
Another dish I would highly recommend is the "staff meal," which as one waiter put it, "its definitely NOT the staff meal," but is still some sort of delicious creation by the chef. Â I find myself many times persuaded to opt for this option, but be forewarned - dinner service isn't quite ready at 5 pm. Â We've dined early beforehand, and the specials weren't available. Â Indeed, I've driven by Boca around 5:30 and seen the waiters still getting briefed on the patio. Â If you're interested in their specials, a good estimate is that they don't typically have them ready to go until around 6pm.
Overall, I love this place. Â I just wish the execution was consistent and that we could have the same great experience each time. Â If you found yourself not loving it the first time, I would give it a second try. Â You'll probably have a different experience. Â Also, if you're planning ahead, make reservations. Â The place isn't too big, and many times, we end up in the bar area because the restaurant is already booked up, at the most unexpected time.
I came here for brunch the other and I had a very pleasant experience. The restaurant has a rustic feel, and I loved the music that they had playing in the background (Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Traveling Wilburys - all of my favorites!) - so that set the tone before I even ordered. Â
The bloody mary here is great - I asked for them to make it spicy and they didn't hold back! I shared the buttermilk pancakes and the "Staff Pick", which was an eggs benedict with fried egg, ham, fried green tomatoes, on ciabatta bread. Â The pancakes were light and fluffy - sometimes pancakes can get too thick or bread-y like - definitely not the case here! I really enjoyed the eggs benedict - although that may be because I'm a huge sucker for fried green tomatoes! The dish was well-seasoned and balanced and I thought all the elements of the dish came together very well.
From my positive brunch experience I am very interested in coming again and trying out their dinner menu.
Love this place! The service was absolutely amazing. We went here for a birthday with a group of 6 people and it was a great time. Everything on the menu is fresh and in season. For appetizers we had the spreads and breads, braised bone marrow and shishito peppers (careful one in every ten is a super hot one!!). For my entree I got the staff meal which was shrimp on spaghetti squash with a chipotle sauce. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals and I will definitely be back!
Review Source:Perhaps my favoritism for this location is due to my personal experience and the company we had on our dinner date. I went with my highschool english teacher and his girlfriend and they made for great conversation and intellectually stimulating banter. As for our dining experience...
Well upon entering, the atmosphere is casual yet judging by the crowd it appeals to those looking for an upscale dining experience as well. You feel a sense of home and locality. Fresh farm ingedients on display and market advertisement beside the door.
We had reservations but we still had to wait a few moments to be seated on a busy thursday morning. We were greeted and say I'd say within 15 minutes or so. It was a crowded room with not a lot of room for the wait but we didn't mind.
When sat we ordered our drinks. I had their huckleberry special because I had heard so much about it, the others had a craft beer and kettle one martini. My cocktail was great. Not too strong not too sweet. I'm always skeptical to order cocktails for those reasons but this was nice.
We started with the Boca dito tasting of hummus. It was a good conversational piece with fresh flavors and enjoyable texture. Our favorite was the butternut squash. I ordered the sea scallops a l'orange, the others ordered the steak dish, veggie flatbread and grilled prawn salad. All of our dishes were satisfying for ourselves and each other. My scallops were beautiful cooked and seasoned. The beet gratin paired with them was flavorful and paired perfectly with the scallop and parsnip purée beneath them. I LOVED that dish. The steak dish was cooked to a perfect mid-rare. The potato purée and Swiss chard accompaniment married in a perfect unison. The veggie flatbread was made with a homemade dough in what seems like an authentic wood burning oven with it's crisp edges and delicious toppings. We were all unfortunately too full for dessert plus we had been engaging in so much conversation that we closed the restaurant out. But I will most definitely be back for more in this homey eclectic bistro.
I am defnitely a fan of Boca. I made reservations for myself and three others and arrived with my date a little early, but, I was excited to see that they offered complimentary valet service because parking is always a huge deal when you go someplace new and want to arrive in due time. At first glance it is a great looking spot that was jumpy and in happy hour's full swing. We had to wait a little by the door for our reservation seats to be set, but it was a short wait, as we were seated within 10 minutes of arriving.
I loved the seating at Boca because it was comfy and simple, and the noise level was just right. My meeting there was all about the conversation, because I was catching up with old friends, so I was glad to see that there would be no problems catching up over some delicious food. And oh was the food delicious. It was so delicious that i do not even remember what we had for appetizer, but everything was cooked perfectly and tasted great!
I do remember ordering a steak that was cooked perfectly well and that is always something I look for when ordering my Mid-Rares. All in all, Boca provides a cool place to sit and chat over some righteous tasting food. Their stuff is organic and cooked with great ingredients, and it really showed while I was there. The location is great and the complimentary valet takes the stress of parking compared to other locations down in that area.
Until next time, thank you for the experience Boca!
There's really nothing bad to say about this place. The service is great and the food is nothing short of amazing. Somehow they manage to continually outdo themselves every time I go. I have had many things on the menu and I can honestly say everything was perfect.
Their dessert menu is sinful! Go there preparing to indulge.. You won't regret it, I promise. Their drink list is also pretty awesome, too. Nothing I can really say will accurately describe how wonderful this place is.. just go try it for yourself. I promise you will not be disappointed!
Stopped in for lunch and sat outside. Â They were busy inside and we were the only one's eating outside, which lends to being forgotten...and we were,. Â Â Food was tasty, although I ordered the grilled cheese without goat cheese and it was loaded with it! Â Waiter said, "hmmm...and I rang it in and told the kitchen." Â Perhaps he should have offered to remake it or provide us coffee or a dessert. Â Most nicer restaurants would. Â The shrimp in the salad were plump and smoky in flavor, quite good. Â The waiter kept us waiting a long time near the end, but otherwise, pretty good.
Review Source:5 stars have to be earned, and for some places it's hard work, but with our second trip to Boca, their effort seemed... Well, effortless.
We were greeted quickly and seated by the hostess, who no doubt remembered us from our first visit. Â Then our server, Melissa, came over who ended up being one of the more pleasant and attentive servers I've come across in recent history. Â We found her to be extremely helpful. Â She assisted us in navigating the menus and selecting the proper grub and drinks to suit our mood. Â We ended up ordering the following: The NOR CAL FLATBREAD and the PORK SHOULDER SPECIAL for foods. To drink, a glass of ACROBAT PINOT a cocktail called THE NELLY. Â I would highly recommend all of these, and all of these together. Â The drinks complimented the meals perfectly. Â The Nelly is champagne, vodka, mint and cucumber. Â So refreshing that they should call it the F5. Â The Acrobat Pinot was mildly sweet, but dry and was easily married with the Nor Cal Flatbread, which was piled high with pulled chicken, artichokes and spinach. Â But the life changing meal here was the Pork Shoulder Special. Â This was slow smoked pork shoulder, pulled and served on a thick bed of brown butter and truffle polenta, broccoli, mushrooms and tomatoes (pic included). Â The complexity of the flavors going on in this dish boggled the mind, and is easily one of the best meals I've ever eaten. Â I'd be wrong on so many levels if I didn't recommend this dish over all else on the menu when it's being offered. Â The chef is damn a genius. Â
We were invited back to Boca by Chef Ted after a rough first attempt where things just didn't go right for us, and we're ever so thankful. Â Now, we can't wait to see what trip number three has in store for us.
Boca won me over the second I sat down. I loved the ambiance. I love when restaurants have a concept and follow through and really give you an experience and do things that make them stand out, even things as simple as an old milk jug to hold water for the table. I wanted every single poster hanging on those walls too. It was classy without being stuffy and oh so tasty for a mid-level price. The waiter was almost embarrassed I asked for salt and pepper, but then I bit into everything and I realized why, I didn't need s&p and I was so glad I hadn't applied it yet because everything was seasoned perfectly! I just imagine a talented professional in the kitchen crafting each meal to perfection. Of what I tasted, their french toast and hangover panini, divine.
Review Source:My friend and I were in town for a music festival when we happened to get lost in the wrong part of town. We knew we had reached a safer area when the houses started becoming slightly more decorated and we saw this place! We bookmarked it for later and came back. (The branding and whole farm-to-table thing really got us)
When we returned that night we felt slightly underdressed as we'd just gotten out of a music festival, but our waitress made us feel right at home. She took care of us immediately and made excellent suggestions.
We ordered the oak grilled flat iron steak and the burger (both were excellent)- however, my friend asked for her steak medium-well. After she received the steak, she felt bad telling the server that it was undercooked as she was extremely accommodating. The server came all the way from across the restaurant and asked my friend "is that steak too red for you? let me grab you a new one." and returned with a perfectly cooked steak.
THAT'S service.
Will definitely come back here again, if I ever happen to be in Tampa.
And they have $3 PBR'S!
Very impressed with my first experience!
Love the vibe. My friend and I both commented that it reminded us of a place in Atlanta or Chicago. Renovated gas station with nice dark wood walls featuring rock band posters.
This is a very happening place on a Saturday night and even with calling the day before for reservations we didn't get in until 8:30pm. This is the kind of place where reservations are key. The atmosphere isn't stuffy or pretentious and I felt perfectly comfortable in jeans. Â
I arrived early and enjoyed a Huckleberry Hound cocktail. Booze shouldn't be allowed to taste this good. Vodka, ginger, lime and blueberries. My friend ordered a cucumber drink which was also amazing. We started with the Boca-dito Tasting, which was a mixture of fresh bread with spreads and assorted sweet and savory toppings. There was more than enough for the two of us to share and the flavors were fabulous.
For dinner, I had the Oak Grilled Flat Iron Steak. It was cooked perfectly medium rare to order and came with a parsnip mash, haricot vert, and a cabernet glaze. Perfect! My friend ordered the Seared Diver Scallops ala Orange. She loved it. The portions are reasonable, not huge but not tiny. We both just about cleaned our plates.
We did not indulge in dessert. The dessert menu didn't really have many options and nothing was speaking to me. That's a good and bad thing.
My friend had bought a half price gift certificate from Creative Loafing which was worth $25. Our total was about $80 for the two of us (app, 2 cocktails, 2 entrees) and then $55 with the discount. Honestly, it was worth every last penny.
Last night was my first experience at Boca and it was hands down one of the best meals I've had in a while.
My friend and I had a 6:15 reservation but we arrived early and had no trouble getting in. That's a great reward to going out to dinner on a Tuesday night early in South Tampa! Boca prides itself on fresh, local ingredients and a lot of organics which I don't really care too much about but after eating their meals I can certainly taste the difference,
We were greeted promplty by our server and I ordered a lovely organic Pinot Noir. I love the organic wines because they never seem to give me a headache which I can get from red wine very easily.
For a starter we both selected soup. I had their version of the tomato bisque and with the fresh, local heirloom tomatoes, it was divine. Nice, warm, and creamy, exactly what you want from tomato soup! My friend had the tomatoe and watermelon gazpacho and let me taste it. I can't decide which was better! They were both awesome, awesome soups.
As for dinner we both chose the special of the night, known as the "Staff Meal." It changes frequently but last night it was grilled chicken with a red pepper sauce, asparagus that was divine, served over a pancetta polenta. Yup, that's right: pancetta polenta. I died and went to bacon heaven. Everything was perfectly cooked and served nice and hot.
The final delight of our dinner was the dessert. We chose the Chambord Sabayon and Fresh Berries. This is an Italian custard made with eggs and yes, Chambord served with the most delicious berries I've ever eaten.
From start to finish this meal and restaurant were excellent. The vibe is great and the decor is interesting and yet still feels homey and warm. I'll be a regular at Boca for sure and I can't wait to go back!
Excellent! Was recommended by the hotel we were staying at. Went over for lunch and was impressed the moment we walked in the door. Nice atmosphere, food on tables looked great and the hostess was on it right away.
Fairly simple menu but lots of great choices. My wife ordered a lobster sandwich. Generous portion of lobster and the house cut fries were delicious. Nice touch was the housemade ketchup.
I ordered a flatbread and salad. The butter lettuce was perfect and the lime dressing was ideal on it. The flatbread was the best I've ever had. Crispy, tasty crust topped with caramalized onion, sweet cherry tomatoes and egg. (It also came with bacon and sausage which I had held odd as I'm vegetarian). It was really, really delicious.
Highly recommend this place.
Solid meal & service.
I had the steak, which was nicely seasoned with a great sauce. Some of the steak was chewy? Largely, I really couldn't complain,as I ate all of it.
The parsnip mashed potatoes were to die for, along with the haricot verts & the shaved, crispy bacon topping.
Interested to go back & try more-
I've been to this place twice for brunch and I have not been disappointed at all.
This last time, we had a fairly large party and it was not a problem getting a table. Our server was Melissa and she was really nice, helpful, and checked on us regularly.
They have a great menu for brunch drinks. I ordered a cucumber cocktail was as delicious as it was refreshing. My friends ordered the different kind of mimosas that they have and they all really enjoyed them.
This past time I ordered "The Hangover Panini" and HOLY COW it was awesome! There was sausage, eggs, bacon, onions, and  gruyere on it. I had never heard of the cheese  gruyere before, but I am now a fan. The meal also came with potatoes and it was even good heated up later that day!
A part of this restaurant that I really enjoyed was the tiny little utensils. There's something about a tiny fork and spoon to scoop out sauce that I find adorable. I know this has no real relevance in the grand scheme of things, but it was honestly one of my favorite parts of the restaurant:-)
This is one of our favorite restaurants for their cocktails, beer, and their outstanding food. Â Their staff meal, which changes daily, is always a good choice for either dinner or brunch. Â I have had a softshell crab sandwich for brunch which was great and my wife enjoyed her duck eggs with hash. Â Smoked braised shank was so tender and flavorful, literally melt in your mouth.
When we came here for my wife's birthday everything went fairly well. Â I made reservations for outdoor seating and they came through with that. Â The wife loves her al fresco dining. Â It was a party of about 10 or 11. Â Our waiter was pretty slow with our drinks, not a huge deal. Â The biggest complaint I have is that two people in our party are vegetarians and they asked if a spread from the breads and spreads menu item could be subbed out and just double up on one but they were told no, the spreads are all portioned out for the evening. Â This just seemed a bit ridiculous to me. Â
The staff meal that evening was a chicken and dumplings dish. Â Wow! Â The wife ordered that and after tasting hers I wish I ordered it too. Â I ordered their OMG Prime House Burger. Â Problem was I ordered it med-rare and someone else ordered one well done. Â I got his, he got mine, couldn't tell until I bit into this nonjuicy burger. Â They need some sort of system to identify which is which in a situation like this.
This place is a real gem. Â I have been here twice for brunch and both times have been great experiences. Â They have really delicious breakfast cocktails. Â My favorite is the grapefruit mimosa - it doesn't have the sweetness of a regular mimosa and I like it!
This past time I went for the chicken sandwich. Â It was probably the best chicken sandwich I have ever had. Â It is covered in a fresh aioli sauce and it comes with fries that were made in duck fat. Â That's right.. fries in DUCK FAT.
I really can't wait to come back here for dinner. Â I really love the set up in here and can appreciate that Boca supports eating fresh and local. Â Really great addition to the Tampa Bay area.
I was expecting this place to be really hit or miss, and I was right. But I have to give it 4 stars because everything we ordered was delicious.
Service: This is the kind of place where you have to be patient. Because it may take 5 minutes for someone to take your order, or 20 minutes. You may get your food fast, or it make take 30 minutes. It may take a REALLY long time to get your first course, and then the minute you take your first bite of the appetizer, your entrees arrive. You may also get here and be told they have no tables, even though the restaurant is 3/4 empty. All of this happened to me on the same day.
Location/atmosphere: Don't sit outside unless you want to inhale car exhaust during your meal.
Food: The burger is EXCELLENT. The caprese was EXCELLENT. The meatloaf was EXCELLENT.
Despite this place being run very poorly, I would go back for the food.
Dinner for 2 +tip= $90!
Boca prides themselves in FRESH ingredients. Â I ordered their special that is cooked in parchment paper. Â It reminded me of a pot roast but with shrimp instead. Â It was so tasty! Â Oddly enough though, I was still hungry after I finished it (I'm very petite so for me to be hungry still, is a big deal). Â Worth $25? Â Not if I'm still hungry afterwards.
My husband had the grouper. Â It too was tasty and cooked perfectly. Â Worth $30? Â Nope...he was still hungry too. Â
The only way to fix the hunger problem was to order the berry dessert that was cooked in a skillet and had ice cream. Â WOW Â so good! Â So, we left with full bellies, but not feeling stuffed.
I don't recommend their mixed drinks. We had two different ones and they were both mixed too strong.
Over the last year I have been to Boca about 5 times and never been disappointed. Â The concept of the restaurant (farm to table) is really new to Tampa and offers something different than most places in the area. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the servers are extremely knowledgeable on the menu and always appear to be happy to be waiting on you. The specials are always changing and I really appreciate being able to try something new the chef has created each time I come plus I love that the servers will always convince you to get the special by reminding you everything else will always be on the menu to try next time. The service that I have experience here is easily ranks one of the best in town. If you are trying this place for the first time make sure to ask about the staff meals, these are rotating specials and very reasonably priced.
Since I always get the specials or staff meals I can't really remember everything that I have tried but you can't go wrong with one of the steaks. They have always been cooked to perfection. The goat cheese on the Organic Spinach Salad is to die for amazing. The Heirloom and Swine is the best flatbread I have ever had and I almost wanted to drink the sauce in the Mussel's appetizer (too bad I was there for a work related dinner- that could get awkward). I suggest trying the Huckleberry Hound or Georgia on my Mind cocktail with any meal you decide on.
Restaurants like Boca are the reason I frequently get into arguments with people who tell me Tampa's culinary scene is lacking.
My first visit to Boca was for brunch, and while my BLT topped with duck egg was great, it wasn't necessarily worth the price point. (This place isn't cheap, but keep in mind you're paying for high quality, local ingredients). The home fries were awesome, though.
Then I went back for dinner, and I was blown away...
At my dining mate's insistence, we HAD to order the meatloaf. She had it on a previous visit and had not stopped raving about it. Meatloaf is one of my favorite foods, so I had high hopes.
When our server told us they were out meatloaf that night, we literally both let out a very disappointed "nooooooo!" in unison. This was the reason we had come in for dinner, after all. We made such an impression (read: our server was freaked out by us) that the next thing we knew, the chef came out to our table and told us he would make meatloaf just for us. He explained they were out of the gravy, but we could still have it. THIS is customer service.
It turns out the meatloaf, even without any gravy, was totally worth throwing a hissy fit over. What makes it so amazing? They smoke it out back. Yes, smoked meatloaf. Imagine your mom's meatloaf on its best day had a meat baby with your favorite BBQ place. I cannot even describe how transcendent it tasted. My plate was embarrassingly empty despite the huge serving size.
Like a great date, I can't stop thinking about the meatloaf now and can't wait until we see one another again. The tricky thing is their dinner menu was full of great options, but it will be near impossible to go back and not order it again.
I was able to finally try out this restaurant during a recent work dinner. Â I wasn't sure what to expect given the various businesses that have operated in this building, but I was pleasantly surprised and can say that it is one of the best restaurants I have been to in the Tampa area. I do suggest making reservations as space and availability can be tight during peak dining hours. Â The particular night we were there, a lot of their draft beers were out of stock, which was a bit of an oddity for a restaurant of this magnitude.
The menu was pretty diverse and they do warn you that no substitutions or alterations to menu items will be accepted. Â I went with the staff pick, which for that night consisted of prawns with a bacon/cheese grit cake and broccolini. Â Normally I am not a big fan of grits, but I was advised by one of my coworkers that I would be pleased with the dish despite my hesitation. Â The other members of my group ordered a couple of their various flatbreads. Â All in all, I was extremely satisfied with my meal and so were the people I had come here with. Â We all wanted to try some of their infamous desserts, but we were too stuffed to even think about it. Â Definitely on the list for my next visit. Â
This is a must if you're looking for something different to try in Tampa
Came here with a bunch of people for a friend's going-away dinner and it was quite fortuitous because I've been wanting to come here for so long. I've heard nothing but great things about the dining experience here and (thankfully) this place met every positive expectation from the service to the food.
We started off with the Black & Bleu Flatbread, Fire Roasted Mussels and the Rye Braised Bone Marrow. The perfectly cooked mussels were some of the best I've had -- the Sambucca, garlic and herbs became the robustly flavorful broth for the mussels to swim around in. This was the first time I've ever had Bone Marrow where the french baguette served as the perfect vessel with which to eat this buttery, fatty deliciousness. "WOW" doesn't begin to describe the emotions I felt while eating this. I will continue to have dreams about that delectably amazing Bone Marrow. I didn't get a chance to try the flatbread, but it looked awesome. It had smoked tenderloin, caramelized onion and braised wild mushroom. I wish I had tried it because my mouth is watering while I write this.
A couple of the entrees that we ordered were the Seared Diver Scallops and the "Staff Meal". The seared scallops were nicely prepared served with a mustard green & radish salad, a roasted beet gratin then all drizzled with an orange vinaigrette. All the elements worked together in perfect harmony. I'm assuming the "Staff Meal" changes either daily or weekly, but at any rate, the Staff Meal during this visit was a Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab served over spaghetti squash and a fried grit cake all garnished with a seafood and veggie bouillabaise. While a great dish, stacked up against everything else we at that night it didn't impress me to the same degree as the other items. The grit cake was the star of the show on that plate, in my opinion.
We capped the meal off with the Stuffed Pumpkin Pie and the Fruit & Berry Crumble. The berry crumble has only local and seasonal fruit, baked in a cast iron skillet, then it's topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. Personally not being a dessert person, what I liked the most about it was that it wasn't too sweet. The pumpkin pie is baked inside a mini pumpkin, topped with creme fresh chantilly and served with sea salt caramel gelato. Simply UHHH-Mazing. If you come here, this is a must-have. Again, I'm not a dessert person at all but I fully endorse the Stuffed Pumpkin Pie.
Overall, the service is excellent and the food is great. Moreover, they pride themselves on buying local and focusing on seasonal ingredients which guarantees that everything is of the highest quality. I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit to see what else this place can whip up.
I'm not really sure how to review Boca. Â I can't say I have any complaints- but it also didn't completely wow me. Â
I had an egg, pepper & spinach frittata that was good- and the has browns (more like home fries) served with it were delicious. Â
A lot of items on the menu seemed really pricey.....a basket of assorted bread for $12? Â I was almost tempted to get it to see what could possibly be in it. Â
There's complimentary valet parking...which is really just code for "we dont have a proper parking lot here". Â
They did have some interesting looking drink choices- but due to my need to be productive today, I had to pass.
Overall, your usual run of the mill Tampa Sunday brunch. Â I may come back, or may not. Â Nothing swaying me either way.
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