The Pinery

"The Pinery exceeded our expectations. They had complimentary valet parking. Our valet was very nice and even offered to carry our bags to our vehicle. He had our car out and waiting on us when we were done eating; we did not have to wait on him. This place had a great ambiance and was perfect for a date night or a celebration night; in our case it was our anniversary and family vacation all in one. We came to eat from a theme park and called ahead to make sure there was no dress code which there was not; we were not treated any differently based off of how we were dressed or with our two young kids. The high chair straps worked really well; not all restaurants have high chairs that are all there with working straps. We had the best waiter; I wish I could remember his name. He made sure our drinks were always full, was knowledgeable of the menu and the history of the restaurant, and if there was something he did not know about the menu he would go and ask the chef. Our waiter even inquired about allergies when taking our order. When our one year old dropped the napkin on the floor playing peek a boo the waiter picked it up and brought a new one automatically. We had a good variety of food at this restaurant. Starting with appetizers we had coconut shrimp and the broiled blue crab dip which were both absolutely amazing to the point of borderline best part of our meal. It was the best crab dip we’ve ever had making us second guess everywhere else we’ve had crab dip. The shrimp was cooked to perfection with a sauce that had just enough spice it wasn’t too spicy; we enjoyed it so much it could have been our meal. For entrees we got the chicken fried steak meal that came with yukon gold mashed potatoes, butter poached broccoli, and sawmill gravy and the Ivanhoe Short Rib that came with the smoked pineapple, coconut jasmine rice, and florribbean au jus. The chicken fried steak was tender and the broccoli had good flavor; we just wish that the gravy was also on top of the potatoes and not just on the meat. The short rib was very tender and packed with flavor. The coconut jasmine rice was ok, it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t as packed with flavor as everything else we had there. The pineapple spear was definitely odd; it wasn’t bad but wasn’t great, It was covered with some sort of mesquite flavor and grilled. We also got two sides for the table, one of fries and the other of risotto. The fries were the perfect crispness and perfect salt level; I said we got this for the table but my child almost did not share any. The risotto was on the thicker side of risotto’s that we have had made with vegetable stock base making it neutral but very creamy; it was a perfect addition for any of the entrees that we had. For dessert we had a key lime pie and the hummingbird cake. The key lime pie was smooth with a nice tartness and was about the size of a mini graham cracker pie crust. The hummingbird cake in comparison was a huge slice that could easily be shared with the table for our family of 4; overall the frosting was the perfect sweetness, the cake was slightly on the dry side but had good flavor, and was nice and nutty with the nuts not being too overly hard. Our leftovers were boxed and bagged up for us. We will definitely be eating here again when in town."

"Perfect place for celebrations! From the moment we called to reserve a table for a birthday dinner we wanted to have for a dear friend, to the time we arrive and throughout the service, the manager and our wonderful waiter took great care of us. Their warm southern hospitality and attention to detail was exceptional! Service, food and cocktails were delicious. They worked with us to create a menu that was tailored just for us. We even received a printed custom copy of the birthday menu with our friend’s name on it! It was truly an experience I will remember. They truly made her day special. I highly recommend you try!"

"The atmosphere was welcoming and warm. High booths cut down on the background ambient noise. Stopped in for an early meal. The food was very good and well prepared but not awe inspiring. The blue crab dip was excellent with a decent portion to share between 2 people. The small order of the BLT wedge salad was a generous portion with plenty of delicious accoutrements. The double smash burger was decent but a bit on the well done side for my taste. Parmesan truffle fries were crispy but not hot which was disappointing. The hummingbird cake was moist and delicious. Their “Golden Hour” bar specials aren’t so “happy” for beer drinkers. The happy hour price is $7 for a draft beer, which is what most places charge for a non-happy hour draft."