Can't get enough of the place. Excited for the new addition to open across the street !
(5)
LaKesha C.
Went there for an anniversary dinner. We weren't that hungry so we ordered a few appetizers and boy were they delicious. The calamari was perfect! The live entertainment was good. The drinks were great! The service was good.
(3)
Rosemary S.
We decided to try this place for restaurant week. Although we didn't order from the fixed menu (too much food) we were delighted with our selections. I had a yummy salad topped with Salmon and my husband, much to my surprise order Salmon as well that was topped with artichokes ( not something he eats) we both loved it. They also serve bread with a side of tomato sauce with a dollop of ricotta, OMG how amazing. We well be back.
Awesome food. I love this place. In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in Tampa. I always get the filet with mac and cheese. Fantastic!
(5)
Lauren R.
I spent quite a bit of time researching restaurants in Tampa before my visit, looking for the perfect place to take my best friend to dinner to celebrate that she's expecting. Silly me didn't realize the long list of foods you can't have when you're pregnant, and that coupled with my friend's admittedly non-adventurous tastes limited us from tapas at Ceviche like I really wanted. So I went on the hunt for a modern, fun place with a relatively tame but tasty menu and nice ambiance without being overly expensive. Given my lengthy requirements, 717 fit the bill quite nicely. Good menu with lots of options, and the Italian/Pacific Rim theme didn't clash nearly as much as I expected. The rolled pesto bread and marinara three cheese spread that the waiter brought to start was really, really yummy. I appreciated that the entrees include a choice of soup or salad, and my tomato bisque was delicious (though very similar in flavor to the bread dip) and the mixed greens salad had a tasty honey mustard vinaigrette dressing. We both ordered from the Italian side of the menu, and the Delmonico steak and grilled smoked salmon dishes were both good. Service was excellent, I had a couple of glasses of white wine that was on the inexpensive side but quite good, and our little old waiter joked around with us good-naturedly when my friend ordered a Shirley Temple. 717 is a cute little restaurant with decent decor and a good vibe. Its in a cute little area, though I think that it was located towards the end of the heart of the restaurant district so most of the action is a little further down.
(4)
Todd O.
717 is on the nicer side of places to go on Howard. It's generally got a pretty good sized crowd and the food is good. I got the salmon here which was really good.
(4)
Jeff C.
I usually prefer local stores over franchise. Was really excited to see the comparison between this and Bonefish and decided to give it a try. I walk away disappointed though. Restaurant deco is very nice, tall ceiling, comfortable chairs, friendly wait staff. But food definitely needs improvement. Pork Rib egg roll was ok, the two sauces that came with it neither compliment or enhance the flavor. Kind of like odd couple forced together. Calamari appetizer has great presentation, but that's about it. Probably the smallest rings I have seen and tasty very bland, with or without the pretty sauce. I ordered the daily special, crab cake with shrimp. The crab cake itself was average, the shrimps were very rubbery. The only thing good is the sauce, which is actually quite tasty.
(2)
Raj A.
Yes the food is not a full 5/5 but good enough for what we paid,the service was allright,maybe they werent interested in smaller tables.but the ambiance and the deco is quite attractive..We stayed there for over three hours and kept snacking on the bread till they ran out of it.good place for a date,friends but not that calm for when outing with the family.Upside is Starbucks is just outside!Y
(4)
Pasquale R.
When my gf's sister suggested this place, I was intrigued. An Asian/Italian upscale (or wanna be) restaurant. Coming from the area that has the best Italian food outside of Italy, I didn't expect much. When we walked in we were seated promptly (we had reservations which I recommend). We sat down and was greeted by a very friendly waiter. I ordered there seafood bisque (very good) to start out. The bread here is what makes the place. It's made fresh frequently and right out of the oven. My gf started with the Caesar Salad and then we received the main courses. The server, although friendly, was infrequent. Talkative yet spotty. For meals; me: Chicken Calabria (not much seasoning but ok), gf: macadamia chicken (same deal as me), gf's sister: Asian pot roast. Probably the best of the bunch. We did not get dessert. Overall good place but not a place when I am back in town I will go out of my way to go to.
(3)
Jimmy D.
This place is great... as long as you didn't just move here from NYC or Long Island. Went here the other night at around 6:30pm on my never-ending quest to find a truly great restaurant in Tampa. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. She explained that they were booked for the night but that we could sit at one of the high-top bar tables if we wanted to. The only one available was the one closest to the door so we decided out loud that we would just come back another night when we had reservations. She went to talk to someone else and came back and said that someone who had a reservation was 10 minutes late and that if we wanted to wait 5 minutes we could have their table if they didn't show up, so we waited and got the table :) Apparently they're known for the bread they bring you when you are seated. It was pretty good, but the sauce it comes with was on the verge of being cold. More bread a little later, sauce still cold-ish. Calamari appetizer was ok (hard to mess this one up) although the pieces were surprisingly small. I got the Asian Pot Roast and it was very, very good (for Tampa). Girlfriend got the Macadamia Chicken and we were both very disappointed. The description made it sound incredible. We were expecting big, thick chicken cutlets, seasoned, breaded and/or encrusted in macadamia nuts, and what we got were 2 very thin pieces of chicken that could have easily come from a TV dinner, and they appeared to be boiled oddly enough as there were no grill marks or any sign that it was cooked on a flat-top. Dessert time. We ordered the lava cake. Hard to give this a bad review but I'll say this: I had the same dessert recently on a cruise ship where it was mass-produced by the thousands every night, and somehow Carnival's was better :( Best part of this experience was the very friendly and helpful hostess, and our waitress who was really a bar-tender but picking up a shift for the night, she was great, too. Sadly this was the second best restaurant experience we have had in Tampa as far as the food goes, with the first being at Jasmine Thai on Westshore. We'll keep trying.
(3)
Josh M.
Bread and dipping sauce is the best thing there. Menu has a lot of options. I prefer it for lunch over dinner.
(3)
Matthew H.
We're here for dinner on Monday (4/9/12), service was slow, had to wait a long time for everything....drinks, meal order to be taken, food to be delivered. They were not short handed - identified 3 waiters and someone clearing tables - we were 1 of 6 tables.
(1)
Keith H.
My girlfriend took me to 717 South to celebrate my passing of the Florida Bar Exam. Beyond the restaurant being noticeably dusty, things began to go sour from the start. My girlfriend made sure to mention that we were celebrating a special occasion and ordered champagne. The server then returned and told us that they were all out of champagne. She then simply handed us the drink menu again and said, "but you can pick something else," and then she walked away. My girlfriend then got up and walked over to the server to order a sparkling wine. The server's attitude throughout was that this was our problem and she didn't care. Finally we were brought two bottles of sparkling wine, with the labels worn off from being previously iced down. When we chose one we found out they weren't even cold and that they had to be chilled. At this time our appetizer's arrived, the brie was good but the calamari was dry and rubbery. At this point it was clear our attempt to celebrate at 717 was pretty much ruined by our server's callous attitude. I was prompted to write this review because my girlfriend was nearly in tears over the fact that the celebratory dinner she had planned was so thoroughly ruined by the staff's lack of concern and the poor food quality. We ended up going to Bonefish Grill and had a wonderful meal. The restaurant had champagne; our server was attentive and pleasant; the food was great; and we were given a free dessert for our special occasion. We would not recommend 717 South to anyone nor will we visit it again.
(1)
Claudia D.
This place is awesome! The design of the bar and restaurant is very narrow but with a lot of space. The walls are covered with paints and is more inclined for romantic food lovers. The wine selection is wide and the service is magnificent. The food, nevertheless was outstanding and the music was just perfect. The staff was fast and well aware of their clients needs. They were very friendly and of course good looking! Although it was casual dress code most of all the people were dressed up for party time. If you are looking for a place in Tampa, you MUST visit the 717 South. :)
(4)
Matt B.
Ate here on a little weekend getaway. We were pleased with the food and service, and we had a great time.
(3)
RD E.
Solid menu, good food, great service
(4)
Jack W.
I've read mixed reviews of 717 but I have to give it plenty of props. When I went it was early - around 7:30, so maybe that's why I got such great service and such great food. I had a dorado special they had and it was very sweet, in a ponzu kind of sauce. The place has definitely got an Asian influence going and it's nice to see a decent fusion restaurant making it in Tampa!
(4)
Stephanie G.
The Hubs and I stopped in for lunch recently. We were sat quickly by the bartender who was also our waitress. I had the Warm Spinach Salad with grilled chicken. Delicious! Loved the warm goat cheese. So good. Hubs had Macadamia Nut Chicken Salad sandwich which he would have preferred without fries since he is watching his fried food intake, but those fries did look good! Efficient lunch service. Will try again for dinner some time.
(4)
Chad L.
Had an excellent dinner here tonight. The restaurant if visually quite striking, with the Art Deco prints and wall dividers. Interestingly, the front of the restaurant is far noisier than the booths / tables in the back, so if you want a quieter more secluded meal, sit in the back (there is a large private dining room there as well for large groups). We started with the bread which was outstanding, followed by Chilled wedge salad and a warm spinach salad with goat cheese which tasted extremely fresh, brought out in really interesting plates. The spinach was brought out in a parm bowl. For entrees we had the New York Strip which was perfectly cooked medium rare with bacon mac N cheese which was one of the best meals Ive had in about a year! The wife had Snapper with crab and a risotto cake and swiss chard. Also lick the plate good! But the real hit of the night was Alex our server! She was outstanding even being an FSU fan! She is literally the best server I have had the pleasure of meeting. Give this girl a promotion!!! Hey, Alex GO GATORS!!! lol No room for deserts, plus they really didn't look that interesting. After dinner stopped by the bar for a quick drink. Some good wines by the glass for $5. All-in-all, an outstanding dinner with great service (Alex) and can't wait to return to try something else.
(5)
Stephany P.
Great atmosphere, awesome service and delicious food. Our waiter was extremely accommodating, fun and engaged in great conversation! He told us to try the short rib spring rolls for an app and it didn't disappoint. I had the crab cake a tree that came with a red quinoa and watercress, a very light but filling meal. The crab cake was more crab than anything, which at other place it tends to be more mayo-y. My boyfriend had the pork delmonico which was AMAZING. The sauce for the pork was the right amount of smokey, sweet and savory. The side of bacon Mac and cheese made me want to just take his plate. It was TO DIE FOR, I truly wish I wasn't watching my figure because i would've ordered a side of the Mac and cheese for myself! Lol The only reason I don't give the full 5 stars is due to the fact that this was only my first time here. 5 stars are awarded only after I have been on several occasions. Other than that, this is a great date spot!
(4)
Sara S.
Great, gluttonous, glorious food. A little forgotten about with all the new places popping up in Soho, but this place should remain a staple in South Tampa. They are all about the flavors - Rich sauces, heavy pasta dishes, decadent desserts, unique appetizers. Don't come here if you're calorie counting. Come here for a great meal in a lively environment. Like the roaring 20s, you'll find art deco prints, lively conversations at the bar, an open bustling kitchen, and a bit of an upscale atmosphere. Unlike the other Soho restaurants, 717 actually has a parking lot without valet. They share it with Starbucks, so there's no guarantee you'll find a space. Photos are posted with descriptions. I highly recommend the brussel sprouts and chocolate cake if you are a chocoholic.
(4)
Mallory W.
The food at 717 is what justifies the 3 star rating. Unfortunately, the service was more like a 1.5. We made reservations at 717 for 730 on a Friday. The restaurant wasn't full, but was beginning to get busy. I'd say they were at 75%-80% capacity at the time. We waited a few minutes and then were seated in a secluded private room in the back, which felt a little uncomfortable as there were open tables and booths in the main dining area and we were placed in quarantine. Anyway, we sat down for a whole 30 seconds until another server came over and told us that we can't sit here because it's reserved for a private party.. Well, this is awkward.. We got up and stood in a small path between the kitchen and bar until another table was made up for us. Finally, we have a table to call our own (nevermind that it's in the middle of the walking path - well take what we can get at this point) ! The manager, who was made aware of the situation by several hostesses and servers, walked by us several times without offering so much as "sorry about the confusion".. That was disappointing Once dinner started, we decided to chalk it up to miscommunication between the hostesses, and we started to enjoy our evening. We had a few glasses of good red wine, the shrimp and grits ( cheddar grits topped with a hint of sausage gravy - mouth watering!) roasted beet and arugula salad (generous portion sizes!), and the local red snapper topped with lobster. Oh, and a sweet server who always has a smile on her face. Everything we ate was delicious, almost delicious enough to make me forget about the uncomfortable first 15 minutes at the restaurant.
(3)
Natalie T.
The bacon Mac n cheese as a side dish is a MUST if you come here. This place is awesome and I'm very surprised this isn't one of the more popular restaurants in soho. The food was wonderful I got a stuffed chicken breast with a side of bacon Mac n cheese that was amazing , my boyfriend got the ribeye that came with fingerling potatoes with a honey glaze that was also delicious. Our service was great and our server also mentioned they are changing the menu soon and we are excited to go back.
(5)
Diana G.
The staff welcomed us as soon as we walked in. Our waiter quickly took our drink order and answered our questions regarding the menu. We questioned the jalapeño sweet potato mash on the spice scale and brought a sample out for proof that it was not spicy. The food was delicious, hot, and well plated. I recommend the Baked Farfalle pasta, delicious! I would come back and recommend it. Can't wait to try Ava, their new restaurant addition! The owner, Mike, thanked us at the door and took our picture for us. He was genuine, it's no wonder the staff was as friendly as they were! This place is Girls Night Approved!
(5)
Michael J.
After seeing all of the great reviews, I took my other half out for a nice dinner at 717 South last night, sincerely hoping that it would live up to the reviews. We booked a reservation on opentable.com , and arrived 5 minutes early. We were seated immediately. Anthony, the server was awesome! But, not only was the service awesome, so was the food! Everything lived up to the tons of the positive reviews that I have seen on here and other sites... We were both impressed, and will return soon..!
(5)
Allison N.
It's very strange to me that I had never been to 717 South because I've pretty much been to all of the other restaurants on South Howard already. In fact, I used to run by this place all the time and thought, "Oh, there's 717 South," and pretty much didn't think anything else. So when I decided to come here, I was stepping a little bit outside my normal realm of restaurants. It seemed like a nice place, so I figured I would give it a shot. We came in and had reservations so we were seated immediately. The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty trendy but does not cater to the younger Soho crowd which congregates a little bit further up the street. We started with the baked brie, which was VERY good. It was topped with a cranberry mixture which provided a wonderful tart and sweet taste with the richness of the brie. Really a great appetizer. Afterwards, we were brought this pesto bread which came with a tomato and cheese mixture. This was REALLY good and was an excellent bread choice. I don't even like bread but that tomato and cheese sauce mixture was awesome and very unique. For dinner I opted for the macadamia nut chicken with broccoli and the chef's vegetable, which was asparagus. The broccoli was average. The asparagus was pretty good. The chicken itself was tasty, but it felt super fried and greasy. The cream sauce that came with the chicken was very delicious though, and provided a good diversity to the chicken. My boyfriend got the stuffed chicken which he said was very good BUT then he found out midway through that the middle of the chicken was undercooked. I felt bad because it was basically raw. That is sort of scary to me and caused him quite a bit of worry that he would get sick. Never good! We told our waiter and he sent it back and brought out a new, fully cooked stuffed chicken. It was taken off of our check which was very much appreciated. The service was pretty good and it was quick. The servers were very accommodating and understanding when we had to send food back, and taking the undercooked meal off of the check was very nice of them. I like when restaurants acknowledge their customers and go out of their way to make up mistakes for them. Overall I would give this a high three-star rating, but for Yelp's sake, I'm going to round up.
Seven 17 South is one of my "go to" bars with a great Happy Hour. I have been coming here for years because of their consistently great food, drinks, service, and it is very close to my home. We were seated in the back and Tasha was our server. She was a delight to deal with, she was always smiling and had a very good sense of humor, especially to deal with two smartasses like us! We weren't too hungry, so we decided to order several appetizers and several drinks. We ordered the edamame, the Havana Spring Rolls, and the Fish Tacos. The edamame was perfectly steamed, as usual. The Havana Short Rib Spring Rolls were also good and very tasty. I had never had the Fish Tacos before and I was looking forward to trying them out. Apparently, I have been missing out! They were delicious and I loved the aioli sauce they were served with! The cocktails were great! I have had the Blood Orange Martini on my previous visits and ordered that as my first drink. My second drink was the Soho Socialite, a drink named after me, haha! The Soho Socialite was made with Nolet's Gin muddled with fresh strawberries and fresh lime, served with a splash of sour. It was very good and I will be adding it to my "must drink" list for Seven 17 South. Seven 17 South is a great place for a casual or romantic dinner and they have a great priced Happy Hour too! They are also featured on Groupon, Living Social, and a few of the other discount sites so this would be a great way to try them out!
(4)
Josh A.
Top 10 in Tampa no doubt. Top quality service and food. Steak, pasta or fish you can't go wrong. The bacon Mac and Cheese is AMAZING!
(5)
Joanna C.
WOW! This was a wonderful first time experience! I've been wanting to go since they opened, but hadn't made the time. I will definitely be back! The service was about 3 stars, the food was 4.5 stars. We started with the crab bisque, which was good, but not outstanding (despite the large chucks of crab). But the rest of the meal was outstanding. The brussels sprouts ($8.9 - Parmeginano regginano, smoked sea salt lightly pan fried in fresh lime) were fantastic!!! SOOOOO good - grilled and flavorful, bright and dynamic. I'd get them over and over. We also had the beet salad ($9.9 - fresh MontChevre goat cheese, toasted walnuts & white balsamic vinaigrette) which was perfectly balanced between the beets, feta and vinaigrette. Our entree was the Oven Baked Fresh Gulf Grouper ($28.9) and with a lobster mousse, lobster cream sauce, bacon truffle mac & cheese and broccoli. The broccoli dipped the cream sauce was amazing. Because we split this entree, it wasn't overwhelming heavy, and we each had the perfect portion. I'd recommend 717 South to just about anyone. It has a wide and diverse menu suitable for just about any pallet. The service could be improved on (speed and friendliness), but I'm definitely looking forward to my visit!
(4)
Joyce H.
Came here for my birthday. The atmosphere was nice. We ordered two fish dishes...the fish was deee---lish! The sides were interesting and a smidge salty. Before we chomp on our entrees, we tried the calamari which was good and the bread (which comes with the meal) is AMAZING! If we had to choose over the calamari or bread...bread for sure! What made my night was the Key Lime Pie...there was a mixture of raspberry and mango sauce which comes with the dessert and I was floating on cloud nine. The meals are huge so order a bunch of appetizers and share a entree. It's the way to go! Bon appetit!
(3)
Derek N.
Came with an open mind, left with a full stomach! This was the first time I had been here to eat dinner and not a work function. I was quite impressed with the speed of service that we received. I ordered a draft beer for my dinner, they had a few draft craft beers, which was cold and good. For an appetizer we ordered the Havana Short rib "Spring Rolls". There were very interesting. They were good, and the almond guava paste & Peruvian aioli were different. The best was the almond guava paste, the aioli was ok, but the dish could have used a little heat. After the starter I ordered a small Cesar salad. Was not super impressed, the salad came out dry and could shave used a little more dressing. For my dinner I ordered the Lollipop Pork chop. THIS WAS AMAZING! The portion was plenty big and the pork chop was juicy, flavorful and tasty. The description read "lightly smoked, Old Smokey Tennessee "apple pie moonshine", served with "house cured bacon truffle" macaroni & cheese, Chef's veg". THAT IS WHAT SOLD ME! The pork chop was smoked perfectly and that Mac & Cheese was AWESOME!!!! I would have ordered an additional side of it, but I was STUFFED!!!! The chefs veg was grilled asparagus, my favorite, and it was cooked and seasoned well.
On a drunken night at 4am in Vegas I stumbled upon the most amazing shrimp and grits dish I had ever tasted. Since then I have been searching high and low for an awesome shrimp and grits place in Tampa. The fact that I wasn't in a semi drunken state and I still found the shrimp and grits at 717 delicous says a lot! The hubby and I had the duck burger, baked Brie, and shrimp and grits. It was all scrumptious. The service was decent and the atmosphere trendy and gourmet. I would definitely come back here to try other items in addition to my new staple-- shrimp and grits!
(4)
Claire K.
Second visit and I want to go back. The Line Up: 8oz Sirloin, medium rare w/ fried onions, garlic mashed potatoes Chicken Calabria Apple Pie a la mode The Verdict: The meals were wonderful and the ambiance can't be beat. I made a reservation via Open Table & we had a lovely booth toward the back. Service was top notch by Anthony. He was receptive and accommodating. He packed up our dessert to go, easy for transport. Loved.
(4)
Edna C.
I initially thought 717 was the area code and along with the world south, I was expecting local specialty Southern food. After eating here I thought it was new American, but I just now found out that it's classified as Italian and Asian fusion (is that possible?!) Bread with marinara dip (complimentary): I've found that $$$ places paradoxically have underwhelming bread/dip--maybe it's because you're expected to order expensive appetizers. The bread was just average, and the tomato sauce dip could not have been any more generic. It was uncomfortably reminiscent of dipping leftover bread in the remnants of sauce from a pasta dish. French fries ($5): Not the best I've had, but it's definitely closer to gourmet French fries. First of all, the thin cutting looks more elegant and distinguishes it from fast food. It seems to have been fried in some delicious fatty oil, or whatever they do to give fries the mouth-watering texture and indulgence. Ocean Fresh Salmon ($23.9), Madagascar vanilla bean & brown sugar cured, leeks, shitake mushrooms, ginger soy aioli, jalapeño sweet potato mash, Chef's vegetables: That menu description is a mouthful! I was concerned that it would be a mouthful of random flavors, but it turned out to be a delightful piece of culinary engineering. If caramelized grilled salmon were possible, this is the closest it'd get. The hint of Asian seasonings and smokiness from the curing balanced the sweetness well, bringing the inherent savory heartiness back to the salmon. The decent portion size allows you to endlessly enjoy and explore this complex dish. The sweet potato mash and vegetables (asparagus that day) were good too, but not so unique as to warrant the literary description endowed to the salmon. Ambiance and service were nice, but perhaps not quite memorable enough for a $$$ restaurant. They did a good job accommodating our large group at a long table, though it was quite a wait. It was indeed $$$ for me because although 18% gratuity was already added, there was an extra blank line for tip so I ended up tipping twice.
(3)
Kathy D.
Wow this is a tough review to write. I have been tossing it around for a few days and reliving the experience, and now feel prepared to write my review. For this restaurant row area, I was impressed with the parking lot and ability for ease of parking. The restaurant itself is very warm and inviting, as well a upscale with class. The bar looked inviting, but unfortunately I did not have time to check that out. We were in a private dinning room in the back, due to the size of our party. The private room was bland and dull. For a restaurant of this caliber, I was amazed and disdained that they had white paper over the table clothes, I have only seen this at a few really inexpensive restaurants, I wanted to ask for the crayons to color. The water glasses were already set and filled and 1/2 the table had ice cubes, while the other half had cool water, no ice. The menu is a very nice mixture of offerings from appetizers, seafood, steaks, specialties to even 2 pasta dishes. I ordered a glass of wine to begin my meal. Granted this is a pet peeve of mine, but don't give me a large beautiful wine glass and then come pour in 4-6 ounces. Just fill it about half full and we are good. I am sure there was a wine list, but I did not see it or I would have ordered a bottle of wine. First came the pesto bread at room temperature and no real strucure. There was warm marinara with a dollop of Marskapone to dip your bead in. Due to the wholes in the bread and it's lack of density it was a real mess to eat. The flavor was unremarkable. I ordered the crab bisque. The lump meat crab was plentiful and sprinkled over the top of the bisque. When it arrived the first think I noticed was the skin that had formed on the top of the soup, not an appetizing look. Then I waited for them to arrive with fresh cracked black pepper for our appetizers. It ever appeared, I asked the server and she said she would be back with it, it never arrived, as I sat looking at my soup longingly. The manager kind of hovered over us all night. I asked him about the pepper and he pointed out there was 1 set of salt & pepper grocery store type of grinders for the entire table. My experience with even much lower Italian (or Italian fusion) restaurants is that they come with a big wood Peppermill and then grated cheese, not the case here. Let me say the bread disappeared when the appetizers arrived, never to be seen again. I finally got to taste my soup, the crab was sweet and delicious. The bisque was creamy with absolutely no depth of flavor or hint of any alcohol, it was underparts and definitely disapointing. I ordered the lasagna. It was a nice size with 2 pieces of toasted bread. The lasagna had great depth of flavor, a beautiful blend of meats & cheeses with a nice gravy. 1 of my neighbors got the rack of lamb, a very large portion and cooked medium rare. Another got the Asian pot roast and felt it was too sweet. A turkey burger, steak, seafood...many offerings. I did not hear many us and ahs. The fried Brussel sprouts were quite good as was my lasagna, I would order them agin. For dessert I got the chocolate molten cake It came out properly and the molten chocolate was quite good. The cake itself was quite dry and a bit overcooked. The vanilla ice cream was unremarkable. The manager was a bit overzealous in wanting to explain/ defend his food, I certainly can't blame him for that, the restaurant should be a major love in his life. The wait staff was effective and efficient. In my humble opinion, I believe this could be a 5* restaurant and may have been one at some point in time, but that time is not now. Paper covering tables...come on a major restaurant 101 mistake, tacky. The list goes on making my dining experience great because of the people I was with, but not because I was able to enjoy 1 of the 4 things I ordered. I would not be opposed to giving it another try. If nothing else I would like to try out their bar. What's a girl to do? You gotta roll with the hand you are dealt or ordered.
(3)
Nicholas V.
This place hasn't completely wowed me, although it's been good quality every time. A touch over priced on their steak menu, but it's one of the best options on the menu. Surely over 100$ for a dinner for two with a drink, and I think it should be closer to $70--$80 tops.
(4)
Brent F.
Excellent food, everyone needs to try the crab bisque soup. Seafood is amazing with the land fare just behind. Service is okay, atmosphere is okay.
(4)
KRISTEN C.
Good for the price! Nice menu and great atmosphere. I had the NY Strip and it was amazing. Well worth the money. Hangar steak was a little skimpy on the amount food.
(4)
Jasmine R.
I'm a happy hour buff so I was pleasently surprised that 717 has a decent one so I made sure to stop by. There is an average sized parking lot in the back but it is tight, even on Tuesday in a Prius, so be warned. The decore is nicer then what I expected. Lots of dark wood, white linens, and low lighting so this could easily could be an option for date night. The happy hour menu has several options and very fair discounted pricing. I will say that you have to make sure to ask for the happy hour menu because the bar maids were not forth coming with it and several of the patrons were surprised/clueless that there even was one. My duck spring rolls and glass of red definately hit the spot and even though it's the typcial pretencious South Tampa crowd most people in the bar area were very friendly and happy to engage in conversation. Overall it was a very good experience and I can see 717 being a regular stop for me.
(5)
Michael Z.
Seven 17 South has a lot of competition in the area, yet managed to deliver food and an experience that stood out. The vibe is modern and trendy with the now-mandatory open kitchen. Lots of dishes had unique twists on them so the menu lends itself to ordering small plates to make the decisions easier. The bar is also a focal point with some fairly different cocktails. Anytime one can blend jalapeño into a drink, I am impressed. This place does stand out relative to the rest of the joints on the strip in SoHo, so I would encourage a visit if you are in the area.
(4)
Jason M.
We enjoyed our very first visit to 717 very much. The service (thanks Brittany) was exceptional and the calibre of cuisine was outstanding. From the drinks to the app the the entree and dessert, everything was well timed and executed. The focus on fresh and local (when in season) ingredients is readily present in the presentation and palette. The sides complemented the main course quite well, with the 6oz filet and wild salmon featuring transcending flavors with shiitake mushrooms, spinach and broccoli. A date night consisting of three drinks, an app, two entrees and a shared dessert hit $100 on the nose before tip. Was it worth it? Absolutely and we will most certainly return.
(4)
Malcolm B.
First time here. Busy Saturday crowd, so obviously popular with the natives. Food pretty good: scallops in chervil sauce were excellent and the dick burger was good, if a little over-salted. Fries were really tasty and plentiful. I'd be happy to come here again and give it another go but to be honest, while good, it doesn't stand out from the crowd.
(3)
James A.
I've tried multiple items on the menu and everything is fantastic. The steaks are priced well and the flavor is dialed in nicely. The staff is prompt. Great date spot. Solid happy hour.
(5)
William W.
Again the food was excellent, and again the service was unbearable. After my friend politely let the waiter know that we had not yet ordered he proceeded to tell us 'he has other things to do'. It's a shame because both times I went food was good but the service just makes it not worth going back.
(1)
Andrea L.
Great vibe at this restaurant! Excellent Estancia Pinot Noir.. Also, they're having a ladies night giveaway on Thurs nights ( Louboutins, Louis Vuitton, etc)
(4)
Serguei V.
A pleasant early dinner at 717. Tried the lamb chops and it was pretty good. Nice and tender meat with a pistachio crust, includes sweet potatoes mash and green beans. It was enough for two people or maybe for a really hungry single person. I just wish they would serve it pre cut like lollipops. My date had the French martini and she said it was good. Wasn't stingy on the vodka:) Service was excellent; our waiter refreshed our basket of free focaccia with marina and herb butter sauce within 2 mins of finishing the bread without even having to ask. The hostess came over to ask us how are meal tasted. Very thoughtful. All in all the food is good (a 3 star), however the staff is excellent thus the four star review.
The food and service in this restaurant was excellent. I had the calamari, which was cooked perfectly and served with two dipping sauces. We ordered the crab cake and it was loaded with crab meat, very very good. The rib eye steak was cooked perfectly, exactly how we ordered and very tender. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)
Susan R.
Lovely Hyde Park neighborhood restaurant with terrific culinary skills and a charming outside eating area on Howard Ave, great for people watching. Started dinner by sharing a very tasty Caesar's salad and a very generous Caprese salad. Spouse enjoyed an entree of shrimp risoto (with huge shrimp!) while I ordered a wonderful, Asian inspired pan-seared red snapper. Our server, Jesse, was friendly, attentive, informative, and helpful during a sudden sun-shower. We shared a nice, mellow chardonnay and topped off dinner with the house-made key lime pie. 717 South is now a favorite!
(5)
Kristi T.
Eat it while it's cold!... Way overrated..... Came here very excited to try this hyped up South Tampa restaurant. Came on a Sunday at 7:30, more than enough time to enjoy a dinner for 2 and be out well before they close at 10pm. To start, the wine by the bottle list was covered in... Who knows what, some kind of stickiness. Pesto bread with red sauce and marscapone was delicious. Definitely a highlight. We ordered mushroom risotto with scallops and the hanger steak with mac and cheese. With only 2 other tables in the restaurant, it took over 30 minutes for entrees to come out and both dishes were cold. We politely informed our waitress shortly after the food was delivered that it was cold, to which she asked "would you like it heated up?" Which having ordered a steak I replied no but my boyfriend decided to have his heated up. So the mushroom and scallop risotto finally returns, with his now mushy, half eaten scallop neatly placed on top of his steaming pile of risotto, fresh from the microwave! No visit from any managers, waitress wasn't concerned... Oh and they started vacuuming the restaurant in the middle of our meal. Definitely won't be back.
(1)
Dan C.
Great service and really well flavored food. The tuna tar tar was phenomenal, I could eat a bucket of it. I had the bone in ribeye, great flavor, only complaint is that it came out a little cold, probably because I was with a large party. My server heated it up with no problem. Also saw Joe Maddon there.
(4)
Phillipa L.
This was my third time dining at this restaurant. On this visit for starters I had the fried calamari and crab cake. They were both ok. I have tasted more flavorful ones at other local upscale restaurants in the area so I was not too impressed. For my entree I ate the pistachio crusted lamb with jalapeño sweet mash potatoes. That too was ok. Trader Joe's rack of boxed lamb is much better. Don't get me wrong the lamb was edible but not bursting with flavors like I expected. It was served with a very small tablespoon of jalapeño sweet potatoes. I really liked those and paid additional for an extra tablespoon ($5 it was). Overall the ambience was good. We sat at a table near the glass windows so we could watch passerby and it was fun! This added entertainment to my experience. I think they are a little overpriced. I guess one is paying for the location. Our server was good so no complaints there. I have also posted some photos.
(3)
Mark S.
My dad and I decided to give this place a try because it is close to his office. The atmosphere here is incredible. We were greeted by a very courteous staff. The service was quick and efficient. I decided to order the filet mignon tip Thai wrap. The filet mignon was very juicy with plenty of flavor. The rice and beans in the wrap added a nice touch. The sweet potato fries were delicious. They were slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, just the way I like them. I was thoroughly impressed with my first visit to 717 South. I definitely plan to return in the near future.
(5)
Marie W.
I really like this place. The environment isn't bad. It's a great lunch place. The food is good, the service is pretty decent, and the location is ideal. The only pitfall is the parking. It is far from ample. Other than that, it's a great place to eat.
(5)
Berit M.
God Bless Groupon for helping me stumble upon this gem. I can't wait to return again and again and eventually try the entire menu. This time I had the filet with the spinach and broccoli (apparently I needed some greens). They let you pick whichever sides you would like with your main course :) Next time I'm trying the truffle mac n' cheese because in my experience truffle with anything is generally more than amazing. For an app, we got the calamari scampi served with parmesan crusted bread--which was the bomb and perfect for dipping. They also have an extensive wine list which is always a plus. Many thanks to Brittany for her awesome service!
(4)
Clay D.
When I got my credit card bill, they had added more on to the charge. And that was after I left a 20% tip. They should go out of business for that kind of slimy business practice.
(1)
Patrick F.
Needless to say, this was a great place. I had the lollipop pork chop with asparagus and macaroni and cheese which had bacon. Nuff said. Amazing. For appetizers my group had the Pu-Pu platter - Fried Brussels sprouts, Calamari, Shrimp and Grits, Ahi tuna, and Havana Spring Rolls. All great. Good beers and drinks as well. I would definitely recommend when in the Tampa area!
(5)
Josi J.
Def a regular spot...but more of a happy hr vibe in my opinion. I love the crab bisque and calamari, & my friend absolutely loves their duck burger.
(4)
Rebecca V.
The staff is great, they were very accommodating to our party and I will honestly say we were a little annoying because we had three more than expected. So they did great making it work out! The food of choice was Cesar salad, sirloin with Mac and cheese and broccoli.. Salad great, sirloin very tended and delish.. Wasn't impressed with Mac and cheese it lacked flavor., broccoli is broccoli.., for drinks I had pink passion it was ok., and a blueberry mojito and I though that tasted to syrupy.. So drinks were unimpressive, shoulda stuck with wine.. I do think the prices are a bit steep for what it was, so because of that it may be a while before I return but enjoyed myself this visit and the staff definitely is A+, management just needs to work in the pricing and it would be a great place.
(4)
Matt J.
Great service/food/drinks. The mashed jalepeno sweet potatoes were amazing. Lamb is one of the hardest meats to cook but they did it perfectly!
(4)
Jane J.
Our very discerning out-of-town guests gave us one shot at selecting the perfect restaurant innTampa. Without hesitation, my husband and I simultaneously said, "Let's take them to 717 South!" Good decision on our part!!! Parking is a breeze, and the restaurant is very accessible off of Howard Avenue. We were warmly greeted by our server, Anthony, who proceeded to take us to a comfortable table near a window. So far so good. Drinks were ordered with perfect timing, and appetizer orders were taken. We enjoyed the calamari and crab cakes which were shared among the four of us. My husband asked for two sauces for the calamari and Anthony quickly worked his magic with the chef to accommodate! Both the calamari and the crab cakes were delicious and we could see the smiles on our friends' faces! The bread was warm and its timing was also spot on! I won't tell you about the yummy sauce that accompanies the bread ....something has to be left as a surprise! So far even better than good! Next, we were artfully told the special of the evening. Anthony has a way of explaining the fare without sounding like a programmed "robot" as many servers do! His enthusiasm is contagious! We ordered stuffed chicken, two Asian pot roasts, and one "special" which was sea bass. When we all began, our guests commented that they knew we would find a good restaurant, but could never have imagined that it would be THIS GREAT! Needless to say, we had a wonderful evening! Beautiful atmosphere, tasty drinks, fine dining, and the best server in Tampa! Thanks, 717!
(5)
Melanie B.
Spent $40 for $100 certificate Living Social deal to 717 South and figured it'd be worth it no matter how my service ended up being. The service was phenomenal! We split a fabulous wedge salad and the tomato dip for the bread was simply amazing. My husband ordered the Ribeye and I ordered the Sirloin with gorgonzola and mushrooms. It absolutely amazing. The only thing I wished for was a better view... We looked directly at the Starbucks next door. I will defintely go back
(5)
Jason C.
I've been here several times with friends. Generally I've had a pretty okay experiences. The food is generally pretty decent, though I must say some of it is hit or miss. I had the mushroom risotto with chicken once and something about the way they cooked it made the chicken crunchy in a weird way for something that was braised. The flavor of the risotto was good though. I think the appetizers are decent for sharing, and they make good cocktails.
(3)
El D.
Had dinner there last night - the service was atrocious. The waiter disappeared several times - it took over 30 minutes to order the first drinks - and he forgot one person and didn't come back. We had to ask for bread as we had a child that was starving and that took another 10 minutes (so 40 minutes and we still didn't have appetizers). The crab bisque had a skin on the top as it had clearly been sitting under heat lights for some time. The waiter came to tell me that they were out of snapper and then after giving me the menu to select something else - never came back to ask me what I wanted. The mac and cheese looked like it was made last week and the crab cakes were alright but nothing spectacular. Used to be much better - seems to have gone down hill significantly.
(2)
Carly R.
Came in to use our Groupon. We were greeted right away and seated immediately (we had a reservation, but it wasn't too crowded). The service was friendly, and our waiter was patient as we interrogated him on the best menu choices. My fiance ordered the Chilean sea bass, and I ordered the salmon. We received very generous portions, and both meals were incredible. The sea bass melted in our mouths, and the salmon was so flavorful. Intimate atmosphere with interesting art and decor. Much roomier on the inside than it looks from the outside. Also has a full bar area if you're just looking for drinks and small plates. Great date night spot, and there is also a sectioned-off room for business meetings and private parties. Will be back in the future to try more of the menu.
(5)
Michelle D.
I was surprised how good the food was. When we entered the hostess was right there before you step in to the restaurant and seemed bothered that we stopped in. Our waiter was good. I he never offered me a drink besides water which was odd since they have an excellent drink menu. Based upon our entrance and greeting, I wasn't expecting too much of the food. I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was delicious! The Caesar salad had a light vinaigrette dressing and was not overwhelming or thick. The lettuce and cheese was very fresh. I ordered a filet with Gorgonzola. It was cooked perfect and the glaze was amazing! It was very flavorful and delicious. I am from the Midwest and am a steak gal. You can tell they Take pride in the flavor of the food they serve. Asparagus was the chefs choice and was lightly seasoned with garlic and was great! Our waiter did warm up and even though I never was able to order a drink I was very pleased overall. The atmosphere was lighted and provided a bar and sit down area. I am excited to go back and try something new!
(5)
Simon I.
Other than the quality service of the serving staff I found the food mediocre. My Lobster bisque came out far too salty and there were not taste let alone aroma of lobster, My Moscow Gimlet was initially too strong then as the overloaded ice melted it became watered down, My Risotto topped with Grille Salmon was was simply decent. The ambiance is one of dark wood cozy, with tight booths and a couple long tables. There is also a private dining room. My hat off to the wait staff who are well versed with the menu, are helpful, cheerful and are always around when needed providing well attention to the guests.
(2)
Michelle M.
The food at Seven 17 South is AMAZING!!! We started our meal off with a bottle of one of my favorite wines, Termes Toro, and the Seared Yellow-Tail Tuna appetizer. Excellent tuna! It is worth mentioning that Seven 17 does not mark up their wine as much as other Tampa restaurants. We've paid almost $20 more for this same bottle elsewhere. One of the servers brought some bread to our table while we were waiting for our food. Normally I try to avoid the bread basket, but how can you resist bread that is served with a side of marinara sauce and ricotta cheese? (Yum!) Our entrees were out of this world good! I ordered the Szechwan Duck Breast after our fantastic waiter confirmed that this was one of his favorite dishes. My duck breast was so juicy and flavorful! The duck paired perfectly with the jalapeno sweet potato puree and the sriacha sauce. My sister's Filet Mignon cut like butter and was perfectly medium rare so that every last bite had a nice warm, red center. I traded her a bite for my dish and thought this was one of the best steaks I have ever eaten! I love mac and cheese so I had to order a side for our table when I saw the side dish was only $4. This was one of the best mac & cheeses I have had in Tampa. How did we manage to eat dessert??? Two words: Pumpkin Cheesecake. I didn't think I could eat another bite, but when I saw this delectable pumpkin treat I had to have it! My sister's Creme Brulee was great too, but didn't hold a candle to the homemade pumpkin cheesecake! Most of the dishes on Seven 17's menu are between $20-$30. I always had the impression that this restaurant was more expensive, but our bill really wasn't that bad despite all the food we ordered. Will definitely be back soon!
(5)
Thomas D.
This was my first time venturing to 717 and it won't likely be my last. I had purchased the Groupon or LS deal for this establishment and time was running out. My date and I arrived last Sunday night and we decided to sit at the bar.. It is football season! Lexi was our bartender and she was great! We ordered a couple of cocktails, I had the cucumber basil gimlet and my date had a fruity mango something or other.. both drinks were very good. We ordered the goat cheese flat bread to start. The flat bread was just ok.. We should have ordered the short rib spring rolls. Moving on..for dinner my date ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with shrimp and stone ground cheese grits. Two thumbs up for the Chilean Sea Bass it was excellent! I ordered the oven baked fresh Grouper. To be honest... It was blah at best. I would not recommend the Grouper it was a let down and the lobster mousse and Mac n Cheese that came with the entree were not very good either. All in all, the service was great and the food was ok but worth a second chance.
(3)
Erika M.
Three girlfriends and I went to 717 on Friday for dinner. We had a party that we needed to get to at a certain time so were in a time crunch. Our waiter Michael made that happen for us. He was super sweet and prompt. Our food was also amazing. They also have a good selection of affordable bottles of wine. I had the chicken piccata which is a fave of mine. I love 717 and never have a bad meal. I'm hoping to go again soon! Make a reservation if you need to get in and out! And ask for Michael. He's a great server!
(5)
Katie S.
Everything we had was delicious including the uniquely furnished old fashioned. The ambiance was lovely for a nice quiet date night.
(4)
Anousha H.
717 is a special spot in Tampa. The art deco style is eye pleasing & the open kitchen is always fun to walk by. I enjoy taking a peek at the beautiful dishes being made & served when I walk by. I enjoy sitting at the bar for a drink as the bartenders are friendly & I can even watch the game or keep an eye on the scores! The food is great to wonderful depending on the day I guess but it can be wonderful if there is more attention paid to balancing flavors & salt level in some dishes. I love the mushroom risotto & I enjoy getting my grilled chicken or salmon on top of the risotto, I have gotten my grilled chicken mixed in with the risotto which is not as appetizing before & I will be sure to mention it next time I visit. Otherwise I do recommend the delicious mushroom risotto. The service varies from decent to excellent. I have been coming back here for years and I must add the menu has gotten more interesting & enticing. I hope they continue to improve upon their craft, toward perfection!
(5)
Megan M.
It appears like there is a management problem going on at this place. I should have written this review a while ago, but I feel like I should mention some events that have occurred during my many visits to this restaurant: 1) My friend once bit into a PILL in her food at this restaurant. Yes, there was a random, white pill in her food. What was this mystery pill? No one really knows. Could have been an aspirin, could have been a vitamin, or it could have been some unknown hardcore drug. My friend was especially concerned because she is allergic to aspirin. As soon as she bit into the pill she noticed the texture and the bitterness and spit it out immediately, so she likely only ingested trace fragments (if any) of the substance. Regardless, the pill was straight up BAKED into the entree. No thanks. They at least brought her a new version of the same dish, but by that point she had lost her appetite. They also brought us a round of champagne. However, they STILL charged her for the original entree! They took the charge off after an assertive friend of mine stepped in and handled the situation. 2) I had a large group of people come here for my birthday last year (about 25 people). I really like their mac and cheese, so I ordered a side dish of mac. Toward the end I bit into something really hard. At first I thought it might be a piece of uncooked pasta, but I heard it clink back onto my plate and quickly realized it was a piece of glass. You know those Christmas tree light bulb things? Yeah, it was one of those. What... the... hell. At first they offered to give me a new mac and cheese (worth $4... cool... awesome compensation for me almost swallowing glass). After a couple of friends spoke with the manager, they finally comped my meal and wine, but the management was not very nice about it or accommodating. After the ordeal, the waitress came up and apologized to us and told us it was actually her last day because she could not deal with the management there any more. I do not know if things have changed since then. My friends were sure to tip her adequately since the situation was out of her control and she was very nice. The only reason I gave this place 2 stars instead of 1 is because if these crappy incidents had never happened, this place would definitely be 4 stars in my book. The food is actually really good, and I love the location. I used to enjoy the Havana Spring Rolls and the Chilean Sea Bass with the jalapeno mashed sweet potatoes. I also had a really great lunch at 717 one time. But alas, I was not a fan of how they handled the bizarre and potentially unsafe situations listed above. If strange/unsafe things happened twice in the handful of times I have been to the restaurant, it is likely that strange/unsafe things are happening frequently. They seemed pretty unconcerned and cheap about both incidents, and I felt the behavior was unprofessional. I do not plan on ever going back to this restaurant.
(2)
Rose S.
Service was excellent. I really wanted the food to be comparable. I ordered the macadamia nut crusted chicken with jalapeño sweet potatoes and green beans. The chicken was fantastic!!! The sides needed help. If there was jalapeño in the sweet potato I certainly did not taste it. If I come here again I would make a substitution. My friend ordered a glass if zin and it smelled and tasted as if it had been open for years. The waiter replaced and it was fine. I will be back again to try different things. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meal.
(3)
Andres A.
First time visiting 717, great food and excellent service! Wife had the lasagna - I tried the rack of lamb. We'll definitely be back.
I have been to 717 South twice now... our first experience was AMAZING! The hubby had a molasses covered filet and I had the chicken risotto, the salad served with our meals was amazing, changed my way of eating salads even at home. I wish I reviewed back then, so when I saw a Living Social for 717 South I was like heck yeah, and bought one right away. Sadly, this experience was very different from our first trip. The service is top notch, but the food our second visit was dramatically different. Our appetizers were amazing except that the balsamic vinaigrette "reduction" was not reduced at all. And the Stella didn't come out in the challis like it should. When it came to our entrees.... Clearly way off, the husband got the red snapper and first off, at first sight you could see that it was cover cooked. The honey glazed fingerlings were too sweet for the dish, perhaps if the sauce would have been saltier they would have balance each other out. Mushroom risotto was too tight as it should flow and not hold shape alone, personally I don't mind it was this way but that still does not make it properly cooked. Service was great and attentive though the restaurant was packed! We will try it again, I don't know if it was a different chef on duty or the change in seasonal menu.... Our first time was MUCH better... that was April 2013.
(4)
Kelle C.
We hit all the "best" restaurants in town over the last 4 days- 717 was the winner of the lot. Great service by Anthony, great wine selection, DELICIOUS food. We ordered just about every appy- and half the dinner menu. There wasn't one disappointing item. You can go wrong here!
(5)
michelle l.
This place isn't bad, but I wouldn't call it good. The setting is great, and I think this is a great place to come just for drinks. But the food isn't especially innovative, and for the price, you could certainly get better. I tried the fried calamari (good, nothing to write home about), the Caesar salad (okay), and the miso and sake cured grouper (the fish was good, but I didn't like the cold tomato/edamame salad or the ginger carrot salad as they both made the fish get cold quickly). The creme brulee would have been better if the custard was served cold rather than lukewarm. My husband loved the ice cream. Old Meetinghouse Ice Cream is always awesome. The wine list is extensive but not up to date. Our first choice wine was not available. Our server was pleasant but not very experienced. She took a long time, mispronounced things on the menu, and just wasn't professional.
(3)
Lexie M.
Seven 17 is amazing! Between four people we shared the short rib spring rolls, baked brie, mushroom risotto, thai steak salad and goat cheese flatbread. Everything was so good. The moscow mule was great, too. We sat at the bar to watch football and loved the atmosphere. Michael the owner seems to be around often, as he was sitting at the bar next to us and I've seen him on a few other occasions across the street at Post Soho Square where he has another restaurant opening soon. Looking forward to trying his new restaurant and coming back to Seven 17!
(5)
Susie G.
Me and my boyfriend used to go here a lot, mostly because we had a Groupon. We were always excited to go because they were reasonably priced and was a great atmosphere. If I had wrote this review a few months ago I would have given it 4 stars but we went in there about a month ago (had a Groupon) and we already had in our mind what we would order. Buttt they changed there menu, removed the item we wanted (sirloin) and raised the prices on everything and not just by a few dollars . Sad to say we won't be going back here because of their recent changes. Nothing worse then pre planning what you want to order and it being taken off the menu.
(2)
Bridget P.
I will never dine at the restaurant EVER again. On Saturday evening my husband, 18 month daughter and I were seated for dinner in the back dining room in a booth for dinner. About 1/2 way into our meal my daughter moved from her high chair into the booth with my husband as a large party (6) was seated next to us at a table in the middle of the room. After a few minutes is was grossly obvious that the patrons were wasted, however they continued to be served and go to the bar for drinks. As they continued to drink their table conversation grew more and more grotesque, not appropriate for anyone or any exerior environment including a dark creepy bar. The wait staff continued to serve them. At one point an elderly man leaned over to what appeared to be the ring leader to ask that he quiet down as their conversation was offending his wife and everyone else in the restaurant. After the second request the drunk diner flung the elderly man into the booth onto the table behind where I was eating with my baby!!!! Everyone quickly rose to their feet to see what had happened while the gentleman laid across a table of broken glass as the drunk man yelled that "he was grabbing my a$$!!!" he then disappeared into the crowd. hat followed looked like a backyard brawl of everyone screaming and yelling at the man, my husband, me, all of the drunk people were defending the barbariuos actions of their friend who had disappeared. The manager, rather than phone 911 or aid the older gentleman mad a mockery of the entire episode!!!! He should be fired to say the least given how he had no handle on the situation. After attempting to negotiate with the drunk animals my husband attempted to get the car to get his family safely out the door and was threatened in the parking lot to be attacked, he phoned 911 for OUR saftey not given what had happened in the restaurant...to put the icing on the cake, the restaurant made sure to collect every last penny from us and the man attacked!!! In my 36 years I have never seen anything so outrageous!!!! What is the most upsetting is that my daughter could have lost her eyesight our been seriously injured by that man potentially landing on our table!!! I WILL NEVER GO BACK. I have phoned the restaurant several times to speak to an owner! They have yet to get back to me much less apprologize for our ruined evening!
(1)
Joanna C.
A friend and I had drinks and dinner at the bar. I ordered a Goose martini and asked for blue cheese stuffed olives. The bartender delivered my friend's drink and explained to me that the day bartender didn't stuff and stock up on stuffed olives so she'll get to it when things slow down and she has time. Things never slowed and I never got the olives. I felt as though my order wasn't as important as others. I'm disappointed. Too bad, the food is good.
(2)
Tina C.
Took my friend out for her birthday and we had a perfect evening. Our waiter, Anthony was sweet, charming, helpful and very attentive. Several other servers were also helpful and entertaining for the evening. We had the chef special seafood which was as Anthony said it would be, phenomenal! Perfect dinner to our fun day.
(5)
Melanie T.
Cute and comfortable place to eat. I had the Baked Falfelle Pasta and it was perfectly sized for lunch/tasted great.
(4)
Mark D.
The large group of friends and colleagues I was part of was quickly seated on the terrace and greeted by our server who got the drinks, the variety platter of appetizers, which also included an order shortribs, calamari and shrimp and grits on the table in a matter of minutes. All of it tasted great! I ordered the sirloin with some scallops added to the plate and wasn't disappointed, as it was wonderfully seasoned and cooked. I wish i could tell you what the rest of the party ordered by I was to busy enjoying the bartenders near perfect martini's. Unfortunately the desert was good but nothing near to the dinner menu's success among the group. The restaurant layout is unique and offers private rooms that comfortably seat larger groups like ours on the patio. The bathrooms were clean and staff excellent still because of my sweet tooth, 4 Stars.
(4)
Dave S.
Great chow and great service. Jesse was able to manage my little guys and wife in a hasty manner that felt entirely unhurried tonight. Thnx for the friday dinner Dave to the team at 717...
(5)
Kristina C.
First time customer, will definitely be returning!! Excellent service, ambiance and most importantly food. We had the baked Brie with cranberry compote for an appetizer . It was delicious but there was not enough crostini for the serving of cheese. Also had the Siracha edamame, def had a good kick and was great. The entrees at the table included the duck dish (moist and tender), the shrimp and grits with an order of Brussels sprouts (outstanding), a few warm spinach salads in a Parmesan cheese bowl (to much dressing for my taste but excellent flavor) and the crab bisque ( perfectly seasoned). The waitress was unobtrusive, friendly and personable. As stated, will def return and highly recommend
(5)
Darrel D.
Been here several times. The food is consistently very good, but the service is another story. We sat through the entire main course without seeing the waiter once. I was up out of my chair going to get someone and he showed up. For a $90 meal for 2 - pre tip - they need to do better. Service killed the experience. This is the second time in a row.
(2)
Ray B.
Ray ( Mr. Big ) & Carolyn have found their favorite restaurant! 717 South is classy, friendly & the food is over the top scrumptious! Ray had the pan seared local snapper & it was such a generous portion covered in lump crabmeat with a Demi -glace Carolyn could not stop stealing bites..yum! We love the service & the beautiful bartenders. We have eaten there twice in one week what does that say? The pomegranate martini was really special too. BTW the crab bisque was so delicious & served just as we would like... piping hot. On our way out, the gracious, friendly owner Michael made us feel like we were royalty. Highly recommended.
(5)
Casey J.
Extremely disappointing. A bunch of us walked in on a Sunday night a little before 9:00 and the kitchen refused to service us despite their published closing time was 9:00. I guess they don't need the business and don't care about the customers who travelled all the way from Sarasota just to have the "717 Experience". Won't be coming back. Give it a miss until the customer is more important then the kitchen staff punching out on time.
(1)
Lance C.
With the lovely weather we are currently having, walking to dinner in South Tampa is a metropolitan treat. Tonight's destination was 717 South, my wife's friend was willing to drive from Clearwater for their mushroom risotto! We started with crispy calamari, well prepared and seasoned, but a little lacking in quantity for the price. I also had a cup of the seafood bisque based on other recommendations. It was okay, a little glommy, though. My wife had the seafood manicotti, pretty good overall. I had the chicken Calabira, the chicken was really good, the proscuitto added a salty counter punch to the marsala demiglace. It was supposed to have chef's vegetables and four cheese macaroni, all I got was some farfalle. My server forgot to bring my wine with dinner as i had requested, but did comp it, so he made it right. Overall a good experience, but as others have said, a little on the pricey side for what you get. There are better alternatives for the price.
(3)
Mike H.
What happened to this place? Overdone steak, other one was fatty and no seasoning, soup was microwaved and salty, flatbread was burnt. So disappointed. Used to love this place...not anymore. Don't waste your time here.
(1)
John N.
used our groupon and sat at the bar. The bartender was great and was working his a$$ off. food was ok, nothing out of the ordinary. wouldnt go back on my dime.
(3)
Rob C.
Love this place! Menu is great, with a wide variety of unique dishes. Food is fantastic and is served by a tremendous staff. The atmosphere really makes this place top notch and it is definitely one of my favorites! For lunch or dinner this place is great!
(5)
Sam Q.
717 South is a nice, relatively upscale place (think Bonefish Grill) with an interesting combination of Italian and Asian. I went with a large group and tried several appetizers, including a delicious pork filled egg roll with guava paste, and the most amazing fried calamari I have ever tasted. I had a salad for an entree (watching those calories even on good days), but I lived vicariously through my dinner mates and everything looked fantastic. I would put 717 on a notch above Outback and Carrabas, at the same level of Bonefish and Grill Smith, which is to say above average. I plan to go back, which is why I give it four stars. If I go back often and I still like it, I'll change it to five. So many places, so few calories I can consume...
(4)
Jessica G.
Haven't been there in 5 years...shame on us! It was delicious!!! We had the fish taco app and it was tasty and had a perfect blend of heat with the jalapeno aioli. Then we ordered the Italian chop salad (all the tastes blended together well and w/out swimming in dressing...thank you) and the salmon entree and split it. The salmon was perfectly cooked & complimented with the ginger soy aioli, shiitake & leek stir-fry! The jalapeno sweet potato mashers & crisp asparagus were just as good! We really enjoyed it! It seemed to take a long time to get our food...and it wasn't busy. That and the tech music...bleck. I would have loved to hear some Frank Sinatra or classical but that is just my opinion! I will go back because it really was just delicious~
(4)
Kelly K.
Over priced, underwhelming, outdated. Prices went up and food quality down. Slowly turning into a has-been.
(1)
Collin S.
So now that I live closer, I've eaten here twice. And the food is excellent, though a bit pricier than you would expect. Tonight got the baked farfalle, which already came with sausage, but I'm a fat kid so I added some chicken as well (it's an option on the menu, I'm not just a sicko like that I swear). The bow tie pasta and sauce we're excellent, though it had a bit more basil on it than I was expecting. But the balance of mozzarella and goat cheese was perfect, and it was a legit oven-baked Italian dish that I really enjoyed. Every time I come here, the service is always excellent as well. I've never asked for or had to ever wait for anything, and my drink has always stayed full. The staff are always friendly and fun, but tonight I went in and got some work done on the laptop while sitting at the bar. While sitting there, I watched Amanda the bartender diffuse a potential idiot drunk guy situation with perfect decorum and class. She handled it perfectly, and believe me it could have gotten sticky. That's the difference with a professional staff... they make what could be a problem a non-matter due to experience and smarts. It's not the cheapest place around (the only reason it's not a total 5 star for me), but it is surely one of the best. Plus they continue to give back to Tampa Bay in more ways than I can count, always hosting a fundraiser or making gifts back to the community. They could rename this place "Non-Profit World," as if you've been to a fundraising event in Tampa, there's a decent chance it was held here. Absolutely one of the stars of "Restaurant Row" in SoHo, and one of my favorites!
(4)
Sue G.
BAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I don't know what happened, but they are not any good anymore! Cold greasy food! Bad service! Sorry folks they get the bomb!!!!!
(2)
Angie W.
Good food. I can't remember what I ordered, it was awhile ago. The place was nice, but not impressive enough to make me want to go back. I've found better restaurants in the area.
(3)
Bob D.
Sunday night, dinner for two. It was not a busy night at the Seven 17. Food is not the problem here but more on that later. My 717 south side salad was excellent and more interesting than the menu would lead you to believe. The lasagna was on the heavy side since there was nothing to lighten up the cheese and meat but it did taste fresh. It was sided with a parmesan and garlic bread (a simple freshly baked bread would have sufficed) and fresh green beans. The warm spinach salad - which we ordered with scallops - tasted great. The small serving of spinach however, was inexplicably served in an edible bowl described on the menu as a 'parmigiano reggiano cup.' Useless. I recommend asking your server to simply plate the salad and to not plan on splitting it. The kitchen here more or less has it down, so what's missing? Passion and professionalism. Unfilled water glasses? Check. A mess of paper towels on the bathroom sink counter because the dispenser is broken? Check. A totally uninspired staff? Check. Something's wrong here. Seven 17 South isn't cheap. If you value how you spend your dining out budget, I'd recommend spending it elsewhere.
(3)
Craig H.
As Italian food goes it was just okay. They bill themselves as a Italian restaurant but the menu is all over the place. I had seafood manicoti which was good. My chief complaint was the server had the personality of a tow truck driver and it took forever for each course to arrive. It was an hour from the time we were seated until our main course arrived Not a terrible dinner but keep your expectations low.
(2)
Robert P.
Where do I start? Maybe with the paper napkins. Lol!! Wine list by the glass is so basic and horrible. $54 for Murphy's Goode wine. Hmmm. Sea bass special that smells fishy and so soggy. Slow service (45 minutes!) My Gosh - what has happened to this place? Never again.
(1)
Rita M.
We have dined here three times and always have such a nice experience. My petite filet and my husband's sea bass were prepared perfectly last night. Service us terrific, Michael always take such good care of us. So enjoy dining here!
(4)
Drew B.
The decor inside was really nice and it was pretty quiet when I went with my girlfriend so that was good. Some of the items we got didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped, but the Seafood Manicotti was amazing. They also had a diverse wine list. It was a little expensive but overall wasn't too bad. I would go again, and look forward to trying some of the other items on the menu.
Great place! Food and service are always awesome! Friendly people, yummy food! Pennelope's Pasta is a great pasta dish that all the proceeds from it go to the Humane Society!
(5)
Clyde S.
I've eaten here five or six times. Only two of them were by my own choosing (or my wifes)... this last time and the first time. The three in between were birthday parties in their private room in back (which is very nice by the way). First and foremost, the service is always really good, so no complaints there. The atmosphere and location are also better than average. However. The food has fallen off a cliff. I am a steak fanatic. I love steak. Unfortunately for me, I ordered the large filet. Long story short, this steak was plain at best. I can get a pound of filet from Greenwise for $18 bucks, throw some olive oil and sea salt and some gorgonzola butter and have a tasty treat with 8 ounces left over. I paid $28 dollars for an 8 ounce filet from 717, with what I thought was going to be a gorgonzola crust, or butter... but ended up getting just a plain filet, topped with red pepper for garnish. Who puts red peppers on steak? If you want colorful garnish, put some parsley on it and a drizzle of olive oil. Anyways. My waitress, who was fantastic by the way, realized they didn't put the gorgonzola on it and had them remake my plate. I got new mashed potatoes which was nice of them, but low-and-behold, the gorgonzola was just that, crumbled cheese, barely melted on top of my steak. For $28, I expect something with flavor. I also don't expect it to taste like a tender sirloin cut of meat, which is what this tasted like - it was very VERY bland. I will say that they have a lot of appetizers that I have eaten before and they are all pretty good, but that's about it for me. I don't go to eateries for appetizers, I go for steak or chicken or something a little more full. My wife has asked me if I wanted to go there a handful of times, each time I say, 'no way'. To be honest, the only reason we even came is because I got lucky and snagged a groupon a few minutes before midnight a couple of weeks ago... otherwise, I would not have proactively come back. It was Saturday at 845 and they were at 70% capacity, if that... which should say something. I don't want to sound like I am being overly critical, but I was less than impressed. For what our bill was, even after the Groupon, we could have eaten elsewhere two times over and gotten better prepared food. As I said. The atmosphere is nice. The staff is always friendly and it is conveniently located. But as far as the food - it wasn't even remotely up to par with the pricing.
(2)
Erin S.
I love 717! They're a little pricey for me so I only go when I have a Groupon. First, they serve their bread with a tomato bisque of some sorts. Amazing! And it's nice to have something different than oil. I always get the Asian Pot Roast. It has always been so flavorful, tender, and delicious - I just can't get past it. I've tried their jalapeno sweet potatoes and a few of their appetizers and they have always been very good. I really enjoy coming here when I'm in Hyde Park.
(5)
Bobbie K.
717 South is my equivalent of "Cheers" in Boston. It's the place where everybody knows your name. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. The bartenders are friendly and fast. The chef comes up with delicious creations and the cooks will cater to special dietary needs when possible and necessary. The owner is constantly opening his place for charities and fundraisers in the community. Want to spot a local celeb or athlete? Go to 717. The Art Deco style is stylish and the atmosphere is relaxed yet upscale. The cheesecake is to die for! Local musicians perform here on Thursday night which is my favorite night to go.
(5)
Frani B.
We went to 717 this past Monday, our reservations were a bit early so when we arrived the place was empty, except for the bar. By the time we left, it was completely packed and I understand why! The service was good, the waiter seemed a little nervous but as the night went on and as he was busier, he actually got better (or maybe it was the wine I was drinking...anyhow); he was attentive. Now onto the food, the wine we chose was a Malbec from Mendoza, great! The soup dujour (black bean I think) was quite tasty, my date is quite picky on seasonings, and this was very well seasoned! I ordered a few small plates for my meal, the seafood lollipops (scallops shrimp and something else...); the crab cake, and the escargot--All very delicious, tasty, and very well cooked. My date ordered the Chilean sea bass which was also excellent! For desert, I chose the flourless chocolate cake-which was a perfect pairing with the bottle of Malbec. My date chose the Pistachio, which was unimpressive (the only thing of the night); it was more like a butter pecan but with chunks of pistachio instead of pecan. We will definitely come back again and try more of the menu!
(4)
Mark R.
Had dinner at 717 for first time. Asian pot roast was pretty tasty but for life of me can't figure out why the would give you one scoop of rice. Inexplicable as its so damn inexpensive. Wife had 14 oz delmonico which she thought was ok but I thought was fairly bland . I would advise you to go to a prime steakhouse for a great steak like Charley's or a few others. Macaroni as a side dish was very tasty. Fairly pricey but I had coupon. Waitress was excellent and setting was good.good luck
(3)
Melissa S.
My friend took me here this Friday night while I was visiting her. She had made a reservation for us so when we got there we were immediately seated. The atmosphere is nice - not too stuffy - and I felt comfortable in jeans there. We ordered cocktails - I was impressed they had St. Germain at the bar. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer - very nicely done with a nice basil aioli and a fresh tasting romesco. Caesar salads next - yuck - mustard based dressing was not the expectation here - and the finely chopped romaine was a bummer - whatever happened to nice large leaves coated in a homemade anchovy, egg, lemon and oil dressing???? I ordered the Delmonico - what came out was a NY Strip - didn't have the heart to ask them to reorder. I was hungry. Although the steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare it was rather tough (usually why I order the Delmonico). Our server was very knowledgeable and offered up suggestions with us asking, but she seemed like she was reading a prepared statement the whole time. Would eat here again but this restaurant was not all that to me.
(3)
Amy T.
We were visiting for the weekend and someone suggested this place to us. I found the ambiance to be ok...the bar was nice but the dining room was a bit bright for my liking. Our server was strange and he was not going tell us the specials or bring us bread until we asked. The food was average...we started with the calamari...eh...and also the short rib spring roll also just ok. For dinner I had the salmon, my husband the filet and our friend the chicken picatta. None of it blew us away. Even the bread which we thought was going to be great was only ok...the sauce served with it was warm at best. In the end I would not go back, I would try something else.
(3)
Kyle G.
The reason I like this place is because they're known for their charitable efforts. They do fundraisers frequently for non-profits, which packs the house (almost to the point of uncomfortable). The bar is lovely when you can actually sit and get service. I've waited extreme periods of time for someone to take my order, but in their defense, it was a Friday night around 9pm. It's also a different crowd than the typical SoHo spots, a tad more upscale and a little older of a group (I'd estimate early 30s professionals to be the average clientele). The food is good - but doesn't differentiate too much from a standard Italian menu. Their seating area is nicely decorated and is good for groups if you have a reservation. I have also had their catering, which I found to be absolutely spectacular (added another star for that alone). Only real complaint about the place is the parking; they share a private lot with Starbucks, which means it's packed at almost all hours of the day.
(3)
Jess C.
Delicious food, but a bit expensive... Love the bread with tomato sauce & ricotta cheese which they bring out when you sit down-- a must! The crusted chicken is DELICIOUS, but the sweet potato fries are a bit soggy and too sweet for my liking. Also a fan of the baked farfalle-- yum! I've been there a bunch and nothing else was all that memorable.... The drinks are ok, and bar is a bit small, but the outdoor seating is adorable and the inside restaurant seating is cozy and intimate. Overall, a nice place for dinner but a bit expensive for a random weeknight out.
(3)
Jon W.
It's like film noir meets the Sistine Chapel on the walls. Love it. The bar service is swift and the drink prices aren't bad at all! I liked the cozy feel and their dinner menu didn't disappoint. We had crab, shrimp & scallop lollipops for starters... very tasty. The szechwan duck and filet mignon were cooked to perfection. What impressed me the most was the wine list... it's surprisingly extensive and the choices really pair well with their main courses. So good, in fact, that we kept the staff working well past closing because we were enjoying it so much. Our waitress was super friendly and really worked to help make it a nice time there. A good find, Tampa people.
(4)
Nikki J.
We had heard great things about 717 and so we finally made the trek out to South Tampa to try it out. We enjoyed everything but it wasn't anything memorable either. If we're nearby we would go again but we would not go out of our way to dine there. Three stars.
(3)
Luke H.
In theory and in practice are two totally different things. It isn't bad, but it isn't good. Nobody brags about this nor recommends it for a $15-25 per entree meal. The bar is small but has a packed Manhattan feel...they mix good cocktails. But head down the street for dinner (and a better cocktail for that matter). Sideburns down the street is a better option for a trendy fine dining option.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Evan B.
Can't get enough of the place. Excited for the new addition to open across the street !
(5)LaKesha C.
Went there for an anniversary dinner. We weren't that hungry so we ordered a few appetizers and boy were they delicious. The calamari was perfect! The live entertainment was good. The drinks were great! The service was good.
(3)Rosemary S.
We decided to try this place for restaurant week. Although we didn't order from the fixed menu (too much food) we were delighted with our selections. I had a yummy salad topped with Salmon and my husband, much to my surprise order Salmon as well that was topped with artichokes ( not something he eats) we both loved it. They also serve bread with a side of tomato sauce with a dollop of ricotta, OMG how amazing. We well be back.
(5)Rob G.
717 South features modern contemporary dining with a menu variation from Pacific Rim to authentic Italian flavors.The menu has a wide variety to choose from steaks, to fresh seafood, to pasta. As a result, dining can be made for any occasion. The extensive cocktail list is inspired from places all around the world. But on that list I noted one that was recently added to the menu. The Soho Social is one of the new signature drinks 717 recently concocted. This drink does sum up hyde park in a nutshell of a hipster feeling, vibrant and refreshing. Though priced around $12 and pink in color (due to muddled strawberries), I had to keep em coming with no insecurities of drink color or presentation. I like dishes with unique history especially when it the name derives from it. Cioppino is a fish stew first became popular on the docks of San Francisco in the 1930s. Cioppino is thought to be the result of Italian immigrant fishermen adding something from the day's catch to the communal stew kettle on the wharf. The origin of the word "cioppino" has a couple of theories. One being historians believe that it is Italian-American for "chip in." The other theory is that the name comes from a Genoese fish stew called cioppin. In homage to this dish, 717 South puts their twist on this dish yet keeping the base flavor profile. Unlike the traditional dish where a whitefish like halibut is used, they substitute large seared scallops. Some of the standard ingredients they also include are mussels, shrimp, onions, portabella, basil, oregano, tomato & seafood broth, topped with garlic toast. My favorite surprise when diving into this dish was a creamy polenta hidden in the middle of this stew. This was dish evolution goodness where you have a comfort feel of meat, potatoes and gravy yet this is seafood in a thick tomato broth on top of polenta. Spoon, cocktail fork and toast makes great tools for dish to mouth transfer of this brilliant dish. Even though this was my first cioppino, I think 717 south has done a great rendition to this San Francisco treat. Seeing that the weather is chilly these days, this is one of my top bay area comfort dishes that come to mind. Despite the weather being cold or hot, it is a unique dish that cant be found in too many restaurants in our bay area. This rendition of Cioppino will not disappoint those seafood lovers looking for a comfort entrée. Despite my recommendation, head to 717 South for a great atmosphere, friendly staff, awesome drinks, and delicious food.
(4)Sam B.
Awesome food. I love this place. In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in Tampa. I always get the filet with mac and cheese. Fantastic!
(5)Lauren R.
I spent quite a bit of time researching restaurants in Tampa before my visit, looking for the perfect place to take my best friend to dinner to celebrate that she's expecting. Silly me didn't realize the long list of foods you can't have when you're pregnant, and that coupled with my friend's admittedly non-adventurous tastes limited us from tapas at Ceviche like I really wanted. So I went on the hunt for a modern, fun place with a relatively tame but tasty menu and nice ambiance without being overly expensive. Given my lengthy requirements, 717 fit the bill quite nicely. Good menu with lots of options, and the Italian/Pacific Rim theme didn't clash nearly as much as I expected. The rolled pesto bread and marinara three cheese spread that the waiter brought to start was really, really yummy. I appreciated that the entrees include a choice of soup or salad, and my tomato bisque was delicious (though very similar in flavor to the bread dip) and the mixed greens salad had a tasty honey mustard vinaigrette dressing. We both ordered from the Italian side of the menu, and the Delmonico steak and grilled smoked salmon dishes were both good. Service was excellent, I had a couple of glasses of white wine that was on the inexpensive side but quite good, and our little old waiter joked around with us good-naturedly when my friend ordered a Shirley Temple. 717 is a cute little restaurant with decent decor and a good vibe. Its in a cute little area, though I think that it was located towards the end of the heart of the restaurant district so most of the action is a little further down.
(4)Todd O.
717 is on the nicer side of places to go on Howard. It's generally got a pretty good sized crowd and the food is good. I got the salmon here which was really good.
(4)Jeff C.
I usually prefer local stores over franchise. Was really excited to see the comparison between this and Bonefish and decided to give it a try. I walk away disappointed though. Restaurant deco is very nice, tall ceiling, comfortable chairs, friendly wait staff. But food definitely needs improvement. Pork Rib egg roll was ok, the two sauces that came with it neither compliment or enhance the flavor. Kind of like odd couple forced together. Calamari appetizer has great presentation, but that's about it. Probably the smallest rings I have seen and tasty very bland, with or without the pretty sauce. I ordered the daily special, crab cake with shrimp. The crab cake itself was average, the shrimps were very rubbery. The only thing good is the sauce, which is actually quite tasty.
(2)Raj A.
Yes the food is not a full 5/5 but good enough for what we paid,the service was allright,maybe they werent interested in smaller tables.but the ambiance and the deco is quite attractive..We stayed there for over three hours and kept snacking on the bread till they ran out of it.good place for a date,friends but not that calm for when outing with the family.Upside is Starbucks is just outside!Y
(4)Pasquale R.
When my gf's sister suggested this place, I was intrigued. An Asian/Italian upscale (or wanna be) restaurant. Coming from the area that has the best Italian food outside of Italy, I didn't expect much. When we walked in we were seated promptly (we had reservations which I recommend). We sat down and was greeted by a very friendly waiter. I ordered there seafood bisque (very good) to start out. The bread here is what makes the place. It's made fresh frequently and right out of the oven. My gf started with the Caesar Salad and then we received the main courses. The server, although friendly, was infrequent. Talkative yet spotty. For meals; me: Chicken Calabria (not much seasoning but ok), gf: macadamia chicken (same deal as me), gf's sister: Asian pot roast. Probably the best of the bunch. We did not get dessert. Overall good place but not a place when I am back in town I will go out of my way to go to.
(3)Jimmy D.
This place is great... as long as you didn't just move here from NYC or Long Island. Went here the other night at around 6:30pm on my never-ending quest to find a truly great restaurant in Tampa. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. She explained that they were booked for the night but that we could sit at one of the high-top bar tables if we wanted to. The only one available was the one closest to the door so we decided out loud that we would just come back another night when we had reservations. She went to talk to someone else and came back and said that someone who had a reservation was 10 minutes late and that if we wanted to wait 5 minutes we could have their table if they didn't show up, so we waited and got the table :) Apparently they're known for the bread they bring you when you are seated. It was pretty good, but the sauce it comes with was on the verge of being cold. More bread a little later, sauce still cold-ish. Calamari appetizer was ok (hard to mess this one up) although the pieces were surprisingly small. I got the Asian Pot Roast and it was very, very good (for Tampa). Girlfriend got the Macadamia Chicken and we were both very disappointed. The description made it sound incredible. We were expecting big, thick chicken cutlets, seasoned, breaded and/or encrusted in macadamia nuts, and what we got were 2 very thin pieces of chicken that could have easily come from a TV dinner, and they appeared to be boiled oddly enough as there were no grill marks or any sign that it was cooked on a flat-top. Dessert time. We ordered the lava cake. Hard to give this a bad review but I'll say this: I had the same dessert recently on a cruise ship where it was mass-produced by the thousands every night, and somehow Carnival's was better :( Best part of this experience was the very friendly and helpful hostess, and our waitress who was really a bar-tender but picking up a shift for the night, she was great, too. Sadly this was the second best restaurant experience we have had in Tampa as far as the food goes, with the first being at Jasmine Thai on Westshore. We'll keep trying.
(3)Josh M.
Bread and dipping sauce is the best thing there. Menu has a lot of options. I prefer it for lunch over dinner.
(3)Matthew H.
We're here for dinner on Monday (4/9/12), service was slow, had to wait a long time for everything....drinks, meal order to be taken, food to be delivered. They were not short handed - identified 3 waiters and someone clearing tables - we were 1 of 6 tables.
(1)Keith H.
My girlfriend took me to 717 South to celebrate my passing of the Florida Bar Exam. Beyond the restaurant being noticeably dusty, things began to go sour from the start. My girlfriend made sure to mention that we were celebrating a special occasion and ordered champagne. The server then returned and told us that they were all out of champagne. She then simply handed us the drink menu again and said, "but you can pick something else," and then she walked away. My girlfriend then got up and walked over to the server to order a sparkling wine. The server's attitude throughout was that this was our problem and she didn't care. Finally we were brought two bottles of sparkling wine, with the labels worn off from being previously iced down. When we chose one we found out they weren't even cold and that they had to be chilled. At this time our appetizer's arrived, the brie was good but the calamari was dry and rubbery. At this point it was clear our attempt to celebrate at 717 was pretty much ruined by our server's callous attitude. I was prompted to write this review because my girlfriend was nearly in tears over the fact that the celebratory dinner she had planned was so thoroughly ruined by the staff's lack of concern and the poor food quality. We ended up going to Bonefish Grill and had a wonderful meal. The restaurant had champagne; our server was attentive and pleasant; the food was great; and we were given a free dessert for our special occasion. We would not recommend 717 South to anyone nor will we visit it again.
(1)Claudia D.
This place is awesome! The design of the bar and restaurant is very narrow but with a lot of space. The walls are covered with paints and is more inclined for romantic food lovers. The wine selection is wide and the service is magnificent. The food, nevertheless was outstanding and the music was just perfect. The staff was fast and well aware of their clients needs. They were very friendly and of course good looking! Although it was casual dress code most of all the people were dressed up for party time. If you are looking for a place in Tampa, you MUST visit the 717 South. :)
(4)Matt B.
Ate here on a little weekend getaway. We were pleased with the food and service, and we had a great time.
(3)RD E.
Solid menu, good food, great service
(4)Jack W.
I've read mixed reviews of 717 but I have to give it plenty of props. When I went it was early - around 7:30, so maybe that's why I got such great service and such great food. I had a dorado special they had and it was very sweet, in a ponzu kind of sauce. The place has definitely got an Asian influence going and it's nice to see a decent fusion restaurant making it in Tampa!
(4)Stephanie G.
The Hubs and I stopped in for lunch recently. We were sat quickly by the bartender who was also our waitress. I had the Warm Spinach Salad with grilled chicken. Delicious! Loved the warm goat cheese. So good. Hubs had Macadamia Nut Chicken Salad sandwich which he would have preferred without fries since he is watching his fried food intake, but those fries did look good! Efficient lunch service. Will try again for dinner some time.
(4)Chad L.
Had an excellent dinner here tonight. The restaurant if visually quite striking, with the Art Deco prints and wall dividers. Interestingly, the front of the restaurant is far noisier than the booths / tables in the back, so if you want a quieter more secluded meal, sit in the back (there is a large private dining room there as well for large groups). We started with the bread which was outstanding, followed by Chilled wedge salad and a warm spinach salad with goat cheese which tasted extremely fresh, brought out in really interesting plates. The spinach was brought out in a parm bowl. For entrees we had the New York Strip which was perfectly cooked medium rare with bacon mac N cheese which was one of the best meals Ive had in about a year! The wife had Snapper with crab and a risotto cake and swiss chard. Also lick the plate good! But the real hit of the night was Alex our server! She was outstanding even being an FSU fan! She is literally the best server I have had the pleasure of meeting. Give this girl a promotion!!! Hey, Alex GO GATORS!!! lol No room for deserts, plus they really didn't look that interesting. After dinner stopped by the bar for a quick drink. Some good wines by the glass for $5. All-in-all, an outstanding dinner with great service (Alex) and can't wait to return to try something else.
(5)Stephany P.
Great atmosphere, awesome service and delicious food. Our waiter was extremely accommodating, fun and engaged in great conversation! He told us to try the short rib spring rolls for an app and it didn't disappoint. I had the crab cake a tree that came with a red quinoa and watercress, a very light but filling meal. The crab cake was more crab than anything, which at other place it tends to be more mayo-y. My boyfriend had the pork delmonico which was AMAZING. The sauce for the pork was the right amount of smokey, sweet and savory. The side of bacon Mac and cheese made me want to just take his plate. It was TO DIE FOR, I truly wish I wasn't watching my figure because i would've ordered a side of the Mac and cheese for myself! Lol The only reason I don't give the full 5 stars is due to the fact that this was only my first time here. 5 stars are awarded only after I have been on several occasions. Other than that, this is a great date spot!
(4)Sara S.
Great, gluttonous, glorious food. A little forgotten about with all the new places popping up in Soho, but this place should remain a staple in South Tampa. They are all about the flavors - Rich sauces, heavy pasta dishes, decadent desserts, unique appetizers. Don't come here if you're calorie counting. Come here for a great meal in a lively environment. Like the roaring 20s, you'll find art deco prints, lively conversations at the bar, an open bustling kitchen, and a bit of an upscale atmosphere. Unlike the other Soho restaurants, 717 actually has a parking lot without valet. They share it with Starbucks, so there's no guarantee you'll find a space. Photos are posted with descriptions. I highly recommend the brussel sprouts and chocolate cake if you are a chocoholic.
(4)Mallory W.
The food at 717 is what justifies the 3 star rating. Unfortunately, the service was more like a 1.5. We made reservations at 717 for 730 on a Friday. The restaurant wasn't full, but was beginning to get busy. I'd say they were at 75%-80% capacity at the time. We waited a few minutes and then were seated in a secluded private room in the back, which felt a little uncomfortable as there were open tables and booths in the main dining area and we were placed in quarantine. Anyway, we sat down for a whole 30 seconds until another server came over and told us that we can't sit here because it's reserved for a private party.. Well, this is awkward.. We got up and stood in a small path between the kitchen and bar until another table was made up for us. Finally, we have a table to call our own (nevermind that it's in the middle of the walking path - well take what we can get at this point) ! The manager, who was made aware of the situation by several hostesses and servers, walked by us several times without offering so much as "sorry about the confusion".. That was disappointing Once dinner started, we decided to chalk it up to miscommunication between the hostesses, and we started to enjoy our evening. We had a few glasses of good red wine, the shrimp and grits ( cheddar grits topped with a hint of sausage gravy - mouth watering!) roasted beet and arugula salad (generous portion sizes!), and the local red snapper topped with lobster. Oh, and a sweet server who always has a smile on her face. Everything we ate was delicious, almost delicious enough to make me forget about the uncomfortable first 15 minutes at the restaurant.
(3)Natalie T.
The bacon Mac n cheese as a side dish is a MUST if you come here. This place is awesome and I'm very surprised this isn't one of the more popular restaurants in soho. The food was wonderful I got a stuffed chicken breast with a side of bacon Mac n cheese that was amazing , my boyfriend got the ribeye that came with fingerling potatoes with a honey glaze that was also delicious. Our service was great and our server also mentioned they are changing the menu soon and we are excited to go back.
(5)Diana G.
The staff welcomed us as soon as we walked in. Our waiter quickly took our drink order and answered our questions regarding the menu. We questioned the jalapeño sweet potato mash on the spice scale and brought a sample out for proof that it was not spicy. The food was delicious, hot, and well plated. I recommend the Baked Farfalle pasta, delicious! I would come back and recommend it. Can't wait to try Ava, their new restaurant addition! The owner, Mike, thanked us at the door and took our picture for us. He was genuine, it's no wonder the staff was as friendly as they were! This place is Girls Night Approved!
(5)Michael J.
After seeing all of the great reviews, I took my other half out for a nice dinner at 717 South last night, sincerely hoping that it would live up to the reviews. We booked a reservation on opentable.com , and arrived 5 minutes early. We were seated immediately. Anthony, the server was awesome! But, not only was the service awesome, so was the food! Everything lived up to the tons of the positive reviews that I have seen on here and other sites... We were both impressed, and will return soon..!
(5)Allison N.
It's very strange to me that I had never been to 717 South because I've pretty much been to all of the other restaurants on South Howard already. In fact, I used to run by this place all the time and thought, "Oh, there's 717 South," and pretty much didn't think anything else. So when I decided to come here, I was stepping a little bit outside my normal realm of restaurants. It seemed like a nice place, so I figured I would give it a shot. We came in and had reservations so we were seated immediately. The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty trendy but does not cater to the younger Soho crowd which congregates a little bit further up the street. We started with the baked brie, which was VERY good. It was topped with a cranberry mixture which provided a wonderful tart and sweet taste with the richness of the brie. Really a great appetizer. Afterwards, we were brought this pesto bread which came with a tomato and cheese mixture. This was REALLY good and was an excellent bread choice. I don't even like bread but that tomato and cheese sauce mixture was awesome and very unique. For dinner I opted for the macadamia nut chicken with broccoli and the chef's vegetable, which was asparagus. The broccoli was average. The asparagus was pretty good. The chicken itself was tasty, but it felt super fried and greasy. The cream sauce that came with the chicken was very delicious though, and provided a good diversity to the chicken. My boyfriend got the stuffed chicken which he said was very good BUT then he found out midway through that the middle of the chicken was undercooked. I felt bad because it was basically raw. That is sort of scary to me and caused him quite a bit of worry that he would get sick. Never good! We told our waiter and he sent it back and brought out a new, fully cooked stuffed chicken. It was taken off of our check which was very much appreciated. The service was pretty good and it was quick. The servers were very accommodating and understanding when we had to send food back, and taking the undercooked meal off of the check was very nice of them. I like when restaurants acknowledge their customers and go out of their way to make up mistakes for them. Overall I would give this a high three-star rating, but for Yelp's sake, I'm going to round up.
(4)Drea F.
5 stars!!!! The music is awesome I listen to the same station! The food is the best and service is A1! My fiancé and I are new in town and we will be back!
(5)Anna M.
Seven 17 South is one of my "go to" bars with a great Happy Hour. I have been coming here for years because of their consistently great food, drinks, service, and it is very close to my home. We were seated in the back and Tasha was our server. She was a delight to deal with, she was always smiling and had a very good sense of humor, especially to deal with two smartasses like us! We weren't too hungry, so we decided to order several appetizers and several drinks. We ordered the edamame, the Havana Spring Rolls, and the Fish Tacos. The edamame was perfectly steamed, as usual. The Havana Short Rib Spring Rolls were also good and very tasty. I had never had the Fish Tacos before and I was looking forward to trying them out. Apparently, I have been missing out! They were delicious and I loved the aioli sauce they were served with! The cocktails were great! I have had the Blood Orange Martini on my previous visits and ordered that as my first drink. My second drink was the Soho Socialite, a drink named after me, haha! The Soho Socialite was made with Nolet's Gin muddled with fresh strawberries and fresh lime, served with a splash of sour. It was very good and I will be adding it to my "must drink" list for Seven 17 South. Seven 17 South is a great place for a casual or romantic dinner and they have a great priced Happy Hour too! They are also featured on Groupon, Living Social, and a few of the other discount sites so this would be a great way to try them out!
(4)Josh A.
Top 10 in Tampa no doubt. Top quality service and food. Steak, pasta or fish you can't go wrong. The bacon Mac and Cheese is AMAZING!
(5)Joanna C.
WOW! This was a wonderful first time experience! I've been wanting to go since they opened, but hadn't made the time. I will definitely be back! The service was about 3 stars, the food was 4.5 stars. We started with the crab bisque, which was good, but not outstanding (despite the large chucks of crab). But the rest of the meal was outstanding. The brussels sprouts ($8.9 - Parmeginano regginano, smoked sea salt lightly pan fried in fresh lime) were fantastic!!! SOOOOO good - grilled and flavorful, bright and dynamic. I'd get them over and over. We also had the beet salad ($9.9 - fresh MontChevre goat cheese, toasted walnuts & white balsamic vinaigrette) which was perfectly balanced between the beets, feta and vinaigrette. Our entree was the Oven Baked Fresh Gulf Grouper ($28.9) and with a lobster mousse, lobster cream sauce, bacon truffle mac & cheese and broccoli. The broccoli dipped the cream sauce was amazing. Because we split this entree, it wasn't overwhelming heavy, and we each had the perfect portion. I'd recommend 717 South to just about anyone. It has a wide and diverse menu suitable for just about any pallet. The service could be improved on (speed and friendliness), but I'm definitely looking forward to my visit!
(4)Joyce H.
Came here for my birthday. The atmosphere was nice. We ordered two fish dishes...the fish was deee---lish! The sides were interesting and a smidge salty. Before we chomp on our entrees, we tried the calamari which was good and the bread (which comes with the meal) is AMAZING! If we had to choose over the calamari or bread...bread for sure! What made my night was the Key Lime Pie...there was a mixture of raspberry and mango sauce which comes with the dessert and I was floating on cloud nine. The meals are huge so order a bunch of appetizers and share a entree. It's the way to go! Bon appetit!
(3)Derek N.
Came with an open mind, left with a full stomach! This was the first time I had been here to eat dinner and not a work function. I was quite impressed with the speed of service that we received. I ordered a draft beer for my dinner, they had a few draft craft beers, which was cold and good. For an appetizer we ordered the Havana Short rib "Spring Rolls". There were very interesting. They were good, and the almond guava paste & Peruvian aioli were different. The best was the almond guava paste, the aioli was ok, but the dish could have used a little heat. After the starter I ordered a small Cesar salad. Was not super impressed, the salad came out dry and could shave used a little more dressing. For my dinner I ordered the Lollipop Pork chop. THIS WAS AMAZING! The portion was plenty big and the pork chop was juicy, flavorful and tasty. The description read "lightly smoked, Old Smokey Tennessee "apple pie moonshine", served with "house cured bacon truffle" macaroni & cheese, Chef's veg". THAT IS WHAT SOLD ME! The pork chop was smoked perfectly and that Mac & Cheese was AWESOME!!!! I would have ordered an additional side of it, but I was STUFFED!!!! The chefs veg was grilled asparagus, my favorite, and it was cooked and seasoned well.
(4)Elizabeth W.
SO glad we tried this! My fiancé has a busy work schedule so surprised me with dinner here prior to me birthday since he had to work on the day. The inside was nice and the server greeted us as soon as we sat down. I started off with the Blood Orange Martini. It was mixed to perfection and I could have drank them all night long!! We decided to start off with the Havana Short Rib Spring Rolls. They were yummy pork deep fried with 2 different types of dip: aoli and a type of guava paste. The guava paste was really good!! I would have liked to see another meat that was non-seafood for starters (my fiancé docent eat seafood) so our choice was limited. Either way they were really good. The serves brought out some type of pesto bread with sauce and that was amazing! It reminded me of a classy grilled cheese but so much better. For dinner I ordered the 8oz Filet that came with asparagus and potatoes. My steak was cooked to perfection!! Not to mention that the asparagus and the potatoes were as well. The steak was seasoned to perfection and cooked exactly to my liking. The potatoes has some type of light honey glaze on them and it was so good, I am so glad we came! Everything was perfect, the food and the service! Keep up the great work!!
(5)Loretta Z.
On a drunken night at 4am in Vegas I stumbled upon the most amazing shrimp and grits dish I had ever tasted. Since then I have been searching high and low for an awesome shrimp and grits place in Tampa. The fact that I wasn't in a semi drunken state and I still found the shrimp and grits at 717 delicous says a lot! The hubby and I had the duck burger, baked Brie, and shrimp and grits. It was all scrumptious. The service was decent and the atmosphere trendy and gourmet. I would definitely come back here to try other items in addition to my new staple-- shrimp and grits!
(4)Claire K.
Second visit and I want to go back. The Line Up: 8oz Sirloin, medium rare w/ fried onions, garlic mashed potatoes Chicken Calabria Apple Pie a la mode The Verdict: The meals were wonderful and the ambiance can't be beat. I made a reservation via Open Table & we had a lovely booth toward the back. Service was top notch by Anthony. He was receptive and accommodating. He packed up our dessert to go, easy for transport. Loved.
(4)Edna C.
I initially thought 717 was the area code and along with the world south, I was expecting local specialty Southern food. After eating here I thought it was new American, but I just now found out that it's classified as Italian and Asian fusion (is that possible?!) Bread with marinara dip (complimentary): I've found that $$$ places paradoxically have underwhelming bread/dip--maybe it's because you're expected to order expensive appetizers. The bread was just average, and the tomato sauce dip could not have been any more generic. It was uncomfortably reminiscent of dipping leftover bread in the remnants of sauce from a pasta dish. French fries ($5): Not the best I've had, but it's definitely closer to gourmet French fries. First of all, the thin cutting looks more elegant and distinguishes it from fast food. It seems to have been fried in some delicious fatty oil, or whatever they do to give fries the mouth-watering texture and indulgence. Ocean Fresh Salmon ($23.9), Madagascar vanilla bean & brown sugar cured, leeks, shitake mushrooms, ginger soy aioli, jalapeño sweet potato mash, Chef's vegetables: That menu description is a mouthful! I was concerned that it would be a mouthful of random flavors, but it turned out to be a delightful piece of culinary engineering. If caramelized grilled salmon were possible, this is the closest it'd get. The hint of Asian seasonings and smokiness from the curing balanced the sweetness well, bringing the inherent savory heartiness back to the salmon. The decent portion size allows you to endlessly enjoy and explore this complex dish. The sweet potato mash and vegetables (asparagus that day) were good too, but not so unique as to warrant the literary description endowed to the salmon. Ambiance and service were nice, but perhaps not quite memorable enough for a $$$ restaurant. They did a good job accommodating our large group at a long table, though it was quite a wait. It was indeed $$$ for me because although 18% gratuity was already added, there was an extra blank line for tip so I ended up tipping twice.
(3)Kathy D.
Wow this is a tough review to write. I have been tossing it around for a few days and reliving the experience, and now feel prepared to write my review. For this restaurant row area, I was impressed with the parking lot and ability for ease of parking. The restaurant itself is very warm and inviting, as well a upscale with class. The bar looked inviting, but unfortunately I did not have time to check that out. We were in a private dinning room in the back, due to the size of our party. The private room was bland and dull. For a restaurant of this caliber, I was amazed and disdained that they had white paper over the table clothes, I have only seen this at a few really inexpensive restaurants, I wanted to ask for the crayons to color. The water glasses were already set and filled and 1/2 the table had ice cubes, while the other half had cool water, no ice. The menu is a very nice mixture of offerings from appetizers, seafood, steaks, specialties to even 2 pasta dishes. I ordered a glass of wine to begin my meal. Granted this is a pet peeve of mine, but don't give me a large beautiful wine glass and then come pour in 4-6 ounces. Just fill it about half full and we are good. I am sure there was a wine list, but I did not see it or I would have ordered a bottle of wine. First came the pesto bread at room temperature and no real strucure. There was warm marinara with a dollop of Marskapone to dip your bead in. Due to the wholes in the bread and it's lack of density it was a real mess to eat. The flavor was unremarkable. I ordered the crab bisque. The lump meat crab was plentiful and sprinkled over the top of the bisque. When it arrived the first think I noticed was the skin that had formed on the top of the soup, not an appetizing look. Then I waited for them to arrive with fresh cracked black pepper for our appetizers. It ever appeared, I asked the server and she said she would be back with it, it never arrived, as I sat looking at my soup longingly. The manager kind of hovered over us all night. I asked him about the pepper and he pointed out there was 1 set of salt & pepper grocery store type of grinders for the entire table. My experience with even much lower Italian (or Italian fusion) restaurants is that they come with a big wood Peppermill and then grated cheese, not the case here. Let me say the bread disappeared when the appetizers arrived, never to be seen again. I finally got to taste my soup, the crab was sweet and delicious. The bisque was creamy with absolutely no depth of flavor or hint of any alcohol, it was underparts and definitely disapointing. I ordered the lasagna. It was a nice size with 2 pieces of toasted bread. The lasagna had great depth of flavor, a beautiful blend of meats & cheeses with a nice gravy. 1 of my neighbors got the rack of lamb, a very large portion and cooked medium rare. Another got the Asian pot roast and felt it was too sweet. A turkey burger, steak, seafood...many offerings. I did not hear many us and ahs. The fried Brussel sprouts were quite good as was my lasagna, I would order them agin. For dessert I got the chocolate molten cake It came out properly and the molten chocolate was quite good. The cake itself was quite dry and a bit overcooked. The vanilla ice cream was unremarkable. The manager was a bit overzealous in wanting to explain/ defend his food, I certainly can't blame him for that, the restaurant should be a major love in his life. The wait staff was effective and efficient. In my humble opinion, I believe this could be a 5* restaurant and may have been one at some point in time, but that time is not now. Paper covering tables...come on a major restaurant 101 mistake, tacky. The list goes on making my dining experience great because of the people I was with, but not because I was able to enjoy 1 of the 4 things I ordered. I would not be opposed to giving it another try. If nothing else I would like to try out their bar. What's a girl to do? You gotta roll with the hand you are dealt or ordered.
(3)Nicholas V.
This place hasn't completely wowed me, although it's been good quality every time. A touch over priced on their steak menu, but it's one of the best options on the menu. Surely over 100$ for a dinner for two with a drink, and I think it should be closer to $70--$80 tops.
(4)Brent F.
Excellent food, everyone needs to try the crab bisque soup. Seafood is amazing with the land fare just behind. Service is okay, atmosphere is okay.
(4)KRISTEN C.
Good for the price! Nice menu and great atmosphere. I had the NY Strip and it was amazing. Well worth the money. Hangar steak was a little skimpy on the amount food.
(4)Jasmine R.
I'm a happy hour buff so I was pleasently surprised that 717 has a decent one so I made sure to stop by. There is an average sized parking lot in the back but it is tight, even on Tuesday in a Prius, so be warned. The decore is nicer then what I expected. Lots of dark wood, white linens, and low lighting so this could easily could be an option for date night. The happy hour menu has several options and very fair discounted pricing. I will say that you have to make sure to ask for the happy hour menu because the bar maids were not forth coming with it and several of the patrons were surprised/clueless that there even was one. My duck spring rolls and glass of red definately hit the spot and even though it's the typcial pretencious South Tampa crowd most people in the bar area were very friendly and happy to engage in conversation. Overall it was a very good experience and I can see 717 being a regular stop for me.
(5)Michael Z.
Seven 17 South has a lot of competition in the area, yet managed to deliver food and an experience that stood out. The vibe is modern and trendy with the now-mandatory open kitchen. Lots of dishes had unique twists on them so the menu lends itself to ordering small plates to make the decisions easier. The bar is also a focal point with some fairly different cocktails. Anytime one can blend jalapeño into a drink, I am impressed. This place does stand out relative to the rest of the joints on the strip in SoHo, so I would encourage a visit if you are in the area.
(4)Jason M.
We enjoyed our very first visit to 717 very much. The service (thanks Brittany) was exceptional and the calibre of cuisine was outstanding. From the drinks to the app the the entree and dessert, everything was well timed and executed. The focus on fresh and local (when in season) ingredients is readily present in the presentation and palette. The sides complemented the main course quite well, with the 6oz filet and wild salmon featuring transcending flavors with shiitake mushrooms, spinach and broccoli. A date night consisting of three drinks, an app, two entrees and a shared dessert hit $100 on the nose before tip. Was it worth it? Absolutely and we will most certainly return.
(4)Malcolm B.
First time here. Busy Saturday crowd, so obviously popular with the natives. Food pretty good: scallops in chervil sauce were excellent and the dick burger was good, if a little over-salted. Fries were really tasty and plentiful. I'd be happy to come here again and give it another go but to be honest, while good, it doesn't stand out from the crowd.
(3)James A.
I've tried multiple items on the menu and everything is fantastic. The steaks are priced well and the flavor is dialed in nicely. The staff is prompt. Great date spot. Solid happy hour.
(5)William W.
Again the food was excellent, and again the service was unbearable. After my friend politely let the waiter know that we had not yet ordered he proceeded to tell us 'he has other things to do'. It's a shame because both times I went food was good but the service just makes it not worth going back.
(1)Andrea L.
Great vibe at this restaurant! Excellent Estancia Pinot Noir.. Also, they're having a ladies night giveaway on Thurs nights ( Louboutins, Louis Vuitton, etc)
(4)Serguei V.
A pleasant early dinner at 717. Tried the lamb chops and it was pretty good. Nice and tender meat with a pistachio crust, includes sweet potatoes mash and green beans. It was enough for two people or maybe for a really hungry single person. I just wish they would serve it pre cut like lollipops. My date had the French martini and she said it was good. Wasn't stingy on the vodka:) Service was excellent; our waiter refreshed our basket of free focaccia with marina and herb butter sauce within 2 mins of finishing the bread without even having to ask. The hostess came over to ask us how are meal tasted. Very thoughtful. All in all the food is good (a 3 star), however the staff is excellent thus the four star review.
(4)Jen G.
Chose this spot for a ladies night on a Friday evening. The were only 4 in our party, and I drove separate from the others and arrived after them. I was never given a run down of the specials, which sucked because apparently there is a special If you're wearing a black dress, which I was. Anyhow, I ordered a Moscow mule which was tasty yet overpriced. I also got some delicious mushroom soup. Our waitress was friendly, but very busy. They did have quite the varied menu, and I would go back and try again, but there are so many options in this area. It just didn't stand out as somewhere I'd be eager to take my fiancé back to. Lots of unique options, but a little pricy for what you get. A bonus was that there was free self parking behind the restaurant which is rare in SoHo.
(3)Debborah C.
The food and service in this restaurant was excellent. I had the calamari, which was cooked perfectly and served with two dipping sauces. We ordered the crab cake and it was loaded with crab meat, very very good. The rib eye steak was cooked perfectly, exactly how we ordered and very tender. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)Susan R.
Lovely Hyde Park neighborhood restaurant with terrific culinary skills and a charming outside eating area on Howard Ave, great for people watching. Started dinner by sharing a very tasty Caesar's salad and a very generous Caprese salad. Spouse enjoyed an entree of shrimp risoto (with huge shrimp!) while I ordered a wonderful, Asian inspired pan-seared red snapper. Our server, Jesse, was friendly, attentive, informative, and helpful during a sudden sun-shower. We shared a nice, mellow chardonnay and topped off dinner with the house-made key lime pie. 717 South is now a favorite!
(5)Kristi T.
Eat it while it's cold!... Way overrated..... Came here very excited to try this hyped up South Tampa restaurant. Came on a Sunday at 7:30, more than enough time to enjoy a dinner for 2 and be out well before they close at 10pm. To start, the wine by the bottle list was covered in... Who knows what, some kind of stickiness. Pesto bread with red sauce and marscapone was delicious. Definitely a highlight. We ordered mushroom risotto with scallops and the hanger steak with mac and cheese. With only 2 other tables in the restaurant, it took over 30 minutes for entrees to come out and both dishes were cold. We politely informed our waitress shortly after the food was delivered that it was cold, to which she asked "would you like it heated up?" Which having ordered a steak I replied no but my boyfriend decided to have his heated up. So the mushroom and scallop risotto finally returns, with his now mushy, half eaten scallop neatly placed on top of his steaming pile of risotto, fresh from the microwave! No visit from any managers, waitress wasn't concerned... Oh and they started vacuuming the restaurant in the middle of our meal. Definitely won't be back.
(1)Dan C.
Great service and really well flavored food. The tuna tar tar was phenomenal, I could eat a bucket of it. I had the bone in ribeye, great flavor, only complaint is that it came out a little cold, probably because I was with a large party. My server heated it up with no problem. Also saw Joe Maddon there.
(4)Phillipa L.
This was my third time dining at this restaurant. On this visit for starters I had the fried calamari and crab cake. They were both ok. I have tasted more flavorful ones at other local upscale restaurants in the area so I was not too impressed. For my entree I ate the pistachio crusted lamb with jalapeño sweet mash potatoes. That too was ok. Trader Joe's rack of boxed lamb is much better. Don't get me wrong the lamb was edible but not bursting with flavors like I expected. It was served with a very small tablespoon of jalapeño sweet potatoes. I really liked those and paid additional for an extra tablespoon ($5 it was). Overall the ambience was good. We sat at a table near the glass windows so we could watch passerby and it was fun! This added entertainment to my experience. I think they are a little overpriced. I guess one is paying for the location. Our server was good so no complaints there. I have also posted some photos.
(3)Mark S.
My dad and I decided to give this place a try because it is close to his office. The atmosphere here is incredible. We were greeted by a very courteous staff. The service was quick and efficient. I decided to order the filet mignon tip Thai wrap. The filet mignon was very juicy with plenty of flavor. The rice and beans in the wrap added a nice touch. The sweet potato fries were delicious. They were slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, just the way I like them. I was thoroughly impressed with my first visit to 717 South. I definitely plan to return in the near future.
(5)Marie W.
I really like this place. The environment isn't bad. It's a great lunch place. The food is good, the service is pretty decent, and the location is ideal. The only pitfall is the parking. It is far from ample. Other than that, it's a great place to eat.
(5)Berit M.
God Bless Groupon for helping me stumble upon this gem. I can't wait to return again and again and eventually try the entire menu. This time I had the filet with the spinach and broccoli (apparently I needed some greens). They let you pick whichever sides you would like with your main course :) Next time I'm trying the truffle mac n' cheese because in my experience truffle with anything is generally more than amazing. For an app, we got the calamari scampi served with parmesan crusted bread--which was the bomb and perfect for dipping. They also have an extensive wine list which is always a plus. Many thanks to Brittany for her awesome service!
(4)Clay D.
When I got my credit card bill, they had added more on to the charge. And that was after I left a 20% tip. They should go out of business for that kind of slimy business practice.
(1)Patrick F.
Needless to say, this was a great place. I had the lollipop pork chop with asparagus and macaroni and cheese which had bacon. Nuff said. Amazing. For appetizers my group had the Pu-Pu platter - Fried Brussels sprouts, Calamari, Shrimp and Grits, Ahi tuna, and Havana Spring Rolls. All great. Good beers and drinks as well. I would definitely recommend when in the Tampa area!
(5)Josi J.
Def a regular spot...but more of a happy hr vibe in my opinion. I love the crab bisque and calamari, & my friend absolutely loves their duck burger.
(4)Rebecca V.
The staff is great, they were very accommodating to our party and I will honestly say we were a little annoying because we had three more than expected. So they did great making it work out! The food of choice was Cesar salad, sirloin with Mac and cheese and broccoli.. Salad great, sirloin very tended and delish.. Wasn't impressed with Mac and cheese it lacked flavor., broccoli is broccoli.., for drinks I had pink passion it was ok., and a blueberry mojito and I though that tasted to syrupy.. So drinks were unimpressive, shoulda stuck with wine.. I do think the prices are a bit steep for what it was, so because of that it may be a while before I return but enjoyed myself this visit and the staff definitely is A+, management just needs to work in the pricing and it would be a great place.
(4)Matt J.
Great service/food/drinks. The mashed jalepeno sweet potatoes were amazing. Lamb is one of the hardest meats to cook but they did it perfectly!
(4)Jane J.
Our very discerning out-of-town guests gave us one shot at selecting the perfect restaurant innTampa. Without hesitation, my husband and I simultaneously said, "Let's take them to 717 South!" Good decision on our part!!! Parking is a breeze, and the restaurant is very accessible off of Howard Avenue. We were warmly greeted by our server, Anthony, who proceeded to take us to a comfortable table near a window. So far so good. Drinks were ordered with perfect timing, and appetizer orders were taken. We enjoyed the calamari and crab cakes which were shared among the four of us. My husband asked for two sauces for the calamari and Anthony quickly worked his magic with the chef to accommodate! Both the calamari and the crab cakes were delicious and we could see the smiles on our friends' faces! The bread was warm and its timing was also spot on! I won't tell you about the yummy sauce that accompanies the bread ....something has to be left as a surprise! So far even better than good! Next, we were artfully told the special of the evening. Anthony has a way of explaining the fare without sounding like a programmed "robot" as many servers do! His enthusiasm is contagious! We ordered stuffed chicken, two Asian pot roasts, and one "special" which was sea bass. When we all began, our guests commented that they knew we would find a good restaurant, but could never have imagined that it would be THIS GREAT! Needless to say, we had a wonderful evening! Beautiful atmosphere, tasty drinks, fine dining, and the best server in Tampa! Thanks, 717!
(5)Melanie B.
Spent $40 for $100 certificate Living Social deal to 717 South and figured it'd be worth it no matter how my service ended up being. The service was phenomenal! We split a fabulous wedge salad and the tomato dip for the bread was simply amazing. My husband ordered the Ribeye and I ordered the Sirloin with gorgonzola and mushrooms. It absolutely amazing. The only thing I wished for was a better view... We looked directly at the Starbucks next door. I will defintely go back
(5)Jason C.
I've been here several times with friends. Generally I've had a pretty okay experiences. The food is generally pretty decent, though I must say some of it is hit or miss. I had the mushroom risotto with chicken once and something about the way they cooked it made the chicken crunchy in a weird way for something that was braised. The flavor of the risotto was good though. I think the appetizers are decent for sharing, and they make good cocktails.
(3)El D.
Had dinner there last night - the service was atrocious. The waiter disappeared several times - it took over 30 minutes to order the first drinks - and he forgot one person and didn't come back. We had to ask for bread as we had a child that was starving and that took another 10 minutes (so 40 minutes and we still didn't have appetizers). The crab bisque had a skin on the top as it had clearly been sitting under heat lights for some time. The waiter came to tell me that they were out of snapper and then after giving me the menu to select something else - never came back to ask me what I wanted. The mac and cheese looked like it was made last week and the crab cakes were alright but nothing spectacular. Used to be much better - seems to have gone down hill significantly.
(2)Carly R.
Came in to use our Groupon. We were greeted right away and seated immediately (we had a reservation, but it wasn't too crowded). The service was friendly, and our waiter was patient as we interrogated him on the best menu choices. My fiance ordered the Chilean sea bass, and I ordered the salmon. We received very generous portions, and both meals were incredible. The sea bass melted in our mouths, and the salmon was so flavorful. Intimate atmosphere with interesting art and decor. Much roomier on the inside than it looks from the outside. Also has a full bar area if you're just looking for drinks and small plates. Great date night spot, and there is also a sectioned-off room for business meetings and private parties. Will be back in the future to try more of the menu.
(5)Michelle D.
I was surprised how good the food was. When we entered the hostess was right there before you step in to the restaurant and seemed bothered that we stopped in. Our waiter was good. I he never offered me a drink besides water which was odd since they have an excellent drink menu. Based upon our entrance and greeting, I wasn't expecting too much of the food. I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was delicious! The Caesar salad had a light vinaigrette dressing and was not overwhelming or thick. The lettuce and cheese was very fresh. I ordered a filet with Gorgonzola. It was cooked perfect and the glaze was amazing! It was very flavorful and delicious. I am from the Midwest and am a steak gal. You can tell they Take pride in the flavor of the food they serve. Asparagus was the chefs choice and was lightly seasoned with garlic and was great! Our waiter did warm up and even though I never was able to order a drink I was very pleased overall. The atmosphere was lighted and provided a bar and sit down area. I am excited to go back and try something new!
(5)Simon I.
Other than the quality service of the serving staff I found the food mediocre. My Lobster bisque came out far too salty and there were not taste let alone aroma of lobster, My Moscow Gimlet was initially too strong then as the overloaded ice melted it became watered down, My Risotto topped with Grille Salmon was was simply decent. The ambiance is one of dark wood cozy, with tight booths and a couple long tables. There is also a private dining room. My hat off to the wait staff who are well versed with the menu, are helpful, cheerful and are always around when needed providing well attention to the guests.
(2)Michelle M.
The food at Seven 17 South is AMAZING!!! We started our meal off with a bottle of one of my favorite wines, Termes Toro, and the Seared Yellow-Tail Tuna appetizer. Excellent tuna! It is worth mentioning that Seven 17 does not mark up their wine as much as other Tampa restaurants. We've paid almost $20 more for this same bottle elsewhere. One of the servers brought some bread to our table while we were waiting for our food. Normally I try to avoid the bread basket, but how can you resist bread that is served with a side of marinara sauce and ricotta cheese? (Yum!) Our entrees were out of this world good! I ordered the Szechwan Duck Breast after our fantastic waiter confirmed that this was one of his favorite dishes. My duck breast was so juicy and flavorful! The duck paired perfectly with the jalapeno sweet potato puree and the sriacha sauce. My sister's Filet Mignon cut like butter and was perfectly medium rare so that every last bite had a nice warm, red center. I traded her a bite for my dish and thought this was one of the best steaks I have ever eaten! I love mac and cheese so I had to order a side for our table when I saw the side dish was only $4. This was one of the best mac & cheeses I have had in Tampa. How did we manage to eat dessert??? Two words: Pumpkin Cheesecake. I didn't think I could eat another bite, but when I saw this delectable pumpkin treat I had to have it! My sister's Creme Brulee was great too, but didn't hold a candle to the homemade pumpkin cheesecake! Most of the dishes on Seven 17's menu are between $20-$30. I always had the impression that this restaurant was more expensive, but our bill really wasn't that bad despite all the food we ordered. Will definitely be back soon!
(5)Thomas D.
This was my first time venturing to 717 and it won't likely be my last. I had purchased the Groupon or LS deal for this establishment and time was running out. My date and I arrived last Sunday night and we decided to sit at the bar.. It is football season! Lexi was our bartender and she was great! We ordered a couple of cocktails, I had the cucumber basil gimlet and my date had a fruity mango something or other.. both drinks were very good. We ordered the goat cheese flat bread to start. The flat bread was just ok.. We should have ordered the short rib spring rolls. Moving on..for dinner my date ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with shrimp and stone ground cheese grits. Two thumbs up for the Chilean Sea Bass it was excellent! I ordered the oven baked fresh Grouper. To be honest... It was blah at best. I would not recommend the Grouper it was a let down and the lobster mousse and Mac n Cheese that came with the entree were not very good either. All in all, the service was great and the food was ok but worth a second chance.
(3)Erika M.
Three girlfriends and I went to 717 on Friday for dinner. We had a party that we needed to get to at a certain time so were in a time crunch. Our waiter Michael made that happen for us. He was super sweet and prompt. Our food was also amazing. They also have a good selection of affordable bottles of wine. I had the chicken piccata which is a fave of mine. I love 717 and never have a bad meal. I'm hoping to go again soon! Make a reservation if you need to get in and out! And ask for Michael. He's a great server!
(5)Katie S.
Everything we had was delicious including the uniquely furnished old fashioned. The ambiance was lovely for a nice quiet date night.
(4)Anousha H.
717 is a special spot in Tampa. The art deco style is eye pleasing & the open kitchen is always fun to walk by. I enjoy taking a peek at the beautiful dishes being made & served when I walk by. I enjoy sitting at the bar for a drink as the bartenders are friendly & I can even watch the game or keep an eye on the scores! The food is great to wonderful depending on the day I guess but it can be wonderful if there is more attention paid to balancing flavors & salt level in some dishes. I love the mushroom risotto & I enjoy getting my grilled chicken or salmon on top of the risotto, I have gotten my grilled chicken mixed in with the risotto which is not as appetizing before & I will be sure to mention it next time I visit. Otherwise I do recommend the delicious mushroom risotto. The service varies from decent to excellent. I have been coming back here for years and I must add the menu has gotten more interesting & enticing. I hope they continue to improve upon their craft, toward perfection!
(5)Megan M.
It appears like there is a management problem going on at this place. I should have written this review a while ago, but I feel like I should mention some events that have occurred during my many visits to this restaurant: 1) My friend once bit into a PILL in her food at this restaurant. Yes, there was a random, white pill in her food. What was this mystery pill? No one really knows. Could have been an aspirin, could have been a vitamin, or it could have been some unknown hardcore drug. My friend was especially concerned because she is allergic to aspirin. As soon as she bit into the pill she noticed the texture and the bitterness and spit it out immediately, so she likely only ingested trace fragments (if any) of the substance. Regardless, the pill was straight up BAKED into the entree. No thanks. They at least brought her a new version of the same dish, but by that point she had lost her appetite. They also brought us a round of champagne. However, they STILL charged her for the original entree! They took the charge off after an assertive friend of mine stepped in and handled the situation. 2) I had a large group of people come here for my birthday last year (about 25 people). I really like their mac and cheese, so I ordered a side dish of mac. Toward the end I bit into something really hard. At first I thought it might be a piece of uncooked pasta, but I heard it clink back onto my plate and quickly realized it was a piece of glass. You know those Christmas tree light bulb things? Yeah, it was one of those. What... the... hell. At first they offered to give me a new mac and cheese (worth $4... cool... awesome compensation for me almost swallowing glass). After a couple of friends spoke with the manager, they finally comped my meal and wine, but the management was not very nice about it or accommodating. After the ordeal, the waitress came up and apologized to us and told us it was actually her last day because she could not deal with the management there any more. I do not know if things have changed since then. My friends were sure to tip her adequately since the situation was out of her control and she was very nice. The only reason I gave this place 2 stars instead of 1 is because if these crappy incidents had never happened, this place would definitely be 4 stars in my book. The food is actually really good, and I love the location. I used to enjoy the Havana Spring Rolls and the Chilean Sea Bass with the jalapeno mashed sweet potatoes. I also had a really great lunch at 717 one time. But alas, I was not a fan of how they handled the bizarre and potentially unsafe situations listed above. If strange/unsafe things happened twice in the handful of times I have been to the restaurant, it is likely that strange/unsafe things are happening frequently. They seemed pretty unconcerned and cheap about both incidents, and I felt the behavior was unprofessional. I do not plan on ever going back to this restaurant.
(2)Rose S.
Service was excellent. I really wanted the food to be comparable. I ordered the macadamia nut crusted chicken with jalapeño sweet potatoes and green beans. The chicken was fantastic!!! The sides needed help. If there was jalapeño in the sweet potato I certainly did not taste it. If I come here again I would make a substitution. My friend ordered a glass if zin and it smelled and tasted as if it had been open for years. The waiter replaced and it was fine. I will be back again to try different things. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meal.
(3)Andres A.
First time visiting 717, great food and excellent service! Wife had the lasagna - I tried the rack of lamb. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Todd B.
I really really wanted to love this place. Its in a great location in Hyde Park, its a nice restaurant - great atmosphere, cool bar, nice décor, intimate and spacious. Service was good, not great but good. My only problem with the service was how noncommittal the server was when we asked her opinion on things, but otherwise, she was good. The issue is the food was just average. We came here with a Half Off Depot certificate. I mention that because sometimes going into a place with a groupon or living social or half off depot certificate sometimes affects service. It didn't here. However, it is because of the offer that we came here since we probably wouldn't have known about the place otherwise. Anyway, my girlfriend got the seafood cioppino (Mussels, shrimp, scallop, onions, portabella, basil, oregano, tomato & seafood broth w/ creamy polenta) and I got the lollipop pork chop (Lightly smoked & grilled in jim bean & sweet onion sauce, w/four cheese macaroni, chef's vegetables). Both of our entrees were okay. They also had a sweet potato and chicken chowder that was okay. And honestly, it was all just okay. We didn't dislike anything, but I really wanted to jump up and down over the food because I otherwise really liked this restaurant (outside of the apartments/offices being constructed across the street, which kind of killed the view). So, I'm disappointed. I so rarely order pork chops when I go out - and I love pork chops - but there's always something better looking on a menu. But how could I not love this pork chop? It just sounded better than it tasted We'll be back though. I don't think I'll risk it at full price though, so I'll wait for another discount. The menu has so many options, that maybe we just chose wrong which we can partially blame on the noncommittal opinions of the server. Hopefully, next time, whatever we order will be better.
(3)Mari H.
I have been to 717 South twice now... our first experience was AMAZING! The hubby had a molasses covered filet and I had the chicken risotto, the salad served with our meals was amazing, changed my way of eating salads even at home. I wish I reviewed back then, so when I saw a Living Social for 717 South I was like heck yeah, and bought one right away. Sadly, this experience was very different from our first trip. The service is top notch, but the food our second visit was dramatically different. Our appetizers were amazing except that the balsamic vinaigrette "reduction" was not reduced at all. And the Stella didn't come out in the challis like it should. When it came to our entrees.... Clearly way off, the husband got the red snapper and first off, at first sight you could see that it was cover cooked. The honey glazed fingerlings were too sweet for the dish, perhaps if the sauce would have been saltier they would have balance each other out. Mushroom risotto was too tight as it should flow and not hold shape alone, personally I don't mind it was this way but that still does not make it properly cooked. Service was great and attentive though the restaurant was packed! We will try it again, I don't know if it was a different chef on duty or the change in seasonal menu.... Our first time was MUCH better... that was April 2013.
(4)Kelle C.
We hit all the "best" restaurants in town over the last 4 days- 717 was the winner of the lot. Great service by Anthony, great wine selection, DELICIOUS food. We ordered just about every appy- and half the dinner menu. There wasn't one disappointing item. You can go wrong here!
(5)michelle l.
This place isn't bad, but I wouldn't call it good. The setting is great, and I think this is a great place to come just for drinks. But the food isn't especially innovative, and for the price, you could certainly get better. I tried the fried calamari (good, nothing to write home about), the Caesar salad (okay), and the miso and sake cured grouper (the fish was good, but I didn't like the cold tomato/edamame salad or the ginger carrot salad as they both made the fish get cold quickly). The creme brulee would have been better if the custard was served cold rather than lukewarm. My husband loved the ice cream. Old Meetinghouse Ice Cream is always awesome. The wine list is extensive but not up to date. Our first choice wine was not available. Our server was pleasant but not very experienced. She took a long time, mispronounced things on the menu, and just wasn't professional.
(3)Lexie M.
Seven 17 is amazing! Between four people we shared the short rib spring rolls, baked brie, mushroom risotto, thai steak salad and goat cheese flatbread. Everything was so good. The moscow mule was great, too. We sat at the bar to watch football and loved the atmosphere. Michael the owner seems to be around often, as he was sitting at the bar next to us and I've seen him on a few other occasions across the street at Post Soho Square where he has another restaurant opening soon. Looking forward to trying his new restaurant and coming back to Seven 17!
(5)Susie G.
Me and my boyfriend used to go here a lot, mostly because we had a Groupon. We were always excited to go because they were reasonably priced and was a great atmosphere. If I had wrote this review a few months ago I would have given it 4 stars but we went in there about a month ago (had a Groupon) and we already had in our mind what we would order. Buttt they changed there menu, removed the item we wanted (sirloin) and raised the prices on everything and not just by a few dollars . Sad to say we won't be going back here because of their recent changes. Nothing worse then pre planning what you want to order and it being taken off the menu.
(2)Bridget P.
I will never dine at the restaurant EVER again. On Saturday evening my husband, 18 month daughter and I were seated for dinner in the back dining room in a booth for dinner. About 1/2 way into our meal my daughter moved from her high chair into the booth with my husband as a large party (6) was seated next to us at a table in the middle of the room. After a few minutes is was grossly obvious that the patrons were wasted, however they continued to be served and go to the bar for drinks. As they continued to drink their table conversation grew more and more grotesque, not appropriate for anyone or any exerior environment including a dark creepy bar. The wait staff continued to serve them. At one point an elderly man leaned over to what appeared to be the ring leader to ask that he quiet down as their conversation was offending his wife and everyone else in the restaurant. After the second request the drunk diner flung the elderly man into the booth onto the table behind where I was eating with my baby!!!! Everyone quickly rose to their feet to see what had happened while the gentleman laid across a table of broken glass as the drunk man yelled that "he was grabbing my a$$!!!" he then disappeared into the crowd. hat followed looked like a backyard brawl of everyone screaming and yelling at the man, my husband, me, all of the drunk people were defending the barbariuos actions of their friend who had disappeared. The manager, rather than phone 911 or aid the older gentleman mad a mockery of the entire episode!!!! He should be fired to say the least given how he had no handle on the situation. After attempting to negotiate with the drunk animals my husband attempted to get the car to get his family safely out the door and was threatened in the parking lot to be attacked, he phoned 911 for OUR saftey not given what had happened in the restaurant...to put the icing on the cake, the restaurant made sure to collect every last penny from us and the man attacked!!! In my 36 years I have never seen anything so outrageous!!!! What is the most upsetting is that my daughter could have lost her eyesight our been seriously injured by that man potentially landing on our table!!! I WILL NEVER GO BACK. I have phoned the restaurant several times to speak to an owner! They have yet to get back to me much less apprologize for our ruined evening!
(1)Joanna C.
A friend and I had drinks and dinner at the bar. I ordered a Goose martini and asked for blue cheese stuffed olives. The bartender delivered my friend's drink and explained to me that the day bartender didn't stuff and stock up on stuffed olives so she'll get to it when things slow down and she has time. Things never slowed and I never got the olives. I felt as though my order wasn't as important as others. I'm disappointed. Too bad, the food is good.
(2)Tina C.
Took my friend out for her birthday and we had a perfect evening. Our waiter, Anthony was sweet, charming, helpful and very attentive. Several other servers were also helpful and entertaining for the evening. We had the chef special seafood which was as Anthony said it would be, phenomenal! Perfect dinner to our fun day.
(5)Melanie T.
Cute and comfortable place to eat. I had the Baked Falfelle Pasta and it was perfectly sized for lunch/tasted great.
(4)Mark D.
The large group of friends and colleagues I was part of was quickly seated on the terrace and greeted by our server who got the drinks, the variety platter of appetizers, which also included an order shortribs, calamari and shrimp and grits on the table in a matter of minutes. All of it tasted great! I ordered the sirloin with some scallops added to the plate and wasn't disappointed, as it was wonderfully seasoned and cooked. I wish i could tell you what the rest of the party ordered by I was to busy enjoying the bartenders near perfect martini's. Unfortunately the desert was good but nothing near to the dinner menu's success among the group. The restaurant layout is unique and offers private rooms that comfortably seat larger groups like ours on the patio. The bathrooms were clean and staff excellent still because of my sweet tooth, 4 Stars.
(4)Dave S.
Great chow and great service. Jesse was able to manage my little guys and wife in a hasty manner that felt entirely unhurried tonight. Thnx for the friday dinner Dave to the team at 717...
(5)Kristina C.
First time customer, will definitely be returning!! Excellent service, ambiance and most importantly food. We had the baked Brie with cranberry compote for an appetizer . It was delicious but there was not enough crostini for the serving of cheese. Also had the Siracha edamame, def had a good kick and was great. The entrees at the table included the duck dish (moist and tender), the shrimp and grits with an order of Brussels sprouts (outstanding), a few warm spinach salads in a Parmesan cheese bowl (to much dressing for my taste but excellent flavor) and the crab bisque ( perfectly seasoned). The waitress was unobtrusive, friendly and personable. As stated, will def return and highly recommend
(5)Darrel D.
Been here several times. The food is consistently very good, but the service is another story. We sat through the entire main course without seeing the waiter once. I was up out of my chair going to get someone and he showed up. For a $90 meal for 2 - pre tip - they need to do better. Service killed the experience. This is the second time in a row.
(2)Ray B.
Ray ( Mr. Big ) & Carolyn have found their favorite restaurant! 717 South is classy, friendly & the food is over the top scrumptious! Ray had the pan seared local snapper & it was such a generous portion covered in lump crabmeat with a Demi -glace Carolyn could not stop stealing bites..yum! We love the service & the beautiful bartenders. We have eaten there twice in one week what does that say? The pomegranate martini was really special too. BTW the crab bisque was so delicious & served just as we would like... piping hot. On our way out, the gracious, friendly owner Michael made us feel like we were royalty. Highly recommended.
(5)Casey J.
Extremely disappointing. A bunch of us walked in on a Sunday night a little before 9:00 and the kitchen refused to service us despite their published closing time was 9:00. I guess they don't need the business and don't care about the customers who travelled all the way from Sarasota just to have the "717 Experience". Won't be coming back. Give it a miss until the customer is more important then the kitchen staff punching out on time.
(1)Lance C.
With the lovely weather we are currently having, walking to dinner in South Tampa is a metropolitan treat. Tonight's destination was 717 South, my wife's friend was willing to drive from Clearwater for their mushroom risotto! We started with crispy calamari, well prepared and seasoned, but a little lacking in quantity for the price. I also had a cup of the seafood bisque based on other recommendations. It was okay, a little glommy, though. My wife had the seafood manicotti, pretty good overall. I had the chicken Calabira, the chicken was really good, the proscuitto added a salty counter punch to the marsala demiglace. It was supposed to have chef's vegetables and four cheese macaroni, all I got was some farfalle. My server forgot to bring my wine with dinner as i had requested, but did comp it, so he made it right. Overall a good experience, but as others have said, a little on the pricey side for what you get. There are better alternatives for the price.
(3)Mike H.
What happened to this place? Overdone steak, other one was fatty and no seasoning, soup was microwaved and salty, flatbread was burnt. So disappointed. Used to love this place...not anymore. Don't waste your time here.
(1)John N.
used our groupon and sat at the bar. The bartender was great and was working his a$$ off. food was ok, nothing out of the ordinary. wouldnt go back on my dime.
(3)Rob C.
Love this place! Menu is great, with a wide variety of unique dishes. Food is fantastic and is served by a tremendous staff. The atmosphere really makes this place top notch and it is definitely one of my favorites! For lunch or dinner this place is great!
(5)Sam Q.
717 South is a nice, relatively upscale place (think Bonefish Grill) with an interesting combination of Italian and Asian. I went with a large group and tried several appetizers, including a delicious pork filled egg roll with guava paste, and the most amazing fried calamari I have ever tasted. I had a salad for an entree (watching those calories even on good days), but I lived vicariously through my dinner mates and everything looked fantastic. I would put 717 on a notch above Outback and Carrabas, at the same level of Bonefish and Grill Smith, which is to say above average. I plan to go back, which is why I give it four stars. If I go back often and I still like it, I'll change it to five. So many places, so few calories I can consume...
(4)Jessica G.
Haven't been there in 5 years...shame on us! It was delicious!!! We had the fish taco app and it was tasty and had a perfect blend of heat with the jalapeno aioli. Then we ordered the Italian chop salad (all the tastes blended together well and w/out swimming in dressing...thank you) and the salmon entree and split it. The salmon was perfectly cooked & complimented with the ginger soy aioli, shiitake & leek stir-fry! The jalapeno sweet potato mashers & crisp asparagus were just as good! We really enjoyed it! It seemed to take a long time to get our food...and it wasn't busy. That and the tech music...bleck. I would have loved to hear some Frank Sinatra or classical but that is just my opinion! I will go back because it really was just delicious~
(4)Kelly K.
Over priced, underwhelming, outdated. Prices went up and food quality down. Slowly turning into a has-been.
(1)Collin S.
So now that I live closer, I've eaten here twice. And the food is excellent, though a bit pricier than you would expect. Tonight got the baked farfalle, which already came with sausage, but I'm a fat kid so I added some chicken as well (it's an option on the menu, I'm not just a sicko like that I swear). The bow tie pasta and sauce we're excellent, though it had a bit more basil on it than I was expecting. But the balance of mozzarella and goat cheese was perfect, and it was a legit oven-baked Italian dish that I really enjoyed. Every time I come here, the service is always excellent as well. I've never asked for or had to ever wait for anything, and my drink has always stayed full. The staff are always friendly and fun, but tonight I went in and got some work done on the laptop while sitting at the bar. While sitting there, I watched Amanda the bartender diffuse a potential idiot drunk guy situation with perfect decorum and class. She handled it perfectly, and believe me it could have gotten sticky. That's the difference with a professional staff... they make what could be a problem a non-matter due to experience and smarts. It's not the cheapest place around (the only reason it's not a total 5 star for me), but it is surely one of the best. Plus they continue to give back to Tampa Bay in more ways than I can count, always hosting a fundraiser or making gifts back to the community. They could rename this place "Non-Profit World," as if you've been to a fundraising event in Tampa, there's a decent chance it was held here. Absolutely one of the stars of "Restaurant Row" in SoHo, and one of my favorites!
(4)Sue G.
BAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I don't know what happened, but they are not any good anymore! Cold greasy food! Bad service! Sorry folks they get the bomb!!!!!
(2)Angie W.
Good food. I can't remember what I ordered, it was awhile ago. The place was nice, but not impressive enough to make me want to go back. I've found better restaurants in the area.
(3)Bob D.
Sunday night, dinner for two. It was not a busy night at the Seven 17. Food is not the problem here but more on that later. My 717 south side salad was excellent and more interesting than the menu would lead you to believe. The lasagna was on the heavy side since there was nothing to lighten up the cheese and meat but it did taste fresh. It was sided with a parmesan and garlic bread (a simple freshly baked bread would have sufficed) and fresh green beans. The warm spinach salad - which we ordered with scallops - tasted great. The small serving of spinach however, was inexplicably served in an edible bowl described on the menu as a 'parmigiano reggiano cup.' Useless. I recommend asking your server to simply plate the salad and to not plan on splitting it. The kitchen here more or less has it down, so what's missing? Passion and professionalism. Unfilled water glasses? Check. A mess of paper towels on the bathroom sink counter because the dispenser is broken? Check. A totally uninspired staff? Check. Something's wrong here. Seven 17 South isn't cheap. If you value how you spend your dining out budget, I'd recommend spending it elsewhere.
(3)Craig H.
As Italian food goes it was just okay. They bill themselves as a Italian restaurant but the menu is all over the place. I had seafood manicoti which was good. My chief complaint was the server had the personality of a tow truck driver and it took forever for each course to arrive. It was an hour from the time we were seated until our main course arrived Not a terrible dinner but keep your expectations low.
(2)Robert P.
Where do I start? Maybe with the paper napkins. Lol!! Wine list by the glass is so basic and horrible. $54 for Murphy's Goode wine. Hmmm. Sea bass special that smells fishy and so soggy. Slow service (45 minutes!) My Gosh - what has happened to this place? Never again.
(1)Rita M.
We have dined here three times and always have such a nice experience. My petite filet and my husband's sea bass were prepared perfectly last night. Service us terrific, Michael always take such good care of us. So enjoy dining here!
(4)Drew B.
The decor inside was really nice and it was pretty quiet when I went with my girlfriend so that was good. Some of the items we got didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped, but the Seafood Manicotti was amazing. They also had a diverse wine list. It was a little expensive but overall wasn't too bad. I would go again, and look forward to trying some of the other items on the menu.
(4)Richard S.
Appetizers, dinner and dessert, all were amazing. Escargot, Salmon, Seafood Manicotti, Creme Brûlée. Service was great too.
(5)Ellery C.
Great place! Food and service are always awesome! Friendly people, yummy food! Pennelope's Pasta is a great pasta dish that all the proceeds from it go to the Humane Society!
(5)Clyde S.
I've eaten here five or six times. Only two of them were by my own choosing (or my wifes)... this last time and the first time. The three in between were birthday parties in their private room in back (which is very nice by the way). First and foremost, the service is always really good, so no complaints there. The atmosphere and location are also better than average. However. The food has fallen off a cliff. I am a steak fanatic. I love steak. Unfortunately for me, I ordered the large filet. Long story short, this steak was plain at best. I can get a pound of filet from Greenwise for $18 bucks, throw some olive oil and sea salt and some gorgonzola butter and have a tasty treat with 8 ounces left over. I paid $28 dollars for an 8 ounce filet from 717, with what I thought was going to be a gorgonzola crust, or butter... but ended up getting just a plain filet, topped with red pepper for garnish. Who puts red peppers on steak? If you want colorful garnish, put some parsley on it and a drizzle of olive oil. Anyways. My waitress, who was fantastic by the way, realized they didn't put the gorgonzola on it and had them remake my plate. I got new mashed potatoes which was nice of them, but low-and-behold, the gorgonzola was just that, crumbled cheese, barely melted on top of my steak. For $28, I expect something with flavor. I also don't expect it to taste like a tender sirloin cut of meat, which is what this tasted like - it was very VERY bland. I will say that they have a lot of appetizers that I have eaten before and they are all pretty good, but that's about it for me. I don't go to eateries for appetizers, I go for steak or chicken or something a little more full. My wife has asked me if I wanted to go there a handful of times, each time I say, 'no way'. To be honest, the only reason we even came is because I got lucky and snagged a groupon a few minutes before midnight a couple of weeks ago... otherwise, I would not have proactively come back. It was Saturday at 845 and they were at 70% capacity, if that... which should say something. I don't want to sound like I am being overly critical, but I was less than impressed. For what our bill was, even after the Groupon, we could have eaten elsewhere two times over and gotten better prepared food. As I said. The atmosphere is nice. The staff is always friendly and it is conveniently located. But as far as the food - it wasn't even remotely up to par with the pricing.
(2)Erin S.
I love 717! They're a little pricey for me so I only go when I have a Groupon. First, they serve their bread with a tomato bisque of some sorts. Amazing! And it's nice to have something different than oil. I always get the Asian Pot Roast. It has always been so flavorful, tender, and delicious - I just can't get past it. I've tried their jalapeno sweet potatoes and a few of their appetizers and they have always been very good. I really enjoy coming here when I'm in Hyde Park.
(5)Bobbie K.
717 South is my equivalent of "Cheers" in Boston. It's the place where everybody knows your name. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. The bartenders are friendly and fast. The chef comes up with delicious creations and the cooks will cater to special dietary needs when possible and necessary. The owner is constantly opening his place for charities and fundraisers in the community. Want to spot a local celeb or athlete? Go to 717. The Art Deco style is stylish and the atmosphere is relaxed yet upscale. The cheesecake is to die for! Local musicians perform here on Thursday night which is my favorite night to go.
(5)Frani B.
We went to 717 this past Monday, our reservations were a bit early so when we arrived the place was empty, except for the bar. By the time we left, it was completely packed and I understand why! The service was good, the waiter seemed a little nervous but as the night went on and as he was busier, he actually got better (or maybe it was the wine I was drinking...anyhow); he was attentive. Now onto the food, the wine we chose was a Malbec from Mendoza, great! The soup dujour (black bean I think) was quite tasty, my date is quite picky on seasonings, and this was very well seasoned! I ordered a few small plates for my meal, the seafood lollipops (scallops shrimp and something else...); the crab cake, and the escargot--All very delicious, tasty, and very well cooked. My date ordered the Chilean sea bass which was also excellent! For desert, I chose the flourless chocolate cake-which was a perfect pairing with the bottle of Malbec. My date chose the Pistachio, which was unimpressive (the only thing of the night); it was more like a butter pecan but with chunks of pistachio instead of pecan. We will definitely come back again and try more of the menu!
(4)Mark R.
Had dinner at 717 for first time. Asian pot roast was pretty tasty but for life of me can't figure out why the would give you one scoop of rice. Inexplicable as its so damn inexpensive. Wife had 14 oz delmonico which she thought was ok but I thought was fairly bland . I would advise you to go to a prime steakhouse for a great steak like Charley's or a few others. Macaroni as a side dish was very tasty. Fairly pricey but I had coupon. Waitress was excellent and setting was good.good luck
(3)Melissa S.
My friend took me here this Friday night while I was visiting her. She had made a reservation for us so when we got there we were immediately seated. The atmosphere is nice - not too stuffy - and I felt comfortable in jeans there. We ordered cocktails - I was impressed they had St. Germain at the bar. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer - very nicely done with a nice basil aioli and a fresh tasting romesco. Caesar salads next - yuck - mustard based dressing was not the expectation here - and the finely chopped romaine was a bummer - whatever happened to nice large leaves coated in a homemade anchovy, egg, lemon and oil dressing???? I ordered the Delmonico - what came out was a NY Strip - didn't have the heart to ask them to reorder. I was hungry. Although the steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare it was rather tough (usually why I order the Delmonico). Our server was very knowledgeable and offered up suggestions with us asking, but she seemed like she was reading a prepared statement the whole time. Would eat here again but this restaurant was not all that to me.
(3)Amy T.
We were visiting for the weekend and someone suggested this place to us. I found the ambiance to be ok...the bar was nice but the dining room was a bit bright for my liking. Our server was strange and he was not going tell us the specials or bring us bread until we asked. The food was average...we started with the calamari...eh...and also the short rib spring roll also just ok. For dinner I had the salmon, my husband the filet and our friend the chicken picatta. None of it blew us away. Even the bread which we thought was going to be great was only ok...the sauce served with it was warm at best. In the end I would not go back, I would try something else.
(3)Kyle G.
The reason I like this place is because they're known for their charitable efforts. They do fundraisers frequently for non-profits, which packs the house (almost to the point of uncomfortable). The bar is lovely when you can actually sit and get service. I've waited extreme periods of time for someone to take my order, but in their defense, it was a Friday night around 9pm. It's also a different crowd than the typical SoHo spots, a tad more upscale and a little older of a group (I'd estimate early 30s professionals to be the average clientele). The food is good - but doesn't differentiate too much from a standard Italian menu. Their seating area is nicely decorated and is good for groups if you have a reservation. I have also had their catering, which I found to be absolutely spectacular (added another star for that alone). Only real complaint about the place is the parking; they share a private lot with Starbucks, which means it's packed at almost all hours of the day.
(3)Jess C.
Delicious food, but a bit expensive... Love the bread with tomato sauce & ricotta cheese which they bring out when you sit down-- a must! The crusted chicken is DELICIOUS, but the sweet potato fries are a bit soggy and too sweet for my liking. Also a fan of the baked farfalle-- yum! I've been there a bunch and nothing else was all that memorable.... The drinks are ok, and bar is a bit small, but the outdoor seating is adorable and the inside restaurant seating is cozy and intimate. Overall, a nice place for dinner but a bit expensive for a random weeknight out.
(3)Jon W.
It's like film noir meets the Sistine Chapel on the walls. Love it. The bar service is swift and the drink prices aren't bad at all! I liked the cozy feel and their dinner menu didn't disappoint. We had crab, shrimp & scallop lollipops for starters... very tasty. The szechwan duck and filet mignon were cooked to perfection. What impressed me the most was the wine list... it's surprisingly extensive and the choices really pair well with their main courses. So good, in fact, that we kept the staff working well past closing because we were enjoying it so much. Our waitress was super friendly and really worked to help make it a nice time there. A good find, Tampa people.
(4)Nikki J.
We had heard great things about 717 and so we finally made the trek out to South Tampa to try it out. We enjoyed everything but it wasn't anything memorable either. If we're nearby we would go again but we would not go out of our way to dine there. Three stars.
(3)Luke H.
In theory and in practice are two totally different things. It isn't bad, but it isn't good. Nobody brags about this nor recommends it for a $15-25 per entree meal. The bar is small but has a packed Manhattan feel...they mix good cocktails. But head down the street for dinner (and a better cocktail for that matter). Sideburns down the street is a better option for a trendy fine dining option.
(3)