Ovation Bistro & Bar - Davenport - PRIORITY SEATING

I had no idea how good this place would be! Our server Jason was phenomenal and was spot on with his recommendations. He recommended lamb with a loaded baked potato and broccoli. I went with his recommendation and was very pleased! We also ordered loaded potato skins with chicken and buffalo chicken dip. Both were great, but the buffalo chicken dip was especially good. The buffalo chicken dip came with house-made chips that were phenomenal. Everything I tried was great and we will definitely return. Thank you to Ovation and Jason for a great family meal!

Drinks, food, server, it was all amazing! Jason was fantastic and made great food suggestions for this being my first time here. Will be back for sure!!

Jason was great, very entertaining. We are from Buffalo NY and we took a trip to Disney. This was our last night there and the family picked this restaurant for our last dinner. We were in a private room which was awesome. Jason was our personal stand up comic while being very thorough in explaining the food and giving beer samples. We are still talking about him 2 weeks later. Thank you Jason for our wonderful service and we all loved our food. 👍👍

First time and it was awesome. We had brunch and might come back for dinner. Food was spectacular and so was the service! Alex our server/bartender was exceptional.

We love to find non touristy restaurants when we are in Orlando. Ovation Bistro and Bar had a great menu online so we came. Our priority reservation was for 6:30 and even though the restaurant was packed we were seated immediately. My husband had the smokehouse brisket sandwich with their house coleslaw and both were delicious. I had the steak wedge salad with medium rare steak and it was out of this world. My husband knew I was enjoying it because I did not talk the whole meal ( I am a talker)! Xavier was our waiter and so attentive & made sure we were making the most of our experience. For dessert we had the triple threat- chocolate cake with peanut butter filling. Shoot me now- it was incredible. Go off the touristy beaten path and go to Davenport to this awesome restaurant. The music was 80’s pop hits so just our jam.

Food was excellent but what really made the evening was our server Jason. He was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and so funny. We laughed and joked with him all evening and he made it a night to remember. Our food choices were a steak, cooked to perfection, tilapia with shrimp and scallops and lamb shank that was one of the best I’ve ever eaten. Dessert was pineapple upside down cake, so good it reminded me of home and grandma making this for us when we were kids. 10/10. We will be returning.

I had a great experience at Ovation Bistro. The food was delicious — fresh, flavourful, and clearly made with care. The service was just as impressive with Jason as our server: friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. It’s the kind of place where you feel looked after from start to finish. If I lived here I’d definitely be coming back!

Jason was amazing! Loved his personality and the way he naturally connects with people. His service was spot-on from start to finish - friendly, attentive, and funny. He made our experience so much better. Highly recommend asking for Jason!

Our server Jason was funny and kept making us laugh with his quick wit and comedic honesty. He didn't make a sales pitch that felt forced, he told us how this mom and pop shop works and what's the best of it. The food was delicious, great flavor and greater texture, it was amazing all around

Jess and all of the staff were wonderful. We had a group of 15 people and you would have thought they were handling just 2 the way they were able to coordinate, keep track and never break a sweat taking care of us. We met multiple members of the staff that checked on us other than Jess our server and no one made us feel like our group was ever a burden. The food: Everything was amazing! We were offered a limited menu because of our group size but that was what we negotiated. Among our group, someone ordered at least one of everything from the menu and we all shared thoughts. The steaks were cooked to perfection, the salmon was perfect and I personally had the lamb that fell off the bone! Every side we ordered turned out amazing. The fan favorites were the mashed potatoes, asperagus and broccoli. If anyone ordered a salad, they all sung the various praises. Finally we chose between caramel cheesecake or carrot cake. Everyone by this point was more than stuffed but there is always room for the mouth watering deserts we had. Overall, I've rarely been to a restaurant where literally everything was amazing. I can truthfully say that Ovation is the place for food that is not only cooked with love and culinary knowledge consistency but equally served with the type of dedication and attention you rarely get from even a Michelin restaurant. Highly recommend. 10/10

My family and I had dinner at Ovation for the first time and we really enjoyed it. The food was delicious and the staff was very friendly and attentive. Shout out to our server Jason! He made our experience even better. Will definitely be coming back!

Our server Jason was absolutely brilliant. Probably the best export from the UK since The Great British Bake Off. He served with more precision than the Queen’s Guard and more wit than a London pub. We’ll be back, but only if Jason promises more dry humor with our dinner.

Food was delicious! My server was Jason and he was fantastic. I ordered the tatymmsry Artisan salad (sans the blue cheese) and crispy wings (with no sauce) but he recommended I try the “medium” sauce on the side. I was pleasantly surprised, definitely not your average buffalo sauce which can usually be very heavy and super greasy. It’s always wonderful when the servers truly know the food. Overall lovely experience on a random weeknight! I WILL be back and I’ll have the wings tossed in the sauce. 🍗

We stumbled across this place on our first day back from our cruise. The reviews were amazing and they did not lie! Ethan was out server and he was one of the best servers we've ever experienced. The food and drinks were delicious! Prices were great! We cannot wait to come back!

The food is amazing for starters. From the bbq nachos to the biscuit, steak, ribs. All of it is amazing!! On top of that this is the best service I’ve had in the area and it’s not close!! The staff is awesome and the owner himself makes rounds to check on everyone. Love a locally owned killer restaurant!

Jason is an amazing server. He knows his stuff and very personable. He was great with two of our kids. Honestly that’s enough. The third is a back up anyway. Loved the joking of getting two kids meals for our three kids and ‘only feeding two’. Great service and he was absolutely right, those medium smoked wings were lit! We will definitely be back, if not for the amazing food and service with Jason, but for those Medium Smoked Wings!!!

Ovation Bistro is excellent as it is not 'another fast food place'. Food was very good, tasty without too much fuss & plenty of it. I would recommend the Riley steak. Jason, our server, was quite the jack the lad with his humour & added an extra dimension. His London roots really shone through. Would definitely recommend this place.

​Jason provided truly outstanding service during our visit! He was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and perfectly timed every course. ​Jason is professional, friendly, and made our dining experience exceptional from the moment we sat down. He made us feel welcome and well-cared for. A definite highlight—we'll be asking for him again!

Had the fried pickles, wedge salad, Wilbur Filets. Everything was amazing. Moreso, Jason was fantastic. We had a party of seven and he took care of us seamlessly, flawlessly, and funnily. Great sense of humor and fantastic server. Definitely recommend and will return.

We tried Ovation after reading the great reviews and 13,000+ people are not wrong. Brisket was tender and flavorful and the green beans seasoned perfectly. Our server Jason was helpful with the menu and extremely knowledgeable about every entree. Overall an excellent experience and definitely coming back soon!

I love going where the locals tell me to go. It almost never disappoints. When I asked my friend where we should go to eat that would have something that is gluten free friendly, she said we should go to Ovation. Boy was she right. The food was amazing and cooked perfectly. Our server was friendly and quick, but not hovering. The atmosphere sitting outside was nice and calm. I definitely will want to go back and bring more friends with me.

Server Jason was amazing! Went above and beyond to meet the needs of our table. Kept our drinks filled and was on top of everything! Nice to have a server that actually enjoys what he does! Highly recommend him!

Was in town for work. Brought the team to Ovation for dinner. Had an amazing meal. Brisket and chicken is definitely the way to go. Brussel sprouts were delicious. Perfectly cooked with a killer sauce. Ethan was our server and he couldn’t have been better. Knowledgeable, playful and very accommodating. We had a great dinner. Highly recommend.

The steak, no matter how big it is absolute perfection trust me when I say this because I am very picky on the steak that I eat. The ribs, The time I’ve had them, Tender lots of meat, the sauce, all perfect, and must have Brisket absolute perfection, melting your mouth, one of the toughest meats you can get, these guys perfected it. The hell with that TikTok “tinderism” bs This is the place you need to visit. Well done, Ovation, well done.

Ovation had outstanding service. The server we had was attentive and really friendly even though it was pretty busy. The sirloin steak was tough and under seasoned. The green beans and mashed potatoes were great though. But they do not have gravy. My friend got the filet and it was tender but not the best I’ve had. The atmosphere was typical of a bistro but pretty loud. Overall would go again. Just for the wonderful service.

So we visited this place while on vacation and I must say they were very accommodating! We came in at maybe 9:30 and the place closed at 10. We had a party of 10! I’m sure the kitchen staff was like WTH!?!?!? lol! Either way the manager (I think his name was Mike) did a great job of trying to entertain us with his tunes! I hate I didn’t get our waitress name but she was absolutely amazing! For the most part the food was pretty good! My son enjoyed his wings! My husband had a steak and no steak sauce was needed which speaks volumes! Now our party originates from Memphis so we KNOW good ribs and although the ribs were not Memphis style they were still pretty decent. My daughter wasn’t really a fan of the crab cakes but she’s a seafood connoisseur so it’s hard to please her! The manager recommended the brisket and while it was nice & tender it was a bit too fatty & lacked the smoke flavor I’m accustomed to. The green beans were delicious & the salad was very fresh! My sister had their potato skins with chicken & they were huge! Overall it was a great experience & I will definitely visit them again when we are back in the area!

The restaurant is dark (I'm old 😔), the food was good and no one left hungry. Our server Jason is originally from New Jersey but you can hardly tell by his accent. Jason made our meal absolutely magical, the best service I have had in years. Thank you for everything.

Great experience and great service. Our server Jason was very personal, attentive. And energetic. Food was not same quality as Winter Haven location we visited 1 year ago, but still would return.

We recently dined at Ovation with friends, and let's just say, our server Jason didn't just serve us food; he served looks, laughs, and an unforgettable evening. I'm pretty sure Jason's official title isn't "server," but maybe "professional friend-maker." He handled our table with the grace of a seasoned tightrope walker and the comedic timing of a stand-up pro. He had recommendations that were spot on and brought a vibrant energy that was utterly infectious. The food at Ovation was spectacular—hats off to the kitchen crew—but Jason was the secret sauce that made everything better. He was attentive without being hovering, charming without being cheesy, and genuinely hilarious. We left with our bellies full and our cheeks sore from laughing so hard. Ovation, you've got a gem in Jason. Give that man a raise! We'll definitely be back for the great atmosphere, the delicious food, and the superb entertainment provided by our main man, Jason. Five stars, two enthusiastic thumbs up, and a standing ovation (pun intended!) for a truly great experience.

The 3 stars are a mixed review. Our server was friendly and engaging. But the overall pace of food delivery was quite slow. The ribs, brisket and chicken were good, however, one of the 3 meals of ribs was obviously over done and tough. Normally it is a send back but with the extended wait on delivery we opted to shut up and move on. I would go again, but not first choice. I should add of the 3 beers ordered - they were out . Just one of those days

I got the chicken & brisket and was shocked at how small the portions were. Also the menu is weird... the "brisket and sausage kebab" is just sausage, no brisket. The vibe was good especially outside. Cool server. We liked him. Honestly this place is fine. Pretty neutral

I actually came here to try out being we were out of the way and just looking for a place... Looked up reviews and saw a 4.8 and figure this was good place to TRY, especially when seeing they had pics of favorites like lamb chops and Osco busso (not sure how to spell that). Anyways, as soon as we opened the first door leading into a semi enclosed outside sitting dining patio area, we saw also a sign of Pet Friendly and that's what it SMELLED like, of animals (let me be specific, not the urine or crap, but of animals)! If this is your thing maybe that's why the HIGH scores but definitely not our thing when eating out. As we entered the main door entry to Restaurant the air was still lingering of that smell but not as much, we tried to give it a chance, with the "food", we looked at the menus and the star items we came in for, I asked the server, I don't see on the menu. She said they weren't making it anymore! SIGH, another strike! So I had a french onion soup which was pretty good but as we waited quite a while for main entries (we thought being the place looked "empty" arriving around 3PM, see PICS, we expected a faster turn around but that wasn't the case either). The smell, started to turn to a different HEAVY BURNT almost cigarette smell, mixed with the other off smell, all these things were really just not helping... Once my husband got his brisket, it was charred burnt black on the outside (I guess that's why the smoking smell), and spare ribs that also came along with it, was not too far from the same, it was tender inside but just too overcooked on outside (but maybe also subjective to how people like, some people may love that, we don't) ... My porkchops tasted OK but I think, a little too overcooked too, they were just too dry, remembering I had to cut in tiny bites having a hard time, having it go down, the wild rice I chose, as side dish was VERY salty and the other side dish of BBQ beans was like swallowing a thick molasses, it was just over powering. Honestly, we didn't like the food, the main reason we would rate places on but nothing here was exceptional, the service was the best and only reason giving it, a 2 star but like I said, this may be subjective to maybe how MOST people like their food and atmosphere...

The ribs were burned and overcooked. One of the chicken wings was not fresh, like it was recooked. Very small portion of brisket. Sides were the only things that seem fresh. 20% tip added to the bill, not cool. Will not return ever again.

I want to preface this review, that I have been going here for years and this has been a staple go to for me and my friends for a long time. We had ordered Caesar salad, smoked wings, two steaks, and a rack of ribs. First, the rolls came out and they were just warmed Hawaiian dinner rolls with butter, which was fine by me because I like them. Then the salads came out, Is there a hand making King their own dressings now? Well, it feels like we had straight vinegar on our salad. Enough to burn your throat and make you cough. Then the wings came out which were smoked and due to the vinegar taste in our mouths they ruined the wings. When the waiter came back to the table, we Basically told him they should not serve that salad dressing to anybody else, at which time he understood that the issue was going on and insisted on going out back and pulling the bad salad dressing immediately from service, however, there was no apology for the issue just an excuse of it must’ve been mixed wrong And that they’ll make sure that they don’t serve it to anybody else. We were never offered to have our salads replaced either. The steaks were mediocre, and the only highlight of the meal was brussels sprouts. One of the steaks came with an onion rings, which were so over battered they look huge and great until the lack of flavor over battered rings hit your taste buds. The Waiter had issues with his pad as they kept moving things on his menu And he had to figure things out at which he promptly blamed it on the owner. We ordered dessert to go upon receiving the bill noticed that a dessert was missing and I asked if that was to make up for the bad salads that we had and they said no sorry and they went back and added it to the bill. No accommodations were made. No discounts were given for the poor food or the complaints. On my way out. I saw the owner at the front door and invoiced my concerns to him. He was apologetic. And would speak to his chef in the kitchen and his weight staff, but once again no other Offers to make things right came from the restaurant. Where this was a staple go to in the past, I will have to live with the memories because it’ll be a while before I will go back to somewhere who prides profit over customer satisfaction. For the amount of money I have spent there over the years, and the amount of customers I have sent them, I’m sorry to say, it looks like it’s time for a change.

The staff was kind and helpful and we didn't wait too long for food, even though we were told there was only 2 waiters on staff (though it wasn't crazy crowded, but definitely a lot for 2 people to wait on). That being said, I got the crab cakes and one drink for $53. That would be fine if the food was okay, but it really wasn't. My Caesar salad was more dressing than salad. The crab cakes were very under seasoned. The green beans were bad and I did not eat them. The best part was a rice pilaf, but I'm pretty sure it was Zatarain's (based on the many times I eat Zatarain's in my own home). I did also get the Ovation Old fashioned, and it was good. Place definitely wasn't worth the hype I heard over it, unfortunately. Considering the better food in surrounding cities, would not go here again. Edit: also management responded to my bad food review with a weird AI response about dancing crab cakes so tempted to take another star off if it wasn't for wanting to support the wait staff.

The food was okay at best. My son ordered the "brisket burnt ends" Skewers....well they were sausage and when we said oh we thought this was Brisket she said oh thats just what we call it.....he never would have ordered sausage skewers...thats so weird. My steak was definitely rare and the garlic in the mac overpowered everything. Service was okay. Not okay enough to return. Just meh.

Group of 8 of us stopped in after a round of golf. Looked nice from the outside so we tried it out. Very nice staff but the food wasn’t so great. Ribs and Brisket meal was extremely dry and when I asked the server about when it was made, she “wasn’t sure”. It was obviously not fresh but the flavor wasn’t bad.

I don’t know if the reviews are here are true but from my experience the food was completely nasty. I order 40 mins prior to closing, so maybe the chef gave whatever was left over. But the ribs were hard, both Mac and cheese including Caesar salad was nasty. Only ate a piece of leaf. I had to throw away all the sides, expect the two pieces of asparagus we had got. Also had got ribeye steak asked for medium well, and got well done but it seasoned, so I couldn’t complain about that. Other than that, everything else was disgusting. We were only offer $25 after spending roughly around $70. Definitely won’t come back!

This was the worst. The side plates were greasy, the wings looked and tasted old. The food mac n cheese no.season watered down. Mashed potatoes were.seasoned & fresh brisket fresh, crab cakes tastes fake, with potatoes mixed in... meat tastes canned...by far the worst experience in food, we actually spent $100 +. It was around 1:30.to 2:30pm....we eat.out all the time and not.cheap on what we spend for food....worst ever hands down. I said what I said, also I failed the mention that the bathroom were filthy. We eat out all the time, and it appears that the establishment is winging it when it comes to running a restaurant.

Me and my wife visited this Davenport location last Friday afternoon after doing some shopping and the experience was horrible!! We were hungry so we chose this restaurant because of the rating and that it was very close to the shopping area. We have visited the Lakeland one before and it was ok but it was soo busy, and I understood why maybe they weren't at their best so we decided to give this one a chance and it failed miserably! We decided to order a few things from the menu because I like to try multiple items so we can see what we like and don't like so if we come back we will reorder it again! I ordered crab cakes, chicken wings, and chicken and brisket combo with the sides.The wait was very long even though there was no one really in the restaurant. When the food started to come out, that's where it went south!!! The wings seemed old and was hard, the crab cakes was smashed down and had potatoes in them and didn't seem fresh, the extra plates that were brought out had some kind of grease on them even though they was supposed to be clean!! The salad that my wife ordered was wilted and the salad dressing was very cold like they had it sitting in the freezer. We both went to use the restroom and the floors was slippery and they smelled bad. The bright side of the visit was that the brisket was good and the mashed potatoes was also good and that was it! My wife(Tenya Collier) wrote a review while we were in the restaurant and the owner decided to go after her in her review instead of taking the criticism and try to see what went wrong with our visit!!! We aren't the only ones whom had a bad experience, but he decided to write a disrespectful reply even though she was giving an honest review on her experience at this location!! We go to a lot of restaurants and this restaurant was one that we had a very bad experience at!