My first visit was a group business dinner with 18 people. The head waiter, Evan, did a great job of taking care of the attendees. He had 2 helpers. The private room was amazing with a quiet sliding barn door. Appetizers were outstanding with Pimento cheese fritters being popular, bacon wrapped dates and fried green tomatoes to top it off. Best filet mignon I’ve had since moving to FL. Perfect pink and warm in the center. All side were great as well. Told my family it put Mark’s to shame and was less expensive!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meredith Leon
So I had mixed feelings about this place after a terrible cardboard filet I ordered 2 weeks ago. It was memorably bad! So were the veggies that accompanied it, lousy!
So with that being said. I have had nothing but good experiences here with 2 dishes. The salmon salmon, and butterfly shrimp. They actually clean their shrimp here properly, WOW! THAT IS HUGE HERE IN THIS AREA- IM SUPER IMPRESSED!
The ambiance is very lovely and enjoyable. I do recommend this place above most all in the marion county area. Good food here is rare and appreciated! Thank you for the beauty of this restaurant. The consistently good dishes, and good service. Keep it up, and check on the quality of those filets please 🙏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Thanh tipton
Checkout staff are attentive.
stephen olsen
It's okay. Overpriced. Quality is okay but honestly, you'll get more bang for your buck and better environment over at Harry's. It was okay but wouldn't go again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Steven Sinclair
Cream sauce on shrimp and scallops not cream.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Shahaf Morgan Powell
This store is easy to navigate.
John Hill
Good food but overpriced. Chicken salad croissant was lacking of chicken salad for $19.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Steven Perez (Streamline AB)
This review is long overdue. My wife and I have visited several times, often bringing friends and family to enjoy the great food. The food has always been excellent, and the staff is very friendly. My personal favorite is the shrimp and grits.
My mom and I were in Ocala for a doctor’s appointment and this was the first place that popped up when I searched for food. I’m so glad it was because not only was the food great but the atmosphere and service was top tier too. The amount of food was crazy for the price and we had so much left over to take home. The cornbread had to be one of our favorites on the plate. We really enjoyed the pimento cheese balls and even my Caesar salad was so good it needs to be mentioned. I can’t wait to bring my husband back next time we are down from north Florida.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delbert Jackson
Truly a magical place with classy folks who are courtesy and so professional. Thank you, my 1st experience was awesome. I'll be back.
Lady Toya McCracken
My Honest Review of The Ivy on the Square – Ocala, FL I have eaten at The Ivy on the Square twice before, and both times the food was delicious and the service was decent. Unfortunately, my most recent visit on Wednesday left me completely disappointed.
I met a friend there for lunch. As we walked in, a young man was standing at the podium. He looked at us, turned, and walked away without saying a single word. He never returned to acknowledge us, ask if we were dining in, or offer any assistance.
A young lady eventually came around the corner, surprised to see us. She asked if it was just the two of us and then told us to wait a moment so she could clean a table. This was surprising, considering the restaurant was practically empty on both sides. Once the table was cleaned, she seated us in a corner.
We sat there waiting with no greeting, no water, no menus—nothing. Another young man came by to clear a table right next to us, but he didn’t say hello, didn’t acknowledge us, or let us know a server would be with us. We waited another 10 minutes, watching about five or six staff members standing near the kitchen door, glancing our way but never approaching.
At this point, we had been sitting for nearly 20 minutes with absolutely no service. I told my friend that if no one came soon, we should leave, because I was already feeling extremely uncomfortable. No one ever came. Finally, we watched another guest come in and get seated at the bar immediately. That’s when we decided to get up and leave.
As we walked out, the same lady who had seated us simply said, “Have a nice day,” as if we had received any service at all.
I found the entire experience disgusting, disrespectful, and rude. Yes, we are two Black women, and while I don’t want to jump to conclusions, I cannot ignore how we were treated compared to others. I have eaten here before and heard rumors about bias, but to actually experience it firsthand in 2025 was shocking and hurtful. In this day and age—especially in the hospitality and food industry—there should be no room for discrimination of any kind. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
This experience felt like stepping back into segregation days, and it is completely unacceptable. I left appalled and deeply disappointed. I truly hope the management of The Ivy on the Square takes this kind of treatment seriously, because no paying customer should ever feel invisible or unwanted in an establishment where they’ve chosen to spend their hard-earned money.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Tamara Wheeler
Great ambiance, but food is meh. Steak was dry, mahi was over-blackened very fishy, which means it was not very fresh. Mac and cheese was Ok, but strange consistency. Salads were good, but odd noodle crisps on a Caesar salad was strange.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Bob Resetar
Sever was on top of it! Well done great meal fair prices.
My first visit was a group business dinner with 18 people. The head waiter, Evan, did a great job of taking care of the attendees. He had 2 helpers. The private room was amazing with a quiet sliding barn door. Appetizers were outstanding with Pimento cheese fritters being popular, bacon wrapped dates and fried green tomatoes to top it off. Best filet mignon I’ve had since moving to FL. Perfect pink and warm in the center. All side were great as well. Told my family it put Mark’s to shame and was less expensive!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So I had mixed feelings about this place after a terrible cardboard filet I ordered 2 weeks ago. It was memorably bad! So were the veggies that accompanied it, lousy!
So with that being said. I have had nothing but good experiences here with 2 dishes. The salmon salmon, and butterfly shrimp. They actually clean their shrimp here properly, WOW! THAT IS HUGE HERE IN THIS AREA- IM SUPER IMPRESSED!
The ambiance is very lovely and enjoyable. I do recommend this place above most all in the marion county area. Good food here is rare and appreciated! Thank you for the beauty of this restaurant. The consistently good dishes, and good service. Keep it up, and check on the quality of those filets please 🙏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Checkout staff are attentive.
It's okay. Overpriced. Quality is okay but honestly, you'll get more bang for your buck and better environment over at Harry's. It was okay but wouldn't go again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Cream sauce on shrimp and scallops not cream.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This store is easy to navigate.
Good food but overpriced. Chicken salad croissant was lacking of chicken salad for $19.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
This review is long overdue. My wife and I have visited several times, often bringing friends and family to enjoy the great food. The food has always been excellent, and the staff is very friendly. My personal favorite is the shrimp and grits.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steak was very good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The atmosphere was positive and cheerful.
Restaurantji Recommends
My mom and I were in Ocala for a doctor’s appointment and this was the first place that popped up when I searched for food. I’m so glad it was because not only was the food great but the atmosphere and service was top tier too. The amount of food was crazy for the price and we had so much left over to take home. The cornbread had to be one of our favorites on the plate. We really enjoyed the pimento cheese balls and even my Caesar salad was so good it needs to be mentioned. I can’t wait to bring my husband back next time we are down from north Florida.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Truly a magical place with classy folks who are courtesy and so professional. Thank you, my 1st experience was awesome. I'll be back.
My Honest Review of The Ivy on the Square – Ocala, FL
I have eaten at The Ivy on the Square twice before, and both times the food was delicious and the service was decent. Unfortunately, my most recent visit on Wednesday left me completely disappointed.
I met a friend there for lunch. As we walked in, a young man was standing at the podium. He looked at us, turned, and walked away without saying a single word. He never returned to acknowledge us, ask if we were dining in, or offer any assistance.
A young lady eventually came around the corner, surprised to see us. She asked if it was just the two of us and then told us to wait a moment so she could clean a table. This was surprising, considering the restaurant was practically empty on both sides. Once the table was cleaned, she seated us in a corner.
We sat there waiting with no greeting, no water, no menus—nothing. Another young man came by to clear a table right next to us, but he didn’t say hello, didn’t acknowledge us, or let us know a server would be with us. We waited another 10 minutes, watching about five or six staff members standing near the kitchen door, glancing our way but never approaching.
At this point, we had been sitting for nearly 20 minutes with absolutely no service. I told my friend that if no one came soon, we should leave, because I was already feeling extremely uncomfortable. No one ever came. Finally, we watched another guest come in and get seated at the bar immediately. That’s when we decided to get up and leave.
As we walked out, the same lady who had seated us simply said, “Have a nice day,” as if we had received any service at all.
I found the entire experience disgusting, disrespectful, and rude. Yes, we are two Black women, and while I don’t want to jump to conclusions, I cannot ignore how we were treated compared to others. I have eaten here before and heard rumors about bias, but to actually experience it firsthand in 2025 was shocking and hurtful. In this day and age—especially in the hospitality and food industry—there should be no room for discrimination of any kind. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
This experience felt like stepping back into segregation days, and it is completely unacceptable. I left appalled and deeply disappointed. I truly hope the management of The Ivy on the Square takes this kind of treatment seriously, because no paying customer should ever feel invisible or unwanted in an establishment where they’ve chosen to spend their hard-earned money.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Great ambiance, but food is meh. Steak was dry, mahi was over-blackened very fishy, which means it was not very fresh. Mac and cheese was Ok, but strange consistency. Salads were good, but odd noodle crisps on a Caesar salad was strange.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Sever was on top of it! Well done great meal fair prices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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