This is my wife and I first time experiencing indigenous. I don’t even know where to begin. It was without a doubt, the best meal by far we’ve ever had in Sarasota and possibly the state of Florida. Every single thing we tasted was amazing. We ordered for to five apps and both got the grass fed burgers, which is why we initially came in the first place. We finished with the cheesecake with pickled blueberries And oh my God. We were both extremely upset that we found this place on our last night here. We would’ve eaten here every night. I do have to say I have a very good pallet so it might not be for everyone. But the flavors and combinations were unlike anything I’ve ever had in Florida. We will be back 100% thank you again to the staff as well. We had Bex As our bartender/server and she was great very attentive and even chatted with us when she wasn’t super busy, which we appreciated. If I could give higher than five stars I would. Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Long
Very nice experience. Excellent food. Efficient service but not rushed. Will absolutely return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tim Buckley
Dinner with friends, excellent meal and service with Georgia!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Fleming
Everything from host to server (Beccs) to team was fantastic. Food was even better. Loved our first visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam Cohen
Always excellent food and rotating seasonal menus. In the “winter” space heaters abound for a perfect outdoor dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Randy
The food was delicious and our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, and in helping us decide what to orders
Angela
Food is delicious! Never had a bad meal here. Do find the lighting a little too dark nowadays but otherwise excellent choice.
Packy
Our experience at indigenous was fantastic. The food was the main item and it was so delicious. We are still talking about. The staff was great. Everything about our experience was top-notch. Steve Phelps has done a terrific job and that's why he's been able to stay open and busy in one of the most competitive businesses in the world. Kudos to him.
Steve
It has been a couple years since I've been here. We were seated in the back bar area which had limited seating so felt isolated from the main building yet cozy. Katie, our server, was extremely friendly and helpful. The wine selection was limited, mostly organic or “natural” so they lacked any full bodiless. I was able to taste 3 so Katie was accommodating. We should have brought our own wine. We started with the Parmesan Beignets which were good. I had the pork chop and my friend had the scallops. She found the scallops bland and the broccoli/potato side was so salty I couldn't eat it. The pork chop was cooked properly but huge. Others like this restaurant but we won't go back. Too many other options in Sarasota.
Gary
This is an excellent restaurant. Food was carefully sourced, cooked perfectly, and very well presented. Service was very congenial Rooms are intimate and tables well arranged. Sound levels convivial. Having lived in San Francisco for many years, this restaurant was a reminder of the wonderful, personal, caring restaurants there.
Hands down, Indigenous is THE best restaurant in Sarasota. I am still dreaming about our meal we had. The service is unmatched, the ambiance is warm and inviting. Steve is a magical genius. Words cannot explain how obsessed we are with Indigenous and look forward to going every chance we can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Irene Britt
Indigenous is consistently outstanding! Tonight was spectacular, with the complex salad and tuna starter as standouts. Katie, our server, was wonderful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Irene
Always outstanding! Black garlic Caesar, tuna starter, pork chop, and the sorbet were notable bests tonight. Katie and the rest of the crew made the evening so special. And the outside patio is always a storybook setting. Love this place!
Richard
Amazing food, service, ambience! Order the Parmesan Beignets to start your incredible journey :) The seafood is wonderful. The outdoor dining feels very intimate here, and the inside dining rooms have a really nice vibe. While it's downtown, it feels like a cozy, suburban space.
Jack Jean
I reserved months in advance for a holiday and was never told that the restaurant would only offer a preset menu with no children’s options. I was contacted before the holiday to confirm this, at which point everything else nearby was already booked. Holiday menus are great—but this should be disclosed when the reservation is made, not after guests are locked in. Disclosing major details this late shows a lack of courtesy for guests’ time and planning.
EDIT: In response to Owner's comments
Thank you for the entertaining reply—it's honestly more revealing than my original review. My feedback was simple and specific: changes like this should be disclosed at booking time, not once guests are committed. That's basic courtesy for people's planning and time—no rage, no lies, just an honest observation shared constructively. Your response, however? A fragmented rant jumping to New Year's Eve kid menus (still unclear on that leap), all-caps declarations of 'unexceptionable behavior,' phantom 'numerous' outreach attempts no one received, and capping it off by shouting 'THIS IS A BOT FOLKS' with an LOL like it's 2012 Reddit. If dismissing valid guest feedback as a bot conspiracy while mangling grammar and coherence is your customer service playbook, it explains a lot. When a polite review points out a real communication gap, addressing it calmly builds trust. Publicly melting down and accusing the customer of being an AI bot just spotlights the issue even more.
This is my wife and I first time experiencing indigenous. I don’t even know where to begin. It was without a doubt, the best meal by far we’ve ever had in Sarasota and possibly the state of Florida. Every single thing we tasted was amazing. We ordered for to five apps and both got the grass fed burgers, which is why we initially came in the first place. We finished with the cheesecake with pickled blueberries And oh my God. We were both extremely upset that we found this place on our last night here. We would’ve eaten here every night. I do have to say I have a very good pallet so it might not be for everyone. But the flavors and combinations were unlike anything I’ve ever had in Florida. We will be back 100% thank you again to the staff as well. We had Bex As our bartender/server and she was great very attentive and even chatted with us when she wasn’t super busy, which we appreciated. If I could give higher than five stars I would. Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice experience. Excellent food. Efficient service but not rushed. Will absolutely return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dinner with friends, excellent meal and service with Georgia!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything from host to server (Beccs) to team was fantastic. Food was even better. Loved our first visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always excellent food and rotating seasonal menus. In the “winter” space heaters abound for a perfect outdoor dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious and our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, and in helping us decide what to orders
Food is delicious! Never had a bad meal here. Do find the lighting a little too dark nowadays but otherwise excellent choice.
Our experience at indigenous was fantastic. The food was the main item and it was so delicious. We are still talking about. The staff was great. Everything about our experience was top-notch. Steve Phelps has done a terrific job and that's why he's been able to stay open and busy in one of the most competitive businesses in the world. Kudos to him.
It has been a couple years since I've been here. We were seated in the back bar area which had limited seating so felt isolated from the main building yet cozy. Katie, our server, was extremely friendly and helpful. The wine selection was limited, mostly organic or “natural” so they lacked any full bodiless. I was able to taste 3 so Katie was accommodating. We should have brought our own wine. We started with the Parmesan Beignets which were good. I had the pork chop and my friend had the scallops. She found the scallops bland and the broccoli/potato side was so salty I couldn't eat it. The pork chop was cooked properly but huge. Others like this restaurant but we won't go back. Too many other options in Sarasota.
This is an excellent restaurant. Food was carefully sourced, cooked perfectly, and very well presented. Service was very congenial Rooms are intimate and tables well arranged. Sound levels convivial. Having lived in San Francisco for many years, this restaurant was a reminder of the wonderful, personal, caring restaurants there.
Restaurantji Recommends
Hands down, Indigenous is THE best restaurant in Sarasota.
I am still dreaming about our meal we had. The service is unmatched, the ambiance is warm and inviting. Steve is a magical genius. Words cannot explain how obsessed we are with Indigenous and look forward to going every chance we can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Indigenous is consistently outstanding! Tonight was spectacular, with the complex salad and tuna starter as standouts. Katie, our server, was wonderful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always outstanding! Black garlic Caesar, tuna starter, pork chop, and the sorbet were notable bests tonight. Katie and the rest of the crew made the evening so special. And the outside patio is always a storybook setting. Love this place!
Amazing food, service, ambience! Order the Parmesan Beignets to start your incredible journey :) The seafood is wonderful. The outdoor dining feels very intimate here, and the inside dining rooms have a really nice vibe. While it's downtown, it feels like a cozy, suburban space.
I reserved months in advance for a holiday and was never told that the restaurant would only offer a preset menu with no children’s options. I was contacted before the holiday to confirm this, at which point everything else nearby was already booked. Holiday menus are great—but this should be disclosed when the reservation is made, not after guests are locked in. Disclosing major details this late shows a lack of courtesy for guests’ time and planning.
EDIT: In response to Owner's comments
Thank you for the entertaining reply—it's honestly more revealing than my original review. My feedback was simple and specific: changes like this should be disclosed at booking time, not once guests are committed. That's basic courtesy for people's planning and time—no rage, no lies, just an honest observation shared constructively. Your response, however? A fragmented rant jumping to New Year's Eve kid menus (still unclear on that leap), all-caps declarations of 'unexceptionable behavior,' phantom 'numerous' outreach attempts no one received, and capping it off by shouting 'THIS IS A BOT FOLKS' with an LOL like it's 2012 Reddit. If dismissing valid guest feedback as a bot conspiracy while mangling grammar and coherence is your customer service playbook, it explains a lot. When a polite review points out a real communication gap, addressing it calmly builds trust. Publicly melting down and accusing the customer of being an AI bot just spotlights the issue even more.
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