Longleaf Restaurant

Our waitress was Tyra, and she was amazing! Even though we were seated within 15-20 minutes of closing time, that did not affect the service we received here.
After viewing the lights in the garden, the restaurant felt so heavenly: perfectly warm and cozy! We had a reservation, so we were seated promptly.
We started off with drinks and appetizers.
I had the Black Heart (9/10)- I would have preferred for it to be just a hint sweeter, but still good and on theme for the holidays.
He had an Old Fashion (8.5/10)- they only had one whiskey to choose from, so there's that.
For starters, I had the Roasted Beet Salad (7/10), and he had the Caesar Salad (9/10).
The beet salad said it came with shallot vinaigrette and crumbled bleu, there was no bleu, and either they forgot the vinaigrette or it was very lightly tossed or drizzled because it lacked the necessary acidity.
However, I love beets, and the other flavor profiles did blend well together, so I still enjoyed it overall.
His Caesar salad featured housemade dressing and croutons.
It was very light and they delivered on this classic.
For my entrée, I had the Fried Branzino with a side of Broccolini (10/10).
It was my first time having this fish, and this dish set the bar high.
The branzino was seasoned and fried perfectly! The grits were creamy and perfectly salted! And the puttanesca was a great compliment to the main attraction! My love had the 8 oz.
Filet (10/10) with a medium temperature.
That filet was phenomenal! It was cooked beautifully, and the Italian salsa verde took it to another level.
After dinner, Chef Richard Brown came to meet us so we could give him his culinary flowers and personally thank him for a wonderful meal.
He was very gracious and humble.
He asked us if we needed anything else (we were stuffed, so we declined) and informed us of the membership the garden offers.
I loved my dining experience here so much.
The furniture was eccentric, it had nice lighting and the bathrooms were clean.
They definitely won us over! So much so that we're contemplating becoming members so we can visit for more often!

We were seated outside on a glorious day.
The waitress was pleasant, helpful and recommendations were spot on.
Her attention was prompt, cheerful and the exact amount to be attentive without being overbearing.
It was extremely busy but our order was taken in timely manner and dishes delivered without undue wait.
The food was mouthwateringly looking, smelling and tasting.
It was the most delicious meal I have had in decades.
The food was so appetizing that my appetite increased as I consumed the meal.
It was a wonderful experience.
Thank you so much for a memorable experience!

I came to the Botanical Gardens with my partner for a lovely date through the flowers.
The morning of the date, we called to see if the restaurant takes walk-ins, and we’re told reservations were not needed.
When we stopped in the restaurant after walking around for a while and asked for a sit, the hostess told us it would be a 3 hour wait.
Of course we still wanted to eat there, so we stopped at the bar to get a friend while we wait.
While waiting to receive our not very Mexican Mules, the hostess tells us our table is ready early.
As delighted as we were to get our table sooner, the wait time to order food was unbelievable.
Luckily, after we finally ordered, the manager at the time came over to apologize.
We order the yummy cheese board as a starter.
(I’m not sure if most people like blue cheese, but my feedback would be to replaced the blue cheese with a different option.) For the main entrees, we ordered the Steak Frites well-medium, and the Spring Risotto.
The steak was more well-done than well-medium, but I guess better over cooked than under cooked.
I loved the Spring Risotto.
I wish we ordered dessert, but next time we will.
Thank you to Anaya the hostess and Scott the Manager for giving us great customer service.