One of my main goals of learning to truly live and enjoy where I live, is to start experiencing the little gems of the Tampa Bay area, including the smaller restaurants. After an illness kept me in the house for almost 2 weeks, I was ready to get out for a bit, and I was hungry for some good food.

My husband and I set out on Saturday for a late 3:00 lunch. Our goal was to try The Oaks Bar and Grill at 108 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Brandon, FL. The Oaks looks welcoming with its sunny yellow paint and wooden deck, sitting in the shadow of an old grandfather oak tree. The sign outside says it’s the home of the half pound grouper sandwich, something I was looking forward to trying.

We parked the car and went inside to find that a local meeting of Steelers backers was assembled. The sign read “Please wait to be seated”, so we did.

We waited and waited, and as we waited I looked around to see that there were many empty tables. So, what were we waiting on? Someone announced on the microphone that the Steelers were going to have a great season, and some fans walked by us. Another few minutes went by, and after waiting almost 10 minutes with not even an acknowledgement of our arrival, we turned and walked back out the door which we came in.

Lucky for us, Brandon, Florida does not lack for restaurants, so we quickly found another place to eat.

I guess I’ll never know if the “Famous 1/2 lb grouper sandwich” is any good at The Oaks because you must “wait to be Seated” and I’m not willing to wait that long without at least a “hello.”

My review of The Oaks Bar and Grill: Inside not as welcoming as the outside, and the food quality remains a mystery.