John B.
Yelp
Table 23 was an unexpected restaurant experience that offers up cuisine that presents and tastes like a fine dining establishment with the ambiance and feel of a laid-back bar.
My family had a reservation for 6pm. While we sat and waited, people arrived after us without a reservation and were sat immediately inside. When I called the day before, I was told there was only 1 table available outside on the patio. The entire evening, there were multiple tables outside that were empty.
This restaurant advertises sophisticated southern food. Which they did have, kind of. We scoped out the menu ahead of time and were really interested in their handhelds. However, this evening, they decided not to offer their more affordable menu options since it was a grad weekend in Tallahassee. Not sure on the logic there except to limit people to only pricier plates. We were disappointed and had to reevaluate the menu.
We started with an appetizer of fried pickles. Crunchy, tangy and hit the spot. This was the most southern dish of the night for us. For dinner, I went with the hand cut filet for $49. My wife got a chicken dish and both my parents got the Gulf Grouper dish. My dad and I also ordered $11 4 Roses pours on the rocks.
The 4 Roses pours were not done by someone that knows how to pour drinks. They dumped half a glass of crushed ice into the whiskey. It made it extremely watered down and they charged us $15.50 a piece!
The food was excellent. My steak was buttery soft. Cooked as ordered, medium-rare, plated beautifully with 4 asparagus spears and a small pile of potatoes. My wife's chicken was also good, a grilled fillet with citrus and sweet potatoes. My parents enjoyed their grouper which also had a nice presentation. A decent sized piece of fish topped with shrimp and crab that my dad said didn't stand-out. He did however, mention the corn salad on the side. It was tasty.
With a small identity crisis on their hands, Table 23 is a bar and relaxed place to eat, serves small portions at high prices that you'd expect at a high-end restaurant but still provides the service and ambiance of a place that should charge half the price. Our $200 bill for 4 people seemed steep for what we got.
If I ever consider dining here again, I'd call first to ensure they are offering their full menu. (That wasn't mentioned when I made my reservation.)