Latest Reviews
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Very unique. The food here is very unique is tasty. I am definitely coming back!…
Suzanrobbins559
Indigenous
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Stephen Phelps had a vision which a few years ago came to fruition. He wanted to use only locally raised ingredients when available. He strives for gi…
Drew Brooksbank
Indigenous
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Best place I have eaten in sarasota since moving here a few months ago.…
Frank P
Indigenous
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Indigenous is open for Wine Bar. Indigenous serves Seafood dishes. Incorrect or missing information? Make a report, or claim the restaurant if you own it!Details
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10 Reviews on “Indigenous”
Nice surprise!. Took my find for her birthday and chose this place on a whim. Wow! Was pleasantly surprised. Loved every bit of everything we ate. We started with a delicious Pinot noir and they sent us the zestiest and delicious cheese coins to accompany the wine. Then for apps….. My girlfriend had the spinach souffl and rock shrimp in a cognac reduction…ooh that spinach souffl was weightless and melted in your mouth, just luscious, I could’ve made a meal of just that. I had the Brussels sprout slaw with smoked hazel nuts, apples and such, crunchy and again fresh and unctuous – loved it. We then shared an arugula salad as an intermezzo with aged goat cheese(shaved like Parmiggiano). We both had the short ribs on a brown rice risotto, gosh it was good. They also brought us a birthday dessert which was excellent. From soup to nuts we had a great experience. The place is eccentric looking from the outside with little nooks and crannies to dine in, but we ate at the cottage and it was very nice with a quiet ambiance. I recommend this place, it’s a find in SRQ.
Mushroom bisque fanominal bring back the honey lavender ice team please make it your trademark
Excellent food with a creative menu. We love this place. Creative menu with fresh really well prepared food. Service is very good. Lot’s of great options on the wine/beer list. Never had a bad meal or experience. Food is great with real attention to detail.
The food was excellent. The service, excellent.. Tonight was the 3rd Friday of the month, the night of the Towles Art Walk where the galleries in a few block area (Towles Square) stay open late. The restaurant is in this area. It was a beautiful cool evening. We phoned Indigenous earlier for reservations but nothing was available. They did tell us they have a few first come first serve seats along a bar. We arrived this evening and stopped by on the off-chance bar seats were open. Of the five total seats, there were two available for us. Boy, were we lucky. Phone ahead, days early if you can during the season.We started with the Wild Mushroom Bisque. Very flavorful, and I like flavorful. It was a wonderful start. Actually before the soup were these cheese crackers. Those could be addictive.They have a fairly short menu and a few specials. The specials change daily, other items more seasonal. I decided on the My Uncles Burger, one of the cheaper entrees and it sounded interesting. It was. Two thin patties with cheese and special sauces. The burger was a little sweet, had a smoked or BBQ flavor, with great beef and cheese. Very flavorful, and I like flavorful. One side was pickled slices of vegetables. You guessed it, very flavorful. In the land of bland, this meal was anything but. Well, the side of potatoes was bland compared to all else.I realize a burger may not be the most representative choice unless reviewing a burger joint. My wifes Something from the Garden entre certainly made her happy, so we were both well pleased.I liked but did not fall in love with the Apple Raisin Brioche Pudding. Maybe I was just too full.The plating for everything we had and saw was very appealing. Someone should come and take picture to post.Service was better than excellent. Even after she must have realized my wife and I like to made requests and ask about lots of things, she really seemed to enjoy having us as her customers. Pride in the restaurant, efficient, thorough, she made our visit even more enjoyable. In fact, everyone we encountered impressed me. For example, we wanted to take a look at the dining room (as the bar was in a separate building) and they were so happy to show us. From the dining room the quite small kitchen is on display where you can watch Chef Phelps do his magic.The buildings in this area are converted houses, so the dining area is made up of a few different rooms. Between the main building, some patio / outdoor seating, and a second building with some tables and the bar, Indigenous has about 80 seats.It was a wonderful visit.
The Reservation Game. Try calling in advance for a reservation at 7:30PM and be told all that is available is 6:30PM; meanwhile the restaurant is more than half empty at 7:30PM when we drove by. Stay away unless they give you a reservation when you want to dine and not when they want you to arrive.
Creative Classy Gourmet. Had an excellent dinner at Indigenous. Beautiful setting whether you sit on their porch, or the beautifully decorated inside. The pork belly starter is the best slab of pork that ever passed my lips. Wonderful, with a touch of honey. My wife had the parmesean beignets. Well prepared and presented…….just not to her taste……a bit too sweet for a dinner starter. Pretty good choice of starters. Would like to have seen another salad or two.The main courses change depending on what is available. I had the cobia over a green goddess potato salad. The fish, perfectly pan fried and then seared with balsalmic was wonderful and melted in my mouth. My wife had the giant scallops over a wonderful, smokey melange of blackeyed peas, applewood smoked bacon, and wild mushrooms. I actually liked that more than the potato salad, although it was also very good.Service was prompt, unobtrusive, and very professional.The don’t serve bread (too much waste according to the waiter), but the homemade bluecheese crackers were fabulous.All around superstar restaurant. Great location in the arts section near downtown Sarasota, wonderful setting whether you want inside or outside seating, a menu that changes with the seasons and with what is available, all expertly prepared and served.Too full for dessert, but the strawberry panna cotta looked excellent. Also had a couple of very creative chocolate desserts, a nightly sorbet, and a nightly ice cream.
The food is outstanding and the service is excellent. The prices are reasonable and the ingredients used are fresh. I lived in Napa for five years and ate at far more expensive places with celebrity chefs without getting the caliber of food we had tonight at Indigenous. The atmosphere is intimate and a wonderful change from the big noisy bullpens most restaurants seem to favor these days. We were able to have conversation without shouting at each other. But the food is definitely the star of the show here and the chef knows his fish. Our fish was prepared perfectly and the accompanying ingredients in the dish were well chosen to accentuate and showcase the fresh caught fish. The appetizers and salads were amazing – the wild mushroom bisque in particular is not to be missed!! Great wine selection and creative ice creams in the desserts top it all off.