The Tap Room Grill

The Arabic peoples say ‘Only Allah is perfect.’ So they allow or plan imperfections in art and design. Hollander’s Burger claims to be «Almost famous», I guess that’s the western hemisphere equivalent, because Allah should watch out, so to speak. Thick, juicy, and crusted from the grill their version sits astride it’s buns and garni like a Kurdish Sunni sultan. Ham d’allah.

So we have been here several times and have never been disappointed… until this time. The quality of the food just wasn’t there. I heard that the Head Chef and Sauté Chef both quit on the same day. The new chef (s) doesn’t seem to have it together and are making changes to the menu that in my opinion are not for the better. What was on the menu was fine and the following you had was the proof. BTW… When I pay $ 13.50 for what is listed on the menu as «fresh» Grouper sandwich, I expect fresh Grouper. What was served was NOT Grouper.
This visit was on Saturday evening at 6PM (prime dinner hour) and the place was empty. I’m guessing the loss of the cooking staff is taking its toll on them. Add me to the list of no shows. We won’t be back for a while.
On a good note… service provided by Sacha was excellent. She was very nice and very attentive.

Stopped by for lunch last Sunday. They have a Sunday brunch — so we tried it. Was very good. Omelet station, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, eggs a couple ways and more. And to top it all off — you can take your plate out to the pool and enjoy the outside. We will be back.

Review of Tap Room in Hollander Hotel
You could do worse than find yourself arriving on a Tuesday night at the Hollander Hotel wondering what you’ll do for dinner. When we found out it was Craft Beer night, eating in-​house was a no-​brainer! My husband picked the Rivertowne Pourhouse’s Maxwell’s Scottish Ale. I selected the Lazy Magnolia’s Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale. The Lazy Magnolia was so good that hubby ordered it as well for our second round.
Our server, Dave, recommended two of the most popular entrees, Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops and Pan Seared Blackened Grouper. The chops were amazingly tender and tasty. The grouper was really fresh. Both entrees came with perfectly cooked asparagus and tasty herb and garlic mashed potatoes. My only criticism is that the food was on the salty side. And though it was delish, I’m not sure the Tiramisu Chocolate Cake worked. The flavors didn’t marry well. Judging by the noise level, it seems like the other diners were enjoying themselves Review of Tap Room in Hollander Hotel
You could do worse than find yourself arriving on a Tuesday night at the Hollander Hotel wondering what you’ll do for dinner. When we found out it was Craft Beer night, eating in-​house was a no-​brainer! My husband picked the Rivertowne Scottish Ale. I selected the Lazy Magnolia Pecan Ale. The Lazy Magnolia was so good that hubby ordered it as well for our second round.
Our server, Dave, recommended two of the most popular entrees, Cajun Pork Chops and Pan Seared Blackened Grouper. The chops were amazingly tender and tasty. The grouper was really fresh. Both entrees came with perfectly cooked asparagus and tasty herb and garlic mashed potatoes. My only criticism is that the food was on the salty side. And though it was delish, I’m not sure the tiramusu chocolate cake worked. The flavors didn’t marry well.
Judging by the noise level, it seems like the other diners were enjoying themselves as well!

Why 2 stars? Because this was one of the worst I’ve had in a while.
— — —
I’d wanted to visit the Tap Room since it opened, but just didn’t have the chance until recently. I usually listen when numerous fellow Elites have a strong opinion about a place, but this time I tried to go against the grain. And what happened wasn’t surprising.
The Hollander is a really cool place. I will say that. It’s just a shame that the restaurant is run the way it is… but honestly, my thought is that the «cool factor» is the only thing bringing people in.
The food was… terrible. I had chicken strips, and they were on par with what you’d order at a little league baseball concession stand. We shared the fried mac and cheese as an appetizer, and it was average at best. The fries were definitely the best part of the meal.
And the cheesecake, oh the cheesecake. The server told us it was absolutely amazing, and one of the best food items in the house. I ordered it strictly because I was hoping for something to force me to bump my rating up a star. Nope. One of the worst cheesecakes I’ve ever had.
I would say that the amount of time our food took to come out after we ordered was the longest I have experienced in years. Our server wasn’t rude, but also not apologetic about our 40+ minute wait.
Other people were into it, so I won’t be too much of grump about it, but the live singer was so loud, it caused my group to have to yell at each other the entire night.
I wouldn’t recommend it.

I have eaten here a few times. It is a nice place and the prices are reasonable. The food however is weird because they make it too complicated (creative??). I ordered a Mojo pulled pork sandwich and it turned out to be a belly bomb because they put a large onion ring and coleslaw on top of the meat. The onion ring was full of oil from frying and made me nauseous later in the day.
I will probably give it another chance because of the ambiance and the fact that I would like it to succeed, but I will be very careful to read exactly what I am ordering.

Went to the Old Northeast Homes for the Holiday tour yesterday and when we left we NEEDED something to drink and eat. My friend said that he had heard the food and drink at the Hollander Tap Room was good and casual… We had both decided that we could either go for gourmet or a burger and anything in between… I had a bit trepidation as we got closer but what they heck… the bar (inside) was filled with young people and very loud and was very reminiscent of a ‘youth hostile’ in Germany, which I liked and yet didn’t want to sit in the middle of it… so we chose a patio table, and then chose another as the first was in the direct line of a table of heavy smokers… I know we were outside but it was really thick and flowed directly to our first table.
The service did take a while to get a Grey Goose Martini and a JWB on the rocks. While waiting, looking at the menu I saw «Detroit Coney Dogs»…NOW I have seen this several times throughout Florida and they NEVER are what they say they are. I questioned the waitress on her return with our cocktails-​got the martini wrong and the scotch on the rocks is a very small cocktail but I guess compare to other hotels it is in line (and very expensive). She said the owner was from Detroit and that INDEED they were authentic. WELL I tried… and DAMN if she wasn’t right… THEY were EXACTLY like all of the ones served back home. The used the right cased hot dogs, the chili was perfection, the buns were soft and slightly steamed and the mustard and diced white onions were the ticket.
Thanks Tap Room for serving exactly what you said they were AUTHENTIC Detroit Coneys, Lafayette and National would be proud! I cannot wait to get back for another pair!

Came here for dinner with a group of friends on a Thursday, which also happens to be trivia night. Inside was very packed and it was loud due to everyone talking. The trivia was taking place outside on the patio, and although it was still a bit loud out there we decided to take a seat at the table by the sidewalk and enjoy the air and the ambience of DTSP.
The service was a bit slow and lacking through the whole experience. I ordered a drink a few minutes after my friends ordered theirs, but it didn’t come out until after the server brought the food and I reminded her. I got the dirty peach sangria per her recommendation. While it was very tasty, it was quite a small drink and I’m not sure if it was worth the $ 6. After bringing our food and drinks I asked our server for water. Never got it. I would think that when an entire table orders alcoholic drinks it would be standard practice to bring water too, but not this time.
For our dinner, the whole table split a random selection of apps: onion rings, jalapeño wontons, fried asian dumplings, Cuban quesadilla and fried Mac n cheese wrapped in bacon. The wontons, quesadilla and Mac n cheese (very unique, but how can you go wrong with bacon wrapped mac?!?) were all excellent and portion sizes were good. The onion rings were a bit odd since the batter tasted like fish and the accompanying sauce had a sweet berry flavor. The dumplings were alright but not anything i would order again. Everyone in the group agreed about our opinions on each item.
To finish off the night we split a piece of grand mariner chocolate cake. This was a fabulous dessert even to someone like me who normally doesn’t eat rich sweets. It had a hard chocolate crust and a nice slight orange flavor. Just the right touch to end the meal
All in all, some things here were great and others were just so so. Regardless id still come again, perhaps next time on a Tuesday for $ 3 craft beer night

We had a bunch of appetizers that were pretty good. They have a really good beer selection and it is a very comfortable place to hang out. When the weather is nice their outside seating area is awesome.

Solid experience, with attentive service. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable on the front porch. For an appetizer we had the wings with sweet Thai chili sauce which was cooked perfectly. We both had the prime rib which was seasoned nicely, but a little tough. We will be returning, as it was a very pleasurable experience. Staff was very nice.

The building & staff…
This is a pretty neat looking place. There’s a coffee shop, a bar, and tables. We enjoyed some pretty spectacular live music which consisted of a very old lady doing her rendition of anything from Rocky Horror Picture show to Lady Gaga. Very interesting stuff.
Our waitress barely held her life together serving our giant party. I don’t know that she was dealing with anyone else other than us, but I literally grew armpit hair while waiting for things like water or my check.
The drinks…
They serve craft beer here which I LOVE. I had a porter that was pretty good, and a stout that was alright. But the selection of beer is phenomenal.
The food…
I was absolutely unimpressed by the food. For one, the menu is small and crappy. There’s nothing particularly exciting about it. I tasted from everyone’s plates (I was there with 15 people), and I just was not impressed with ANYTHING I had. For myself, I ordered one of their salads which was a pretty hearty thing.
Overall, the bar is what gives them a 3 instead of a 2. The food was so underwhelming I can’t go past 3.

After several experiences that were very underwhelming I decided that I liked the food more than the people that work there. It seems that their bartenders are great, however the waiting staff seems to be over-​tasked and/​or just rude.
To be fair to the chef, I get food from here To-​Go now. Their salads, appetizers, and gluten-​free sandwiches are fantastic! I recommend their Parmesan Chicken Wings and Hollander House Salad. Definitely my favorite two things on the menu so far.
Overall, the food is great, the service could use some work, and I recommend it as a to-​go spot for anyone that lives in and around the downtown area.
Update:
I believe they have hired a manager for the Tap Room that seems to have experience in the industry. Things have definitely improved recently and their staff has changed a bit as well.

NIce food. Also a cute coffee shop connected, which was also good.

I met up with some friends to see a musician here on Friday night. Our table was right where he was playing, but the place was so loud there was no enjoying the music which bothered me. I brought my 11 year old and she was the only kid, I get it is a tap room and that is fine. She was OK with it, but just FYI it is not outwardly kid friendly.
They have inside and outside seating, a full bar but they are known for their large selection of beers.
Service was decent, but our waitress seemed overwhelmed.
We had buffalo chicken sliders, jalapeño wontons and waffle fries. All were good, but nothing amazing. Their menu is varied from pizza to salad to sandwiches and apps.
I’d go back if meeting up with friends again.
Enjoy!

We walked here from Vinoy hotel and THANK GOODNESS! We couldn’t get a decent meal or service there to save our lives.
The food was delicious, even late at night on a busy weekend.
The menu is creative, without being overly fancy. We had 8 people and tried everything from the mojo pork, to burgers, to wings, to meatballs.
(Without a doubt, the wings here are some of the best I’ve ever had. Whatever rub is on them will bring us back again for more.)
Whether dining at a table or even sitting at the bar, the staff couldn’t have been nicer, more prompt, or helpful. This is a MUST GO while in downtown St. Pete.
We will definitely return.

This review is based off of our bar only experience. By the time we arrived on Friday night they were no longer serving food. I am hoping to go back soon and try the food out and review that aspect.
First of all, we had never been in The Hollander before. It was a lot nicer looking on the inside then I thought it would be. Although the décor was a little Kitschy, it was comfy. I could definitely see myself spending some time here.
Our Bartender (I believe he said his name was Greg) was fantastic. We had fun chatting with him about beer and local news and the weird costumer that asked for 4 bottles of water and then exclaimed «there’s no gas in it!?!» in a German accent, threw a $ 20 his way and left with 3 of the 4 bottles. Weirdness.
They had a great selection of beer including some of our favorites and a few new one’s we haven’t tried. They even had a St. Pete beer. We learned from Greg that the owner USED to have a brewery in St. Pete and had to move back up north. He was trying to open up a new brewery in St. Pete recently, but was denied the space he wanted. Boo. The beer was really light and refreshing. I had a Vanilla Porter (I forgot the brand name) that was very deep and complex tasting. Our tab was pleasantly low, so their regular beer prices are pretty cheap.
Greg also gave us the tip that on Tuesday’s ALL BEERS ON TAP are $ 3!

The short.
Most everything on the menu made in house.
Prices reasonable most sandwiches $ 7 – 8
New reasonably priced entres around $ 15
Great draft Selection of 22 drafts all $ 5, $ 3 on Tuesdays.
Imaginative value cuisine.
Bacon wrapped deep fried mac’n cheese.
Mojo pork sandwich.
Slider trio.
chicken pasta with balsamic glaze
The long.
The Tap Room is in the lobby of the newly renovated Hollander Hotel. A trendy, arty remodel with great ambience. The food is fresh the prices are reasonable. Almost all menu items are made in house with exception of the waffle fries which are great. I really enjoyed the Mojo pork sandsandwich, and the deep fried, bacon wrapped mac’n cheese are excellent. They have a coffee counter there with real espresso drinks called Brew’ Delicious. I will go back for sure maybe on a Tuesday.

Great food, great craft beer selection with decent prices, and just a nice place.

If you are visiting and expect a fine wine selection you might be frustrated.
If you are visiting and hoping for some decent beers on tap you should be happy
If you are visiting thinking the menu is Michelin 4 Stars you went to the wrong city
If you are hungry and want a good pub/​restaurant sandwich you have the right place
If you want to sit on an elegant sofa on a wonderful veranda and watch the cars drive by you have landed at the Tap Room Grill at The Hollander

Grand opening of their tap room at the Hollander Hotel! Fantastic staff full of energy and a nice beer selection. If you go, ask for Cat the bartender. She really knows her stuff and came up with an original beer based drink called the BAYFRONT.