Donovan’s Grill & Tavern

The place is absolutely beautiful and very well constructed. Whoever the designer and contractors were, they didn’t cut corners.
The food is very good to excellent.
Love the atmosphere and the authentic pub feel. Mature crowd and excellent service. If you’re looking to escape the suburban college frat madness typical of Bell Boulevard, this is a nice escape.

Positives:
— the atmosphere
— the food
— the wine ()
— location (close to home)
Negatives:
— the bartender’s lack of friendly service
— the bartender’s lack of awareness
— the bartender’s lack of efficiency
Need I say more… ok I will… bartender looked bored, unmotivated, untimely. just completely uninterested in his job and the customers. if you do not like your job. change it.otherwise this establishment will suffer revenue.

The food and service at Donovan’s are great. My favorite thing to get usually is a burger and they’re well known for them. The interior of the restaurant is really nice and the food will never let you down. The Bourbon burger and Donovan’s Cheeseburger are the best!

Great place for a business lunch. Great atmosphere — modern with the old dignity of a classic restaurant. Food is excellent. Wait staff is right on their game

I was very disappointed with this place. I’ve been here before during lunch and the service was decent, so I decided to come back again. After being seated, the waiter came and took the drink orders. I had gotten a Sprite but when I tasted it, it was more like seltzer water. He didn’t come back for about 25 mins to take our orders. When he finally came back, I told him that he made a mistake and he assured me that he didn’t because the syrup in the machine needed to be changed. It seemed as if he had complaints about this already so I’m not sure why he served this to me. He comes back to the table with the complimentary bread which was something I would even feed to the pigeons on the street. I get that it’s free but it was burnt so badly that it wasn’t even eadible. That worst part of the whole experience here was the food took a little over an hr to come out. I get that it was a busy night but I think the waiter should of made more appearances at our table to let us know what was up. It was just me and a friend and we both order steaks medium rare. The people that were seated next to us came about 20mins after us and received and finished their food before we even got ours. After all that waiting, the steak was very dry and bland. Not worth the wait nor money. I won’t be going back.

Donavan’s is the truth! The ambiance is amazing, the food is amazing and let me not forgot to mention, the bathrooms are amazing! Everything about this establishment will meet your expectations! I just had the most unbelievable meal! I ordered an item off the specials menu, crabmeat on top of salmon with scampi sauce, sautéed vegetables and saffron rice. My man (forgot to take a picture because I was so much in heaven eating my food) ordered the Gorgonzola crusted angus steak, medium temp and roasted potatoes… That was fantastic! Anything you order no matter if it’s off there specials or the main menu, you can’t go wrong.

I came here for valentines day and they made sure we had a great time! They were so accommodating. There was no wait and the service was incredible. We ordered the calamari to start and a bottle of white zinfandel. My boyfriend and I had the Wisconsin burger. My friend had the chicken caesar salad and her boyfriend had another burger as well. It was very decently priced and the décor was beautiful. The music and the ambience of the place was nice. It was a great time. They also have valet parking across the street! Dont have to worry about parking.

Donovan, let’s talk.
You’ve got a lot going for you. The soda bread is good. The calamari is solid. Your burgers are OK (although, if someone orders one medium rare, don’t bring it out well done). The service is great, and you guys deal so well with kids, which goes a long way.
But what is wrong with your fries? French fries should be crispy. They shouldn’t bend limply toward the table when I hold one up. They should taste delicious enough to justify the caloric intake, and yours are just so weak that it saddens me.
If the fries were better, and the burgers were cooked properly, we’d be so happy together.

Came here with my family for brunch. It was amazing! The selection was great and I loved that you got a drink with the meal such as a Mamosa or Bloody Mary. Prices were reasonable and the staff welcoming. Definitely recommend coming here!

Donovan’s was recommended to me by a few friends because if you know me, you know I love cheeseburgers! The atmosphere is cozy and service is good. I ordered a cheeseburger and it definitely did not disappoint. The burger was really big and everything was delicious and cooked just the way I asked for it. Best burger I have had in a long time, yum! I wish I lived closer, or maybe it’s good that I don’t because I would eat too many cheeseburgers from Donovan’s!

My favorite bartender is Michelle. She’s a real professional and never gets upset. Wish she was there more often and I would show up more often.

Came here for a friend’s event which was located in the rear dining area. The staff was very attentive, asking for our drink orders as soon as we sat and refilling, often. The area they reserve for large events is a wonderful space. It has the capability of being completely cut off from the rest of the restaurant so as to remain private. The restrooms are located right outside the dining room. There was plenty of room for our small gathering and even more space for more guests, if needed.
They had a nice sized buffet spread for us that included a variety of well-​prepared menu items such as, a garden salad, seasoned roasted potatoes, penne alla vodka (sans pork!), chicken francese, steamed broccoli and a wonderful salmon dish with horseradish that was so good! They also had a caring station, serving sirloin. Everything was great.
Since it was a dry affair, I went to the bar for a glass of vino. The bartender was super cool. She was very attentive and friendly. You can tell that she enjoys taking care of her patrons and that was reflected in the tip I left her.
While we don’t frequent the area often, I would definitely return for a night out with family/​friends that live in and around the area.

I had heard great things about Donovan’s, so I decided to check it out.
It was pretty busy when I came here, but they had an empty seat right by the window. I realized after sitting why it was empty as it was freezing at that table because of a cold breeze by the window. They didn’t have any other table, so understandably, couldn’t move me. But then a couple came in and sat at a newly empty table next to me, and when they complained about the cold, they were seated at a booth that just emptied too. I don’t think that was fair, but no point in arguing I thought.
I ordered their Filet Mignon. It came with a side of mashed potatoes and fried onions on top of the steak. I guess I was expecting better, because I thought it was just ok. I’ve had better at many cheaper places.
For dessert, I had the Chocolate Lava Cake. I didn’t like it much. It tasted more like a brownie that was heated in the microwave.
I did like the ambiance of the restaurant. In the end, the restaurant wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t that good either.

The atmosphere is very inviting and the staff is very attentive. The valet adds to the experience. We were seated promptly and was served in a timely manner. The only thing that was average was the food. The seafood is fresh but bland. The pastas was a little oily. I think since the party was so big the food came out a little overcooked. If it was a party or two to four i think it would be better.

Loved it! Reasonably priced. Fresh seafood. Great ambience. Will definitely come back.

This place is whole30 friendly. the service is great the place looks elegant and the food is decent.

Went for brunch a few weeks back.
Had the Full Irish Breakfast, which was damn good.
Bro’s steak and eggs were solid.
Will definitely be returning.
Good décor, good service, expected prices.
One of the few places I’d actually recommend!

Surprisingly bland food.
Pros: Very nice visual atmosphere and at least the food was hot. Comfortable seating. Polite/​prompt hostess.
Cons: Overpriced, not delicious. Very loud music that wasn’t appropriate for dinner. My girlfriend and I were shouting to hear each other. Distracted waiter who was not interested in answering our menu inquiries with care.
Bottom Line: Not interested in returning with so many other options on Bell Blvd. Too many variables in the «cons» department to consider it again.

I probably came here a million times when I was younger but only recently went to Donovan’s on NYE for dinner and then again on a Saturday night. On NYE we made a reservation the day of but still waited for about 20 minutes – which for making a last minute reservation, really wasn’t bad.
Both times I got the skirt steak sandwich – what can I say?! When I like something I can’t help but to get it time and time again :) My only wish is that they would cut the skirt steak into small pieces and pile them on the sandwich because it is a bit difficult to eat as a sandwich otherwise. It came with homemade chips which are perfectly crisp, add a little salt and they’re great!
A pleasant surprise was their chicken wings – usually when «Buffalo wings» are written on the menu, I instantly think that it’s going to be that bright orange sauce that looks radioactive. This sauce was like a mix between a tangy barbecue sauce and a bar wing sauce. Honestly, I wish I could get 50 of them! They also came in a good portion size. Some of the other dishes ordered included a burger, shepherd’s pie and a Mediterranean salad and they all seemed to be crowd pleasers!
Donovan’s is definitely one of the staple places of Bayside!

The Backdrop:
It was a slow Sunday night at the Davydov residence, days away from Halloween. I was working for the earlier portion of the day and had some family come over for lunch at my house. My sister, brother in law, my mother and the my less then a month old nephew come over for some omelettes. It was fun. Started cramming exams into the wee hours of the night until a fellow Unilocaler comes through, u know him better as Michael K., I know him as Haimov (yell at the top of your lungs when u say that).
Haimov comes in craving a Burgeehhh (pink panther voice). Wifey and I were on the burger boat, metaphorically, of course. After about an hour of lucubration, we were off to satisfy our hunger.
The Destination:
Donovans Grill and Restaurant. Got there around 9pm and place was empty. Kitchen closes at 10, we were promptly informed by the smiley waitress. We sat down in one of the comfy booths and perused the menu. The background of the place is beautiful. A library of wine racks extends toward the cieling. Chalkboards are place to write the days special in noticaable big lettering. Initmate setting for any type of occasion. I would say. The bathrooms are nicely kept and clean. Abd the bar has several beer on tap and fully stacked with all the favorites: stoli, jack daniels, goose, makers mark, etc.
Appetizers:
We just ordered a calamari for the table because we really wanted to savor the burgers, which is why we ventured out Bell Blvd. The calamari was a bit heavy on the oil, but what can we really expect from a deep fried dish. The calamari sauce more than made up for it, as we dipped and ate to our hearts desires. The lemon juice provided more citrus flavor, as well.
Entrees :
We each had a burger. Wifey had the regular which she thoroughly enjoyed amid a conversation with another straggler friend of ours we picked up on the way to Donovans (yakooooooov).
I had the Bourbon Burgehhhhh which was awesome and hit the spot. Came with lettuce, tomotoes and sauteed onions and well cooked meat on a toasted pretzel bun.
All in all, the burger venture was a last minute Sunday night success. I was content with the place and the burger. I will definitely be going back to try some of the other dishes Donovans has to offer.
Didnt take too many pics, sorry Unilocalers. My hands were glued to the burger… hahaha!