Ovation Bistro & Bar is a local chain in Cental Florida with locations in Davenport, Winter Haven, and Lakeland. They have a gluten-free menu that they share online, so I decided to take a drive over to Davenport to give it a try.

The inside of the restaurant has a Tavern feel, with plenty of seating inside and outside on the patio. The restaurant had a significant drink menu for anyone that enjoys beverages. The gluten-free menu has several options as well.

There are several sides to choose from and a gluten-free bun option if you choose a sandwich. I had heard the ribs were good from someone, so I made the decision to order the ribs with gluten-free BBQ sauce. For my side, I chose the green beans and a salad.

The salad was very good. It came on a chilled plate and I chose the balsamic vinegarette dressing. It was very thick, almost like a balsamic glaze and had a great flavor. Below you can see the ribs.

Let’s start with the ribs. The bones pulled right out of the ribs very easily, so I was very hopeful they were tasty. They were cooked well, very hot. In some areas, the ribs were a little dry. There wasn’t a lot of sauce on top of the ribs. You could certainly tell the ribs were placed into something to reheat them for serving and then the BBQ sauce placed on top. That’s not uncommon for places that serve ribs, but it was very noticeable.

The green beans were cooked perfectly. The only thing I can say about the green beans is that they were just steamed and really didn’t have any flavoring. A little salt and they were perfect for me.

Ovation was not the worst meal I have ever had, but I certainly would like to try some of their handhelds before passing full judgment. The best part is they knew about gluten allergies and did take care to try to protect. There is obviously a risk for cross contamination here since it is not a gluten-free dedicated kitchen, so keep this in mind!