According to chef Keith Williamson, Jackson’s Bistro (601 S Harbour Island Blvd., Harbour Island, (813) 277-0112, jacksonsbistro.com; 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; $19.95) does 400 to 500 brunches every Sunday, up to 1,500 for a holiday like Easter or Mother’s Day (which this year will run $33.95). It’s not the hugest buffet spread, but the indoor/outdoor harborside setting is gorgeous, and the outdoor bar and much of the patio seating has a roof so the Tampa sun isn’t too rough (still, watch those predatory sea birds; they’ll abscond with a pancake if you don’t keep up your guard).

Nice big plates mean you don’t have to crowd everything together, from staple items like scrambled eggs and eggs Benedict, to the day’s five main entrees (these can range from kung pao chicken to chicken melanzane, roasted pork loin, broiled cod or sauteed mussels with chorizo). The centerpiece of the buffet is a steamship round (that’s a monster roast beef) carving station, to the left of which is an omelet station and to the right of which is a pasta chef (which some weekends is instead a wok station).

On my visit there were a few clunkers and a few clear standouts (warm housemade doughnut holes with cinnamon sugar, a zingy Caesar salad). Because Jackson’s is known for its sushi, the Sunday display is opulent, with at least half a dozen different rolls with wasabi, ginger, etc.

Bottom line: Despite the fact that the price doesn’t include champagne or a mimosa, this is a good value. The quality of the food is high and servers are attentive with check-backs and plate clearing. A chocolate fountain’s elegance is marred slightly by the presence of a commercial cardboard tub of vanilla ice cream, but you get a lot for $20