Recommendation

[E.T.]

6 hours ago, BayIslandBull said:

 ...

El Puerto in ybor is way better and a fraction of the price.

Eat there for lunch often, Love it!

[E.T.]

49 minutes ago, chapelbull said:

I think there is a lot of that in Seminole Heights.  JTrue would probably be able to give better all around advice.   Elle's is also good, so is the Refinery.  There are a few other places probably a little less eclectic.

...

 

Try the MeatLoaf at Elle's - Love It ! Also, you can see the World's Tallest Hat.

[BayIslandBull]

Ichicoro ramen is really good. Not much around it though except red star rock bar (Big USF supporters. Been there for a couple watch parties)

[chapelbull]

21 minutes ago, E.T. said:

Try the MeatLoaf at Elle's - Love It ! Also, you can see the World's Tallest Hat.

That meatloaf is deadly, but outstanding.  I haven't been there in awhile, but they used to have some cool bands play on the weekends as well

[JTrue]

48 minutes ago, E.T. said:

Try the MeatLoaf at Elle's - Love It ! Also, you can see the World's Tallest Hat.

Meatloaf at Ella's is legit. Ditto for the beef medallions. Also, if you're around on Sunday, I highly recommend their Soul Food Sunday. But it's a little dicey. They open at 11am, so if you're there at the open, you're good to go. But if you get there around 11:30, you're going to be waiting as the first wave finishes eating since everyone table is full, then it starts staggering a bit as one table finishes and another gets seated, etc. Also, the BBQ they have for the day runs out in the evening. They do the brisket overnight, so when it's gone, it's gone. They can't just whip one up for you.

[JTrue]

I'll throw out my Seminole Heights tour guide issue here.

Beer:

Seventh Sun is a brewery and good.

Independent isn't a brewery, but it serves everything from the local places. Super hipster. Kind of beer garden-esque,  but it's in an old gas station, so the tables and such are under the overhang and they open the shop bay doors. It's pretty much the flagship "bar" of Seminole Heights.

1949 is great. They bill themselves as a Florida Beer Bar, but they have more than just Florida beers.

Lowry Parcade is basically a bar, BUT it's a bar with an 1980s arcade. 

Angry Chair is fine. I'm not a big fan of their beers, but other people seem to like it.

Food:

Ichicoro is the hip thing right now. It's a ramen place, but ignore the fact that you're an adult and associate ramen with being broke.

Refinery is dynamite. But if you're thinking about going there, they change the menu every week depending on what stuff they get. So definitely take a look at it before you show up and figure out if the small menu has anything on it you're interested in. Some weeks, I'd go all 7 days, others, I'll happily skip. Side note, it's the only James Beard acknowledged restaurant in town, so if you're a real foodie, check it out.

Rooster and Till is very good. But know going in it's the kind of place you eat with your pinky sticking out. It's small plates and thinks very highly of itself. Not that it shouldn't, but it's not the kind of place you're going to walk out stuffed.

Makenita is the new Mexican place. I haven't been, but it used to be in Lutz and people are driving down just for it. Word of mouth is that it's seriously good, but I can't personally confirm that.

If you're just in the mood for pizza, Cappy's is the one everyone will send you to, but don't take the bait. Even though I ate their tonight, Lee's Grocery is more fun and better pizza. It's in an old grocery store building that's been around for 75 years tucked into a neighborhood. Good pizza, good beers on tap, and anything you're looking for that's not on tap is in the 7-11 style fridge cases all around the main room. It's super small, but it rarely fills up to the point that you're waiting for more than 15-30 minutes at most.

I'm sure I missed something here, but this gives you a handful of options.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by JTrue

[mj796]

I cannot believe this support for Charley's. It is without question the worst high-end steakhouse in Tampa. It reminds me of the type of place that would have been hot in 1992 and has not changed a bit. I agree there is a unique sort of wood-fired smokiness to their steak, but the rest of the menu, ambiance, service, etc. are tragic. I can name 10 steakhouses in Tampa that are better and sadly more than half are chains:

1. Bern's

2. Ruth's Chris

3. Capitol Grille 

4. Fleming's

5. Rococo

6. Armani's (I agree a bit of a stretch as a pure steakhouse but incredible steak and well pronounced on their menu)

7. Dempsey's in the Saddlebrook Resort

8. Shula's

9. Council Oak

10. My Weber

Also, Bern's is an experience not just a steakhouse. They do things a bit differently but to say it is 'terrible' is a travesty. For people that appreciate what they focus on, its incredibly unique and absolutely something Tampa should be proud of.

[SpeedyBull]

4 hours ago, mj796 said:

I cannot believe this support for Charley's. It is without question the worst high-end steakhouse in Tampa. It reminds me of the type of place that would have been hot in 1992 and has not changed a bit. I agree there is a unique sort of wood-fired smokiness to their steak, but the rest of the menu, ambiance, service, etc. are tragic. I can name 10 steakhouses in Tampa that are better and sadly more than half are chains:

1. Bern's

2. Ruth's Chris

3. Capitol Grille 

4. Fleming's

5. Rococo

6. Armani's (I agree a bit of a stretch as a pure steakhouse but incredible steak and well pronounced on their menu)

7. Dempsey's in the Saddlebrook Resort

8. Shula's

9. Council Oak

10. My Weber

Also, Bern's is an experience not just a steakhouse. They do things a bit differently but to say it is 'terrible' is a travesty. For people that appreciate what they focus on, its incredibly unique and absolutely something Tampa should be proud of.

I hope this list is not in order of quality, Ruth's Chris is a joke if you are talking about quality steak. 

[CousinRicky]

9 hours ago, mj796 said:

I cannot believe this support for Charley's. It is without question the worst high-end steakhouse in Tampa. It reminds me of the type of place that would have been hot in 1992 and has not changed a bit. I agree there is a unique sort of wood-fired smokiness to their steak, but the rest of the menu, ambiance, service, etc. are tragic. I can name 10 steakhouses in Tampa that are better and sadly more than half are chains:

1. Bern's

2. Ruth's Chris

3. Capitol Grille 

4. Fleming's

5. Rococo

6. Armani's (I agree a bit of a stretch as a pure steakhouse but incredible steak and well pronounced on their menu)

7. Dempsey's in the Saddlebrook Resort

8. Shula's

9. Council Oak

10. My Weber

Also, Bern's is an experience not just a steakhouse. They do things a bit differently but to say it is 'terrible' is a travesty. For people that appreciate what they focus on, its incredibly unique and absolutely something Tampa should be proud of.

I had thought about posting that we do the best beef here at the house but waited for someone else. Buy prime beef at Costco, use our sous vide gadget at 131.5 F.  Finish it on the Weber cranked up to about 650 - 700 for 1.5 to  2 minutes per side.  Total absolute perfection.

[JTrue]

10 hours ago, mj796 said:

I cannot believe this support for Charley's. It is without question the worst high-end steakhouse in Tampa. It reminds me of the type of place that would have been hot in 1992 and has not changed a bit. I agree there is a unique sort of wood-fired smokiness to their steak, but the rest of the menu, ambiance, service, etc. are tragic. I can name 10 steakhouses in Tampa that are better and sadly more than half are chains:

1. Bern's

2. Ruth's Chris

3. Capitol Grille 

4. Fleming's

5. Rococo

6. Armani's (I agree a bit of a stretch as a pure steakhouse but incredible steak and well pronounced on their menu)

7. Dempsey's in the Saddlebrook Resort

8. Shula's

9. Council Oak

10. My Weber

Also, Bern's is an experience not just a steakhouse. They do things a bit differently but to say it is 'terrible' is a travesty. For people that appreciate what they focus on, its incredibly unique and absolutely something Tampa should be proud of.

Ruth's Chris? Are we doing seafood rankings after this? Where does Red Lobster check in?