Tampa s Best Black Restaurants I eat out a lot and over the years I have dined at many establishments of different cultures in the Tampa area. As I visited the restaurants, I would make mental notes. In particularly I would observe their many cooked meals, quality of the meals, the staff, cleanliness, location, prices, level and quality of the service, parking, and the overall dining experience. In this article I am writing about my many experiences at Black owned restaurants. In my opinion, the three that I am mentioning here are the Best Black Restaurants in Tampa. I discussed this coming article with friends and associates, these three names were mentioned the most. I really don t know how many Black owned restaurants there are in Tampa. I have not dined at every Black owned restaurant in Tampa. But I make it a point of visiting those that were mentioned to me. It just so happened that I was already a patron at these restaurants. My reviews here could be termed very limited. Yeap very limited indeed. But if there are others, Black owned restaurants, that I should have mentioned here, just let me know. I will visit them and include them in future articles. My definition of a Black restaurant is one that is majority owned by a Black organization, company or individual or individuals. There are many eating places that say they serve Soul Food, that are not really Black owned establishments. Just because it s a Black restaurant that does not necessarily make it a Soul Food restaurant. I actually can t clearly say what Soul Food is, but I know it when I am eating it. This article is not about Soul Food places, it s about dining out in the Black community in Tampa. These restaurants serve different types of food and cater to many different people s taste buds and budgets. What I call a restaurant is simple; they must be a licensed as a restaurant. They must have a dining facility where you can come in and sit down to eat in comfort. Of course there must be a staff, tables and chairs, a menu, ample parking and the majority of the food is prepared and cook at that location. There must also be indoor air conditioning. In selecting the final three Black restaurants that I think are the best, I visited and dined at the places dozens of times. I would go on different days of the week, different times of the day. I would go alone and on many occasions I would dine with a guest or guests. I would eat a variety of meals at all of the restaurants. So I got a good feel of the food, type of services, the staff and management. I spent lots of time getting to know the chefs and the owners. So here is my selection of Tampa s Best Black Restaurants. My choices are The Open Cafe, The Jerk Hut and Frank-El s. They all have unique characteristics, have different management styles and offer a variety of food dishes and prices. They are located in different part of the city.
The Open Cafe # 1 3222 North 34 th Street, Tampa, FL. 33605 Reginald Bell, The Chef The Open Cafe has been in business for almost 18 months. This restaurant has a relaxed family style atmosphere. The Open Cafe comes as close as one could get in calling meals home cooked. The restaurant is very spacious and very clean. There is plenty of space for holding meetings and events. Usually there is very little waiting time from ordering and receiving your meal. The prices are unbelievably low, I mean really low. The menu covers a variety of standard meals, seafood and desserts. The Open Cafe is located in a convenient centralized part of the community. They serve well cooked meals and have a friendly staff. They are affiliated with a local church. The chef, Mr. Bell, main concerns are always providing good cook meals and the best in customer service. He is always insisting that on the kitchen and restaurant staff. The staff numbers more than 18 people. I would say about 5% of its patrons are non-black, probably because of its inner city location. My Likes $3 breakfast. I get 2 eggs, grits, bacon or sausage, toast and coffee. $6.50 Fried Pork Chop breakfast w/ 2 eggs, grits, toast and coffee. My Dislikes There are two different large screen TV sets on opposite walls. One is on sports, the other one is on the news. It is hard to focus on any particular set because they are at the same volume. They are closed at 6:-6:30 PM daily and closes at noon on Saturdays. Parking is extremely limited and tight.
The Jerk Hut 926 East Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612 Andrew Ashmeade, owner 813-977-5777 If you want the true taste, feel, food, sounds and favors of the Caribbean, then you must visit the Jerk Hut. This restaurant has been in business almost 20 years. The menu has a large selection of island foods and some traditional meals. There is also a bar. There are flags above the tables that represent just about every Caribbean country. The Jerk Hut is a very established and well ran restaurant. The Jerk Hut offers open seating and has semi-private booths. There is always the sound of music from the islands playing. The place seems always to be always busy with customers. On weekends there are bands performing on portable stage. The owner, Andrew, seems to have personal engagement and connection with his many clients. He makes sure they have a great time at the Jerk Hut. The patrons are more than 25% non-black. My Likes Escovitched Fish (Pan fried whole Red Snapper) Sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a light vinaigrette sauce. It s served with brown rice and black beans. $12.95 My Dislikes Sometimes above average waiting to get your meal. But the wait is worth it. The music can get loud at times, especially on the weekends. Hard driving into and out of Jerk Hut during rush hour traffic on Fowler Ave.
Frank-El 1441 East Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33612 Frank Braaf, Chef & Owner The Frank-El Restaurant has been in business for 14 years. They offer traditional Southern soul food in a buffet style. They also sell Caribbean groceries. The atmosphere is very low key and quiet. The owner is also the chef and is practically always there. The buffet table is always refilled and the food stays fresh and hot. The food sits on a steam table. The staff size is about 5-7 dedicated individuals. This is a very nice place to really pig-g-g (oink oink) out on a buffet. I would say about 15% of its patrons are non-black. The restaurant is a very popular as evidenced by the amount of people coming in to eat and by the steady stream of take-out orders. The restaurant is located in busy plaza with has a variety of different businesses. Mr. Braaf, the owner, appears to be a very reserved individual. But he seems to know all of his clients and his competition. He is always keeping an eye on the buffet table to make sure it stays fresh and full. It is a buffet, and his clients do enjoy the food. My Likes Everything on the soul food buffet. It s really good for $8.99. Especially the baked chicken, white rice, yams and long green string beans. My Dislikes The hard bottom wooden chairs. I usually bring a pillow to sit on.
As I said earlier, each restaurant s management and chef have their own unique and individual styles on running their respective restaurants. They all seem to cater to a particular clientele. Many of the various clientele visits the other restaurants. Reginald Bell, the chef at The Open Cafe, spends part of his time being very visible in the dining area. He frequently sits at the tables of the dining guests and engages in lively conversations, especially about the quality of their meals and how they are being treated. Andrew Ashmeade, the owner of The Jerk Hut, acts more like and ambassador of good will, good time and fun time. He has a staff of about 25 and is not tied down to the kitchen, food preparation or direct management. He is good with the delegation of responsibility at The Jerk Hut. It s not usual to see him laughing and carrying on with the patrons. Frank Braaf, the owner and chef at Frank-El s, has a more of hands on and direct management style. He stays, in real time, up to date with everything that has to do with his restaurant. He is very cautious and is not easily swayed into uncharted territory or new ventures. He is very analytical. Frank is always keeping an eye on the food on the buffet table. Now what makes me decide where to eat? Well if I am having a business meeting, I would go to Frank-El s where its quiet and I can pig-g-g out on the buffet table. If I am going out to dinner after 7 P.M, I would go Frank-El s. If I want a full breakfast for $3, read the newspaper, chat with and meet people from the community, and use my laptop, I would go to The Open Cafe. This restaurant is not open past 6:30 P.M. Now if I am in the semi-festive mood, got lots of time and want seafood or a Caribbean meal, you got it, I would go to The Jerk Hut. All of my choices of where to eat have a great and caring staffs and serve wonderful meals. I recommend all of them, depending on your taste, mood and budget. Al Mccray Managing Editor 813 244 0664 mccray@tampanewsandtalk.com