Emily at the Gasper's Grotto was awesome ! She was very personal and made us feel like home. I would definitely recommend coming here for dinner and drinks , it was fun even on a Tuesday night ! read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I've enjoyed Gaspar's on quite a few occasions. I can always count on it for a good time. Nice selection on their food menu also. The Cubans are fantastic, made with a mustard and mayo mix but no lettuce. The bread is fantastic, crisp and buttery. The wing sauces are all homemade. While I enjoy smaller, extra crispy wings, these are jumbo but not too fatty. The devil crab isn't my fave, it was a little too bread-y a and had a lot for fillers for my taste. All in all a really cool spot with a fun atmosphere and great waitstaff. Down forget they offer a Sunday brunch spread that is out of this world. Mimosas, bloody Mary's, oysters, crab legs, cheese etc. Definatly a must. read more

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1 star! Food took FOREVER, over priced and not good! Server was messed up on Something you could tell! Drinks took forever as well! Overall experience was a -10. Definitely made me regret leaving my house at all. read more

Best service from Maurice here! He served us so well and such a friendly guy! Will definitely come back for him.

Love this place...best Cuban sandwich in Tampa...and they pour a mean drink! Friendly staff and great location.

My first time here was 2 months ago and It was a so good experience, a nice band playing outside, really good drinks. I came back today and my experience changed my mind. Terrible service, even worse drinks... I don't recommend this place to anybody!!! read more

Swing and a miss on this Sunday brunch. I recommend you stay away. Oysters shrimp and crab, sure but they do all the tricks. Crab is small, over cooked and sticks to the shell making it difficult to eat. Shrimp are so over cooked that the shells fuze to the body. Oysters sitting out so long after shucking that they were dry and white. Worst of all, they even had a shellfish guard that made sure you only took the minimum. That's it for that section. Next, my wife comes back with her omelet and says "wow that guy was really grumpy". I went to check for myself and sure enough making me an egg was an absolute inconvenience for him. The one very good thing they had was ahi tuna. But no, one small plate out when the buffet started, got two pieces and they never put any more out. Hide the expensive stuff. Bacon thin as paper, chicken and beef were thighs and scraps. Even the small carafe of vodka for the Bloody Mary was the super cheap well stuff. Thanks for reading my rant. I hate cheap and this place oozes cheap. **** UPDATE After thinking more about my review they don't deserve a single star. That should be reserved flagrant violations. Place was clean and I didn't complain and leave. Still don't like the items above but inexpensive items are a decision of the owner. read more

Okay so I try to be fair but this place is just ridiculous. So to start I order the fried pickles they were by far the worst I've ever had and for eight dollars you'd think they'd at least be okay. My appetizer took 25 minutes and my main meal took 35 minutes. I order their version of what was like a seafood pasta. I will say I've had better out of a chef boyardee can witch I can buy for a dollar. My bill here was seventy dollars! Wow two meals and a few drinks really? The whole place needs a good cleaning. thick dust on the tv's and light fixtures. All around just a really bad experience. There is sooo many good places in Ybor don't waste your time here. Everything is over priced and the drinks are watered down. It's really sad because I wanted to like this place but couldn't find not one good thing to say. I'm sorry but when my bill is seventy dollars and I can't finish my meal because of how gross it was I don't go back. Read my other reviews you'll see I'm fair this place well earned their one star. I will say our waitress was nice but let's face it that only goes so far. I will never step foot in this place again and I hope this will save someone from making the same mistake I did. read more

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I am a big fan of Gaspars Grotto. They have something going on all the time. Friday nights outside bar with a DJ is always jumping. Sunday Brunch is the absolute best. Unlimited champagne - life gets no better. But the food assortment is great along with the taste. I just had a group of 25 there for my birthday and we had a great time. It gets busy so be patient and enjoy the music, vibes and champagne. Wait staff continues to be nice since I have been several times. If you have more than 2 people I do recommend making a reservation. They have two seatings 10- 1pm and 1:30 - 4pm. I like going for the early seating and that is just a personal preference. Then we take whatever leftover champagne to the outside bar and continue the party. Where there is a DJ and bar. If your visiting Ybor you will not be disappointed by this place. The menu on regular nights is not bad either. Weekends can be busy but it is a great time no matter what size your group. read more

Argggg. Another pirate themed bar with slow service and tasteless food. Slow service. I ordered guacamole and a Caesar salad. The salad was a huge pile of lettuce served with stale bread. Guacamole was the worst I've ever had the displeasure of tasting. No flavor to it at all. Stick to drinking but go elsewhere to eat. Add 1/2 star for outdoor patio. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Flavorless guacamole - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Nice spot, drink special was good...$2 shot and beer. However, the reason they get three stars is because of the hostess Meisha. She was very friendly and attended to our table when the waitress Stacey didn't. I asked for a hot tea and a water and the waitress Stacey brought back a cup of hot water with dirt and hair in it. When we told her about it, she got an attitude and never came back out to help us at all. The hostess was the one assisting us with everything we wanted. Although I had a good time with the hostess, I will never return as I felt like the customer service was thee worst. read more

On a Sunday Funday, four of us enjoyed a sunny day checking out the various establishments in area. What a lively place this was in the early afternoon! Two outside bars both rocking music. A choice of which was hard to decide so we went inside to escape the heat. The paraphernalia was awesome and overwhelming in a good way. Beads hanging everywhere (of course!), lots of inked bartenders and servers, aquarium behind the bar, boat models as well as lots of other "stuff" on ledge above the bar. Oh BTW, saw this all from entering the side door and taking the first four barstools available next to the service area. I was remiss in not exploring further! We ordered the Sunday specials, Mimosas and Blooding Marys, which were okay but reasonably priced. We weren't offered a menu and now thinking about it, I wish I'd ask to see one just to check out what was offered. People behind us at a table were obviously regulars. The server noted they were later than usual and they responded they weren't very hungry so they didn't want the brunch. What that ordered looked delicious and a very generous portion. This review is based on having cocktails only, which were just ok. Loved the ambiance ....and plan to go again. They do not have their own parking lot but there is one nearby and it's free to park on Sunday's. The bartenders were very friendly and everyone was having a good time. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Look at clipper ship above the bar - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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They say it's casual and LGBTQ friendly. However, straight men cannot wear tank tops in 80-90 degree weather after 10pm PER THE OWNER. Yet, gay men can without issue and women can look scandalous with their boobs hanging out. I was here with friends for karaoke and they sing better than anyone they've ever had here. In fact, when they started singing, people from the streets were coming in to stay for karaoke. It's ok for my friends to bring in business for the owner, but he can't wear a tank top? That makes absolutely no sense and is so one-sided in the OWNERS favor. The ONLY reason we all stayed was because of our AMAZING server Imani. She went and bought my friend a t-shirt from Gasper's store. Again, more money for the owner. The ONLY reason we'd come back is because of IMANI!! She was on point and always made sure we had what we needed. OWNER...I suggest you take a good hard look in the mirror and reevaluate the way you run your business. YOU ARE SEXIST!!!!! read more

OMG...Cuban Sandwich is roasted pork fine! Mojitos cool & refreshing. The Devil Crab was to my N'awlins standard and some! Sunday Brunch is a bargain and the perfect sampling to review from! (I had just runa Gasparilla race and it would have been too much for me). I must hit it soon though. A combo also performs on the patio which is the perfect place to chill. It was filled when our party of six arrived. I simply asked the young hostess to make it happen for us and we would wait. She did just that in a decent time. Our server was very attending as well. We had runners from out of town, I wanted to continue the Haspar them so why not the Grotto! Man, I got lucky and our peeps got good Ybor flavor! Gaspar's does have a variety on their menu to please anyone. We allenjoyed our time and I will be returning soon! read more

Usually come here at night for drinks and music. Came around 5pm after Pride this past weekend and had a great time. The drinks are decently priced and the music was good. Sometimes the DJ can play a great song then change it to something different immediately after. Otherwise, Gaspar's is a great choice for bar hopping. read more

Never Been To Singapore Wings were good but with lemon juice they were outstanding! Cob Salad dressing was boring but with cilantro lemon aioli it was fantastic!!! Good fast service. Better food than I was expecting. read more

Love dropping into this place! Great spot for lunch or nightlife. They make one of the best Cuban sandwiches with great (not greasy) fried plantain chips. Had the fried pickle slices this time around and they are a great app to share. Great patio to sit outside on. read more

I so loved this place! It has the total Ybor City vibe! We both orders the Cuban and should have ordered one and split it. It was most excellent! We enjoyed $1 bloody Mary's and $2 mimosas. Service was great! We'll be back and we're bringing our friends! read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Black bean soup and 1/2 Cuban sandwich - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We were there on a Saturday at Noon and the outdoor patio was nearly full. The servers and cooking staff did a great job in getting orders out reasonably fast. We shared the Abuela's Spanish Bean Soup and the Reuben Cuban Sandwich. The broth on the soup was absolutely delicious and the balance between the ham and chorizo was just right! The pork on the sandwich was very juicy and tender, but they were a little underseasoned. The fries were delicious, however. Overall, a great place to have good food, good beer, and enjoy some live music on a Saturday. read more

Food is eatable but not really good. Came on a Sunday with a limited menu and had the chorizo and eggs along with the pulled pork plate. Service was good but not really worth the price. Also you get the $1 charge if you use a credit card. read more

We have heard that the food here was great, so we stopped in for dinner. The atmosphere is what you'd think, a pirate themed bar. Our servers were nice, but the food left us disappointed. Fried pickles were over salted and for the price you didn't get very many. Pork taco's were decent, but the Cuban was not the best in town. There are much better cuban sandwiches close by in Ybor City. So, we wouldn't go back here for the food. Drinks are the only thing worth while here unless you want nothing more than mediocre bar food. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Cuban and fries - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Worst service! Food ordered and never put in and never served. Drink order same thing. When asked twice about it the second time, the wrong drink was delivered. Manager was indifferent about the whole situation. Avoid at all costs! read more

We stopped in for a drink on a Sunday afternoon. I don't understand why all the bars in ybor insist on leaving all their windows and doors open in August... It was SO HOT inside. Our bartender was more interested in discussing her hair with another server than with seeing that our drinks were empty, so we left after one drink... read more

On a beautiful afternoon, a friend introduced me to this interesting place. We sat on the patio and we were immediately greeted. My luncheon buddy knew what to order first. He ordered the Cracked Conch Fritters. They looked awesome and tasted better. They were nice and spicy. They came with a tasty but a very, very small portion of Tequila chili jam for a dipping sauce. Dipping sauces should always be an overly generous portion and not a restrained tablespoon. My buddy made some recommendations and I opted for the Florida Cobb Salad and he ordered the Grilled Shrimp Wrap. My salad was huge with large delicious grilled shrimp. I did not clean my plate, it was that big! The wrap was huge, too. My buddy said it was very good. The server was very attentive and in the end it was a great luncheon repast. Of course, parking is still an expense fact of life for any visitor to Ybor City *groan*. read more

Went here on a Saturday before a concert. Found online and it looked fun. Angel server was great. Got our drinks and soup fine. The entree's took well over 35 minutes. Long time for wings and a quesadilla. Wings were over cooked. It may have been staffing issues in the back of the house. Many servers on the floor. read more

My experience was not really a good one. We met some friends for brunch at 12:30 we got in and seated everything was going great we got our drinks I ordered the little bag of doughnuts they came in about 15 minutes. Then we waited and waited. I went outside and listened to the band some came in still no food. The kitchen manager came out to check on us twice finally Katt's Cuban Sandwich came out but still nothing else for about another half hour. All together it took us about and hour and twenty five minutes to get our food. When my chicken and waffles came out they where vary dry like they where sitting around. And they really didn't offer any excuse for it all. They did give us one free drink. Lol, Glad their is a lot of other choices to try in Ybor. read more

If considering options in Ybor, perhaps it gets the five stars... but that's not how I rate. I had walked onto the street looking for a good place to grab some drinks; while many of the places seemed jam packed we found this one to be just the fit. As soon as you walk in your welcomed by a massive bar, but like stated by another yelper, it's hard to determine who's going to be serving your drinks. We found many locals at the bar, ok, mainly everyone at the bar was a local, besides us. We saw a sign that said before 12 and for 2$ you can get a shot of bourbon (cheap, strong) and a beer (1/2 glass). They played good jams and had an ATM. We finished our 2$ drinks and decided to continue investigating the street, there had to be something better.....? read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Gasper is a great place to hang out and enjoy life... I've been going there since I been in Florida Sunday funday use too be better With the old dj playing... read more

Gaspar's Grotto is a very versatile restaurant and bar with a pirate theme (because of Gasparilla, Tampa's version of Mardi Gras) They have one of the best brunch buffets in Ybor city with make your own mimosas and bloody Marys and a fabulous buffet including traditional breakfast items but also a raw bar. Then if you go on a Saturday night they have 3 different rooms, the large indoor room is karaoke, then the middle room had dancing and the outdoor patio had a dj with dancing as well. All three rooms have their own bars so you have access to getting a drink wherever you go. What a fun place. I went with a girlfriend but you can go as a couple, in a group of friends. They also have televisions so it can be a sports bar during the week or a restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have only eaten the brunch and it was excellent. The 16th street and 8rh garage is only a couple blocks away if you can't find street parking. Their website said they are open 7am to 2am every day! Friday Night Ladies Night Late Night Food Menu Live Entertainment 7 Nights a Week $100 Trivia on Tuesday Nights This is the place to go for all your entertainment and food needs! read more

Came in for a late lunch. Sat at the bar and Emily took GREAT care of me. I ordered the Cuban which I knew they were famous for. I've been in Florida for 10 years and this is hands down the best Cuban in Tampa Bay. It is the PERFECT mixture of meat, pressed Cuban bread and mustard and mayo (I don't like pickles so I ordered it without them). Drinks were on point too. Another great thing about Gaspar's is the Pirate/Maritime memorabilia displayed throughout the restaurant. If you like history you can appreciate it. I hadn't been in a while and am kicking myself for not. Gaspar's has to be a regular spot!! read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Went there in a Saturday night when they were serving their late night menu. We ordered potstickers and Cuban sandwich with fries. Both tasted average, slightly on the greasier side. However, their cocktails were excellent! We got the Moscow mule and Rubies and Laces; both were equally good. The ambience was nice and fun with a live DJ around. Good place to go for a dance too. read more

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I was on my way to Acropolis when I walked past this place. It said "Cuban food", and me being a sucker for any type of signage or advertising, I got suckered right in. If you are looking for authentic Cuban food, look elsewhere. That is not to say the food wasn't good, but something like Cuban Breezes or the Columbia Cafe offer a much more "Cuban" experience. The black bean soup was watery and salty, and didn't have diced onions. What's up with that? The Cuban sandwich was good. The pulled pork quesadillas were rather anemic. I also had hummus (I order hummus everywhere I can) and it was meh. Besides, hummus ain't Cuban, so I wasn't expecting miracles. Our service was excellent. The waitress brought over boiled peanuts as a courtesy. I didn't know they boiled peanuts in Cuba. :) The atmosphere is very relaxed and colorful. There is a huge bar right in the middle of the place. There are so many better places in Ybor that if I had visitors in town I'd take them elsewhere. But as a local I'd go back. But next time I won't be expecting Cuban food, and perhaps I won't be as disappointed. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Probably the worst chicken sandwich I have had. It was slightly undercooked, lacked flavor, served with rotting vegetables (yes, rotting. The lettuce was turning black) on the dryest bread. Please, for your sake don't order it. If it hadnt been a to go order I would have sent it back. Update* The owner got mad that I posted this. Perhaps he should spend more time training his cooks and less time calling people liars on yelp. Just so you guys know, I am not a troll. This is my first yelp review. I made an account just to tell people how terrible my experience was. It was that bad. read more

Their Cuban sandwich was excellent... We went there on the advice of our son. Also had the conch chowder (served lukewarm). The service was Ok and the people watching fun. The whole place feels a bit less than clean, but the bathrooms were disgusting. I recommend the Cuban sandwich and I recommend The Columbia down the street in Ybor city if you want a really good restaurant. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Lot's of atmosphere.. not super clean. - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I waited here at the bar for 20 minutes and the bar tender kept skipping me. Once I finally got his attention I told him I've been waiting he replied "it doesn't matter everybody's waiting." After that he continued to skip me. I would not recommend this place! They have terrible customer service! They are not a fan of diversity! read more

This has to be one of THE WORST restaurant experiences I have had. We were basically forgotten about. 15 min for our drinks, appetizer did come out reasonably timed, then 2 of the 3 entrees came out, only one was correct. We waited another 10 min after flagging down the hostess for someone to come and address the incorrect food and the fact that I still had NOT received my food. Good loooong wait later, my food arrived.... another good 10 min later, the other corrected entree came out. $90 for being completely frustrated and the food wasn't even good. Don't waste your money or your time! Oh and yes, we spoke to the manager who basically told us, oh well, that's just how long the food takes to cook. Never have I had a party of 3 and our food wasn't brought out at the same time! read more

If you're in Tampa. Go downtown to YBor(E-Bore) City. The architecture give you New Orleans vibes, but it's a lot to do down there. It's more popping and lively at night, yet, day and/or night Gaspars is where you want to be. You'll notice where everyone is as you walk down this strip. Day and night people will be here. The wings are amazing, and the food is good. You won't go wrong when stopping by here for a bite to eat. Indoor, and/or outdoor seating, you'll have your pick of the liter. This place is hopping and popping! read more

Gaspar's Grotto - 10 Piece Smokehouse Sweet and Spicy Wings - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

After some decent meals in the past, I had one of the worst experiences here tonight. I highly recommend not eating here on Sunday evenings. No one appeared to be in charge. Tables were left cluttered and not bussed. We waited 15 minutes for the host to clean a table even though the restaurant was not even half full. There were 3 of us who ordered the Pork Havana which took a while to arrive and when it did, it was cold. The waiter never returned to check on us. Overall, a great disappointment in a place I thought we could count on for decent, local Cuban dishes with decent service. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I like this place for hr nightlife and the nostalgia of it with the pirates and history. But during the day the food and drinks were not good during my visit about two weeks ago. Everything I ordered I did not like and I ended up sending my food back one time due to it being ice cold. I never usually write negative reviews but this surprised me because I've been here before at night and did not experience the quality of food I had that day. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I have been to Gaspar's many times. I always felt like it was a mediocre establishment anyways - drinks are watery and not good value, food is garbage and a waste of time, but the patio was always packed with people dancing to the grooves of some of the resident DJs, however they are no longer having DJs I guess due to owners not liking the crowds who were attracted (hip hop crowd). I will never purchase another watered down cocktail from this place again and I will make sure to tell everyone I know to stay far away. There are plenty of places to spend in Ybor that are run by management who embraces customers of all kinds. read more