Needing a place to eat on Christmas day brought us here. Not that I had any reservations going into the idea, but it is what it is. Place was pretty busy. We made an online reservation and requested inside seating as it was a cold night, but were told they were full inside amd so we sat outside. Thankfully no more than 10 minutes later a spot opened up inside for us! Service was slow. I assume because of it being a holiday and busy, so I dont hold it against them. The food was just not good though. We tried fried pickles- oil must mot have been hot enough as they were soft; calamari- too chewy and just not right; fish tacos- mediocre, bland white sauce and not much flavor. The only good thing was the sangria! Great price and good amount. That we did order two of. This is more bar restaurant than restaurant. Totally into the pirate theme. And they ring a really loud bell every so often (didnt get around to asking why). Overall, would not return except maybe for drinks only! read more

Pirate theme bar is a unique touch with their decor and Cuban flare cuisine. We had tostones nachos a must try. Cuban flare nachos using plantains. So delicious can even be vegetarian opt for no meat. We had great bartender who told us history of the place. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Tostones wemoji marinated chicken nachos. Excelente - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

No entry fee. The DJ was great and the outside space was set up nicely with sections and room to dance. Drinks were well made. Would've given more stars but I didn't try any food. read more

This was the second stop on a monthly brunch tour with friends. All around it was a great experience! We reserved our tables a week ahead of time for 15+ people (on a Sunday). We all went with the all you can eat buffet/bottomless mimosas for $39.99. They have EVERYTHING from an omelette station, waffles, bacon, and fruit... to a pasta station, salads, and a great selection of seafood! It was well worth the money spent. There's also a cocktail bar where you can make your own drinks (they give vodka in addition to the mimosas). Our server was very pleasant. It was a beautiful day so we sat outside and listened to the live band. We were a little worried as the weather was warm. However, they have nearly all the tables covered which was a plus for us to not burn up in the sun!! Highly recommend. read more

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PART 2: Pink haired hostess now has rainbow hair. She jumped in on this selfie (I love her.) Picked up my childhood New Jersey best friend from the TPA airport and guess where we went first before driving back to my home in Sarasota? #alreadybookedaspontaneoushotel #gasparspart2 #reunion read more

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

ONE AND DONE. I have a great deal of patience when it comes to restaurant service. This one tested me. We arrived at just after 12:30 for brunch. Ordered drinks and food quickly and got drinks fairly fast. That's where the positive ended 45 min later one of our party (4) got her sandwich a half hour after that the rest of us got our food. Compensation??? $8.00 in cocktails other options to try before another chance here. read more

Avast me hearties!!! Gaspar's Grotto is the perfect reincarnation of a divey pirate bar that also serves appropriately-themed pirate pub grub. You'll find Gaspar's in Ybor City on 7th Avenue at 18th Street. Tampa natives know the story of the famed pirate Jose Gaspar, a mythical character who stormed the city, marched through the streets, and generally caused mayhem as he and his merry band of mauraders searched for wenches and rum. Gaspar's Grotto was built in his honor and still carries on with suitable shennanigans. Arrrrgggghhhh!!! The Grotto is a very relaxed place serving cold beer along with high-volume, low-priced drinks. They have a huge outdoor patio with live music on the weekends, the always-favorite "Pets on the Patio" celebration, and the Booze Cruise Buffet Brunch on Sundays. Prepare to be boarded!!!! The menu is fun and designed to shiver your timbers as you look over an amazing array of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and full entrees. Oh, and more rum! If I'm there for lunch I like the black bean soup with their version of a Cuban sandwich or the pulled pork sammie. For dinner, I like the deviled crab appetizer with either the Cajun fried oysters or the Pirates Bowl (Shrimp, blue crab meat, calamari, clams, snow crab, fish filets tossed in butter, garlic, shallots, their own spice mix, clam juice, white wine and extra virgin olive oil - or - tossed in their homemade Cioppino sauce (red seafood sauce). Served with lots of Cuban bread for dipping.) Don't expect this place to win a James Beard award anytime soon, but if you're looking for a fun place to relax, have a few beers, and enjoy some great grub, then I think you'll be happy.....and if not, the serving staff would be delighted to make you walk the plank! read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Wenches & Rum! - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

So I usually love this place. But if you ever want a hot toddy don't order one from here. This is what I got and it neither tastes nor looks like a classic hot toddy. I was charged $7.00 for this crap. It didn't even come out warm. Never again. I am unimpressed. Gaspar's bartenders please redeem yourselves. read more

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

Sunday Brunch was great! def Recommend the chorizo hash! Atmosphere was great. The bar tender was so nice and I forgot my card at the bar, and she ran down the street after me to return it. What a life saver! Awesome customer service. read more

The food was awesome and the service was great too! Ashley was our server, she checked on us frequently was very Polite. I even experienced awesome service in the bathroom; hey not that kind lol. There was a bathroom attendant who was genuinely kind. The music was pop music played on the radio but played all the songs we like. :) read more

Denied my legit id after waiting for 15 minutes and getting 3 other people to look over it

A group of five of us went here for drinks. They were reasonably priced and there was lots of seating outside. It was pretty busy on a Friday night night. They had karaoke but it was a bomb as hardly anyone participated. The bathrooms were hideous. We never had one server help us, so we just ordered from the bar. read more

Absolutely my favorite restaurant and outdoor tiki bar with live music in YBOR CITY! Friendly waitstaff, good music, great prices, and the BEST CONCH FRITTERS in the Tampa area! *see my pictures Christine Contilli Port Richey,, FL read more

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This is a cool place located in the heart of Ybor City. The atmosphere is nice. The service was OK. Although the girl serving us was very friendly, her timing was a little off. It took her a bit just to take our order and she seemed kind of all over the place. We ordered some cocktails and after waiting for quite some time, we inquired on our drinks and that's when she realized she had forgot to put our requests in. It was no big deal (everyone makes mistakes), but the wait was a little inconvenient. I ordered the cuban sandwich and it was absolutely delicious, just as promised! I was happy with my choice. High marks for food! Plus my Bloody Mary was spot on when I finally received it! I also really loved that this place is dog friendly, as they allow pet owners to congregate and bring their furry friends into the courtyard/ patio area which has outdoor seating, a bar, and live music. read more

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

Excellent Server. Good Food. Decent Priced. Sangria was excellent. First time visiting Tampa and I heard about this Ybor District. Walking down 7th Avenue, we saw this place. It was 3pm, not crowded, but great atmosphere and staff. Crab and Shrimp Quesadilla were good. Fried Pickles could have been more fried. I hate sitting outside, but I'm 85 degree weather, it was very cool. Apparently they are pet friendly. This is a must if visiting Ybor for the first time. read more

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

Sunday afternoon brunch with a bloody mary/mimosa bar & live music = fun times! Great people watching, out door patio, creative inspiration menu that is reasonably priced. We were sat in the corner of the patio, and forgotten about for at least 20 minutes, & finally went up to see the hostess & she apologized for the mix up on servers = comped mimosas. We just ordered the Cubans for lunch, I know boring although I crave them, they were just perfect for a light afternoon lunch with plantain chips. Fun place to take younger out of town guest. read more

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very mids, expensive for the portion size, not super flavorful, seems like a gentrified little family bar, very touristy. a great place for middle class white people over 40 to feel comfortable. i got Cuban and salad and the Cuban was nothing special and the salad was over dressed. wait staff was super kind though read more

They have gotten away from what we originally loved about this place. They are just turning into another hipster crowd bar. The unfriendly (hates his job) bartender outside said he doesn't even think they do the dog days outside anymore. How does he not know for sure? Anyway, we had heard this place was changing to bring in the younglings so we came back to see for ourselves. It was nice knowing ya G.G, but we are too different now. It's not me, it's you, and your new friends, they lack maturity and class. read more

Cuban sandwiches were a good value. The Spanish soup was chunky but the broth was meh. Beautiful roosters hang out on the patio which has a nice ambience. read more

After what this owner did trying to shut down expanded outdoor seating during the pandemic I swore I'd never set food in this place again. And after I saw a RAT running around outside by the back of the bar I swore I'd never eat a single thing here. I'm so sorry I gave this place another chance even just for drinks. It's even dirtier that before and has the most disgusting restrooms I've ever seen. It was a Saturday so obviously a decent crowd yet the lone bartender at the inside bar was responsible for the bar AND every table's drinks inside and outside. She literally made drinks for the entire place. One person. Additionally they have tacked on 3% of the total bill to cover their swipe fee. This may be legal to do but I have literally never seen it done by an establishment ever in my life, and absolutely an abhorrent thing to do to your customers. Furthermore it is only legal to do this with credit cards, but they did this with our debt card which is totally illegal. When questioned we were lied to about it and would not refund the cash since we paid with cash. This owner does not deserve anyone's business. He treats employees, customers and fellow restaurant owners like garbage. He is well deserving to be shut down by the health department, which is likely to be any day. read more

This is more 3.5 stars then 4. Not that anything is wrong with Gaspars Grotto. But 3.5 stars seems sufficient for this place. When I get to try the infamous brunch then we will see about 4 stars. I usually go to this place on the weekends to get away from beach life. The grotto is pretty big with a large bar and seating area on the inside. They have a DJ in there as well. On the patio the bar is smaller leaving room for patio seating. There is also a dance floor and a DJ area out there. They have good but pretty sure they stop offering food probably about midnight. Again this is a pretty good place with nice atmosphere and good times. One of my go to bar hopping places. I sometimes spend my whole time there as it really is that good. Btw brunches are on Sunday and I hear it's phenomenal. read more

So sad today. We used to love gaspar's grotto. It's not just the lack of the "booze cruise" brunch buffet....the food was terrible. If you want a quality brunch, head somewhere else. read more

It's a fun place to eat and drink. Best Cuban sandwich I've had yet. Staff is friendly read more

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Went looking for an outside venue that we could share with our four footed friend and remembered Gaspars outside bar. Although Sundays are a all you can eat buffet there were a few entree options outside. Alicia(I am deaf in that ear if I only got close!) was a dream bartender who took care of us and Gem. Jojo was right there to assist us when he could see that all was not spot on. The live music on the stage today rounded off a great day in Ybor City. read more

Best place ever. A must visit if you're in Ybor. If you do visit YOU MUST do the drunk pirate special. 2$ beer and shot till 10pm. You're not a true Tampa Pirate until you do it! Delicious Cuban style food and great atmosphere read more

Gaspar's Grotto - Tostones with Marinated Chicken nachos! Sooooo dank - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This place sucks. Nobody here took almost an hour to get food Don't waste your time or money. read more

Gaspar's Grotto - The chicken sandwich has nothing more than a tender on it. - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Waitress was friendly. We decided to eat here for one simple reason. My wife and I have been married for 16 years and I have always wanted to try conch fritters. They have them on the menu. Ordered them but they were out. I don't eat seafood so don't ask me why I wanted to try them. My wife ordered some kind of seafood dish that was ok but based off the menu she was not expecting an Alfredo sauce on it. She does not like Alfredo. She sucked it up and ate it because she ordered it and that is the type people we are. I ordered the roast pork I believe was called heaven or Havana pork. I love Cuban style pork and roast pork and consider myself to be an expert on it. This was without a doubt the best I have ever had. To top it off the waitress brought me a conch fritter for me and my wife to try for free. Extra tip for you. Flavor was good and not fishy but the texture of the conch being like rubber grossed me out but again I am not a seafood eater. My wife liked them. Flavor was good. read more

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

This place has beignets! Good cheap breakfast can also be found here. I like the pirate/sailing theme throughout the bar/restaurant.

One of our worst experiences ever! Live music was good, but the bartenders were more concerned with the NBA playoffs than someone that just walked up to the patio bar, that had 10-15 people MAX! When we finally got a bartender to ACKONWLEDGE that we had sat down at the bar, he asked what we wanted to drink. No PERSONALITY,didn't ask if "we needed a menu?"or " Here are drink specials" NO INTERACTION! He could have cared less if we were multi-millionaries wanting to spend the night a "recommened Yrbor City bar", or a homeless guy spending his less dime, and/or should THAT matter? IT SHOULDN'T! We were obviously an annoyance to bartenders, not customers! Never again, and will not be recommending Gaspar's Grotto to anyone that is looking for a Ybor City experience. This isn't the place for Ybor City, maybe they will be bought up by new construction that we see, someone that is willing to care about that experience. Disappointing! read more

Best Cuban Sandwich i tasted. The service was very kind and was in my need. The experience was great. read more

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

This is the worst place I have been to in Ybor. Both the food and drinks were just not right. I imagine that they cater to tourists and so the quality of everything is very poor. The mojitos we ordered tastes of syrup, the fries pickles were saturated in oil, the fries were over cooked and the chicken in the salads were tough. Hardly anyone in the restaurant but the condiments were empty. If you want good quality food do not go here, there are many places in Ybor that beat this one. read more

Tried getting service inside on a Saturday afternoon, no luck. Finally got seated outside after we had to find someone and ask them about patio seating. We were sat at our table, but no server ever came, so we got up and tried going to the outside bar... where it is nearly impossible to get anyone's attention and get a drink. Neat place, but not worth trying to track down someone who wants to serve you for an hour to get one drink and move on and keep exploring Ybor. read more

Great spot for brunch. Food was great. Service was amazing. Lots of fun. Great atmosphere read more

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This place offers so many things, from karaoke night to just being out on the patio enjoying the outdoors and drinks to the surprisingly good food. The Cubans are popular here, the Sunday brunch. I really have never had a bad meal, Entertainment is good as well read more

As a Florida State fan, due to the fact that I am a FSU alumni, I tend to frequent established bars that are FSU specific. Leaving this bar tonight, I was denoted with an obscene comment of "go bama," and "screw you" by the security guard. I was not only offended as this was my Alma Mater but also shocked and astounded that an employee of a safe designated established bar for my team would not only stoop to this level but also shame me this way. Leaving, I felt hated and shamed; a feeling that not only made me saddened that an employee of my established alma Mater would stoop to this level. Please , Gaspars, if you hire employees, educate them to have class and keep their mouths shut if they have options that are hateful and cruel! read more

Disappointed upon first walking in and should have realized that no people means something. Was provided with a small limited menu and told it was because of the pandemic. A heads up online would have been a great idea since that's what lured us in. Then to be served with plastic cups, paper straws, and plastic utensils was not ideal in the least bit. We did decide to stay and try it out, and had a nice chicken quesadilla paired with salsa and a tasty dip. I would recommend that. read more

Great sunday brunch - alot of seafood options and it was fresh - older items were replaced.

Good wings. Even better fries - great service. Our favorite stop in ybor - reasonable prices too - live music is a plus!

This place is a great spot for dancing. They play bangers and serve hard drinks all night. The only negative is they close at 130 or 2 instead of going until 3, but this is a too 5 places in Ybor. read more

Well well - an unexpected brunch for four w/UNLIMITED FOOD & ALCOHOL(!!!) at their outdoor, live-music, live-art(I'll explain), venue turned into a pleasant surprise - well done Gaspars! An ice bucket, champagne, four (small) carafes of vodka (which was fine), and a carafe of orange juice (or other juices/bloody Mary fixin's) was brought to the table. Inside was a varied buffet of a wide range of brunch-able items to include DIY waffles, DIY BBQ sandwiches, pasta bar, carving station (prime rib!) and an omelet station. All tasty, and frankly, a step up from the usual 'caterer' buffet in both creativity and quality. On the 'needs improvement' line: service was slow... (odd in a buffet, you'd think)... it seemed the wait-staff were overwhelmed by the numbers, which was close to capacity seating, but not full. Our other minor issue was that the single musician performer had her mic amped a little high, both drowning out polite brunch conversation and distorting when she crooned loudly. A simple dial-down would have improved all, as we really DID want to listen to her - just not sounding like she was using a child's 'Mr. Microphone.' Something new... an artist was present painting live next to the singer. COOL! It brought a visual show to the venue, which was fascinating to watch. New experience - oil painting as a performance art. Who knew? ;P Overall, we had a GREAT time, a GREAT meal (at a reasonable cost), and will return. I say again... well done, Gaspars. read more