Ulele used to be one of our special restaurants with excellent food and excellent customer service. However the last few of our visits were a little disappointing, including today. Over the last few years, the flavor of the food changed. The portion of okra fries (used to be our favorite) got smaller, while the price went up (as of course with many other restaurants). However today we had to send the okra fries back because there were a bunch of pieces with husks on so they were unchewable and a few pieces were burnt to a crisp. My favorite grouper dish came with beans that were barely cooked, grouper did not have much flavor, and béchamel sauce that did not taste the same as the original they used. I feel like I've been disappointed by the grouper dish the last 3 times I have ordered it. My husband's burger was overcooked, crusty on the outside. My toddler's chicken was really dry and hard to chew. If we didn't bother the waiter with okra fries and another item that the kitchen forgot on my husband's meal, I'd probably ask to remake our food as well. Even the iced tea was super diluted. So I'm really sad about the food quality/flavor change. On the upside, The hostesses were still really nice and I still really enjoy the atmosphere. The ice cream is still great, but probably not great enough for us to come back any time soon to give it another go. read more

What can I say about Ulele that hasn't already been said in another yelp review? I have to jump on the bandwagon and give this place five stars for a tantalizing meal and great service. This was my first time trying this super popular place and even for a weeknight it was packed completely at 7:30 PM. I called ahead to check and see if I should make a reservation or just drop in and dine at the bar. The staff warned that they are there most packed between 7 and 8:30 PM on a nightly basis. I took a shuttle ride to this location so I didn't have to concern myself with parking. When I arrived it was raining outside. The outside bar area does not serve food while it was raining. I went inside and took my chances with asking for a table and I expected to wait quite a while based on the amount of people I saw inside. Surprisingly, the weather cleared up and I was able to sit at one of their outside tables almost immediately. I ordered the Scottish steak but I substituted the cranberry beans for their amazing mashed potatoes that have popcorn on the side. The Scottish steak with roasted garlic and mashed potatoes was absolutely spectacular. It hit all the flavor notes I was looking for: meaty, juicy, and roasted garlic ... need I say more!? I had really stellar service from a person named Jerri. She was an amazing server and anticipated all of my needs. I would suggest going there and definitely ask for Jerri. read more

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While dinner was excellent upon arrival we found out that Ulele has no parking and only offers valet using their contracted valet company 717 Valet. After dinner we got our car left after which we found the front driver side bumper damaged with a cost of over $1k.. 717 Valet says not our responsibility and Ulele management states they have zero connection with their admitted contracted valet company. Meal not worth the $1k in damage and recommend if going to eat at Ulele you walk or hire a video crew to record all aspects of your before and after your meal. Sad that a restaurant won't take responsibility for their sub par contractors and then take advantage of their patrons. read more

This place is absolutely incredible. Went a while back with my uncle and my husband and I had heard great things about it and it definitely did not disappoint and didn't think it was possible to exceed expectations based on what I had heard but it definitely did. The atmosphere, the service, the food everything was just fantastic. We had a reservation and needed to wait just a little bit but were able to get drinks at the bar. We were seated shortly there after. Amazing experience all around and can't wait to go back and try more dishes!! read more

We are local to the Tampa Bay area, and the occasion was celebrating my wife's birthday. After a bad experience at another restaurant, we relied up Ulele's local great reputation, as well as the restaurant being part of the Gonzmart's Columbia Restaurant Group. This was my wife's birthday, and so far, I had struck out. Happy wife; happy life.... I am glad we went to Ulele. They saved the evening. The atmosphere and service was relaxed, but TOP KNOTCH. We had the blackened shrimp as our appetizer, and it was delicious. My wife had a seafood main course and I had a bone-in ribeye. Both meals were cooked to perfection and delicious. I had the espresso ice cream, along with an espresso, and it finished the meal with a flourish. FIVE STARS! We will definitely return. read more

Whether your looking for a great local craft beer, or if you or a looking for a place to get together with your family for a celebration, or just to get together with some friends after work this is the place to go. Ulele is owned by the same people that own Columbia which is why they are known for their distinct taste in Native American cuisine. They have this kitchen that is completely open so the smells permeate throughout the restaurant. They also have a great outdoor patio down and upstairs. Upstairs is a little more cozier. In the winter they light their fire places outside and it's really a nice touch to the already nice decor. You also know it's hopping when it's sometimes booked two weeks to a month in advance. It has been said some sports players like to go here. Another one of the really cool things about Ulele is than you can boat or kayak right next up to it because it's in the water works park. read more

Ulele - Porterhouse with White Cheddar Popcorn Mashed Potatoes and green beans. - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Amazing service and delicious food. Loved the whole esperience! Our waiter was Jake and he was fantastic. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

This is a fave of ours and has been since it opened. We are regulars. I decided to write another review. I wanted to share that for me Ulele has been consistent in service and in food quality each and every time we visit. I can count on Ulele to deliver on all levels. I suggest you have reservations. The atmosphere is comfortable, upscale, casual yet sophisticated. It sits on the river and is part of what is known as the Riverwalk. There is also a park for children next door. With that in mind, people stop in after and/or during a walk or bike ride. You'll see folks dressed in gym clothes to a nice dress. It is such a fun place. People of all ages and stages are welcome. There is a huge lawn so kids can run around, there is plenty of seating outside, a bar and a fire pit. Tonight our server is Spencer. Spencer is spot on. Attentive, sincere, relaxed, upbeat and aiming to please. I am such a sucker for the charbroiled oysters. I order a dozen for my entree. I started with the beet and pear salad. It was delicious. The rest of the table ordered the filet, chicken, meatloaf and mahi-mahi. The mahi mahi had to go back as it was overcooked. The server apologized, as did the manager and in a blink of an eye another was placed on the table. This time it was cooked to perfection. Mistakes are going to happen and they handled it well. I'll mention I love the Collard Greens. Not a fan of the okra. The burgers are great. Lobster cocktail delish. Pompano and red snapper another great order. The chicken salad is nice. I usually go for the oysters. I could eat 2-3 dozen of them at one time. My wallet holds me back. Shucks! Another wonderful night Ulele. Thank you. read more

Place is incredibly good. I would easily go back. I had no issues with parking illegally in their lot, walked up without a reservation on a Monday night and I had no problems sitting outside with their portable heaters. The food was delicious. I ate the two different types of oysters, alligator hush puppies, risotto,amd captains shrimp. All good. No pictures to share as I ate at night. Very nice scenery. read more

Seafood risotto is a must! So good and very generous on the proteins, loved how creamy and balanced this was. The fried gator was on the saltier side and hush puppies were very thick. Overall flavors were good though and would recommend to anyone to come check out! If you can get a table outside, do so! The views are beautiful. read more

Ulele - Seafood Risotto - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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What a pleasant place with great food. Our server Amanda was so friendly and informative.

The reviews shock me! We came here for date night. It was nothing more than a sports bar without TVs and just aoK food. The margarita was just ok, quit bland. My husband order a sparkling wine which the waitress said was like prosecco it was a strong brut. I had a very soggy Calimari, he had the shrimp app. Nothing special. I didn't like many of choices on the menu so I ordered the fresh tuna salad. When I asked for the tuna rare the waitress said it's premade elsewhere and comes pink! It was served over greens with 3 olives. The tuna had zero taste! How terrible it's from a frozen box. Husbands red fish was boring and bland.our first and last time. read more

Food was amazing. Kids friendly. Gave them little thing to play, playground very near by. Kids menu is available. My kids loved Mac & cheese. Adult ordered seafood risotto & pork shank. Both fantastic. But seafood risotto is very yummy. We will be back. read more

Solid place, would recommend to anyone visiting my hometown! Best thing about it is the service, food is good too. Make sure to get the oysters. place is a gem. read more

The food is always amazing! My go to restaurant. The atmosphere inside sticks to the original structure.

This place is fabulous, the location the vibe and the food. They have inside or outside seating. I arrived around 5 pm and most of the outside seating was booked with an hour wait. Inside seating was available so I requested a seat close to the patio door. Which was denied but my waiter Ricardo made it happen for me. Ricardo was helpful with picking out drinks and explaining entrees. We ordered the Gator tail, Alligator hush puppies, Calamari, Crab Mac and cheese, charbroiled oysters and the Seafood Risotto. The Gator tail was seasoned well and nice size portion. The hush puppies also and came with four. The Calamari was so good still thinking about it. The Crab Mac n Cheese was not my favorite. It was just okay! Could've used some real cheese and less watery cheese. The charbroiled oysters were delicious my only complaint is that 3 of my oysters were so small they were literally the size of a quarter and when this was brought to Ricardo's attention he said you can't choose or control what you get! Wow that's a statement when the oysters are $17 for 6. He did however replace one of the 3 small oysters so I guess he tried. The highlight was the seafood risotto, it is my new favorite. The dish is everything you would imagine a great mix of seafood with all the flavors. My compliments to the chef. After dinner we walked out onto the lawn to the river walk to view the lights and take in little stroll before returning to the valet. They have complimentary valet so parking is not a problem. Overall I did enjoy the restaurant and will return again to try more items. read more

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Service was great Mariah! Food however was disappointing. The crab cakes were ok, but very mushy. Ordered the Chef's steak and it was a complete salt lick. My husbands had the seafood stew and the fish was tough and tasted like chemicals. Orin Swift wine was awesome but the rest was a real let dow. We did tell the server but no manager ever visited or apologized. read more

I've never been to this place before until I told my wife to pick a nice place for our Friday dinner . The name caught me off guard but man did this place not disappoint one bit . Upon arriving we sat at the bar (always easier to avoid waiting) the place was packed . And for good reason . Attire casual which I prefer. Wait staff was dressed pretty professional bit comfortable. The inside decor reminds me of a old distillery . Very rustic which is my favorite . The many different aromas filling the air . Seafood. Pasta s and steaks . The drinks were also very good . For apps we ordered the calamari, which I didn't care for (tasted overcooked) but the gator nuggets and car-broiled oysters were fannnntastic ! Wife order steak . damn delicious and I ordered the seafood risotto. I've never had risotto before and damn I've been missing out . So many packed flavors I couldn't take a break from eating it . We ended with dessert but I don't remember the name . All I know it was some famous chocolate from another country ? Idk but damn was it good . Enjoy the pics though . I'll be back . Even though my wallet was screaming after seeing the bill but mannn was it worth it . I'll be back ! read more

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Love this place. Must try fresh from Florida mojito. Sooo good! Great atmosphere, menu, and you can even take your drinks to go and walk along the rIverwalk or next door to armature works for any food you may fancy. read more

Ulele - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Really unique food! The vegetarian options were excellent! Loved the service, and the restaurant is beautiful! Definitely a great place to go on a date night or a family outing! read more

No service. Was handed a menu and then ignored at the bar for over 25 mins. Left without being served Useless. read more

Great meal and excited to see the okra appetizer and new vegan options! I'd suggest adding baked sweet potatoes or plain baked potatoes to the menu in case a vegan does not want the sautéed dish over rice. Another option could be sautéed spinach! Just Happy there are two vegan options! (thanks Richard) Great location along the River, inside seating is very noisy due to high ceilings and acoustics. read more

My wife and I and a good friend had a light meal at Ulele. We've always wanted to go, and we were not let down! The food was GREAT - the okra appetizer was so good! The drinks were also amazing. The food, superb. Great views too. read more

The food is ok, the ambiance is nice but I don't think this place is worth the price of the food. It is very pricey and you should make a reservation or you'll be waiting for 2 hours. read more

A bit of a disappoint. We had a great meal last year. This time the fried okra was somewhat burned. Friends burger was also overcooked. Service fairly spotty. Hopefully it was just an off day in the kitchen. The children's play area was a very nice touch. Lots of happy children and plenty of fish and turtles for them to look at. read more

My wife and I came here from out of town and we chose this place based off of the yelp reviews but I'm convinced these ppl have lost their taste from the covid virus or something. The atmosphere was great I can say but the food was a different story. Our appetizer was the fried green tomatoes and that was just ok. We also ordered the okra and omg run! My wife ordered the Grouper meal and I had the Redfish. They were both overly seasoned. We mentioned the taste to our server and he mentioned we should try using a lemon to help with the taste. This guy brought us back a sliced cook lemon, lmao so I just rubbed it in the fish hoping for a different outcome and nothing changed. Our two entrees were not worth the money. read more

food inconsistent same item good one day but terrible next time Service good Ambiance not bad, terribly noisy, can't have a nice conversation read more

Great food, good location right on the river. Excellent service. A Tampa institution.

My sister and I had lunch there on Monday; good food & good service. We returned today Thursday for drinks and appetizers however we were not allowed to sit at the outdoor seating unless we were having a full dinner even though they were not busy, 4 pm, there was plenty of outdoor seating except for the bar which was full so we left. Very disappointing. read more

After 2 weeks in Florida, my mom and I wanted to go out with a bang and treat ourselves to a nice restaurant. This restaurant did that and beyond for us!! The whole story behind the actual restaurant is so unique and cool, the building they're in used to actually be the source of water for the city back back in the day. Now it's on a gorgeous piece of land, after dinner we went for a walk to watch the sunset... it was perfect!! We got the barbacoa steak salad and fire roasted chicken with a bottle of wine. The food... INSANELY flavorful! I was licking my plate clean. We sat outside but I loved the atmosphere indoors too, def suggest this restaurant!! They have valet in the front :) read more

Ulele - View - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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One of my favorite places to eat by the water. Amature Works offers everything from food, to adult beverages and much more. Great family atmosphere. At Ulele sit upstairs where it's quieter and ask for a table overlooking the kitchen and watch them do their magic. I love everything here but especially the pork chops. read more

Awesome everything, great food and service! The restaurant is in an easy to get to location with plenty of art littered all around. Seafood was fresh and cooked perfectly. read more

Always a vibe quality tasty and great atmosphere - check it out you wont be disappointed read more

Ulele - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This was probably one of the nicest and best restaurants I have ever been to. The wait was a little long but well worth it. The service was excellent, the food was incredible and the atmosphere is top notch. Seeing meatloaf on the menu at a high end restaurant seemed odd, but it was the best thing I've had in a long time! Go if you have the chance! read more

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First time here but enjoyed the awesome service and the good food . We ordered oysters , salads , crab Mac & Cheese , seafood orzo , filet steak and desert . Everything tasted good , I wouldn't say the best but the atmosphere is awesome . Little pricey but you are paying for the experience . read more

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Ulele came highly recommended. The portions are rather large, the ambience even better. Our host was caring and made great suggestions.

Great atmosphere and great customer service my wife and I love coming here never a duel moment

The Calamari appetizer was wonderful - very different flavors than the usual calamari we are used to. Great seasonings and sauce. I had the seafood risotto and boyfriend had the ribeye. 10/10 recommend the seafood risotto. Each piece of seafood was perfectly cooked. Came together nicely with the risotto and the corn chowder sauce. read more

Ulele - Seafood risotto - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Nothing screams "unique restaurant" like Ulele. A variety of sculptures, fountain, outdoor bar, and landscaping make for a one of kind eating experience. The menu reflects the rich flavors of Native American heritage. With the slightest amount of oil noticeable, the okra was charred & seasoned to perfection. It made the best appetizer - not overly filling and allowing room for the main course. Steak was cooked medium rare and spot on. Corn on the cob was artistically displayed and bursting with flavor. Can't leave without the dessert! From the key lime stack, to mango sorbet, and vanilla bean ice cream... they were each fabulous! Highly recommend Ulele as a must eat, best eat while visiting Tampa! read more

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We were happy we picked this place to eat lunch at before heading to the airport, the grounds were beautiful. Lots of open space outside for kids to run around with colorful storybook statues like Jack and the Beanstalk and 3 Little Pigs.There is also a statue of Ulele who is the Native American princess the restaurant is named after. The view of the riverwalk is nice also! The food was delicious with good quality ingredients. My boyfriend had the Three Sisters Stuffed Mushrooms which came with a corn, bean and veggie medley topped with fried carrot ribbons. This was my favorite of the three entrees I tried. It had loads of flavor and was still light. His mom's classic burger was a basic burger with cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. It was good quality meat, not fatty, even a little dry, but very tasty. I ordered the Portobello burger which was a mushroom cap with goat cheese and hummus (tasted like refried beans). The goat cheese was a little overpowering on some bites, but it was still very good. I would definately reccomend this place if you're in the Tampa area. I would come back to try other things. read more

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