The food and drinks are awesome and the atmosphere is great to people watch while you eat! Highly recommended!!

Came here for a dinner reservation with friends while we were out here in Tampa, part of our dinner itinerary. The place has a nice outdoor atmosphere def a place for groups or a date. We ended up getting a bunch of apps, the one that stood out for me was the fried calamari, very tasty. I ended up ordering the filet mignon, medium rare. It was so good and cooked perfectly. We also got dessert and my favorite was the Candied Bacon Maple Ice Cream! It had Frosted Flakes or just flakes covering the ice cream. Out of this world! I would highly recommend this place for any occasion for good vibes and food. read more

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Amazing local restaurant ! I highly recommend trying out this place ! It offers a great quality of seafood and meats. Very accommodating and helpful service. The waterfront location adds highlights the dining experience read more

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The food was great and the service is on point. The place has so much history and all the information on everything. Our waitress was so friendly and informative. I will be returning read more

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While in town in the greater Tampa area, we wanted to try something new, yet homemade fresh ingredients local to Tampa. We called to see if we can reserve a table, but the friendly receptionist over the phone advised that todays booking is FULL, and walk-in is still Open. Wait time for indoors will vary from 30 mins or more and outdoor seating will be from 1 hour or more. Best to make reservation in advance if possible. We decided to just visit this sought out establishment and take our chances. We arrived and found parking in the nearby Armature Works Parking lot, available all day for $10. You can take your chances on street parking but it requires some waiting and perseverance because it is PACKED!! $10 is worth the time! Got to the restaurant and placed our name on the wait list. What was said over the phone is entirely correct. Our outdoor seating will be a 1 hour wait. Moments later, after visiting the nearby River Walk Trails and checking out the nearby shops at the Armature Works, our 1 hour wait for our walk-in for outdoor seating was honored. After we got the text that our table was ready, our receptionist seated us immediately and our server, Ms. Taylor, greeted us to some water and prepared our menus and napkin kit. INDOOR Seating: -- 15 Tables seating up to 5/6 Upstairs -- 20 Tables seating up to 5/6 Downstairs -- Better to reserve in advance; otherwise wait can be 30 minutes or more OUTDOOR Seating: -- 19 Tables with up to 5 seats -- 16 Barstools for the expanded outdoor bar area (first come first serve) -- Walk-ins wait can be 1 hour or more (even on Mondays, according to our server) After sitting down and water already provided, we ordered two glass of Blancs de' Blancs Sparkling Wine and two order of Appetizers to start our evening off: A Dozen of Char-boiled Oysters, Seared Fresh Sea Scallops. For our main entrè, we ordered the Seafood Risotto and the 1 LB Crackling Pork Shank. The appetizers came out no more than 10 minutes after we placed the ordered. 15 minutes into the appetizers ALL tasting superb and fabulously-tasty, the main dishes came out. Man, what a great customer service and cooking experts at this place. The great things we've heard on YouTube reviews by the locals were spot on correctly described. The oysters were so fresh and yummy, not chewy. The seared scallops were so tender and fresh as if it wasn't even seared. Melts in the mouth like butter. The Seafood Risotto was probably the best dish we've had. Rice parley with shrimp, lobster , scallops and veggies tasted amazing. The rice was a bit salty but a squeeze of lemon did the trick. The pork shank was meaty and mighty delicious and full of BBQ flavor from meat to bones. The meat fell off the bones and simply melt in your mouth like butter! I'm recommending this place for other locals and tourist alike or even for foodie reviewers like myself. Wait can be a THING for people but if you dare to wait, I promise the food is fabulous!! read more

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Food was delicious Service was great Hostess was very nice Cocktails were great We will be back read more

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Stopped by here on a early Friday afternoon for lunch. Food was delicious. Service was great. Ambiance was pleasing! I approve this place. Our server Joe gives Adam Sandler vibes and today was his first day! He did amazing. read more

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My first time trying Ulele and I will definitely be a returning customer. Since my friend came into town from Texas, I wanted to show not only try a new restaurant but show her the delicious food in Tampa bay. I made us a reservation for 815pm. When we got there and checked in, the lady at the front said I made it for Sunday not Saturday. I was like omg I did not mean to choose Sunday. The hostesses worked with me and were able to switch our reservation to 830. The fact that they did not turn us away was so kind of them. The customer service is top notch from the hostess to the waiters. We ordered the Crab Mac and Cheese, Alligator Hush Puppies and Char boiled oysters. The serving size were big and could easily be shared among two people. My favorite was the oysters and crab mac and cheese. The food was so flavorful. Because the mac and cheese was so good , I wanted to order another plate. However, I ended up not doing it since we ordered dessert. We told our waiter to surprise us with his favorite and he chose the Candied Bacon Maple Ice Cream. The presentation was picture worthy and we devoured it so quickly. The food and experience was great! I wish I would not have waited so long to finally try Ulele because my taste buds were definitely missing out! read more

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I made a reservation through open table. The girl I checked I. With at the hostess stand canceled me because I had 1 of my people back out. I did eat at the bar outside and had the grouper with Gouda bure blanc. Which was magnificent. What was not was my service from the staff not only being cancelled even though I ate, the bartender was very inattentive. Cudos to the kitchen Rudo's to the staff! I can't complain through open table Because I was cancelled. I'm not sure if I got the point across that I was cancelled by the hostess. read more

Ulele - Grouper with amazing sauce - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I love the atmosphere here. I like sitting outside next to the A/C area. Best part is that they have there giant umbrellas and giant fans outside. Crab Mac and cheese - Very good must try! Very flavorful. I like that The crab pieces were large enough for me to taste. Alligator Hush Puppies - My least favorite fish today. I couldn't really taste the gator. It was mostly breading. I didn't feel like either the aioli or the tartar sauce paired well with the dish. Maybe because it was so dense with breading... maybe ketchup would have been a better pair. Shrimp Po Boy - This was pretty good. I was sharing this dish. Our waiter asked if we wanted it split. I thought that meant he would literally have it cut in half. But to my surprise it was not only split onto two dishes but we each got our own side of fries! Lemonade - Not on the menu but I asked to have some made. I was very happy with today's service. I would highly recommend. read more

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We live close to Ulele and this is one of our favorite restaurants in Tampa. I've have eaten probably 75% of the menu items and everything is very good. The Tomahawk Pork Chop is the best entree on the menu in my opinion. Service is excellent but we usually sit at the indoor or outdoor bar. read more

Great food, came out surprisingly quickly given how busy they were on a Saturday night right before Father's Day. read more

Ulele - Bone Bone-in Ribeye 1 1/2 lb. 10/10 would recommend. - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Took my wife for a nice birthday dinner, and met some friends. Tried to park in their designated parking lot but it was full, and the line at the valet was about 10 cars deep. Opted for the parking lot at the end of the block. The attendant asked where we were going, which was really none of his business, but my wife mentioned Ulele's. The attendant then told us the charge would be $40. When asked what the charge would be if we were going somewhere else he said it would be $20, but making a different choice was too late. We mentioned this to our waiter, and his response was that the owner of the lot and Ulele's have some kind of feud going on, and he told us we should have used the Valet. Duh.... Anyway we then mentioned it to the manager, and he said he knew nothing about the excess charges. It's obviously some kind of scam going on. We love the atmosphere and food at Ulele's, but we won't be going back. If you do go, whatever you do don't tell the parking attendant. read more

Ulele, is all good vibes! The food is so delicious and the drinks are amazing. I love the outside seating as well you get that nice breeze since it's right on the water. They have complimentary valet, tips are appreciated, I love the modern take on some many traditional dishes. I always order the flank steak with fingerling potatoes! The service is always so accommodating as well. read more

Ulele - Flank Steak 8 oz. - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I've been there twice. Had an excellent experience each time. Food was very good. It's been quite a while since I've been back because I don't live in Tampa read more

This place was fantastic! I had to drink the Piña con fuego. It's a sweet pineapple tequila drink that was really good and strong! For the appetizers we had the charbroiled oysters, calamari and the gator tail bites. Out of the three I did not enjoy the gator tail is was overly fried but the other two were great! The oysters has a great lemon butter garlic sauce. The calamari was cooked well and paired well with the tomato sauce on the side. For my entree I had the seafood risotto 5/5 stars. It's the BEST risotto I ever had and comes with a lot of seafood in it. It's was creamy and delectable. My boyfriend had one bite and he wished he gotten the seafood risotto too. He got the shrimp criollo. He loved the shrimp and green beans but not the rice lol. For dessert We shared the espresso ice cream which was homemade and very smooth! I highly recommend eating here. The atmosphere is alive in that area as well. Get a reservation ahead of time! read more

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Definitely one of the best restaurants in Tampa. It has a beautiful view, great ambiance, and the food is always A1.

The Basics: Ulele is located on the river walk and is a very hot spot in the area and often a hard reservation to get in Tampa! The menu is diverse and they brew their own beer here too. Things I like: All of the food I have had from here is delicious. Last time I visited I particularly enjoyed the Jalapeño Corn Beer Muffins and Crab Mac and Cheese. It is also so great that they brew their own beer here and they also had a lot of fun cocktails to choose from. Our sever also mentioned that they have no freezers in the back and the only freezer on the premises is for their ice cream. That was such a nice thing to hear and it really stuck out for me. Things I didn't like: Nothing! But it can be hard to get a table so definitely make a reservation far ahead of time! Overall, this is always a go to spot for when people are visiting from out of town. Ulele is on the river walk which makes it so nice to walk around before or after your meal. Great food and great location! read more

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Seen excellent reports of this place, and been wanting to go for awhile. Finally got there with some foodie friends from out of state. Not disappointed. The Native Chili is tremendous! Everyone happy down to the desserts. Atmosphere delightful, open-air. read more

Ok, it has been FAR too long since we have gotten over to Ulele. Kids, work, etc. We were finally able to get back last night with some friends who eat there regularly. Forget what I previously said about the restaurant, I undersold this establishment. Sometimes when a restaurant gets a good reputation, and after time, quality of food and service can go down. I kid you not, the food was even better last night. Seriously, the gouda grouper was outstanding, but it couldn't compare to the seafood risotto. I honestly don't have any idea how I am going to the beef section of the menu. I wrote a review of another Tampa restaurant where the seafood risotto was not great. I went back, and it was better. But this was not only the best seafood risotto I have had, it was easily one of the top dishes I have ever had. Do yourself a favor, get the street corn side. Trust me. I want to go back and get them both again right now. Service as great, you can't beat the view, location, building, pretty much everything about this restaurant is outstanding. There is a very good reason why you have to book far out to get a reservation. This place is a terrific dining experience from start to finish. Someday, I might try something else, but that seafood risotto is going to be calling my name for a long time. So, don't forget what I said in the first review, just realize Ulele has gotten even better, if that is possible. read more

Ulele - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We lucked out Saturday and found a midday reservation. Ulele never disappoints. The food is amazing. I particularly love the charbroiled oysters and the okra. We get those everything we visit. I also always get a Frose. Their Frose gives me life. I just added a Chambord floater to my Frose, and no more drinks were necessary During the height of the pandemic, we ate here weekly because I felt it was a safe outdoor environment. The tables are nicely spaced, and most of the seating has some shade and/or fans. They also have indoor seating, but the virw and people watching is just too good when you sit outside. Service here is also top-notch. Our waitress on Saturday was professional and fun. See you again soon, Ulele! read more

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I love the seafood risotto. It is definitely a must try. A lot of their food is good there but some of the main items to try will be there oysters, the froze and their chili. Those are some of my faves at ulele. read more

Came here a few days ago and we're seated promptly. Sadly, they didn't have any regular beers- all the beer here is their homemade brew. Which I'm certain for many is a fantastic thing- but for us it was not. We ordered fried calamari which was tasty but if your sensitive to the oil these guys are fried in- I'd pass. I had a grouper sandwich and although it was cooked to perfection they went overboard with seasonings- salt to be specific. Husband had a seared tuna salad which was ok. I think this place is very trendy and had a good selection of different types of food - it really wasn't for us. That being said- to be fair I gave this place a 3. read more

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Great food, We had alligator with some type of aïoli. The seafood risotto came recommended from our server, and it was by far the best dish that we tasted. We were seated in the far corner by the window, which was nice because it was a little bit quieter , this is a very lively and quite noisy place. Everybody look to be having a good time the food delicious and the setting wonderful. read more

The freshness and uniqueness of the food was great. Service was quick and friendly. The fried okra fingers as an appetizer was a nice surprise, while the Captain's shrimp was bursting with flavor. Blackened redfish with wild rice was fantastic, as well as the roasted chicken with spinach and risotto. Their unusual drink (Ring of Fire) made with fire ant vodka got the taste buds tingling. The pineapple bread pudding with coconut ice cream was to die for. Overall, an interesting sample of unusual yet delicious flavors. read more

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10/10!! The food, the vibes, the drinks, the service! My cousin always talks about this place and I finally was able to try it. I see exactly why she goes all the time. The menu had such a great spin but I truly enjoyed everything we tried. Everything was flavorful. Our waiter was so nice and guided me to pick the best options when I couldn't make up my mind between dishes. This is a great spot to have lunch. It was such a beautiful day and we opted to sit outside. They do have fans and heaters for weather changes. This place has definitely landed onto my Tampa list and I will be back! read more

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I thought this restaurant was so different that it was terrific! It is a rather large space with an upstairs, downstairs and an outside. They do have vegan dishes as well. It is located on the Hillsborough River in Tampa Heights, just around the corner from the Straw Center for the Performing Arts. It takes place in the renovated City Water Works building. They do have validated parking for its patrons.They highlight the vibrant fusion of ingredients from Florida waters and land that had many Native Americans, including the legendary young princess Ulele. We had a variety of dishes from native cili- alligator, wild boar, venison, duck, ground chuck, cranberry beans and chili spices - so interesting. The Tocobaga Tuna Salad was so delicious- seared yellowfin tuna, mixed greens, fire-roasted red pepper, Calmat olives, grape tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette. Also a classic burger made of chargrilled ground short rib, brisket and chuck blend burger with Wisconsin sharp cheddar, leaf lettuce, vine ripened tomato, red onion, house made zucchini pickles served on a brioche bun. Also, the smoked gouda Mac & Cheese was delicious -hydration station lager sauce with three-cheese pinko crust atop cavatappi pasta. They have a lot of craft beers as well. They are right next door to Water Works Park which is great. I love the decor of the building- every area has a cool sculpture, picture or saying! read more

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This place is so cool! Love the outdoor space. Waitstaff is great. Both the beer and the food were amazing! Definitely a must do when in Tampa! read more

Everyone's food was delicious. The ambience is gorgeous for a date night or girls night out. Even the bathroom is cute! Servers are very knowledgeable and accommodating with quick service. Sometimes a little wait even with a reservation, but worth it. read more

I found the food to be excellent and served hot with quality with ingredients and the service was excellent. I made a reservation that morning and only outside seating was available but my wife and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset and some great people watching with our meal. read more

We had the pleasure of visiting Ulele on a beautiful Monday afternoon and were seated on the front patio with a great view of the waterfront, but close enough to be taunted by the aromatic art being created in the open kitchen. Immediately after being seated, we were greeted by Amanda with a beautiful smile and a fabulous personality. Although new to the area, Amanda was extremely knowledgeable on the menu with excellent recommendations from various protein options from fish, oysters, alligator, beef, chicken and pork. In following Amanda's recommendations, we started with oysters of the half shell as well as charbroiled oysters Rockefeller that were to die for and excellently paired Chardonnay, also recommended by our lovely waitress, Amanda. Next we shared a seafood medley of scallops, shrimp and crawfish over a cheesy risotto; a Grouper with gorgonzola cheese sauce over wild rice and a pork shank over mash w/an amazing apple, cranberry chutney. In concluding our superior service, Amanda recommended a delightful key lime pie and a rich and creamy coconut ice cream that was out of this world. Also pairing nicely with our Chardonnay. Great Food, Great Service, Great Friends and Great Times. SPECIAL Thanks to Amanda for an out of this world experience, we look forward to our "second" date! read more

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I hate to add to the hype, but this place certainly delivered. My fiancé and I made a reservation and ate here on a Saturday night during a holiday weekend. It was definitely busy, but that added to the ambiance. We ordered the charbroiled oysters, the jalepeño muffins, the meatloaf, and the seafood risotto. The ONLY thing I would not order again was surprisingly the charbroiled oysters. If you've ever had charbroiled oysters from NOLA, these will be a disappointment. Everything else was SUPERB read more

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While visiting Tampa, we checked Yelp to select restaurants for all of our meals. Ulele was highly recommended and now we know why. We made reservations via Open Table. Ulele offers both indoor and outdoor dining. The Florida heat on that day was no joke so we chose to stay inside. Our server was Bryan and he is hands down the best. I'm sure the others are good also but I'm a bit bias. LOL! Bryan knows the menu inside and out and was timely with refills and orders. For drinks, we started with Work of Art and Ulele sunrise cocktails along with an Arnold Palmer. For appetizers, we ordered Barbacoa Shrimp, Calamari, and Karson's Jalapeño Corn Beer Muffins. It was all delicious. The muffins are fluffy and simply dissolve in your mouth. Two at our table loved the shrimp so much that they almost ordered it as entrees. The smoky, blackened flavor is amazing. For entrees, we ordered Flank Steak 8 oz.with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, two orders of pan-seared fresh Pompano with beurre blanc sauce and crawfish tail meat, wild rice blend, along with crispy carrot ribbons and green beans. The steak was just okay. It probably should've been swapped out but we let it be. For desserts, several of us ordered scoops of the house-made Gustavo's ice cream. We enjoyed it but probably wouldn't order it again. Overall, we will return when we visit the area again. read more

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This place was a surprise for me. It's by the armature works and I haven't had good luck with restaurants there. But this place is across the street and has excellent food. The service seems very friendly and approachable so that's nice. The decor inside and out is very clean and well kept. I will return and update my review with pics and food. I'm actually looking forward to coming back. Did I mention you can dock a boat here and eat great food. Haha read more

Absolutely excellent food and environment. It was a touch loud in the restaurant, but it made up with beautiful windows and art. I got the vegetarian stuff mushroom which was flavorful and more focused on rice and vegetables, which was an interesting twist on a stuffed mushroom. My husband got the seafood risotto which was amazing, I was jealous! Cutest part of our night was the truffles and card to celebrate our anniversary. It was super sweet! read more

Ulele - Anniversary truffles - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ulele is one of my Tampa faves! Folks are friendly, the food is so good and I love the outdoor area. The cornbread as an appetizer is a great choice and the crab cakes are so good. I really liked the chef's hanger steak as well! read more

For a family celebration we wanted to find someplace special and ended up choosing Ulele, booking a reservation through OpenTable. It was a good thing we came up with this destination early, because they were booked up for many days out except for late afternoon or late evening time slots. Even still, we wanted Sat at 7, ended up with Sun at 6. Popular places are usually great places. It was loud when we first arrived, but we got used to it and were seated at a table next to a statue of a horse, with a great view of an artificial turf area where children played. We were seated inside, Ulele also has tables outside where giant fans kept air moving. Our server was right over and introduced himself and got us started. While we didn't seem to make that intangible connection you can sometimes have to make a visit more pleasant, the job got done with no delays or problems. There were a few items on the menu I was interested in, the Risotto, the Pork Chop, I ended up deciding on their Ribeye. It has been too long since I've had a great steak. We started with a half dozen oysters, I had the Native Loaded Chili, and the steak. The oysters were a disappointment, in that they were so small. I suppose that's why they gave us 7 instead of just 6. The chili was fine. I got the "loaded" because it included cheese. I have to admit the loaded chili had lots of stuff in it, but aside from a couple of pieces of meat being a little chewy, I couldn't really tell or appreciate the variety of interesting meats included. One thing I found misleading was you could purchase a bowl of the Native Chili for 8 bucks, or, listed at the top of the entrée list, add a cup of chili for 8 bucks. You may think getting just a cup with an entrée is cheaper. As for the Ribeye, my expectations were higher. Part of that is on me, I got it cooked a bit more than I like, not wanting to have the 'Don't eat rare meat' discussion with my wife again. It tasted fine, good flavor. Yet I also realized I missed not having a topping or side like mushrooms, butter, or cheese. The steak came with mashed potatoes with popcorn, which appeared to just be a few pieces of popcorn on the top. Not really that clever after all. The veggies I was given were green beans, not very interesting either. The pace of the meal was great, and the noise level kind of died down. It took me a while, but I finally realized the indoor space was only about half full. For a place that was hard to get a reservation, that surprised me. Perhaps they have staffing issues, many places do, and need to limit how many tables they fill. Maybe it is not that hard sometimes to just walk in and be seated. Maybe. OpenTable said the dress code is Business Casual. It was not enforced. read more

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

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Great Food & Drink, Great setting, Great feel, Great Service. Can't define it any different !

The place was packed but we were able to get a seat outside at the bar! We've gotten drinks previously but this time we came for dinner! The food was absolutely delicious! The Scallops: A must order, cannot even begin to explain how perfectly seasoned these were! Flank Steak: Cooked well, the beans were strong in garlic which we didn't mind given we are quite the garlic fan so we loved them with the carrot ribbons 3 Sisters Stuffed Portobello: Definitely was not what we expected, but absolutely loved it! Everything was super flavorful and the wild rice was our favorite with the portobellos read more

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fantastic place great food restaurant was exceptional. The was a performance by every writer or waitress and as I said before, the food was great and I'm gonna recommend this place to all of my friends and we'll go back in the area. read more