Being UT alumni, we’re always interested to see what will pop up around campus next, especially when it comes to restaurants and bars. While in school it was always fun (and sometimes bad news) to have a place close by to walk to, or take a short cab ride (in the zone of course) to. In our day it was Shark Bar, The Trap, Pirate’s Cove, The Hut (are we aging ourselves?) But in recent years it’s been hard to remember the names of places because they seem to be a revolving door of businesses (ie: Luxury Box & Cass Bar). Which brings us to Frankie’s- The Self Proclaimed “Hot Dog King.” Located right on the corner of Kennedy and N. Edison street, this hot dog haven was short-lived.
One thing we learned at UT is that the party never stops, which is why UT alums decided to change things up and open The Outpost Tap House & Tavern. Nicholas and I decided to give it a whirl tonight after a friend told us about their soft opening this past Saturday. In all honesty I thought we were going to be the only ones in the joint, but we walked in to find a decent amount of people at the bar; a huge bar may we add. Take a look:
While the location offers inside and outside seating, the patio is not zoned for alcohol, so if you’re going to be throwing a few back (wine & beer only), opt for a seat inside. Seeing as how it’s the middle of summer in Florida, we opted for an inside seat too. While the servers are still getting acclimated to the menu, our server Kat was really helpful in suggesting some options for what to try. With their extensive list of draft beers, it was hard for us to decide but she informed us we could do a flight of 4 for just $8. After some deliberation and teamwork we went with the following:
While the Victory Golden Monkey’s name enticed me enough to order it, it wasn’t delicious enough to make me want to order it again ( we drank it anyway). The others we chose were local, Florida beers and Nicholas chose one from “home” in NY. Moving right along to the food, we had to make a quick glance past the starters since everything looked so amazing. We’re reserving the sweet potato waffle fries and caramel dipped bacon for next time. Nicholas decided to go with the Bacon & Chicken Sandwich and I went with the Lobster & Avocado Salad on a tomato wrap.
The side salad was nothing special, just a generic salad, but at least they didn’t manage to screw it up. Next, our meals came out and I was excited to give this new place a try. French fries are a staple at any bar and it’s always tricky to get it just right, but these were crispy and delicious. Then it was time to get down to business on our sandwich and wraps. Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting much, but my wrap was so yummy I found myself craving more after it was gone. Nicholas was equally as pleased as he said his bacon was nice and crispy and the bread was toasted nicely.
I”ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a lot of hope for locations that come in around UT’s campus, but after giving it a try, my hopes have been lifted. Nicholas and I decided that while this location does boast a higher price point than most college students may be willing to spend, if they offer great drink specials it will definitely draw them in. Especially being that it’s located in between campus and the new lacrosse field, it would be a great place to stop in to grab a drink or two before heading to the game. Hopefully this will be a Tampa staple that is here to stay.
Fingers Crossed- Allison
NHIE Guys 