Ulele
American restaurant · Tampa ·
Native-inspired menu, chargrilled oysters, house-brewed beers
Native-inspired menu, chargrilled oysters, house-brewed beers
"Set along the Hillsborough River in Tampa, this fifth-generation, family-run restaurant channels a native-inspired, hyper-local ethos in a spectacular setting: a renovated 1903 city water works with indoor/outdoor seating, an open kitchen centered on a circular barbacoa grill echoing Tocobaga cooking fires, and art downstairs with sports memorabilia upstairs, all to a Motown and 1960s/’70s soul soundtrack. With the blessing of local Seminole tribe leaders, the menu draws on ingredients tied to the Tocobaga and early pioneers—think snapper, crab, alligator, wild boar, venison, corn, and grains—plus hand-cut okra brightened with lime and kosher salt and served with house-made ketchup, and a native-inspired Three Sisters Salad of romaine, grilled zucchini and squash, red onions, cranberry beans, tomato, corn, red peppers, and Florida citrus vinaigrette. The must-try chargrilled oysters, barbacoa-grilled with garlic butter and Parmesan and Romano, are a runaway favorite; they’re also served on the half-shell with a Florida datil pepper hot sauce bottled in-house, and you can watch fresh Gulf oysters being shucked at the oyster bar. Another staff-and-guest favorite is the Seafood Risotto with pan-seared shrimp and sea scallops, butter-poached lobster claw, crawfish tail meat, saffron risotto, charred corn cream, and a seasonal vegetable. The in-house Ulele Spring Brewery keeps the taps close to home—beers are brewed just feet away, including the eagerly awaited spring Honeymoon Lager, a limited edition of the Wedding Beer kissed with locally sourced Dover and Plant City strawberries and finished with a plump berry on the rim; the kitchen and brewery also lean on local honey and strawberries for ice cream. Outside, riverfront views mingle with an outdoor sculpture garden featuring restored Fairyland figures like The Three Little Pigs, Humpty Dumpty, and Cinderella. Open since 2014, it’s become a lively local favorite for its “fire, water, spirits” sensibility, convivial dining experience, and commitment to family-owned and independent purveyors." - Kevin Chau
"Named after a legendary Native American princess who lived in the 16th century, Ulele uses locally sourced seafood, including Gulf oysters, and produce. They prepare meats on the restaurant’s massive ten-foot barbacoa grill such as a 21-day aged New York strip. The restaurant also serves beer from Ulele Spring Brewery, which shares space with the restaurant in the former 1903 Tampa Heights Water Works building." - Laine Doss
"Ulele is located on the Tampa Riverwalk, with a lawn and an airy two-story dining room where you should watch your dinner get charbroiled on the 10-foot barbacoa grill. The restaurant does some Native American dishes like three sisters salad that combines beans, squash, and corn, and they really excel at anything seafood—order some grilled Gulf oysters and rich risotto with butter-poached lobster, shrimp, scallops, and crawfish. There’s also an on-site brewery, so you can taste a couple different kinds of fruit beer while you daydream about ditching your stove for a gigantic live fire contraption." - cheryl rodewig
"With a scenic location at the edge of a restored natural spring and a name that references a legendary Native American princess, there's clearly no shortage of charm on offer here. Although the "Native-inspired" cooking has only a tenuous connection to Florida's original inhabitants, the menu is a nod to Tampa's history and draws upon the various influences that have shaped the city's current culinary landscape. A bounty of seafood is featured, much of it sourced from local waters, with conventional delicacies like oysters and scallops alongside the less commonplace alligator (flash-fried or incorporated into hush puppies).Diners can soak up views of Hillsborough River amid an outdoor sculpture garden while sipping suds from the restaurant’s own brewery." - Michelin Inspector
"Ulele is located on the Tampa Riverwalk, with a lawn and an airy two-story dining room where you should watch your dinner get charbroiled on the 10-foot barbacoa grill. The restaurant does some Native American dishes like three sisters salad that combines beans, squash, and corn, and they really excel at anything seafood—order some grilled Gulf oysters and rich risotto with butter-poached lobster, shrimp, scallops, and crawfish. There’s also an on-site brewery, so you can taste a couple different kinds of fruit beer while you daydream about ditching your stove for a gigantic live fire contraption." - Cheryl Rodewig
