The Soho Backyard

This tucked-in gem of a sports bar offers an elaborate menu of American staples to elevated options at a great price. It felt very relaxed with indoor and outdoor seating and personable bartenders. For appetizers we ordered the chips and queso and fried pickles. I appreciate that they offer reasonably priced cocktails from bourbon based to THC infused! I liked my Corvette Summer margarita. My Cajun Pasta was so flavorful and I had enough left over for another meal. My friends ordered the Brisket sandwich and Chicken Parm that also looked delectable!

The food was your typical bar fare—nothing extraordinary—but the Manhattan I ordered was excellent! The margarita, however, fell a bit short. What really stood out for me was the ambience, attentive service, and reasonable prices, which made the overall experience worthwhile.

Staff were very attentive to us and our wonderful, friendly dog Hank. Thank you for the hospitality! There are many food options, a full service bar, and TVs for sports. The patio was completely empty! Thanks, guys, for a chilax atmosphere.

This restaurant bar is perfect for a late-night meal and drink. The food exceeds typical bar expectations—the mozzarella sticks are perfectly fried, and the brisket Cubano is packed with flavor. Nice side of potato wedges. A great spot for quality bites and drinks!

our server kate was great, was very on top of my friends bottomless mimosas, my waters, and even brought water out for the dog. food was great as well. if i’m in tampa again id come back

Excellent drinks, food was so much more than traditional bar food. Would highly recommend.

I've been to SoHo Backyard several times over the past few years. It's always fast, friendly and well beyond what you'd expect on the food front. Very upscale food in a laid back environment. My go to is the crispy Brussel Sprout starter followed by the Backyard Brisket Cubano. So good!

Wonderful vibe and atmosphere, empty on a Saturday making it a hidden gem close to downtown Tampa. The food was phenomenal and unique; the steak tips were delicious and cooked medium, but some pieces were chewy, others were soft, the queso was also delicious simply felt that it needed to be hotter temperature wise and there was what seems like a sausage wrapped in bacon that was absolutely delicious,sweet, and savory. Meanwhile the drinks were reasonably priced and strong. It’s not often I post a review, but truthfully I fell in love with this diamond in the rough, will definitely be coming back, and not alone.

We happened upon this little gem during our stay in Tampa. We arrived on Sunday morning looking for a a casual but delicious breakfast while walking around the area by our Airbnb and stumbled across this place. It didn't look like much until we got inside. It was charmingly decorated in a rather chic bohemian style. Not many folks at that time, so we were promptly greeted and seated across from the bar. I decided to have a Bloody Mary after seeing one freshly made sitting on the bar. It looked scrumptious! Whoever came up with the idea to load them up with tiny edibles was a genius! You can't go anywhere for a Bloody Mary that doesn't come loaded with yummies! Today was no exception. It was by far the best bloody I ever had! There was an underlying sweetness that just made that drink addictive! I let my husband have a sip and he agreed. He went up to the bar to watch the bartender make another. It contained Zing Zang--which I have used in the past. Well, their secret is safe--no idea what made it sooo good. Our brunch came out quickly! I ordered the Eggs Benedict which had bacon and carmelized onions on it--yum! And hubs had a breakfast Cuban sandwich. His was every bit as delicious as mine. His had truffled roasted potatoes--which were crispy outside and creamy inside--perfection! The bill only came to $54! Which wasn't too bad in my book. If you get a chance to have brunch there--it's definitely worth a stop!

I can't help but come here every time I'm in tampa it's a hidden treasure. The brunch menu looked fantastic. Bloody Mary must! We got breakfast sandwich and the Benedict- licked the plates clean. It's such a small little bar with great parking. Servers here are fantastic! I wish their boiled peanuts were ready in time but they weren't. Have to order them when you come!

I specifically stopped by on Memorial Day weekend when a wing craving hit, and Soho backyard did not disappoint! Best wings in Tampa! Recommend if you're looking for a chill bar atmosphere that is in Soho without all the Soho craze. It definitely can get packed on the weekend or during a game, but not as rowdy as other Soho establishments. Food: The margherita flatbread came piping hot and crisp. The 10 piece wings appetizer was everything I was dreaming of. Super crisp and fresh and definitely the largest wings in Tampa. Other places really skimp on the wing size. One thing I wished for was a side of celery to complete it all. We also ordered the chicken parm sandwich but subbed it with grilled chicken. We wished the grilled chicken was more seasoned but it was a substitution so not a biggie. Drink: The downfall of the experience was either the sweet tea vodka having gone rancid in the bottle or the spout going bad. Twice I was served a drink that tasted like something was funky. The waitress was great in remediating the situation and getting to the bottom of this, but more QA checks for your opened bottles please! The beers were super cold too :) Service: Was on the slower side and our waitress left without saying bye to the table. It's a bar so didn't take this too seriously.

One of my favorite places. Guinness are phenomenal. Drinks are solid, bartenders friendly. The chicken sandwich was fire per my boyfriend. I LOVED their sweet potato fires. I usually get the house salad with salmon, which, as a salad connoisseur, am obsessed with. I love this homey place. Of course will rate it 5 stars but don't want it to get toooo popular ;)

Backyard Soho had some highs and lows for me. It seemed like they were short-staffed, so service was on the slower side. We tried the Just the Tip and goat cheese stuffed figs/ both were very good, though they oddly came with the same garnishes. The duck wings were pretty fire we got them with the Thai chili sauce because our server said that was a customer favorite. The brisket slider was phenomenal, the sweet potato fries were solid, but the dipping sauce tasted more like icing, which threw me off a bit. I had a slice of the short rib and caramelized onion flatbread. if you're a goat cheese fan, you'll like it, but I personally felt it was a little lacking in flavor. The fries were decent but reminded me more of potato wedges. My friend had the pulled pork sandwich and said it was very good. Overall, I'm glad I tried it.

For a place that plays sports on the tv, it's delightfully tame inside. Very chill place to have Sunday brunch with some simple delicious food and AYCD mimosas (while watching the games if you care). We've been a few times and Haley is an extremely attentive server, as is the other staff. Very helpful and never let's a drink get too low whether it's mimosas or water. We usually get standard egg-type breakfasts but they have a seasonal soup right now (November 2024) which funds would go toward benefiting a great agency - Metro Ministries. Some leek soup. Looks like a standard soup but DELICIOUS. Definitely try it.

Hands down my favorite bar in Tampa! LOVE this place. Literally could eat here daily if I could. Happy hour is awesome, and hospitality if you're in the industry as well 20% off. The food is always phenomenal, and the staff is always friendly! Perfect low key dimly lit vibes inside, but also has patio with one of the bars being half outside half inside. 10/10! Call me a regular if you will haha!

Great neighborhood spot! Great service & you can bring your fur baby & sit outside! I loved the duck wings...

Great everything! Bacon wrapped figs..fantastic Boiled peanuts. Great Duck wings... crispy and perfect Sliders brisket.. my fave Pork sliders .. hubby loved them. We enjoyed the beautiful Florida weather and dogs, and great conversations outside !!! Our waitress is so helpful with great suggestions.

This place is fantastic! You walk in thinking it's a sports bar, but it's SO much more!! The food here is incredible! I have food allergies and the chef went the extra mile and made me a special dressing and it was DELICIOUS! 100% recommend SoHo Backyard!

Walked in around 7pm on a Saturday. Interior of place was comparable to a sauna. Hot, humid, no air movement, just gross. Sat at outside bar on patio, thank God it was a perfect Tampa evening. Service as far as drinks and refills was good the whole time, but then we ordered food and everything rapidly went downhill. We were sitting next to regulars so the three bartenders that night, a female and 2 males, paid much more attention to them than us and were doing several shots with them over the 2-3 hrs we were there. The bartender who had mainly been taking care of us, Justin, was legit drunk after the halfway mark of our visit (my first visit here ever mind you) and so he completely forgot to put both my and the regular's next to me food in. I waited over 35 min for the corned beef brisket special and her approx the same for whatever she ordered and we were told the kitchen was backed up, however i watched as the couple across the bar who ordered after us got their food in a reasonable amount of time. So we have a drunk bartender who's now forgetting to do his job and then lying right to customer's faces about it. So stupid, he literally yelled out to the ONE guy in the kitchen, "I JUST PUT IT IN!" LOL. Again, first experience of this place ever. Corned beef brisket sandwich comes out and it's a disgusting overcooked patty of mystery meet that has the texture of shoe leather (corned beef AND brisket both are supposed to be pulled meats). The little side of homestyle potatoes it came with were good and i ate the 10 little pieces of them cuz at this point was starving. I tell Justin it's awful and simply ask for it be removed from the bill, but he says he'd hate for me to leave hungry, am I sure I don't want anything else? So i said sure, I'll do the pulled pork slider (little $6 app). That came out and was really good. Fast forward to getting the check and the special shoe leather sandwich ($24) is still on there with the $6 slider comp'ed and zero'd out. I wait another 15 min for him to come pick up the bill and tell him the wrong item was comp'ed to which he says but you ate the potatoes and some of the sandwich. I reply i had a single bite of the sandwich and that's how i determined it was terrible, and yes i ate the ten little potatoes cuz they were good and i was starving. I should be paying for what i ate and you should be comping what i didn't. He says, ok I'll take care of it and walks away. This is where it got weird and emotional and argumentative and cringey for zero reason. He decides to walk back over only a few sec after walking away and start right in with, "So how much do you think you should pay cuz you ate the potatoes?" Couldn't believe one sec ago he said he'll take care of it and now two secs later is trying to barter with me so i don't get to have eaten free potatoes after waiting for the most disgusting sandwich I've ever ordered. I indulged it, trying to be fair, and said I'll pay $8 for the potatoes. He says, ok so you want $15 dollars off? I'm gonna make it $10 off!" And storms away like a bratty tough guy having a temper tantrum (yes, this ALL happened exactly like this. I am FAR from a Karen, lol) I walk inside and meet him at the center bar closest to the register he's at while he's making obvious body language of annoyed and just being a giant baby. He hands me the new bill and now the $6 slider is added back on and only a total of ten dollars from the $24 special shoe leather sandwich is removed. I asked him why won't you just do what's right and instead are getting mad for nothing. It's not your money. And he goes, "I'm not mad but you're making me mad." Lol cool bro. Great customer service when all i did was order something that both you and the kitchen effed up horribly. I finally got the better and slightly older of the two male bartenders to fix it properly for me after explaining what happened and told him i appreciate you making this right, and i did start this night wanting to come back here, but now, unfortunately, i can't and never will. All because one beta-boy, emotional bartender got drunk at work and the single cook in the kitchen was making God knows what as the special. Crazy, stressful first experience for no reason. 2/10. DO NOT recommend.

One of my favorite places in Tampa. The food and serivice is always amazing! I want to give a special shot out to the whole kitchen, Haley, Jon, Josh, Justin, Nick and Tatum for making every experience a great one. Despite the bar have some dive bar vibes, every bartenders are kind, fast, and make a wide verity of drinks. This kitchen is equally as good. Even my Italian NY family described the salmon, steak tips, and asparagus as better then $40 entrees in the city. The patio is fully dog friendly, and my dog loves it. Hight recommend it to anyone in the area!

This place is only given two stars because of the Mac n cheese, which was the only pleasant part of this restaurant. One server was nice, the other was hard to look at because of his demeanor. Given it was past midnight on a Monday night, I could try to understand the harsh attitude. The grill must've been too high since the burger and buns were so charred I could barely taste the actual food. Literally tasted like I was eating charred grease. The Truman burger was so hard that when I cut it it literally fell off the bun and bounced off of it onto the seat. I would only ever come back for the great Mac n cheese. And then order for takeout since the atmosphere was unpleasant. Maybe jus stick it to drinks if allowing people to order food is inconvenient for u.

We love coming here for a more upscale sports bar vibe. It's a cozy place. The bartenders are attentive and helpful. Nice beer selection. I definitely prefer the fried chicken wings over the grilled. I had a really delicious salad. The burgers are great.

Food: great. Chefs are geniuses. Bartenders: great. Living, breathing rockstars. Great people, great...everything else.

Had two types of sliders, truffle wedges, two types of tacos and steak tips. Loved all of it, but the sliders were good but not great.

There are a lot bars/restaurants in the SOHO section of Tampa, however this one really stands out, because of the food though hats off to the kitchen crew, I had the BBQ brisket sandwich and was surprised that I could find one that good outside of a BBQ restaurant. I would describe the ambiance as a little nicer than a dive bar, I definitely mean that as a positive. The service was very fast and the service very attentive. Bottom line if you're in the area and looking for great food in an unpretentious atmosphere this is your place.

What an appropriately named place. Feels like you're hanging out with your friends in the backyard! The food is awesome. The steak is so underrated, it's seasoned and served up perfectly! I'm on a big kick for the chicken parm sandwich as of late. Super dog friendly, which is very important for me! Come check it out!!

Overall 5/5 I got the breakfast skillet and the stuffed avocado bc that was what were recommended to us. The stuffed avocados were amazingggggg!!! Definitely should give that a try. The sauce on top was so flavorful. The server were nice. It looks like the bartenders run the whole place for brunch, so I got a mimosa ($5.20). They did have bottomless mimosas for $20, though, but I can't drink that much haha! Great place! Great atmosphere and decor! Definitely give it a try

Too shady for us we left. Looked dirty and smelled bad. I didn't feel comfortable ordering a drink

My favorite place in all of Tampa. It has the look of a dive bar but a kitchen like a five-star restaurant. You can sit inside or outside. It's the perfect size. Plus the staff and the regulars are incredibly friendly. Anyone and everyone is welcome and treated the same. Love everything about it.

Meh... everything is pretty much fried if you're going to eat there. I would argue with the cleanliness of the place plus it's also a smokers Paradise. I could see why people who smoke like it. Certainly not a first pick.

I ordered the Mac and cheese! It was so good. Very creamy and rich. I sat at the bar and the bartender was very nice!

The brisket and fried chicken sliders were very tasty! Espresso martini was ok, but this is probably more of a casual drink spot vs craft cocktail. Great service ponied up at a couple of chairs at the corner of the bar.

The food was outstanding. I ordered the duck wings as well and the Asian chili flavor was great. The zucchini in the salmon dish wasn't my favorite but it wasn't offensive. The salmon wasn't over cooked and dry so kudos. The sweet sauce worked well with it. The spicerita drink tasted like the alcoholic version of the cayenne lemonade diet. The crab cakes were majestic. Tender and delicious. The sauce is okay. Was good without it.

This is a great bar tucked away off of south Howard. It's a great place to grab a drink or a quick bite. They have much better food than any other bar in the area. The staff is great and I definitely recommend. They also have a fantastic Taco Thursday.

I don't know of a better dog friendly, late night place in Tampa. Food is amazing and priced well

The ambiance was a bit dark and the central focus was the bar. You could tell it was a place that people commonly go to drink. The service was a bit slow and again there was more of a focus on the bar. The tables were even a bit off to the side. The food was decent. I got the steak tips cooked medium rare over mashed potatoes and asparagus. You get to pick your sides and I tried to order the speciality Mac and Cheese only to be told that they were out. That was a bit disappointing, but I liked these sides. The meal was pretty good but I was still hungry afterward, so definitely a good "snack" I suppose. TL;DR if you're coming to drink alcohol, this is a really good place, but if you're simply coming to eat, this may not be the place for you. Hope someone finds this helpful.

Great food and drinks! Chill vibe great staff and music! My pit stop before I hit the salon next door.

Doesn't look like much and seating is sparse but food and service were fantastic! Good place to watch sports too.

a very cool vibe, somewhat hard to find at first bc it is somewhat hidden, but delicious food and great service, i got the chicken parm and it was wonderful

We love the atmosphere at The Backyard! It's not the typical college kid scene that you see in most SoHo places. That being said, don't bring a group of 6+ on a weekend night because there won't be enough space. Food is average and they have some little TVs at the bar. They have indoor and outdoor tables.

Went to Soho Backyard for the second time this past Wednesday and this place really doesn't disappoint, especially if you're a Tampa native. It's right off of Howard and has a great indoor and outdoor feel. It's a small place, but I love that about it. Additionally, they have a very small kitchen and only 1-2 cooks so you have to be patient, but everything is SO fresh. We sat at the bar stools that face the inside of Backyard. We weren't too hungry, so we only ordered a couple of items. I love boiled peanuts so I couldn't turn down cajun boiled peanuts. I also ordered a salad to go that they were able to accommodate my likes and dislikes with salads. My friend ordered the wings, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. Overall the experience was really great and let's all support more local businesses in Tampa! Next up is going for Bruch at Backyard!

This was not a good bar. It was an unenjoyable experience all around. It was a Sunday night when I went (not busy, but hours say open until 2am on the door, I arrived at 10pm or so). It took forever to order drinks after standing at the bar for over 5 minutes as the bartender was chatting with the other customers. The bartender took our order, went to the kitchen and left for a little, then came back to us asking our order once again, because he forgot. Once the drinks came out, they tasted watery and were not pleasant to drink. A very drunk man came up to us and offered our table "blue cheese shots" and gave us a small cup of blue cheese. This was incredibly uncomfortable as we could tell he worked at the bar as well (likely not working this shift), as he came out of the kitchen and was extremely friendly with the bartender. The cherry on top was that the drinks were rung up wrong on my tab, and I wanted to dispute it with the bartender but he was in his own world with other customers. I did not want to deal anymore with this bar and left promptly. I would not recommend this spot to anyone. It's simply a small scale version of MacDinton's, and seems fancy on the outside.

Service was wonderful. The food could not be better , it is great tasting food. The deco is all about a Tampa history.

Not from the area, but looked up a local place online for a good Bloody Mary and this place came up, so we came by to see what it was all about. Definitely happy we came out. The brunch menu had so many amazing and delicious options, I honestly didn't know what to choose. From pancakes & waffles to avocado toast and bacon. I ended up with with cheese grits and, of course, a loaded Bloody Mary. We got the skewers with the fried lobster, the salmon slider, and a chicken wing: Everything was so good and the service was just the best. We felt right at home from the minute we sat down! Definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for a great weekend brunch destination! Cheers!

Soho backyard is easily one of my favorite spots in soho! I love the chill vibe compared to the craziness on Howard Ave. Drinks are reasonably priced and the so is the food. Everything I've tried as far as food has been delicious. The chicken parm, duck wings, beef tips and regular wings were all delicious. The boiled peanuts were a little too al dente but that wouldn't stop me from trying them again.

First honest impression not what I had in mind for a brunch spot .. so don't judge a book by it's cover .. this place is a hidden gem .. the bartender was attentive ..the food was amazing .. my first bite of the grilled shrimp I wanted to suck all the seasoning out the tail yes it was that good .. I had the bird in waffle (chicken and waffles) I was definitely satisfied with my choice . Another party had the shrimp and grits .. by far the best I have tasted. This place is a must try

Good spot for a late night drink or meal since most restaurants in the area close relatively early even on weekends. The burger was good, the serving was generous. Service is spotty, it's difficult to get anyone's attention if you're sitting at a table.

Food was okay, I had a steak sandwich and my husband had the pulled pork sandwich with the wedge fries and it was good but not the best . Service was good. The place was too small, and the outside area was overwhelming with ants. So that's why everyone sits inside because outside is unbearable with ants.

We popped by on a Saturday afternoon after a nearby appointment and enjoyed the bartender, drinks and atmosphere. The food, while freshly prepared, was pretty bland and didn't thrill us. I think more salt would have helped or perhaps some atomic peppers or both! Still, it was a pleasant afternoon in a stylish place! We were one of a few customers because I think prime time is later in the evening.

I have been here a few times. I want to like it because it's walkable from my house but I've always left very turned off. The waitstaff is unprofessional there is no greeting, they just continue to talk to people at the bar. The bartenders take shots with each other and regulars in clear sight. Some people find this charming but I find it distasteful and concerning due to the many dangers in a restaurant. I went with my fiancé for happy hour and they charged us for food they never brought to us and didn't give us the happy hour drink prices. The last time I was there the waiter made a very racist remark that he thought was funny about Asians. We found it odd and not funny he continued with off kilter comments through out our lunch. The beer is good but I don't recommend their cold small portioned food.

Great place for older Tampanites (meaning people in 30 somethings and up!) to hang out in amongst all the younger-crowd centric bars in South of Howard Tampa. We met a great couple there to chit chat with and the bartender was very nice to us. It kind of helped that we stopped by there on a Sunday afternoon when it wasn't too busy at all. We enjoyed our drinks and food. They were out of a lot of stuff-- apparently they sold out a lot the night before and hadn't had chance to replenish. But it was a good hummus plate and a sandwich. I wasn't too keen on my Old Fashioned.. but this is more of a tap place.

Backyard is a smaller, lesser-known, anti-douchebag bar within the South Tampa, South Howard inebriation scene. Upon walking into one of Backyard's two entrances, you'll find only two restrooms, one for each gender, but luckily there are usually more males than females (hence the reason for my visit). Using the facilities is typically not an issue - unless of course a certain member of my gender is treating the giant one-room bathroom like a personal down-time space. The atmosphere in The Soho Backyard is perfect for those arriving in any mood. The lighting is dark & dim and the air is lively and fun. Indie Rock tunes by various bands including The Naked Famous, Cherub, Empire of the Sun and Two Door Cinema Club play in the immediate background. The music is never too loud and is nothing like what you'll experience at bars that turn into amateur nightclubs at 10 p.m. Backyard has something for everyone, including a shuffleboard, dart board, plenty of TV's and random bar games. There are a couple of different bars at which you may sit, or if you arrive at the right time, a variety of tables are situated directly in the center of the bar. The menu is pretty standard - one unique item being the Duck Wings (which I have not tried). However, I have ordered the Brussel Sprouts (pretty good) and more recently, the Margarita flatbread, at the recommendation of my bartender - and it was phenomenal! All of the entrees and snacks on their menu are reasonably priced but most people visit Backyard for the drinks. Our female bartender was willing to create any concoction that my buddies asked for. I spied an unopened Rodney Strong Cabernet sitting behind the bar and inquired about the price, as it was not listed on the menu. The gentleman returned and said that they just received the shipment and even though it was not yet on the menu, I could have it for $8.00 a glass. As you might guess, I didn't even hesitate (Rodney Strong for $8/glass at any establishment is a heck of a deal). In sum, if you can locate the Backyard, check it out. If not, just keep it that way, so as to not ruin this perfectly fine watering hole whose surrounding area is increasingly being overrun by a less intelligent crowd of 20 somethings.

Great little hole in the wall bar. It's dark, industrial (meshed with a cool FL vibe). The bartenders are super amazing ..... ask for Josh. The food is to die for and the drinks are ahhhhmazing. There is nothing not too love. And they always have something going on.....Rays, Bucs..... you name it. And rumor has it, you might see the occasional home team player taking advantage of the great eats, outstanding drinks and super chill staff. And best of all......I got a Mickie Mouse Aperol Spritz

By far my favorite bar in the area. The bartenders are all friendly and the food is amazing. Definitely recommend

This was one of my favorite stops on my recent birthday trip. The bartenders were very friendly and the happy hour late-night appetizers were fantastic.

A small local bar for South Tampa. It's not overrun by students and they serve bar food. The atmosphere is laid back on weekend nights, dead and depressing on slow nights. It's off the beaten path, so it doesn't get the Soho foot traffic, which can be a blessing or a curse. It's a dark narrow space with dark walls, red, gray, black decor, and black and white photographs. There's outdoor seating, a semi-open kitchen, two bars, and a few cocktail tables and half-booths. The food is just okay, but everything tastes better after alcohol. It's sustenance to aid alcohol consumption. Bartenders and staff are mixed, some pleasant and friendly or cold and cliquey.

I came to Soho Backyard with some friends to celebrate a friends birthday during their taco Thursday special. It was not very busy and we found seating inside quickly. We ordered our $5 margaritas which very watered down. I ordered two chicken and barbacoa tacos for dinner. They tasted like tacos you can make at home but the price was right. The barbacoa tacos were on a corn tortilla which crumbled because it was soggy. The chicken tacos were decent. I had a bite of my friends lobster taco and I wish I had gotten that instead. The lobster was fried and yummy. The atmosphere was fun and conducive to us chatting and catching up. Shoutout to our server who was able to retrieve my friends phone when it fell behind the booth against the wall. I would like to come back and try some of their other menu items!