Located on the Hillsborough River in Tampa Heights, 400 yards from the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Indoor and outdoor waterfront dining. Lunch and dinner daily. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Featuring intricately flavored, visually appealing dishes prepared on our 10' round barbacoa grill.
Ulele operates in the lovingly re-imagined 1903 Tampa Heights Water Works building, which also includes its Ulele Spring Brewery to provide a number of craft beers on tap. Next door to Water Works Park.
Private Dining
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Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Staff temperature check required
Popular dishes
Charbroiled Oysters
Barbacoa-grilled, with garlic butter, grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses
57 reviews
Candied Duck Bacon Maple Fried Ice Cream
Cinnamon corn flake candied duck bacon crust, Knob Creek crème anglaise, caramel, sweet potato waffle crisp
34 reviews
Flank Steak 8 oz.
Garlic sea salt and olive oil marinated, thinly sliced, Florida avocado "Jimmychurri"
41 reviews
Food was excellent! Our server Jorge was exceptional!! He was attentive, polite, professional and had a sense of humor, ask for him!
Always a great experience every time we have come in.
Large menu with great options for all! Great ambience outside too! Love it!
This place is a scene. It felt like prom night and party night all rolled into one. The inside is loud and boisterous. We were lucky enough to get a pretty chill table by the fountain outside, and the person who waited on us was fantastic. The food was great, and we ended up having a really nice time. Recommended with the caveat to be aware of the kind of atmosphere before you go.
Everything was fantastic. The charbroiled oysters are a must!! Sat upstairs for the first time; great view of the kitchen. This time we tried the Florida Pompano and the Juan’s Snapper. Both were excellent and a good value. Finished off with the espresso chocolate swirl ice cream. Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Our experience over the years at Ulele has always been exceptional and it is amazing that with Covid 19 still in our presents that they continue to over deliver an incredible dinning experience. The value has also maintained a consistent level for families as well to enjoy. it continues to be our favorite restaurant experience in the Tampa Bay area.
Thank you for the compliments, Herman. We strive to provide a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Fun, beautiful, friendly place to try new food items.
Wonderful service and food! Beautiful place and hostess told us Ulele story- background! Amazing experience.
Thank you so much, Georgia! We're very pleased that you enjoyed the flavors and hospitality at our restaurant. We're proud to honor the spirit of Princess Ulele, and we're happy that you enjoyed learning some of our stories, too! We hope to see you again soon.
Best bar staff!!!!
Table was ready earlier than expected- food was delicious! Will definitely be back!
Ordered lobster roll. Worst I ever had.
My friend had flank steak. Looked like she didn’t care for it as she didn’t eat it. Service was the best though.
Thanks for taking the time to leave this review, Karen. We're glad you had a great time with us and we really appreciate your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you left Ulele feeling less than satisfied with your entrees. Food quality and guest happiness are both very important to us. Next time, please let your server or a manager know if your meal isn't right. We are always happy to remake a dish or help find something on the menu you might like more.
Birthday. Lunch for 3 was bit pricy. But it was enjoyable regardless. Server very busy so not as attentive.
We're sorry we didn't exceed your expectations, Bobby. Thank you for choosing to celebrate with us!
The best restaurant in tampa hands down no matter the category
What an honor. Thank you so much, Frank! We are so grateful for your support.
What a great experience. My husband really enjoyed his birthday dinner - he said I knocked it out of the park.
He just about lost his mind over the broiled oysters. We started with a half dozen and had to order a 2nd round.
Muenster chicken was incredibly delicious. Pineapple cocktail and orange mojito were also great.
We had a great table near the window, overlooking the water and sunset.
We're pleased to hear you enjoyed the flavors, views and hospitality, Alisha. Thank you so much for choosing to celebrate with us. We hope to see you again soon!
Very nice restaurant! We ate outside under an umbrella from the Flroida sunshine. Waitress was extremely attentive and polire! Food was great! I had the house hamburger, probably the best burger I've ever had! Would definitely go back again!
Glad you enjoyed. Thank you!
Ricardo, our server, was excellent and the food was very tasty. Charbroiled oysters were excellent and tender. A must appetizer. Lunch entrees were reasonable and delicious. Would definitely go back.
Thanks for your review! Our staff takes great pride in being fully familiar with the food, it's sourcing and helping our guests appreciate the food and beverage they're enjoying. We look forward to your next visit.
Grouper I thought should have been done better. But will still try restaurant again.
Thanks for taking the time to leave this review, Bill. We're glad you had a nice time with us and we really appreciate your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you left Ulele feeling less than satisfied with your entree. Food quality and guest happiness are both very important to us. Next time, please let your server or a manager know if your meal isn't right. We are always happy to remake any dish or help find something on the menu you might like more.
A wonderful place to have a delicious lunch outside within a lovely ambiance.
So kind of you to say so. Thank you, Cheryl.
We went to Ulele for an anniversary lunch. Food was delicious. We both had the pompano and it was excellent. Our waiter Jorge was top notch and offered thoughtful suggestions. We dined outside and the weather and beautiful grounds made it extra special. Highly recommend.
We're pleased to hear you enjoyed the flavors, views and hospitality. Thank you so much for choosing to celebrate with us. We hope to see you again soon!
I loved it! It is so beautiful with its surroundings & statues. The waiter, Jorge, was awesome & I loved the back story provided about the history. I highly recommend everyone to experience this restaurant!
We appreciate the kind words and the endorsement! Thank you.
Crab Mac and cheese as a starter is a must! Grilled chicken was excellent and the portion was huge!
It was ok, not like when we went last year. Food took longer to get, still good.
Sorry we fell short of delivering on your expectations, Donald. We thank you for your patience.
Super disappointing. I usually love this restaurant! Our waitress was rude from the start and service was slow. Our food came out cold (every single plate) and when we asked for the food to be re-made, my mother’s steak was so tough she couldn’t chew it. We had to ask the manager twice what was going to be done about our meals due to our inconvenience. When you go out to dinner, especially at a beautiful place like this, an experience that we had ruins the evening. Sad to say I won’t be dining here again in the near future.
We should have done a better job to manage your visit, Jessi. Thank you for your patience.
The food, service and outdoor ambiance is always outstanding. I love that your wine list prices are similar to those in the store. We will continue to be regulars!!
We appreciate your continued patronage. Thank you so much!
It was our 33rd anniversary dinner! We loved our drinks, meal, dessert, table and server! I loved the portobello entree, and the Key lime pie was phenomenal. We sat at our favorite table next to the horse sculpture right by the bid window. We have enjoyed Ulele since it opened a few years back, and there is no restaurant in Tampa at which we would rather celebrate our special occasions than Ulele.
Thank you for the compliments! We're so happy you enjoyed your special night and feel honored that you chose to celebrate with us.
Sat outside on a beautiful day for lunch, as always food and service was outstanding.
Always an honor to receive a five-star rating. Many thanks!
Beautiful outdoor dining experience. Thank you.
Thank you!
The venue, the atmosphere, & the service were nice. BUT, the cuisine, in general, is boring, tasteless, & unimaginative. The grouper was very nice. BUT, the gator fritters were way over cooked and all cornmeal. The fire roasted chicken was presented well. BUT, was tasteless. The coconut ice cream was very sweet & lacked a real coconut flavor.
This is a great location to have drinks with friends but forget dining there.
We're sorry to hear that you left Ulele feeling less than satisfied. We would have been glad to remake any dish for you. Please let a server or manager know anytime a dish falls short.
I ordered a filet mignon and my friend ordered a different type of steak—no seasoning whatsoever. Also, the mash potatoes were not good! I’m extremely disappointed because I was looking to confirm the hype. The slushy drink they offer was delightful, however. If I do return, it won’t be on my dime.
Sorry we fell short of delivering on your expectations, Arias. Next time, if something isn't right please let a server or a manager know.
Great time celebrating our anniversary!!! Our waiter Evan was the bomb!!
Thank you so much! We look forward to seeing you again!
Amazing food and service as always. That’s why I keep coming back!
Thank you so much, Brian! We look forward to your next visit!
Entire meal was rushed - salads came out before we finished our Apps. Main course came out before we finished salads and before the App plates were cleared. Bottle of wine arrived very very late. Overall it sucked big time. I will never ever go back.
Too many people inside-Very loud. People waiting to be seated looking at menus right next to us while we were eating
Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback for us. We'll be sure to send your comments along to our corporate team. At this time, Ulele is still seating at lower capacity than state guidelines. It's always our intention for guests and staff to feel safe and comfortable dining with us. In addition, when the kitchen is busy, there tends to be a bit more banging from our open kitchen area. Next time, if the noise bothers you, we recommend you try our outdoor seating or upstairs mezzanine.
Our server, Casey, was amazing. Halfway through our meal a storm came through that left us running inside for cover. Casey found us and our meal was uninterrupted. The food was incredible, the service was wonderful and we always enjoy the atmosphere.
Thank you so much! We're so happy that you enjoyed your experience at Ulele.
Heather, our server, was very knowledgeable, extremely efficient and super friendly! The food is always amazing!
Thank you so much, Lisa!
Just about everything was excellent. Service was a little slow and the main room was very noisy..
Another delicious meal at Ulele!!
Thank you so much, Michelle!
Love the view beverages and charbroiled oysters.❤️
As usual a great experience. We ate outside and it was warm but that had nothing to do with Ulele. Wonderful server and the food was delish.
Everything was spectacular. Food, service, atmosphere. We absolutely loved it.
Thank you so much!
FAQs
Ulele offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (813) 999-4952.
Ulele is rated 4.8 stars by 8766 OpenTable diners.
Ulele does offer gift cards which you can purchase here https://mgd.mercury-gift.com/ulele.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.
