Real pit BBQ!

Preacher’s BBQ, as you open your car door you can smell it, smokey, woody goodness, oh yeah, that’s real pit BBQ!

Preacher’s is a  small place on 4th St and one of the few places in the area with real BBQ. The restaurant itself is a take-out place but there are a couple tables if you just can’t wait!

Preacher’s has the normal BBQ menu fare – ribs, chicken, pulled pork, etc but they also have burgers and to my surprise turkey legs (the daily special).

My husband and I have eaten there twice already since their recent opening and both times we were delighted. I’ve tried the pulled pork sandwich, which was, well smokey and flavorful and the

RAR! My carnivore side is escaping

smoked turkey leg which made me feel like Henry the VIII! All the yumminess, without have to go to a Ren Faire!

My husband has tried the ribs and the chopped brisket, the big smile on his face makes me think he enjoyed both throughly.

Oh did I mention the fresh cakes and pies? All local made!

Atmosphere – Preacher’s is a take-out place with only a couple tables, nothing fancy.
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Service – Preacher’s is family owned and everyone behind the counter is friendly and welcoming.
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Food - The food was oh so good! Make sure you try the sauce!
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Summary – Take-out food that will have you licking your fingers.
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1040 Fourth Street N
St. Petersburg, FL
(727) 388-7224

Bowled Restaurant

Bowled is an interesting restaurant with an interesting concept, you guessed it! Everything is served in bowls, even meatloaf.

Bowled is set back from the road a bit in a strip mall but the distinct sign makes it easy to spot. The atmosphere inside is laid back but still subdued.

I had the Mexican Italian Lasagna, which was pretty tasty. It mixed the flavors of the two different cultures quite well. The servings were quite ample so you won’t walk away hungry.

My husband had the Chicken Piccata Bowl which is served over a bed of orzo pasta. My husband enjoyed his meal and would definitely order it again.

Dining area

My father also dined with us that night and had the Bowled Meatloaf which has a chipotle bbq sauce. He liked it so much he had his leftovers for breakfast.

Atmosphere – If you are looking for a quiet dinner, I’d say it would be a good place to bring a date.
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Service – Our waiter was pleasant and attentive.
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Food – The food was tasty and I like the presentation.
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Summary – While not spectacular, Bowled is a nice place to grab a pleasant dinner.
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Carrabbas

Well we went to the Carrabbas on 4th tonight and had a lovely dinner. We got there before the rush and didn’t have to wait for a table which is nice!

I haven’t been to a Carrabbas in a while, not since the Star Trek movie premiere (Shout out to Todd!). I usually have really good meals there and tonight was no exception.

As usual I ordered the Chicken Bryan and my husband ordered the Veal Picatta (I know, poor baby cows!  Ah well!). We also had salads and bread with our entrées.

Chicken Bryan

In my humble opinion, you can tell that a restaurant give a care about your dinner when they serve your salad in a cold bowl. It sounds picky but I’ve gotten salads in hot bowls and it really makes the lettuce wilt and the dressing go all oily (That’s my new technical term for it). ANYWAY, the salad was good and the table bread with the little plate of herbs and olive was yummy as well.

Our main courses were as usual quite good, although one odd thing, the Picatta didn’t have capers, when asked the waiter commented that they don’t put capers on unless you specifically ask for them, weird! My Chicken Bryan was delicious as always.

Aside from the capers and my tea being a bit bitter I had a lovely dinner there tonight!

Atmosphere – Nothing too fancy, the main focus of the room seems to be the open kitchen, it can be a little loud from nearby conversations.
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Service – Our waiter was attentive and responsive.
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Food – The food was up to their usual standards of tastiness.
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Summary – Despite being part of a chain, Carrabbas still maintains a high level of quality and professionalism. A nice place to take your family.
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Queenshead

I wanted to like this place but I’m afraid it’s just not my cup of tea.

Located on Central Ave West of downtown, the Queenshead is certainly an interesting place. The decor is lovely, there is a large eating area outside with odd bed-like seating along with regular tables and chairs.

The inside is quirky and eclectic usually things I really enjoy. However where they fall short for me is the food and the pricing.

Outside decor

Picture this, a glass of unsweetened ice that never gets a refill despite my subtle hints for $3.25. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty expensive for some water that sat with a teabag in it for a while. The entrées weren’t quite as bad price-wise but they suffer from delusions of grandeur.  They seem to be trying to take English pub staples like fish & chips, bangers & mash and even the humble Shepard’s Pie and raise them to haute cuisine. Unfortunately it just wasn’t that good.

I ordred the fish and chips, which has now been transformed into “sea salt and vinegar fries, minted peas, malt vinegar reduction“. Now that sounds pretty good, too bad it was just kinda weird. The chips, or french fries in America were actually kind of tasty but only luke-warm. How ever the fish wasn’t what I was expecting at all, it was sweet and the reduction made it even sweeter. Not really what I think of for fish & chips, maybe that’s what they are going for, but it’s not what I like.

My husband ordered the bangers, while he said the dish tasted alright it was a very small meal. Both of us left the Queenshead feeling quite a bit less than satisfied.

Atmosphere – The decor is very nice, there is interesting art on the walls and the outdoor seating is pretty cool.
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Service – While the bartender/waiter was polite, he wasn’t attentive.
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Food – Trying too hard to be “fancy” and the portions are smallish.
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Summary – If you want an interesting place to have a drink you might like it. If you want a filling meal of typical English pub food skip it.
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2501 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL‎ 33713
(727) 498-8584‎

Eat at Joe's

Joe’s Crab Shack is an interesting place. It has a nice outside seating area with a wraparound deck and even an outdoor play ground for kid dumping.

Joe’s is the kinda place where the employees do dances to songs and someone is usually yelling something on the PA system. Joe’s is loud and fun. Not the place to have quiet conversations.

Joe’s offers mainly seafood, especially of the steamed variety. Their big push is the steamer meal combos, which offer usually a crab, a couple veggies and a seasoning theme.

Joe's Classic Steampot

I tried the Joe’s Classic Steampot, which had Dungeness and Snow crabs, along with boiled shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes.  Obviously the steampot is just for show, while tasty the potatoes weren’t very warm and I’ve never eaten a cob of corn where the kernels where so tiny!

The crab in the pot was quite yummy though and the sausage was also quite good. My husband had a large shrimp platter which he enjoyed.

So while the meal wasn’t the best it was still a fun place to try, I liked it when all the wait staff started dancing & clapping in time together when a certain song came on, even the women behind the bar were dancing. There was a girl going table to table making balloon animals for tips. The whole place has a very festive attitude which I enjoyed.

Atmosphere – If you are in the mood for some fun, this lively atmosphere is for you.
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Service – Service was pretty good.
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Food – The crab was good but the veggies need work.
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Summary – If you just are in the mood for some fun and don’t mind a little noise, Joe’s is a great place to take friends have a drink and eat some crustaceans.
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Cheesecake Factory

Well! What a throughly delightful dinner I just had! We were at the International Mall in Tampa and decided to grab a bite.

While already quite crowded by 5pm on a Saturday the wait wasn’t too horrible. We had a nice table with a good view of the interior, which was a strange blending of styles.

To say the menu is eclectic is a gross understatement. The menu itself is like a paperback book, be prepared to be overwhelmed with choices! I ordered the chicken tortillas and my husband got the fettuccine with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes.

While we waited for our dinners we were brought fresh bread and butter, quite tasty. Our dinners were great and we both enjoyed them a lot. My tortillas were served with little sweet corn cakes and beans it was delicious and quite filling.

30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

Although I was already pushing full I decided to shove full, because what is a trip to the Cheesecake Factory without a slice of cheesecake?  So my husband and I decided to split a piece of the “30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake” & and a coffee.

To say this cheesecake was good is like saying that diamonds are kinda hard. Pure nirvana. I said to my husband if I was on death row, this is what I want for my last meal.

While pricey, the slice was huge, no wait – HUGE, that’s more like it. We couldn’t finish it between us. It seemed almost like a sin to leave any behind but I was about to explode or slip into a sugar coma.

Atmosphere – Lots of seating but a little noisy. The decor is interesting but not overwhelming.
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Service – Our waitress was pleasant and quite efficient.
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Food – OMG Good!
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Summary – What can I say, I loved the food, the cheesecake was unearthly.
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2223 North West Shore Blvd
Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 353-4200