Best Burgers in St. Pete
Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Bar and Grill, Burgers
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined: December 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Punky's Zomato rating:
Punky's Executive Chef:
Frank Costelli Jr.
A fair warning about this review. I get people from all walks of life that visit this site to read about the different places my wife and I have been. Punky’s Bar and Grill, for those who are bigots, will not like it here because it is owned, operated, and frequented by the homosexual community. My wife and I have no problem with that, as we judge people on what they do not on who they are, but if you do, then be warned that your bigotry is going to have you miss out on some of the best damn hamburgers in this city. Your choice, but boy are you going to regret it…
Punky’s Menu:
- Appetizers
- Fan Favorites
- Flatbread Pizzas
- Soups and Salads
- Sandwiches
- Burgers
- Desserts
My wife and I were running errands on Central Avenue and were hungry for some good comfort food, and burgers were sounding great. After checking the map for restaurants close to us, Punky’s popped up, and my wife mentioned that she had heard about them. A small five-minute drive and we were there. Like they advertise, you will always find an upbeat and welcoming atmosphere, and that defiantly applied. We were the only straight couple in the bar at that time, but that didn’t bother the staff or the other clients. The bartender could have been more attentive than he was, but it still didn’t stop us from enjoying our lunch.
They also advertised that the 2016 GCDA People's Choice awards gave a winning vote to the Punky’s burger and fries, along with a few other burgers from the list. We would agree. They had some fantastic choices from the classic black and blue to the pesto burger, the Southwest burger and my wife's choice the sticky burger. Formally only seen at country fairs, it has sticky peanut butter, thick-cut bacon, and cheddar cheese served with a side salad that my wife wanted instead of fries.
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| Punky's Bar and Grill / Sticky Burger |
The Southerner burger was my choice for lunch, served with some fried green tomatoes, coleslaw, sriracha aioli, thick-cut bacon, and an item I had not had in many years, some tater tots. We split our burgers so we could each try them, my wife's burger tasted really damn good, and with mine having the fried green tomato, damn you can’t go wrong with that.
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| Punky's Bar and Grill / Southerner burger |
You could also order a few sandwiches from the Punky's Russian with turkey and roast beef, a Rueben, grilled cheese, Cuban, meatloaf, and many others. Outside of food at their indoor bar or outside patio, they host several events throughout the week catering to the LGBT crowd from live music, drag shows, karaoke, open mic nights, bingo and more. They also have a drink and food specials such as burger Monday, taco Tuesday, over the hump Wednesdays with ½ off selected appetizers, and bingo for charity, thrive Thursdays with a prime rib special and live entertainment, and finally the foxy-fireball Fridays with a meatloaf dinner. They also have a few specials on the weekends as well, which include breakfast items.
Dessert:
We did not have dessert during this visit, though the fried cheesecake rolls in raspberry sauce did sound delicious as I read the description. So instead, check out some of these wonderful selections from Wine Dine and Play:
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other noteworthy Bar and Grill / Burger articles and restaurants similar to Punky’s:
A burger is a sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. It can contain variations other than ground beef, to include turkey, pork, bison, tofu, or vegetables. The recipe originated in Hamburg, Germany and first appeared in the United States as a Hamburg Steak in 1884.
Boulevard Burgers And Tap House A beachside burger joint for the carnivore connoisseur in St Pete Beach, Florida
Boulevard Burgers Second review of this burger joint for the carnivore connoisseur in St Pete Beach, Florida
FLIP Burger Boutique Hip burger chain with the space-age decor, reviewed in Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia
Hamburger Mary’s A San Fransisco Burger joint chain started in 1972 with 19 locations reviewed in Clearwater, Florida
Holeman and Finch Public House Modern gastropub and whole animal cookery in Atlanta, Georgia
The Avenue Eat + Drink Rustic restaurant known for its burgers in St. Petersburg, Florida
Bar and Grill cuisine is made up of locations that incorporate restaurants that serve typical bar foods or “pub grub” but also includes grilled menu items. Some restaurants enhance the experience further by offering detailed plate presented foods along with contemporary Bistro cuisine.
Lucky’s Lounge slick lounge with a cool retro vibe at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts
Reflections Bar and Grill American favorites in the Westin Hotel at the airport in Detroit, Michigan
Sloppy Joe’s Bar A landmark bar/pub serving Floribbean and American classics since 1933 Key West, Florida
The Dickens Inn 1800s warehouse dockside style British pub, in London, UK
The Pegasus Arms Casual tavern serving contemporary New Zealand cuisine in Christchurch, New Zealand
The Pike Brewing Company Brewpub with a locally sourced menu in Seattle, Washington
Wipeout Bar and Grill Surf shack theme with Californian and Mexican cuisine in San Francisco, California
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St Petersburg restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
|
creative sushi + pan-Asian regional menu
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Organic and sustainable New American cuisine
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A bistro focusing on the Mediterranean and New American Cuisine
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
|
American & Greek Cafe on the banks of the Manatee River
Palmetto, Florida, USA
|
Upscale Pan Asian Fare w/sushi
Orlando, Florida, USA
|
Laid-back pizza bar featuring
stone-baked artisan pizzas
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, USA
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Punky's a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Punky's
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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11
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11
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0
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Food quality
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11
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9
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2
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Plate presentation
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10
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9
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1
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Customer service
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9
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6
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2
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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7
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3
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Total regular points awarded
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51
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43
|
8
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.843137254901961
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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0
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.813237136903922
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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3
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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3 of 5 Stars:
81% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded My Expectations in a Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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Punky's does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at Punky's:
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American, Bar and Grille, Burgers
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, but Recommended to call ahead
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wear’s flip-flops!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Punky’s
Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Trendy, Hotspot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Hole-in-the-wall, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Punky's has a private lot or street meter parking
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Wifi:
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Punky's is a non-smoking restaurant, with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€
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Punky’s Bar and Grill:
3063 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, Florida
33713
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727-201-4712
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Website Contact:
Email Us:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Mon-Sat
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday
11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Happy Hour: Mon - Fri
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Punky's:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Eclectic and Innovative New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
A classy southern seafood eatery house
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Waterfront upscale new American cuisine
Sanibel Island, Florida, USA
|
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| Punky's Bar and Grill / Entrance |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
