Cuban Centric In Gulfport
Gulfport, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Cuban, Caribbean Islands
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined: October 2019
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:
Tangelo’s Grille Zomato rating:
Tangelo’s Grille Manager:
Lisa Brennan
Tangelo's Grille is a small Cuban-Centric restaurant with a sidewalk patio café in downtown Gulfport, Florida. The city of Gulfport is a little unincorporated community that sits on the Boca Ciega Bay between downtown St Petersburg and St Pete Beach. It is a town filled with charm known most for the end of summer GeckoFest, farmers markets, little shops, the beach bazaar, and little restaurants like Tangelo’s Grill. Tangelo's focuses a wide selection of Cuban fare, mixed with hints of the other islands, plus new American favorites that are all very well priced, laid back, and filled with warm hospitality. This was our second visit and review on Wine Dine and Play to Tangelo’s.
Brunch Menu:
- Brunch Specialties
- Americana Classics
- Brunch Sandwiches
- Brunch Salads
- Kids Menu
- Desserts
We sat once again on the sideway patio area covered by umbrellas to protect from the hot sun of this mid-October day in sunny Florida. On our first visit, we had the Huevos Espinacas, a classic Latin take on eggs and spinach, scrambled, then mixed with the baby spinach, parmesan cheese, red bell peppers, and a green onion garnish. This was followed up by the Island custard french toast that came with a Cuban topping of cream cheese and guava.
My wife had a cold Ice tea while I enjoyed the same drink from the last visit, a Mary Poppins Bloody Mary. The Tangelo’s Bloody Mary has a good amount of vodka, a nice spice to the tomato, and as a first beyond the typical celery, bacon, and olive garnish, they had a fried jalapeño popper resting on the glass rim, fresh from the fryer, and piping hot. Dipping it into the Mary made for a perfect brunch cocktail experience. I could taste the vodka in the Mary but it was not overwhelming, and it mingled nicely with the spiced flavors, smoke, and tomato. A Bloody Mary covers nearly the entire range of taste sensations from sweet, salty, sour and umami or savory. The only thing it should not have is bitterness.
My wife had the Jammin’ grilled cheese which normally is served with rye bread which my wife switched to wheat, filled with Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar, and a peppered jam. For a choice of sides, she chose the grits. The grilled cheese would have been like any normal comfort food item to enjoy, but the peppered jam opened up and enhanced the flavors of the cheese, making it extremely enjoyable. The grits were slowly cooked, perfectly seasoned with the right amount of butter and were spot on with quality and taste. This was not the quick 5-minute grit that you boil in water. These had texture and complexity.
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| Tangelo's Grill / Jammin' Grilled Cheese |
For my entree, I tried the Cuban egg sandwich served with traditional Cuban bread, lightly pressed with some ham, egg, cheese and lite mustard, all the workings of a breakfast-style Cubano sandwich with the addition of some fresh local spinach. As a side, I chose the seasonal fruit which came with some strawberry, externally juicy pineapple, and some red grapes.
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| Tangelo's Grill / Cuban Egg Sandwich |
Dessert:
We didn’t have dessert on this visit but saw a key lime pie with an Oreo cookie crust that looked very inviting for our next visit.
But 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 Caribbean articles and restaurants similar to Tangelo’s Grille:
There are 13 sovereign island nations and 12 dependent territories in the Caribbean. Its cuisine is a fusion of African, Creole, Cajun, Amerindian, European, Portuguese, Spanish/Latin American, East Indian/South Asian, Arab, Chinese, Jewish, and Javanese/Indonesian. These traditions were brought from many different countries when they came. The locals have also created new styles unique to the region. Sweet potato, coconut, and plantains are stapled ingredients to the cuisine.
Bongos Bar and Grille Eclectic beachfront bistro, Cuban and American cuisine, in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Columbia Restaurant Traditional Spanish and Cuban chain since 1905; reviewed in Sarasota Florida
El Jibarita Casual, local, and traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, Old San Juan, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, USA
The Salty Rim Grill Nautical themed American eats with a Caribbean flair in St. Pete Beach, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Gulfport restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Weekly, Organic, Sustainable
Gulfport, Florida, USA
|
Old-School Rustic Tuscan
Gulfport, Florida, USA
|
Waterfront Bar with American Bites
Gulfport, Florida, USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
|
An Eclectic Blend of American and European
Dunedin, Florida USA
|
El Toro Mexican Bar and Grill
A no-frills spot for Mexican staples
Cape Coral, Florida USA
|
Rated the best Seafood and waterfront restaurant on the island
Captiva Island, 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 ambience, 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 Tangelos Grille a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants. The first review score was also 3 of 5 stars, so they have maintained their excellence by exceeding all dining expectations once again.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Tangelo’s Grille
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
|
11
|
9
|
2
|
Food quality
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
Plate presentation
|
10
|
8
|
2
|
Customer service
|
9
|
9
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0
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Alcohol and other beverages
|
6
|
3
|
3
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Total regular points awarded
|
47
|
37
|
10
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.787234042553192
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0212765957446809
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.791510638297872
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
|
3
|
**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:
|
3 of 5 Stars:
79% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded my Expectations in a Dining Experience
|
Corkage fees:
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Tangelo’s Grille 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 Tangelo’s Grille:
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Caribbean, Cuban, Island Cuisine
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-free choices, Local, Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
|
Dress code:
|
Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears 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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Tangelo’s Grille Experiences:
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Trendy, Lounge, Hotspot, Great outdoor dining, Great brunch, Hole-in-the-wall, Tourist grabber, 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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Tangelo’s Grille has 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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Low
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Smoking:
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Tangelo’s Grille is a non-smoking restaurant with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
|
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)
|
$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€
|
Alcohol prices:
$7.00 USD
Tangelos Grille:
3121 Beach Blvd South
Gulfport, Florida
33701 USA
Contact Information:
| Restaurant website: | Tangelo's Grille |
Maître d or host:
| +1 (727) 894-1695 |
| Email Us: | Email Tangelo's Grille |
| Serving hours: Eastern Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00) | Tue - Fri 11:30 am - 9:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Sunday 9:00 pm - 3:00 pm Monday Closed |
Social Media
And
Accolades for Tangelo’s Grille:
| Tangelo's Grille Facebook link |
****
The world’s 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 & innovative gastropub using molecular gastronomy
Tampa, Florida, USA
|
Seasonally inspired continental European fare
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
|
High-end bistro with modern New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
