Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe

Used to be one of my favorite places to eat in the Heights. The food is still consistently better than most places around town, but the portions are shrinking and the prices are getting out of control. I always get the hummus of the day for a starter, and it used to come with flatbread and veggies. Last time it came with three croutons and a few rounds of cucumber. I was charged and extra $ 3.50 for 3 additional croutons and a couple round slices of veg. By the time I had a glass of wine and the fish sandwich special my tab was $ 40. I could have fed a family of four at the Front Porch and had equally delicious food.

If it wasn’t for the food, this place probably would have gotten a lower rating. If you are thinking about coming here for brunch on a Sunday be prepared for the looong wait. With that being said let’s move on to the more important part, FOOD. My boyfriend and I shared the chicken and waffles, a salad (can’t remember the name), and the side platters. The chicken and waffles were probably one of the best in Tampa itself. I really enjoyed the salad the salmon was flaky and paired really well with the goat cheese and the homemade dressing. Make sure to get the side platter to share with your party. They have the best sides like crispy sweet potatoe fries, crunchy watermelon slaw, and the okra was on point.

Came here for the first time today. Although the chicken and waffles were good, the biscuits and gravy were divine! My pineapple mimosa put a smile on my face. Crazy busy with a 45 min wait for brunch, but we knew that going in. I spotted a lot of people eating ribs, so I want to come back to try the barbecue. Fabulous first meal here!

Food is good but wait is partially because they can’t seem to get organized. At least 8 tables were vacant for 30 minutes while people waited to be seated at brunch on Sunday

I love this place. Went here yesterday and was presently surprised. I wasn’t very hungry but we ordered wings and desert. Everything was so good! I had the red velvet cake (made from scratch) and rumchata cake. OMG that’s all I can say. I heard Sunday it’s the place to be. Definitely will go again and again.

Stopped in for dinner Friday night before heading out to a show. I had the Sulu’s Curry with fish & tofu. I was told by our server that the chef was Indian, so I knew the dish would have an authentic flavor & it did not disappoint! The creamy coconut & curry flavors were like a party in my mouth. The party ACTUALLY began with the Rasta-​Far Fries, which were amazing. They are actual potato wedges. Delish! My friends each had the Tenderloin pizza (YUM!!) and The Hog (YUM again!) Another friend had The Dog House & she really didn’t enjoy it. Not really sure why. I’m guessing because she’s not a fan of goat cheese.
All in all, a fabulous visit! The service was awesome & quick. Prior to last night, I had only gone for their Soul Food Sunday’s which offers an entirely different (and delicious) menu! Check that out too.

Ella’s is a decent size restaurant/​bar with a pretty large & nice patio out front overlooking beautiful Nebraska Ave. We came in and were told that the wait for a table would be 30 minutes. They took my name and number and, sure enough, called me 30 minutes later. However, while we were waiting, I wanted to order two shots of tequila and asked the bartender what kind they had. She told me what they had and recommended one in particular, which I forgot the name. Unfortunately, she forgot to mention they were $ 10 a shot. It was good tequila but, in my opinion, nothing is worth $ 10 a shot unless it’s illegal.
Anyway, we were seated and the service was pretty slow but not horribly slow. We ordered some drinks and a pizza. I asked for the pizza sans goat cheese (I mean, really, who puts goat cheese on pizza) and, of course, there were gobs of goat cheese on the pizza. No apology from the server, no comp offers, nothing. After I scraped the goat cheese off of my slices, I tried it and it certainly wasn’t anything special. Just your boring, regular pizza which was really trying to be something special, but failed. The mozzarella cheese (the kind that’s supposed to be on pizzas) was good, but not great. The crust, however, was pretty good; probably the best part of the pizza. Won’t be back.

I absolutely love this place! I have been for regular dinner and would suggest the meatloaf. My favorite though has to be soul food Sundays!
They are opened during brunch hours on Sunday’s and they have a special menu that consists of chorizo biscuits and gravy and chicken and waffles and BBQ. The BBQ is really good and normally my go to, but the chicken with the chicken and waffles is so juicy and flavorful.
I also really love the sides especially the grits and collard greens and fried pickles.
The main event however for me is the bloody Mary’s they make on Sunday’s. They infuse the vodka with jalapeños so it’s perfectly spicy and then when you think it couldn’t get any better they put a whole rib on top. I definitely suggest getting the Bloody Mary!

What other place serves a Bloody Mary with a rib? This is the place to be for Sunday bunch. Everything was phenomenal; ribs, cornbread, Mac and cheese, chicken and waffle, Bloody Mary and mimosa. They get really busy though and usually when I come for Sunday brunch, I end up waiting for a table but, the bar area is open seating. If you can’t deal with waiting and want to try the food here, I recommend coming right when they open.

Came here twice within the past week and both times were sub par. This place high street cred but for me I haven’t been impressed. I be been to this place several times and have left unsatisfied. Service is always ok and the food is the same. The first visit was soul food Sunday. Nice atmosphere with live music and Few drinks. I think Sunday is the better of the menus. I ordered the catfish, collard greens, and bacon mac&cheese. The catfish was overly breaded with a small piece of fish, collards needed to be cooked a little longer and the bacon Mac had a weird taste to it. Not to mention the cornbread was missing from the entrée. The 2^nd visit was during the week. I ordered the roots, which I was told that it was a little different from the description on the menu. And was told it was priced higher at $ 20. Went along with it. When the plate arrived I was very disappointed. 20 bucks for a couple carrots and sweet potatoes and a sprinkle of arugula. I think not. On that note I probably won’t be back

Yes, yes, yes! So delicious! I made my own meal out of sides; shrimp & grits, fried green tomatoes & cornbread. OH MY YUM!
The FGT were awesomely breaded with a fabulous sauce I don’t have a clue how to describe.
Husband had the fresh catch which was a delicious red snapper with a fantastic rice combination.
Absolute perfection! Great service, too!

I came here without knowing anything other than this was a good brunch spot. Was not disappointed. Seminole Heights and the Heights in general have come a long with especially in the last few years. Now we have craft breweries and great restaurants and all so close.
The most surprising thing was seeing a line. A decent sized one… and folks actually waiting on the sidewalk in Seminole Heights! Well the line was worth it and moved fast enough. inside the feel and décor was bold and throw back with a country flair. You’ll see for yourself inside.
Ella’s is now a stop in the beer loop on the official shuttle. I tried the bloody mary and that was special and fun. Came with a rib on top. The rib was fantastic and cooked well. It was not hot but more room temperature when I ate it. The bloody mary was tasty and a little spicy. My friend had a watermelon mimosa. It was ok. Looked good though.
My meal ended up being chicken and waffles with a side of fried green tomatoes. The meal came with a lot of chicken. 3 pieces. So much I didn’t even finish the last. Cooked and fried well but the breading was missing something. A little spice of flavor kick. No big deal. Came with a sauce/​gravy for the chicken. Waffles and syrup were good. Hard to mess those up. Friend green tomatoes were pretty good. Not the best I ever had but that is hard to top. Would get them again.
Can’t wait to come back. Doesn’t even have to be for brunch. Might start incorporating this into one of my stops when I do the beer and food loop.

What a great dining experience. The atmosphere is very pleasant. My wife and I sat in the loft which was very spacious. The music was quite varied and something for everyone. The food was especially good. I had the chicken and waffle which was a perfect portion. At first I was annoyed that I didn’t get two waffles but by the time I got to it after two drumsticks and a thigh, one waffle was quite adequate. My wife had a brisket and rib plater that was off the chain. The collards are to die for as well with a nice mix of sweet and sour.
For a family of three the cost for the value received was outstanding. I highly recommend it but not if you want a quiet intimate dinner. Not that kind of place.

I’ve been here twice within recent months, once for a fun but lackluster brunch, and once for a great birthday dinner. I’ll preface by saying that I don’t remember too much about the brunch, so that’s not what this review is about. For this review, I’m talking about their dinner service, where I went with a group of 10 people for my sister’s birthday. And despite having a great time and loving it, I’m giving them ⁴⁄₅ stars because when I went here two years ago, the food was even better, and I hate it when restaurants go backwards.
To start with, Folk Art Café is perhaps the best descriptor of a folksy, hipstery restaurant that you could come up with (though now that I think of it, it’s not much of a café). The restaurant looks like it was built into the house of that weird-​but-​cool wealthy guy who has a bunch of random art pieces in his front yard. But surprisingly enough it all fits together pretty well, and the art pieces really are cool to look at. The outside porch area is built surrounding a giant oak tree, meaning that eating outside carries constant risk of falling acorns and leaves, but is otherwise beautiful. Inside it’s much more quirky with a corner stage, metal-​work art, and a two floor dining area.
The service here is pretty good, our waitress was able to keep track of and also happily talk to and interact with our entire party. All of our food came out at the same time, and everyone’s special requests and alterations were attended to. The waitress even brought out a huge knife to cut the cake, which we brought with us, and when we asked her to bring our leftover cake to some other tables she did so with a big smile.
The food was very good but, like I said in the introduction, I had better when I came here a few years ago. It definitely seems like they’ve scaled back a bit, which maybe it was a business decision and not just a change in quality, but it still left me a little disappointed. Regardless, I still suggest the Chicken with Mole and Arepas, just ask for some extra mole on the side.
The price is fair if a little bit high, but they tend to give you pretty large portions so I’m not going to complain.
Definitely a place that I’m going to continue going, but hopefully they can keep up the awesome service while bringing back that magic with the food.

I’ve been here before many times either for the Sunday brunch or dinner time. The food is always amazing here. Due to the popularity, there’s always a long wait to be seated.
The vibe here is very hipster, folky and trendy. This makes sense as it is within the confinements of the Seminole Heights neighborhood. From my photos you can see that the walls/​windows/​shelving feature many pieces of local art work. The outside patio areas not exempt from this also as the artwork extends to outside. Heating is offered outside for those cold days.
Ella’s Soul Food Sunday brunch is one of the most popular times to eat here. You have to make sure you come early for this. I don’t believe they except reservations due to the popularity for this day. My favorite part about the Sunday brunch is not only the food, but their Bloody Mary known as the Bloody Ella which is a spicy, flavorful meal in itself. It includes a Hickory smoked rib as a garnish. I was never really a Bloody Mary drinker until I had this. The dinner menu also features an assortment of gourmet dishes which are a separate delicious experience in themselves. I would suggest that you review the menu on this site for a better description.
This restaurant features a full bar with their own along menu of unique cocktail concoctions. Many of them are amazing! For the drinks, you can go on their website and check it out see what I mean. I like to start off with the cherry limeade (One of my favorites).
Every time we’ve been here, the staff has been very friendly and helpful with the menu items. The facilities is two stories with the second-​story being a mezzanine level. On certain days and/​or nights, they feature live music at the stage in the corner of the restaurant.
Unfortunately, parking is very limited at this location. Therefore, during peak times you may have to park on the adjacent property as allowed or park at a legal side of the residential neighborhood streets behind the restaurant. Be warned that the facilities only have one set of single toilet men and women restroom. Depending on the volume of people within the restaurant, there may be a wait for that. I never experienced waiting too long though.
All in all, it has always been an excellent dining and visual experience overall.

I had a great experience at Ella’s. They easily accommodated our large group. The beautiful space has a lot of character. I like the tall ceilings, strands of lights, and eclectic art. Our waiter was efficient and friendly without being obtrusive. The food was delicious and memorable. I really enjoyed the chicken pot pie, which was one of the evenings specials. The chimichanga appetizer was also good, it reminded of a samosa actually. This is a nice place for a celebratory occasion. It’s a little bit on the noisy spectrum but definitely fun place for the weekend. Most drinks were between 8 – 12 $, appetizers in the same range and dinners were between 15 – 25 $. They have a parking lot behind the restaurant.

Ella’s has a fun unique vibe like no other. We showed up early for brunch on a Sunday and were stunned at the long line that had already formed! It was just a normal weekend so we knew this place had to be good.
We sat outside on the front deck because, it was a beautiful day and order pineapple mimosas. I liked that they had 2 sizes and different juices to choose from. I ordered the Chicken and Waffles and holy cow was it huge! The chicken and the waffle were cooked well and the Maple Gravy on the side was yummy. I tasted my friend’s chorizo gravy and biscuit which was also delicious.
Overall this place is fun and delicious was worth the wait!

Dear Ella’s,
I love you. Don’t change.
Except…
Specials– Why aren’t there ever vegetarian ones?
And when my boyfriend orders them, with your wait staff well versed in their mouth watering descriptions, why aren’t there a plethora of vegetables as described?
Example– chicken with sweet potato hash, Brussels sprouts, spinach and special hollandaise sauce. Sounds so balanced, so good.
But… there were two Brussel sprouts. Two. ???
Why aren’t there vegetarian specials? I eat so many good burgers, so many hippie pizzas. I long for originality and intrigue, Ella’s unique flavors, meat free please.
Also, the sunlight. Curtains aren’t pulled and sun accosts my eyes. Couldn’t there be shades that bring in light but keep out glare?
I know this is picky, but that’s me. I also come here all the time. Please help me love you like I used to, because right now I just really, really, really like you.

We got off to a little bit of a slow start, literally, with the service here but as soon as someone finally came to greet us, it was good service from there on out. We were watching the clock closely because we were very close to the end of happy hour and wanted to order drinks right away. We sat at the table with no one attending to us for a full seven minutes, which is a long time when you’re waiting for someone to notice you, and you’d really like to order a drink.
Neither my husband nor I had ever been here before so this was a new experience for both of us. They had a nice selection of beers wines, and ciders. I was stoked to see they had eight different ciders, which I think is the most I’ve ever seen. My husband tried a new beer, which he liked, and I ordered a new cider, which I also liked. Our sever brought out bread, which was meh, but the butter served with it was really good.
To start, we ordered the «viva la chimi» which was freaking amazing. We both loved it. Because it was made of mostly potatoes it was very filling. If you order this you probably can go easy on the entrée. We then shared the «chicken porta– pesto» pizza, which was very good. It was even good today as leftovers when I reheated it!
They definitely had a unique ambiance. Weird art and odd stuff everywhere you looked. We sat outside and enjoyed it.
We liked this place and will be back!

OK first off, love the eclectic atmosphere. I really enjoy unique places, do the décor is great and fun. I’ve been in a couple of times and each time the food was ok.
The last time I was in, one of our items was burnt and another was under seasoned so our food wasn’t as good as the first time. As you can see from the picture, the black pieces in the veggie burger were burnt pieces and the onion rings weren’t fully covered so the ended up getting dry and brown on the inside.
I haven’t tried the soulfood Sunday, I’m hoping it will be better than my last expierence at Ellas.