I love eating at restaurants that are on the water. It instantaneously makes me feel like I am on vacation, even though I might not be. Hula Bay Club is one of those places. They are located next to a marina, right off of Old Tampa Bay.
The views are spectacular from the back patio. There are tons of tables so that you can eat outside.
The day I was there I even got to see a Manatee swim by. That was the coolest thing.
To enjoy the view, I ordered the Conch Fritters. It came with a spicy Caribbean mango sauce. These fritters were loaded with fresh, tender, chopped up conch. The breading portion had great seasoning that gave it an herb flavor.
The fritter itself was moist so no dipping sauce was needed for that purpose. The sauce that was included added a nice spice to the fritter.
Another sharable that I ordered was the Kick’n Shrimp. This was fresh shrimp sautéed in a BBQ style butter sauce with garlic and Kona Beer. This sauce was amazing. It was creamy and rich. It was awesome with the shrimp but just as awesome on its own. They served this dish with a cheese bread. The bread was perfect for dipping in the buttery sauce. The bread was crispy because they melted cheese on top in the oven. I liked the extra saltiness it added to the taste.
For my lunch I ordered the Hula Bay Tuna Poke Bowl. It was a beautiful presentation. The tropical flower was a nice touch. They used Hawaiian Big Eye tuna that was tossed in a sesame dressing. This dressing was slightly spicy. Along with the tuna there was mango, edamame, crispy lettuce, carrots, and a cucumber salad. They also garnished it with seaweed and a house dressing.
I ate a few pieces of tuna before I mixed up all the ingredients together. Everything about this poke bowl was fresh. The saltiness from the seaweed complemented the sweetness of the mango. The lettuce and carrots added a crunch. The cucumber salad had an amazing sweet taste that accented the sesame dressing. With all of these elements mixed together this dish was very filling.
Hula Bay Club is a fantastic place. They are always crowded. If you are not able to get a table check out Duke’s Beach Bar downstairs. They serve the same menu and the seating is all open.
Check them out at www.hulabayclub.com
Enjoy!
T
