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This Isn't Your Father's Sports Bar

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By MARY PATRICK, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 12, 2007

LUTZ - It seems an odd couple at first, but maybe they're on to something.

St. Pete's Cafe Cibo has opened a new Lutz location in conjunction with Uncle Burly's Backyard Grill. The two restaurants operate side-by-side under the same ownership but have separate menus and kitchens.

While Cafe Cibo still serves up fresh Italian cuisine in an intimate, casual setting, Uncle Burly's brings a new twist to standard sports bar fare.

Don't worry: The food might be a bit different, but Uncle Burly's offers friendly service, numerous flat-screen televisions with crystal-clear reception and the Bucs on the big screen. Whether you're at a booth, table or the large bar, every seat comes with a television view.

Uncle Burly's offers a full bar, beer and wine, including local selections from Plant City's Keel & Curley Winery. The Keel & Curley selections are a tip-off that this is a different kind of sports bar, and the menu confirms it.

The star of the starter's menu is Burly's Pig Wings, moist, delicious and only slightly less messy than usual sports bar Buffalo wings. Each order contains two meat 'lollipops' - shaved pork bones topped with a hunk of tender, juicy fire-grilled meat basted in a sweet barbecue sauce.

Another winner is Burly's Marinated Steak Skewer (also available in shrimp). There's something fun about meat on a stick, and this one has tender cuts of beef slathered in Burly's secret homemade marinade and grilled to perfection.

The BBQ & Cheddar Mountain features a base of homemade fresh-cut potato chips - the best I've tasted in Tampa and worth the trip to Lutz - doused in a disappointing liquid cheese and sprinkled with chunks of sweet barbecue pork. The fried green tomato slices, served with a tangy wasabi-ranch dressing, were a bit overbattered but had a nice firm texture.

Entrees vary in quality. The half-pound burger tasted fresh off the grill. And while you can build your own burger with such toppings as chili, chopped barbecue or mushrooms, it's good enough to eat straight up. An extra dollar gets you a side of fresh homemade potato chips.

The pizza section of the menu lists such tantalizing concoctions as cheese steak, barbecue and cheddar, and a seafood pie with shrimp and calamari. The homemade New York-style pizza with its thin, slightly crispy crust and mild sauce has a hit.

The St. Louis Style Ribs were tender, moist and full of smoky flavor. But the chicken-fried steak with mushroom sauce was a letdown. The thin, breaded tenderloin of beef was fork tender but dry, and the mushroom sauce was so unappetizing I wished for A.1.

The sides are numerous. Among those sampled, the potato chips bear mentioning again - they're that good. The Mac & Cheese Cake Casserole tasted creamy and caloric and the grilled corn on the cob had an interesting kick, but the mushrooms in beef broth tasted beefy and salty, like sucking on a bouillon cube.

But just the fact that mushrooms in beef broth, calamari pizza and shrimp skewers are on the menu shows Uncle Burly's has more upscale aspirations than your typical sports bar. Hey, just because you like football doesn't mean you can't have discerning taste.

DINING REVIEW

Uncle Burly's Backyard Grill
BOTTOM LINE: Family-friendly sports bar offers flame-grilled fare.

WHERE: 17667 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz

HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: For large parties

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Full bar and wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: Entrees range from $9.99 to $25.99

CALL: (813) 264-6568

Tribune reviewers eat anonymously. Mary Patrick can be reached at marypatrick@ fridayextra.com.

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