Whatever the reason, the local scenes in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami have exploded with more bars, more places to drink, and more social areas. Maybe there are heavier amounts of younger people now more than ever, but the amount of bars has definitely increased in the last ten years in each of these cities. Finding a good bar is sometimes hard, whether it’s because of the overpricing of food, mediocre service, and/or sheer lack of space. Prior to Treasure Island, the only one I have visited more than once is the Ale House on 535 in the Walt Disney area (Recommend if you’ve never been there). However, it’s been dethroned (in terms of food and service at least), by this wonderful place in Treasure Island.
A local favorite in Tampa Bay, Ricky T’s Bar and Grill has been hailed as the most visited spot amongst the locals in all of Treasure Island. I was heading over there in the 2:00 timeframe to catch the Argentina/Mexico match. However, I was mixed up on my days and instead was catching the United States play Ghana. The bar looks small from a distance, but is actually quite big once you head inside. There are televisions all over the place, and there is a very positive atmosphere everywhere, even in the face of US losing 1-0 at that time. Our server was also partially in charge of the small bar located in the center of the restaurant. Keeping pace with both spots was quite talented if you ask me.
Here is what we ordered since we were hungry and really needed to make up for The Pearl Restaurant: 20 wings (ding dang sauce, and garlic), crispy fries, prime rib sandwich, buffalo chicken dip, and the seafood pizza. The seafood pizza sounded the most exciting, with a pizza infused with alfredo sauce, shrimp, lobster, crab, and mozzarella cheese. No drinks though, nobody was in the mood to drink anything past water. We waited a bit but passed the time by watching the game.
All the foods arrive pretty much in succession. There was no more waiting once all the food was ready. We got the buffalo dip and French fries first. The buffalo chicken dip is one of the best dips I have ever tasted in my life. A mix of a great sauce with pieces of chicken and cheese all over, this dip went perfectly well with the already-tasty chips. They got high marks all around. The fries were crispy and also very good. The wings were the weakest portion, but none of us three were ever big with wings, we just wanted to try some. The garlic wings were good, but the ding dang wings had the spiciness, but lacked the flavor. As we were trying all this however, the rest of the food arrived, including, the seafood pizza.
Michael’s prime rib sandwich looked fantastic, and according to him, tasted fantastic. It came with great local chips, and a fantastic French onion dip. The onion dip even went well with the fries. The seafood pizza is why Ricky T’s is going to become a spot I shall visit everytime I am in the general vicinity. The seafood pizza was massive, full of seafood (lobster and crab just melts in your mouth), full of rich flavor, and also chock full of cheese---which is a personal favorite extra touch of mine. If you like seafood, and only if you like seafood, then you must try this at least once. While the price tag is high ($19) remember this: seafood is expensive especially nowadays (k thanks BP), and it is well-worth its price quality-wise. There is no half-assing whatsoever in this joint, and the service was great too.
What also stands out is the sheer variety of items, which destroys that of your average bar or pub. The spot had four pages, and it was tough to fine any two dishes or appetizers that sounded the same. It actually took us more time to order than it did for them to make the food and bring it to us. It is clear to see why its become such a local hit for the past 15 years. One last note: there is live entertainment, but in the evening time. There were a lot of people there when we visited, but it looks like the real busyness arrives when the sun comes down. Ricky T’s is split into two bars and one main restaurant, and packed inside is a lot of quality atmosphere, quality service, and quality food.
Bottom Line: This is a must-visit by any means necessary. Everything about this spot was fantastic, from the sports memorabilia to the ambience to the great, great food. We were satisfied from the first second to the very last. Kudos to whomever is running this place, because you have a gem that has gotten the attention of all the locals and all the visitors. The place isn’t tough to find, so it is strongly suggested if you ever head to Tampa Bay—whether its Clearwater, St. Petersburg , or Treasure Island. If you want to find a good example of a good bar, then come here, enjoy, and take some serious notes. Containing the aura of a bar but serving food fit for a high-scale restaurant, Ricky T’s Bar and Grill is inches away from cuisine perfection.
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