Returning once again to Tampa, I had a chance to visit one more bbq joint. After a little searching, I settled on Kojaks, a well-known establishment in South Tampa. I pulled off the road onto their unpaved parking lot, and the towering live oaks offered a refreshing source of shade on this hot summer day. It was nice enough that I decided to have lunch at one of the tables on the outside front porch. Other dining areas are inside this old house but it seemed like they might have been a little crowded.
Judging by the name, my order was already decided. Along with my plate of ribs I got potato salad and green beans. Straight to the verdict: these were not even the best ribs I had in my short time in town. Though they were tender enough and had a decent rub, smoke flavor was minimal and hidden by the unmistakeable aftertaste of yesterday's leftovers. The place was packed and rib plates were flying out of the kitchen, but evidently I was just too early in the day to get fresh meat. The sides were done well, the beans with nice bits of smoked meat and potato salad continuing with the red-skinned style offered at all my other stops in the area. Too bad the ribs didn't measure up, because this is a nice country oasis in the big city that I really wanted to like. Not this time...
OVERALL RATING: 3.5 OF 5
1 comment:
We've been to Kojaks a number of times over the years and so far we have yet to find the ideal time for "fresh meat".
Whether it be ribs or chicken we always seem to wind up with over cooked and dried out meat.
It's such a nice venue, but the food is so disappointing. We live nearby, but we gave up on the place several years ago.
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