Stacked Burgers is one of the newest restaurants in town; opened just last week. It took the place of a Tijuana Flats which is a great establishment but in my opinion: chains just don’t do well in South Tampa.
I have been watching this place for a few months now getting excited for a new restaurant to add the lineup. Being so enthralled with the idea of what kind of burgers they would have, how high they could be stacked and so forth that I didn’t realize the double entendre that lied ahead. Walking in the atmosphere was to be expected, the walls were colorful and playful, large bar, and big screens. The place was a little bit empty being a weekend night around 8 BUT the staff was all friendly and inviting. This is when it hit me- STACKED Burgers doesn’t just reference the multiple layers of beef and toppings but playfully suggests the other things that might be stacked including our waitress and most of her co-workers. Clever little phrases like “udderly delicious” and “more than a mouthful” illustrated on the wall really brought home the point. After getting over the fact that I missed this play on words, I took in the menu which was pretty simple. Burgers, Wings, Sides, Beer. I ended up getting the “2 Hot 4 You Burger” two patties with pepper jack cheese, jarred jalapenos, and wing sauce. Food items at restaurants are not usually too hot for me and this was no exception. I did however regret my decision to get a burger with so many toppings on it because frankly my mouth is not able to (comfortably) open that wide- so I guess they lived up to their name! I also tried my husband’s plain ole Stacked Burger without any toppings; it wasn’t any better. For $1 extra I was able to trade in my side of regular fries for Zucchini Fries with Horseradish Sauce- this was a good choice for sure. The Zucchini Fries are thin strips of (duh) zucchini with a light batter and then deep fried- this a great alternative for people like me who love french fries but would like to indulge without eating the dreaded simple carb white potatoes! Don’t be fooled: I know this is no better health-wise but I like it anyways. Although they were not set up for draft beer (it’s their first week so let’s give them a break) the price was right for both draft and bottled beer, $3-$4 glass. The one thing that really did bother me was the distinct look that this place used to be a T.J. Flats from the tables/booths, to the napkin holders, television placement and even the crushed ice- if the owners of Stacked can somehow shake that “ I bought out a Tijuana Flats restaurant and turned it into this” look I’d like it much better.
Overall I think it has a chance of being something good, still some kinks to work out but if it’s done right they can really have another good burger place in SoHo.
Parking: Sparse and hard to find, also a bit dark after the meal.
Price: Not too expensive, meals range from $6-$10 and come with a side + beer is cheap.
Food: Decent, quality of ingredients are average but would go back for location, price and atmosphere. Creativity of menu is worth checking out.
Service: Stacked and Friendly.
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