3 out of 5 stars
103 East Jackson St, Tampa. Appetizers: $7-$9; entrees: $4-$15; desserts: $8-$9; beer/wine/cocktails: $5-$18. 8
13-694-7001, genxtavern.com.
After circling the block a few times, I luck into a ParkMobile space in downtown Tampa as I meet up with my Gen X tasters to explore the Tavern, which “honors '80s and '90s style, swagger, and unflinching character. It almost feels like you’ve been here before, because you have… both literally and figuratively.”
That’s all true, but you’ve got to turn a corner, go up six stairs and through double glass doors to find the entrance to their time machine “decked out in the fads of yesteryear.” Indeed, the room features a whole bank of clunky, square, old-school TVs with tubes and pixelated video games. A large mural fills one wall depicting the era’s touchstones: MTV, Jurassic Park, Friends, Nirvana, Pac-Man, Miami Vice, 90210 and on and on. Two display cases are bursting with memorabilia (N*SYNC lunchbox, cabbage patch dolls, Blockbuster VHS, etc). The website homepage even represents the era in a Spotify playlist ranging from Blondie to Motley Crue.
My Gen X tasters are chagrined as we watch a stream of young millennials enter the tavern to see what the fuss is all about. Just how did the old folks, i.e. those over 30, struggle to live before the Digital Age? It’s tough to be on the cusp of 40.
The bar menu covers all the bases. There’re bubbles and shots, wine and a fun list of cocktails. Keeping with the theme, they do super fun adult CapriSun packs laced with rum. Of course, there’s beer in cans and on draft in a glass with a boxy line drawing of a 1984 Macintosh that proclaims “downloading good times.”
Much of the menu focuses on guilty pleasures — those foods your parents warned you about. We start with a winning fried food trifecta: pickle chips, corn dog nuggets, and fried ravioli. The thick-cut tart pickle chips are covered with a crisp, warm coating and only enhanced by a dip in the homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. They’re just terrific.
The bite-size corn dog nuggets are also hot and yummy with tangy “Cooter’s brown sauce.” They’re so good, the sauce isn’t necessary but the Dukes of Hazzard mechanic would certainly approve. Our first two starters are so delightful that the fried cheese ravioli are just less interesting.
Moving to the main courses, you’ve got lower calorie salads/bowls grouped under Richard Simmons, plus sandwich references to Dallas, Ferris Bueller, and Caddyshack characters. Or a MacGyver sandwich with 40+ options. We jump on the Cousin Eddy burger with waffle fries. I’m not sure if the reference is to the Twisted Metal video game or Randy Quaid’s memorable turn in the National Lampoon's Vacation series, but it’s a good burger. Our eight-ounce patty is perfectly cooked and topped with pimento cheese, bacon, bread-and-butter pickles plus pickled onion.
The Griswold’s BBQ Chicken lists bacon and mushrooms with cheddar and barbecue sauce on the menu, but our grilled breast has peppers and onions under the cheese. This bait-and-switch is disappointing.
The blackened shrimp taco piles the shellfish on top of Rice-A-Roni with cilantro and makes it pop with Mount St. Helens sauce which blissfully is not as hot as lava. Despite its name, it makes for a tasty, balanced bite.
The chorizo taco layers the sausage bits with pickled red onions, cojita cheese and some shredded cabbage and tops it with piquant salsa and cilantro. Because of the spice in the chorizo, this is actually the hotter of the two.
It’s been a long time since I had SpaghettiOs, but Gen X’s side didn’t seem to be any kind of improvement. If too much sauce and soggy pasta rock your world, go for it. Nostalgia is in the eye (and palate) of the beholder.
The success of the Gen X desserts is also one of perspective. They are more a triumph of wistfulness than one of gastronomy. Dunk-a-Roos were a 1990 snack pack from Betty Crocker containing cookies paired with icing for dipping. Here, there’s a mound of animal crackers and sweet, unctuous frosting dotted with confetti of rainbow sprinkles. For me, there’s absolutely no redeeming value, but I know many friends whose inner 10-year-old would enthusiastically revel in a dunkaroo bender.
Then, of course, there’s a pair of fried Twinkies drizzled with raspberry sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m reminded of Sara Palin’s remark about putting lipstick on a pig, but these are as described. If the words “fried Twinkies” don’t instantly evoke an image in your mind of uncontrollable retching, you’re bound to be pleased. Just don’t tell your mother; your secret is safe with me.
Obviously, lots of thought has gone into the Gen X Tavern menu and decor. A nice touch is the throwback multi-color, transparent barrel ballpoint pen presented to sign your bill. My concern for them, however, is whether the location and the nostalgic menu will prove to have staying power. It’s a destination restaurant far from the madding crowd; I hope there are enough diners who want to grab a beer and some corn dog nuggets after work to create critical mass.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at food@creativeloafing.com.
Want to know everything going on with Tampa Bay's food and drink scene? Sign up for our Bites newsletter.
This article appears in Jul 4-11, 2019.