Ybor Grille

I am new to Apollo Beach and my major complaint about this area is, there is no where to eat. Then a neighbor said, Ybor Grill is a must go to. I am soooooo thankful he told me about this place. It’s by far one of the best restaurants I’ve been to since I moved to Florida.

Tried lunch after a day on the water and it was excellent. I had the pork bowl, friends had a Cuban, soup and crab roll. The food was very good, server attentive and atmosphere nice. Will try again.

Pleasant Surprise
Precious likes her Cuban food and her mojitos. And she only likes the best. Whenever we’re in Miami, we have to go to Versailles. So I was worried when mom suggested we go to this place. The place is located in the parking lot of what is probably an abandoned supermarket turned into a flea market. The parking lot is not very well maintained with weeds pushing their way through the asphalt.
The décor of the place is underwhelming. It’s just a place. There’s nothing fancy. Some places might have pictures of old Chevys on the wall or a mural on the wall of Old Habana. But this place is not decorated very much.
But none of that matters because the food and the mojitos are awesome. Precious got her roast pork which she always gets, and she loved it mentioning that it didn’t have a lot of fat on it. I got a sampler plate with roast pork, ropa vieja and something else, and they were very good. As sides I got yellow rice and maduros, and they were both excellent. The serving sizes are very big, and I couldn’t finish, and both mom and Precious requested doggie bags.
The mojitos were good too. Precious loved her mojito so much she ordered another.
Just out of curiosity we inquired about the cooks. Their names were Larry, David and Gina. We thought that was funny because at almost every restaurant in our hometown the cooks are Latinos. So here we have white guys cooking Latino food.

My husband and I decided to try this place after my mom suggested it. By the outside it doesn’t look like much but the inside has a very nice ambiance. Not too fancy but not casual at all. The menu was simple and not overwhelming. We ordered the sangria (a nice touch to have the cinnamon sugar on the rim) and the Cuban bread was delicious with the olive butter. I ordered the Roja vieja (I’m probably butchering the name) it was flavorful and the side of yellow rice and plantains were fabulous! My husband had the daily special of the Mahi Mahi and omg was that amazing! The shrimp and scampi sauce with the yellow rice really brought out the flavor of the Mahi Mahi. They should make that a standard dish! Overall very pleased and we will definitely be back!

Great find for excellent Cuban food in the Apollo Beach /​Ruskin area!!! Totally worth the drive from Brandon! The Chicken & Yellow Rice and the Mamas Meatloaf were both excellent. Sangria pitchers were a great deal, too! Service was fantastic, as well! The server called everyone at our 8-​top by name and the owner stopped by to say hello! Highly recommended!!!

The restaurant is clean and well staffed. Food was pretty good and the service was nice as well. They do not have an huge menu but what they do have they do well.

Its officially a favorite of ours in this little town we live in. We don’t go to many sit down restaurants and if we do we’re really selecting the one we enjoy and this one is. The new location is nice and a little bit upscale from the previous location.
I’m not sure what it is tho when you order mojitos they come under sweeten and very bland almost like water and alcohol, i can’t say it’s just them because this happen at many other spots around the bay area. Other drinks had here have been good and happy hour ordered.
Food has always been spot on but not to die for. My wife always orders the ropa vieja, she says it reminds her of her grandfather’s cooking. I’ve tried the steak and cuban sandwich and both times liked them. I took my parents here awhile back and they always are the hunt for a good cuban and they said this place was bad at all for that.
The prices are a bit high and that’s why it makes this place for us just a once in great while for us. If you go don’t under dress or you get the stair down from the front desk and maybe leave the kiddos at the babysitters too…
Yay!I’m a fan because of the food and service not so much the mojito’s.

A friend’s recommendation steered me to this lovely restaurant and I could not be more grateful for the tip.
The interior is large and nicely designed with dark wood floors, artwork celebrating Ybor City’s world famous cigar industry and interesting historical photos throughout the dining room.
A comfortable bar area overlooks the main dining room and is appealing enough to provide a relaxing setting for pre– or post-​dinner drinks.
The menu features the traditional Cuban fare that used to be more prevalent in Tampa but now seems to be primarily located in West Tampa and Ybor City. And the tastes are every bit as authentic as those offered at its Cuban counterparts.
Prices are moderate, portions are generous and service is friendly and well paced.
While this location is a little far from where I live, I would not entirely rule out a return visit. It is a casual restaurant but the overall feel is polished which makes it a good candidate for a place to take out-​of-​town guests or a good option for a night out with good friends, like those who guided me here.

Ybor grille is an old standby of mine here in ruskin. Granted, that’s not saying very much considering the area, but it’s true.
The atmosphere has become a bit more refined with the new location, almost romantic, but I still feel comfortable bringing my toddler. Portions are generous– I always bring a bag home.
In truth, I come here for one meal and one meal only: the ropa vieja with FRIED yucca. This meal never disappoints. Always satisfying and comforting, one of those childhood-​memory-​triggering meals. Kinda funny how a cuban meal can do that for an Irish Jersey girl… Every time I bring someone here, I let them sample my plate. Every time they say «next time, I’m getting what you had».
If you are in ruskin, I recommend you give Ybor grille –and thier ropa vieja– a try.

Recently (within last 3 months) realized they had moved down the street. The previous location did not have much curb appeal. The new (er) location is much much better.
Getting to the food, it is phenomenal. Have not had a bad experience yet. Highly recommend this place if you are in the mood for Cuban with a twist of Italian cuisine. Worth every penny.

very friend service here — the wait staff was awesome for giving tips on what to try from the menu. I had the cuban sandwich; needless to say it was pretty perfect. the ingredients seemed very fresh, restaurant was comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, a great value and wonderful experience.

Easy to find. David wait staff was attentive. Large portions at fair prices.
Bread at the beginning was tasty. Probably didn’t need the butter with chopped peppers. It needed more of a zip. I had pulled pork it was cooked perfectly. Simple taste. Maybe I could have added hot sauce. My friend got the meat with spices and tomatoes he was very happy. Also his side salad had delicious dressing. The yellow rice was great. Veggies cooked crunchy nice taste. I would come again for sure.

I’ll keep this simple: I have lived near the Ybor area for 20 years, so I have tried it ALL. Ybor Grille is the REAL DEAL. Moist, fresh, well seasoned, and authentic. Get the ropa vieja and green beans… I couldn’t get enough.

Wow! What a gem. We live about 20 minutes away and never knew this existed. Everything we ate was DELICIOUS! The portions were generous and the food was authentic. The olive butter they serve with the bread is perfect!

I was down in Ruskin visiting some friends and we stopped in here. Around 7:15 about a 20 min wait, so we waited at the bar. We each had a cocktail and they were delicious. The bartender also offered us bread while we waited. Super cool people! After we were seated, we got the deviled crab (yum!) and we all ordered the 7^th Ave filet with salad and mashed potatoes. Sounds pretty basic, right? It was DELICIOUS!!! None of us could believe how good the salad, salad dressing (cremier, balsamic blue cheese), steaks, and bread were. Just amazing! Good stuff, we’ll be back. I wish these people well.

We really love this restaurant. The new location is much nicer. My husband and daughter love the filet, and they have a leg up on La Septima, as they do not prepare the filet that way any longer. We had a little mishap with a spilled drink on one of our guests, but they handled it very nicely and were very attentive. Accidents happen, and it was okay and nice of them to show care. We will be back again soon.

My husband and I are new to the area, and were invited to go to this restaurant along with a group of 10 others. We ordered the grouper sandwich, and it was wonderful, served with freshly made potato chips. Others ordered the Cuban sandwich and enjoyed it, and several enjoyed the sangria which was excellent. It certainly didn’t taste «watered down» as suggested by another reviewer. Most of all, kudos to our server, Amber, who was probably one of the best servers I’ve ever had, especially given the size of our group. She was so helpful and efficient, and knew the menu inside-​out.

Not sure what happened with the first, one star reviewers experience but mine was stellar. Fastest service I’ve ever, ever had at any restaurant. Ingredients in my salad were fresh, the meat perfectly seasoned. My hubby had the stuffed potato ball and black brand with yellow rice, which was also spot on. I’m from Puerto Rico and this place gets my seal of approval. I like the new digs (a renovated bank) much better than the old place. The original hardwood floors with brass nails, plus the black and white pics and wall art made of coat boxes, brings a touch of rustic to the otherwise modern building. Warm décor and nice seating arrangement fits a good amount of people without feeling crowded. We’ll definitely be back. Gracias!

As always a great local eatery that’s been around for years finally found themselves in the perfect location! Now offering outdoor seating as well as a full bar! My favorites the olive butter, guava cheesecake, Cuban sandwiches, or deep fried house chips, & Yucca. Since moving to the new location there is a small increase in prices, i’m pretty much stuck on my favorite dish which is the sirloin I always get a salad with the house creamy herb dressing & and I switch up the other side between yellow rice, Spanish beans, yucca, plantains, or a even soup now a favorite!

They moved, along with the nicer dining setting, and nice pot hole free parking is a large price hike in the same semi-​small portions and hard as rock potato chips instead of a side of fries. If you ask for fries, an additional $ 2.00 fee is added to an already over priced meal.
Do yourself a favor and go to La Septema where Causeway turns to Lumsden. Don’t worry the staff will be a mixture of snobs and friendly servers just like at the Ybor Grille. At least at La Septima, the food will taste better and the prices lower. No Gawd awful chips!
When they changed their location, they should have changed the name to Ruskin Grille. This dive is nothing like an Ybor City eatery, not even close.