Roux

I was just waiting and waiting to go back here… I had read mixed reviews for quite some time…
Visited on a Sunday for brunch. They stop serving at 2, they stop taking names at 1:30. Makes sense since the whole place is packed!
2 for 1 mimosas (what-what!!!)…I had the apple cider mimosa. Really good! :)
We started with the ½ priced brunch gator bites. Woah, those were really good, too!
Hubby had the shrimp po boy. He said it was soooo good.
I had the Rajun Cajun — eggs, bacon, a biscuit and potatoes. The eggs were almost cooked perfectly, the bacon — well it’s Datz/Dough/Roux…the bacon is unbelievable! The potatoes — I ordered the garlic ones, I got the cheesy ones. I asked that they get replaced and thank goodness — the garlic ones were ohhhh so good. :)
Overall, the atmosphere is nice, the service from Adam was really good, the food is up to par with the rest of the Datz-​owned group. A little on the pricey side (for brunch), but it was good. I don’t mind paying a little more when you get good food and good service, although it should be a requirement of all establishments.

Visited this restaurant on a Friday night with my wife and friends. We were craving to have something different from the usual fare and decided on Roux. First up, our hostess was pleasant and seated us quickly. The restaurant has a nice ambience with numerous references to New Orleans including gas lamps. Our server was extremely patient and also made some great recommendations. An absolute must are the chargrilled oysters. For my entrée, I got the wahoo which had a spicy kick to it. All the others in my group loved their entrees too. And yes, don’t forget to check in on Unilocal.If you do, they offer a free bread pudding which is to die for. Overall, a great experience.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with my experience. I’ll return for a second chance, but I may just stick to drinks, appetizers and dessert.
Ambiance — 5 stars — everything, even the ceilings are done to make you feel like you are walking into a restaurant in NOLA. I admit, I even considered taking one of the posters on the walls for my own house (they are glued on)
Service — 4 stars — We had a large group and like all large groups, food comes out at different times, bills can be a little messed up and problems can occur with the food. We had two out of three (including a crawfish that smelled like the worst odor known to man). Our server was attentive, but did not send a manager over or attempt to rectify the issue. She DID, however, offer some very honest suggestions, which were greatly appreciated.
Food — 3 stars —
THE GOOD — I had the luxury of trying EVERYTHING at our table. Hands down the Fried Chicken and Waffles is the BEST. Cornbread appetizer is a must. The shrimp flatbread had great flavor (and was quite large). Bread pudding is amazing! Can you say HURRRRICANE!!!
THE BAD/​NOT SO GOOD
My steak was okay, but for the price a bit of a disappointment. The mac and cheese that accompanied it was even more disappointing. The Butternut Squash Ravioli was terribly bland (even a little salt and pepper could have helped).
THE UGLY
The crawfish on some type of soup or gumbo was clearly bad. Everyone at the table smelled it and, well, that smell just doesn’t leave you.

This was our first time here & we will definitely be back! The ambiance was classy & relaxing with out being stuffy & formal… we’d call it casual fine dining. We came for lunch on a Saturday and they were busy. I had a muffuletta sandwich, which was the best one I’ve ever had! The creole seasoning on the fries were good too. Hubs had the BELT sandwich (bacon, fried egg, lettuce & tomato) and he said it was delicious. The wait staff is friendly and efficient.

4.5 Stars. Kudos to Roux. The closest place I have found in the area that compares to eating in New Orleans. Inside looks like something straight out of Bourbon Street with bare brick walls and gas lamps and ornate furniture gives it that cozy feeling. Our waitress was great, she was helpful, attentive and yet not overbearing.
The food was just great. We had a party of five and we all ordered different things so that we could all share. The alligator bites are the best I have ever had. Usually they taste chewy and way too breaded no matter if you get them in the bayou or a nice trendy restaurant, but these were lightly breaded and very tender.
The cornbread was awesome and I really don’t like cornbread, it was especially good with the jalapeño butter they serve it with.
So for the entrees we got the andouille crusted wahoo — fantastic and the grits were superb and I’m not a big fan of grits. We also got the stuffed pork tenderloin — another hit, it was yummy. The Seafood Wellington was tasty as well. The Jambalaya was delicious as was the Gumbo. The only slight miss was the MacDill Crawfish Étouffée, though good it lacked the bold flavors of the other dishes, I have had better.
For desert we got the bread pudding, 3 of our party do not like bread pudding and it is something I would not usually order but it was free so what the hell. Man was that good bread pudding, the 3 who do not like bread pudding gladly finished their portion. We also got the bananas foster. They do not set it on fire at the table, they do it in the kitchen because they say they had reports of two other places where the patrons caught fire (but not injured) — it’s alcohol so it burns cool so I don’t buy that excuse especially when we had the same dessert at another Tampa restaurant only a few nights earlier.
I will definitely be back here!

This is one of those reviews where the server made the meal and made up for a very rocky start! This is our second brunch here and the food is stellar, but our server Adam was even better! We exited the building, rolled out really, after eating enormous amounts of oysters, chicken and waffles and THE most delicious, hands down, best bread pudding on the planet. The crisp Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc was wonderful and I will definitely be looking for it next time I hit Total Wine. We did not feel rushed and the food and drinks came out at a perfect pace. I know I said Adam made our meal, but he was truly spectacular. Witty, prompt and he really went above and beyond for us. Rocky start, smooth finish!

Disclaimer, this place is great, recommend it, Andre says this is too long to read, so in short GO HERE, THE FOOD IS AMAZING. Here is a new Term, Unilocalarific
Where to begin, we found this place using Unilocal,as I read the reviews, I knew we were in for a treat, but yet proceeded with trepidation knowing this restaurant was in south Tampa.
I work with men who know their food and enjoy trying restaurants that offer selection, taste and price points, after trying Mott and Hester’s, Square 1 burgers, Little Greek and the sort, we ordered which amazingly found we can place a togo order, albeit they only server brunch at noon on Saturday’s.
The menu for Lunch, breakfast and dinner is what interested us the most, a Cajun flare for all meals, I was excited to order my three favorite things, crawfish ettufee, jambalaya and seafood gumbo, at 14 dollars I knew I was getting a good price for all three. I placed three orders for pick up, mine Andres and Eds. Ed had the Turkey Siracha grilled sandwich, which on the first go around could only eat half, but states its nothing short of «awesome», I asked him if the turkey was good (its actually carved turkey meat), he said it was as that mook guy Ferrari says, «off the hook».
Andre ordered the crawfish hash with scrambled eggs which he says was amazing, although he did make the comment that there were quite a few too many potatoes but none the less it was great, he also ordered the shrimp Po’boy. The Po’boy he ordered had plenty of shrimp and was there for excited to eat the sandwich after getting the skokey switcheroo from another new Orleans type French restaurant.
The order time was amazing, we ordered at noon and it was ready in 30 minutes, when I walked in, I was impressed the décor is elegant and yet had the New Orleans old building feel to it thanks to the embossed ceiling and brick wall panels.
The last point I would make was if you add up what all of had, my total meal cost was 25 out the door with a tip, a side salad for 7 $ and the Cajun Trio for 14 $, it was great but why spend 25 dollars on lunch, if the total price had been 20 that would have been ok with me. Andre spent 27 $ and Ed got out of there for 20 $, leaving the question was it really a 25 $ lunch, for us the answer was yes, it was good, but had we gone there at sat down or had taken our wives there, the bill would have been more to include drinks and possibly desert.

I’ve been here a few times now and, while I love mostly everything about it, it seems to be getting just eh.
The fist time here for lunch I had a Po-​Boy sandwich and loved it! The Cole slaw on it was amazing and I’m not a slaw fan usually. The sangria was delicious and I could’ve order multiple… but it was lunch time.
The second time here was for a friend’s birthday dinner. The wait was awful, and especially because we made reservations I was not happy. I understand not wanting to force another party to leave but when you have others waiting for 45 mins beyond their scheduled time, that’s a problem. However, the food once again made up for it. I had a lovely pasta and chicken dish (forgive me, I don’t remember the name) that unfortunately is not on their current menu.
Now here for a third time, for lunch again, and I am disappointed. The gumbo starter was good but the basil, pesto and chicken flatbread was not good. It was ridiculously burnt and I think they forgot the pesto. The smokey mac and cheese was ok but not worth the price for the side. I was glad to have a Groupon for this. Positive note — $ 2 Roux Royale was delicious.
This may become my happy hour spot as I’ve never had a bad drink and the music and ambience are on point. Definitely a place to try.

Oh my we waited so long to try this restaurant and was unable to for one reason or another until last weekend. We made reservations for 5:30 on Saturday (highly recommended) and arrived about 5:05 do dining room does not open until 5:30 but bat was empty. Not for long though do good thing we took seats. Happy hour until dining room opens has beer and well drink specials in addition to quote a few of their specialty appetizers are ½ off. Gator bites especially great deal as usually $ 14 for appetizer but only $ 7. My DIL and I had a sangria which was delicious and we tried the gator bites and boudin balls both worth trying. Excellent flavor Bd gator was really tender. Probably what we would taste like to them. Glad to be on the other side of the gator thank you.
About 5:35 we were seated and service was excellent. I had the seafood Wellington which was a puff pastry stuffed with crab and shrimp sitting in a thick creamy shrimp sauce. My DIL had the same and definitely a difference in the amount of seafood sauce each of our plates had. My husband just had the gumbo which was good and stepson had chicken and waffles. Who would think a Cajun themed restaurant would serve that but he said it was great and the next night was craving it again. I also ordered the bacon Brussels sprouts DNS they came shredded. Never seen that before but duper yummy!
Checking in on Unilocal yielded a free bread pudding which served 2 and came out in cast iron pan with yummy sauce. Definitely packed that to go.
Not a bit disappointed in the experience and will be back to tackle another gator another day.

This is restaurants done right! Sometimes you can simply walk into a place and instantly know you are in for a great experience. This is one of those places.
The satisfaction can come from something as simple as being instantly acknowledged, greeted and seated. And it grows as you are provided with attentive service that takes into account that you are waiting for someone and you are going to wait for them to arrive before you order. Not being asked if you are OK multiple times is really OK.
And then giving that late arriving guest ample time to review the menu, ask questions and make a choice goes a long ways as well.
Finding myself with a little time to kill until my guest arrived was not a hardship because it allowed me time to fully appreciate the lovely interior that brings to mind some long ago ghosts of Tampa restaurant that used to be, like Selena’s and Café Creole. They were the predecessors but Roux does them proud.
The interior is gorgeous but not over-​the-​top. The staff members are pleasant and authentically engaged. And the menu offers a fascinating selection of dishes featuring ingredients not too readily found as well as some expected items representing this regional cuisine so this is a perfect option for folks who are looking for some creative cuisine as well as those who just want New Orleans favorites.
My most recent experience there was for lunch but I would eagerly return for brunch, Happy Hour and dinner.
Here’s to you Roux and the contribution you make to the ever-​increasing, ever-​appealing Tampa dining scene!

I have been wanting to go here for a long time and we finally made reservations for three couples to celebrate one couple’s anniversary and my husband’s birthday. The restaurant is beautiful, not to cluttered, and certainly has that NOLA/​Southern vibe to it. Our waiter, Kyle, was awesome because not only did he know the menu upside down and back, but also had great wine suggestions and he knew how to have fun with our group. The guys are a bit goofy sometimes and Kyle played right along.
Before our trip, I was considering getting the duck and Kyle confirmed that it was one of their best entrees. It was! I also had the duck, goose and andouille gumbo and my husband and I split an order of the crab beignets, both good. Everyone at the table sampled everyone else’s dishes so I can say that the grilled oysters were amazing, as were the wahoo, Kurobuta pork chops. I would say the best things we had were the grilled oysters, the duck and the pork chops. Other items tasted were the pork tenderloin and the chicken and waffles, also good. All the sides that come with the entrees are also very good. The best ones I tried were the sweet potato soufflé that came with the pork tenderloin and the bacon brussel sprouts.
As far as the desserts go, we tried the chocolate mousse and the gingerbread cake. They were very good as well.
Normally I would have had wine with dinner, like my friends did, but I also am a pretty big fan of different beers and wanted to try the Abita Amber on tap. Also, those who had other cocktails before said they were excellent.
As with most of my reviews, I was enjoying the food and the company so much that I did not take any pictures. Trust me though, this is a place worth going to. I actually want to go back for lunch soon because there are some different items on their lunch menu and their lunch cocktail menu that I would like to try as well.

Definitely a great place to stop for brunch!
I love the decorations and the atmosphere of the restaurant. You really get that southern feel as soon as you walk in.
For a starter, we ordered the alligator bites. My friend was a little bit skeptical about having gator with the predisposition that the meat is tough but as soon as our waiter placed it on our table, our mouths were watering instantly. The gator bites were crispy and tasty and the meat was very tender and juicy. It was delicious. It came with some pickles vegetables but we weren’t too fond of it.
I ordered the alligator hash and I have to say, it was amazing. The portion size was good and everything was cooked to perfection. My friend ordered the shrimp po boy and he really enjoyed it as well.
Can’t wait to come back again to try the bread pudding!

Roux is a decent place to eat, don’t get me wrong. However, their implication that it’s «authentic cajun» is completely untrue. I’m from New Orleans, family is still there. I have relatives across all of cajun Louisiana — not saying that’s a good thing, overall, but hey, I can speak to authentic Cajun food.
A few things:
–Shrimp po boys do not have shredded carrots on them (cole slaw, really??). It’s an unnatural and weird mix to put carrots on a poboy. You will never find an authentic cajun poboy with coleslaw on it in all of New Orleans or cajun Louisiana. Any claims otherwise are simply untrue.
–I don’t know what alternate universe in which you live that you can call your Boudin by the name Boudin. That’s nothing like Boudin. Please see attached picture. That was some funky taking stuff, and nowhere near real Boudin. Do a google image search for boudin. The results show real boudin. Roux has made some strange substance, and called it Boudin. I would love to hear the owner’s explanation for this?
–The spices are somehow ‘off’ — can’t quite describe it, but it doesn’t taste Cajun. It tastes like your mother from the midwest decided to use a cajun substitute.

I stopped in for a brunch date with my sister, apprehensive at first since I’m not a huge creole food fan, but this place is definitely a winner! I was starving… and everything on the menu looked delicious. Plus, the gentleman next to us looked like he was a regular there, so my eyes strayed to his table where hearty aromas rose from well plated dishes.
I wanted both the etoufle and the jumbalya — and the restaurant must have anticipated this and created the Cajun trio. It didn’t disappoint in its variety of rich crawfish flavor. The jumbalya was seasoned perfectly and ended up being my favorite.
I also ordered the monkey bread as an appetizer. It’s doughy warm morsels of praline coated bread. It was a good intro, but can serve as dessert as well because it’s sweet.
The waiter was kind and attentive in bringing us water and BOGO mimosas, and the atmosphere was beautiful. Very nice décor, including gas lamps and a faux brick wall. I was dressed casually, but you can dress it up here for a date night as well.

Roux is a shady spot for cool people, good date spot.
Roux is in a somewhat non descript shopping plaza on MacDill, but once you step inside, the only word for it is a sexy interior.
Service was prompt, efficient and friendly.
The drinks are excellently prepared renditions of the classics and some new ones. I had the Viuex Carre, and it was just what I wanted, plus a good pour.
Wifey and I shared a bunch of stuff. I ordered the cornbread on Brett’s suggestion/​demand, it was tasty, but too sweet for me. I like plain, dry old fashioned cornbread, if you like cornbread that’s sweeter thana cupcake than this one is for you. I will say it was done as it should be, in a skillet, with good crispy edges. Don’t touch the skillet!
The Macque Choux was a delicious festival of corn and peppers.
The gumbo was a little one note. Solid dark roux, and a nice mix of stuff in it, liked how they threw a couple crispy okra bits in, but just thought it lacked a certain oomph.
The mac and cheese was a solid entry, tasty and good consistency, but once again, lacked a distinguishing feature.
The shrimp and grits was stellar. They cooked those shrimp just right, and I liked the crispy grit cake.
Good date spot, good food.

Ok… they can have the star back. We went Sunday for brunch and it was fantastic IMO. We had the charbroiled oysters again which are only $ 1 each for brunch and are to die!!! Now my fellow diners got some raw oysters and weren’t happy with the size of them… so that wasn’t so good. I had the peacemaker which was a shrimp and oyster po boy and OMFG… it was literally the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten. A must get! Also their bloody’s rock!

My recent visit to Roux was more than a year since my last visit. I must admit although I liked some of the items I sampled on my last visit, there were several I didn’t. As a result of my last visit, I wasn’t motivated to return. I had purchased a gift certificate which was expiring this weekend so it was time to give it another try.
I had a friend in town so it was a perfect was for me to use the certificate AND treat my friend to what I hoped would be a good meal. We chose to go for brunch on Saturday. I had been reading other Unilocal reviews and hearing recommendations from friends who have enjoyed their experiences, so I was actually excited to try a few of the menu items.
Fortunately my friend is a food sharer like me so we ordered everything and enjoyed it family style. Our meal included mimosas, gumbo, crab beignets, shrimp and grits and the chicken and waffles.
We were not sure what to expect with the grab beignets, but the best way to describe them is tempura fried crab cakes. The rumors were very true; this appetizer was worth every penny. The balls were pure crab lightly battered and served with a trio of sauces. Two thumbs up, we would definitely order this again and again. The gumbo my friend said was good. I was concerned it would be spicy but it wasn’t at all.
The shrimp and grits was the first entrée we sampled. It was ok, not the favorite version of shrimp and grits either of us had ever tasted. It was something about the sauce I wasn’t a huge fan of but the grits were delicious. They were creamy and flavored subtly with the cheese. The second entrée we sampled was the chicken and waffles. The chicken recipe had changed since the last time I had been to the restaurant and it was definitely for the better! The waffle was a sweet potato waffle. It was dense but flavorful especially when paired with the cinnamon flavored butter and syrup.
This visit was definitely much better than my last. I would actually be interested in coming in again to try some of the other menu items I noticed other guests order. I am glad I had an expiring gift certificate; I’ll probably pick up another one after this visit so I can return again soon.

4 stars for the awesome service, atmosphere, free valet, and chicken and waffles.
I went to roux for a Unilocal event about a year ago and I was unsure if I was in love, but 2^nd time around I REALLY enjoyed my meal and overall experience.
Parking– Parking in South Tampa is usually limited. But they have free valet here which is a plus.
Atmosphere– the restaurant is dark, New Orleans like, and the atmosphere feels fancy and fun at the same time. I went dressed casual, but there were a lot of people dressed very nice and trendy. This is Def a great spot for a birthday, date night, or when you want to take visiting friends out to somewhere not chain.
Service– Our server was very friendly. He had TONS of energy, almost to the point it seemed like he was on something lol. I was like I hope he doesn’t crash and pass out in here. But he was funny and made sure to check on us often… especially since the food takes a while to come out. So as a note you should probably order a starter like the cornbread or one of the sides.
Food– I decided to pick something safe and familiar so I ordered the chicken and sweet potato waffles. I don’t really eat fried chicken at all, but this fried chicken was sooooo good! It came with 3 pieces and the batter tasted like it had hot sauce, spicy and delicious. I also ordered the cheese grits which were good, but they tasted like a loaded mash potato with a ton of sour cream, I liked it, just surprised by the flavor. The bread pudding hit the spot! I love bread pudding and if you do too, you won’t be disappointed. It’s warm, rich, buttery… it’s everything!
Overall I enjoyed my girls night out here and thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

Roux on South MacDill is one of the few restaurants in Tampa that serve N’awlins cuisine. The menu at Roux includes Creole inspired dishes with a new twist. The result is «Creole Nouvelle» or «New Nola» cuisine.
I have been meaning to return to Roux since my last Unilocal event and Tampa Bay Restaurant week was the perfect excuse to grab dinner here. Fellow Unilocaler, Steve E., joined me for a fantastic three-​course prix fixe dinner.
First course was a «Taste of Nola sampler» that included three char-​grilled oysters with Romano, parmesan and compound butter. This appetizer included a choice of Crawfish Étouffée or Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo. The oysters were fantastic! The Crawfish Étouffée had a slight odor so I would probably order the gumbo instead next time.
Second course was Shrimp and Grits Breaux with blackened shrimp served over a crispy cream cheese grit cake and smothered in chipotle Tasso Gravy. This savory dish was so flavorful; I would definitely order this again!
Third course was dessert!!! After the amazing shrimp and grits breaux I felt like I couldn’t eat another bite until I saw the darling cast iron pan of Bourbon Butterscotch Pecan Bread Pudding in front of me. This heavenly dessert consists of house baked French baguette, buttery pecans, poppy seeds, and warm bourbon butterscotch sauce. I managed to taste a few sinful bites before I had to wave the white flag and ask for a to-​go box. (Luckily the dessert heats up nicely in the toaster oven!)
So why not five stars? While I love the food and the French Quarter inspired décor I did not love the seating at Roux. The tables are cramped in and the chairs are really uncomfortable. Our two-​top was located so close to the table next to us that I had to contort my body to avoid hitting the diner sitting behind me. Throughout dinner I felt like I was squashed against our table. It’s a shame there isn’t a divider between the front door and the main dining room because we were blasted with humidity every time someone opened the door. (Although this does add a Louisiana swamp-​like atmosphere to the meal!)
I’ll definitely be back next time I need a N’awlins fix, but I’d consider sitting at the bar instead.

Roux serves up delicious Creole style cuisine with a twist in unsuspecting south Tampa. A restaurant concept opened by the owners of Datz, Roux hits the mark with consistent good food and service. The resturant itself is upscale and a nice venue for a date, a lunch with coworkers, or anything really. Housed in a strip of stores on other restaurants of S. Mac Dill Ave., there is plenty of parking. The restaurant has an attractive and trendy bar/​lounge area called Toula’s which is a bit more informal and the dinning room which is a tad more formal. Toula’s has its own menu which consists of appetizer style offerings and small plates. There is a happy hour from Tuesday to Friday 4−6pm consisting of $ 5 well cocktails, half-​price selected appetizers, and drafts and wines by the glass.
The seafood gumbo I selected during my visit for lunch was hearty and flavorful and came with crusty garlic bread accompaniment. My dining partner devoured his shrimp po’boy. The bourbon butterscotch pecan bread pudding is also a favorite. We received courteous and prompt service from our friendly server and the food was out in a timely fashion. I have heard from friends that the pork chop entrée off their dinner menu is outstanding. I look forward to trying Roux for brunch and dinner.
Roux is closed on Mondays.