Even though his new place isn’t located in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa, a heartfelt congratulations goes out to Mark Birkin, the owner of the new Birkin’s Steakhouse & Sushi Bar on N. Florida Ave./U.S. Hwy. 41 in Lutz, in the former location of the once-popular L.A. Hangout (and a couple of other restaurants since then).
Until I saw Mark the day his new steakhouse opened (May 29), I couldn’t remember how I knew his name. But, when we shook hands after Jannah, photographer Charmaine George, her boyfriend Brendan and I enjoyed an outstanding meal at Birkin’s, Mark and I immediately recognized each other. He’s the long-time owner of The Wexford Irish Pub & Grille (previously known as PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub).
But, while his other local restaurants have had pretty good food, if you haven’t yet tried Birkin’s, you really need to go check it out ASAP.
First of all, L.A. Hangout’s former live entertainment side is now a beautiful sushi bar with outstanding, beautifully presented, fresh sushi, like the tasty volcano roll shown here (top left photo).
But, the real star of the show is the steakhouse side, serving everything from the fresh, sesame-seed encrusted seared tuna steak (top right photo) to escargots and a fried lobster bites appetizer (top middle photo).
What really impressed me was Birkin’s 12-oz. filet mignon, grilled to medium rare perfection and, to quote my fellow New Yawkas, “like buttah” tender. No one else even has a 12-oz. filet in our area. Also on the menu are lollipop lamb chops, a tomahawk ribeye and much more. “Steak and sushi are my two favorite things to eat,” Mark says. “I wanted us to serve the best of both worlds.”
Birkin’s also has tasty Italian specialties, like zesty meatballs, mushroom ravioli, chicken parmesan and more. Add to that great family-style side dishes like homemade mac & cheese, sautéed vegetable medley and creamed spinach. Birkin’s also has a full premium liquor bar with great craft cocktails (ask about the exclusive wine lockers, too) and decadent desserts like the cinnamon-y apple crumble with ice cream (above left photo) and Bailey’s Irish cream cheesecake.
Birkin’s Steakhouse & Sushi Bar is located at 16411 N. Florida Ave. It is open Wed.-Sun. for dinner only (reservations are suggested, but not required, beginning at 3 p.m. For more information, call (813) 374-8002 or visit BirkinsSteakhouse.com.
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