Oakley's Grille Has New Tampa's Best Burgers & Fries

By Gary Nager

When you CRAVE a great hamburger, what’s the first place you think of here in New Tampa? Fast food? One of those burger chains? Your own backyard grill?

Those are all reasonable answers, but if you’re like me — and literally hundreds of our readers — you might say “Oakley’s Grille,” which is located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the North Palms Village area, next to Dairy Queen.

Owner Keith Oakley and his always-happy crew are celebrating the fourth anniversary of Oakley’s Grille with a number of new menu items (which we’ll describe, in detail, below). Keith, who previously opened and managed several different national and regional chain restaurants before leaving the corporate world behind to open Oakley’s, makes sure that his place combines chain restaurant sensibilities (and extremely fair pricing) with the type of personalized service most chains never offer.

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“We come up with many of our new menu items based on customer inquiries,” Keith says. “If I feel we can do it right, we’ll try almost anything new. So far, people really seem to respond to our entire menu.”

Among the newest items on Oakley’s menu are the “ghost” and turkey burgers and pulled pork sandwiches.

I love a good turkey burger (although it’s the only burger I ever order well done) and Oakley’s always accommodates my special orders. The turkey burger is so flame-grilled-tasty that the biggest compliment I can give it is that it tastes like a hamburger!

I’m not the biggest pulled pork fan, but I will say that Oakley’s pulled pork sandwich is overstuffed with tender pulled pork and a zesty BBQ sauce that many in our office (and a couple of customers on our most recent visit) agreed had a great sweet & slightly spicy flavor.

Assistant editor Matt Wiley also raved about the new ghost burger, which has ghost pepper cheese, spicy oakfire sauce, fried pickles, bacon, mayo and grilled onions. It’s been available for several months but none of us had ever tried before.

But, my favorites at Oakley’s are still those perfectly flame-grilled Certified Black Angus regular cheeseburgers (available with Swiss, provolone, cheddar, American, pepper Jack or blue cheese) with a side of some of the best, crispiest French fries you’ll find anywhere in New Tampa. I have named Oakley’s burgers my favorites in New Tampa every year since it opened and I see no reason to change that. Now, I will say that unless you ask them not to (as I always do), Oakley’s uses seasoning salt on its burgers, fries and meats, but because the seasoning salt is added, you won’t get nasty looks if you order yours without it.

The burgers are always done to your specifications (I order mine medium) and the fries are always crispy and abundant, although you pay a little extra for them, except on Oakley’s “Special” days (more on those below).

So Many Favorites…

My other favorites at Oakley’s are the shaved ribeye Philly cheesesteak and the all-natural, tender beef dip sandwiches. You always get plenty of great-tasting shaved ribeye steak or roast beef, with melted provolone on a crisp, real Cuban bread hoagie roll. The Philly comes with caramelized onions and sautéed peppers and the dip sandwich is served with a great au jus dip.

Our office also enjoys several other options at Oakley’s, from the grilled chicken Caesar salad (you actually can add grilled chicken to any salad at Oakley’s for just $4), the Southwest chicken tacos (marinated, grilled chicken served in flour tortillas with corn and black bean salsa, avocados and feta cheese; you also can substitute tilapia for the chicken for just $1 more) and the tasty blackened grilled fish sandwich, which is usually tilapia (I order it “extra blackened”).  The fish sandwich, also on Cuban bread, is served with Chef Jaymes’ uniquely tasty bourbon aioli sauce.

That same aioli is used on another new menu item, the Kars Katch, which is a half-pound of hand-battered fish tenders fried golden brown. I’ve yet to sample this one, but I plan to “katch” it on my next visit.

Other sandwiches we enjoy include the authentic Reuben sandwich — which piles high thinly-slice corned beef, fresh sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing, topped with naturally aged Swiss cheese on toasted pumpernickel rye — and the pastrami & Swiss, which tops a generous portion of tender pastrami and Swiss with a touch of Dijon mustard (although I like it with the Thousand Island dressing, too).

There’s even a newer veggie sandwich featuring corn and black bean salsa, sautéed peppers, caramelized onions, romaine lettuce, vine ripe tomatoes and provolone cheese on fresh Cuban bread with a unique Cuban sauce I plan to try in the future.

Pressed sandwiches include, of course, a traditional Cuban, as well as a spicy Italian (spicy capicola ham, pepperoni, Genoa salami and provolone with caramelized onions, green peppers and Italian dressing on a sourdough roll) and “Uncle Muzzie’s Muffaletta,” which is freshly sliced smoked ham, Genoa salami and provolone with a green olive mix on Cuban bread.

There’s also fresh chicken tenders, a grilled steak salad, steak and chicken fajitas, turkey, ham and bacon club sandwiches, crispy sweet potato fries (try them with brown sugar and cinnamon), great cole slaw and much more.

Beer & Daily Specials, Too? 

And now, when you crave an ice cold beer with your awesome burger, sandwich, salad or entrée at Oakley’s, Keith has you covered. He offers domestic and imported bottled beers, including Sam Adams, Yuengling, Blue Moon, Corona, Miller Lite, Bud and more.

And don’t forget about Oakley’s great  daily specials. Fries are usually extra, but on Cheeseburger Tuesdays, you get those Best-in-New-Tampa burgers and a huge order of fries for just $6.99. Fries also are included on Fish & Chips Wednesdays and Philly Thursdays (both $8.99) and on Chicken Tender Sundays ($6.99). Plus, if you visit OakleysGrille.com and join Keith’s “eClub,” you’ll receive $2 off your next visit and hear about new menu items and specials first.

Oakley’s Grille (17631 BBD Blvd.) is open every day, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more info, call 523-5075 or visit OakleysGrille.com.