An Experience Like No Other...

Bern’s Steakhouse

1208 South Howard Avenue

Tampa, FL 33606

www.bernssteakhouse.com/ 

There arent many experiences out there like Berns Steakhouse. Don't be scared when you drive through dodgy looking neighborhoods on your way to this gem, once you arrive I promise it will be worth it. Yes the inside is very old and it may look a little tacky, but like I said, there really isnt anything else like it. The wine list is enormous. They have the largest wine collection of a private owner on the east coast. They have over 600,000 bottles of wine between the 100,000 in the wine cellar and the 500,000 in the warehouse across the street. My fiances father was geeking out about it because he's in the industry.

I was pretty overwhelmed looking at the menu. It's like an encyclopedia. So many choices. So many options. But it's all part of the experience. You want to choose the thickness of your steak? You can do that. You want to order the temperature almost to the degree? You can do that too. Want your steak medium well on one side and medium rare on the other? Go for it, they can do that too.

My fiancé and I wound up splitting a 14oz strip steak. We also split the French onion soup and the salad that comes with every main course. Everything was delicious! The French onion soup was rich and had a depth of flavor that was fantastic. The cheese over top was thick and chewy and brought in a lot of texture to the soup. I loved that the baked potato came served with a a virtual baked potato bar of toppings. Bacon, chives, sour cream and butter. Boom. The steak was perfectly cooked and incredibly tender. All of their meat is dry aged, so the flavor is intensified. Great wine, great food and very reasonably priced for a steakhouse. Winning.

The experience doesn't stop there though. Pay your bill and make your way to the dessert room to finish off your night in style. Again the menu is huge and has tons of delicious looking options. I opted for the brown sugar trio of a cookie, cheesecake and ice cream. My fiancé ordered the baked Alaska and they put on quite a show for it. Both desserts were fantastic and their coffee was too. All of the desserts were extremely well prepared and went perfectly when paired with a cup of coffee. 

Four and a half pints for Bern's Steakhouse. Even the price point was spot on. It was a hell of an experience. I will be back to this place as often as I can. It was one of the coolest restaurant experiences I've ever had. Check it out when you are in the Tampa area. Cheers!