Lepley's Kitchen Lounge

What an amazing experience. My girlfriends and I went to Lepley's for brunch before a concert. We had reservations at 11a and were immediately seated. The vibe was so nice, DJ playing music, TV's were playing sports and our waitress was very attentive and catered to our needs. I had catfish and grits and my friends had chicken and waffles with eggs/grits. Everything was so well seasoned and cooked well. I had a drink and whewww it was nice, strong and good! We topped it off with the sweet potato brownie. I expected a brownie and sweet potato combo, but it was just sweet potato's shaped into a brownie with ice cream: it was still very good! Check out Lepley's for brunch, you won't be disappointed!

Let me start off by saying that from a visual standpoint, Lepley's checks all the boxes. Looks great on the outside and also inside. The decor and overall aesthetics of the establishment are actually quite impressive.I was in Tampa on business and wanted to make sure I patronized as many black owned business as I could while I was there. After sifting through instagram for a while, I stumbled upon Lepley's and decided to give it a shot.PARKINGWhen I first arrived I initially parked in the lot across the street but didn't know if that was for Lepley's or not. I saw people parking there but they were going to other establishments. So that's when I realized Lepley's had parking directly behind their building. It was really dark. Ripe for break ins for sure. But I ended up moving my car over there anyways in fear of being towed. No charge for parking.ATMOSPHEREI walked in and decided to sit at the bar. The first thing I noticed was that the DJ was playing the music LOUD. The place had no more than 10 people dining, but he was BLASTING it as if the place was packed. I couldn't even hear the hostess when she spoke to me as I walked in.FOOD & DRINKSI asked the bartender if he knew how to make a whiskey sour with egg whites and he responded affirmatively, "of course". As a former craft bartender I watched him keenly as he made the drink. From the onset, I realized he had NO IDEA how to make the drink. He then proceeded to make the worst whiskey sour I've had in a long time. There's nothing wrong with telling a customer you don't know how to make the drink. But to "fake it until you make it" is not a good look. It was bad and he was better off just telling me he didn't know how to properly make an egg white whiskey sour. 2/10FOODI wasn't that hungry but I still wanted to at least try something from the menu, so I went with the crab cakes. The crab cakes arrive and the first thing I noticed was that were DRENCHED with remoulade. The menu said drizzle, but the crab cakes were literally drowned underneath the remoulade. Also, the crab cakes were lukewarm. They tasted like they may have been frozen crab cakes. 1/10BILLING & CONCLUSIONI asked the bartender for the check and I look at the tab and noticed that I got hit with the good ol' 20% gratuity for my troubles. That was the Coup de grâce for me. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. What an underwhelming dining experience. The employees were really nice and accommodating but my food and drinks left a lot to be desired.

We want here for a friend's birthday brunch. It's a nice space for smaller crowds but the music is very very loud. I guess I didn't expect it to be so loud with the DJ being so close to the tables. The food was ok, a little pricey for the amount of food you get, but it was flavorful. I ordered the chicken wings, basket of potatoes, and hubby ordered the chicken sliders. For that and a lemonade I think we paid a little over $60, again a bit more expensive for the amount of food then I like. I can see why a younger group would like this type of vibe, as the bar area was nice and spacious. Service was ok. Our server was ok, but we did have to haunt her do to order, for drink refills and to pay our check.

This spot is a good fit for someone, just not for me. 1. Paying for parking in that tiny lot is downright ridiculous. 2. Basic food, nothing to write home to mom about. Except it's high in calories. 3. Service was slow and lacking. 4. Music was too loud and you couldn't speak or hear others at the same table. 5. Overrated.

Visited this place 2 weekends ago and this place is very chaotic and crammed. They try to squeeze way too many people in and the seating is horrible. I was with a big party and we were able to get accommodated which was nice but the prices for what you get is not worth it. I had an expresso martini and it was $25 with gratuity included and it def should have only been like $15 max. Lots of other places have way better expresso martinis especially for the price of a fine dining restaurant.

This was my second attempt at going. First attempt was on a Tuesday night and all they had was tacos not the regular menu so we left because I wanted to taste the regular menu food. The second time was a Friday night and the regular menu was available, which was great. We did not make a reservation. We walked in about 9:15 PM And sat at the bar because there was no one at the hostess area to greet us. When we sat at the bar, there were four people standing there. Two or bartenders one with someone that was gone back-and-forth to the kitchen and the other was a bus boy cleaning the dishes. We sat at the bar for about five minutes, maybe a little longer before I asked if someone could at least give us some waters. The bartender gave us waters, and then a few women has passed, and he was able to take our order for us. There were two young guys sitting two seats away from me and they were upset because they had not received your food yet. As soon as we got there, there are about four or five open tables, but 15 minutes after we sat down it was a packed house. They were about five total seats open at the bar once we got there and none after 20 minutes, I passed so luckily we got there at a good time. It's not that big of a place so if you don't have a reservation or don't go during our peak hours, you probably won't be able to sit down. It's decorated beautifully on the inside And the music was decent. There was no DJ there was a playlist, but there was a DJ area which was pretty cool not sure if I would give them another try but we had a decent time and the food was actually good. I had the white mac & cheese and the lobster tail and also the cauliflower wings and the sweet potato brownie. He had the Lepleys burger with fries and he said it was delicious see the pictures for more details! I think it would've went better if someone would've greeted us at the door or at least at the bar when we sat down, but it's definitely recommended to go and at least give them a try.

1st impression was not the best. Arriving at the restaurant on a Friday evening, parking is $7. Valet parking isn't a big deal, but I parked myself and paid because the lot is so small. I would recommend just paying vs. Parking in an unknown neighborhood. I was celebrating a friend's birthday, and when entering, the setup seemed small and compact . The party was for 8, and they squeezed 2 tables together by the dj, and the tables were 2 different sizes, which was uneven. It was very uncomfortable when trying to order drinks and appetizers. Food options were ok. The menu has small items for above average prices. The salad was good, but the dressing was watery and lacked flavor. The crab cakes are good also. Everyone ordered, and our food came out at different times. Some dishes weren't hot and lacked quality in appearance. Overall, the music was great the 1st half of the evening, and the vibe was cool. I'm not sure I'd go back with a group of people.

This place is a 50/50. If you want good music and vibes- here is the place. Food is seasoned perfectly, but quality is questionable. 3 of 7 ordered lamb chops for brunch and was loaded with fat -- most of the chop was fatty and unenjoyable.Appetizer 8 wings were delicious. We ordered Lemon Pepper; it tasted as if it was lemon pepper and some other seasoning , maybe bourbon or teriyaki.I ordered Chicken + Waffles, sub the chicken for fried lobster tail(+8)... BIG MISTAKE.Lobster tail was spoiled, smelled like mercury or chemicals and tasted disgusting. We told our server, she took my whole plate even the waffles away. I had only ate like one and half of the four waffles.My grandfather loved the hot honey chicken biscuits.The pancakes in the brunch board were at-least 2inches thick ... very different.When it was time to pay, they took off only the lobster tail for my order/ bill -- but they took my whole plate of my lobster tail and the rest of my waffles (3) that I very well could've ate. Why not take the whole order off since you cut my meal short with spoiled food and by taking the only edible food items on the plate away prematurely.I discussed this with the server who was very kind, but i requested a manager like three times before actually getting to speak with one. A manager should be willing and happy to speak w customer on bad food experiences, especially when pertaining to spoiled food but instead she kept sending our server back with less than helpful information and actions.The waiter stated we either had to accept the spoiled food being taken off our bill or opt to use our military discount. THIS IS NOT AN EITHER OR SITUATION. The food was spoiled AND we served the military. This place seemed to be nickel and diming.The manager was not the nicest but we did come to an agreement aka us just saying forget it because they were ready to go back and forth for days about their spoiled food that they stood by.I would go back, maybe just for drinks and appetizers. Don't have your hopes up. Management really leaves a lasting impression, though our server was sweet when a manager was involved - it was very distasteful experience.

I really wanted to love this place but was left disappointed. It def has the atmosphere you're looking for as it is lively and energetic. We came on a Friday night and They have a DJ who played great old school hip hop, r&b and reggae tunes. The waitresses were super friendly and our service was good. The drinks were tasty and fairly strong but I swear they were the world's smallest martinis. They looked like they were part of a 2-for-1 special that's how small they were. The appetizers were enjoyable. We had the buffalo cauliflower, steak toast and short rib egg rolls. My egg rolls came out super overcooked and warm. They promptly provided a fresh hot and delicious order. However, the entrees would fall super short. The Cajun pasta was overcooked and tasted like the sauce was burned. It wasn't necessarily too much smoked paprika but truly burned. It was inedible. My friend just ate her salmon which she said was delicious. My blackened chicken was dry so I exchanged it for the Parmesan chicken bc I was told everything bc else was served in the same sauce with the exception of the burger. This was equally a let down as the rice was so overcooked and wet it tasted like risotto. The chicken breading was soggy but didn't taste too bad. Overall, I would not recommend unless you are coming for appetizers and drinks or maybe brunch (although I'm skeptical to try that after such a bad dinner experience). Hopefully Lepley's can improve over time as they have great potential.

The fries were cold and the waitress said fries included and the bill came we were charged. No explanation except I understand.