Graffiti Junktion

Nope. Nope. Nope. Been there, done that, not again. Just getting service to our table was a task and it wasn’t even busy. The food was okay, but we were overcharged for items we didn’t order. Went once again to give this place a fair chance. Same experience. I really don’t even feel this place deserves wasting my time giving a review.

This was my first visit. The zucchini fries were amazing. I had also a Monterrey Chicken Sandwich with Tots which was really great. Great beer selection and it is a fun venue. They had a 2 for 1 Rum special for 5 bucks which is awesome. The staff are friendly and responsive. Ample parking space.

Whole restaurant has a modern hippie vibe to it. Mostly frequented by local college students, packed on a Wednesday night. But the real reason this place is so great is their 11AM-​5PM Bottomless mimosas on the weekends, now that’s a deal you can’t beat. Their burgers and tater tots and specially delicious, service tends to be subpar.

This is the first time I have been to the actual location. I previously tried them a few times at Zoofari at Lowry Park Zoo, and enjoyed it. I had it in my bookmarks because I also heard they had fishbowl drinks.
This place is a joke to me. It looked pretty dumpy especially with the old people making out at the outside bar as if they were at a 4 hour cockroach motel. But hey, if they were buying drinks, that was money in the restaurant’s pocket.
Our server was nice at first, but after I told him my burger wasn’t medium, he got defensive saying it was. No it wasn’t! Just cook it! Don’t be rude to me as if you cooked it. I’m surprised it wasn’t just put in the microwave. They did give me a new burger. I got the big burger, and asked for guacamole, cheese, mushroom, and Canadian bacon. It came with two sauces, and zucchini fries. Both the burger and fries had no flavor whatsoever. I had to dip it in the sauces.
The fishbowl was a good size. It was electric lemonade with blue Caracao and lemonade. It was plain though. They served it in a big fish bowl. It was just a mixed drink in a big bowl. No big deal whatsoever.
I won’t come back here. For the money, I paid for the tasteless burger and the big fishbowl, it didn’t do anything for me. Also on the website it says half off appetizers M-​F 3 to 6, but server says that was only until Thurs. Better update the website then. Glad I didn’t get anything. I’m sure it would have been as tasteless as its burger and fries.

I really enjoy the décor inside Graffiti Junktion — it could definitely be used for some cool events with all the graffiti art on the walls. The actual place itself is spacious and has plenty of seating, both inside and outside. For lunch I’ll usually sit inside, but when I come late-​night we’ll sit at the outside bar area and have a blast just drinking.
My favorite thing about Graffiti Junktion is that they offer lots of great deals pretty much every single day. The $ 5 burger Wednesdays usually draw me in, it’s a better than any fast-​food place and includes a 5 oz. burger and a side such as french fries, sweet potato fries, or zucchini fries.
Happy Hour is available every single day and there are always shot specials, spirit specials, and on the weekends they have unlimited mimosas and bloody marys. Different days also have promos such as trivia night (which my friends and I almost won recently), clear pong tournaments, and recently UFC watch parties and video game tournaments. An active bar like this is exactly what is needed in a town near USF.
Servers are normally friendly and never really an issue and bartenders are quick to make your drinks and check on you regularly during your stay. If there’s any issues, there’s usually a manager there as well I’ve noticed.
Overall, a really cool place to hangout and lots of great deals. The food is better than your usual bar food and many of the gourmet burgers are great — I tried a turkey one recently that was delicious.
Check Graffiti Junktion out if you haven’t yet.

Dropped insuring a conference… Aggressive bar flies. Had to put my burger into a to go container to keep them out.
Fries were undercooked. Burger wasn’t bad, but covered with a giant piece of ice burglettuce which made it hard to eat. Must be ok for USF kids…
I’d rather go to Chili’s… Ha! That should provide a little prospective!

Typical bar and grill atmosphere. Was dead the day I went, but I can see it attracting the USF crowd.
Service was good, but the food was average. They were out of some of the beers that I wanted. Tater tots with chilli and cheese was okay, but the chilli was too chunky; burger was too thick and not evenly cooked — asked for medium and it was cold and raw in the center.
I may be willing to try them again, but they’ll need to step up their game with so many other burger joints in the area.

Went to this location with a coupon. It is located near USF, near the corner of Fowler and 56^th Street. There is plenty of parking since it is located in a strip mall. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The bar is the center of the building and there is great décor.
There is plenty of alcohol choices if you’re planning to drink. Great craft beer on tap and full liquor bar. I went with friends on a Saturday and they offered $ 10 bottomless mimosas and bloody Mary’s. Other cocktails ran around $ 3-​$ 5. Food was reasonably priced. Burgers around $ 10-​$ 15 (huge portions). Appetizers were anywhere from $ 5-​$ 15. We ordered the $ 15 macho beef nachos since we had the coupon… OMG biggest plate of food ever!!! Very tasty.
I will definitely rerun to Graffiti Junktion. Very fun and laid back place!

Seeing their menu online, I was hoping for a nice high end burger joint. What I got was overpriced bar food. :/​I ordered a burger «medium well»… which is supposed to be cooked all the way through without pink in the center or blackened outside. What I got was a burger that had a cool pink center but slightly blackened exterior. Not only that, but it had surprisingly little flavor to the patty itself. The fries were heavily over cooked as well.
I went in on a Friday night at 8:30 PM and found the place three quarters empty, so I’m going to guess that they’re not going to be around very long. For the quality of food they offered at the prices they’re charging, I’m not surprised.
I won’t fault the waiting staff, however. They were nice and friendly, not in a fake way but in a genuinely up to strike up a conversation with you sort of fashion.

This place is awesome. Love the décor– especially the Deep Eddy mural. Great spot to hit for happy hour or a burger and some beers with pals. Don’t hold back and order the fried pickles! Fast and friendly service.
Definitely a spot to hit if you are looking for fun and a full belly.

I’m updating my review because the bar service I’ve received has gone down hill since they’ve opened. Last time I was there the bartender ignored us the majority of the night, smoked some other bar guests cigarette from behind the bar, and didn’t give us a receipt after we cashed out. when we called the manager about it, he couldn’t care less. «I’ll speak to her about it». No apology or anything. Good job! /​s.

Went here today with a group of co-​workers for lunch and I left with a full belly. This restaurant is being featured for Restaurant Week. The restaurant week menu featured a prix fixe menu for two with a choice of fried pickles or fried zucchini to share, a turkey/​apple/​brie wrap or the lone star burger or the brotherly love burger as the entrée and a chocolate lava cake served with ice cream for the dessert. Since there was another duo at our table willing to try out the restaurant week menu, I was able to sample the pickles and the zucchini. The pickles were sliced long ways instead of like coins and they were tasty. Not the best I’ve had in Tampa but still pretty good. They just need a little more seasoning in their breading and that might help. They didn’t come with any dipping sauce and I was a little sad about that because I’m so used to having them with ranch. They were ok dipped in the zucchini sauce (which might have been some kind of flavored ranch). The fried zucchini were good but again, more seasoning.
For my entrée I ordered the lone star burger sans BBQ, and it was good but the burger itself could have stood for some more (or any) seasoning. It was a pretty fat burger so be prepared to make a mess because it was hard to eat. The french fries were really good and they gave you a ton. I did not try the lava cake because I was Thanksgiving Day kinda full but it looked chocolately and like your standard restaurant lava cake. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
As far as service and the décor, this is really where they lost any chance at 4 or 5 stars. It had to have been our waitresses first day and we happened to be her first table ever. She didn’t know which burger was what and didn’t even attempt to remember who ordered what. I expected service to be slow because we were a large party but the restaurant had just opened and was pretty much empty when we sat down. The décor is cool because everything is decorated with graffitti but walking up to the restaurant at 11:30 am I had to wonder if it was even open because the lights weren’t on and all the stools were still on the bar. I guess they got a late start.
My recommendation would be to go here in the evening and take advantage of their drink specials because you may need a drink or two to overlook the cleanliness of the place and the poor service. It has the feel of a college bar that happens to be a restaurant and not the other way around.

Been by this place a few times and finally we decided to try it out at 8 pm on Friday. Walking up, there is outside seating and appears to have an open area bar. We walked into the restaurant through one door, not realizing that it was not the «main entrance». Oh well.
First impression as we walked in, it looked like it was trying to be the hamburger version of Tijuana Flats with all the painting on the wall and ceiling (i guess that is where the «graffiti» part of Graffiti Junction comes in). We were told by a waitress that we could sit anywhere we wanted. Being that we are just 2, we wanted to sit at a small table, however, everything was a four top or larger. The two high-​tops we considered sitting at, had cleaning supplies on it, so no go there.
We decided to sit at a four-​top along in the middle of the restaurant. They did have a picnic table available, and some table in a room that I suppose was ‘party’ room.
After sitting down, we were told by the same waitress that told us to sit wherever, that someone would be by with menus in a minute. A few minutes later, our waitress dropped off the menus and left, not asking if she could get us something to drink– maybe she was thinking we needed to look at all the beers on tap or liquor menu, which we did not need. Upon her return, we placed our orders. I requested the Fog City burger (turkey burger with pepper jack, avocado and sprouts) and a water. He got the Austin City Limits burger (hamburger, chili, pepperjack, and jalepenos) and Shiner Bock beer.
A few minutes after we placed our order, another waitress came by and asked if we needed menus. It kind of made us feel like there was no management, no sections for waitresses, just whomever gets to the table first, gets the table. Not sure if that is an actual fact, but that is how it appeared.
The result of the burger test– nah… not worth it. Mine was okay– just okay. I have had some fabulous turkey burgers before. It was bland. Missing something. Avocado was fresh and had plenty of sprouts though! A plus. His burger was dry. It wasn’t supposed to be… they forgot the chili! Really didn’t feel like complaining though, because it would not have been worth it. The waitresses were too busy talking with each other, it appeared they were overstaffed for a Friday evening… maybe they get super busy later. Dunno and don’t plan on finding out.
I wasn’t really too impressed with the food or service and therefore probably won’t come back. Maybe they are more suited for the college crowd, and if that is their thing– then I am sure they will be successful as college kids don’t really seem to care too much about all that. I know– I was one too. :)

Was craving for a good burger & wanted to catch the Lightning playoff game (GO BOLTS!) so we decided to check this place out as we were around the USF area.
The true definition of a college sports bar we were amazed when we saw a family of 5 come in, sat by the bar & took a group shot from something that looked like a wooden plank that had 5 shots connected to it!
Their daily drink specials are plastered all over the walls from $ 3 drink specials to $ 2 beers, during the lightning game they had a $ 3 bud draft special which i took advantage of. The misses got a bloody mary that was a little more on the juicy side than on the liquor side. The smell of the place was a familiar scent, mainly like the hint of the college bars that i remembered frequenting when i was younger.
Our waitresses did their best to keep up with the rush but there was way too many tables for the amount of workers that were helping the tables at the moment. Prob had to do with it being graduation night if anything so ill give it a pass for now.
Although i wasn’t too much a fan of the bun they used, the burger meat itself was very juicy and flavorful, plus they give you a sweet potato fries & tater tot option ! Many cool and interesting burger selections on the menu which sounded awesome but i stuck with a custom mushroom swiss burger which satisfied my burger craving.
If your looking for a place to hang out with your college friends after a long night of studying this is def the bar for you. Just be careful of the flying darts on your way to the bathroom!

Food: Not bad. Pretty average though. Some unique choices for burgers you’re not going to get anywhere else but none are over the top amazing. Zucchini fries were good
Price: Nearly all of the entrée’s are over $ 10 and the portion size is average, so you get better value at any of the 10 other places within 5 miles of this place. Beer prices and happy hour are good.
Service: Friendly but not real attentive. My drink went empty twice. And the servers’ appearance seems to be that of «wear what you want to work.»
Cleanliness: I think they could put more effort into making sure the menus aren’t smudged or feel greasy. Table felt like it was wiped once over really quick without care.
Overall I feel this is a place that is geared to the college student /​recent grad and night crowd.

I saw this was rated as the best burger restaurant in Orlando. Hmmm, Orlando is known for intentionally under-​spiced food so as be as inoffensive to as many tourists at once as possible. So best burger in «the city without a soul» wasn’t an automatic plus in my book.
The décor is very late 80’s to mid 90’s generic neutral urban street art. It is kind of like being on the In Living Color set.
The food was good. We had the zucchini fries, which were tasty, although the Parmesan cheese didn’t really stick to them and just formed a layer of grated cheese at the bottom of the basket.
I had the Sin City burger. It was cooked exactly as ordered. It was good, but not a «best burger in the city» contender. Despite having pepper jack cheese and being stuffed with jalapenos it barely registered as having any spice to it. The burger was flavorful, the bun and toppings were good, if not spicy, as well.
The staff was friendly and the service was nice. They have good happy hour drink specials on domestic drafts and some shots on each day of the week.
Graffiti Junktion is a good option for an above average burger. I would certainly pick it over an Applebees type option. While the faux 90’s urban is a bit of an odd theme in my opinion the location is well laid out, roomy, and the staff was certainly a big plus.

I was sad to see Antonio’s Pasta Grille leave its 56^th street location. It was a nice little Italian place located in a strip mall on 56^th street, right by Fowler Avenue. The restaurant space sat there, all empty and sad, until a new restaurant burst onto the scene. I was driving by the location one day, and was surprised to see the new restaurant there. The name: Graffiti Junktion. Well, the name alone intrigued me, so I decided to take to the web to look it up. It turns out Graffiti Junktion is a popular burger joint in the Orlando area, and this was the first location opened outside of that area. A new restaurant, an intriguing name, and close to my apartment. Should I try it out? Of course!
My boyfriend and I headed over to Graffiti Junktion for lunch. We immediately saw the open windows at the bar, letting in a nice Florida breeze. Upon entering, you cannot help but notice the unique, Graffiti-​type artwork painted on the walls. There are TVs above the bar, and area with table seating, and a few bar game machines. We sat at one of the wooden round tables, and did not have to wait long for our server (we were one of the only people there, though).
The menu was what you would expect from a sports-​type bar, as I would classify the place, more than calling it a restaurant. They offer a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and sides. We started out with the zucchini fries appetizer, which come with a horseradish mix sauce. They were very good. As for the entrée, since they are well known for their burgers, I thought it would be a safe bet to order one.
Now, I am not one who can eat a lot at one time, and the specialty burgers boasted of large beef patties, piled high with various toppings. Luckily, there is the option to build your own burger, and they offer a 5 oz. «wimpy burger» and a side of fries. I kept it simple with my burger, just adding cheese and bacon to the lettuce and tomato. I was satisfied with the burger, though I could have done with some juiciness to it. My boyfriend had the pulled pork sandwich with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, and another order of zucchini fries. All in all, the food was pretty good. The server was attentive without being overbearing.
The prices are fairly reasonable for the quality of the food. We thought there was a USF discount though, as advertised out front being offered 7 days a week, but were informed it was only on Fridays (thanks for being misleading). We got the impression that they do well later at night and on the weekend. There was an advertisement for a ladies night, and other drink specials. It is probably a good place for college students to go for drinks and food at night.

I’m a fan. I wasn’t sure going in but the burger changed my mind. Graffiti Junktion is set up on the corner of a strip mall area just below Fowler Ave on 56^th street on the east side. Parking is a common area for all the stores there but it didn’t seem to be a problem here. We went for lunch. The bar area is set up so that you can sit at it on the outside of the place or on the inside. Tables inside are arranged around the room. TVs are plenty. They have a set of different beers that are national and local breweries and some foreign beers as well. It appeared both from the outside and inside as a typical beer/​burger joint, nothing more or less. We had the zucchini fries for an appetizer. They were a little better than okay. My wife had the Mac Daddy which she enjoyed. I had the Lone Star burger done medium with fries. It was actually a very good burger. The sauce was not overpowering. The cheese and bacon added great flavor to the burger itself. I would do this again! I hate it when you go to one of those burger places and halfway through the burger, you’re bun has given up. You have no idea where it went, but whatever is leave on the burger has to be taken off and twisted dry. Not here. I really enjoyed this burger.
Service was there when you needed it, not there when you didn’t. I had two beers and they were on the table fairly quickly. My wife, thinking she was getting a burger that was going to taste like a Big Mac, enjoyed the mac and cheese burger, saying if she had known what it was before, she wouldn’t have ordered it. However, now that she had it, she really liked it.
Going back… sure.

It was at ZooFari this year when I discovered that this popular Orlando spot had opened a location in Tampa.
All my experiences up Interstate 4 with Graffiti Junktion have been positive, so I was certainly hoping this would go the same way.
Both the woman in the booth at ZooFari and the employees in this store on my first visit were suprised that I actually knew of this place from Orlando and apparently there haven’t been many others like me who are «regulars» from locations like the one on Alafaya Trail near UCF.
When the employees and I talked more, they also told me plans for a second Bay Area location in South Tampa on Bay to Bay. I immediately guessed where it was going: The old Cherry’s/Wings Gone Wild location near Himes. (Spent a lot of money there years ago and while the place has very little parking, the actual building fits the Graffiti Junktion look.)
That one should open very early in 2015, but this one clearly knows what they’re doing right now.
Just like my visits to Orlando stores, my food was good, fast and served by extremely friendly employees.
While their burgers have always dominated most of the conversation, the Buffalo Chicken Tots merges two of my favorite things and cannot be beat.
Plus, as I always say about Graffiti Junktion, chances are better than 50 – 50 you can find a drink you like on special no matter the time or day and I personally applaud how they sell cans of extremely cold Bud/​Bud Light packed in huge tubs of ice like a tailgate.

Gave this place another shot after my first time and they fed me a great burger! The quality of the meat cooked was steak– like. Very delicious and I was full.
Also props to the seasoned fries! Kinda like Five Guys, but not drenched in too much Cajun seasoning, and slightly crunchy. Not soft and limp (again like Five Guys).
Thanks Graffiti Junktion!