We visited Lenoce’s Family Restaurant at 13949 W. Hillsborough on 22 August 2009. This was our first visit to Lenoce’s. We found it because it’s pretty close to the Oldsmar Flea Market, which is a favorite weekend destination for us. This was our first visit to Lenoce’s. (The “Best Breakfast and Lunch in Town” sign was a draw … we like Breakfast!)

We got ourselves ready. You’ve got to look groovy-cool to be a contributor to TBB.

The first thing we noticed was Lenoce’s lunch counter. We’ve never seen one so low. If there had been a little more room when we walked in we would have tried it, but I was afraid that someone might get a dump truck in the coffee so we played it safe.

Second thing we discovered was a plethora of pancake possibilities, including my personal favorite, blueberry. The morning is shaping up nicely…

We had coffee. Check out these great coffee cups! And the coffee was hot, black, and bitter. Tasty the way I like it!

Alas, despite my best efforts to prevent it, someone’s coffee ended up with a dump truck in it. Luckily it was Marek’s coffee and he likes it that way. He’s hardcore on his coffee.

We had breakfast. I had a quick reaction that the pancakes were sort of smallish. Not so small that you’d expect to find the cook using an Easy Bake Oven or something like that, they just seemed small. The bacon was good, and I think Steve from Yankeetown would have approved. The eggs were also good.

Marek dug right in. He liked this pancake just fine.

Here’s where we started getting into a little bit of a problem. While Marek was delving in with gusto, I was thinking that my blueberry pancakes were sort of average. They didn’t pack the blueberry punch that you find at Skyway Jacks or Taste of Boston. They were fine, but I wasn’t nearly as keen on mine as Marek was on his.

We encountered another problem as we started getting to the bottom of our pancakes. This one was a bit worse. The dining room was mostly empty. And so was the coffee. While Black and Bitter, this cup was far from Bountiful or Bottomless.

An odd thing about Lenoce’s was that it was quiet. Funeral quiet. Church quiet. Taking the SAT quiet. People whispering to each other quiet. Marek was playing a little game where he’d “accidentally” roll Roary off the table and then make a big production of getting down from the chair, picking it up, and hauling himself back on the chair. The room was so quiet that it sounded like he was hurling monkeys in a library. This was odd because it was obvious that everyone knew each other and were regulars (“Hi Tom.” “Howdy Betty.” And the like.)

When we were done Marek paid the bill. I had to confiscate Roary so he would focus and do his part of the job (my part’s coming up with the cash, his is delivering it!).

He paid and brought back the change. The folks at the next table over said (in a quiet voice) how he brought back the change but that won’t last long! I agree. In about five years I’ll start getting some sort of overhead charge levied from Marek when he does this.

He made friends, as he tends to do.

And he really liked this nice lady. Though I can’t account for the direction of his gaze in this particular picture.

At the end of our time we did not go away hungry, but we did think the tab of $13.35 was a bit high for the smallish pancakes. Aside from the blueberry aspect, it’s not hard to find the same general quantity and quality around here for around half the price (the Ranch House just up the road has 2 pancakes/2 eggs/2 bacon for $3.99). The people were friendly, everyone was a regular, Marek was quite comfortable and ate a lot, and overall it wasn’t a bad experience, maybe a 3.5 rating. I’m docking a half a pancake point for the coffee — as our loyal readers know, the bottom of the coffee cup is a thing no Pancake Professional ever wants to see!

We give Lenoce’s Family Restaurant a three-pancake rating.

We visited the Taste of Boston at 5314 Interbay Blvd on 1 August 2009. Taste of Boston also has a web site at http://www.tasteofboston.net/. This was our first visit to this nice little breakfast in Ballast Park. This breakfast was recommended by Colonel Mike at CENTCOM.

It’s not a great picture, but if you look closely you’ll see two doors. On the left is the restaurant. On the right is the bait shop. It looked to me like they shared a common kitchen. Hmmm.

Our readers know that we always look for unique and special things about a Tampa Bay Breakfast. Before we even got in the door, we took stock of the lovely, lovely view …

… and the fact that there’s a ginormous great playground right out back.

This playground had … a race car!

So we finally finished driving the race car and went in for breakfast. You order at the counter and pay first, which is fine. Check out what’s on the menu … blueberry pancakes!

Marek paid the bill when we ordered.

And then we saw that Taste of Boston just kept on hitting the high marks. They had one of Marek’s favorite things, a fish tank!

It was full of lobsters, but hey, he’s two, and there’s no correcting him that they’re not fisheeees.

We had coffee and it was good.

As some of our dedicated readers have learned, coffee is actually delicious with salt and pepper.

And we had breakfast. And wow, were we pleasantly pleased with what came out.

Gosh-darned good blueberry pancakes! And Marek liked his pancake, too. The bacon was OK — not up to the standards set out by friend Steve from Yankeetown, but passable. The scrambled eggs were also average. But these were good pancakes! Marek said they were so good, he felt like a movie star.

When we were done they gave us coupons for our next visit! That’s a nice touch!

Finally, Marek was ready to go.

And away we went, back home to tell Mom all about it!

This was a very fun Tampa Bay Breakfast. There was a playground, a great view, a pier, a bait shop, and a fish tank full of lobsters. The customers were friendly and seemed to be a mix of regulars and new folks. The staff was cheerful and attentive. The prices were average, but the Pancakes were just great.

We’re pleased to give this Tampa Bay Breakfast a four-pancake rating.

We visited Jimbo’s BBQ at 4103 W Kennedy Blvd on 11 July 2009. Jimbos has a web site at http://www.jimbosbarbq.com/. This was our first visit to Jimbo’s. We’ve had several recommendations that this is a great place for breakfast.

This was a special Tampa Bay Breakfast as we had guests. Marek’s friend Daniel and his dad Teddy joined us!

Jimbo’s is actually a BBQ joint and has a great reputation around town. Walk in the place and you can tell — you’re in for BBQ. And even for breakfast it’s obviously a popular place. Several folks were greeted by name when they came in, which is a very good sign!

Aside from it being a BBQ shack, there’s no strange claim to fame for Jimbo’s. Just a nice place with good people. There is a huge alligator skin on the wall, which is pretty neat. And there’s a big ole gumball machine by the door. Just the right size for getting your hand stuck in it.

The menu at Jimbo’s is a bit sparse and, I felt, a little high on the price. Breakfast, while good here, is not the core competency of the kitchen, and it shows in the menu selection.

But the coffee was really good!

We had breakfast. The pancakes were ginormous. The bacon was very nice. We didn’t have eggs, as to get eggs and bacon and pancakes together we’d have had to spend $12!

Marek didn’t really eat much, but I think he was distracted. Whenever we have TBB guests he tends to not eat well, so we won’t hold that against Jimbo’s.

Even though he didn’t eat much and was sort of being loud and making a mess, he still took time out to love his dad.

When we were done, Marek paid the bill.

Daniel went to help.

Marek got the change. But no pop! Oh sad day!

Marek made a new friend! This is a sign of a good place, when folks take a moment to get to know you.

When we were done, Marek and Daniel offered to drive us home.

Overall, this was a nice place and we had a great time. We loved having breakfast with Teddy and Daniel. The folks at Jimbo’s were very friendly and the customers were all regulars. The breakfast was really good but a bit high priced. We’re pleased to give Jimbo’s Pit Bar-BQ a Tampa Bay Breakfast rating of 3.5 pancakes.

We visited Martha’s Place at 5202 N. Nebraska Avenue on 28 June 2009. This is our second visit to Martha’s, the first being at least a year ago when Marek still needed a booster seat.

Walking into Martha’s is like walking into your own grandmother’s house. The setup, decoration, and even the dishes give a well-worn feeling of hand-me-downs and yard sales where everyone in the family has had a part in making a house a home. But if there was air conditioning, either it wasn’t working or they’d not kicked it on yet — it was hotter inside than it was out!

Marek was not his usual cheery self this morning. He had a hard day yesterday, with a long drive to his Cousin Simone’s birthday party in Gainesville. So he asked that we give a half-pancake boost to Martha’s just because he was a grouch.

We started out with some coffee. If you remember the television show Twin Peaks, you may recall that Agent Cooper had many memorable coffee experiences. One was all the various coffees he’d get at the diner and another was at Pete’s place. Let’s say that I found Martha’s coffee to be more like Pete’s than the diner’s. But you’ve got to give some credit for the Morris the Cat coffee cup dating to at least the 80s if not the 70s!

The most unique thing about Martha’s is that there’s catfish on the breakfast menu. You don’t see that every day! Well, unless you eat at Martha’s every day, I suppose, but Martha’s is the only place in town that I know of with this specialty!

We had breakfast. The bacon was very nice and very crispy, in the way that Steve from Yankeetown would probably like. The pancakes were very reasonable and I didn’t mind finishing mine and Mareks. We’re Pancake Professionals, perhaps the only such professionals working in the Tampa Bay Area today, so we’re duty-bound to report on bad food even when served by good people. The eggs were simply not what I expected out of scrambled eggs. A single bite and I was done.

Marek, being cranky from yesterday’s events, didn’t eat a thing. He just wanted to play cars and be left alone.

So I had my breakfast and Marek’s breakfast and some of Pete Martell’s coffee. And it was a nice time.

Marek paid the bill. Or tried to, while holding on to his cars. He was lacking focus in his task and had to be coached a bit this morning.

But he finally got the bill paid. A full breakfast and coffee for under six bucks!

Martha’s was hot inside, the eggs were not my favorite, and they served Pete Martell coffee, but the bacon and pancakes were good and the people were just plain friendly and welcoming. And while Marek didn’t get a pop, he did get a gumball from the nice lady so it was all good. We’re going to give a 2.5 pancake rating and plus it up to a 3 because Marek was in a bad mood and we’re not going to hold that against the super folks at Martha’s!

We visited the Pine Grove Family Restaurant at 9399 N Florida Ave on Father’s Day, June 21st. Most things on the menu are very nicely priced, though the omelets seem to be a bit on the high side. Marek and I have been here a few times before and have always been treated well. The people are always very friendly and the customers have the look of folks who sit in the same booth every week, if not every day. This is a classic Tampa mom and pop greasy spoon.

On this visit our waitress recognized us immediately and remembered that Marek gets his own coffee cup. Automatic plus-up of 1/2 a pancake on the rating! The most unique thing about Pine Grove is the “Goody Goody Burger” … a Tampa specialty for 80 years, though I’ll admit we’ve never tried one as we stick to what we know (that’s breakfast!). The inside is very spacious and even has a great lunch counter. Maybe next year Marek will be tall enough for us to try it.

This was a very special Tampa Bay Breakfast, as we had an array of guests with us. We had Grandma and Huppa, who drove all the way from Inglis.

And we had mom! Tampa Bay Breakfasts got its start as a project to let mom sleep. We were very excited that she joined us today.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Tampa Bay Breakfast without Marek.

We started out with coffee. It was hot and black, the way we like it.

We had breakfast. This requires some history to put in perspective. Marek and I had a really good breakfast here a while back. Then we came back one afternoon for pie. Because, to be perfectly frank, I just really like pie. Several of the chairs from the lunch counter were missing seats and the pie itself was just not very good at all. So we thought, meh, this isn’t such a great place after all. Today’s breakfast made up for that sketchy visit. The bacon was a little under-done, but the eggs were great and the pancakes were top-notch.

Marek promptly got down to business. That’s pancake business.

For the five of us the tab was just under $30. That’s not bad at all. When we were done, Marek paid the bill. He’s started chanting “pay, pay, pay” whenever he sees the check come. He’s good at what he does and he knows it!

Like a shot, he’s off across the dining room.

Where he caused a bit of a stir. I was on the other side of the room so I’m not sure what was said, but it appeared to be along the lines of, “Hey! Where’d this kid come from?” “Heck, I don’t know, but he’s got money.” “Oh, well, OK then. Here’s your change, kid.”

Marek made friends with the good folks at Pine Grove, even though there weren’t any pops for him. I’m sure we’ll be back!

We all went away full of good food for a great price and we all had a great time. This is what breakfast is all about. We’re pleased to give the Pine Grove Family Restaurant a four pancake rating.