Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters- Ybor City Cafe — Restaurant in Tampa

One of the first things I noticed about the Blind Tiger Cafe is its eclectically-designed interior. There's a myriad of eccentric furniture pieces (zoology-esque artwork gathered on one part of the wall, a nautical mirror with a freedom eagle perched on top, Spanish word lettering to show you where the bathroom is, semi-lucky Asian cats waving their paw back and forth towards bright-eyed customers, and, other details I'm sure you'd be entertained to spot) amidst an overall casually rustic/industrial atmosphere. The Blind Tiger mascot hilariously is not Asian (as a normal person would imagine) nor does it particularly look like a tiger (it looks more like a creature from the Ursidae family). Despite the cafe's seemingly random theme, I imagine that it is fairly easy to spontaneously erupt with light-to-heavy amusing conversations with the right sort of companions (and/or strangers). Not to mention the fun you would have by playing with the various board games laying around (or is it "lying" around? My 8th grade English teacher would not be too pleased reading this).

Anyways, I'm trying really hard not to write a novel here, but I feel so effortlessly creative after stopping by this neat little place. Maybe I'm just having a really good day?

Onwards, I go...

The menu is simple. This is good for indecisive folks like me. It had some new options I had not seen at other coffee shops. Simple and surprising— Great!

The prices are a bit on the higher end, albeit, but the experience makes up for it. After some quick musing, I picked the Cafe Bombón because the barista said it had condensed milk. It was a bit chilly today and fall is finally here, so I asked for the hot version. I waited for a bit awhile I sat on one of the comfy arm chairs with my friends who were trying to cram for an Anatomy & Physiology Lab exam on bones in an hour (oh, these poor stressed-out souls). I was mouthing the words to some nostalgic 80's song playing overhead when the barista called for my friend's name (she graciously paid for us because my friend and I forgot our wallet— don't worry, we Venmo'd her back afterwards). And then...

The first sip? Heavenly! It was soooo smooth and velvety. I liked it a lot. It did feel a bit too sugary afterwards, but I suppose I should have expected this from coffee that's mixed with condensed milk.

Anyways, this is the first of many experiences I will have here at The Blind Tiger Cafe. I wouldn't mind inviting a couple of amigos in the near future for a fun time.

Sincerely, A student who is taking a break from studying and reminiscing about a cup of coffee she just gulped down about...

Too cool for you? I live in Ybor and have been to this coffee shop more than 10 times. I was off work for a while, would walk here several times a week and get a coffee drink. However, I now walk past and head over to The Bunker coffee shop instead.

Decor is great but not entirely comfortable. There is one couch and two leather chairs that are lounge worthy. The rest are normal leather chairs comfortable but not "chill here for a few hours" type. There is a bar top with stools around it which are really awkward to sit on and make you feel like you are in the way of people who are in line to order when it gets a little crowded.

After you order your coffee they don't really say anything like "please relax and we will let you know when your order is ready" so at first I would just stand and wait until I realized they take a while to make it. They are polite but not friendly baristas. I really wanted to make this make my go to shop where people knew me but they aren't very sociable even when your standing there waiting for a coffee. They like to talk amongst themselves and honestly I felt like they were "too cool" to talk to me since I'm not dressed hipster-ish. I tried but the only really friendly person I encountered was the actual owner one day. For $5 plus dollars a coffee, I want the whole experience not a bad & more expensive version of Starbucks.

Also this is an old building so there is no ADA accessibility. If you have a wheel chair (forget it)or stroller it's a pain to get in the doors. They are narrow & you have to have someone open both doors if you need more space to get in, with no ramp.

Frankly I get FRIENDLY service, great coffee, more lounging space and easy accessibility at The Bunker. If you want to buy an expensive coffee and take some cool pics on your phone for social media stop by....

This coffee shop is much more than just a coffee shop, it's an experience, plain and simple. The authenticity and originality emanating from the entire establishment is so genuine and embracing that you can't help but get lost in the immersive culture that is The Blind Tiger.

The staff is unbelievably Helpful and energetic, even to those who may not be avid coffee/tea drinkers (if you are looking to get into it, THIS is the place to start). The Coffee and Teas are TOP NOTCH and brewed with such care that they can easily turn a coffee hater into a bean grinding aficionado.

The owners are hands on in this business and their passion is oozing out of every intricate fabric woven into each American made T-shirt. The Designs from Black and Denim have a beautiful aesthetic and attention to detail that BEGS to become a high fashion staple, and even better an AMERICAN MADE FASHION!

On top of all this, you can actually become a part of the culture yourself in the Co-Work spot, connected to the establishment, dedicated to the bootstrap grabbing entrepreneurs of the city. One of the best networking opportunities I have ever been honored to be a part of. Plus they open their rooms for meeting spaces as well as community events.

I can literally write pages on how amazing this establishment and it's curators are, but nothing can speak louder that experiencing for yourself.

I PROMISE YOU, It will NOT be something...