By Debra Massaro
Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, located at 106 SR 60 in Plant City, is offering patrons more than a great meal. Recent changes to the hours of operation, nightly features, and a new party hall have turned the eating establishment into an entertainment venue.
Owner Simone Tolley holds a business degree from the University of South Florida. Her husband Mike has been in the hospitality business since 1990 and traveled the world as a corporate trainer in chain restaurants. The pair decided to fine-tune their years of experience and opened their own family- friendly establishment.
Simone, who runs Uncle Mike’s, shared, “Corporate America has taken over the restaurant world. I wanted a family-owned “Mom and Pop” place with home-cooking.”
Uncle Mike’s is known for serving affordable “comfort food” with quality ingredients including pork, chicken, pasta, seafood, wraps, soups, salads, and a variety of side dishes and desserts.
The restaurant is closed Monday for private parties and features the following special events: Tuesday Night All-You-Can-Eat Pork and kids eat Free with the purchase of an adult meal; Wednesday All-You-Can-Eat Crab Legs; Thursday Nine Dollar Burger Meal Night and free line dancing lessons; Friday All-You-Can-Eat Catfish Fry, cornhole tournaments, DJ Night, and ladies drink free in the saloon; Saturday All-You-Can-Eat Steak Night and karaoke at 9pm; Sunday Pastors Eat Free from 11-3pm and church goers receive ten percent off when presenting the weekly bulletin.
The weekly line dance lessons are taught by Simone, who is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader.
“It’s what I love to do,” she said.
In 2016, the restaurant added Blake Hall, an 8800-sq. ft. catering facility which seats up to 300 people. In addition to the contemporary dining room, Mike’s offers a semi-private game room with private bar that can accommodate 45 people and an outdoor covered pavilion with private bar and stage with 150-person capacity. Full catering is available along will a full liquor bar. On-site wedding and party planners offer expertise for both large and small gatherings. Brides-to-be can take advantage of private tastings, as well.
Hours of operation are Tuesdays 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and Sundays 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. For information, visit www.unclemikesggrill.com, call 737-4444, or log on to Facebook.com/unclemikesgrill.
