2024 is going to be a pretty rough year for many businesses in the Tampa area. I feel like every week I write a post about a new business closing and this week is no different. This breaks my heart too because I love their chicken and waffles. Unfortunately, I have to inform everyone that Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe is closing its doors.

Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Sould Food Sundays, but Ella’s is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in Tampa. On Friday afternoon, Ella’s posted on Instagram that it would be closing its doors on September 1st. And that’s after being in business for 15 years!

The news was predictable when owner Melissa Deming put the property up for sale in December. According to the Tampa Bay Times, this was a last-ditch effort by Fleming to save the business. She thought if she sold it, she could probably keep the business going. But that didn’t happen.

Ella writes in her post: “As we prepare for this bittersweet farewell, we invite you to join us in the coming weeks to share a final meal, raise a toast, and celebrate the memories that made our time together in Seminole Heights so much fun.”

Since you only have a few weeks left to enjoy the delicious food, I would like to introduce you to my top 3 from the menu:

Fried chicken and waffles

So good that I had to mention them twice in this article. The only problem is that you can only get them on Soul Food Sundays. However, if you want a substitute during the week, you can get their chicken and waffle sammy. Not as big a meal, but it gets you your fix until you can get there on Sunday.

The Wino

I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to pronounce this, but it tastes delicious regardless. It’s a burger with bacon and apple jam, gorgonzola, arugula and red onions. All you have to do is choose your side. You can choose between fried green tomatoes, lettuce, a cup of soup, fried pickles, coleslaw and fries with garlic and thyme.

Triple Red Velvet Cake

Come on. Do I even need to say anything else? All of Ell’s desserts are homemade, so you can taste the love in each of their choices. My favorite, however, is the Red Velvet.

What is your favorite dish on the menu?

Rich grew up in the Bronx, NY but moved to Tampa in 2006 to attend the University of Tampa. Although he completed 4 years of Sports Management at the University, Ortiz discovered his true passion for radio after taking some classes to complete his minor in Communications and volunteering as Sports Director at UT radio station WUTT. Rich also worked at several clubs in Tampa as a host/promoter where he met and worked with Davy Rolando who helped him get a job at WiLD 94.1. From there, Rich worked his way up from promotions assistant to promotions coordinator and eventually full-time host. Rich enjoys writing about his favorite Tampa restaurants, concert reviews and the WiLDest stories of Florida men and women.