I was thoroughly impressed by AJ's Kitchen Drawer. Everything was exceptional--the instruction, food, people, and ambiance. I attended a work event where we were fortunate to have Chef Keith Simpkins. It's evident that Chef Keith is passionate about his work, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Chef Keith taught us how to make tiramisu, pasta, and pesto, which are all among my favorite dishes. I'm pleased to say that I left the dinner with improved cooking skills. read more

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The absolute best experience ever. Third time here and it just keeps getting better! Came for the Valentine Date Night and it was incredible. Chef is a great teacher, helpful and funny. Food is delicious and plentiful!! Perfect night out. Will be back again soon! read more

AJ's Kitchen Drawer - Cooking Classes Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Amazing Valentine's Day experience amazing food with the best company you could ask for. The chefs were unbelievably knowledgeable and creating a memorable experience. read more

AJ's Kitchen Drawer - Valentines dinner - Cooking Classes Near Me - Tampa, Florida

My son Felix went to AJ's Kitchen Drawer for two weeks this summer, and honestly... what a gem of a camp. He's an only child and usually super hesitant when it comes to making friends--especially because he hates introductions. On the first day, he was nervous. But when I picked him up, he told me, "I made friends with all the Chefs." That's when I knew they really saw him. They made it their mission to connect with him, and once he felt comfortable, they helped him connect with the other kids. That's everything to a Mom. He did both the science-focused week and the arts-and-crafts cooking week, and he had the best time. The activities were creative, fun, and got him so into cooking in a way that felt playful and exciting--not just following recipes, but actually thinking about food. And AJ himself? Greeted us every morning and said goodbye every afternoon. That personal touch goes such a long way. You can feel the heart behind this place--and I'll always support that. Thank you for making my kid feel like he belonged. We'll definitely be back! read more

Last night I attended a 30th birthday for my friend and we had an incredible time at AJ's Kitchen Drawer. We had 8 people in our group and all got to cook 3 delicious courses. We all had various experience levels with cooking and were able to be relaxed while cooking a restaurant quality menu. The birthday girl was able to choose from many recipes for her menu. Here was the courses: Course One: Butternut Squash crostini with kale pesto and ricotta Course Two: Creamy garlic lemon chicken with Haricot vert Course Three: Bananas Foster (with flambé) The food was delicious and I could not have chosen a better menu. We even got to flambé the banana foster with spiced rum (supervises of course). We felt so taken care of and made some new friends as well. I highly recommend this for team building, birthdays, and even the pizza class for kids I heard was a huge hit. Also, there is a gift shop with all handmade wood crafts from wine caddy's to cutting boards all customizable with laser cutting to customize the pieces included in the price. AJ is a farm boy from Wisconsin where the wood is sourced from. We will definitely be back for another occasion or just a friends night out. For $40 a person many places you would pay the same for a 3 course meal. Thank you AJ again for making Jen's 30th Birthday so special! read more

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What an amazing place! The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the class was a lot of fun and the recipes easy to recreate at home. I can't wait to go back. read more

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We had an amazing time learning how to cook delicious food with Chef Keith. It was a wonderful experience and the perfect date night!

We held our company team building holiday party at AJ's Kitchen Drawer last weekend and it was a HUGE hit! From booking the event, planning the menu, and executing all the details, AJ and his staff were professional, reliable and so easy to work with. The ambiance was perfect, and Chef Keith was a super star! He gave incredible instructions so that even those less experienced cooks had fun and were inspired. His patience and sense of humor were also impressive while working with our large group. The food was delicious, and the experience was memorable. Co-workers are still talking about how much fun it was and can't wait to try the recipes at home. Highly recommend! read more

Had a great time with coworkers! Keith was attentive, energetic and detailed sharing instructions! Highly recommend! read more

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just had our daughters 5th birthday party and let me tell you, to say they go above and beyond to accommodate your needs is an understatement. They were amazing from the moment I contacted them. Natalia was extremely helpful w all the before party logistics, she answered all of my questions and made sure everything was perfectly aligned for the day of the event. Chef Keith... I mean, what a wonderful person, he met me the day before the event so I could start w the decorations and also bring most of the items in so I wasn't rushing the next day. He was kind, helpful, accommodating and so so very good w the kids. My daughter and her friends had an absolute blast and my husband and I couldn't be more grateful and appreciative of all AJ Kitchen staff did for us. Was magical, sweet, well planned, and very profesional. Thank you for an amazing experience, thank you for your kindness and for helping us create beautiful moments w our daughter. read more

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This was a perfect date night! We were lucky enough to have the owner (AJ) do our class and he did not disappoint. The food was great and he made the whole experience enjoyable and interactive. I would recommend this to anyone looking to do a cooking class! read more

3 stars for having attended cooking classes here 3 times. That's a fair shot at getting a sense of the place. It's meh at best. The owner is a nice guy but a chef he is not. Very very basic food and techniques (we made chicken piccata at 2 of the classes I attended). He really needs to read the room: all 3 of the classes I was part of (went with groups of friends each time. Organized by someone else), he acted like no one had ever cooked before. Assume that people are coming to your class not because they can't cook but for an activity. He was patronizing and not a great cook. It's super expensive and I was part of a charcuterie class where it was $80 (plus) a person and we only made 2 platters.total for the whole group and then ate it there. but we are told to bring our own boards (with specific measurements). Every woman there thought she was going home with a full charcuterie board. He acted like no one had heard of prosciutto. Again, read the room. I do wish him well, go with reasonable expectations (very basic techniques and menus). I do believe his kids cooking classes would be great. That's the level he's bringing to the adults. But it's right for kids who haven't been making meals for 35 years. read more

We booked AJ's Kitchen Drawer for a team building event and everything from planning to the actual event was amazing. AJ was great with communication and helping set up the day of the event. Or Chef, Keith was incredible. He helped curate a menu for us and was super knowledgeable. Keith made the class fun and easy for us non-cookers and was hilarious along the way. 10/10 would recommend. Looking forward to coming back for another class! read more

We had a great time! Our company hosted a private event here with Chef Keith. Chef Keith was funny and personable and made the experience a ton of fun for our group. The entire staff was very accommodating. We loved it!! read more

Absolutely perfect planning and execution. AJ and his team were so good with the group of 6 year old girls! The space is spotless, the food was amazing and the atmosphere is just fun! Such a fun and different birthday party idea! Thank you, AJ! read more

AJ's Kitchen Drawer - Cooking Classes Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We've been looking for a cooking class for our kids now that they're older and AJ's was perfect. Our 14-yo daughter really enjoyed the classes and came home with added passion for cooking. Highly recommend! read more

We absolutely loved the custom knives they made for us here! Spectacular! Thank you AJ for working with us! Plus they come with lifetime sharpening so I'm looking forward to a lifetime of sharp, beautiful, amazing knives! read more

We took a party of 6 this week for my wife's surprise birthday party. We can't stop group texting about how much fun it was. We went for the Absolutely Apple class and really enjoyed doing new things with apples and ingredients we had never tried before. The crustinis might have been the best app we've ever had. Bring your own wine, they clean the dishes, you cook gourmet meals...it's the perfect group dinner. AJ went above and beyond to research a vegetarian dish for the birthday girl that was comparable to the main dish, and called me the day before to see if that would work for us. Even brought out our desert with a birthday candle. Will 100% be back. read more

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We had a great time! We had a corporate team building event here with Chef Keith. Everyone had such a fun time! The entire staff at AJ's went above and beyond to make it a fun experience. We loved it! read more

I walked in to their retail store, OMG the wood work was beautiful. I love all the different woods used to make the various items. My husband and I walked in with a plan to buy a pizza peel and walked with a butter board set too. The owner personalized the butter dish, included in the price, which turned out very nice. Once my husband decides what size cutting board he wants we plan on going to Aj Kitchen Drawer to pick it up. read more

AJ's Kitchen Drawer - Butter Board - Cooking Classes Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Awesome Experience!! My husband and I found this little gem, trying to find a fun date night adventure. We had an amazing time, laughing and cooking together. AJ was a great instructor, answering all our questions and helping us prepare a delicious meal. Nati was wonderful as well, taking lots of pictures for us and prepping and cleaning. The store, where they have incredible works of art, was fantastic and is a great place to find unique and beautiful pieces. A MUST TRY EVENT!! read more

We had a corporate team building event here and I would highly recommend Chef Keith. Great experience and meal. Great job!

I just want to take this opportunity to thanks Aj's Kitchen drawer for an amazing experience for my daughters birthday party. Aj and his crew took the time to really make the cooking process an amazing interactive experience. My daughter said this was her favorite birthday party ever. This is an experience we will always cherish. I highly recommend this place for parties, camps and classes. Please patronize!! read more

I had so much fun learning how to make fresh mozzarella cheese, focaccia from scratch and fresh berries to be served over ice cream. The two chefs taught us new cooking tricks . The classes are well organized. I will definitely return for more classes. read more

Five star birthday dinner cooking class. Everybody is raving the day after how much fun we had and how good the food was. Very relaxed atmosphere, AJ and his family are great hosts. Even the most timid among the group really got into the cooking , and of course the eating. Very fairly priced, extensive menu to choose from, and you can bring your own wine. I especially liked that feature because 10 people all have different tastes, this way people bring what they like. There were two food requests in the group, and AJ made sure to handle them as well, it was a great , memorable party. They took photos of the event and provided them to us to share. We will be back, as will others in the group now that they know how fun it is. read more

Great place...great chef and workers...great food - would highly recommend. Got to meet others cooking as well so that was nice too. Our daughter and son-in-law took us out for our birthdays and it was so much fun. read more

Our girls recently attended 4 weeks of Summer cooking camp classes, cooking 80 dishes, with lots of fun sprinkled in between! To say they had a blast would be an understatement. I have NEVER had my girls say they love camp and want to return, but Chef AJ, Chef Keith, and the rest of the amazing team have them wanting to come back next Summer! Thank you to this fabulous crew for making this experience so wonderful for all of the kiddos! AJ's Kitchen Drawer is hidden gem! read more

It was great! Very fun and Chef Keith was detailed and very much into what he does. He made it so everyone felt comfortable and we all really enjoyed this event. Very clean and professional. read more

my grandson and I attended for grandparents day. We made spaghetti and meatballs, garlic, knots and chocolate chip cookies. We had the best time we laughed we cooked we ate. It was wonderful. The instructions were easy to follow, and I would recommend this class to anyone. We hole to attend more classes! thanks again! read more

I came here on Mexican food night with my sister-in-law. Now if you're coming from South Tampa ..heads up this is way on the other end of Hillsborough!!!! Worth the drive though. If you have ever done a cooking class with Publix this is very similar or sur la table. It's hands-on & I believe you can byow?!? Call to verify. I wish I had written a review sooner...... I just remember it was a really good time and I can't wait to come back with my husband. Oh and the store was super adorable. I just didn't feel comfortable shopping with my sister-in-law so will come back...definitely make sure you have time to shop after your class. They also hold classes for children & they do cookie making sessions for kiddis.You can have birthday parties for your kids here or an adult. How cute would that be to have your adult friends come and do a cooking demonstration and drink wine! read more

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Had a private party for my daughter birthday and had a blast. Recipes were simple and easy for children. They even decorated for me. Price is reasonable as well. High recommend and plan on coming back with my adult friends. They have class dates with different themes I'd like to try as well. Everybody is friendly! Aj was great instructor and the photographer Natalia took great photos. read more

AJ's is an excellent place. Our experience was top notch and everyone enjoyed the food and atmosphere. I Highly recommend you gather some fiends and book a private event that is interactive with great recipes for everyone to enjoy. read more

Our kids have attended several of AJ's cooking classes over the last few years and have absolutely enjoyed them every time. They come home excited to recreate the meals and with new skills and confidence in the kitchen. Very reasonably priced as well. The shop has so many beautiful unique items for the kitchen and home too! read more

Outstanding experience! Highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed! My family and I can't wait to go back.

Aj's Kitchen Drawer offers amazing couples cooking classes as well as kids summer camps and family classes. My kids LOVE the summer camps, it is the first camp they ask to attend when planning our summer. I highly recommend AJ's Kitchen Drawer for kids, girl's night out, book clubs or team building events! read more

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What an amazing place! My friend and I have taken several cooking classes together all over Tampa and this is our favorite! It's a bit outside South Tampa but fully worth the trip! Even better, their shop after is affordable, trendy and filled with impressively handmade products. I would absolutely Santa anyone here! read more