Savor the Flavors: Restaurants in Tampa Serving Mouthwatering Dishes
Check out Tampa’s lively food scene, where each bite tells a creative and tasty story. Tampa’s restaurants offer a tasty trip through a wide range of cuisines and creative dishes, from busy downtown eateries to cozy waterfront spots.
These places to eat promise to please all tastes, whether you’re looking for fresh seafood by the bay, rich foreign flavors, or locally sourced farm-to-table food. Come with us as we find the best places in Tampa that offer both great food and unforgettable dining experiences.
Bern’s Steak House
Bern’s Steak House starts this list strong. The price is high. Quite fancy. It’s great. Experts make each steak to your specifications. You can choose the thickness and ounces while ordering steak. The best steaks in Tampa are here. In addition, you can visit the kitchen and wine cellar and eat in the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. All of Bern’s desserts are delicious, but try a sample of their vanilla cheesecake, macadamia decadence cake, banana cheese pie, chocolate cheese pie, and King Midas. Ah, wow.
Al’s finger-licking BBQ
This Tennessee-style BBQ establishment in Ybor City never disappoints. The quaint renovated house has a laid-back ambiance, perfect for a barbecue joint. They prepare soft, flavorful smoked meats that will make you lick your fingers—and no one will condemn you since they’ll be doing it too. Get a half slab of ribs with their delicious baked beans, spicy collard greens, black-eyed peas, mac & cheese, and cornbread. Best Tampa barbecue.
Columbia Restaurant
Columbia Restaurant, “Florida’s Oldest Restaurant,” serves Spanish-Cuban dishes since 1905. Expect a delightful experience reminiscent of 1920s Cuba. While their vast, hectic menu may make it difficult to choose, their paellas are always a good choice. The vegan, gluten-free paella vegetarian is just as good as their usual ones. Since they take 30 minutes to create, get a drink or two of wine and some tapas to pass the time.
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Tampa Bay Brewing Company
Handcrafted beers, award-winning cider wings, and a bomb burger are available at Tampa Bay Brewing Company. Named “the Bomb,” it’s a half-pound burger with cheddar cheese, hickory bacon, and onion straws wrapped in pizza dough instead of a bun, baked, and served with horseradish ale sauce. Incredible. It’s unique. Burger-calzone-like. If burgers aren’t your thing, try their extensive pizza, calzone, and entrée menu. The shepherd’s pie, beer-battered fish and chips, and meatloaf will amaze you. Their two-person apple crisp completes your meal.
Jet City Espresso
A conventional coffee house with some of the greatest coffee you’ve ever experienced, this is not your normal organic espresso shop. To fully appreciate the flavor, try it before adding sugar or honey. You may not need sugar. Yelp has over 100 near-perfect reviews for a reason. Coffee isn’t their only business. Baked pastries, smoothies, teas, quiches, salads, and more. Jessica, the owner, and the ambiance are welcoming. No doubt, Tampa’s best local coffee store.
Eddie’s Prime Steaks and Seafood
Of course you’re thinking about fresh oysters, shrimp cocktail, and lobster in Tampa. If so, Eddie V’s is the best place to spend money. It’s classy and hip with live jazz. Your feelings will resemble Frank Sinatra’s. The setting is ideal for a romantic meal. Oyster bar serves market oysters, jumbo lump crab, and Hawaiian yellowtail sashimi, but lobster tails, bisque, and tacos are the specialty. Godiva chocolate cake is the finale.
Miguel’s Grill Seafood and Grill
Sit on Miguel’s beautiful back patio, order a premium margarita, and munch chips and salsa while browsing the menu. This is no cheesy Mexican eatery. Authentic, home-cooked, delicious Mexican food in a luxurious setting. Try the USDA prime filet or Kobe skirt steak fajitas with frijoles charros, Mexican rice, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, and hot tortillas. This place has great food, from spicy pinto bean soup to ceviche. They make Tampa’s greatest huevos rancheros for brunch.
Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe
Ella’s has live music, folk art, indie, and antique decor and great food. Even if you don’t like vintage-retro-hipster, the food is amazing, especially on Soul Food Sundays. Fried chicken and waffles with bourbon honey, southern cornmeal fried catfish, and biscuits with smoked sausage gravy among their best brunch specialties. What ever you order, you must receive bacon mac and cheese a la carte. To die for. Why all mac & cheese doesn’t have bacon is beyond us.
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Restaurant La Teresita
La Teresita is a dump with a cafeteria atmosphere, but it serves the best and cheapest Cuban food in Tampa. Although the cubano is recommended, it is not he only dish on the menu. The bottom “sandwiches” aren’t the highlight, but you need to realize how heavenly it is. Fantastic and enormous. This Cuban sandwich is excellent. Check out their steak, puerco asado, arroz con pollo, and other Cuban dishes if you enjoy it all. Serve fried plantains.
