12 Best Restaurants in Tampa

Mouth-watering Italian food doesn’t need to be overly expensive. Hungry guests can enjoy homestyle Northern Italian grub at La Terrazza Restaurant in a warm, cozy, and comfortable space. The Italian eatery serves lunch and dinner, and on its menu, you’ll find classics like Caprese salad, penne alla vodka, veal scaloppine, homemade ravioli, and linguine with shrimp.

Burgers made on glazed donuts? Say no more! At Thee Burger Spot, hamburger fanatics will enjoy its creatively and classically topped burgers. Toppings used on the burger joint’s creations include Canadian bacon, American cheese, tangy pickles, chopped chicken, ranch sauce, and more. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the burger made on a Krispy Kreme donut (served on Fridays and Saturdays only) or the Pizza Burger topped with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, pizza sauce, and white American cheese, and is done on grilled Texas toast. If burgers aren’t your thing, Thee Burger Spot also serves sandwiches and sides.

At Seasons 52, finding something on the menu that appeals to everyone is easy. The fresh grill and wine bar showcases a rotating menu of American favorites in an upscale setting, minus the scary price tag. With such a vast menu of tasty items, it’ll be hard to decide between the chipotle BBQ shrimp flatbread, slow-roasted meatballs, brick oven seasonal gnocchi, rotisserie half chicken, and mac ‘n’ cheese. It’s a great spot to visit if you’re looking to pair your meal with a nice glass of wine or if you have a sweet tooth, as the menu is filled with desserts like mini pecan pies, coffee cakes, key lime pies, and more. Plus, the restaurant offers Happy Hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays.

Fan of Mexican food? If so, then you need to put Green Lemon on your must-visit restaurant list. It’s a modern hangout spot that offers tasty Mexican dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner. On Green Lemon’s menu, you’ll find fiesta bowls that pack a punch of flavor, street tacos, quesadillas, margaritas, and other cocktails. We are particularly fond of the Shia LaBEEF taco, which features spicy shredded beef, queso fresco, corn salsa, cilantro, and sriracha aioli. The inside of the restaurant is decorated with detailed light fixtures and colorful murals, making it the perfect spot for an Instagram post.

This American restaurant features an elegant dining room that turns into a lively bar scene as the evening rolls on. 717 South serves brunch and dinner. The brunch menu has classics like biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, eggs benedicts, and salmon lox on bagels. For dinner, hungry guests can choose between items like Karaage Chicken Wings, Maryland Lump Blue Crab Cake, Macadamia Nut Chicken, Organic Free-Range Chicken Carbonara, and Southern Grouper. It’s the place to go for Southern-inspired comfort food with an elevated twist.

If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat before heading off for an outdoor adventure, this counter-serve spot has a selection of thin-crust pizzas. It’s usually pretty busy, which is a good sign when it comes to restaurants, so be prepared for a bit of a wait before you get to sink your teeth into a slice. This pizza joint prides itself on bringing New York-style pizza to Tampa, and in addition to pizzas, you’ll notice mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, and cheese fries on the menu.

While many BBQ chains exist in Tampa, the best food is always found at the smaller joints. Konan’s BBQ is a low-key eatery that serves family-size meals, plates, sandwiches, and all sides you could ever imagine. Regular visitors suggest ordering the ribs, which fall right off the bone, and the mac ‘n’ cheese and coleslaw for sides. Finish your BBQ experience with some sweet potato pie, upside-down pineapple cake, or bread pudding for dessert. Note that Konan’s BBQ is only open from Thursday to Sunday.

If you’re planning on taking a picnic to one of Tampa’s parks or beaches, consider stopping by the West Tampa Sandwich Shop to pick up some sandwiches to go. This casual eatery offers specialty and classic sandwiches at an incredibly affordable price. You’ll find the Cuban Sandwich, Breaded Chicken Sandwich, Ham and Cheese Sandwich, Palomilla Steak Sandwich, and Tuna Sandwich on its menu. In addition, there’s the Veggie Sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, swiss cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard for vegetarians. In addition to sandwiches, the West Tampa Sandwich Shop also serves breakfast dishes and soups that make a delicious accompaniment to your meal.

Chips and salsa, guacamole, tacos, chocolate chip churro cookies, and specialty bowls — oh my! At Taco Dirty, you can choose from specialty bowls, like the Na-Cho Average Bowl or create your own based on what you’re craving. Na-Cho Average Bowl is loaded with chips and black beans, your choice of protein and veggie, warm queso or plant-based queso, two “Mexi things,” and a sauce. Protein options include citrus chipotle chicken, grilled lime and sour orange chicken, gluten-free chicken strips, lemon grilled shrimp, plant-based mushroom and tofu chorizo, and more. It’s one of the best places to go if you’re looking for healthy and fresh food at an affordable price.

If you’re a fan of the hot dogs served at baseball games and summer fairs, you’ll fall head-over-heels in love with the gourmet dogs at Mel’s Hot Dogs. The family-owned eatery has been around since 1973, meaning it has decades of experience creating scrumptious Chicago-style hot dogs. At Mel’s Hot Dogs, it’s always impossible to decide on what to order as there are tons of appealing options, including the Reuben Dog, Chili Dog, Cheese Dog, Bacon Cheddar Dog, Bagel Dog, Veggie Dog, Corn Dog, and the Snack Dog, for those who aren’t as hungry.

Willa’s is a wonderful option if you want to go somewhere a little fancier without spending an arm and a leg. This roomy, yet trendy restaurant specializes in French-American cooking and is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The menu boasts items like Rosemary Focaccia with whipped garlic confit butter, Three Cheese Macaroni, Steak Frites, and a Chicken Bacon Ranch Wedge salad. Willa’s is well known for its creative cocktail menu, so if you’re a fan of drinks like sangria and Aperol spritz, you best visit this restaurant next time you’re in Tampa.

Gelato is a must to keep cool in Tampa during the warmer months. You’ll find healthy Italian-style gelato, coffees, and handmade pastries at Gelato-Go Tampa. You can either have your gelato in a waffle cone or cup and because this spot is pet-friendly, your dog can lick up anything that drips as you eat. Popular flavors include pistachio, strawberry sorbet, cookies and cream, hazelnut, vegan peanut butter, and pineapple.

Visiting Tampa? Make the most out of your stay and book a room at Red Roof. With pet-friendly rooms and affordable rates, you’ll be able to sleep soundly after enjoying the best restaurants in Tampa.

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