La Teresita is a cuban restaurant in West Tampa, Tampa.
La Teresita on Columbus Drive in West Tampa has run a Cuban counter and dining room since 1972, owned by the Capdevila family across two generations.
Signature dishes: Palomilla steak, Roast pork sandwich, Cafe con leche
Must order: Palomilla steak with yellow rice and black beans, a side of yuca fries, and a cafe con leche at the counter.
Tip: The counter (west door) runs 6am to midnight Friday and Saturday; the dining room next door takes reservations.
Address: 3246 W Columbus Dr, Tampa, FL 33607
Madame Fortune in Ybor City runs Caribbean food and a vinyl record bar from a back room of Roast Deli and Bakery on East Seventh Avenue. The room fills.
Signature: Jerk chicken roti, Plantain tostones, Rum cake
Order: The jerk chicken roti plus a glass of rum punch, with the rum cake as the late finish.
Tip: Find the entrance through Roast Deli's back hallway; the HiFi parlour plays vinyl most nights and the back-patio seating fills first.
Bavaro's in downtown Tampa opened in 2009 as Florida's first traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, with wood-fired ovens and pastas from a Ferrara family recipe.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Quattro formaggi, Carbonara
Order: Margherita pizza out of the wood-fired oven, the carbonara, and a Negroni at the bar before the wait clears.
Tip: The corner room at Franklin and Twiggs takes walk-ins; the bar seats are first-come for solo diners.
Datz in South Tampa is the city's bacon-hoarding comfort-food gastropub, open since 2009 for big-plate brunch and gut-busting comfort dinners.
Signature: Biscuits and Crazy, Nashville chicken doughnut, Eggs Barbacoa
Order: Biscuits and Crazy at brunch with buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, two eggs, bacon and three potato preparations.
Tip: Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am until 3pm fills the patio; Sunday dinner runs late.
Oxford Exchange on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa runs a bookstore, restaurant, coffee bar and TeBella tea bar, with a sunlit conservatory and Buddy Brew Coffee.
Signature: Buttermilk pancakes, Avocado toast, Afternoon tea
Order: Buttermilk pancakes with the maple butter, the conservatory egg sandwich and a flight of TeBella teas at brunch.
Tip: Toast named Oxford Exchange among the top 20 brunch spots in America; arrive before 9am on weekends or expect a 90-minute wait.
Wat Mongkolratanaram on Palm River Road runs a Sunday Thai market every week from 9am until 1pm, with food cooked by temple volunteers under live-oak trees.
Signature: Pad thai, Guay tiew noodle soup, Mango sticky rice
Order: Pad thai from the noodle line, guay tiew beef noodle soup, and mango sticky rice from the dessert tables.
Tip: Cash only; arrive before 11am to beat the noodle lines; religious services follow at 1pm in the temple proper.
Wright's Gourmet House on Dale Mabry Highway has run a Tampa sandwich and bakery counter since 1963, famous for Cuban sandwiches and the legendary rum cake.
Signature: Cuban sandwich, Roast beef sandwich, Rum cake
Order: The Cuban sandwich pressed crisp and a slice of the famous rum cake to take home.
Tip: The Casper family bought Wright's from the founders in 2024 to keep the recipes in Tampa hands; cash and card both work.
