Top Rated Restaurants in Tampa, Florida
- Hungry Tamp diners can choose from classic Cuban to Pacific Rim cuisine.buffet image by Casseb from Fotolia.com
Tampa, Florida has a strong Cuban population as well as other influences from the Caribbean. Diners looking for a tasty meal, though, have much more to choose from in Tampa than jicama and carne asade. From the steakhouses to sushi, Tampa restauranteurs cater to a variety of palettes. - Locals and out-of-towners alike head to Bern's Steakhouse for prime cuts of beef, the dessert room, and the cheese cave (officially called the Cave du Fromage). Bern's serves Delmonico, Chateaubriand, t-bone, sirloin and New York strip steaks. Expect to pay between $30 and $200 for the steak, not including side dishes or drinks. Diners can choose the cut of steak as well as the thickness, and the menu aims to educate diners about the steak they order. Tip: Don't leave without visiting the dessert room, and for a slightly less expensive meal, try SideBerns.
Bern's Steak House
1208 South Howard Avenue
Tampa, FL
813-251-2421
BernsSteakHouse.com - Tucked away in a strip mall in what locals regard as not quite the best area of Tampa, China Yuan serves some of the most lauded Chinese food in the Tampa Bay area. The owners grow their own vegetables and keep a ready supply of live seafood at the restaurant for patrons. Although China Yuan calls itself a seafood house, they offer a wide array of poultry, pork and beef as well. Tip: Split an order of garlic snow pea tips for the table, and get a bag of almond cookies at the Chinese bakery next door.
China Yuan Seafood Restaurant
8502 North Armenia Avenue
Tampa, FL 33604
813-936-7388
ChinaYuanRestaurant.com - Right next to Busch Gardens, Mel's Hot Dogs serves hot dogs day in, day out - and has since 1973. Diners find nothing fancy here, just hot dogs on poppy seed buns, served with relish or without. Mel's serves some variations on traditional hot dogs- think Reuben hot dog- as well as a burger and a chicken sandwich, but folks come here for the hot dog experience. Tip: Always order the basket and maybe an extra order of Mel's onion rings, especially for groups of three or more.
Mel's Hot Dogs
4136 E. Busch Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33617
813-985-8000
MelsHotDogs.com - Tampa has a big-name Cuban restaurant with a long history, but Pipo's - admittedly smaller and not as flashy- has a solid following as well, with lower prices and, many argue, better food. The owners started serving Cuban food in Tampa in the early 1980s and now have three locations. Tip: Chowhounds rave about Cuban sandwiches, but the roast pork definitely warrants a try, as does their tostones.
Pipo's South Tampa
411 South MacDill Avenue
Tampa, FL 33609
813-871-5252
Pipos.com
Pipo's North Tampa
11417 North Dale Mabry Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33618
813-963-7476
Pipos.com
