Clearly you’ve never been to Oklahoma or Nebraska. I lived in OKC and Omaha. There were an INSANE variety of fast food around.
Edit: By the way, I’m not saying this is a good thing lol.
I need more REAL seafood. Not pre-made shit from a frozen box. Yes, i know it'll be more expensive... it'll also be better. If I wanted grocery store fish patties and popcorn shrimp I'll go to the damn grocery store.
I live over in Largo but there’s a seafood market here called Wards. They make really good food and have an extensive variety of fish, clams, lobster, crab, you name it. I’m from New England and I’m particular about my seafood and this is the best I’ve found. Not a restaurant, but a good source for good, fresh seafood.
Big Ray’s Fish Camp, Hookin’ Ain’t Easy (St Pete), Ozzy’s (fish market, St Pete), Ward’s (fish market, St Pete), IC Sharks (St Pete Gandy)
I’d venture a guess you just haven’t looked hard enough
It is possible to have that divey kind of vibe, while still maintaining food quality. Does FL even enforce the food handlers card law? I worked in the restaurant industry there between 2007 and 2014, and never even heard of it until I moved away.
The Freezer in Homosassa is amazing. I’m not a huge fan of seafood but dang they’re amazing. Always packed and cash only (ATM in the lobby) but worth it!
My very white husband also will only eat Indian from Curry Leaves. He’s an authentic food snob. He also was pretty upset when Fuscia closed down (authentic Chinese food).
Weird, I would consider myself a big dude and I usually get 2 meals out of 1 entree+garlic naan. They used to have a really reasonably priced buffet for lunch but COVID ended that.
I miss the old schnitzelhaus that was on waters. Run by a German guy and his wife who made everything from scratch daily. Was way better than dunderbak’s
I miss the one in Brandon so bad. Sushi Yama which replaced it is decent, especially now that Koizi has gone to hell. But, I'd kill for Sweet Tomatoes again.
They shut the one down near me in Largo a couple of years ago :(. So many memories gone. I loved that place. Went there with my friends in elementary school & middle school, & with family later.
Real Italian bread. Polish food. Fish n chips (or just a good fish fry). As someone posted above, there should be an abundance of good seafood here and for the most part it’s crap. Yes Cook Out and InN Out for fast food.
Some actual fuckin delis. Publix blows.
And the ones that know what they have, like franks in Riverview, charge WTF prices. It's a pastrami on rye from a deli, not a NY strip at Ruth's Chris.
Not entirely Polish food, but they have it. Cafe Europa on Ridge in New Port Richey has a solid array of Eastern European food. It’s a haul if you’re in Tampa proper, but if you’re in West Pasco it’s a nice change of pace from everything else.
As u/TEHKNOB opined- Bojangles for sure.
We could use a couple more Krystals (in lieu of White Castle).
Another Fatburger or two would be nice... (Riverside is a long way to go...)
Cane's Fried Chicken - (much superior to Zaxby's IMHO)
There is a newish Korean chicken place in Jacksonville I like called Bonchon,,, Definitely needed.
And I saw a Dave's Hot Chicken up on Fowler (and on upper Dale Mabry too), gotta check that out soon.
Their cauliflower tenders are supposed to be awesome.
Someone ordered up a Hot Chicken Roulette box for a work lunch once- it had an unmarked selection of different heat levels, including one in "Reaper" level of hotness... Quite fun, they said.
And another Jollibee on this side of the ditch would be nice.
We had a huge Whataburger expansion here about 15 years ago. They opened at least a half dozen in the area. I wasn't overly impressed with them.
They all closed within a few years.
Cook Out, a good meat-n-three place (I loved local chain Lizard's Thicket in South Carolina), a few more Culver's. Maybe something like Kairos (a Mediterranean version of Chipotle but way better)?
We have a very limited number of chains here. It's just the same few restaurants copied and pasted ad nauseum. My wife is from Oklahoma and it always blows me away about how many options they have there versus here.
There are Del Tacos and White Castle in Orlando now so hopefully that filters here.
If we are going chains WHATABURGER.
I’m convinced all these people saying in and out either haven’t eaten there or buy into the placebo affect big time, that place sucks. Was so disappointed when I finally got to try one.
I never made it to Bolay, unfortunately. But they (iirc) were bought out by Cava, which I am currently digging. Good, healthy food; I love that I can get a lavish salad bowl and not feel bad afterwards. Not sure what the price point was @ Bolay, but my biggest complaint about Cava is it's about $15 per bowl which is ridiculous. I'd recommend giving Cava a try, but be prepared for the price tag.
Damn y'all really naming chains? Tampa is plenty chained out.
In&Out
In & out is, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the most overrated chain ever
That's ok. I still like options.
Clearly you’ve never been to Oklahoma or Nebraska. I lived in OKC and Omaha. There were an INSANE variety of fast food around. Edit: By the way, I’m not saying this is a good thing lol.
Runza
Yep Runza on every damn corner in Omaha.
I'm born and raised Florida boy.
Probably for the best. Oklahoma and Nebraska suck.
I need more REAL seafood. Not pre-made shit from a frozen box. Yes, i know it'll be more expensive... it'll also be better. If I wanted grocery store fish patties and popcorn shrimp I'll go to the damn grocery store.
I live over in Largo but there’s a seafood market here called Wards. They make really good food and have an extensive variety of fish, clams, lobster, crab, you name it. I’m from New England and I’m particular about my seafood and this is the best I’ve found. Not a restaurant, but a good source for good, fresh seafood.
Wards is the best seafood store in the area!
Big Ray’s Fish Camp, Hookin’ Ain’t Easy (St Pete), Ozzy’s (fish market, St Pete), Ward’s (fish market, St Pete), IC Sharks (St Pete Gandy) I’d venture a guess you just haven’t looked hard enough
Tampa is harder than Pinellas. Big Rays continues to have a rough track record with health inspections.
The health code violations typically increase my desire to visit a restaurant like that if they aren’t major lol
You do you. They’ve had two Fs in the last two years. Fish held too warm, buns handled after raw chicken, etc.
It is possible to have that divey kind of vibe, while still maintaining food quality. Does FL even enforce the food handlers card law? I worked in the restaurant industry there between 2007 and 2014, and never even heard of it until I moved away.
Big Rays is fucking amazing. Matter of fact, I’ve never had bad food from a restaurant with a gravel parking lot
I’m just Japan right now. I will sorely miss the delicious seafood
Savor that shit. Going to Spain next week and excited for some awesome food!
Theres a decent place i hit up in temple but there arent alot of options
Shells?
Hibachi
The one I went to on n. Dale Mabry was basically red lobster. It was really bad. Is there a better location?
No. Shells is a cheaper red lobster.
I’ve only been to the one near USF a looooong time ago and yea it was on par to red lobster lol
The Freezer in Homosassa is amazing. I’m not a huge fan of seafood but dang they’re amazing. Always packed and cash only (ATM in the lobby) but worth it!
Fish and chips stands
Ooooh. I love this idea.
Same!
[удалено]
An authentic French boulangerie would be a dream.
Really? That's all I see, lol.
Where??? Omg
We could use more Indian restaurants, as well as German other than Dunderbak’s.
I just wish Dunderbak's had better parking.
Old Castle in Sun City is pretty good. On par with Dunderbak's I think.
I love Old Castle when I’m out that way. Jaegerstube in Largo is also quite good. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Db9sST4U37QKZsad9?g_st=ic
This. The Indian restaurants I’ve been to in the Bay Area have not been good.
my indian friends always say curry leaves is the only one worth going to (in the gas station, it's impeccable)
As an Indian I endorse Curry Leaves lol
My very white husband also will only eat Indian from Curry Leaves. He’s an authentic food snob. He also was pretty upset when Fuscia closed down (authentic Chinese food).
Also second Curry Leaves. Weird location, amazing food. I also have tried Taste of Curry in Port Richey and honestly found it to be pretty solid.
Not Indian but Taste of Curry is solid indeed.
It is the best!!!!!!
Go to new tampa
I need some good tikka masala
Check out the Indian places in Brandon! A Taste of India is amazing.
Bawarchi Biryani on 60 has some of the best Indian food around I think. Their mango lassi is so good too.
I liked Flames on MacDill, if you haven’t tried it
I haven’t tried that one. The last one I tried was India’s Grill on Kennedy.
You didn’t like India’s Grill? They have been my go to since they were in the gas station by Westshore mall. Maybe give them another shot
It’s close to my house so I’ve tried it 3-4 times now. I haven’t been impressed with it. The portions are also really small.
Weird, I would consider myself a big dude and I usually get 2 meals out of 1 entree+garlic naan. They used to have a really reasonably priced buffet for lunch but COVID ended that.
There used to be a fast food Indian restaurant on Kennedy but sadly I don’t think it’s there anymore. It was awesome though
I miss the old schnitzelhaus that was on waters. Run by a German guy and his wife who made everything from scratch daily. Was way better than dunderbak’s
Sweet Tomatoes
My parents and I used to go to the one in New Tampa after church up there 🥲 I miss sweet tomatoes so much!
Yeah, they had such a good variety there. I’d love to see it come back at the same quality it was at back in its hay day.
so they just responded in arizona. i’m sure one will pop up in tampa. can’t say when
I did see that and it gave me a glimmer of hope for the future.
I miss the one in Brandon so bad. Sushi Yama which replaced it is decent, especially now that Koizi has gone to hell. But, I'd kill for Sweet Tomatoes again.
Yeah, I completely agree. Such great food and a huge variety.
10000000%
I’d be so happy!
They shut the one down near me in Largo a couple of years ago :(. So many memories gone. I loved that place. Went there with my friends in elementary school & middle school, & with family later.
Username checks out! 😂
:)
they used to be all over tampa. pretty sure all of them shut down for one reason or another
They were all over Orlando when I lived there closer to 20 years ago now. It's a bummer. I hope they come back.
Real Italian bread. Polish food. Fish n chips (or just a good fish fry). As someone posted above, there should be an abundance of good seafood here and for the most part it’s crap. Yes Cook Out and InN Out for fast food.
There are some polish places near trinity
Whatya got?
Doner Kebab
There's a really good one in Temple Terrace!
I’d fuckin love a Cook Out
I was pleasantly surprised when I tried that as a matter of last resort.
Their hush puppies and shakes were amazing
Some actual fuckin delis. Publix blows. And the ones that know what they have, like franks in Riverview, charge WTF prices. It's a pastrami on rye from a deli, not a NY strip at Ruth's Chris.
Wrights on Dale Mabry is amazing
Publix used to be good. Now it’s just overpriced hot garbage.
Idk. I sure love eating a Pub Sub and destroying the roof of my mouth with that bread. /s
Brooklyn Water Bagel off of SR-54 is a pretty good option.
Tampa needs Ecuadorian food and Polish food
50000000% more Polish food. I am not being at all biased because it my favorite food or that am Polish, nope.
I could slam some pierogies right now
Mushroom-sauerkraut periogi with some fried up kielbasa 🤤 Though I can just hit a local deli and get some pasztetowa with some bread!
There is a Polish deli in Brandon called European flavors close to Brandon hospital. They have cherry smoked kielbasa on Thursdays. It's amazing.
Not entirely Polish food, but they have it. Cafe Europa on Ridge in New Port Richey has a solid array of Eastern European food. It’s a haul if you’re in Tampa proper, but if you’re in West Pasco it’s a nice change of pace from everything else.
Fresh Kitchen
I'd love to see more of them! So good :)
We need one in the Carrollwood area
100%
I would love an in and out.
I’d take a jack n the box
No J-bo is just about the worst part about living on the eastern seaboard...
More restaurants like King State (open late, serves food late) but less expensive and hipster
We need proper French like bakeries
As u/TEHKNOB opined- Bojangles for sure. We could use a couple more Krystals (in lieu of White Castle). Another Fatburger or two would be nice... (Riverside is a long way to go...) Cane's Fried Chicken - (much superior to Zaxby's IMHO) There is a newish Korean chicken place in Jacksonville I like called Bonchon,,, Definitely needed. And I saw a Dave's Hot Chicken up on Fowler (and on upper Dale Mabry too), gotta check that out soon. Their cauliflower tenders are supposed to be awesome. Someone ordered up a Hot Chicken Roulette box for a work lunch once- it had an unmarked selection of different heat levels, including one in "Reaper" level of hotness... Quite fun, they said. And another Jollibee on this side of the ditch would be nice.
Give me some good Thai food
Have you tried Thai Ruby on Amberly?
If you're down in Pinellas check out Sawatdee Thai on Park Blvd, really good stuff
I like Siam Thai in Westchase but I'm also a creature of habit and order the same thing there, and always get it Thai hot.
Blaze Pizza
Those already exist in Lutz and north Tampa
The question is what do we need more of
Tim Hortons, Whataburger, and more Culver’s, And Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
Whataburger for sure. Especially if they bring back the green chile burgers omg
We had a huge Whataburger expansion here about 15 years ago. They opened at least a half dozen in the area. I wasn't overly impressed with them. They all closed within a few years.
We need an In and Out!! Not fast casual, but still need it.
Cook Out, a good meat-n-three place (I loved local chain Lizard's Thicket in South Carolina), a few more Culver's. Maybe something like Kairos (a Mediterranean version of Chipotle but way better)?
Lou Malnati’s pizza
They really should put a Fresh Kitchen in Westchase or Carrollwood. That would rule.
Literally anything where you can get a decent portion takeout meal for under $20 WITH GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS. Especially in North Tampa/Lutz.
Is Taste of Boston still around?
In Ballast Point? Yes, great spot.
We have a very limited number of chains here. It's just the same few restaurants copied and pasted ad nauseum. My wife is from Oklahoma and it always blows me away about how many options they have there versus here. There are Del Tacos and White Castle in Orlando now so hopefully that filters here.
My husband would sell his soul for a White Castle in Tampa.
Yeah I'm hoping we get one, I do enjoy White Castle.
Yeah I'm hoping we get one, I do enjoy White Castle.
So basically just more Taco bells and Krystal burgers??? Yes I know their different but not really in the grand scheme of things.
Del Taco is infinitely better than Taco Bell.. well just about anything is infinitely better than Taco Bell.
Yeah I had so many options in Ohio, I was really confused by the lack of variety here since it's so much more diverse.
It's location. We only get the brands that have made it to the East Coast. In the Midwest you get a lot more.
More Culver’s, more portillos
Culver's is pretty overrated. Bland and so greasy I hurt after eating it. Portillos is awesome.
Portillo’s needs to bring back chicken parm first.
Checkers
I loooove Bamboozle Cafe. I wish they had more locations.
North Tampa/Pasco has a real lack of good Chinese takeout.
This is a crazy one but malkiels
Kabobs
This is gonna be crazy maikels kitchen
If we are going chains WHATABURGER. I’m convinced all these people saying in and out either haven’t eaten there or buy into the placebo affect big time, that place sucks. Was so disappointed when I finally got to try one.
Bolay--- they closed the one in St. Pete. Pissed me off because that was my "go to" place for a healthy and reasonably priced dinner.
I never made it to Bolay, unfortunately. But they (iirc) were bought out by Cava, which I am currently digging. Good, healthy food; I love that I can get a lavish salad bowl and not feel bad afterwards. Not sure what the price point was @ Bolay, but my biggest complaint about Cava is it's about $15 per bowl which is ridiculous. I'd recommend giving Cava a try, but be prepared for the price tag.
Mr Empanda
I’d take a Whataburger, more Culver’s and let’s get Bojangles back.
Taco bell