Eating Tampa’s 2008 Search for the Best Food in Tampa

Welcome to Eating Tampa’s 2008 search for the best food in Tampa! Polls will be open for the month of September and winners will be posted throughout the month of October.

Votes can be cast either in the comments section or you can email them to me at eatingtampa A T gmail.com or dave AT recreatingtampa.com.

You don’t have to vote all at once AND you can make up your own categories if you don’t see them here.

There have been a lot of changes over the last year. Some winners have moved on to that great restaurant in the sky, and Tampa’s been lucky to have a lot of great new places open.

ORIGIN STORY

A year ago I was eagerly anticipating Creative Loafing’s best of issue. As I was browsing the winners of the food categories I was struck by how many were in St. Petersburg. Now, St. Pete can be pretty awesome, but I wanted a best of Tampa, and so this search was born.

While some places outside the city of Tampa won last year, I maintain editorial privilege to disqualify anything outside the city limits. That said, some places get so many votes that I will include them if they fall within the larger metropolitan area of the Tampa bay area.

Doing this list in 2007 was a blast and I look forward to your suggestions.

NOW VOTE!

Best 24-hour Restaurant

Best Bagel

Best Bakery

Best Bar

Best Barbecue

Best Bay-area Food Writer

Best Beach Bar

Best Locally Brewed Beer

Best Beer Garden

Best Breakfast

Best Buffet

Best Burgers (chain)

Best Burgers (non-chain)

Best Chinese

Best Crepes

Best Coffee (non-chain)

Best Colombian

Best Cuban Food

Best Cuban Sandwich

Best Deli

Best Desserts

Best Diner

Best Falafel

Best Fish Market

Best Fish Sandwich

Best Food Blog

Best French Fries

Best Fried Chicken

Best Fried Potato

Best Gelato

Best German Food

Best Greek

Best Grocery Store

Best Gyro

Best Hot Dogs

Best Ice Cream

Best Indian Restaurant

Best Italian

Best Jamaican

Best Mall Food

Best Middle Eastern

Best Nachos

Best Pho

Best Pizza

Best Place that Allows Dogs

Best Place to Take a First Date

Best Place to Take Out-of-towners for Dinner

Best Place to Watch the Sun Set

Best Sandwich (local)

Best Sandwich Shop (chain)

Best Sandwich Shop (non-chain)

Best Southern Cooking

Best Steak

Best Sushi

Best Sweet Tea

Best Tex-Mex/Mexican

Best Thai

Best Vegan

Best Veggie

Best Vietnamese

Best Wine Bar

It’s Time for Eating Tampa’s Best of Tampa Poll | Re/Creating Tampa

September 2, 2008 at 6:22 pm · Reply

[...] that time of year. Visit Eating Tampa to vote for your favorite Tampa [...]

Stogie

September 5, 2008 at 6:58 pm · Reply

thanks for the welcome, here are my votes.

Best Bar; Tally Ho
Best Barbecue: Big Johns
Best Bay-area Food Writer: Jaden
Best Locally Brewed Beer: Yingling
Best Breakfast: The Gardens
Best Buffet: Luptons
Best Chinese: China One
Best Colombian: Latin Cravings
Best Cuban Food: El Paraiso Cafe
Best Cuban Sandwich: Brocatos
Best Deli: Marinos
Best Diner: Nicko’s
Best Food Blog: Steamy Kitchen
Best Fried Chicken: Marylands
Best German Food: ???
Best Hot Dogs: Mel’s
Best Indian Restaurant: Angithi
Best Italian: Rick’s Italian Café
Best Pizza: CDB’s
Best Place to Take Out-of-towners for Dinner: The Columbia
Best Steak: Frontier Steakhouse
Best Tex-Mex/Mexican: Taco Bus

AlexV

September 9, 2008 at 2:39 pm · Reply

Best 24-hour Restaurant: 3 Coins Diner

Best Bar: Bar Louie

Best Buffet: Angithi Indian Cuisine

Best Burgers (chain): Chili’s

Best Burgers (non-chain): Jerk Hut

Best Chinese: Yummy House

Best Crepes: La Creperia

Best Place to Take a First Date: Ceviche

Best Sandwich (local): Subs N Such

Best Sushi: Ichiban

Best Tex-Mex/Mexican: Taconazo

Best Thai: Jasmine Thai

*If you want to add a category
Best Boba: Got Tea (Waters)

JoshE

September 9, 2008 at 7:29 pm · Reply

Best Bar – New World Brewery

Best Barbecue – Hot Rods

Best Chinese – Golden Dynasty

Best Food Blog – GNATV.com

Best German Food – Dunderbaks

Best Grocery Store – Publix

Best Hot Dogs – Mel’s

Best Indian Restaurant – Angithi

Best Mall Food – Chick-fil-a

Best Sandwich (local) – Subs-N-Such

Best Steak – Bern’s Steakhouse

Best Tex-Mex/Mexican – Taconazo

Best Vegan – Grass Roots

Eating Tampa - Vote Vote Vote

September 16, 2008 at 9:03 am · Reply

[...] Vote Vote Vote! [...]

Vote Vote Vote | Re/Creating Tampa

September 16, 2008 at 9:04 am · Reply

Dragon Management

September 17, 2008 at 7:27 pm · Reply

NEW CATEGORIES!
Best Soup….She Crab Soup at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill (Clearwater)

Best Chicken (off the grill)…Rockaway Chicken (Floribbean) at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill (Clearwater)

Best Stuffed Potato…Papa Joe’s

Best Bar – Mr. Dunderback’s

Best Barbecue – Big John’s Alabama

Best Beer Garden – World of Beer (Westchase) (does this qualify?)

Best Burgers (chain) – 5 Guys

Best Colombian – La Pequena

Best German Food – Mr. Dunderback’s

Best Italian – Laughing Cat

Best Place to Take a First Date – Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill (Clearwater)

Best Southern Cooking – Lupton’s

Best Sweet Tea – Lupton’s

Best Tex-Mex/Mexican – Vallarta’s

Laura Reiley

September 19, 2008 at 8:58 am · Reply

Best Bakery: Pane Rustica

Best Bar: Fly Bar

Best Barbecue: Kojak’s for ribs, other stuff at Smoke

Best Bay-area Food Writer: um, can’t think of anyone

Best Beach Bar: in Tampa?! where’s the beach?

Best Locally Brewed Beer: Dunedin Brewery Rasbeery Wheat

Best Beer Garden: how bout Taps? Not a garden, but a nice sidewalk.

Best Breakfast: Skyway Jack’s

Best Buffet: Oystercatchers

Best Burgers (chain): Five Guys

Best Burgers (non-chain): Square One

Best Chinese: tie between Yummy House and China Yuan

Best Crepes: Crepe D’Or wagon in St. Pete

Best Coffee (non-chain): Kahwa in St. Pete

Best Colombian: La Cabana Antioquena

Best Deli: Paninotecca

Best Desserts: Chez Bryce on Davis Islands

Best Fish Market: Bama Sea Products

Best Fish Sandwich: Dockside Dave’s

Best Fried Potato: the truffle oil and parmesan potato chips at MJs in St. Pete

Best Gelato: Paciugo in St. Pete

Best Greek: Greektown Grille in Clearwater

Best Grocery Store: the Whole Foods in Sarasota, far superior to Tampa’s Whole Foods. I guess Fresh Market is No. 2, but I’m waiting until the Publix Greenwise opens in South Tampa in Nov.

Best Gyro: Acropolis, New Tampa, not Ybor

Best Hot Dogs: Bruce’s Chicago Grill on Ulmerton in Largo

Best Ice Cream: one of the new yogurt joints, like Sunnibunni or Berryism or CaliYogurt

Best Italian: for expensive, Armani’s, for cheap, Pia’s in Gulfport

Best Mall Food: California Pizza Kitchen. What, is that so wrong?

Best Middle Eastern: Jordan Valley in St. Pete

Best Pizza: Sam and Eddie’s

Best Place to Take a First Date: Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Best Place to Take Out-of-towners for Dinner: the new MJs in St. Pete

Best Sandwich Shop (chain): Publix

Best Sandwich Shop (non-chain): Paninotecca or Pane Rustica

Best Southern Cooking: Savannah’s in St. Pete

Best Sushi: Pacific Wave in St. Pete or Kiku in Clearwater

Best Tex-Mex/Mexican: Mariposa Grill

Best Thai: Thai Ruby

Best Vegan: Grass Root

Best Veggie: Grass Root

Best Vietnamese: Restaurant BT

Best Wine Bar: Beaune’s Wine Bar (West Palm Wines)

Congratulations! | Re/Creating Tampa

September 20, 2008 at 6:51 am · Reply

[...] As I mention in my post at Eating Tampa, it was the 2007 version of this poll that prompted my own reader’s poll. While CL focuses on the Bay area and on lots of stuff besides food, ET is all about Tampa and food. Check it out and vote! [...]

Jonathan

September 26, 2008 at 9:42 am · Reply

Best Barbecue – First Choice

Best Breakfast – First Watch

Best Buffet – Crazy Buffet

Best Burgers (chain) – Chili’s

Best Chinese – China One

Best Coffee (non-chain) – Cafe Hey

Best Diner – Nicko’s

Best Greek – Acropylis

Best Gyro – Acropylis

Best Hot Dogs – Frankie’s Gourmet

Best Mall Food – Chic Fil A

Best Pizza – Eddie and Sam’s

Best Place to Take a First Date – Bahama Breeze

Best Place to Take Out-of-towners for Dinner -

Best Sandwich (local) – Cafe Hey

Best Sandwich Shop (non-chain) – Lonnie’s

Best Steak – Charlie’s Steakhouse

Best Sushi – SoHo Sushi

Best Sweet Tea – Cracker Barrel

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