This popular Facebook group begs the question “Where is all of the great Asian food in Tampa Bay?”—and its nearly 16,000 members try to answer it on a daily basis. From spreading news about food festivals, night markets and local Asian grocery stores to recommending favorite restaurants and sharing family recipes, its members are actively looking for the best East, South and Southeast Asian eats in the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond. The vibes are always good, the comment section is rarely argumentative and its conversations are solely about tasty food and where to find it.—Kyla Fields

Translated from Italian, the name of this bakery/cafe on St. Pete Beach means House of Bread. That’s appropriate, because the loaves on offer along the back wall are crusty, chewy and flavorful. No sourdough, though. A sign on the shelf says so. Whether the casa’s bread is made from white or semolina flour depends on the day. Picking out a couple of loaves from a generous array, toting them home, unwrapping them, warming them, tearing off pieces or slicing them, buttering them and eating them—well, that’s the kind of bread experience you can’t get from a supermarket. @lacasadelpane__ on Instagram—Eric Snider

Winner: Bamboozle
Finalists: Sunda New Asian, Yummy House

Winner: Woof Gang Bakery—Clearwater, Dunedin, South Tampa
Finalists: Bark Avenue Dunedin, Sweet Dog Bakery

Winner: Vernon—Mr. D'z Men's Emporium
Finalists: Dominique—Reign Ladies' and Gentlemen's Club, Ashley Deans—Sonder

Winner: Big Bamboo Bayside
Finalists: The Rollin’ Mullet, Rosie's Tavern New Port Richey

Winner: Tim Ogden—Deviant Libation
Finalists: Captain Steve—3 Daughters Brewing, Doug Clark—TBBC

Winner: Florida Avenue Brewing
Finalists: Escape Brewing Company, Dented Keg Ale Works

Winner: 3 Daughters Brewing
Finalists: Green Bench Brewing Co., Gulfport Brewery & Eatery

Winner: Birch & Vine
Finalists: The Living Room, The Brinehouse

Winner: Taco Bus
Finalists: Red Mesa Mercado, Farm to Taco

Winner: Mazzaro's Italian Market
Finalists: St. Pete Meat & Provisions, Southern Steer Butcher

Winner: Walk On's Sports Bistreaux
Finalists: The Tides Market—Shrimp & Grits, Alligator Sauce Piquant Cajun Cafe on the Bayou

Winner: The Cake Girl
Finalists: Cakes by Carolynn, Gabby Bakes

Winner: Noble Crust
Finalists: Lina's Restaurant, Agave Social

Winner: Chef Clayton Parrett—The Fenway Hotel
Finalists: Chef Zach Daniels—Whip, Chef Tony Bruno—The Brinehouse

Winner: Yummy House
Finalists: Zom Hee, Kue’s Cafe

Winner: Mazzaro's Italian Market
Finalists: Pour & Decor, The Campus Grind

There’s no shortage of specialty coffee in The ‘Burg, but what Daycation Coffee owner Rachel Zhang has brought to the table has been an absolute palette cleanser to the local coffee scene. Originally from Chongqing, China, Zhang has owned and operated the intimate cafe for almost a year now, boasting a menu of both seasonal and signature drinks. A wonderful array of housemade syrups in unique flavors like jasmine and osmanthus give Daycation’s matcha and espresso-based lattes a unique and personal edge found nowhere else in St. Pete. And yes, you can get a straight-up cortado or cappuccino at Daycation, or you can indulge in an “Ode to my 90s”—a double espresso drink with a black sesame cream top and dehydrated dates—or a “Yuzu Craze” with cold brew, yuzu juice, rock candy syrup and candied citrus peel. And as many an Asian and Asian-American has uttered, we love Daycation Coffee because it’s “not too sweet.” @daycationcoffee on Instagram—Kyla Fields

Winner: Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Finalists: Kahwa, Bonsai Beverage Co.

Dawn Konofaos of Alévri & Co. doesn’t just make cake. She makes edible art, following her muses, letting songs, poetry, and art guide her creative process in the kitchen. Some of her most recent inspired flavors include Crazy Pink, a fluffy strawberry rose yogurt cake filled with lychee custard, iced with hibiscus Italian meringue buttercream inspired by Janelle Monet’s song “Pink”. Another piece she recently sculpted she calls The Serpent, inspired by the works of ceramic artist Lalese Stamps and the song “Cobra” by Megan Thee Stallion. “Creating cake flavors from songs and memories has been a way of getting back to myself that I didn’t know I needed,” Konofaos said. As for what she is listening to now? “Olivia Dean’s ‘Echo’ and ‘As If’ by Blaque,” Konofaos said, noting the 30th anniversary of “Clueless.” @alevri.co on Instagram—Annalise Mabe

Nonprofit Feeding Tampa Bay hosted the 10th rendition of its cooking competition Epic Chef this past summer, awarding its largest grand prize yet. Chef Marvilou Mapa took home a whopping $10,000 as the winner of 2025’s event, in a historic finale that pitted two female chefs against each other. And while the annual party was filled with fine dining cuisine, cameras and clinking glasses of wine, Feeding Tampa Bay president and CEO Thomas Mantz never missed an opportunity to tell the crowd the true ethos of the nonprofit and its annual cooking competition. Throughout the event, he continuously stressed the importance of everyone in Tampa Bay having the right to healthy food, nutrition and sustenance—regardless of class or socio-economic background. feedingtampabay.org—Kyla Fields

Winner: Safety Harbor Craft Beer Festival
Finalists: Dunedin Craft Beer Festival, Badass Beer Fest—TBBC

Located in a small storefront on the 400 block of Central Avenue, this Asian-fusion restaurant has a basic interior, largely free of kitschy signifiers, not a single Lucky Waving Cat in sight. Pin Wok & Bowl is not a hotspot for the younger set, so it’s usually calm. The menu has plenty of top-notch dishes to choose from, but the crispy Asian duck is a standout that looks great and tastes even better. The sliced bird has rugged skin that gives way to sumptuous meat, perfectly cooked. The accompanying vegetables maintain just the right measure of crispness. Nothing limp here. The dish comes with a choice of chili, Panang curry or Thai basil sauces (the latter is outstanding). pinwokandbowl.com—Eric Snider

Winner: Coco's Sandwich Shop
Finalists: Pipo's Cuban Cafe, La Segunda Bakery & Cafe

Winner: The Black Pearl
Finalists: CW's Gin Joint, Chateau Cellars

Winner: Mazzaro's Italian Market
Finalists: Jo-El’s Deli, Lenny's Restaurant

Winner: Mazzaro's Italian Market
Finalists: Bern's Steak House Dessert Room, Bassano Cheesecake

Winner: ThunderBay Bar & Grill
Finalists: Ride'em Cowboy, Bauser's

Winner: Bauser's
Finalists: The Honu Restaurant & Tiki Bar, The Dog Bar

Winner: Il Ritorno
Finalists: Birch & Vine, Red Mesa Cantina

Winner: CW's Gin Joint
Finalists: Sal Rosa—Le Meridien Hotel, Boulon Brasserie and Bakery

It felt as though all of Tampa erupted with jubilation at news of the reopening of Mema’s Alaskan Tacos, an Ybor City late night staple that closed 13 years ago and, prior to that, probably single-handedly saved hundreds of visitors to Seventh Avenue from acute alcohol poisoning. What is an Alaskan taco, you ask? Our friend Ray Roa of Creative Loafing described them best: “Mema’s Alaskan Tacos are prepared in accordance with a recipe from [owner Sean] Godin’s grandma who cooked the fillings in the shell, resulting in a crispy taco topped with shreds of cold iceberg lettuce and sharp cheddar cheese all served in a sorely-missed translucent wax paper wrapping.” In other words: The perfect drunk food. Lucky for you, you don’t have to be drunk to enjoy Mema’s! Their unique take on tacos makes for a delicious and affordable lunch stop on the hot walk down Seventh Avenue. (Also, Justin always mistakenly calls this place is called “Mema’s Election Tacos.”) memasalaskantacos.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Winner: Bacon Street Diner
Finalists: Lenny's Restaurant, Oak & Ola

“A Christmas-themed bar in a city that hasn’t seen a snowflake since 1977? Let’s give it a try,” we said this spring as we headed over to Joy Bar. Modeled after Lala’s Little Nugget in Austin, Texas—the original year-round Christmas bar—Joy Bar gets the Lala’s experience all wrong in an endearing sort of way. Incredibly bright, oddly silent, shabbily decorated, and attached to an ancient liquor store, Joy Bar accurately captures the ways in which Tampa’s divorced, homeless dads might choose to spend their holidays. On the other hand, two Miller High Lifes there only cost us $6, which counts as a minor Christmas miracle. @joydivebar on Instagram—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Maryann Ferenc and Chef Marty Blitz do not fuck around. Their pioneering, nearly 40-year, journey in the Bay area food scene has earned Mise en Place a loyal following that sets the dining room abuzz nightly, and it’ll be no surprise to see regulars follow the duo to its new home in Ybor City’s Casa Gomez building where Mise starts a new chapter in a fresh corner of the world. “It is a really unique perspective on Tampa, because you are looking at history,” Ferenc recently told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about her new view of Jose Martí Park, the waterfront, and downtown Tampa. “You can't help but imagine what Ybor was like when it was so bustling, and it was, it was the center of commerce and life for Tampa. You kind of feel the energy there.” No doubt that Mise en Place will bring another layer of vivacity as it enters the next phase of its fantastic voyage. miseonline.com—Ray Roa

The best coffee shops feel like little communities. Others take it a step further and remind you of the humanity that makes your neck of the woods worth living in. With four locations across the Bay area, Coffee Uniting People (aka CUP) is a nonprofit concept built around access and opportunity—featuring a staff of people with and without disabilities working together. At the downtown location inside the Embarc Collective, employees customize every paper cup before the shop even opens. In a world that seeks to divide us every time we open a social media app, CUP shops are special places that not only reminds us of our shared struggle, but invite us to celebrate the little things that make life worth living. coffeeunitingpeople.org—Ray Roa

Winner: Cricketers British Pub
Finalists: Hog Island Fish Camp, Mad Dogs & Englishman

With over 40,000 followers on Instagram, Tampa native Anthony Gilbert is a self-proclaimed food critic known for delivering honest culinary opinions while still entertaining his vast audience. Man, without Gilbert, man, Tampeños would never know if the banana pudding at their local gas station was actually “fresh”, if the newest viral food was worth the hype or which corner store sells the best boiled peanuts. Gilbert usually highlights small-scale, Black and brown-owned businesses in East Tampa that often fly under the radar of professional food journalists in town. While some of his new content consists of reviews that are contracted from local restaurants (and marked as such) or not about food at all, he’s still pointing his followers in the direction of small businesses, restaurants and gas stations throughout Tampa—and that’s a lasting part of the CallAnthony legacy. @CallAnthony_ on Instagram—Kyla Fields

Winner: Savor St. Pete
Finalists: Tampa Bay Wine and Food Festival, Metropolitan Ministries' Food Fight

As two people who are prone to digestive trauma, it took us a while to work up the nerve to try the fish-centric menu at Chilpayas, a tiny South Tampa food truck specializing in Veracruz-style seafood. (Let’s just say there’s a lot that can go wrong with fish prepared in a sweltering truck in the hot Tampa summer.) But, boy, are we glad that we gave this place a shot. Over the past year, we’ve become regulars here, sweating it out at a picnic table on scorching hot weekday afternoons while avoiding our day jobs and enjoying some of the best and most unique seafood Tampa has to offer. If two people bonded by IBS can brave the ceviche here, you can, too—and, frankly, you should. Get an order of the shrimp tacos while you’re at it; any style will do, but we like them al mojo. Wash it all down with a Mexican Coke and you’ll be set until the afterparty. chilpayas.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Pineapple Hospitality Group is notorious for rolling out monthly specials at all of its restaurants. Oldsmar’s Shaker and Peel, which opened six years ago this month, keeps its own blackboard specials fusion burrito and taco-related, and cooked more than ever during the holidays with a Cuban sandwich taco. While they’ve been in the Pineapple vault since its month-long run, a plate cost $12 and came with three tacos encasing roasted pork, soppressata ham, Swiss cheese fondue, dill pickles, and Cuban mustard aioli, on a pressed flour tortilla. Yep, quesadilla style. We’d tell Ybor City to eat its heart out, but while the specials do rotate every few years or so, it’ll probably be a hot minute before we see the Cuban taco again. shakerandpeel.com—Josh Bradley

Earning a coveted Michelin recommendation earlier this year, Il Ritorno remains one of the area’s most impeccable restaurants. Hamachi collar isn’t always on the menu, but when it is, order it. The rich fatty collar, located just behind the yellowtail’s head and gills, was once considered an “off-cut,” in western kitchens and often used for stock. Il Ritorno’s award-winning Chef David Benstock knows better. The insanely tender hamachi collar was served with squink ink crisps, a kind of pork rind…a little gothy chicharrone-like chip. There was some ethereal créme fraiche adornment on the side. To enjoy: layer squid ink crisp with a scoop of effortless hamachi, top with créme fraiche, devour, repeat. All in all, one of the most satisfying and messy fine dining experiences of my life thus far. This isn’t the first time Benstock and his crew have gotten creative with squid ink, including if I recall correctly, a squid ink hot dog bun at one point and another that’s become a signature dish, squid ink pasta. Cheers to Chef Benstock and his kitchen who not only continue delivering beautiful and well-made plates year after year, but also push what’s possible in a town that’s not always the most open-minded about what’s on its plate. We are all the better for it. ilritornodowntown.com—Arielle Stevenson

It’s not easy to find, partly because the last place you expect to find a cozy escape to France is at the far end of a strip mall in Tierra Verde. Oh, but what an escape it is, not least because its co-owner/chefs, David Weiss and Jean-Sebastien Kappler are French themselves and well-versed in the Franco-German cuisine of the Alsace region. Think duck à l’orange, boeuf bourguignon, crocks of piping hot French onion soup, heaps of red cabbage and crepes of all kinds — all hearty servings, and none at prices that’ll break the bank. And the atmosphere, especially on a rainy night, is so intimate and homey, with red-and-white-checked tablecloths on tables close but not too close to each other, that you might be able to imagine you actually have landed in France (minus the airfare). alsacefrenchbistro.com—David Warner

Ha ha, don’t be silly, of course we know what Hiroshima chop-chop style okonomiyaki is. Sure do! We eat it all the time, and we can definitely tell you what’s in it! Let’s see, it’s got, uh, cabbage, for one thing. And noodles, of course. Um, there’s a crepe in there somewhere, too. And, uh, an egg? Two eggs? And fish… flakes? (long pause) OK, fine, we have no idea what Hiroshima chop-chop style okonomiyaki actually is, we just know that it’s delicious, and that no restaurant in Tampa does it better than the effortlessly cool, reliably delicious Chanko. Actually, we’re pretty sure that no other place in Tampa does it, period, perhaps because they don’t really know what it is, either. Their loss! chanko-ichiban.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Winner: Pacific Counter
Finalists: Intensity Academy, Tijuana Flats-Jason’s Mom

Winner: Blufin Waterfront Grill
Finalists: Luna Lux, Big Bamboo Bayside

A white, male Baby Boomer walked into a small restaurant in a rundown strip center on a worn-out stretch of 49th Street in Gulfport that’s owned by a Black woman, run by Black women and caters to a mostly Black clientele. He instantly felt welcome. The colorful interior oozed positive vibes. The servers on the cafeteria line were friendly and helpful; a couple of Black women customers introduced themselves and started a conversation. The food—brown stew chicken and a quarter jerk chicken, with rice and peas—was fantastic. After the meal, the white male Baby Boomer got into a lively conversation with a Black male customer named Don. It’s experiences like this that give one hope in divisive times. Island Flavors & Tings does mostly takeout, but if you can, hang around and eat in, regardless of your pigmentation. islandflavorsandtings.com—Eric Snider

Winner: Nature's Food Patch Market and Cafe
Finalists: Xtreme Juice, Market at The Tampa Edition

Winner: Mad Chiller World
Finalists: Bula Kavananda, UniTea Kava Lounge

The hot pot and Korean barbecue at both locations of this Pinellas establishment are tasty as hell (as well as the conveyor belt with vegetables, crab, and little cakes), but last year, Nine Spices introduced an all-you-can-eat sushi menu. That experience is $28.99 (or a $5 add-on if you’re more in a hot pot or barbecue mood) and whether you want to start with the in-house “Nine Spices” roll—with mixed seafood, cream cheese, asparagus, roe, scallions, eel sauce, and spicy mayo—or finish triumphantly with the best volcano roll in Tampa Bay, you won’t even be waiting that long for plates to come out. The restaurant is also open until 1 a.m. every night, so you don’t have to worry about rush hour traffic causing you to arrive at your afterwork dinner at closing time. ninespicesclearwater.com—Josh Bradley

August in Tampa really sucks, weather-wise: It’s hot and humid and for 15 minutes each day the skies open up with apocalyptic rainstorms. But, then again, you know all this already, because you’ve been in Tampa in August, suffering alongside us. If you ever have to take the long walk from central Ybor to The Commodore, and wonder whether or not you’ll melt before you get there, don’t risk melting. Take a break and stop for a visit Retro House. The Chinese entrees are meticulously prepared, the wings are phenomenal, the coffee is fresh-roasted, and the mango calamansi tart is good enough to inspire a namesake beer from our friends at Common Dialect in Seminole Heights. retrohousetampa.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Winner: Luekens
Finalists: ABC Liquor, Bern's Fine Wines & Spirits

This year’s edition, held in mid-February at what was then-called Amalie Arena, featured sample dishes from 40 local restaurants; 15 craft cocktails, plus beer and wine; a chef team battle between Tampa and St. Pete that was judged by celebrity chefs; a guest appearance by WWE legend Titus O’Neil; a cooking skills competition; live and silent auctions; as well as other festivities. For the price of (not-exactly-cheap) admission, you could meander from one table to the next, eat and drink all you wanted. The restaurants—many different types, not just fine-dining—put a lot of effort into giving their tasty offerings some visual flair. Proceeds from Tampa Bay Food Fight benefit Metropolitan Ministries Job Training Programs. Next year marks the ninth annual TBFF, don’t miss it. tampabayfoodfight.org—Eric Snider

Take a bite of the toast with chicken liver pate and guava gelee and you’ll know that Chef Suzanne Lara is boldly going places others will not. Her restaurant, bar and apothecary opened last February, after her 20-year journey through the Tampa food scene where she washed dishes at the long-shuttered Viva La Frida, helped open the recently-shuttered Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, and also changed the dining scene in “NoHo” with Cass Street Deli. Chef Lara—whose last stops before her new Ybor City restaurant were Rooster & the Till and Corner Club Cafe—brings all that experience and memory (the drug eggs are an homage to a snack a fellow cook used to bring for post-shift cleaning) to her new spot, which has added yet another layer the the already intriguing 1900 block of 7th Avenue. “We’ll see what Ybor will let me get away with, but hopefully I can have some fun and maybe inspire some other chefs to have some fun too,” Lara told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay in the runup to the opening. Welcome home, chef. tampalara.com—Ray Roa

You ask a lot of your grocery store. If Publix doesn’t have your brand of peanut butter in stock, they risk losing your business to Walmart. City Produce asks you to expand your understanding of grocery. Sure, it’ll always have staples: potatoes, onions, cheap frozen pitas, and the best feta-by-weight in St. Petersburg. But when man makes a list, City Produce laughs. Ditch the regimented shopping experience and let your culinary senses guide you. Find a type of squash you’ve never used. Buy prawns from a giant styrofoam bucket. Get a dusty can of stuffed peppers. Abandon all forethought and make that impulse buy your main course. City Produce Fruit Market on Facebook—Valerie Smith

The reviews of Walt’z Fish Shak—a ramshackle Key West-style joint right on John’s Pass in Madeira Beach—all broadly agree on two main points. First, the fresh-caught fish there, cooked by Walt himself, is reliably excellent. Second, the hostess there—Walt’s wife, Sue—may well be history’s greatest monster. “She is the rudest person I have ever encountered,” one recent reviewer concluded. “She rolled her eyes at me when I asked if they were open and then accused me of backing into her tree in the parking lot (I did not hit a tree),” said another. And yet, weirdly enough, when we went there last year, Sue could not have been nicer to us. The fish was great, but we sort of felt cheated out of the full Walt’z experience. Pro tip: If you go, start your visit by asking if you can use the restroom without purchasing anything. That’ll get Sue’s dander up for sure. waltzfishshak.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Winner: Mio's
Finalists: The Pearl—Gulfport, Cybel

That feeling of fatness you get when you’re the only one who eats the garlic knots your friends agree to share with you doesn’t exist at the Safety Harbor-based Detroit-style pizza joint. Nona’s well-risen, house-tied knots are tossed in olive oil and garlic, baked off, and topped with romano cheese and fresh basil. They’re filling as hell, too, which is why a half portion, which runs you $4.50 (so a little more than a dollar per knot) will probably hold you over while you await the arrival of your thick, square pie. Even an individual on a strict keto diet won’t be able to resist the doughy goodness of a Nona knot dipped in marinara sauce. thenonaslicehouse.com—Josh Bradley

Winner: Harvey's 4th Street Grill
Finalists: CJ’s Backstage, Bauser's

Perched atop the new Moxy Hotel above St. Pete’s glittering skyline, the Sparrow Rooftop offers more than a view—it’s a liftoff. Here, golden-hour light spills across plush turquoise couches, a marble-topped bar, brass accents, and terrazzo floors, reflecting a clean, retro vibe. Meanwhile cocktails arrive like tiny revelations, equal parts art and alchemy. There’s a cinematic quality to sipping a smoky mezcal Negroni as St. Pete’s growing skyline blushes pink. The Sparrow isn’t about flash; it’s about atmosphere: urbane yet unpretentious, where locals and dreamers alike hover in the communal glow. It’s a new rooftop respite that turns any evening into a quietly transcendent flight. sparrowrooftop.com—Jon Palmer Claridge

Winner: Foody's
Finalists: Mystic Fish, Shaker and Peel

Winner: Noble Crust
Finalists: The Living Room Wesley Chapel, Dang Good Sushi—New Port Richey

Get a front-row ticket to witness the energetic and diverse urban life of downtown St. Petersburg. This sandwich ($13.99, with fries) pairs great with a beer. Order from the kind staff working the downtown Five Bucks Drinkery location, and revel in what’s packed between two rye bread slices: thinly sliced pastrami, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard (ask for hot sauce, to add spice). On multiple visits to the location, I've enjoyed the consistency of the sandwich, always coupled with people watching during a weekend. From locals to visitors, there are folks dressing fashionably, raconteurs ready to relax, buds with matching outfits, workers in uniforms, the spot has it all. And many bachelor and bachelorette parties, too. fivebucksdrinkery.com—S.G. de León y León

With a rotating, seasonal menu of picture-perfect baked goods—and a solid beverage and lunch program to match—this St. Pete bakery delivers a near-perfect cafe experience each and every time. Its pastry, beverage, and lunch menus change with the seasons, with a summer rendition featuring items like a corn custard cruffins, watermelon and heirloom tomato gazpacho, a grilled peach and burrata salad, espresso-glazed croissants, guava and cheese crumb cake, loaded bread puddings, and much, much more. Cafe Clementine is definitely one of the more popular coffee shops and bakeries in The ‘Burg, and sometimes, the hype is well-deserved. cafeclementinestpete.square.site–Kyla Fields

The cozy, Hawaiian mom-and-pop, which recently moved business from Dunedin to a much more compact location in Palm Harbor, serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday-Sunday, and takes pride in having a menu diverse enough for you to bring your vegetarian and gluten-free friends. If the vegan-slash-GF “Lucy” pancakes aren’t your bag, the standard pancakes you can order are among the fluffiest in the area, and you can even smother them in housemade macadamia nut sauce while also chowing down on your choice of turkey or pork bacon, and an organic egg. That’s not to say you can’t also order a burger at 8:30 a.m., though. theohanacafe.com—Josh Bradley

Winner: OCC Roadhouse
Finalists: De Sestos, Cajun Cafe on the Bayou

Life, as they say, can take you to some pretty unexpected places. In late 2024, life, and an overdeveloped sense of irony, took us to the original Hooters in Clearwater. There are many Hooters’ (Hooterses?) in this great land of ours, and most of them are terrible in more ways than one. But we were shocked to discover that the original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard—one of the few locations worldwide that’s still managed by the chain’s founders—was actually pretty good! Sure, the servers’ uniforms were exploitative, and sure, literally every other customer in the place was giving off MAGA vibes. But if you can overlook those factors—a big if—it turns out that the original Hooters makes some damn good fried shrimp that are well worth the trip over the causeway. Pro tip: Get two orders; unlike other, um, elements here, the shrimp are on the smaller side. originalhooters.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Picture your typical brewpub. Are you picturing a cavernous warehouse setting with giant Jenga, little kids running around everywhere, and, like, 15 very mid beers on tap? Lucky for you, Deviant Libation isn’t most breweries. Founder Tim Ogden, formerly of Cigar City and Tampa Bay Brewing Co., crafts impeccable beers while convening a cozy, welcoming, and chill environment that has become a mecca for the region’s hardcore scene and a curated haven for misfits of all sorts. It’s also a distillery—try the Princess Peach cocktail, made with house whiskey and secret ingredients. Tim’s partner in crime, chef John Thompson, bangs out killer burgers, sandwiches, and vegetarian dishes from his food truck that permanently resides in Deviant’s courtyard. deviantlibation.com / followtheflyingpig.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

La Sétima is mere steps away from our very successful comedy theater, The Commodore—no need to fact-check this—and, like The Commodore, it’s a real hidden gem. It has a great vegan kitchen that serves food late (try the boudin egg rolls), a funky natural-wine list, Coors Banquet in those little stubby bottles, and the most beautiful bar bathrooms this side of the Hillsborough River. Plus, we’ve spent the last two years coming here after Commodore shows every single weekend, so the bartenders definitely have the highest tolerance for bits—and improvisers—of pretty much anywhere in Tampa. lasetimaclub.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Indian Shores storied dive reopened in July, months of closure due to extensive damage from last year's hurricanes.One burning question from fans was how the naughty nautical decor fared, and the answer is, surprisingly well. The interior looks relatively unscathed, though some furniture has been replaced and the years of, shall we say “charm,” got a bit of a cleaning. The bras and signed dollar bills remain, as does the kama sutra themed astrology decor just off the inside bar. Mahuffer's hosted live music on the Fourth of July, with Peter Hill, AKA Dick Mountain, reprising his role as the house act. Hill notoriously stayed at the bar during hurricane Helene and live posted on his Facebook throughout to keep worried fans near and far updated on the state of the bar and, of course, the cat. @Mahuffers on Facebook—Jourdan Ducat

Winner: The Wet Spot at COCKtail
Finalists: Big Bamboo Bayside, The Fenway

In the hushed aftermath of COVID’s long pause, The Helm: Provisions & Coastal Fare arrived like a clarion call to brunch. Sunlight streams across plates of just-caught fish reimagined with citrus and herbs, alongside brioche that feels positively Parisian. There’s a breezy confidence here, a reminder that Gulf dining can be elevated without pretense. Think oysters that taste like a sea breeze followed by a biscuit so tender it practically sighs. The room hums with the pleasure of people remembering how to linger, laugh, and taste again. At The Helm, brunch isn’t recovery—it’s resurrection, with a mimosa that practically demands a second round. helmtampabay.com—Jon Palmer Claridge

If your inner West coast (or in this case, your inner Canadian) is showing and you’re not in the mood for barbecue, downtown Dunedin’s 14-year-old smokehouse, encased where the old Angry Pirate Galley and Rum Shack once sat, will meet your needs. On their sandwich menu in between pulled pork, burgers and beyond is this sammy with corned beef, apple slaw, and stone ground mustard, which would absolutely thrive in a Jewish deli. It’s $17.50, but if you order with a side of their housemade fries or the major upcharge that is brisket poutine? Forget it. thedunedinsmokehouse.com—Josh Bradley

Sure, there’s an excess of local “foodie influencers” that love to tell the internet about the best “hidden gems” or other culinary superlatives in town. But one thing that the St. Pete girlies got right is the virality of Offset Sandwich Exchange’s chicken caesar salad wrap—because it’s actually that damn good. Husband and wife duo Amy DePalma-Harrell and John Harrell run the small food trailer permanently parked outside of Green Bench Brewing, known for its rotating menu of smashburgers, cheese curds, loaded hot dogs and sandwiches. But one item in particular—its chicken caesar salad wrap with housemade dressing, freshly-grated parmesan and lemon zest—has got the local influencers in a tizzy, causing the food truck to consistently sell out each day of service. Over the summer, the duo actually had to change the way it runs the food truck, selling the popular wrap during the first few hours of service and transitioning to the rest of the menu for the remainder of the day. offsetsandwichexchange.com—Kyla Fields

A meal with Nate Siegel is an easy Top 10 Bay area dining experience. Soft-spoken but intensely passionate, the 40-year-old Plant High School alum has been involved with hospitality for nearly half his life—and has a lot of ideas about the industry. After cutting his teeth in New York after college, then making his way through local staples like Mise en Place, Siegel co-founded the popular Willa’s and Willa’s Provisions concepts in “NoHo.” Now he’s struck out on his own for Cheeky’s, a brazen take on the beach bar and restaurant that skips the sand altogether. Three miles from the St. Pete Pier, five miles from Gulfport’s Williams Pier, and six miles from that Publix on Treasure Island—the fish and raw bar is in the concrete jungle, but you wouldn’t know it from the menu or ambience. Modeled after restaurants he remembers from summers in Montauk, New York, the interior has the ‘84 Houston Oilers colorway all lit up by open windows that let the summer breeze through (Cheeky’s didn’t have air-conditioning until two months ago, and will cut the A/C when the temps dip again). Siegel and his team have also curated a menu made for the crew that loves settle in to get drunk on oysters (good, better, best options rotate, and come from Florida and the Eastern seaboard), maybe drunk in general (prepare your brain for the frozen offerings), or a combination of both (oyster shooters come with a choice of beer, tequila, or vodka). Its fried oyster burger is already a Best of the Bay winner, but the whole spread of apps (guava jelly with hush puppies, yes please), handhelds, crudo, and even fun hot sauces, beg for repeat visits so you can soak up every detail. The best part? You won’t have to vacuum your car when you get home. cheekys.net—Ray Roa

A generous filet sits atop a bed of risotto and broccolini, bathing in a pool of French beurre blanc sauce. Thoroughly enticing. The pan-roasted red snapper has a delicate crust that gives way to moist flesh. Thoroughly delicious. The accompaniments, especially the risotto, are thoroughly terrific. The velvety sauce, with a hint of lemon, pushes this elegant dish into next-level status. Madfish, on St. Pete Beach, a former diner, is a small, narrow space with nautical design elements. Thoroughly comfy. madfishonline.com—Eric Snider

Winner: The Dunedin Smokehouse
Finalists: Q Southern BBQ, The Brisket Shoppe

Winner: Bar Fly
Finalists: Water Oak Grill, Gigglewaters

Winner: Nature's Food Patch Market and Cafe
Finalists: Fred's Market, Greenlane

Late last fall, with a big, beautiful peltophorum tree hugging the Western end of its cafe and parking lot, the team at Tampa Heights’ King State did what it does best: Pour coffee and round up the neighborhood. Its homies came out in full force, too, with Una Mas (helmed by KS alum Paola Chamorro Ward and Curt Hensley) making burritos on the patio while locals worked on laptops and said goodbye to the five-year community staple. King State employees will spin off, and founders Nate Young and Tim McTaguey may very well try something new, but it'll be hard to replicate the Kang.—Ray Roa