Tampa Bay's 25 most important old-school lunch spots

Biff Burger

3939 49th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL
Not only is Biff Burger a restaurant but they also host weekly, monthly and special events, centered around food, cars, family and having a good time. Some of Biffs signature items feature, a Biff burger dipped in their special Biff sauce(served in a Ziploc bag), pulled pork, and their Biff killer chilli burger.

Photo via Biff Burger/Facebook

La Segunda

2512 N. 15th St. Ybor City, FL
Established in 1915, La Segunda is THE OG spot for many Tampa residents. Producing 18,000 loaves of bread daily, Segunda is a solid place to find a wide selection of baked goods, salads, breakfast items and Cuban sandwiches.

Photo via La Segunda/Facebook

Al’s Finger Lickin’

1609 Angel Oliva Senior St, Tampa
Al’s Finger Lickin’ good barbque opened in 2003 at a concession stand and soon turned into a restaurant in 2009. Since then, Al’s has been a popular spot to find ribs, pulled pork, sausages and a lot more for a reasonable price.

Photo via Al’s Finger Lickin’/Facebook

El Cap

500 4th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL
The diner-style restaurant offers a variety of foods but mostly known for their burgers and fries. Other plates include their signature El Cap Gridiron grilled cheese sandwich, chilli, along with weekly specials.

Photo via El Cap/Facebook

Munch’s Sundries

3920 6th St. S. St. Petersburg,FL
Founded in 1952, Munch’s Sundries have been quite busy since then. They’ve been featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives, as well as becoming the go-to place for many St. Pete residents. Sundries’ offers a huge breakfast menu, along with burgers, fries, chicken and more.

Photo via Munich’s Sundries/Facebook

Skyway Jack’s

2795 34th St. S. St. Petersburg FL
Originally opened in 1976, Skyway Jacks was first located near the original Skyway bridge until it collapsed forcing them to move. Regardless of Jack’s having to move the restaurant, they still have garnered a loyal following with their popular breakfast and lunch menu, which includes, ham, catfish, steak and eggs, corned beef hash and other classic meals.

Photo via Skyway Jack’s/Facebook

Carmine’s

1802 E. 7th Ave. Tampa, FL
Located in the heart of Ybor City, Carmine’s is an Hispanic restaurant known for their devil crabs and Cuban sandwiches. Yet, that’s not all that the restaurant has to offer, they also serve fileted Gulf Grouper, angus beef, Italian sausage, and pasta with homemade sauces.

Photo via Carmine’s/Facebook

Gaspar’s Grotto

1805 E 7th Ave. Tampa, FL
Serving customers for over 15 years, Gaspar’s Grotto is a pirate-themed restaurant that was originally created by a merchant marine ship master. The restaurant and bar offers live music along with items such as jumbo wings, Carribean shrimp boat, kickin’ Korean BBQ.

Photo via Gaspar’s Grotto/Facebook

Riverside Seafood

6501 N 40th St, Tampa, FL
Open every day of the week and closing as early as 9 p.m., Riverside Seafood is a solid place to get fresh seafood for a reasonable price. Riverside offers meals such as a pound of snow crab with three potatoes, 10 large shrimp, two 6-inch sausages and two sides of corn, all for $31.99, now that’s a deal. Bring a bib.

Photo via Google Maps

Salem’s Gyros

Multiple Locations
One of the more popular restaurants on the list, Salem’s Gyros was first established in 1988 has since grown into 13 different locations. With a variety of good eats on the menu. Salem’s most popular dishes feature their hot wings, boneless chicken wings, shrimp, calamari, and obviously their gyros.

Photo via Google Maps

Mama’s Kitchen

9312 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, FL
Founded in 2006, Mama’s Kitchen is an Greek-American cuisine restaurant that focuses not only on the quality of the food but the quality of customer service. Mama’s Kitchen offers menu items such as, country fried steak with eggs, pancakes, omelettes, as well as melts and deli sandwiches.

Photo via Google Maps

Mel’s Hot Dogs

4136 E. Busch Blvd. Tampa, FL
Mel’s was started by a groovy cat from Chicago in the 70’s (wanna take a guess at his name?) and has been a staple of the Tampa Bay area since its inception. Beware of some crazy drivers, as both a semi-truck and a car has crashed into the hot dog spot in the past.

Photo via Mel’s Hot Dogs/Facebook

Mazzaro’s Italian Market

2909 22nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL
The 26-year-old Mazzaro’s features a sandwich menu and a catering menu for those trying to throw a get together with some Italian cuisine. Their website also has a 3D tour of the market, in case you want to stay home and look at some meats and cheeses to eat later at your desk.

Photo via Mazzaro’s Italian Market/mazzarosmarket.com

La Tropicana

1822 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL
Located in Ybor, the Cuban spot La Tropicana has been open for 50-plus years. The original founders recently sold the company in 2016, but the cafe is still open and very much the same as it always has been.

Photo via Google Maps

La Fiesta

1202 S 22nd St, Tampa, FL
La Fiesta may be able to satisfy those Tex-Mex cravings that you may have, and they’ve been doing it since 1963. They also feature live music Fridays and Saturdays in case you're looking for something to do after-hours.

Photo via La Fiesta/lafiestamexicanstore.com

Olde Bay Café

51 Main St, Dunedin, FL
Located on the marina, Olde Bay is known for serving seafood and other items that aren’t fried which they take pride in. They also have a fish market located in the same building in case you want a fresh catch to take home.

Photo via Olde Bay Café/Facebook

Sunday’s Deli

1930 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL
Described as a “local neighborhood mom n’ pop shop,” this Ybor City stop has mostly sandwiches and salads, but they also have options on their “grill menu” like burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and a traditional grilled cheese.

Photo via Sunday’s Deli/Facebook

Moxie’s

514 N Tampa St, Tampa, FL
Located across the street from the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Moxie’s features mostly sandwiches and salads for anyone walking around downtown Tampa and needing a quick bite for lunch. Beware though, it’s closed on the weekends.

Photo via Moxie’s/Facebook

Bamboozle

516 N Tampa St, Tampa, FL
With two Tampa locations in downtown and Channelside, Bamboozle serves Vietnamese cuisine, including “fresh rolls” that are their bestseller according to their website. The menu also features some vegan options, including a vegan pho soup.

Photo via Bamboozle/Facebook

TBBC

1600 E 8th Ave, Tampa, FL
TBBC features two locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, with one being in Ybor City. The Ybor location is dog-friendly, and offers some typical bar fare (including a meatloaf which is a Guy Fieri favorite) in addition to the obvious selection of local brews.

Photo via