Tampa has one of the best steakhouses in the country, it’s the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich, and its Spanish and Cuban food traditions run deep. There’s no shortage of great places to eat here. But a small handful of food institutions stand above the rest for how much they’ve shaped the city’s culinary identity.
These three iconic restaurants define Tampa’s food scene more than almost any others. Two have been operating for over 100 years, and the third has been around for more than 65. None of them rely on trendy decor or flashy exteriors. What they offer instead is history, consistency, and a level of influence that goes far beyond their own dining rooms—including one that houses what’s widely regarded as one of the greatest wine cellars in the world.
If you want to experience Tampa’s history through its food, these are the three must-visit restaurants that tell that story best.
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World-Renowned Steakhouse — Bern’s Steak House
A staple of Tampa’s SoHo neighborhood since 1956, Bern’s Steak House was founded by Bern and Gert Laxer after plans to move to California fell through while visiting family in Tampa. They ran out of money, decided to stay, and Tampa’s dining scene is better because of it.
Bern’s is arguably the most famous restaurant in Tampa and is consistently named one of the best steakhouses in the United States. Their steaks are dry-aged in house for five to eight weeks and then charbroiled over hardwood lump charcoal. While steak is the main draw, the menu goes well beyond that, featuring seafood, a notable caviar selection, and other standout entrées like rack of lamb and a dry-aged pork chop.
Every entrée comes with Bern’s classic accompaniments: French onion soup au gratin, a house salad, onion rings, a loaded baked potato, and the vegetable of the day. It’s a refreshing approach at a time when many high-end steakhouses charge à la carte prices for sides that can rival the cost of a full meal elsewhere.
Bern's World Renowned Wine Cellar
As if the steak weren’t enough, Bern’s Steak House is also home to one of the largest and most respected wine collections in the world. The cellar holds more than 700,000 bottles, with roughly 200 wines available by the glass and another 6,800 offered by the bottle. The wine list itself spans nearly 200 pages, but help is always available—Head Sommelier Brad Dixon or another member of the team is happy to guide you if you need it. There are plenty of solid options priced under $100, alongside bottles that reach into the several-thousand-dollar range.
The cellar is so extensive that in 2010, one of Bern’s sommeliers famously uncovered a hidden bottle of 1947 Château Latour valued at around $30,000, tucked away behind other bottles. Meanwhile, I usually just hope to find enough loose change in my couch cushions to afford a cup of coffee.
Harry Wantaugh Dessert Room
To finish the meal, Bern’s offers a separate dessert room located upstairs, which guests can choose to visit after dinner. The space is made up of small, intimate booths, giving it a speakeasy-like feel. The menu includes around 40 homemade desserts, along with cheese selections, coffee, and a thoughtful list of after-dinner wines and spirits.
You can also make reservations just for the dessert room, which I recommend even if you’re not dining downstairs. It’s an experience in its own right and one of the most distinctive parts of visiting Bern’s.
Bern’s Steak House is a true bucket-list restaurant for anyone spending time in or around Tampa.
Florida’s Oldest Restaurant — Columbia Restaurant
Bern’s has been around for decades, but the Columbia Restaurant is even older, first opening its doors in 1905. In fact, it is Florida’s oldest restaurant. It’s also the largest Spanish restaurant in the world, occupying an entire city block in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood.
History of Columbia Restaurant
The Columbia began as a small, 60-seat corner café known for Cuban coffee and authentic Cuban sandwiches. During Prohibition, the restaurant survived by expanding into neighboring spaces, doubling its size in the process. It later took a bold step during the Great Depression by building a new dining room complete with a dance floor.
As the cigar industry declined and Ybor City struggled, the third generation of the family looked for ways to bring people back to the neighborhood. Their solution was entertainment—an idea that proved successful and continues today, with flamenco dancers performing several nights a week.
Now in its fifth generation of family ownership, the Columbia has expanded beyond Tampa to locations in Sarasota, St. Augustine, and other parts of Florida, while the original Ybor City restaurant remains the heart of the operation.
The Food at the Columbia Restaurant
Although often described as a Spanish restaurant, the Columbia Restaurant serves a mix of Spanish and Cuban cuisine. That combination reflects the history of Ybor City itself, which was shaped by Spanish, Cuban, and Italian immigrants working in the cigar industry.
Some of the standout dishes include paella “a la Valenciana,” ropa vieja, and the Columbia’s version of boliche, a traditional Cuban dish made from eye-round beef roast stuffed with chorizo.
Four Dishes I Highly Recommend
The 1905 Salad
Tossed tableside and made with crisp iceberg lettuce, julienne baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire sauce, and the Columbia’s famous garlic dressing. It’s one of the most iconic dishes in Tampa.The Original Cuban Sandwich
Still made using the Columbia’s original 1915 recipe, this sandwich includes ham, Genoa salami, mojo-roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread from La Segunda Central Bakery. The Cuban sandwich was invented in Ybor City and later designated Tampa’s signature sandwich, and the version at the Columbia remains one of the best places to try it.Deviled Crab Croquettes
Made with seasoned blue crab meat, paprika, and garlic, then breaded with Cuban breadcrumbs and fried. Deviled crab is native to Tampa and is best thought of as the city’s own take on a crab cake, shaped like a small oval rather than a patty.White Chocolate Bread Pudding
While the traditional flan is always a solid choice, the white chocolate bread pudding is the standout dessert. It’s made with La Segunda Cuban bread and topped with a Bacardi rum sauce, and it’s easily large enough to share.
The Bakery Behind Tampa’s Cuban Bread — La Segunda Central Bakery
The Birth of Cuban Bread
Tampa is the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich, and one of the most important components of that sandwich is the Cuban bread itself. As Cuban, Spanish, and Sicilian immigrants settled in Ybor City to work in the growing cigar industry, they brought their food traditions with them. The earliest Cuban bread in Tampa was likely produced by an established bakery known as Ferlita Bakery (also called La Joven Francesca Bakery).
That changed in 1915, when Juan Moré arrived in Tampa. Although born in Spain, Moré had spent time in Cuba after being sent there during the Spanish-American War, where he developed an appreciation for Cuban-style bread. That same year, he and his partners opened three bakeries—La Primera, La Segunda, and La Tercera, which simply mean “First,” “Second,” and “Third.” As the other bakeries eventually closed, Moré bought out his partners and expanded La Segunda, which would go on to become the most influential Cuban bread bakery in Tampa—and one of the largest producers of Cuban bread in the world.
Traditional Cuban bread is long, often close to three feet, and flatter than a standard loaf. A palmetto leaf is placed across the top before baking, creating the signature split down the center once it’s removed. La Segunda maintains that truly authentic Cuban bread must include this palmetto leaf, and they are one of the few bakeries that continue to uphold this labor-intensive tradition today.
The History of the Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban sandwich wasn’t created in Cuba, but rather in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood. The area developed as Cuban, Spanish, and Sicilian immigrants arrived to work in the growing cigar industry, while Jewish residents commonly worked as merchants and shopkeepers. The Cuban sandwich is often thought of as a simple ham-and-cheese sandwich, but in reality it reflects the mix of cultures that helped build Tampa.
Each ingredient tells part of that story: the Spanish contributed the ham, the Sicilians added Genoa salami, the Cubans brought mojo-marinated roast pork, and the Germans and Jewish communities influenced the use of Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Put together on Cuban bread, the sandwich became a true reflection of Tampa’s immigrant roots.
For more on where to find great Cuban sandwiches today, you can also check out my guide to the best Cuban sandwiches in Tampa.
Beyond bread, La Segunda is also a great stop for pastries and cookies. It’s worth picking up a box to take with you—especially if you’re visiting family and want to bring home something that feels distinctly Tampa.
Honorable Mention: A Tampa Cuban Institution
La Teresita Restaurant
The three spots listed above have made a defining mark on Tampa’s food scene and are often known even to people who have never visited the city. But because no list like this feels complete without it, I’m adding a fourth as an honorable mention: La Teresita Restaurant.
Maximino and Coralia Capdevila fled Cuba in 1962 and, after working various jobs, purchased a small shop called La Teresita Grocery in 1972. As demand grew, they added a coffee and sandwich counter to the store. When the space became too small, they bought an old gas station across the street and converted it into a full restaurant. Over time, the grocery store was sold and the restaurant continued to expand into the well-known local institution it is today.
La Teresita serves classic Cuban dishes like ropa vieja, tamales, and yuca, along with a wide selection of meats, poultry, and seafood. It has become one of Tampa’s most beloved Cuban restaurants and a regular stop for locals, visiting dignitaries, and even presidential candidates over the years.
Other Famous Tampa Restaurants Worth Knowing
Several other long-standing and well-known restaurants have also played an important role in Tampa’s food scene, even if they don’t quite reach the same iconic status as the institutions above.
- West Tampa Sandwich Shop: A longtime favorite for Cuban sandwiches, West Tampa Sandwich Shop gained national attention after a visit from former President Obama, who ordered their honey Cuban. While tourism has increased since then, it remains a local spot where many regulars have been coming for decades. It simply hasn’t been around long enough to carry the same historical weight as the restaurants above.
- Wright’s Gourmet House: Serving Tampa since 1963, Wright’s Gourmet is known for consistently excellent sandwiches. The Cuban is a solid choice, but the Beef Martini is the standout and one of the best sandwiches in the city.
- Donatello Italian Restaurant: Donatello helped elevate Italian dining in Tampa and has influenced the local restaurant scene by inspiring former employees to open notable restaurants of their own.
- Alessi Bakery: Open since 1912, Alessi Bakery is one of Tampa’s oldest food businesses and nearly earned a second honorable mention. For a true taste of Tampa, try the guava-and-cheese turnover or the scacciata, Tampa’s local version of Sicilian pizza.
Each of these places is well worth seeking out if you want a deeper understanding of Tampa’s food culture. Still, the three restaurants listed above—along with the single honorable mention—stand apart as the most iconic food institutions that every visitor should try.
