Brian Nagele
Tampa Bay is an absolutely amazing place to live and visit thanks to things like the beach and Busch Gardens amusement park, but there is one place in Tampa Bay that’s special in its own way thanks to its rich history and, of course, all of the incredible restaurants: Ybor City.
Anyone that comes to Tampa Bay simply must visit Ybor City because it’s an essential part of understanding a huge part of Tampa’s history. This historic part of Tampa was founded in 1885 by a group of cigar manufacturers as an independent town and it’s still famous today for its high-quality Cuban cigars. There’s no better way to soak up the history and culture of Ybor City than by coming for a visit and grabbing a bite to eat at some of the best restaurants in the city. They have all kinds of cuisine that you’re bound to love, so go ahead and get started on our awesome list!
Bernini of Ybor
1702 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-248-0099
Taking the prestigious number one spot on our list of best restaurants in Ybor City, Bernini of Ybor is easily one of our favorite places to eat when visiting the city thanks to their fantastic Italian cuisine. You can find Bernini off of North 17th Street and East 7th Avenue, right across the street from the Centro Ybor shopping center and just south of the Hilton Garden Inn near some of Tampa’s cigar factories.
La Segunda Central Bakery
2512 N 15th St, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-248-1531
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Next up is a place called La Segunda Central Bakery and this place is one of Ybor City’s best restaurants for getting that authentic Tampa Bay Cuban experience with some of the most delicious, freshly-baked breads and pastries. Fresh Cuban bread is what they’re best known for here at La Segunda, so before you indulge in all of their sweet treats, be sure to grab one of their amazing Cuban sandwiches or, if you’re avoiding carbs, try one of their healthy salads.
Al’s Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que
1609 Angel Oliva Senior St, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-956-0675
Al’s Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que is by far one of the best Ybor City restaurants to go to when you’re craving absolutely mind-blowing barbecue. Everything here at Al’s is homemade, authentic Southern BBQ that never disappoints when we stop by for one of their mouth-watering pulled pork sandwiches or a slab of ribs smothered in homemade barbecue sauce. Look for Al’s Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que in the charmingly colorful bungalow off of Angel Oliva Senior Street and East 6th Avenue in the Ybor City Historic District.
New York New York Pizza
1512 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-248-1845
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New York New York Pizza is an absolute must-visit place to eat in Ybor City and home to some of the best pizza in Tampa if you ask us. You can find New York New York Pizza off of East 7th Avenue inside the Centro Ybor shopping mall and right near the Tampa Bay Brewing Company, but once you bite into a slice of pizza there, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported right into Times Square. We can’t get enough of their classic pepperoni pizza here at New York New York Pizza, but they also have other great dishes like stromboli and pasta.
Coppertail Brewing Co.
2601 E 2nd Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-247-1500
When we think of the best restaurants in Ybor City, we don’t always immediately consider breweries like Coppertail Brewing Co., but they definitely deserve a spot high on our list thanks to their enormous selection of brews to sample and their vast menu of sandwiches, bowls, and bar foods. No visit to this part of town is complete without stopping by Coppertail Brewing Co. to see how the sausage gets made, and that’s no metaphor because they actually serve delicious homemade sausage that’s cased in-house to go along with your beer!
Columbia Restaurant
2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-248-4961
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Up next, Columbia Restaurant is another place we would consider as a contender for the best restaurant in Ybor City and you can find them off of East 7th Avenue and North 21st Street. Head here whenever you happen to find yourself in the area and you’re craving the most incredible Spanish food you’ve ever tasted. We recommend trying one of their many tapas dishes like croquetas, but they also have an amazing Cuban sandwich, as well as one of the tastiest paellas we’ve ever had.
Rasoi Indian Cuisine
1701 E 8th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-241-0003
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The next place, Rasoi Indian Cuisine, is one of the best restaurants in Ybor City to go to if you’re looking for high-end Indian cuisine in an upscale atmosphere that offers plentiful outdoor seating for eating outside. The food here is unbelievably tasty; Rasoi Indian Cuisine uses nothing but the freshest ingredients to recreate authentic, classic Indian dishes right here in Ybor City that we simply cannot get enough of.
Casa Santo Stefano
1607 N 22nd St, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-248-1925
Casa Santo Stefano is an amazing, authentic Sicilian restaurant located off of North 22nd Street and one of the overall best restaurants in Ybor City, in our opinion. What’s great about Casa Santo Stefano, we think, is that they are right up the road from the Tampa Bay Rum Co., home of Gasparilla Rum, so it’s a great place to grab dinner after checking out the distillery.
Due Amici Pizza & Pasta Bar
1724 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-443-0906
The next pizza place on our list of best Ybor City restaurants is called Due Amici Pizza & Pasta Bar, and we think that their pizza is absolutely amazing. This place, Due Amici, is right in the heart of Ybor City where all the action is, surrounded by fun attractions like Crowbar and The Ritz Ybor where they have live music to enjoy on a night out. They have all the classics like cheese and pepperoni, but we really love their specialty pizzas like their buffalo chicken pizza and their chicken bacon ranch pizza.
Flan Factory
1718 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-402-2400
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Flan Factory is undeniably one of the best restaurants in Ybor City for anyone looking to enjoy some authentic Cuban food and, of course, their specialty: flan. They have so many good foods to choose from here at Flan Factory that it can be a bit overwhelming at first because, if you’re like us, you just want to try every single thing on the menu. We recommend starting with one of their beef empanadas, moving into one of their mojo pork sandwiches, and finishing with sweet, creamy flan.
Acropolis Greek Taverna
1833 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-242-4545
This next place, Acropolis Greek Taverna, is perfect for experiencing an authentic taste of Greece right here in Tampa Bay. We always order the gyro salad here at Acropolis Greek Taverna, but they have so many other delicious options to choose from like falafel, hummus, and lamb chops that we highly recommend, among other things.
7th + Grove
1930 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-649-8422
Right off of East 7th Avenue and North 20th Street is a place called 7th + Grove, one of the best restaurants in Ybor City Historic District and one of our favorite places to eat classic southern fried chicken and waffles. Brunch is our favorite meal to eat here at 7th + Grove, but they offer a dinner menu as well that’s absolutely loaded with delicacies such as slow-braised beef short ribs and oxtails.
James Joyce Irish Pub & Eatery
1724 E 8th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-247-1896
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The last place on our list is the James Joyce Irish Pub & Eatery where you can find some amazing food, drinks, and live music on 8th Avenue, right down the street from the Tampa Bay Brewing Company. They have an exquisite shepherd’s pie as well as fish and chips that are unbelievably tasty but make sure to grab yourself a tall pint of Guinness to go with it, in order to get the full Irish experience.
