Rose and Jerry's Guidebook
Our Favorite Restaurants
The Tampa area has some truly outstanding places to eat, from small, family, restaurants, to upscale (and pricey) dining experiences.
Japanese and other Asian cuisine. Small, very friendly, and delicious. Located about ten minutes from the house, they have a large selection of sushi rolls and a number of ala-carte and meal choices. Prices are quite reasonable.
Crazy Cafe
3883 US-301Japanese and other Asian cuisine. Small, very friendly, and delicious. Located about ten minutes from the house, they have a large selection of sushi rolls and a number of ala-carte and meal choices. Prices are quite reasonable.
An all-you-can-eat buffet, priced very reasonably, with a wide selection of home-style favorites like fried chicken, fish, various meat selections, delicious homemade sides, a salad bar, and a dessert bar. Very popular place, located less than ten minutes from the house. We have NEVER left Fred's hungry!
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Fred's Market Restaurant
6501 US-301An all-you-can-eat buffet, priced very reasonably, with a wide selection of home-style favorites like fried chicken, fish, various meat selections, delicious homemade sides, a salad bar, and a dessert bar. Very popular place, located less than ten minutes from the house. We have NEVER left Fred's hungry!
Just opened in February 2019. Chain steakhouse and barbecue restaurant. It's good, but can get very crowded on Friday and Saturday evenings. Just 10 minute drive from the house.
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Texas Roadhouse
13006 US-301Just opened in February 2019. Chain steakhouse and barbecue restaurant. It's good, but can get very crowded on Friday and Saturday evenings. Just 10 minute drive from the house.
Spanish restaurant (BOO-YA). Excellent paella and many other outstanding Latin dishes. Moderate prices. About a 25 minute drive from the house.
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Bulla Gastrobar
930 S Howard AveSpanish restaurant (BOO-YA). Excellent paella and many other outstanding Latin dishes. Moderate prices. About a 25 minute drive from the house.
Outstanding Italian Food!!! Moderate prices. Excellent ambiance. About a 25 minute drive from the house.
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Bella's Italian Café
1413 S Howard AveOutstanding Italian Food!!! Moderate prices. Excellent ambiance. About a 25 minute drive from the house.
Dinner cruises departing from downtown Tampa. Food is epicure-grade and there is dancing on the top-deck. Excellent for an anniversary, a birthday, or any other important occasion you would like to celebrate. We Love it! Reasonably priced. About 35 minutes from the house, located at Channelside, the upscale entertainment district of Tampa.
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Yacht Starship station
603 Channelside DrDinner cruises departing from downtown Tampa. Food is epicure-grade and there is dancing on the top-deck. Excellent for an anniversary, a birthday, or any other important occasion you would like to celebrate. We Love it! Reasonably priced. About 35 minutes from the house, located at Channelside, the upscale entertainment district of Tampa.
If you'd like a bit of a bawdy show with your burger, you have to try Hamburger Mary's in Brandon. Famous for their staff of transvestite performers. I've seen kids in there (8 years old or so) but you may find that explaining to your son or daughter just what is going on may prove tedious, if not embarrassing. Periodically, throughout the day, they will break into song, some dancing, or other theatrical schtick - it can be a lot of fun. Very affordable, and located only about fifteen minutes from the house.
Hamburger Mary's Brandon
2016 Town Center BlvdIf you'd like a bit of a bawdy show with your burger, you have to try Hamburger Mary's in Brandon. Famous for their staff of transvestite performers. I've seen kids in there (8 years old or so) but you may find that explaining to your son or daughter just what is going on may prove tedious, if not embarrassing. Periodically, throughout the day, they will break into song, some dancing, or other theatrical schtick - it can be a lot of fun. Very affordable, and located only about fifteen minutes from the house.
Relatively new, and located within walking distance of the house. Food is fantastic, and very authentic. We drove past it for two or three months, and finally stopped in for lunch. A truly GREAT place to eat!
Tuk Tuk Thai Fusion Restaurant
10471 Gibsonton DriveRelatively new, and located within walking distance of the house. Food is fantastic, and very authentic. We drove past it for two or three months, and finally stopped in for lunch. A truly GREAT place to eat!
You may note, a lot of our choices tend toward Asian cuisine. We've lived in Japan for many many years, and definitely learned to enjoy the distinctive flavors of the Far East. Hawkers (named after the street- market vendors in Hong Kong and most other Asian cities) is kind of a tapas restaurant. Inexpensive dishes, that can be shared, as you become increasingly more brave, and try other items on their menu that you have never heard of. Rose and I have some standards we order each time, then experiment with new dishes. I can tell you - we have NEVER walked away without eating - and enjoying - everything they served. A couple items we perpetually get are their kimlchi fried rice; pork bao; and their summer rolls (translucent rice wrappers, holding vegetables and shrimp, eaten with peanut sauce.) Located on Central Ave. in St Pete, we believe you will like it!
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Hawkers Asian Street Fare
1235 Central AveYou may note, a lot of our choices tend toward Asian cuisine. We've lived in Japan for many many years, and definitely learned to enjoy the distinctive flavors of the Far East. Hawkers (named after the street- market vendors in Hong Kong and most other Asian cities) is kind of a tapas restaurant. Inexpensive dishes, that can be shared, as you become increasingly more brave, and try other items on their menu that you have never heard of. Rose and I have some standards we order each time, then experiment with new dishes. I can tell you - we have NEVER walked away without eating - and enjoying - everything they served. A couple items we perpetually get are their kimlchi fried rice; pork bao; and their summer rolls (translucent rice wrappers, holding vegetables and shrimp, eaten with peanut sauce.) Located on Central Ave. in St Pete, we believe you will like it!
Just a ten minute drive from the house, we took our Vietnamese Friends, visiting from Minnesota, there so they could tell us if our belief the food is very good was legitimate, or if it was just an American's poor understanding of international cuisine. They were very impressed with the quality and flavors in the foods we tried. Try it - I believe you will like it!
Pho Mai
13025 US-301Just a ten minute drive from the house, we took our Vietnamese Friends, visiting from Minnesota, there so they could tell us if our belief the food is very good was legitimate, or if it was just an American's poor understanding of international cuisine. They were very impressed with the quality and flavors in the foods we tried. Try it - I believe you will like it!