The Tastiest Comfort Food in Tampa

JJ’s Bar and Grille

★★★★☆ 3.8 (37)

"As I arrived late in Tampa on Christmas Day, we found this place still open. We knew we'd found the right place as if we were destined to come in here. This is a place where "they know your name" where you're not a stranger, but family. Everyone was in their holiday pJ's so cheerful.The servers were very friendly.There was a free open buffet bar offered for everybody and every food item from the lasange, green beans to the pumpkin pie was delicious so I knew the items on the exceptional menu would be also and I was correct. If I owned a place like this, This is a way I would run It also.. people first. I would love to return again.."

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (70) • $$

"Here on a Sunday before the Daytona race and wow. 18 people on the wait list and a full house. This place is a gold mine."

Morty & Edna's

★★★★☆ 4.3 (126)

"Since they have no hood nothing is actually cooked to order ... there is no grill or fry ladders just heating ovens and toasters... so your order is pieced together... it's a little pricey and most of the time good but the menu gets more limited around 1:30 cuz there breaking down to be closed by 2... and they mean 2 ... they want your butt outta there...Owners seem dedicated I just can't understand this obsession to close by 2 and limited menu by not having a hood and an actual grill..."

Main Course Brandon

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (8)

"Two snaps in a circle!!! I've been following this place for a while on IG and I finally made it..... it took me 27 mins to get there and it wasn't fast enough, lol We were seated right away and LaLa was so nice and friendly. Later the chef came by and asked how everything was which I found to be thoughtful & welcoming. That doesn't happens very often so I definitely made us feel like she truly cares. Everyone was very attentive and inviting. I ordered the crab & Shrimp entree. It came with corn on the corn ( which was cooked to perfection because it still had that "snap" when I bit into it ) and Mac & cheese (now I'm a bit of a M & C snob) which was by far the best I've tasted since we've moved back to this area. The shrimp were seasoned so well and cooked just right... not all shriveled up like some places. Now.... on to the highlight of the meal.... THE CRAB LEGS! These crab legs were cooked to perfection! You know when you can crack the shell and pull out the most perfect whole piece of meat that's juicy and sweet? Yea, that's how these crab legs were....absolutely cooked to perfection! My sister ordered seafood pasta (which I WILL be ordering next time...... next time as in tomorrow, lol) It was fanfreekintastic !!!! The sauce was just delicious and it was riddled with salmon, shrimp and lump crab.... ridiculiciously delicious.My nice had the shrimp entree which came with broccoli and she upgraded to the lobster Mac..... again, lip smackin delicious! In all fairness ... she did say the broccoli was cooked a bit too much for her taste but who really cares when the rest of the meal was a showstopper!!!!! I have a feeling I'm gonna be there so much that they're gonna start welcoming me by my first name when I walk thru the door. Heehee"

Dosi Rak

★★★★★ 4.7 (97) • $$

"Our new favorite Korean spot! I love that it's attached to their market so you can shop and eat all in one. I tried the galbi beef and the marinade was delicious and gave the beef a little carmeling flavor. My husband tried the spicy chicken bulgogi and he said it reminded him of his favorites from when he lived in Korea. The kimbap didn't come with a dipping sauce but was tasty as well. We will be going back for sure!"

Mama's Soul Food

★★★★☆ 4.3 (19)

"First time going to the Lakeland location which it didn't dispoint me. The collard greens where on point the wings where nice and fresh and crispy also the banana pudding is a must."

Mom's Place

★★★★☆ 3.9 (223) • $$

"This place is wonderful. The food and staff were great. I had the "Kitchen Sink" omelet with grits and white toast. Was GREAT!!!! Staff was great and very attentive."

Sallie's Bistro

★★★★★ 4.7 (61)

"Outstanding! Service was impeccable and friendly with a nice intimate ambiance. We decided to order from the daily specials menu and were not disappointed! We received an amuse bouche of mushroom soup to start. Ordered the Cheese croquettes and they absolutely lived up to the hype, and not to be missed. My friend enjoyed the Bouillabaisse and I had the Boeff Bourguignon. Both had savory flavors and were plated beautifully. Our checks came delivered in cute boxes. We didn't save room for dessert this visit, but I will be back for sure."

Ford's Garage Lakeland

★★★★☆ 3.9 (547) • $$

"Good service, casual environment and tasty food.Although not especially convenient to get to, it's surrounded by so many businesses that once you've gotten 1,000 things from the Target next door (and you only needed 4 things, tops), you can stop by for a quick lunch and/or some adult beverages."

Spring Garden Family Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (69) • $

"One of my favorite Go To's for breakfast, pick up orders are super quick and pretty affordable. My favorite is the greek breakfast wrap on tomato basil."

Crossroad Hot Chicken

★★★★★ 4.7 (78) • $$

"I love Crossroad Hot Chicken! Definitely a big bang for the buck! My boyfriend and I have tried most things on the menu and you cannot go wrong. My favorite dish being the Hot Chicken Sandwich priced at $10.99. So great! You can adjust the heat of your chicken, which always means I'm making mine a little bit more spicy than the average consumer. Overall, I have only done take-out here but I'd gladly dine-in. The guys running it are always friendly and hospitable."

Mama's Soul Food Restaurant - Brandon

★★★★☆ 3.5 (111) • $$

"It's a NO for me!I wanted to try a new restaurant and decided to finally give it a go.The establishment is clean and welcoming. I immediately noticed the signs about "no refunds" and "no time for foolishness". The signs made me question the quality of the food. What is happening to make the business hang such signs?It's time to order and the servers and cashier were friendly. I'm vegetarian so I knew I was going to get the veggie plate. The appearance of the macaroni and cheese looked questionable.it didn't look hot or seasoned, but I tried anyway. At a glance I couldn't tell if the greens were freshly prepared or canned, I decided to try anyway. I added yams and fried okra, and all meals come with rice & cornbread.Ones I got my food I KNEW why the signs were up. The food was not good at all. The greens had a peculiar smell to it, it was so odd that I felt it would cause food poisoning and didn't finish. The Mac and cheese was mushy and had zero seasoning! The yams were alright. The okra was hot but absolutely no seasoning. The corn bread, wow, it was old and stale. The white rice and gravy clearly wasn't fresh but I ate it.Overall, the food was not fresh and quality wasn't there. The owner needs to evaluate practices."

InnerG Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.6 (7)

"Delicious vegan soul food made in a school bus! Love that I can recognize where my meal is coming from. Fresh and delicious comfort food. Chef Eimi El made us feel right at home with the quaint little area behind the school bus where you have privacy booths utilizing the school bus seat, and a corn hole game to keep you occupied. We were just passing through town, but if we lived in the area we would be regulars for sure!"

Ford's Garage Wesley Chapel

★★★★☆ 3.9 (713) • $$

"Very nice atmosphere, love the way the place is decorated. Service was good and our food was very good as well. I really liked the Chipotle Chicken sandwich with the bacon jam."

Especially 4 U Catering

★★★★☆ 3.8 (19) • $

"#Polk #Bartow - Happened to park in front of the restaurant while visiting the tax collector in downtown Bartow. Glad I found this place which seems more toward catering than table service. True southern soul and comfort food with a very downhome feeling and friendly staff. I had the 4 vegetable platter and found all of it to be delicious & presumed homemade , as well as the cornbread which is served in both original and seasoned versions.The unsweetened tea was fresh and the refills came regularly. The ONLY NEGATIVE and it was a big one was the length of time for the meal to come. Four different table, including mine, sat and waited for over 30 minutes for their orders. In speaking to others this seems to be the exception , so I won't hold it against them.Seating is cozy but this adds to the ambiance in my view. If you find yourself in Bartow try this place out. It alone will be worth the trip downtown."

Lazy Gator

★★★★☆ 3.8 (180) • $$

"We enjoyed our dinner here. Had read some negative reviews on another review site about the service, but what I saw were four people working their butts off. At some point during our visit, every one of them took care of us in some way. They worked together like a well-oiled machine. This is a fun local bar with good food, no white tablecloths or Michelin stars. Just go and have fun!"

Ubuntu Food Truck

★★★★★ 4.7 (6)

"We had a nice dinner in a nearby park, enjoying our order from Ubuntu. The truffle fries are well seasoned and crunchy! Good fries are very hard to come by in Tampa Bay and these are easily top 10. Our sandwiches were pretty safe but at least they included bacon! Bacon makes everything better!They also give you a pager so you can wait in the air-conditioned comfort of your car or perhaps at the neighboring beer hall while they cook. We only had to wait like 10 minutes but outside was sweltering. Our car was ice cold and comfy!Life is good with tasty truffle fries!"

True Food Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.9 (339) • $$

"Another recent visit on the day after New Years Day. I just wanted to share the new entrees ordered from their Happy Hour Menu and Seasonal Menu:- Pomegranate Spritzer (GF)- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (GF)- Seasonal Market Salad with Salmon (GF)My friend had the Blueberry 75 Mocktail, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and had a few bites of my salad & salmon. I loved my selections and how I was able to enjoy delicious, gluten-free, healthy food outside of my home! I can't wait for their next seasonal menu."

Rise Kitchen & Deli - Seminole Hard Rock

★★★★☆ 3.7 (82) • $$

"Sierra/Ciara (sorry, I don't know how to spell her name) was amazing tonight! And so was the rest of the staff working around 2am Saturday night (Sunday morning). The roasted chicken meal was pretty tasty. The chicken skin was perfectly crispy although the breast got a little dry. The mashed potatoes and gravy were good but the brussel sprouts were meh. My boyfriend got the chicken salad sandwich with fries. He said the chicken salad was tasty but bread wasn't fresh. Fries were pretty good. The "strawberry tall" dessert was yummyy. Simple but yummy. We would come back and probably try something else. The staff is on point! And they're open late!"

Dirty Byrd

★★★★☆ 4 (33)

"So it was good for a late night crave of chicken tenders, but I wouldn't put it above crossroads chicken in Brandon, or Dave's hot chicken. The seasoning was a little bland on the mild, there wasn't much a kick but also much flavor. The "plain" has a hint of spice too so doesn't seem plain to me. Fries tasted purely like grease to me. The price is what was bad for me. Two meals with no drink were over $30. It was fast casual feel and to me the price seemed high for that. Service was okay, we did take out so I'm not sure what I'd rate service. I'd maybe get it again, but not guaranteed."

Ellenton Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (100) • $

"Every time we have eaten here it has been good. We don't often go out for breakfast/brunch but this is close to our house so it's convenient t when we decide to go. I love the breakfast platter with two eggs, meat, toast. It's simple but exactly what I need. It is a small cafe and they don't serve overly complicated or fancy dishes."

Graze 1910

★★★★☆ 3.8 (222) • $$

"We had an excellent lunch. We would recommend to others. The food was very good, the service was excellent and the price was fair. Give it a chance."

Top Nosh Street Food

★★★★★ 5 (10)

"We had Top Nosh cater a meeting today. Awesome food and staff. I doubled down with Nashville Hot Sliders and Pulled Pork, delicious!!!"

HomeStyle Scratch Kitchen

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"I was craving homemade roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy but didn't have time to make it myself; was delighted when my google search found exactly that on the menu at Homestyle Scratch Kitchen. When picking up my order, I had the opportunity to chat with one of the owners, Kenny, who was super pleasant and passionate about their food. The chicken dinner was amazing, definitely homemade comfort food. Also picked up chicken soup (creamy chicken vegetable chowder style) which was also amazing. They have a nice little dessert case at the checkout counter, and I couldn't resist the homemade pistachio cake - absolutely delicious. Also really enjoyed the decor, including the fun and nostalgic collage of photos from NJ beach towns. Highly recommend and am already looking forward to stopping in again soon!"

Ford's Garage Westchase

★★★★☆ 3.5 (445) • $$

"The High Octane burger is always my go-to and the extensive beer selection is the best! The bar ambiance is great for a game, and Alexis and Jennifer are very sweet and attentive servers."

Boss Ladies Gaststro

★★★★☆ 3.9 (24)

"I've only been here once. Once was all it took to make me a fan. I went there because somebody on Facebook suggested it would be a good place to get corn beef and cabbage and potatoes on St. Patrick's Day. Boy she was right! The corn beef was tender and spot on delicious. And the potatoes and cabbage were delicious as well with the carrots. I paid $13 and some change and I didn't think that was a very bad price for what I got with the economy going the way it is. The bartenders are great, and so are the waitresses And I will be back to watch some hockey and my Lightning!!!"

Bayscape at Heritage Isles

★★★★☆ 4.2 (36)

"Had an outstanding lunch experience after a round of golf. Friendly bartender served us at the attractive bar. Ordered the chicken salad sandwich thinking it would be regular Sysco homogenized type. But no, it was grilled chicken loosely mixed with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and tasty dressing on homemade whole wheat bread (all bread except hot dog & hamburger buns are made fresh in-house). Served with house-made potato chips, made to order. Really good!"

Shamrock Inn

★★★★☆ 3.8 (63) • $

"Stopped in for lunch today. Wife had the chef salad which was huge with plenty of variety and meats. Somehow She managed to eat it alI. The chicken hoagie was tasty with a large order of fresh fries. No complaints there. Will pass thru their door again."

Small Giant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (99)

"Came to Water St on a Sunday to have a late lunch (3pm) and everywhere was closed for lunch service except for Small Giant so figured to check it out since I haven't been. The service was good and was pretty quick. As for food, it was good for bar food haha. Apparently, they're known for pizza but got something else instead. What I ordered:- French Dip: ribeye, caramelized onions, provolone, truffle aioli- TACOS CRISPY SHRIMP. Flour tortilla, queso fresco, spiced avocado, sriracha aioli (3 PER ORDER)- Cheesesteak Eggrolls: ribeye, provolone, sriracha aioli & queso drizzle- French Onion Soup: melted gruyere, provolone & mozzarella"

3 Daughters Brewing

★★★★★ 4.5 (51)

"Really laid back spot near the marina. We came over to watch the karaoke participants who were there attending same conference. Its right above the hooters and has a nice view from the outdoor area."

Pin On Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (132) • $$

"They have moved. Still on Central avenue but now corner of 25th street. And still excellent food."

Sweet Magnolias Tea Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.3 (69) • $$

"I had a very difficult, depressing, stressful morning in a very unfamiliar town and my husband told me to go get myself something special for lunch. Thank goodness for YELP! Sweet Magnolia's popped up and, with a little help from my gps, I found it quickly. Parking is on the street (and some in back) and since it was right after the lunch rush, I had no problem getting a spot right in front.Sweet Magnolia's is a historic two-storied wooden home renovated into an old fashioned tea house. I felt right at home the moment I saw it. I stepped inside and was warmly greeted and sat immediately. There are tables on the front porch, in two rooms when you first walk in, and then in two back rooms. (I sat in one of the back rooms.) So colorful and full of stuff for sale, slightly cluttered but in a warm Victorian grandmotherly way, I literally had to stop myself from squealing.The young lady who waited on me (Lisa?) was an absolute doll. Their policy is to let you sample the tea of the day first. On that day, it was a Hibiscus Sangria Iced Tea. It looked a bit like Kool-aid but it tasted like heaven. I could taste the hibiscus and a tiny bit of honey, but it wasn't overly sweet - it was perfect.After ordering, she brought me out the scone of the day (comes with all meals). It was a Piña Colada scone - made with pineapple and coconut and served warm. Their Devonshire cream had cream cheese in it. The combination of the two was incredibly delicious and decadent.My meal came out soon. I ordered the Asparagus Windsors - pinwheel pastries with asparagus, cheese, and sun dried tomatoes and a balsamic vinegar. Broccoli salad was the side I chose. The pinwheels were fresh out of the oven and delicious. You could tell they were handmade, each were a different size and shape, which just added to their charm. The broccoli salad had fruit in it, not a favorite of mine, but it was fresh and tasty. I didn't take a picture of the menu but it changes seasonally. Not too many options, but enough to give a good choice. They had dessert, but surprisingly, I was quite full from lunch and passed. (Still had a lot of things to do.) The waitress offered and brought me out a tea in a to-go cup which was lovely and very much appreciated.Sweet Magnolia's is an absolute JEWEL in Auburndale and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to returning."