Istanbul Mediterranean Grill & Market

★★★★☆ 4.3 (266) • $$

"This place is an absolute gem--truly one of the best Mediterranean experiences I've ever had! We ordered the grill sampler, and let me just say, the portion size is double my face! SO MUCH MEAT. Every single bite was perfectly seasoned, juicy, and full of flavor. It's a carnivore's dream come true.We also tried the pide with meat and cheese, and wow--talk about a masterpiece. It tasted like a spiced Mediterranean pizza, and the size? It was literally the length of my arm! The complimentary bread was divine too--fluffy, warm, and the perfect accompaniment to the meal. Everything was made with so much care, you could taste the quality and tradition in every bite.The ambiance is unique; it feels like a market that's been transformed into a bustling restaurant. But that only adds to the charm--it's busy and vibrant, which is always a good sign. The staff? Absolutely incredible. They were so friendly and accommodating, even with how packed the place was.For dessert, we grabbed baklava and kazandibi to go, and both were phenomenal. The baklava was buttery, flaky, and sweet without being overwhelming. The kazandibi was a creamy, dreamy delight. They made for the perfect ending to an already amazing meal.On top of everything, the value is unbeatable. The portions are so generous, you're guaranteed leftovers, and for all that food, we spent just $84. Other places would charge easily over $100 for this kind of feast. Istanbul Mediterranean Grill and Market is a stunning experience from start to finish. I can't wait to come back and try even more of their menu!"

Bay Leaves Indian cuisine

★★★★★ 4.5 (226) • $$

"I recently visited Bay Leaves with two friends. We had a good meal, and I picked up the tab, did not really look at the total except for calculating the 20% tip I left. Service was less exceptional than it usually is also..When I got home... I was notified by my bank I had a charge from Bay Leaves, and it was $146.03. That seemed high... so I went to their website and did a spreadsheet with the prices listed online... and then added the prices in the reciept (which were different prices) which I found strange.I called and spoke to the lady who was there when we went (manager? hostess?)... and she texted me a copy of the reciept. I let her know that I found what seemed to be a discrepancy in the amount I was charged. I sent her the spreadsheet I had put together and I asked for a callback.Never got a call back. So posting the spreadsheet and the reciept here so people will know to be careful. The Online Prices are screenshots from their website, along with a screenshot of the receipt. Note that the prices are different on the receipt and the online pricing menu. Also note that what I was charged is not shown anywhere in the spreadsheet even though it is accurate. Check it yourself.... :)"

Petra Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (215) • $$

"We decided to give Petra a try after having a poor experience at 2 other Tampa Mediterranean restaurants. Ambiance: The place is casual, clean and comfortable. There weren't many people inside so it was nice and quiet. Nothing fancy, but that was expected. Service: Our server was friendly, and attentive. No complaints at all, very pleased.Food: Kind of a mixed bag, but this might be more personal preference over good vs. bad. Some things like the babaganoush were delicious and other items were just okay. Nothing was bad though, just nothing to write home about. For the most part we enjoyed our dinners but not sure I'd run back."

Tikka Masalaa

★★★★☆ 4.1 (112) • $$

"The owner is such a nice guy and the food is here delicious! He let us in after temporarily closing to dining in to catch up delivery orders and after eating here I can see why he had so many! SomeOf the best Indian food I've had in a long time! We had samosas, chili and garlic naan, so many mango lasseys and my friends even tricked me into trying goat and you know what ? It wasn't bad! So anyone out there whose scared to try new foods I'm here to tell you this wasn't bad at all! My favorite will always be chicken tikka Masalaa though, which is also amazing here!"

Nana Street Food

★★★★★ 4.6 (76)

"Located on the first floor of one of the high rise apartments near Curtis Hixton, Nana Middle Eastern is serving up some "build your own bowls".There is a multitude of options to choose from and no limits of the finishings (toppings and sauces) so you can basically put everything on your bowl. My base was the Nana's rice with the Kefta meatballs. You can also do half and half on your base. I loaded my bowl with almost everything and everything was delicious! They ran out of the tabouleh while I was ordering. I asked if they made more and I was still dining, if I can still try it. The wonderful gentleman brought a bowl of the Tabouleh outside for my table to share. Amazing service, amazing food, healthy food option and cool vibe! I'll definitely be returning when I'm in the area."

Kurry Xpress

★★★★☆ 4.1 (80) • $$

"They actually do not have the buffet. We were there thinking they have the buffet. But they have the tali plate. Which is better to my opinion. We got the meat tali. It has a lot of chamber to fill the plate. I like it because the appetizers also meat. My two entrees is the mutton curry and the fish curry. These two curry were very good. Especially the mutton curry Kat fresh out the kitchen. Tasty. I also like the fried chicken curry. It has a lot character. The rice has biryanis rice and good chicken in it. Not much of service. When yo finish the plate, they ask you dump it your self. By food is excellent."

Persia House of Kababs

★★★★☆ 3.7 (92) • $$

"I am half-Iranian and absolutely LOVE Persian cuisine. When I lived in South Florida, I had a number of good restaurants from which to choose... so upon moving here, I was rather dismayed to find only TWO Persian restaurants in the entire Tampa Bay area. Thankfully, Persia House of Kabobs is only about 15 minutes from my house, because the other restaurant (Mirage in Clearwater) is a bit more of a trek.While this is more of a fast-casual restaurant, the quality of the food is on point. They don't have all of the varieties larger restaurants would have (such as my favorite Persian dish, fesenjan, or my favorite dessert, falloodeh), but their kabobs are very well done.I usually order the jujeh (chicken) or koobideh (ground beef) kabobs, or they have a combo where you can get one skewer of each. The chicken is marinated and so flavorful, and the beef has a good amount of spices mixed in. And their Persian rice (which I prefer to other styles, it's not sticky since it gets rinsed multiple times before cooking) is pretty good. Each meal also comes with must o'khiar, which is a cucumber yogurt dip with mint and other herbs and spices. It's one of my favorite things to order at any Persian restaurant so I'm happy it's included with the meal! They also include a large pita, although I wish they had lavash bread instead (it's a papery thin bread that I love dipping in the yogurt).Don't forget to ask for some sumac for your kabobs or rice, they have them in little to-go packets!"

Desi Flavors - Tampa

★★★★☆ 4.4 (54)

"I was a bit disappointed as they did not taste as good as I remember. Their garlic naan was not fluffy. The Aloo Gobi was extremely disappointing as the cauliflower tasted like it was previously frozen. I did love the chicken shahi kurma which is a chicken curry that's cashew based (no tomatoes). The curry was creamy and flavorful. I would come back for the curry but not so much for the Aloo Gobi.I do appreciate the lunch buffet specials they offer on the weekends as not many restaurants offer this."

Tasty Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (49) • $$

"I saw the review for Tasty Mediterranean Grill from Karen F. and decided to try it, since I trust her reviews. It is close also... so very convenient!Outside, typical Florida strip mall... nothing spectacular. Inside, tables and chairs... a tv playing Middle Eastern TV, interesting, but I am not knowledgable enough to say what country or language. No decorations on the walls yet. A refrigerated box of beverages. A counter to order from... with a display of baklava that looked good. When I walked, I got a smile from the cook... and a young lady came up to take my order. Friendly and efficient. I ordered the Chicken Shawarma based on the picture Karen had posted, but went with the Mtable (I was craving Baba Ghanoujj, and this was close) and Hummus. I also ordered a Tabouleh salad to go with it. All to go!When the food was ready, got it paid for and headed home. Car smelled wonderful and I could not wait to arrive.Got home, opened everything up and took pictures, then sat down to eat!Chicken Shawarma was wonderful! Nice chunks of spiced grilled chicken that were moist and tasty. Some Shawarma places slice it razor thin... and you can barely taste it. This was good!Hummus... perfect, very nicely done.The Mtable was delicious... excellent flavor and texture.Pitas... a little dry and chewy, but I am just used to fluffier pitas... these were not that style.The garlic sauce (Toum) that came with the shawarma was wonderful, and next time I will order extra (or make some... it is pretty easy to make!)Portions were nice... I could not finish all the chicken after eating all the rest of it and a bowl of the Tabouleh (and still have plenty of that for tomorrow!)If you like this type of food... you need to try Tasty. It is excellent!Need to try those fries too... they look awesome!"

Galata Food Market

★★★★★ 5 (33) • $$

"Amazing food , great family and service. The owner reminds me of Bob form bobs burgers in the best way possible. You can tell he cares about each dish. Great value in price of the food. Portions are huge. I got the ISKENDER kabob and it was just perfect. Fresh lamb , chewy bread underneath with crisp yogurt. Great for your macros , micros and everything else. Will be back."

Fire Up Halal Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (45)

"We decided to place a to go order from Fire Up.I can not speak to any ambiance but the order was correct.The food was really good. I had the chicken shawarma salad and my husband had the lamb and rice. Very tasty! It is worth a try!"

3 Brothers Halal Food Truck

★★★★☆ 3.8 (51)

"Food is amazing. Always hot and fresh. Customer service is superb for it to be a food truck."

Kabob Cafe & Grill

★★★★★ 4.6 (32)

"The weekend buffet from 11-3pm was a hit. The food was well prepared and delicious. Tandoori chicken grilled in a clay oven and topped with the fluffy bread along with rice and chicken biryani leaves no room for anything but compliments. Chai was perfectly brewed. I just wish they had more salads but I am not complaining. The family owners were always available to answer questions and continuously refilling the foods. Very pleasant and gives a feeling like you are their house guests. Desert was simple gulab jam and milk-rice or noodles. A simple no frills setup adds to the relaxed atmosphere. Week days they serve an extensive menu and they have daily American breakfast. A gem that deserves more visits."

Yumsem Eats

★★★★☆ 4.4 (11)

"This plaza already had great options and it only got better. Yumsem eats is a welcome addition and a great fit. The staff was friendly, the kimbap fresh, and most importantly delicious. We can't wait to go back to try some of the other options on the menu."

Maysalreem Halal Foods Truck

★★★☆☆ 3 (3)

"What a great food truck find in downtown Tampa. Especially after an evening of drinking. My order was a chicken shawarma wrap with some fries and let me tell you it did not disappoint. The meat was juicy the garlic sauce was perfection and their hot sauce had the right amount of bite to it. Fries nice and crispy seasoned well two. Food was fresh and flavorful. The two guys that were there super nice and took their time to preparing the food. No rush in service. Good quality eats on a budget! Don't believe me check them out on google too they have 5 stars ! Check them out and show some love."

Shawarma King

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Wow truly amazing and really delicious shawarma. One of the best shawarma in Tampa! Very very polite and excellent customer service. If you don't come here you'll be missing out on truly fresh and delicious shawarma. The prices are very reasonable and best priced shawarma in Tampa. Their meats are fresh and prepared daily! Would highly recommend you come try this place. This is my new go-to spot, I definitely will be back!"

Mostafa Halal Grill And Gravy

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"I admit, I know very little about Bangladesh or it's food, but I know what I like. This, I like alot.Out and about I was in an area of Tampa that had the word halal in many places. Halal means food that can be consumed by Muslims due to its method of preperation. Kinda like kosher for Jews.As I was visiting next door my curiosity drew me to this place. I had no intention of buying anything but the most effusive greetings one could expect met me at the door. I felt compelled to buy something and my gut agreed.I took it for Indian food and much of it is I suspect since Bangladesh borders India on the Bay of Bengal. The menu wss extensive so I jumped at the suggestion of lamb shank and took a to go box home with me. Later I tried it and wow, I loved it. Surprised me.I know very little about this type of food, just the more basic dishes one encounters. However, when I looked into the place, Mostafa's Halal had a solid 5 star rating from EVERYONE, and now me. I do know I will be back to try a few more dishes, you should come get ya some. Hidden gem."