Very rich and yummy ingredients I loved it! Also I tried Passion Fruit tea, refreshing!
D J
Cute family owned restaurant. We had the delicious boba and fried rice. They were so nice and gave quick service.
Vy L.
Drinks were ok but food was exceptional! Forgot to take pictures but the Korean fried chicken was nice and crispy and flavor was good. Bibimbab was good too with decent amount of topping. Only down side was the ambiance, the idea was ok but execution was not there making the place seem a little creepy. Service was very good. Very nice and friendly
alexis molina
Got hot cheeto mozzarella corn dog, mango smoothie, passion fruit tea, and spicy wings. Everything was delicious. So glad I was able to find this hidden gem. The inside was so clean and had cute photo op areas.
Joonsung S.
The location and drink was fine. It wasn't anything particularly delicious or bad, but we ordered regular ice and the entire drink was basically ice. By the time the picture was taken a lot of ice was already melted. By the time I was home it really tasted water down.
Trang L.
We came here on my day off to try this restaurant out. Food was good!!! We ordered tokboki, K-fried chicken, dol sot bibimbob, beef bulgogi lunch special, and some boba sparkly drinks. 8.5/10Service was excellent! The server was really nice and friendly. He always made sure that we got what we need. 10/10The ambiance is nice and cute but a bit small. 9/10We will definitely come back again.
Karissa Marie
The boba milk teas were good and they have various flavor options which is nice. We also tried the veggie dumplings and they were tasty and fresh. Cute little spot. They have Korean food that we look forward to trying next. ?
Andrea York
Super cute cafe. They have a lunch menu and the drinks are great! Service was friendly and food was delicious. I got the lunch Bimbimbop, which was a good sized portion, and Matcha with red bean and it wasn't too sweet and came with cheese foam on top.Kid-friendliness: They fried chicken, udon noodles and rice dishes.
Sarah B.
Amazing food, good prices. We went for lunch with the kiddos. The food was amazing and good prices. Brought home the lunch galbi for my husband and it was delicious. We also got their sparking drink with boba and they were so refreshing. The place is very cute as well. Portions were filling. Will be back.
Randy K.
Great food and friendly service, but it is in a rather hidden location and lacks atmosphere. Pork Bulgogi, Kimchi and pickled cucumbers are excellent. Tables appear to be surplus outdoor metal tables. I am still going back, but they could spruce it up a bit for sure.
Don't get the Korean corndog!! I'm giving this place a generous 3 stars but it should be less if the service wasn't good. We ordered 3 drinks, chicken wings, and a Cheetos corndog. The drinks were good and wings were okay (garlic soy) but the corndog was NOT okay. It was only a half of a string cheese and fried white bread (see photo) coated with Cheetos for $7. C'mon this is insulting to customers!!! The only thing that was outstanding was the service. He was quick, friendly, and attentive.
Kaitlyn S.
OK? So why haven't you tried this six-month-old Korean eatery? 'Cause you now know, after scanning the collective reviews, that you should have:) Seriously, this is a QUALITY ESTABLISHMENT of Korean "street foods"-- the food is fresh, prepared well, packed w/ flavor (aka delicious), & served in a clean, bright, fashionable space. (This owner is also the owner of K Dessert Cafe on Hillsborough Ave in Town 'N Country; it opened in 2021 & currently has 51 five-star reviews!)Tessa's offers the lite side of Korean food. According to the 33-yr-old Korean owner, the milk teas are the most popular while the Korean fried chicken wings are a patron favorite. The restaurant is managed by the owner w/ help from her husband. It is named after their two-yr-old child. Knowing little about Korean food, I was happy when a regular customer congratulated me on my choices-- Pork Bulgogi (w/ rice) @ $20.99 & six piece Beef Dumpling @ $7.99. Both were EXCELLENT! The food quality was exceptional & the flavor fantastic. I've eaten both @ other restaurants, & the dumplings were the BEST yet. Each was a perfect union of crunch & tender meat filling. The bulgogi was also the BEST I've eaten-- it was LOADED w/ tender pork & it was moist. Included was cabbage, green beans, green peppers, broccoli & likely onions. There was the perfect amount of heat to this dish. Even the rice was a standout! THREE MENUS line the walls-- see pics. The FIRST lists 9 Fresh Fruit Teas @ $6.79; 11 Milk Teas @ $6.59; 9 Fruit Smoothies @ $6.99; 4 Korean Bingsoo @ $10.99; 8 Sparkling Fruit Teas @ $6.99; 4 Beers @ $3.99, & 12 Toppings @ $.59. (Beer brands include Corona, Coors Light, Budlight, & Heineken.)The SECOND MENU lists 11 Appetizers ($5.99 to $12.99); 10 Lunch Specials w/ rice ($10.99 to $15.99-- served from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM); & 6 Noodles ($10.99 to $13.99). The THIRD menu lists: 8 Grills ($15.99 to $29.99), 7 Fried ($15.99 to $21.99), & 5 Rice ($11.99 to $28.99). (Rice accompanies all grilled & fried entrees.)PROTEINS you'll find on the menus: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Squid, Mackerel, Corndog, & Tofu. Along w/ lunch specials, there's a DAILY SPECIAL; today was the Seafood Pancake @ $12.99. It is round dough stuffed w/ seafood prior to being deep fried. After frying, it is sliced like a pizza. (It's on my "Must Try" list:)Catering is available-- a three-day notice is a must, along w/ an order of $100 or more. Use Uber and/or GrubHub for delivery.The cheerful, clean, dainty interior, w/ its pink & blue floral walls to its mint green metal tables, will lift any spirits-- it's difficult not to feel a sense of calm upon entering (see pics). Should you already LOVE Korean street food & beverages OR you which to try really good Korean street food & beverages, THIS is the business to frequent! I won't hesitate to return...soon:)
Edward Mingus
After much reading about this place I decided I wanted some Korean fried chicken.The place isn't fancy and you may not find easily due the location and the fact it's in a larger building which has many other unrelated businesses.I ordered the fried chicken and kim chee pancake. With that I also received rice (japgok bap) and pickled radish and carrots.The chicken was more than enough to share and was both crispy and juicy. The sauce was deliciously sticky. The rice was a bit bland for my taste. The kim chee pancake was huge and fried very well. I thought the accompanying sauce was a little on the salty side.Overall I enjoyed the meal. It is a place I'd like to visit again as there were so many good choices. I ordered a beef bulgogi to go. So I may update this post later.
Ana Reyes
HIDDEN GEM!! ABSOLUTELY MUST TRY!!!was looking for a bobba spot and this place popped up. This is a great spot to come and have lunch at. Their menu has a variety of appetizers, lunch specials and noodles. Don’t forget it has a grill menu, fried menu and rice menu!!! Has a huge selection of milk teas, sparkly fruit tea, fresh fruit teas and don’t forget the Korean bingsoo!!! You have lots to enjoy all while listening to K-Pop.This place is a great Instagram ready location. The prices are set perfectly to the food portions. The staff is super friendly and kind. Highly highly recommend coming here.
Jon M.
I know you're looking for Korean food and thinking ... Tampa doesn't have much to offer... well you found it!!! Not only is Tessa's Sweet Kafe Korean food it's Great Korean food and it has Boba! I love supporting locally owned places and I love to eat some Home Land food (I'm a Korean) and this place does a great job of preparing some of my favorites. I have had the Galbi, Bulgogi and Gogi bim bim bop. All three were great and they came with some of my favorite side dishes just like you'd get in Korea. It is a small family owned business and they can get a bit backed up when it's busy so be prepared to wait a little bit if you're coming during prime lunch or dinner house. I promise it's worth the wait. Great little place to grab a casual Korean meal or just Boba and if you want a spot to just hang out or study for a bit this place works well if you're ok with Black Pink and BTS playing in the background, but who isn't!!! Overall 5 stars Really nice owner Great food Fun atmosphere
Very rich and yummy ingredients I loved it! Also I tried Passion Fruit tea, refreshing!
Cute family owned restaurant. We had the delicious boba and fried rice. They were so nice and gave quick service.
Drinks were ok but food was exceptional! Forgot to take pictures but the Korean fried chicken was nice and crispy and flavor was good. Bibimbab was good too with decent amount of topping. Only down side was the ambiance, the idea was ok but execution was not there making the place seem a little creepy. Service was very good. Very nice and friendly
Got hot cheeto mozzarella corn dog, mango smoothie, passion fruit tea, and spicy wings. Everything was delicious. So glad I was able to find this hidden gem. The inside was so clean and had cute photo op areas.
The location and drink was fine. It wasn't anything particularly delicious or bad, but we ordered regular ice and the entire drink was basically ice. By the time the picture was taken a lot of ice was already melted. By the time I was home it really tasted water down.
We came here on my day off to try this restaurant out. Food was good!!! We ordered tokboki, K-fried chicken, dol sot bibimbob, beef bulgogi lunch special, and some boba sparkly drinks. 8.5/10Service was excellent! The server was really nice and friendly. He always made sure that we got what we need. 10/10The ambiance is nice and cute but a bit small. 9/10We will definitely come back again.
The boba milk teas were good and they have various flavor options which is nice. We also tried the veggie dumplings and they were tasty and fresh. Cute little spot. They have Korean food that we look forward to trying next. ?
Super cute cafe. They have a lunch menu and the drinks are great! Service was friendly and food was delicious. I got the lunch Bimbimbop, which was a good sized portion, and Matcha with red bean and it wasn't too sweet and came with cheese foam on top.Kid-friendliness: They fried chicken, udon noodles and rice dishes.
Amazing food, good prices. We went for lunch with the kiddos. The food was amazing and good prices. Brought home the lunch galbi for my husband and it was delicious. We also got their sparking drink with boba and they were so refreshing. The place is very cute as well. Portions were filling. Will be back.
Great food and friendly service, but it is in a rather hidden location and lacks atmosphere. Pork Bulgogi, Kimchi and pickled cucumbers are excellent. Tables appear to be surplus outdoor metal tables. I am still going back, but they could spruce it up a bit for sure.
Restaurantji Recommends
Don't get the Korean corndog!! I'm giving this place a generous 3 stars but it should be less if the service wasn't good. We ordered 3 drinks, chicken wings, and a Cheetos corndog. The drinks were good and wings were okay (garlic soy) but the corndog was NOT okay. It was only a half of a string cheese and fried white bread (see photo) coated with Cheetos for $7. C'mon this is insulting to customers!!! The only thing that was outstanding was the service. He was quick, friendly, and attentive.
OK? So why haven't you tried this six-month-old Korean eatery? 'Cause you now know, after scanning the collective reviews, that you should have:) Seriously, this is a QUALITY ESTABLISHMENT of Korean "street foods"-- the food is fresh, prepared well, packed w/ flavor (aka delicious), & served in a clean, bright, fashionable space. (This owner is also the owner of K Dessert Cafe on Hillsborough Ave in Town 'N Country; it opened in 2021 & currently has 51 five-star reviews!)Tessa's offers the lite side of Korean food. According to the 33-yr-old Korean owner, the milk teas are the most popular while the Korean fried chicken wings are a patron favorite. The restaurant is managed by the owner w/ help from her husband. It is named after their two-yr-old child. Knowing little about Korean food, I was happy when a regular customer congratulated me on my choices-- Pork Bulgogi (w/ rice) @ $20.99 & six piece Beef Dumpling @ $7.99. Both were EXCELLENT! The food quality was exceptional & the flavor fantastic. I've eaten both @ other restaurants, & the dumplings were the BEST yet. Each was a perfect union of crunch & tender meat filling. The bulgogi was also the BEST I've eaten-- it was LOADED w/ tender pork & it was moist. Included was cabbage, green beans, green peppers, broccoli & likely onions. There was the perfect amount of heat to this dish. Even the rice was a standout! THREE MENUS line the walls-- see pics. The FIRST lists 9 Fresh Fruit Teas @ $6.79; 11 Milk Teas @ $6.59; 9 Fruit Smoothies @ $6.99; 4 Korean Bingsoo @ $10.99; 8 Sparkling Fruit Teas @ $6.99; 4 Beers @ $3.99, & 12 Toppings @ $.59. (Beer brands include Corona, Coors Light, Budlight, & Heineken.)The SECOND MENU lists 11 Appetizers ($5.99 to $12.99); 10 Lunch Specials w/ rice ($10.99 to $15.99-- served from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM); & 6 Noodles ($10.99 to $13.99). The THIRD menu lists: 8 Grills ($15.99 to $29.99), 7 Fried ($15.99 to $21.99), & 5 Rice ($11.99 to $28.99). (Rice accompanies all grilled & fried entrees.)PROTEINS you'll find on the menus: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Squid, Mackerel, Corndog, & Tofu. Along w/ lunch specials, there's a DAILY SPECIAL; today was the Seafood Pancake @ $12.99. It is round dough stuffed w/ seafood prior to being deep fried. After frying, it is sliced like a pizza. (It's on my "Must Try" list:)Catering is available-- a three-day notice is a must, along w/ an order of $100 or more. Use Uber and/or GrubHub for delivery.The cheerful, clean, dainty interior, w/ its pink & blue floral walls to its mint green metal tables, will lift any spirits-- it's difficult not to feel a sense of calm upon entering (see pics). Should you already LOVE Korean street food & beverages OR you which to try really good Korean street food & beverages, THIS is the business to frequent! I won't hesitate to return...soon:)
After much reading about this place I decided I wanted some Korean fried chicken.The place isn't fancy and you may not find easily due the location and the fact it's in a larger building which has many other unrelated businesses.I ordered the fried chicken and kim chee pancake. With that I also received rice (japgok bap) and pickled radish and carrots.The chicken was more than enough to share and was both crispy and juicy. The sauce was deliciously sticky. The rice was a bit bland for my taste. The kim chee pancake was huge and fried very well. I thought the accompanying sauce was a little on the salty side.Overall I enjoyed the meal. It is a place I'd like to visit again as there were so many good choices. I ordered a beef bulgogi to go. So I may update this post later.
HIDDEN GEM!! ABSOLUTELY MUST TRY!!!was looking for a bobba spot and this place popped up. This is a great spot to come and have lunch at. Their menu has a variety of appetizers, lunch specials and noodles. Don’t forget it has a grill menu, fried menu and rice menu!!! Has a huge selection of milk teas, sparkly fruit tea, fresh fruit teas and don’t forget the Korean bingsoo!!! You have lots to enjoy all while listening to K-Pop.This place is a great Instagram ready location. The prices are set perfectly to the food portions. The staff is super friendly and kind. Highly highly recommend coming here.
I know you're looking for Korean food and thinking ... Tampa doesn't have much to offer... well you found it!!! Not only is Tessa's Sweet Kafe Korean food it's Great Korean food and it has Boba! I love supporting locally owned places and I love to eat some Home Land food (I'm a Korean) and this place does a great job of preparing some of my favorites. I have had the Galbi, Bulgogi and Gogi bim bim bop. All three were great and they came with some of my favorite side dishes just like you'd get in Korea. It is a small family owned business and they can get a bit backed up when it's busy so be prepared to wait a little bit if you're coming during prime lunch or dinner house. I promise it's worth the wait. Great little place to grab a casual Korean meal or just Boba and if you want a spot to just hang out or study for a bit this place works well if you're ok with Black Pink and BTS playing in the background, but who isn't!!! Overall 5 stars Really nice owner Great food Fun atmosphere