50 Best American Restaurants in Tampa

“Ponte does not disappoint! I took my husband there last night for his birthday and from start to finish, it was an amazing experience. The atmosphere is elegant and modern but not ostentatious or garish. The food and drinks were creative, expertly prepared, beautifully presented, and unbelievably delicious. And I cannot say enough about the staff. From Samantha, the hostess; Tyler, the manager; Bill, our server; and Matt, the sous chef; to the young man serving the bread and the multiple other staff who kept our water glasses full, everyone was professional, pleasant, knowledgeable and engaging. Samantha, in particular, handled a very aggressive and arrogant disgruntled man in the most diplomatic and professional manner. And this man was so aggressive that my husband and I almost intervened on Samantha’s behalf. But her diplomacy and professionalism did not waiver. To say she impressed us is an understatement. All in all, this was by far one of the best, if not the best restaurant experiences we have ever had. We will definitely return.“

“Everything was super awesome Ulele Rules“

“Yummy food! We really enjoyed our lunch and will be back to try the dinner menu“

“Everything was spectacular. Do not hesitate. Reserve now. For starters we had a blue cheese (the Executive Chef's favorite -don't remember the name) and the Wagyu charcuterie board, with the bread basket. The cheese was spectacular. So was the Wagyu, though we preferred the cheese and "fought" for the last smear. The bread came with a Calabrian chili butter and a muffalata style spread which by itself inspires you to return. My son had the charred octopus and said it was nice and tender, though he prefers more char. Ordered the pasta plate for my mother - the right size for her - and she ate everything and kept saying how good it was after every bite- the plate was clean! We had steaks - Delmonico and dry aged strip - they are from Bern's and you can tell. The sauces were the Fresno chili chimichurri (wow!) and the foie gras velouté (classic). Accompaniments were the brussel sprouts salad (game changer - go back for more) and the Mac&cheese with duck fat (had never tasted anything quite like this and it's a plate to remember). Finally, as Bern's sister, Haven can get you Dessert Room reservations and we did it! Baked Alaska for dessert! It was such an unexpected and pleasant evening. A shout out to Gordon, our waiter, simply the best... He is well-known and respected by Bern's staff. Deserves all the praise.“

“Just had lunch there for my son's bday. Couldn't be more pleased. Clayton our server was so gracious and funny . for the amount of food we ordered with dessert. It came under $200.00 so much bang for your buck. Will be going back very soon.“

“Dined at the kitchen counter for my birthday. The meal + drinks + service was astounding. Highly recommend!“

“Dined here as a last minute option, but it turned out to be the best option. The food was amazing, the restaurant is super chic casual. The restaurant is great for that special occasion, and a chill hangout with friends. To top it off the service was extraordinary! I want to give a super shout out to our waitress Michelle from Rhode Island, she was awesome. She was super friendly, warm and made us feel special. Thank you Michelle for a pleasant evening!Parking: Valet service is great“

“Lunch date with friends was a great choice. Shrimp and grits were super yummy! We shared and the portion was just right. Our friends split a salad and It was also good. Very attentive waitstaff. Friendly hostess. Love the decor and atmosphere.“

“Overall, this restaurant has a great atmosphere, friendly service and the prices are very reasonable for what you get. Parking is easy and free. I would like to point out a few things that made this experience a little less enticing. My old fashioned was in a very heavy, medium-sized glass, which made the pour look very small. It just felt odd to drink from this glass as an avid consumer of this style of drink. Also, the large ice cube actually melted entirety before I could finish it which I have never had happen before. I literally walked from the bar to my table and before my steak arrived the cube was gone, which watered down my cocktail. I'm not sure if they use half size cubes, but there was plenty of room in that glass for a full sized cube to make that drink better. The drink tasted fine, but using a shorter, lighter glass with a large cube would make it more consistent with the swanky style of that cocktail.Another thing that was odd, was we ordered the lobster topped steak special for the night at $48. It came out with a full plate of french fries, like a meal from a diner. It may just be my opinion, but if we are going to order a meal that is $50, some elevated sides to accompany lobster may be more appropriate than fries. They were cold, and the steak needed more seasoning, so that didn't help either. I did have the filet mignon prepared medium rare and it was perfect. Again, it could have also had more flavor to the meat, but for $46 it was great with a loaded baked potato and Béarnaise sauce.The best part was the lemon cheesecake with raspberry sauce. It was refreshing and delicious. I definitely recommend that with an espresso martini. It was a little on the creamy side, but made well to accompany a dessert.Overall, this restaurant is perfect to celebrate a special occasion or grab a bottle of wine from their huge selection. It just doesn't compare steak wise to other more elevated restaurants in the area. The menu selections were very diverse with many different options, that they didn't really specialize in one thing.“

“This was our first visit and it was a true unexpected WOW! Skye was our guide through a delightful exploration starting with an array of their small plates (we love exploring a new venue through a sampling of the starters). We then shared one of their entries (which itself was a delightful combination including a wonderful hummus, peta, a Greek salad, etc.). We're already planning our return.“

“The atmosphere and food were amazing.“

“excelente servicio y excelente menú“

“I only have positive things to say about this establishment! My family and I usually dine in with you guys but we were hosting a family reunion today and we wanted to order some of our favorite foods to go. My gosh everything was just prepared wonderfully and tasted amazing like usual! The take out team was just spot on! We wanted to specifically thank a younger girl with blonde hair. I believe her name was Nichole or Nikki or something like that. keep up the good work, i’ll be back!“

“Love it here! Perfect spot for football games.“

“The food here is amazing. Very classy high end place to go for a romantic dinner. We will go back again.“

“Ron are server was very nice, helpful with the menu selections, and very good at recommending selection to fit our budget!!?Parking: Handicapped parking available and very big parking lot!Kid-friendliness: They have a nice kids menu.Wheelchair accessibility: Easy access and tables available.“

“I love this place. Millers is my go to for the best nachos ever !!! Ceira was our server and she was amazing, really friendly and super quick. Gotta say that theres not a lot of vegetarian options so that could be an improvement, but overall amazing experience!!!“

“We came in for Mother's Day dinner, and so the restaurant was unusually busy, leading to a few hiccups. Mr. Michael even stopped by, voluntarily. Nothing major, but understandable due to the volume of customers....My drinks and meal were fantastic, however.“

“By far the best service , food and fun. We had Luke and he was kind and great at his job even recommended futures foods for us to try. We had the Cuban and buffalo chicken flatbread both far exceeded our expectations. Living in tampa, Cubans are often hit or miss and this was in our top 3 the prices makes it top 2. The flatbread was AMAZING I worked in a pizzeria and never had a flatbread as tasteful and crisp. A wonderful/ AMAZING experience. 10s alll across the board!!!“

“From the moment I stepped into the Edison on Tampa’s Water Street, Bri immediately caught my attention. Her tattoos and warm smile set her apart as an exceptional bartender. Despite the bustling environment, she made me feel like a regular, effortlessly managing the hectic bar with poise. I was so impressed by her service that I felt compelled to personally thank her manager, Jess, to ensure my appreciation was properly conveyed. A truly memorable experience, thanks to their outstanding hospitality. To the words I’ve learned from watching great hospitality, “Service is the technical delivery of a product. Hospitality is how the delivery of that product makes its recipient feel.”“

“Staying in Tampa nearby, decided to get Thai food. Everything was prepared quick and the portion sizes were very generous. Prices are pretty good for the size too.First off, Pad Thai had a lot of flavor with the tamarind tanginess and sweetness shining through. Loved the Crab Fried Rice. It was spicy but not overpowering and the crab itself was definitely real. Helpful guest experience and from someone that is part Thai the ambience and food when I went in the evening made me feel kinda like being back home.“

“I've been to all three of the Trip's Diner's, and particularly recommend the Tampa location. Had brunch there today; food was very good, service by Callie was exceptional. Michael M.“

“I was visiting from out of town. The food was very good. The process is very much like chipoltle but with a healthier farm to table version of food. I thought it was going to be a sit-down restaurant. I was told the steak was a great option to go with along with the mac and cheese.. It did not disappoint. I got a mixture of rice and greens with the sweet potatoes. When thinking about this does not sound like the best combination. However, when you add the garlic aoili sauce, it is perfect. I like to mix my food up. I would definitely try another option should i visit tampa again.“

“There is nothing NOT to like about Wright's! Each item on their menu is carefully crafted and the quality of their food is always outstanding!!! I live roughly 45 minutes from their location and worth every minute to savor their flavors!!“

“Best italian food in Tampa. Great service, and the owners/chefs are from Italy. They are very friendly and welcoming.“

“Good food. Portions weren’t big but tasted really good. Friendly service.“

“OMG! I cannot say enough good things about this place. The food is fantastic, the staff is amazing everyone that I have had contact with seems like they love their job and the Manager Jason he the epitome of a Manager. A huge special thanks th Noel for making our first experience the ultimate we are a forever a customer now.“

“Even though Ellies has great food, great servers and othe help except Pam who was a different story the first time she was our server. She was pretty miserable and I noticed the busers were doing pretty much all of her work. She just took our order. Busers brought menus, silverware, drinks and even did our refills. One of the other servers on the floor brought us our food. We chalked it up to she was having a bad day and even though I wanted to tip the busers, we did tip Pam! Today we got her again and from what we could tell, nothing had changed! Our opinion, if you don't enjoy working with the public, hit the road before you start causing Ellies to lose customers. We will try again, but if we see her coming to us, we will ask for a different server. No one deserves to be treated rudely!!!! We are out because we enjoy good people and positivity as well as a great home diner!!!!.“

“Finally got around to eating here, and will be coming back. The vibe, the drinks and let’s not forget the food but huge shout out to our lovely server,Hannah was the BEST, so full of life and great energy about her and was so helpful when we had all of questions, and shared her favourites with us, she even made my belated bday meal better with my very own sundae topped with strawberries and chocolate syrup!“

“Food was great and Marietta was the best. We were 10 and she was awesome. Thank You“

“This was our first dining experience here at Black Rock. They did not disappoint whatsoever. From the time that we entered until we finished our meals, we were treated with excellent customer service. The Host - Tori, was very pleasant. Once seated, my wife and I received the most outstanding customer service (waitress, Hannah) that we’ve ever received when dining in quite a while. Not sure of the bartenders name, nonetheless, the drinks were very good also. The food was definitely worth the wait. The food was extremely well prepared. Hannah, thoroughly explained how to cook the steaks on the stone, then allowed us to enjoy our meal. (Thank you Chefs) Due to our outstanding experience, we will definitely be returning. As I mentioned to one of the managers there, it seems as though people will find something to complain about, but rarely take time out to say “Thank you.” I wanted to thank the entire staff for a great dining experience.“

“Brittani was an excellent server! She brought our hot food quickly and refilled my iced tea! We really enjoyed our meal. It was delicious! Just love the specials! We will be back!“

“We had brunch and it was amazing. Great atmosphere and friendly service. The food was delicious.“

“Our first trip to Bolay was excellent. The food was fresh and delicious. Staff were very helpful explaining options not mentioned on the menu, especially Tesean who was so kind and patient. It's great to have a place that can satisfy both omnivores and vegetarians. We'll be back!“

“Went for Mother's Day as soon as they open. Very great service from Roy, the manage was the sweetest. Food was amazingly great, unfortunately 1 pancake was made incorrectly. Other than that everything was great for an anticipated busy outing.“

“Absolutely delicious food! Hot, fresh, and rich! Service was super fast and friendly too!“

“The dragonfruit curd dessert blew me away. Our salad was nice and fresh and the cauli crust pizza was spot on.“

“Awesome wine tastings and great service. Our tasting person was very knowledgeable and pleasant. We also enjoyed another cocktail and appetizers in the restaurant. We are wine club members and just upgraded our membership... If you go every month it is a great value.“

“Great food ! I think their cheeseburgers are the BEST in Tampa Bay area !! Great staff, good service !“

“We had a nice table outside. Service and food were spot on. The only issue was the noise level from the wine bar Nextdoor. They had a duo playing which while it was nice, was a bit loud for normal conversation. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our dining experience.“

“I knew I was gonna like the place when I saw corn fritters on the menu. Lol Absolutely hands down you gotta get the wings. The staff was awesome!!! Definitely will be back.“

“Awesome place!!!! Great food and music“

“High quality food, clean atmosphere, and super friendly service—a hidden gem!“

“We have been eating at this restaurant for years. The food is delicious. The atmosphere is amazing especially if you can sit outside on a beautiful day the staff and management are amazing. My go to is the fajita bowl with guacamole and chips. “

“Great food. Wonderful service! YAY Brittany“

“"Yanecita's Kitchen is an absolute delight! From the moment you arrive at the location, you are greeted with warmth and hospitality. The atmosphere is cozy, perfect for going with friends or family. But what really steals the show It's the food: each dish is richer than the next and packed with flavor. Whether you crave classic comfort food or innovative takes on traditional favorites, Yanecita's Kitchen delivers excellence in every bite. With impeccable service and an unforgettable dining experience, "This restaurant is one of my favorites. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy a truly delicious meal!"“

“We visit ballast point often and finally tried this place out, it’s been a must at each visit since. Their fish and chips are mine and my husbands favorite and each one of their soups are equally delicious! We just recently tried their ice which did not disappoint!! There’s free parking and designated restaurant parking, great views of Tampa, and a nice dock to walk down before or after your meal. We can’t wait to come back!“

“Fantastic food! My grouper was perfect. I haven’t enjoyed a restaurant meal so much in a long time. I’ll be back!“

“So good! We come to Tampa once a year and always order from Cali. All the bowls I tried are delicious. My new favorite is the Hot & Crunchy. So good I ordered twice in two days! My hubbys favorite is the Spicy Brazilian. Their hot honey pizza is also delish!“

“We were there for breakfast. It was very tasty and the Breakfast Tacos are highly recommended. The service was good. We were there with 5 people. As Europeans, the only thing missing was a cappuccino or espresso. If they had those, it would be the perfect breakfast restaurant. Complaining at a high level. Still, absolutely deserved 5 stars!“