No motivation? No problem. We live in the future, which means somebody’s gonna bring a bowl of hot deliciousness right to your door, either directly from the restaurant or via one of the food delivery phone apps — and speaking of apps, go ahead, you’re already spending more than you wanted to for the convenience, anyway.
Here are half a dozen of our favorite Tampa Bay takeout joints to order from.
PINELLAS
9 Bangkok Anybody who’s ever spent time careening between the State Theatre, Emerald Bar and Fubar on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete has dropped into this long-running spot for a quick bite. Over the years a menu primarily devoted to Thai flavors has expanded to include other Asian styles and a large variety of sushi, but it’s the pad Thai that always comes to mind when we pick up the phone for some cheap delivery. And in this case, “cheap” definitely doesn’t mean “tasteless and sad.” 571 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-894-5990, 9bangkok.info.
Asian House I just discovered this little strip-mall gem in the South Pasadena district over the weekend. It looks like every other “NYC-style” Chinese place in town, but offers Vietnamese dishes in addition to the ubiquitous General Tso’s chicken and beef with broccoli. Like your pho all the way, with tripe and tendon? Asian House has it, as well as several other protein combinations, and the flavors are all on point. They’ve got a limited delivery area, but if you’re in Gulfport, definitely give ’em a try. 6800 Gulfport Blvd. S. #105, South Pasadena. 727-345-0808, asianhouse1.com.
Pin Wok & Bowl A relative newcomer to the downtown St. Pete Asian-food scene, Pin’s got a huge menu and, like 9 Bangkok, offers a wide sushi selection in addition to its rolls, bowls and specialties. Given the subject of this year’s Food Issue, we’d go with something from either the “Wok Noodle Bowl” or “Noodle Soup Bowl” menus — udon, ramen, lo mein and more are available. 445 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-575-7167.
HILLSBOROUGH
Asiatic Street Food & Noodle Bar This restaurant, which opened down the street from CL’s headquarters in Ybor City back in December 2016, offers a multitude of flavors through that food delivery service that’s also a ridesharing service (you know the one). Asiatic lives up to its name by putting some Japanese, Indian and other eastern profiles into the mix, and its noodle selection definitely has something for everyone, whether you’re craving vegetarian fare, something with seafood, or traditional noodles that pass up the broth entirely. 1600 Eighth Ave. #D101, Tampa. 813-284-5317, asiaticstreetfood-noodle.com.
Fusion Bowl This contemporary Vietnamese fusion place in downtown Tampa boasts fresh, healthy options that pay plenty of attention to the traditional flavors you want when you’re in the mood for noodz. There are many udon and pho options (including vegetarian), as well as the bun bowls that feature vermicelli as a base; we keep hearing locals rave about Fusion Bowl’s takes on that particular culinary mashup as a must-have lunch treat. 405 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 813-222-0102, fusionbowl504.com.
Thai Prime Kitchen & Bar Way over on Boy Scout Road in the Westshore district, Thai Prime is a little more upscale than some of the other options presented here, but you can still get your noodle soup or your Siam pad Thai delivered to pretty much any address in Tampa. And if whoever crashed on your couch after closing the bar last night isn’t in the mood for noodles, you can still get your fix while they pick from a crazy-packed menu, then look at your order when it gets to the house and wish they’d listened to you. 4142 W. Boy Scout Road #5&6, Tampa. 813-302-9168, thaiprime.com.
This article appears in Jun 14-21, 2018.