It goes without saying that dining has changed quite a bit in Tampa Bay over the last couple years, and despite all the challenges,  incredible new restaurants have continued to pop-up. The last 12 months have been some of Tampa Bay’s best for new eats, and what you’ll find here are staff picks for the best restaurants that made their debut in 2021. 

Sal Y Mar 3650 Midtown Dr. 8th Floor, Tampa Midtown Tampa Rooftop bar Sal Y Mar is perched on top of the dual-branded Aloft and Element Hotel in Midtown Tampa. The Tulum-inspired, tapas heavy-menu includes cajun shrimp corn fritters, chipotle-charred chicken, and, most importantly, a mason jar cheesecake. The upscale space has inside and outside seating and 360-degree views of Tampa. Credit: Photo via Sal Y Mar/Facebook
Dirty Laundry 1742 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-493-0040 You better pick up the phone when it rings in this ordinary-looking laundromat. A voice will tell you a code to punch into the washing machine, unveiling a vibrant indoor space and a relaxing outdoor patio. Credit: Photo via Dirty Laundry/Website
Gangchu 618 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa The latest concept from the owner of Ichicoro Ramen opened this year in Seminole Heights near 7venth Sun Brewery. Gangchu basically means, “it rocks” or “it’s the shit” in Korean, and notably features dishes like both boneless and “Gangchu chicken” wings, beef bulgogi wrap and Gangchu cheesesteak sandwiches or kimchi pancakes and fried rice and tteokbokki (aka spice rice cake). A nine-item cocktail list features drink names inspired by local thoroughfares like, Nebraska, Hanna, Knollwood, Shadowlawn, Minnehaha and more. Credit: Photo via Gangchu/Facebook
Willa’s and Willa’s Provisions 1700 W Fig St., Tampa Willa’s and its companion concept Willa’s Provision debuted this year in NoHo. The trendy-casual spot dishes seasonal French and American cuisine, while its adjacent grab-and-go sibling serves up items like breakfast tacos, baked goods (carrot cake loaf!), King State coffee, ice cream, beer, wine and more. Credit: Photo via Willa’s/Instagram
Fado 435 5th Ave. N, St. Petersburg Chef Rui Borges brings the Portuguese sister concept of his Orlando restaurant Lison to the ‘Burg. Menu items include pastéis de bacalhau, bife à Portuguesa (Portuguese steak) and serradura for dessert. Credit: Photo via Fado/Facebook
The Nosh Pit 4040 Park St. N, St. Petersburg Last summer, owners of downtown St. Petersburg’s The Wheelhouse opened The Nosh Pit, a New York-style Jewish deli on the corner of Park Street N and Tyrone Boulevard. The menu hits all the marks with plenty of Jewish deli classics: knishes, lox, all-beef hot dogs, egg creams, black and white cookies, latkes and matzo ball soup. There are also plenty of vegetarian plates, including a tofu pastrami sandwich and over a half-dozen salad options. Credit: Photo via The Nosh Pit/Facebook
District South Kitchen & Craft 3301 S Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa This new South Tampa spot is the sister restaurant to District Tavern, located in the Channelside area. There are similarities between the two sister restaurants in terms of food, but District South has a slightly smaller menu that focuses on fresh, seasonal dishes—with the ever-changing catch of the day and steak of the week to set it apart from its sibling. There are no typical categories differentiating between appetizers and entrees at District South, instead the menu is separated into “snacks,” “slightly bigger snacks,” “between bread,” and “utensils required.” If you’ve ever wanted to order a literal jar of pickles for the table (or for yourself), District South has your back. Credit: Photo via District South Kitchen & Craft/Facebook
Te Invito quesabirria taco truck 400 6th St. S, St. Petersburg The Te Invito food truck soft opened in St. Petersburg on Oct. 18 outside Lingr restaurant where Jesus Bravo’s quesabirria is also the sous chef, and you can now find it all over Tampa Bay. Earlier this year, CL contributor Daniel Guess lauded the taco master, writing “the quesabirria tacos on offer here are a glutinous mashup of Oaxacan cheese and braised beef, huge flavors in tiny packets ready to be dipped in an oh so flavorful consomme. White onion and cilantro help balance the richness of these made to order tacos.” Credit: Photo via Te Invito/Instagram
Yard Milkshake Bar 3301 S Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa The Yard was featured on “Shark Tank” back in 2019, striking a deal that made opening more franchise locations possible, but ownership hasn’t stopped there. The concept has plenty of other whacky creations on deck, including edible cookie dough pops, floats and scoop options. You can also create pretty much anything with the Yard’s 30-plus ice cream offerings and toppings. Credit: Photo via Yard Milkshake Bar/Instagram
The Battery 615 Channelside Dr., Tampa Its spring opening turned into an early fall one, but a new concept from the people behind Seminole Heights’ C House opened at Sparkman Wharf in downtown Tampa’s Water Street district. The Battery debuted on Sept. 16 and has been serving menu items like a Berkshire chop, charcuterie boards and fine bourbon ever since. Other offerings include steak and potatoes, wings and stuffed jalapeños, and the lobster mac and cheese. The Battery places an emphasis on “fine bourbon” and “exquisite wine,” but also has a full-service bar. Credit: Photo via The Battery/Instagram
Kingsford Fire Grille 204 Westshore Plaza, Tampa Totally branded in partnership with the 101-year-old Kingsford charcoal company and helmed by former Salt Rock Grill Executive Chef Louis Scaramuzzi, the kitchen is focused on elevated backyard barbeque bites (chargrilled oysters, grilled fish, DIY s’mores) and, of course, smoked meats (Kansas City-style ribs, brisket, pork, chicken). The 8,000-square-foot spot has plenty of dining options: inside, an outside patio, and even by the grill pit where diners can watch the meaty action go down. And yes, the game is on every Sunday. Credit: Photo via Kingsford Fire Grille/Facebook
22 South 642 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg In August, St. Petersburg’s 22 South Food Hall at the Historic Manhattan Casino announced a closure, then quickly backtracked and announced that a group of local investors had actually saved the concept. Well, 22 South officially reopened in October, meaning local foodies can try 22 South vendors Irie Mon Jamaican Grill, Betterway BBQ, Louie’s Italian Eatery, Haper’s Burgers, and Scratch. The food hall is effectively being saved by Collective, a group of community-minded entrepreneurs. In addition to food, 22 South—located in South St. Petersburg’s historic Deuces neighborhood—can be rented out for events and will host live music. Credit: Photo via 22 South/Facebook
Ti Bamboo 9291 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg You shouldn’t have any problem finding the place. It’s the building with the Bob Marley mural from Derek Donnelly painted on the outside, and it’s lined with red, yellow and green picnic tables. Ti Bamboo offers kid-safe eats like chicken tenders and grilled cheese, but you can also find dishes like oxtail and beans (braised oxtails and beans served alongside rice, peas and vegetables) and “escoveitched whole fish,” a whole snapper dredged in flour and deep fried, served with escovitch sauce (Jamaican pickle sauce), rice and peas, callaloo and fried plantains. Credit: Photo via Ti Bamboo/Instagram
Junmai Station 325 N Florida Ave., Tampa Junmai Station, a new concept spearheaded by the owners of Seminole Heights’ Ebisu Sushi Shack, is a “one-of-a-kind Japanese food kiosk” that focuses on Onigiri—aka stuffed rice balls—that are easy to eat on the go but are still satisfying and healthy. The menu also features donburi (rice bowls), salads, and small plates such as spicy edamame. Credit: Photo via Junmai Station
Lingr 400 6th St. S, St. Petersburg Last June, “Top Chef” star Jeffrey Jew officially opened his upscale-casual eatery venture and has been racking up reservations since. The Nordic and Asian-inspired restaurant dishes up high brow treats like dumplings, raw snapper, sea urchins and more. The spot also features a massive amount of outdoor seating. Credit: Photo via Lingr/Facebook
Soulful Flavors Seffner 12008 E MLK Jr. Blvd., Seffner Chef Andre Warren has rebranded his “Dub’s Kitchen,” and—depending on the day—now slings smothered pork chops, chicken & waffles, roasted chicken, a caesar salad and wings, plus BBQ fall-off-the-bone ribs, sausage, pulled pork, brisket, now crab, shrimp, oysters and lobster tail. Credit: Photo via Soulful Flavors Seffner/Facebook
Datz Riverwalk Cafe 333 S Franklin St., Tampa The newest member of the Datz Restaurant Group family is open and ready to serve morning drinks and breakfast to hungry Tampeños. Located outside of the Tampa Convention Center, the menu includes Cafe Bustelo coffee and breakfast goods including a vegan croissant-wich. There’s also booze–the “Datz-A-Mary,” mimosas and the “Morning Margarita” with tequila, orange juice, orange liqueur and lime–which is available to drink while walking in designated Riverwalk cups. Credit: Photo via Tampa Convention Center
Kuba en la Playa 7525 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach Kuba Cocina chef and owner Phe Lacalle now serves Cuban sandwiches, lobster empanadas, Cuban fried rice, salchipapa and a plantain-crusted snapper sandwich by the sea. And yes, the Seminole Heights location is still in the works. Credit: Photo via Kuba en la Playa/Facebook
OCC Road House & Museum 10575 49th St N, Clearwater Tampa Bay “American Chopper” superfans now have a shrine. OCC Road House & Museum—a restaurant and entertainment that is a joint venture between Paul Teutul Sr. of Orange County Choppers and local hospitality giant Keith Overton—opened in June, serving up classic American-style food with indoor and outdoor seating. Credit: Photo via OCC Road House & Museum/Facebook
Sammy + Paco’s 2735 5th Ave. N, St. Petersburg Residents over in the Historic Kenwood neighborhood now have a cute breakfast cafe and bakery within walking distance of their bungalows. It’s the latest concept from Lolita’s Wine Market owners Kelly Rodriguez-Laureano and her husband Chef Alex Rodriguez. Their other restaurant Sophia’s Cucina + Enoteca closed after less than two years open. Credit: Photo via Sammy + Paco’s/Instagram
Brisket Shoppe 4004 Henderson Blvd., Tampa Barbeque supply emporium Grill & Provisions opened a second shop with The Brisket Shoppe restaurant attached and ready to sell smoked meats and accompaniments three days a week. Located where Holy Hog’s old Palma Ceia West location used to be, the menu focuses on three types of brisket: prime, USDA prime, and Wagyu. In addition, there are Texas hot links, smoked beef sausage, stuffed poblano peppers, and nachos. Of course all good barbeque comes with sides—at the shoppe, they’re collard greens, brisket and beans, mac and cheese, and potato wedges. Credit: Photo via Brisket Shoppe/Facebook
Corner Club 1502 E Sligh Ave., Tampa Less than six months after watching its beloved Corner Club dive bar close, residents of Tampa’s Old Seminole Heights neighborhood got a new breath of life. A lot is different, and you definitely can’t smoke inside anymore, but there’s still beer, wine, boiled peanuts and cheese puffs to go along with an updated aesthetic from new owner Jeni Armstrong. Credit: Photo via Corner Club/Facebook
Bayou Bodega 241 E Davis Blvd., Tampa Husband and wife Robert Sickler and Yari Ramos launched their natural wine bar and tapas restaurant in April on Davis Islands. Tapas include garlic shrimp with manzanilla, crawfish mac, roasted sirloin with house-made chimichurri, bread pudding with Caribbean fruit, or Bayou Bodega’s po-boy sandwich with Serrano ham, garlic shrimp, Manchego cheese, and roasted piquillo peppers layered between bread from local legend La Segunda. Credit: Bayou Bodega/Facebook
K-Chicken & Bowl 14380 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa The Carrollwood restaurant’s fried chicken—available as tenders, wings, or in half and whole portions—can be dressed up in a slew of sauce options like peanut, white onion and honey garlic. The menu also has other Korean staples like bulgogi, bibimbap, and kimchi fried rice. Bevvies include Korean beer, corn tea, and Soju, a colorless, distilled alcohol. Credit: Photo via K-Chicken & Bowl/Facebook
Burnt Ends 101 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg Dr. BBQ opened a tiki bar on the second story of its St. Pete restaurant, with a bar run by the legendary Dean Hurst, who brings 30-years of spirit-directing from Tampa Bay spots like Bern’s Steak House, Haven and the Epicurean Hotel, he’s also a Tiki-expert. To soak up some of the booze, Burnt Ends has a Polynesian-influenced food menu with Spam sliders, a pupu platter with fresh grilled fruit, fried shrimp, burnt-end bao buns, Hawaiian pork ribs, chili garlic edamame and pork belly satay. Credit: Photo via Burnt Ends/Facebook
The Nest 720 Broadway, Dunedin Nina Hospitality (stylized “NINA”) added another concept to its belt, with the Nest. Debuting last March, the Nest is attached to Caracara, Nina’s Dunedin Asian tacos and tapas spot. The 30-35 seat space is super intimate and attached to Caracara through the bathroom hallway, and is more French focused. Credit: Photo via The Nest/Facebook
Haiku 808 N Franklin St., Tampa The Instagrammable space, filled with lush greenery and neon, is located on the bottom floor of downtown Tampa’s Element apartments. The menu focuses on Izakaya-style food (Izakaya is a “type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and small plates” according to a press release—think Japanese tapas). It’s a no-brainer that shareables are the star of the Asian-fusion menu: duck bao buns, hamachi crudo, and tebasaki wings. But there are plenty of entrees for anyone who’s bad at sharing like pork belly fried rice and umami glazed salmon. Credit: Photo via Courtesy Seven Marketing + PR
Job Site Burgers 2063 Central Ave., St. Petersburg Grand Central’s new stuffed burger spot inside the old Evil Don Tattoo shop sports interesting creations like The Crane, which comes stuffed with cheese, sweet plantain, and sautéed onions and topped with guacamole, a sunny side-up egg, bacon strips, homemade crispy onion, and homemade bbq sauce on toasted ciabatta bread. Credit: Photo via Job Site Burgers/Facebook
Riveters Tell your out-of-towner friends that you’re taking them to see the spaceship atop 2001 Odyssey—and then take a hard turn into Riveters next door. The restaurant is a hidden gem on its busy strip of Dale Mabry and pumps out opulent North American bar fare (get the Hellcat wings or poutine fries and BBQ chicken sliders) plus classic sandwiches and burgers, too. 2301 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa Credit: Photo via Riveters/Facebook

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