20 Tampa Bay Filipino restaurants and eateries everyone should try at least once

Abuhan sa America

1258 Highland Ave. S, Clearwater
Abuhan sa America opened in late 2021, and has set itself apart from other restaurants in the area with its Cebu-inspired menu that highlights cuisines from southern regions of the Philippines. Fried milkfish, sinigang—a popular sour stew—and the infamous dinuguan all occupy this menu—to be served alongside steaming piles of white rice, of course.
Photo via Adobe

Masarap Bowls food truck

Various locations throughout Tampa
Online Tampa foodie groups have been gushing about this new food truck since it opened a few years ago. Masarap serves all of the classic Filipino entrees, from sisig (sizzling pork cheek) to BBQ skewers, in a build-your-own-bowl style that lets you choose your base, protein, and sauces inspired by different regions of the country. It posts daily about where it’s parked, specialty dishes of the day, or if the truck is sold-out of something—so keep an eye on Facebook for updates.
Photo via masarapbowls/Facebook

Mata’s Philippine Cuisine

4350 W Waters Ave. No. 102, Tampa
After decades of operating a stand at Tampa’s annual PhilFest, Delio and Ellen Mata decided to open their own brick-and-mortar in early 2020. After trying Mata’s pinakbet—an indigenous Illocano dish from northern Philippines—Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's ’s food reviewer, John Palmer Claridge, stated “it exhibits layers of satisfying flavor; you really can’t go wrong.” Adorned with statues of baby Jesus, money trees, and the sound of a Filipino soap opera faintly playing in the background, Mata’s is the type of place where you leave feeling like family.
Photo by Melissa Santell

Filipiniana Philippine Cafe

3848 W Waters Ave., Tampa
Strip mall neighbors with fellow popular Southeast Asian eatery Saigon Deli, Filipiniana Philippine Cafe offers a balanced menu that highlights both the savory and sweet side of Filipino cuisine. Sweet treats include the beloved halo-halo, shaved ice desserts, ube cakes and freshly-baked pandesal, while traditional dishes like adobo, lumpia and BBQ skewers occupy the entree portion of the menu. The longsilog (sweet pork sausage, served with fried egg and garlic fried rice) is worth the wait, too.
Photo by Ray Roa

Jollibee

4057 Park Blvd. N, No. 120, Pinellas Park
Not your typical mom-and-pop shop, this global fast food chain occupies a special place in the hearts of Filipinos—especially those who love Jolly Spaghetti. Jollibee’s menu is also stacked with all sorts of fried chicken and burgers. And if sweet spaghetti sauce with hot dogs isn't your thing, try your hand at another noodle dish called palabok, which is smothered garlic sauce, sauteed pork, shrimp, and hard boiled eggs.
Photo via Ogilvy

Tindahang Pinoy

9150 49th St. N, Pinellas Park
If you want food that’s going to remind you of something your tita cooks, then head to the very back of this tiny Filipino grocery store and take a seat at one of the two tables at Tindahang. Classics like lechon kawali, kare-kare, lumpia, dinuguan and various breakfast “silog” options are featured on the limited menu. And if you need to send a balikbayan box back home, this all-purpose store has got you covered.
Photo via Google Maps

Lucky Tigre

1101 S Howard Ave. Suite B, Tampa
This sari sari-inspired walk-up concept has occupied its little SoHo parcel for about a year now, and it’s definitely South Tampa’s go-to spot for Filipino-American dumplings, bao buns, milk tea and lumpia. It’s also probably the only place in all of Tampa Bay where you’ll be able to find vegan and dairy-free halo halo, complete with homemade ube ice cream. Owner and Tampa native Julie Michelle Sainte Feliciano plans to open a larger, full-service version of Lucky Tigre in West Tampa.
Photo via theluckytigre/Instagram

Manila Eats

1601 S 22nd St., Tampa
Last month, Manila Eats relocated from its outdoor, food trailer space in Riverview to a full-service restaurant just south of Palmetto Beach. In addition to making its wide spread of popular Pinoy dishes like chicken inasal, crispy pata and pork sinigang, owner and chef Veronica Meneses—who was born and raised in the Pampanga province right outside of Manila—also hosts karaoke on the weekends. Make sure to check Manila Eats' Facebook page for its menu of the day.
Photo via New Manila Eats/Facebook

Pinay Appetit

Land O'Lakes-based catering
Available for both delivery and pick-up throughout the Land-O-Lakes area, Pinay Appetit offers both catering trays for your celebrations, as well as individual entrees. Popular catering items include chicken fried rice, adobo and Asian-style spare ribs while dinner options include sinigang and pork belly—alongside many more choices. (And no one will know if you order an entire tray of pancit for yourself.)
Photo via pinayappetit/Facebook

Mumu Kitchen

Mumu Kitchen is no longer taking orders, but we thought it still deserved to be on this roundup due to its modern, innovative twists on conventional Filipino flavors—and the fact that the man behind this ghost kitchen has yet another exciting culinary concept up his sleeve. Tampa-based chef Dion Jumapao told Creative Loafing he has a new project in the works which “highlights Filipino culture and the Hispanic influence tied to Filipino roots”—although there is no projected debut date yet. In the meantime try and catch Boyd bringing Filipino flavor to the kitchen at Ponte (he recently served Tony Hawk his own take on kinilaw), and follow @chefboyrd86 on Instagram to keep up.
Photo via mumukitchentampa/Facebook

Asian Variety Food Truck

Various Locations throughout Tampa Bay
Although you can’t tell from its name, this food truck offers Filipino fare like lumpia and pancit alongside other Asian-inspired dishes like Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken and roasted pork fried rice. On the sweeter side of things, this food truck also offers turon, although the menu description reads “sweet plantain wraps.”
Photo via Asian Variety/Facebook

Hungry Zee’s

Riverview-based catering
Available for pick-up or delivery within a 20 mile radius of Riverview, Zee’s provides large Filipino catering sprawls, providing steaming hot metal pans piled high with stews, pork BBQ skewers and lumpia. Alongside these made-to-order meals, this catering business also sells homemade lumpia and dumplings that you can fry up at home—message them on Facebook to place your order.
Photo via Hungry Zee’s/Facebook

Catering by Almira

Citrus County-based catering
If you’re looking for a whole, roasted pig to be the star of your next event, look no further. Marinated for an entire day and then slow roasted over a charcoal pit for 8 hours, lechon is the mark of any good Filipino gathering—and Catering by Almira provides it for $15 a pound, plus shipping. Although this catering business is based about an hour away from Tampa, it delivers all over the state.
Photo via cateringbyalmiracom/Facebook

Trash Panda Provisions

Tampa-based food truck
This Filipino-owned food truck pops up at breweries, festivals and events throughout Tampa Bay and dishes out Asian-inspired street food like bulgogi beef-stuffed burritos, turon rangoons, and “anything in between.” And when local pop-up Chismis & Co. hosts its next kamayan dinner, just know the Trash Panda team will be helping pump out lumpia, chicken inasal and other hand-eaten goodies.
Photo via trashpandaprovisions/facebook

Flip’n Tasty food truck

Various locations throughout Tampa Bay
This aggressively-adorned truck slings unconventional takes on Filipino classics all throughout Tampa Bay. You probably won't find options like pork adobo tacos, mini ube cannolis or longanisa mac and cheese on any other Pinoy menu in the area. Flip’n Tasty is always on the move so make sure you check Facebook for its current locations
Photo via flipntasty/Facebook

Tampa Philippine Grocery

13934 Hillsborough Ave., Tampa
Although this Tampa spot doesn’t serve any hot or prepared food, it’s aptly stocked with all types of specialty goods and groceries so you can make your own Filipino dishes at home. You can also grab fresh baked goods like pandesal or Sans Rival cake, or send a balikbayan box back home to the Philippines
Photo via mytampaphilippinegrocery/Facebook

Sally’s Pinoy Kitchen

Tampa-based catering
With a menu stacked with everything from pork BBQ skewers, fried fish and palabok, to fresh baked desserts like puto, cassava cake, biko and ube cream cheese pandesal—it seems like there’s nothing that Tita Sally can’t make. Sally makes everything with love out of her own kitchen, so orders are only available for pick up in Tampa—head to her Facebook to place your orders and see what this week’s specials are.
Photo via sallysfilipinocuisine/Facebook

TBD @ 301

3840 U.S.-Hwy 301 S, Riverview
Although this small cafe focuses on teas, specialty drinks and desserts—it also has a small hot menu with Filipino bites like shrimp baos, beef caldereta (basically a Filipino beef stew), lumpia and chicken adobo. There's countless opinions of handcrafted teas to choose from—with sweets like ube sticky rice with mango, flan and halo-halo to accompany your artisan beverage.
Photo via tbdcafe/Facebook

Mercel’s Bake Shop

8500 49th St.N, Pinellas Park
By its name you would assume this Filipino spot focuses on the sweeter side of things, but Mercel’s offers a full range of hot entrees—alongside its drystock of Filipino groceries, goods and desserts. Just make sure you’re nice to the lola that works the front, or she might rub you the wrong way, as she has with some unsavory Yelp reviewers.
Photo via mercelsbakeshopyahoocom/Instagram

Calamansi Company

5745 Main St. Suite 203, New Port Richey
New Port Richey-based Calamansi Company is a recently-launched catering business and food truck that offers Filipino flavors with a Southern twist. Filipino-inspired Cuban sandwiches, pesto pancit, vegan “crab” rangoons and venison bacon lumpia are just a few dishes on its catering menu, although the business offers a variety of unique dishes that cater to different tastes and dietary preferences.
Photo via calamansicompany/Facebook