3 Best Restaurants in The Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Especially popular for breakfast (served all day), this unassuming landmark squats on the beach and serves cheap sit-down eats—mostly sandwiches, but also (after 4 pm) a wide array of seafood entrées ranging from lobster mac-and-cheese to grilled or blackened mahimahi. Many items have a Greek tinge to them.

Look for the red wiener-mobile parked on the north side of the highway near Busch Gardens to find this 1950s-style diner that specializes in dogs and fries—perfect bites after a long day of riding roller coasters. Venture inside to find walls dotted with photos from fans and a hot-diggity menu that's heaven for tube-steak fans, with traditional dogs as well as those with a bit more pizzazz. Consider trying the Reuben-style bowwow on a poppy-seed bun or the Mighty Mel, a quarter-pounder decked out with relish, mustard, and pickles. Herbivores, fear not: there's a vegan option on the menu, and it's mighty tasty. To avoid lunch crowds, arrive before 11:30 or after 1:30. Ready for a beer? With a decent list of domestic and import beers, they've got you covered.

A short trip west of Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Refuge, this tiny eatery is housed in the Olde Mill House Printing Museum. It's open only for lunch, but it's well worth making room in your itinerary for a visit here. The restaurant is known for its Cuban sandwiches and occasional blues shows. You can sit at a table within the museum itself or one of the tables in the very casual main dining room. Another option is to get your lunch to go and picnic at nearby Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Park.