Tampa Convention Center – Foodie Guide

From seafood to Latin-inspired dishes, Florida has plenty to offer its visitors when it comes to cuisine. When you are at the Tampa Convention Center, you have many great dining options close by.

With limited time in Tampa, you want to make sure you are trying the best of the best. To make sure you’re not wasting time searching for fantastic restaurants, here is the ultimate foodie guide for the Tampa Bay Area.

Sparkman Wharf

Sparkman Wharf is about a half mile from the Tampa Convention Center and is well worth checking out for foodie enthusiasts. It is a popular spot to enjoy the day or night with bars, live events, and games. This newly renovated waterfront destination has nine eateries for foodies to enjoy.

Being on the coast, Tampa is a perfect place to enjoy seafood dishes. Boat Run Oyster Company is a must if you love fresh oysters. Committed to sustainability, all oysters are from a farm in Cedar Key, Florida. At Sparkman Wharf, Boat Run offers a raw oyster bar or chargrilled options.

Another seafood option is Edison’s Swigamajig. They serve fresh seafood and craft cocktails, beers, and wines. Come to Swigamajig if you’re looking for more than just oysters.

BT in a Box’s menu is a French and Vietnamese fusion. They only use the freshest organic and local ingredients. The menu features Vietnamese crispy spring rolls, chicken curry noodles, and chili chicken mixed green salad. Meatless and tofu options are also available for vegetarians and vegans.

If you’re looking for something a bit more American traditional with a Southern twist, head over to Flock & Stock. Patrons can choose from four burgers or seven chicken sandwiches. Vegetarians can enjoy a Beyond Burger, which is meatless and gluten-free.

Sparkman’s Wharf has two Latin eateries. Gallito is a modern taqueria where visitors can enjoy Mexican street food and flavorful tacos. Montados specializes in traditional Spanish food like tapas, which is a traditional Spanish appetizer. If you’re visiting the Sparkman Wharf with a group, Montados is a great option because they offer shareable appetizers and snacks.

Pizza is classic comfort food, and you can find Detroit style pizza at The Corners. Detroit-style pizza comes in a square shape with thick, airy crust and edges that are crispy from melted cheese. They offer a white pizza with ricotta and garlic, classic marinara and cheese, meat lovers pie, and pepperoni.

Dedicated to authentic, hand-crafted food with high-quality ingredients is Whatever Pops and Bowls. This is the perfect spot to stop for a sweet treat because they make house-made gelato, ice pops, smoothies, acai bowls, and waffles-on-a-stick.

Maybe you’re stopping by Sparkman Wharf quickly during a break for an event at the Tampa Convention Center and want a quick pick-me-up. If so, check out Foundation Coffee Co. They make specialty coffee with high-quality ingredients. Their dedication to the craft and belief that roasting is an art form results in a perfect cup of joe.

The Hall on Franklin

Like Sparkman Wharf, The Hall on Franklin is another foodie-friendly hub that has multiple restaurant options all in one place. The Hall on Franklin is under a mile and a half away from the Tampa Convention Center. Since it is so close by, it’s easy for convention-goers to pop in and enjoy something from this European-style food court.

To recharge, grab a coffee, tea, or espresso from Kofe. If you want to pair that beverage with some breakfast food, head to Xilo. They offer some egg dishes with a Mexican twist, such as a breakfast sourdough torta. For lunch and dinner, Xilo offers Mexican bowls like the carnitas bowl or street food that includes items like tacos, quesadillas, and nachos.

For a menu with a wide variety, Fork and Hen covers everything from chicken sandwiches and pot pies to seafood and burgers. They also serve salads and vegetarian options, such as a falafel burger.

More seafood, salads, and vegetarian and vegan foods can be found at Poke Rose. Originating from Hawaii, poke bowls are made with various types of diced raw fish. However, tofu and cauliflower rice substitutes are also available.

If you’re looking for Asian cuisine, North Star has you covered. Guests can choose from bahn mi sandwiches, various ramen bowls, or seafood dishes like lobster pho. Vegetarians and vegans can enjoy salads, stuffed bao sliders, or bahn mi sandwiches with tofu.

Guests can always find comfort in the pasta and pizza served at the Italian eatery Sorellina. Sorellina cooks up various antipasti like ricotta meatballs and avocado bruschetta. For entrees, they offer ravioli and homemade tagliatelle pasta. If you want something easy to share with a group, ask for one of their pizzas to split amongst friends or family.

Finally, there’s Bake’n Babes. While they do have sandwiches, the majority of the menu is filled with sweet treats, so no matter where you grab your main course, save room for dessert. Whether you get the Babe Shake, churro waffle, key lime pie, or ice cream, you definitely won’t regret that sugar rush.

Datz

This wouldn’t be the ultimate foodie guide without mentioning this local favorite. Datz opened its doors to the Tampa community in 2009 and has been met with consistent praise from locals and visitors alike.

This American gastropub has made such a name for itself that it has been featured on Good Morning America, Travel Channel, Food Network, Cooking Channel, and FYI. When you visit the Tampa Convention Center, take a seven-minute drive over to Datz to see what all the fuss is about.

This success can be attributed to their inventive menu. The breakfast menu contains numerous egg dishes and sandwiches. Try the Breakfast BLT or Chicken n’ Waffle Benedict. If you’d prefer something on the sweeter side, they have crème brûlée French toast and monkey bread as well.

You’ll be amazed by the menu for lunch and dinner at Datz. A classic shareable appetizer is the Datchos, which are house-made sweet and salty chips topped with chili, cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, and scallions.

The must-try burger at Datz is the Cheesy Todd, which was featured on Good Morning America. The bun for this burger is actually made of fried bacon-jalapeño mac and cheese. This bacon-jalapeño mac and cheese is also inside Barry C’s Stuffed Meatloaf, which appeared on the Travel Channel. From salads to sandwiches, there is a ton to choose from on this menu.

Don’t forget about dessert! The desserts at Datz are actually from the bakery next door, Dough. Desserts are made from scratch and change often, but they’re always delectable. Options for dessert may include fresh carrot cake or the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Chocolate Cake.

Oxford Exchange

Located within a 15-minute walk from the Tampa Convention Center, the Oxford Exchange is an excellent choice for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. The Restaurant inside the Oxford Exchange features an open kitchen with indoor seating as well as a sunlit conservatory with a retractable glass roof. Thanks to the years of renovation and attention to detail, the restaurant’s atmosphere is modern and relaxing.

Even more attention has been paid to the menu. Dishes are fresh and change seasonally. To view the most up-to-date menu items, you’ll want to check the website before you go there. Regardless of what items are featured on the menu, you can be sure that the food will always be high quality. Pair your meal with one of their signature coffees, teas, or cocktails.

Ulele

The final foodie recommendation is a restaurant with a menu inspired by Native American culture. Ulele uses ingredients that are locally sourced, fresh, and organic. Take a seven-minute drive from the Tampa Convention Center over to Ulele to enjoy savory meals prepared on a 10-foot barbacoa grill.

The main difference between the menus for lunch and dinner is in the entree section. During lunch, guests will have burger choices, but during dinner, the burgers are replaced with more seafood and meat entrees, including raw and chargrilled oysters.

If you’re daring, start your meal off with an appetizer of alligator hush puppies. Follow that up with the gouda grouper entree, featuring freshly caught grouper from the Gulf of Mexico. Pair your meal with a craft beer brewed by Ulele’s own brewmaster. These beers are only available at Ulele, so don’t miss out. End your meal with a whimsical dessert consisting of coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell.