10 places to eat soul food in Tampa Bay
June is National Soul Food Month, and we’ve got ideas for where to celebrate. June is National Soul Food Month in Tampa Bay, marking the start of the year with restaurants serving soul food. The term "soul food" was coined in the 1960s as part of the Civil Rights Movement and is defined as traditional African American food of the South. Common staples include fried chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese and pork. Heavy’s Restaurant and Take Out in St. Petersburg serves fried chicken and fried pork chops. Other popular soul food restaurants include Mamassoulfoodrestaurant in Tampa, Dade City, and Rock the Boat in Lakeland.
Published : 11 months ago by Maggie Duffy in Lifestyle
June is National Soul Food Month, so in celebration, we rounded up a few Tampa Bay restaurants serving comforting Southern fare.
In her book “High on the Hog,” author Jessica B. Harris writes that “soul food has been defined as the traditional African American food of the South,” but that there are disagreements as to what exactly the food was. The term “soul food” was coined in the 1960s as part of the Civil Rights Movement.
“Soul food, it would seem, depends on an ineffable quality,” Harris writes. “It is a combination of nostalgia for and pride in the food of those who came before.”
So while the definition is somewhat fluid, common staples are fried chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese and pork. There is all that and more on this list.
Come and get some soul food at these 10 places.
Heavy’s Restaurant and Take Out
Both a food truck and a brick-and-mortar in The Deuces Live neighborhood of St. Petersburg, this restaurant serves fried chicken and fried pork chops, which you can also get smothered for extra decadence. Warmly spiced oxtail fall off the bone while zesty yellow rice soaks up their juice. Sides of mac and cheese and collard greens are a must, and don’t skip the cornbread. When you feel the heft of your plate, the restaurant’s name makes sense and the food sticks to your ribs. 911 22nd St S., St. Petersburg. 727-914-0632. heavysfoodtruck.com.
Find traditional soul food items like chitterlings, hog maws and pig feet at three locations in Tampa (3701 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 813-769-9552) Brandon (1013 Brandon Blvd., 813- 330-7012) and Lakeland (518 E. Memorial Blvd., 863-213-4377). The robust menu has all the favorites and more unique items, like cube steak with Mama’s secret gravy. Fried baskets include seafood and chicken livers and gizzards. Try one of its Tasty Cakes for dessert. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. mamassoulfoodrestaurant.com.
With the tagline “It is what it is, good,” this Dade City spot offers plates with combinations of meats and sides, including Steph’s Plate, which is a choice of four sides with bread. Good luck choosing — in addition to the traditional greens and mac and cheese, there is broccoli rice casserole, okra and tomatoes, sweet potato souffle and vegetable of the day. Biscuits, cornbread, rolls and hush puppies are the bread choices, and there are seven salad options. Wash it all down with watermelon lemonade or mango tea. 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 14519 Fifth St., Dade City. stephssouthernsoul.com.
Serving “Southern classics with an upscale flair,” this popular Ybor City restaurant has cleverly named menu items. Get your MF’n Roll On is an egg roll stuffed with braised collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and jerk chicken served with jerk sauce. The fried chicken thigh served atop macaroni and cheese and collard greens with watermelon cubes is called Let’s Stay Together, while Rock the Boat features fried or seared catfish served on Gouda grits, with fried okra, pico de gallo and creole sauce. You also have the option to add fried or seared chicken, shrimp or salmon to it for an upcharge. The spot also serves lunch and weekend brunch and has craft cocktails and wine. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Sunday. 1930 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa. 813-649-8422. 7thandgrove.com.
A cream of mushroom preparation of chicken and turkey wings are among this Tampa restaurant’s specialties. Sunday specials include chitterlings, pig feet, curry goat and Cornish hen. Lima beans, field peas and yams are among the side offerings and banana pudding’s on the dessert menu. Noon-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. 1524 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. 813-280-9865. blueflametampa.com.
There are daily specials on the menu at this Gulfport restaurant, but staples include fried or smothered chicken, pork chops and turkey wings and a fried or grilled lobster basket. On Tuesday, specials include fully loaded seafood; barbecue ribs and chicken on Wednesdays; oxtails and chitterlings on Thursdays; cajun shrimp or fish and grits Fridays; barbecue brisket on Saturdays; and robust offerings on Soul Food Sunday, including a long list of desserts like sour cream pound cake and honey bun cake. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 1836 and 1838 49th St. S., Gulfport. 727-323-4286. bajassoutherncooking.org.
Every week, this popular Seminole Heights spot has a Soul Food Sunday brunch. Fried chicken and waffles have top billing. You get two drumsticks and a thigh with a Belgian waffle, with orange bourbon honey. Because of its name alone, you must try The Florida Man, a smoked sausage topped with smoked beans and apple coleslaw. Sunday is also the time for Kansas City-style barbecue. Hoppin’ John, collard greens, mac and cheese, and fried green tomatoes are among the side offerings. There are also vegan options like the VBQ sandwich, composed of smoked portabella, tofu, zucchini and roasted red peppers with barbecue sauce, with sides choices of vegan mac and cheese and smoked corn. The lunch and dinner menu has soul, too. 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. 5119 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-234-1000. ellasfolkartcafe.com.
By night, this Seminole Heights restaurant offers steak, chargrilled oysters and a whole snapper with sides like truffle mac and cheese and bruleed sweet mashed potato. At brunch, there are three kinds of chicken and waffles: churro, confetti and red velvet. A catfish filet or Cajun shrimp with grits (add a honey butter biscuit for an upcharge) and a seafood omelet with fried lobster served with lump blue crab Cajun cream sauce are also on the menu. The cocktails are also creatively crafted, like the Holy Smokin Coconuts, made with mezcal, pineapple, lime, coconut and mint and ceremoniously set ablaze. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. 7701 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-551-0791. coasisrestaurant.com.
With the tagline, “comfort food for the soul,” this walk-up spot in the Deuces neighborhood of St. Petersburg specializes in seafood but has a lot of offerings, including breakfast. Fried catfish, grouper, tilapia and whiting come as sandwiches or in baskets with fries or as dinners with two sides, which include garlic rice and string beans. If you love garlic as much as we do, try the seafood platter with spicy garlic mussels and shrimp (chef’s kiss). 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. 929 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-321-7297.
Lepley’s made a splash when it opened in Tampa last year with its sexy aesthetic and cool nightlife vibe. The menu is Southern comfort food with a Caribbean flair, so there are jerk flavors woven throughout a few dishes. The restaurant is owned by actor Tyler Lepley, who stars in “Harlem” and “P-Valley.” The dish named for Ian, his chef character on “Harlem,” is heavy on comfort: cheesy grits topped with fried lobster tail and sausage and drizzled with a creamy Cajun sauce. And if you’re feeling extra luxurious, get the Chicks in Paris — a 12-piece golden bucket of fried chicken served with a bottle of Moet Chandon Brut Champagne. 6-11 p.m. Monday, 4-11 p.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m.-12 a.m. Thursday, 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. 6310 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. lepleystampa.com.
Topics: Food & Drink