20 Best Tarpon Springs Restaurants for a Drool-Worthy Meal

1. Yankee Bean

Yankee Bean is a small café which has quietly thrived since 2006. The restaurant’s focus slides towards traditional Greek and Italian cooking methods and recipes passed down through the family. Daily trips to the market mean everything is prepared with only the freshest ingredients. The menu includes homemade soups; classic sandwiches such as Cubans, clubs, and tuna melts; and salads. The staff posts the daily specials to their website each morning and include items such as a buffalo chicken wrap, chicken barley soup, and hibiscus tea.

2. Papasitos Fresh Mexican Food

Papasitos is a family-owned and operated restaurant which serves authentic Mexican food. “But, wait,” you might be thinking. “Wouldn’t we go to Tarpon Springs for authentic Greek food?” Yes, of course, but why limit yourself? One of the beautiful things about the Tampa area and Florida in general is the cultural diversity which extends to food. But back to Papasitos.

It’s located across the street from one of the county’s most beautiful yet least used parks – Anderson Park – and easily accessible on US Highway 19. Despite its location on the highway, Papasitos offers a beautiful outdoor patio and modern indoor seating. The food, however, is the star of this place, as it should be. The menu features favorites such as burritos, enchiladas, and tacos and signature espresso drinks. They make everything fresh, and it shows in the taste and reviews.

3. The Limani

The Limani sits right on the Anclote River beside the world-famous Sponge Docks. Despite this amazing location, it’s easy to miss. Better known restaurants occupy prime spots directly on the main road, Dodecanese Boulevard, leaving places like The Limani, which sit back off the road, a little less well-known.

I happened upon on it early one morning as I walked along the riverfront taking photos. Two older Greek men sat on the riverfront patio smoking and jabbering away in Greek. They stopped and said good morning as I passed, careful to pull their cigarettes away from my path. Though the restaurant was not yet open for the day, no chains or gates closed the patio to traffic, so I passed through taking photos and only realized afterwards that it was a restaurant.

The Limani offers a walk-up window for takeaway orders and the waterfront seating is available for anyone who stays there to eat. It’s very casual even among Sponge Docks restaurants, but don’t let that deter you from the amazing food. The menu features popular Greek items such as pitas, kabobs, and gyros.

4. Fournos Bakery

Fournos Bakery, also at the Sponge Docks, sits off the main street but is one of the most popular eateries among locals. This Greek-owned bakery supplies many of the nearby restaurants with their Greek pastries and bread.

At Fournos, one finds a variety of delicious delicacies such as baklava. The display cases showcase Greek favorites as well as cookies and other more traditional American favorites. And while eating pastries, nothing pairs better than a good cup of strong Greek coffee. A couple of tables outside provide seating and make this a dog-friendly place to eat in Tarpon Springs.

5. Jimmy’s Neighborhood Restaurant

Jimmy’s Neighborhood Restaurant is truly one of those restaurants in Tarpon Springs that only the locals know. It’s not in either of the two main public areas – historic downtown or the Sponge Docks. Rather, Jimmy’s occupies an unassuming spot in a residential area near the elementary and high schools.

This neighborhood bar and grill serves a variety of Greek, Italian, and American favorites, such as octopus, pizza, wings, pasta, burgers, and Greek salad. Several TVs also make it a favorite place to catch a game with friends. If getting off the beaten path to find a local favorite is something you enjoy doing, Jimmy’s won’t disappoint.

6. H’ours Creole

H’ours Creole Smokehouse strives to provide a unique experience that draws on traditional New Orleans creole dishes with a Florida flair. The experience begins in the early 1900s Queen Anne building that provides indoor and outdoor seating near the heart of historic downtown Tarpon Springs.

Using only the freshest local produce and exceptionally sourced meats, the menu rotates on a weekly basis so that it always provides the freshest catch. Signature dishes include items such as shrimp and crawfish etouffee, smoked baby back ribs, BBQ shrimp on grits, and blackened redfish with 5 pepper jelly.

7. The Jerk Center

I have to admit, the first few times I drove by The Jerk Center, I thought it was a Jamaican market or spice store. It is, in fact, one of the best places to eat in Tarpon Springs and one of the few Jamaican restaurants in the Tampa Bay area.

This casual eatery in a small strip center is exactly what one might encounter in any Jamaican neighborhood in Florida – a family-owned place which uses generations-old recipes to bring Caribbean flavors to the local community. Patrons can buy food by the pound, such as oxtail, or entire meals, such as curry goat or brown stew chicken. The Jerk Center offers takeaway, eat-in, or delivery.

8. JoJo’s Italian Diner

Though known for Greek restaurants, Italian restaurants in Tarpon Springs offer a cultural and culinary variety diners enjoy. In a small strip center near historic downtown, JoJo’s Italian Diner brings Italian favorites to their customers. The menu includes Italian staples such as fried calamari, homemade Italian wedding soup, and lasagna. Owners JoJo and Anthony also cook and manage, bringing a sweet family vibe to every lunch and dinner service.

9. Bread & Butter Gourmet Deli

Bread and Butter Deli has been a staple in Tarpon Springs since opening in 1994. They are best known for homemade soups, turkey carved daily, and freshly sliced deli meat. Patrons can take home any of these items, order sandwiches and salads to go, or dine in.

Besides deli meat and soups, Bread and Butter is known for international specialties such as falafel, stuffed grape leaves, spanakopita, and more. The deli is quite popular with local businesses and offices which often order lunch or have special events catered. If a low-key lunch with fabulous flavors is on the menu, Bread and Butter Gourmet Deli delivers that.

10. Toula’s Trailside Cafe

“Fresh food made with love and served with a smile.” This is Toula’s philosophy and delivers it in spades through a laid back atmosphere and delicious food. This cafe in Tarpon Springs sits next to the Pinellas Trail, a 40-mile rail-to-trail which runs the length of Pinellas County and is popular with walkers, cyclists, joggers, and skaters.

Toula’s exudes small town charm, from the mural on the wall outside to the checkerboard floor and red accents reminiscent of a 1950s diner. The menu brings customers comfort favorites such as wraps and sandwiches, eggs benedicts, omelets, waffles, and pancakes.

11. Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill

One of the most beloved seafood restaurants in the Tampa Bay area, Rusty Bellies also lays claim as one of the best waterfront restaurants in Tarpon Springs. However, not only is this place a restaurant, it’s also a seafood market and owns three fishing boats which contribute to the fresh seafood sold in the market and on the menu.

Family-owned and operated by longtime Tarpon Springs residents, the menu pays homage to some of the most revered fishing boats in Tarpon Springs. When dining at Rusty Bellies, choose from waterfront patio or indoor seating. The extensive menu includes favorites such as fresh Gulf shrimp, fresh local grouper, red snapper, and scallops.

12. Hellas Restaurant and Bakery

Hellas Restaurant and Bakery creates a dining experience unlike any other on the Sponge Docks. Styled after a Greek taverna with tile floors and Hellenic murals, this Greek restaurant in Tarpon Springs serves savory classics and freshly made sweets.

Hellas has been an institution on the Sponge Docks since 1970. It’s one of the favorites among locals throughout the Tampa Bay area and often a favorite on these top restaurant lists. Menu items to try include broiled octopus, gyro, dolmades, and moussaka.

13. Mykonos

Like Hellas, Mykonos resembles a Greek taverna on the inside and serves classic Greek dishes on the Sponge Docks. Another favorite with locals, this upbeat eatery specializes in grilled seafood, excellent service, and unbeatable prices. The menu includes special creations such as yemitsa (tomatoes and peppers stuffed with ground beef and rice), papoutsaki (eggplant stuffed with ground beef), and lamb fricassee.

14. Little Thai Cafe

Little Thai Cafe is an unassuming, laid back restaurant perfect for indulging in Thai favorites. In a small strip center near the hospital, this Thai restaurant in Tarpon Springs remains a favorite with locals when they want a Thai treat. Laid back table seating indoors invites patrons to relax and enjoy their meals. The menu includes Thai favorites such as Tom Yum soup, panang duck, Tom Kha Kai, and grouper talay.

15. Backdraughts Pizza

Backdraughts Pizza has been the place for pizza in Tarpon Springs since 2016. The popularity of this family-owned business shows in their love by the locals and that they have opened a second location in nearby New Port Richey.

Backdraughts offers a beautiful location in downtown Tarpon Springs where pizza lovers can dine indoors or outside on the patio. Wood-fired pizza comes in a variety of classic flavors – margarita, bianca, etc – and signature ones, such as truffle and meatball ricotta.

16. Don Taco

Don Taco Mexican Restaurant is the kind of place one can drive by a thousand times and never realize it’s there. Tucked away beside a convenience store in the corner of a flat-topped building, this unassuming taco stand pops in bright colors we associate with Mexico. A small side patio has a few tables covered by colorful umbrellas, string lights overhead, and cacti and paintings to resemble an intimate eatery in Mexico. The menu runs to typical Mexican fare such as tacos, burritos, nachos, and churros.

17. Hotcakes

Formerly Kalimera Cafe. A small diner with ample parking, this cafe in Tarpon Springs serves fresh twists on classic favorites in a tidy and clean dining room. Open for breakfast and lunch, sample one of the omelets, benedicts, or pancakes for a filling and satisfying start to the day. Or enjoy a fresh lunch such as the artichoke salad or homemade avgolemono soup.

18. Bayou Bistro

Like Rusty Bellies, Bayou Bistro sits on the docks among the fishing boats that ply the nearby Gulf waters and provide fresh seafood to the restaurant. This small waterfront restaurant in Tarpon Springs offers outdoor seating overlooking the water and docks, as well as an open air tiki-style bar. Decor resembles what one might find at kitschy Florida Keys restaurants; however, the food is anything but ordinary. Expect to find a plethora of seafood, such as bam bam shrimp, grouper, and mahi mahi sandwich.

19. Copenhagen Cafe

If all the Greek food in Tarpon Springs sparks a craving for other European food, Copenhagen Cafe supplies the fix for that craving. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it’s easy to take in a delicious European coffee to start the day, fuel up with a nutritious meal, or end the evening with a sweet treat. A Scandinavian-inspired interior provides comfortable seating with clean lines and a pastry display along one wall of the restaurant. Favorites include gluten-free avocado toast or Belgian waffles for breakfast, the signature Copen Burger for lunch, chickpea masala or curry meatballs for dinner, and gelato or the Copenhagen special for dessert.

20. Mr. Souvlaki

Our list of the 20 best places to eat in Tarpon Springs ends, fittingly, with a Greek restaurant. Mr. Souvlaki has been a favorite among Tarpon Springs and Tampa Bay residents for over 30 years. Just one block south of the Sponge Docks, Mr. Souvlaki serves traditional and contemporary Greek dishes, including their famous Greek chow mein. A neutral-toned interior sets the tone for letting the food be the star. Besides the famous Greek chow mein, enjoy more traditional Greek delicacies such as gyros, grilled octopus, lamb, and dolmades.