Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Tampa by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Tampa using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#16. Lepley's Kitchen Lounge
- Rating: 3.3/5 (86 reviews)
- Address: 6310 North Florida Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, sports bars, caribbean
- Read more on Yelp
#15. The Exchange Kitchen & Bar
- Rating: 3.5/5 (43 reviews)
- Address: 100 East Madison St. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: cocktail bars, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Hank's Catfish & BBQ
- Rating: 3.5/5 (279 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8546 North Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, barbeque
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Cafe Dufrain
- Rating: 3.6/5 (268 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 707 Harbour Post Drive Tampa, Florida
- Categories: new american, southern, asian fusion
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Splitsville Tiki + Social
- Rating: 3.7/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 615 Channelside Drive Ste 120 Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, venues & event spaces, wine bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Florida Cracker Fish Company
- Rating: 3.7/5 (165 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7604 Ehrlich Road Tampa, Florida
- Categories: seafood, southern, whiskey bars
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Mama's Soul Food Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (174 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3701 East Drive M L K Jr Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, soul food, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#9. 4 Rivers Smokehouse
- Rating: 3.9/5 (651 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14330 North Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, Florida
- Categories: barbeque, smokehouse, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Steelbach at Armature Works
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1077 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1910 North Ola Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: new american, steakhouses, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#7. 7th + Grove
- Rating: 4.2/5 (567 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1930 East 7th Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, lounges, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#6. M&R Cafe Southern Cuisine With Flavor
- Rating: 4.2/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 3320 East Osborne Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Noble Crust
- Rating: 4.3/5 (762 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 11618 North Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, Florida
- Categories: southern, italian, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Mr B's Cafe Southern Cuisine
- Rating: 4.4/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3401 North Nebraska Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: soul food, southern, cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Bradleys Family Resturant
- Rating: 4.6/5 (17 reviews)
- Address: 7613 Causeway Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: soul food, southern, venezuelan
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Crossroad Hot Chicken
- Rating: 4.6/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10284 Causeway Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: chicken shop, comfort food, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Al's Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que
- Rating: 4.7/5 (481 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1609 Angel Oliva Sr St. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: barbeque, southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
