10 Best Lunch Spots in St. Petersburg FL 2024

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10 Best Lunch Spots in St. Petersburg FL 2024

It’s seems like dinners often get planned and reservations get made, but lunch is usually spur of the moment, winging it as your empty stomach takes over the thinking. We’re here to help you find some great options that are all local independent eateries, all casual and quick, but with amazing food.

10 Best Lunch Spots in St. Pete Chosen by Locals for 2024


Samurai Cat

407 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 471-5852
Samurai Cat Website

Samurai Cat opened in late-Spring of this year, and they provide a totally unique experience in St. Pete. They are a Japanese-niche cafe and bakery offering lunch and early dinner items not found anywhere else in town. (Check the hours, as they were open for breakfast during season, but not in the summer as this is being written.)

The Cold Sesame Udon Salad was delicious and filling. I like how they intertwine the cabbage strands with the noodles. There’s a nice contrast of chewiness with the udon, and crispy bright notes with the cabbage. The freshness of the cucumber and umami of the sesame soy sauce pull it all together. It’s quite delicious as is, but you can also request some chili crunch oil if you like spice, and that puts it really over the top. (This is not shown in the photo as I put it on after I started eating.) Be sure to squeeze the lime onto it too.

Menu description: chilled udon noodles dressed with sesame soy sauce, tossed with thinly sliced cabbage, cucumber, chives, and sesame seeds.

Cold Sesame Udon Salad
Cold Sesame Udon Salad

The Tamago Sando (egg salad sandwich) is another favorite of mine. It is tasty with the Kewpie mayo, and fun with the soft boiled, jammy eggs in addition to the egg salad.

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Be sure to try the onigiri (stuffed rice ball shaped like a triangle) too as these are super popular in Japan, but little known in this area.

Tamago Sando
Tamago Sando

 

Shiso Crispy
1431 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
(727) 420-0704
Shiso Crispy Website

Shiso Crispy is another favorite of mine that also has unique menu items not found anywhere else. They specialize in Japanese-fusion dishes that are packed with flavor. Famous for their posse of food trucks serving up Japanese and Asian Fusion around the Tampa Bay area, Shiso Crispy’s first brick & mortar opened in downtown St. Pete’s Edge District this past spring. Shiso Crispy is well-known for their gyoza (the Japanese word for dumpling) and their “dirty rice”.

The Truffle Gyoza has potato, oyster mushrooms, black truffle mushrooms, Manchego cheese, and truffle cream. The outside has a nice chewy bite with some crispness and the inside is creamy, melts in your mouth and is full of umami. This was a previously discontinued item that has been revived exclusively for the St. Pete location.

Truffle Gyoza
Truffle Gyoza

Two of our favorites are the Ahi Tuna and Short Rib Dirty Rice – sticky rice with gyoza sauce, gochujang sauce, fried onions, scallions, and sesame. These are of course luscious, and I dare you to try to eat the whole thing.

I had to ask Ronicca about the name “Dirty Rice” because it is different than what one normally thinks of as dirty rice, which is usually dark and greasy, and Shiso’s seems quite clean and healthy.

In this case, “dirty” is being used as slang to describe it as amazingly good, similar to lit, dope, rad, or bangin’. I wish you could have been there as it was a laugh-out-loud moment when Ronicca answered in her mock street voice accent saying, “I was testing out some recipes and I tried this, and I was like, ‘Damn! That rice is DIRTY!‘”

The dirty rice dishes are craveable, and you can’t stop eating them. Do you know how when you are eating a bag of chips and you can’t eat just one? You just keep going and keep having more and more. The food industry’s little secret on that is MSG. When something has that ingredient, it makes it hard to stop eating.

So I had to ask. The answer was, “No! People freak out about that. The reason you can’t stop eating it is because everything is sweet and salty, and perfectly balanced out to hit every area (of your palate)”.

Ahi Tuna Dirty Rice
Ahi Tuna Dirty Rice
BBQ Beef Short Rib Dirty Rice
BBQ Beef Short Rib Dirty Rice

 

The Floribbean
2410 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
(727) 826-0198
The Floribbean Website

Located in the bustling Grand Central District on Central Ave, The Floribbean is a remarkable lunch spot if you’re on the hunt for something quick, casual, and straight up amazing.

Everything was bursting with flavor. It’s a fast casual bowls concept from the same ownership as Urban Brew & BBQ. They have signature bowls, and build your own.

I had the Floribbean Chili Bowl – garlic lime braised beef (shredded), sofrito, black beans, brown rice. It comes with lime crema sauce, but I substituted the Hawt Hot Sauce – vinegar based with habanero, jalapeño, ginger, and cilantro. The hot sauce has heat and great flavor.

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Lori built her own bowl of Cuban style pork (seared and braised for 6 hours, then double marinated), ginger black beans (tossed with garlic and ginger with a tangy lime finish), callaloo (fresh kale cooked down with coconut milk, jerk seasoning, and paprika) and jerk aioli – (Jamaican jerk spice, garlic, and vegan mayonnaise), chihuahua cheese.

Floribbean Chili Bowl
Floribbean Chili Bowl
Cuban Style Pork Bowl
Cuban Style Pork Bowl

 

Williams Sub Shop
3801 Tyrone Blvd N
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
(727) 347-9497
Williams Sub Shop Website

They don’t just serve regular ole sandwiches at Williams Sub Shop, nope, they serve juicy, meaty, fresh, jam-packed 10-inch sandwiches. You can order any sandwich as a salad too. So now you have no excuse even if you’re going low-carb. If you’re like us though, you make exceptions and you’ll order all of the sides because the salads here are all homemade and how can you say no to fresh potato salad and coleslaw?

The Yum Yum Sub is roast beef, turkey breast, ham, bacon, provolone cheese, and mayo. You can order it hot or cold with shredded mozzarella cheese on top. “All the Way” style means you’ll be elevating your sandwich with pickle relish, onions, tomatoes, oil, spices and hot pepper relish. We ordered the full sandwich but pictured is the 5 inch cut in half since we were sharing it. Given the hype surrounding this sub, I’m pleased to say that it blew us away. It was delicious, filling, and very flavorful.

Williams Sub Shop Yum Yum Sub 5in
Yum Yum Sub 5 Inches

Chow down on their tuna in the form of a salad for a crisp and refreshing meal. Their tuna was astounding. It’s served on a bed of lettuce and topped with your choice of add-ons, we went with the hot pepper relish and oil and vinegar dressing. Choose a size and enjoy. This is the medium, a good size if you’re really hungry or want to share. The tuna salad is a hot seller and for obvious reasons, it was well seasoned and perfectly creamy.

Williams Sub Shop Tuna Salad
Tuna Salad

 

AHI Sushi
364 1st Ave N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 290-9802
Ahi Sushi Website

Fresh Edamame
Fresh Edamame
Tuna Tataki
Tuna Tataki
Tuna, salmon and yellowtail nigiri. Back Yammi Roll
Tuna, salmon and yellowtail nigiri. Back Yammi Roll

Ahi Sushi is the newcomer to the list having opened in February 2023. I wanted to give them some time, as other places that had been in the same spot have come and gone, so I waited until 2024 to go. I was happy to see that they successfully transformed the interior, which used to be a falling apart dump, into a refined little space worthy of elegant Japanese cuisine.

From Lori’s post:

Upon entering, the place is super clean, bright and airy. They have a small but nice selection of Sake. I almost didn’t order the edamame because most of the time, these days, it’s frankly just disappointing. By that I mean, sad and soggy, not salted properly and just not fresh. For something so simple, you would think everyone could do it right. No, they cannot, but Ahi Sushi can and it was fresh and fantastic.

We ordered the tuna tataki done in a different style than I have ever had. The outside sear had a nice, spicy kick to it. We shared tuna, salmon and yellowtail nigiri that was so fresh. And sushi rice done properly. That rice is so good. It had the perfect stickiness and the flavor of sushi rice cooked properly. We shared a house special roll called the Yammi Roll – Inside: spicy tuna, cucumber, asparagus. Outside: salmon, yellowtail, avocado, scallion, masago, micro greens. Delicious, not too big for one bite, great crunch. This will be our new go to for sushi in St. Pete.

They also have some good Japanese cooked dishes such as udon, gyoza, tempura, fried rice, katsu, and hibachi items.

 

Gateway Subs
3112 3rd Ave N Unit B
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
(727) 954-3175

Gateway Subs
2525 Pasadena Avenue South
South Pasadena, FL 33707
(727) 289-9634

Gateway Subs
5931 4th St. N
St. Petersburg, FL 33703
(727) 202-9306
Gateway Subs Website

Gateway Subs launched their first store in 2021, and now they have three locations. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, breakfast options, vegan milkshakes, and more. With a great menu variation for all sorts of eaters, everyone gets a taste of the deliciousness.

It’s hard not to love a hearty sandwich. You can order yours full or half and can customize it just how you like it. The deli meat is of high quality and the toppings are all vibrantly fresh.

The Spice Mélange comes with mayo, hot capicola, buffalo chicken breast, provolone, onion, hot peppers and the best part, crumbled jalapeño chips. I ordered mine with no onion, added banana peppers, lettuce, tomato and swapped out the hot for sweet peppers. Yes, the crushed jalapeño chips are a game changer and you need to order it for an extra crunch. Though it’s messy, it’s my favorite sandwich on the menu. If you love a spicy kick, you should try this one and top it with all of your favorites.

The Spicy Italian is mandatory lunch grub with pepperoni, hot capicola, ham, provolone, hot peppers, onion, lettuce, and tomato. I ordered mine with light mayo and no onions. This meaty sandwich is filling, fresh and straight-up amazing. It’s generously packed and overall incredible if you’re a meat lover.

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Spice Mélange with Chips
Spice Mélange with Chips
Spicy Italian
Spicy Italian

 

Bacchus Wine Bistro
124 2nd Ave NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 258-8566
Bacchus Website

Bacchus is a French wine bar and eatery that serves fresh and delicious food. Upon first entering, the decor is bright and airy with a cozy rustic feel. Wooden tables with matching chairs fill the room, some of them in the shape of wine barrels.

From Lori’s review:

We ordered the French Country Salad to share – roasted asparagus, beets, arugula, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, lemon-dijon vinaigrette. They split it for us before serving, which was terrific, and please note this picture is half of a serving. It’s huge. The combination of the roasted asparagus, beets and goat cheese make this salad a winner. One of my favorite salads that I have had in St Pete.

Next, I ordered the Jambon Blanc sandwich – ham, butter, cornichon. The ham was fresh and it stays true to its French roots.

Kevin ordered the Bacchus Grilled Cheese sandwich – beet pesto, avocado, red onion, mozzarella, gouda. He really enjoyed this. I did not taste it, but there was not much left. Talk about a really interesting twist on a grilled cheese.

French Country Salad – split
French Country Salad – split

 

Jambon Blanc sandwich
Jambon Blanc sandwich
Bacchus Grilled Cheese sandwich – very unique
Bacchus Grilled Cheese sandwich – very unique

 

La V – Vietnamese Fusion
441 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 820-3500
La V Website

From Abby’s review:

La V, which is situated in the midst of bustling Central Ave, is your go-to destination for pho, bánh mì, Vietnamese street-inspired food, ever-popular boba tea and so much more. At La V, it is their promise to provide nothing but fresh ingredients in order to promote and enhance the quality of life for their patrons. Additionally, their concept is quite simple: “We prepare your meal as we would for our family.”

The Lemongrass Beef sandwich with a fried egg is a must. This delightful bánh mì is comprised of lemongrass beef, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, fresh jalapeño, cilantro and a secret smear, all packed in a French baguette. For an additional fee, you can add avocado, egg, double protein and steamed veggies. This sandwich is extraordinarily delicious and one of our favorites from the menu.

The Beef Noodle Soup (Pho) section, aka the Hangover Cure, 12 hour stewed beef broth served with rice noodles and topped with white onion, green onion and culantro leaves. Basil, bean sprouts, jalapeño and lime are also served with each bowl. We elected for the “Hai Noi” Spicy, Sweet and Sour Sate’ with thin slices of steak, meatballs and pork patty. This soup made my taste buds sing and warmed every inch of my soul. It’s composed of a flavorful fusion of hearty meats, crisp herbs and vegetables and a broth that was to die for.

Lemongrass Beef Sandwich with a fried egg
Lemongrass Beef Sandwich with a fried egg
Hai Noi Spicy, Sweet and Sour Sate
Hai Noi Spicy, Sweet and Sour Sate

 

Little Philly
2063 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
(727) 256-0289
Little Philly Website

Little Philly is a great, casual lunch spot located in the hip Grand Central District of St. Pete. Chef Sean Ford, who has helped launch several St. Pete spots over the years, is originally from Philly and wanted to share his hometown food with St. Pete.

All meats are sliced in house from the deli meats for the hoagies, to the ribeye for the cheesesteaks—sliced fresh off of a full ribeye sub-primal. (Some places use frozen, pre-sliced beef for their cheesesteaks.) Philly Cheesesteaks are the specialty, and they are definitely some of the best in town. The Italian Hoagie is great, and they even have an excellent Texas Tommy Hot Dog which is quite large. Lastly, they have the best Chicken Tenders in town.

Philly-Cheesesteak
Philly Cheesesteak
Italian-Hoagie
Italian Hoagie
Chicken-Tenders
Chicken Tenders

 

Red Mesa Cantina
128 3rd St S
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 896-8226
Red Mesa Cantina Website

Red Mesa Cantina is one of the hot spots in downtown St. Pete coming up on 15-years. It is a fun, laid back space with a large outdoor courtyard with a fountain and whimsical décor. (There is indoor seating as well.) It’s located in the heart of downtown St. Pete and has a little bit of a party atmosphere. They serve traditional Mexican fare, such as tacos and burritos, but with a modern twist. They also put out their unique takes on other Latin cuisines.

We have so many favorites here, that we would have to list over a dozen items, but here are just a few.

Birria Quesadilla – braised brisket and jack cheese on Mercado flour tortillas. Served with guajillo chile birria consumme.

Birria Quesadilla
Birria Quesadilla

Shrimp Taco – grilled shrimp, Mexican slaw, pico de gallo and habanero aioli. Baja Fish Taco – grilled fresh fish, Mexican slaw, salsa roja and blanca.

Shrimp Taco and Baja Taco
Shrimp Taco and Baja Taco

Barbacoa Bowl – shredded brisket or chicken, poblano peppers and onions, jack cheese, ancho tomatillo sauce, queso fresco, cilantro onion and crema. Served with cantina rice.

Barbacoa Bowl
Barbacoa Bowl
10 Best Lunch Spots in St. Petersburg FL 2024

10 Best Lunch Spots in St. Pete Chosen by Locals for 2024

DISCLAIMER: Kevin, Lori, Abby, Haley, Lindsey & Mahika do not dine anonymously (this would be impossible) and we sometimes get free food (though never expected). However, we dine with the locals and we support our own. You will always get honesty in a respectful manner. We do not include any large national or regional chains in our ratings and reviews. We focus on independent locally owned eateries exclusively.

PLEASE NOTE: Reviews reflect a certain moment in time. Some restaurants stay extremely consistent over many years, and some change for the better or worse. Some things that may change are: chefs, recipes, food suppliers, ingredients, philosophies, ownership, etc. We always hope that you have the same good, or great experience we had.
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