Here’s a few spots for meals without wheels.
By Dylan Hart
We have no shortage of dining — fine and otherwise — here in downtown St. Petersburg. We have greasy 2 a.m. pizza from Joey Brooklyn’s, fine Italian food at Gratzi and everything in between.
I’ve walked that “in between” stretch quite a bit in the past few years because I’m not rich enough for the latter and never drunk enough for the former. I’ve only recently uncovered the joys that are driving in St. Petersburg, so I have quite a bit of pedestrian experience going back and forth from the dorms.
So, here’s a few spots for meals without wheels.
First, a personal favorite: 2nd and Second, located unforgettably at the corner of 2nd Ave. S and 2nd Street, is a good spot for comfort food. It has burgers, sandwiches and breakfast food, but the real benefit of this spot is that it’s open all night.
Many a night was spent last year working through the darkness, trying to finish a newspaper. By the time we were ready to send off to the presses, everything was closed except 2nd and Second, which was just a few blocks away. Because of that, I’ve had far too much late night French toast.
It’s reminiscent of a place like IHOP, but without corporate mediocrity. Instead, you get a friendly staff, an inviting atmosphere and a good meal. If I had one recommendation for the business, it would be a bigger menu.
It’s a bit on the pricey side, but Datz, at 180 Central Ave., is a nearby gastropub with a wide variety of food. Originally a Tampa staple, the restaurant added a St. Petersburg location in June.
The menu is as expansive as it is weird — and it is incredibly weird. Everything has strange names, from “Waffles and Tweet” to the “Biggity Big Big Burger.” The menus have a hipstery, tabloid-style design that shows off the restaurant’s legion of Tampa fans on the inside.
That being said, everything I’ve had there has been fantastic, and it’s easy to keep coming back to try new things. Datz has plenty of oddities, like a burger with donuts instead of buns. If you like it the first time, there’s a good chance it will drag you deeper down the rabbit hole.
Just across the street is Oak & Stone, my favorite walking-distance pizza joint. I’m normally the kind of guy who only eats pizza at a pizzeria, as a bonafide pizza fanatic, but Oak & Stone has some very solid pasta and burgers as well. The pizzas are individual, but the restaurant has a good amount of variety, too.
Oak & Stone also has a beer wall with 48 beers on tap, if you’re into that sort of thing. A lot of it is local beer, too, and it’s a great opportunity to try new drinks. All you need is an ID and a credit card and you can pour away.
Poppo’s Taqueria was a weekly visit for me during my summer internship in Sarasota. During my last week, I was ecstatic to learn that the company was expanding to St. Petersburg at 1033 Central Ave. It’s definitely a bit of a hike, but if you ever head down Central Avenue to check out shows at the State Theatre, peruse antique stores or mourn the departure of Daddy Kool Records, Poppo’s might be worth checking out.
Poppo’s is a family-run Mexican food chain based in Bradenton, and the Central Avenue location is its first restaurant north of the Skyway Bridge. The family likes to follow a similar model to California-based fast food chain In-N-Out, which expands at a snail’s pace but keeps its quality consistent.
It’s worked so far for me. It averages about $8, but the meat is high-quality, the service is fast and the food is good — a one-up on Chipotle in my book. If it were a bit closer and had existed in my freshman year, I would probably be going to this branch once a week, too.
Not far from Poppo’s is Buya Ramen, 911 Central Ave. It’s an industrial black building, and it’s easy to miss, but it’s definitely worth checking out. I’m hardly an Asian food aficionado, but Buya hits the spot for me.
It’s definitely on the pricier side, but you get a full, nutritious meal with meat, noodles, broth, an egg and a side, all in a very authentic Japanese style that strays from the usual Florida fare of Asian fusion that’s more American than it is Asian. Just make sure you have a good grasp of your chopstick chops.
Great Article! Thanks for mentioning Daddy Kool Records – in case you didn’t know, we moved to the Warehouse Arts District off 5th Ave S. & 24th Street (which we wouldn’t recommend walking, but we are located along the Pinellas Trail so definitely biking distance). Keep us and our new location in mind in any future articles & don’t forget to mention our 10% student discount! 🙂