Welcome to Samaria Cafe! Nestled in the heart of downtown Tampa since 2009, Samaria Cafe is a staple for Tampa locals. This cozy American-style diner is the perfect spot to grab a hearty breakfast, satisfying lunch, or casual brunch. Each plate offers guests a unique experience. Classic menu items are sure to please a crowd, like fluffy omelets, made-to-order sandwiches on freshly baked bread, healthy salads, fresh wraps, and hot paninis.
Yet, the soul of this diner is hidden among the Mediterranean flair that touches their unique dishes like the house-made Greek salad, fresh lamb-filled gyros, and delicately sweet baklava.
Yet, the soul of this diner is hidden among the Mediterranean flair that touches their unique dishes like the house-made Greek salad, fresh lamb-filled gyros, and delicately sweet baklava.
Services
The homey atmosphere is complemented by the effervescent staff ready to provide quick, unrivaled service. Whether you are downtown for business, strolling the Tampa Riverwalk, enjoying Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, or experiencing the city for the first time, Samaria cafe is a must. As recommended by US News' Travel guide as one of the top spots to grab a bite in Tampa, Samaria cafe is definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Reviews (24)
Brian Burkett
Jan 13, 2022
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Adam Jones
Jan 05, 2022
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I work downtown and last Friday I was looking for some breakfast food. I forgot to eat the night before so I was pretty hungry. I saw the review and decided to order, I ordered the home fries and a gyro pita. Well, when I open the box to the home fries, there is a very long black hair literally fried in with a home fry. I gagged instantly because it was disgusting and anybody who opens the box can clearly see the hair. The potato wasn’t hiding, the hair was clearly fried into a potato fry and laying across the top of my fries. Needless to say, I’m never coming back. How does someone fry a long
Cher N.
Dec 19, 2021
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My family and I was visiting Tampa and unknowingly decided to stop by this restaurant due to another we wanted to try being close.
There was no wait which was good. The menu is very diverse. There are a ton of selections and We were able to make our choices quickly. I feel like the kids menu was a little over priced. With an entree and drink for kids it's $8.50 which is more than the average kids meal and the size and small ( because of course it's a kids meal). We ordered the French toast and eggs with toast meal. They have a Turkey sausage option which is good for those who do not
There was no wait which was good. The menu is very diverse. There are a ton of selections and We were able to make our choices quickly. I feel like the kids menu was a little over priced. With an entree and drink for kids it's $8.50 which is more than the average kids meal and the size and small ( because of course it's a kids meal). We ordered the French toast and eggs with toast meal. They have a Turkey sausage option which is good for those who do not
Nicole M.
Dec 19, 2021
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Don Pratt
Dec 14, 2021
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I drive from Orlando to eat here. Be ready for the best possible version of your favorite foods! Close your eyes and randomly pick an item off the menu and you will be gleaming with satisfaction as you are even compelled to eat what you pick out of your teeth! And the staff makes you feel special.... I don't understand how a lot of reviews say "I love their ___" , and "their ___ is AMAZING"... And yet leave 3 or 4 stars?? I'm telling you, if you are anywhere near here, you have the best experience waiting for you. Great food! Great service!
Amber N.
Dec 04, 2021
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For a weekday lunch we were seated right away. It was a pleasant environment. Everyone was so friendly and service was efficient. We all enjoyed their food.
Bacon cheeseburger: They have different cheese options besides cheddar which is cool. I love blue cheese on my burgers; however, the blue cheese they used wasn't my favorite. I would get a burger again because it was cooked well, but I wouldn't recommend blue cheese. The fries were crispy and well seasoned
Caramel iced coffee: I got an iced coffee to-go so I didn't take a picture. It was good quality coffee with a strong enough
Bacon cheeseburger: They have different cheese options besides cheddar which is cool. I love blue cheese on my burgers; however, the blue cheese they used wasn't my favorite. I would get a burger again because it was cooked well, but I wouldn't recommend blue cheese. The fries were crispy and well seasoned
Caramel iced coffee: I got an iced coffee to-go so I didn't take a picture. It was good quality coffee with a strong enough
Jack W.
Nov 16, 2021
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Karen M.
Nov 07, 2021
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Wendy the manager was friendly and helped me decide on a coffee at the bar since it was my first time there and wasn't familiar with the menu. Unfortunately the flavor I got must have been sugar-free because that artificial flavor dominated my drink. Even with an extra shot of espresso I could barely taste the beans for the overly sweet chemical syrup. Maybe their coffee beans aren't good quality either. I ended up going to Starbucks and getting an espresso shot to improve it. I'm sure the people at Samaria would have remade it but it got busy, and being at the bar, not one particular
Calvin Nissley
Oct 29, 2021
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Dennis Phillippy
Oct 17, 2021
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Very nice breakfast with outdoor seating. I had the grand slam and my wife had the avacado omelette. My breakfast was cooked as ordered and tasted good. My wifes omelette was fluffy and very tasty. One thing that I really appreciated was that they warmed the syrup before they brought it so my pancakes didn’t get cold from pouring cold syrup on them.
Jackyl M.
Sep 25, 2021
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Wendy A.
Sep 16, 2021
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Food was good and staff was prompt and courteous. I appreciate they had many options for eggs Benedict, but I ended up with the Florentine. It looked delicious, truly - but being the EB enthusiast that I am, I found the eggs far too over cooked and when I cut into them, the yolk remained intact. I explained this to the waiter and he took the eggs back with no problem. Unfortunately, the next batch of eggs that was brought out was too runny and undercooked. You can tell because there was a part where the egg white was a mix of white and transparent. This was the only miss and overall, I think it
Adonis P.
Jul 31, 2021
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Based on some of these previous reviews either they have improved much or we caught them on a good day!
Picked them as they were in spitting distance of our hotel. When we got there, they didn't seem overly busy and we were seated shortly. Very much a downtown diner vibe. Booths and tables reminiscent of old school diners or cafeterias. Appeared clean and upkept. They were doing brisk take-out biz. The waitress handling the take-out orders seemed a bit overwhelmed and got into a slightly heated discussion with a Door Dash driver, but it was resolved amiably in short order.
Our server was
Picked them as they were in spitting distance of our hotel. When we got there, they didn't seem overly busy and we were seated shortly. Very much a downtown diner vibe. Booths and tables reminiscent of old school diners or cafeterias. Appeared clean and upkept. They were doing brisk take-out biz. The waitress handling the take-out orders seemed a bit overwhelmed and got into a slightly heated discussion with a Door Dash driver, but it was resolved amiably in short order.
Our server was
Nishant N.
Jul 28, 2021
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For Saturday morning breakfast we decided to have breakfast at Samaria Cafe. For breakfast we ordered Mango Smoothie, Strawberry Smoothie, Country Benedict, Avocado Omelette and French Toast. First our smoothie's came and the smoothie's were good in taste and amazing. We didn't had to wait much for our food as service was quick. The food was good. We still believed food can be made more delicious but it was a good food experience.
Steve Risenmay
Jul 17, 2021
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The food was great. I love a good Reuben sandwich and the flavor was amazing. Their fries are battered and crispy. I would recommend eating here. I told my wife I want to go back for a snack after dinner because that Reuben tasted so good. The service here is great. They have indoor and outdoor tables.
Franklin Bacon
Jul 15, 2021
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Russell Allen
Jul 13, 2021
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Bernie C.
Jun 20, 2021
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Slop on a plate. Horrible services and terrible food accent this cute little cafe.
I would not recommend this place ever. When I told the waitress about the terrible food she acted like, "well what did you expect".
I will say that the espresso was good.
The owners did remove the price of the burnt breakfast but did not take the initiative to remove that deconstructed egg, fist full of spinach and ham that they call an omelette. Maybe they should have a quality control in the kitchen. Again, slop on a plate
I would not recommend this place ever. When I told the waitress about the terrible food she acted like, "well what did you expect".
I will say that the espresso was good.
The owners did remove the price of the burnt breakfast but did not take the initiative to remove that deconstructed egg, fist full of spinach and ham that they call an omelette. Maybe they should have a quality control in the kitchen. Again, slop on a plate
Nguyen L.
Jun 14, 2021
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Eric B.
Apr 06, 2021
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Decided to stop on by before our flight out since it was open for breakfast and it had 4 stars on Yelp. Well, this is one of the three times Yelp has failed me on ratings (out of hundreds of times so not upset).
First, they don't seem super concerned about COVID, let alone cleanliness. It just seemed kind of dirty. I'm not a big germ-a-phobe, but I also don't want to get a food borne illness.
Second, our server was absolutely garbage. The other two servers on the patio area seemed to have it a little more together. Our server was unresponsive and didn't seem to care
First, they don't seem super concerned about COVID, let alone cleanliness. It just seemed kind of dirty. I'm not a big germ-a-phobe, but I also don't want to get a food borne illness.
Second, our server was absolutely garbage. The other two servers on the patio area seemed to have it a little more together. Our server was unresponsive and didn't seem to care
Ayla J.
Apr 02, 2021
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Rey Avecilla
Feb 08, 2021
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Denna was amazing we where very happy with her service, love her smile, her understanding that we where on a hurry and she got our food fast. Food was delicious, flavor was awesome texture good, the temperature of the food it was just right and I even had leftovers, you should try next time that you are in the area. We have a Volleyball tournament at Tampa Convention Center so we decided to walk around and find a local restaurant and this is a must. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did
Jeff N.
Dec 11, 2020
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Decided to grab a late lunch here before we set off for the Van Gogh exhibit at the Dali. Not far from the Aloft hotel, both my lady and I were pleased with our orders and service as we sat outside in perfect weather. The chicken salad platter was great. That really filled me up to where I didn't need the ranch dressing.
Looks like a good spot to grab breakfast and lunch if you work in the downtown area certainly without having to drive.
Looks like a good spot to grab breakfast and lunch if you work in the downtown area certainly without having to drive.
Taj W.
Aug 30, 2020
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I used Uber eats for my order and I was pleased with the size of the portion and the conscience of Uber delivery to my job for the morning shift.
However, I did not like how the vegetable omelette did not have a description and the there was no cheese.
Like who wants broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower on their breakfast omelette eww and it doesn't even have cheese double eewwwww
However, I did not like how the vegetable omelette did not have a description and the there was no cheese.
Like who wants broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower on their breakfast omelette eww and it doesn't even have cheese double eewwwww
