Tampa's Mediterranean and Middle Eastern scene runs mostly through strip plazas and quick-serve counters, from Busch Boulevard to the USF corridor, with a couple of rooms dressed up for a birthday dinner. This list weighs the hummus, the shawarma, and the platters against each other, not against some abstract idea of the cuisine.
№ 01
Flor Fina
$$$
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The brunch menu here leans Mediterranean with a savory pot pie as the centerpiece, plated to look like more than a diner special. The room draws groups on weekends for cocktails and shared plates rather than a fast in-and-out meal. It works best as a sit-down brunch stop, not a quick weekday lunch.
What to orderpot pie, Mediterranean brunch plates, cocktails
№ 02
Zeko's Mediterranean Grill
$$
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Near USF, Zeko's runs a counter-service format with wings pulled from the fryer alongside hummus and cucumbers and kebab plates. The room reads more fast-food than sit-down, loud at peak hours, but the kitchen turns out food well past what the setup suggests. A steady stop for students grabbing something quick between classes.
What to orderwings, hummus, kebab
№ 03
THE DOUGH SHOW
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Family platters anchor the menu here, built for groups splitting shawarma, hummus, and sides across a bright, spacious room with both indoor and outdoor seating. Staff greet guests at the door and flag the platter's roughly hour-long prep time up front. Best suited to a planned group meal rather than a fast solo lunch.
What to orderfamily platter, hummus, shawarma
№ 04
Nana Street Food
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Chicken shawarma bowls come loaded with spice and full portions, and the wraps get called out as some of the freshest in the area. The counter stays welcoming even close to closing, making it a real option for a late meal rather than a last resort. Falafel and wraps round out a menu built for speed.
What to orderchicken shawarma, wrap, falafel
№ 05
Pita Plus +
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On Busch Boulevard near 30th Street, this strip-plaza counter turns out a lamb gyro with fries and a Greek salad that holds its own with added chicken. The dining room stays clean with generous table space for a quick-service spot. Halal options and a kitchen willing to customize a kabob sandwich make it a dependable lunch stop.
What to orderlamb gyro, chicken kabob sandwich, Greek salad
№ 06
Abu Naji Restaurant
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Spicy chicken hummus is the dish people drive back for, rated by regulars against a wide field of Middle Eastern kitchens in the area and coming out ahead. The room does not dress itself up, another storefront in a strip plaza, but tabbouleh and fattoush back up the hummus. A stop worth crossing town for despite the plain exterior.
What to orderspicy chicken hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush
№ 07
Petra Mediterranean Restaurant
$$
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A Grilled Family Boat feeds a table of five or more, making Petra a natural choice for family groups and visitors staying nearby. Lamb skewers with baba ghanoush and shish tavuk over rice and hummus anchor a strong lunch menu, though service has been inconsistent, with staff disappearing from the floor during slower stretches.
What to orderlamb skewers, shish tavuk, baba ghanoush
№ 08
Zaky Zak's
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The pickled cabbage here breaks from the standard white slaw with real color and tang, and the baba ganoosh brings a smoky eggplant dip finished with olive oil. It has built a following of regulars who stop in several times a month. A casual, order-and-go room built for flavor over polish.
What to orderbaba ganoosh, pickled cabbage, hummus
№ 09
The Mediterranean Chickpea
$$
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Seven flavors of fresh hummus rotate daily alongside tabbouleh, dal, and lentil soups, most of it vegan and made by the people running the place. The weekday lunch crowd is steady enough that a short wait on a Sunday afternoon is normal. A counter-service room built around flavor rather than speed.
What to orderhummus, taboulleh, dal and lentil soups
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Predalina leans into a Mediterranean-styled room with an updated menu following a renovation, some legacy dishes kept alongside new additions. Outdoor seating and a striking interior make it a pick for a birthday dinner or another occasion that calls for a nicer table. It reads as the dressed-up end of Tampa's Mediterranean field.
What to orderNo specific dishes named in excerpts; unable to verify real menu items without concrete references
№ 11
Tasty Mediterranean Grill
$$
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Shish Tawook, two grilled chicken skewers, headlines a menu built around healthy weekday lunches, with chicken shawarma and falafel filling out the rest. The room stays clean and the counter-service pace suits a fast lunch break. Portions run generous and the bowl format lets diners mix proteins and sides to order.
What to orderShish Tawook, chicken shawarma, falafel
Frequently asked
What is the best Mediterranean restaurant near me in Tampa?
It depends on which part of Tampa. Near USF, Zeko's and Pita Plus cover quick counter-service meals, while Petra and Flor Fina suit a sit-down lunch or brunch. Check each entry's neighborhood and best-for tag against your location before choosing.
Which restaurant on this list is best for a group or family meal?
THE DOUGH SHOW and Petra Mediterranean Restaurant both build menus around family-sized platters meant for sharing, and both have room for larger parties. Zeko's and Nana Street Food work better for smaller, faster orders.
How were these restaurants ranked?
Each restaurant carries an Insider Score based on the pattern of customer feedback for that specific location, weighed against the signature dishes and how the room actually operates. No restaurant paid to be included or to rank higher on this list.
Are any of these restaurants vegan or vegetarian friendly?
The Mediterranean Chickpea is built around a mostly vegan menu, with hummus, tabbouleh, and lentil soups as the core. Most of the other entries offer hummus, falafel, and salad options that work for vegetarians even where the menu centers on meat.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Jenna Kalouris
Staff Writer · Top of Tampa
Staff Writer. Grew up bussing tables near the sponge docks and keeps score across the bridges: a room has to beat what is already on her side of the water to earn the drive. Leads with the practical fact.
