{"id":134790,"date":"2026-01-28T11:20:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/134790\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T11:20:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:20:55","slug":"usfs-on-top-of-the-palms-restaurant-is-a-hidden-gem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/134790\/","title":{"rendered":"USF\u2019s On Top Of The Palms restaurant is a hidden gem"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>The restaurant, located on the third floor of the MSC, is a cut above USF\u2019s other dining options. ORACLE PHOTO\/MARIA DE ABREU PIRES<\/p>\n

If you live on the USF Tampa campus, chances are you\u2019ve dined at one of USF\u2019s major dining halls \u2013 Argos<\/a>, The Hub<\/a> and Juniper Dining<\/a> \u2014 more times than you can count.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve personally had enough flatbreads from Argos to last until graduation.<\/p>\n

But nestled away on the third floor of the Marshall Student Center is a spot you might not have heard about.<\/p>\n

On Top of the Palms<\/a> is a buffet-style restaurant with a small, daily-rotating menu. The USF Dining website<\/a> describes it as \u201csophisticated,\u201d offering a \u201cgorgeous view of campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Too many times throughout freshman year, my friends and I would make plans to visit \u2014 only for us to cancel at the last minute because the hours conflicted with other commitments.<\/p>\n

This semester, though, I finally found the time.<\/p>\n

If this is your first time hearing about the restaurant \u2014 or, like me, you simply never had the time \u2014 definitely add it to your list this semester.<\/p>\n

Such high-quality dining shouldn\u2019t be left so underrated.<\/p>\n

Related: USF students weigh in after a semester with new dining provider<\/a><\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s Google page<\/a> boasts an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars from a meager 13 reviews. In comparison, Juniper Dining<\/a> has over 500 reviews, but only 3.9 stars.<\/p>\n

Entry traditionally costs $12.75, though USF students paying with dining dollars receive a $2 discount, according to a sign placed in front of the restaurant<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The website also recommends guests to place a reservation at least one day in advance to guarantee seating.<\/p>\n

Sophomore business management major Nas C\u00e9sar, who recently dined without a reservation, said he waited about 40 minutes before a table opened up.<\/p>\n

Despite the delays that dampened his mood, C\u00e9sar described the overall experience as wonderful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI do plan to go again, though with a reservation this time,\u201d C\u00e9sar said.<\/p>\n

Just as On Top of the Palms has restrictive seating, it also has shockingly limited hours \u2013 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. only from Monday through Friday.<\/p>\n

These hours are easily the biggest impediment to dining at the restaurant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related: Compass Group brings dining hall renovations, new restaurants to USF<\/a><\/p>\n

But the cumbersome hours and seating don\u2019t overshadow the quality of service On Top of the Palms provides.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I arrived shortly after opening and was shocked to discover a rather substantial line overflowing from the restaurant\u2019s doors into the MSC\u2019s hallway. I hadn\u2019t placed a reservation, so I joined the line.<\/p>\n

I made small talk with the couple ahead of me \u2013 evidently regulars \u2013 who told me the restaurant had the \u201cbest food on campus.\u201d My expectations were high.<\/p>\n

About five minutes later, I was let in. Nearly half-a-dozen parties of three to four people each filled the dining room.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I was greeted by my hostess, who showed me to my table. Upon realizing it was my first time visiting, she enthusiastically offered to show me around.<\/p>\n

Above everything else, the service was impeccable. Matching the hostess\u2019s enthusiasm, the behind-the-buffet chefs eagerly jumped at the opportunity to ask me if I was enjoying the food.<\/p>\n

It was certainly a far cry from the impersonal atmosphere of USF\u2019s other dining options.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, my view didn\u2019t break this tradition of sterility.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the website boasts about the restaurant\u2019s \u201cgorgeous view\u201d \u2014 a massive window overlooking the palm trees that give the restaurant its name \u2014 not all seats actually offer it.<\/p>\n

My seat offered little more than a peek into the overcrowded and drab MSC \u2014 shattering any illusion of fine dining.<\/p>\n

More seating is always appreciated, but it\u2019s unfortunate that many of the restaurant\u2019s seats provide a significantly less atmospheric experience than others.<\/p>\n

Despite this, I made my way to the buffet with optimism. The main dishes of the day were grilled chicken and wild salmon with mango sweet chili sauce.<\/p>\n

The chicken was respectable. It seemed to be made of the same meat used at The Hub and Juniper Dining, but \u2014 unlike at those dining halls \u2014 it was properly sauced and seasoned.<\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed it \u2014 a rare feat for USF\u2019s chicken.<\/p>\n

Related: OPINION: The Hub\u2019s renovations are an improved version of mediocre food<\/a><\/p>\n

The salmon fared much better \u2014 it was mild and unassuming, but with a very pleasant taste. I was reminded of the way my parents cook salmon, which is always a compliment.<\/p>\n

I finished my main course with the California spa salad<\/a> \u2014 an assortment of veggies including grilled asparagus, red onion, goat cheese, avocado and almonds.<\/p>\n

It was almost sickeningly sweet, which is not how I like my salads, but that excess of flavor still gave it the leg-up on USF Dining\u2019s frustratingly bland salad offerings.<\/p>\n

And as I finished the dish, I realized I quite liked the aftertaste.<\/p>\n

In true USF Dining fashion, the desserts were far and away the best part. I tried the New York cheesecake<\/a>, chocolate torte<\/a> and lemon bars \u2014 and loved all three.<\/p>\n

By that time, it was well past noon. The line had died down to the odd couple staggering in, and my first class of the day was rapidly approaching.<\/p>\n

I made my exit, letting the staff know how deeply I appreciated their hospitality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As I walked to class, I felt something I never thought I\u2019d associate with USF Dining \u2014 satisfaction.<\/p>\n

So, when you\u2019ve grown bored of Argos and The Hub feels bland, consider stopping by On Top of the Palms.<\/p>\n

It might be your new favorite on-campus spot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The restaurant, located on the third floor of the MSC, is a cut above USF\u2019s other dining options.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134791,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-134790","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-tampa","9":"tag-tampa-headlines","10":"tag-tampa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134790\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}