{"id":401667,"date":"2026-09-16T17:06:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T17:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/401667\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T17:06:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T17:06:17","slug":"five-tampa-gas-station-restaurants-that-are-worth-the-pit-stop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/401667\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Tampa gas station restaurants that are worth the pit stop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AChicago Paulies in Tampa, Florida on July 20, 2023. Credit: Ray Roa \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

Gas station restaurants are nothing new. They first sprouted from roadside \u201cfilling stations,\u201d offering simple snacks, cold drinks, and barbeque to weary travelers driving long distances. The Great Depression made way for entrepreneurs like Harland Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Gus Belt (of Steak \u2019n\u2019 Shake) who famously began selling their greasy goods directly at or adjacent to gas and service stations.<\/p>\n

And later, in the Jim Crow era, filling stations with eateries served as vital, one-stop shops and safe havens for Black patrons at a time when mainstream restaurants refused them service.<\/p>\n

Today, lots of folks love a good sit down restaurant with linens when the time and occasion allows, but there\u2019s something to be said for getting really good convenience store food that hits the spot while filling up the car for the next errand. Two birds, one stone.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of great gas station food spots right here in Tampa Bay. Here are five great spots in the 813 serving up hot plates and taking names, giving Tampa folks the best bang for their buck.<\/p>\n

Chicago Paulie\u2019s (1301 N Howard Ave.)<\/p>\n

This spot already snagged national notoriety, coming in at No. 6 sandwich shop in the country according to Yelp<\/a>, and there\u2019s no question that Paulie\u2019s got something really special going on here. Hungry folks will find seriously authentic Chicago dogs, Polishes, Maxwell Street style, Italian Beef sandwiches ranging in heat, and more\u2014all well within $10-$20. So what makes a place like this work so well?<\/p>\n

\u201cFill up your body, fill up your car. It\u2019s just convenience,\u201d Paulie, the owner, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. \u201cWe truly love everybody. We make our food like we would for our family. That\u2019s why our tomatoes are almost perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is there anyone else doing dogs like these?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot who try,\u201d Paulie said, \u201cbut I\u2019m a Chicago dude making Chicago food. It\u2019s not anything about anyone else. You can read and follow an Italian recipe but it just don\u2019t taste the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AChalawaan Thai Delish in Tampa, Florida on Aug. 21, 2026. Credit: Annalise Mabe \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

Chalawaan Thai Delish (5018 N Armenia Ave.)<\/p>\n

Layla Martinez opens up shop at Chalawaan Thai Delish on Armenia<\/a>, prepping the kitchen for a busy day. This location has been open just six months inside a Citgo tucked all the way in the back. Martinez is the friendly owner behind the counter, and she recommends a few different plates, citing the Panang Curry as a current favorite. The dishes here come with a default mild spice, but can be upped in heat. The fresh-to-order food is hot and the curries are spicy, creamy, sweet, and fresh.<\/p>\n

Martinez had this to say about her spot\u2019s popularity, and it\u2019s hard to argue: \u201cThe food, the friendliness, the big portions, and the fair prices,\u201d\u2014to which one can\u2019t really argue.<\/p>\n

Tazz Takeout (4990 E Busch Blvd.)<\/p>\n

Ahead of a dinner rush on the corner of Busch Boulevard and 50th Street, Tazz, the owner, helps a gentleman who says they\u2019ve got the best chicken around, and that he can taste that the oil is fresh. It\u2019s true\u2014Tazz never reuses it. The same customer also says he comes all the way from Carrollwood to Busch Boulevard to get these wings, and that his kids love the lemon pepper flavor.<\/p>\n

Tazz\u2019s phone rings off the hook as his line cook chops and flips thinly sliced steak for Philly Cheesesteaks. Tazz has been in Tampa for four years, but originally hails from Palm Beach county where he\u2019d been doing the hot \u2018n fresh food thing since March 12, 1992, 18 hours a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do it fresh. Fresh ingredients. We cook with love\u2014that\u2019s the main thing. When you cook it and you do it because you love it, that means a lot,\u201d he told CL.<\/p>\n

And keep your eyes peeled because Tazz\u2019s son is opening up another location on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and 50th right around the corner.<\/p>\n

\"AEnchiladas at Mangonadas in Tampa, Florida on Aug. 22, 2026. Credit: Annalise Mabe \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

Mangonadas (6823 N Habana Ave.)<\/p>\n

Is there a Taco Tuesday in Tampa that can beat three tacos for $6.99, including steak, pastor, and chicken? Mangonadas shares a wall with a Chevron, and it\u2019s got a full sit down area for anyone who wants to have a seat and eat inside the air conditioning. \u201cEverything is fresh. We use authentic Mexican spices: comino, annatto, canela. It tastes like Mexico,\u201d the employee behind the counter told CL.<\/p>\n

Mangonadas\u2019 full menu offers up big plates of enchiladas, generous sides of refried beans and rice, plenty of tacos to choose from, large burritos, and brightly colored tropical drinks that can also be taken to-go.<\/p>\n

Nana\u2019s Kitchen and Grill (9702 E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.)<\/p>\n

Nana\u2019s Kitchen and Grill is known for its authentic and flavorful Philly Cheesesteaks, and even before 11 a.m., a woman behind the counter was making one fresh. The spot in East Tampa opens at 7 a.m. and has a tiki-lounge feel with a high-top long table in the middle of the shop plus lots of outdoor seating and chairs. The menu of scratch-made comfort food also includes old time burgers (never frozen), seasoned fried fish, and snow crab trays, all served with genuine hospitality.<\/p>\n

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This article appears in Sept. 17 \u2013 23, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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