Bodega

Love this place!!! Fresca’s are amazing and they have an amazing for both meat lovers and vegetarians, even vegan options :-) Food is so flavorful and plenty, it is also in a neat part of downtown and offer a juice bar next door. Food and drinks that make you leave feeling satisfied and happy :-)

Best Cuban in the Bay Area! Staff is awesome, weekly specials are great as well as the draft beer rotation. Getting hungry again just writing this!

OH MY GOODNESS! FIIIIVE STARS! I wish we’d discovered this place sooner! I’m having the Salad and it is so perfectly flavored, so full of fruits and veggies, and the perfect chili lime sauce to top. Holy moly. My guy had the Pollo Asado and I saw the ever so rare eyebrow raise, no words needed. We’re both having Micheladas that are made RIGHT! Outside seating, bar seating, juice bar seating, window seating. The music is on point, mainly Spanish guitar. The price is affordable, the portions well enough to fill a tummy. So impressed.

We came here for dinner Monday night and it was delicious! We ordered the classic Cuban, jicama slaw, spicy sweet slaw (?), rice, and the maduros. Also, ordered the lime/​seltzer drink.
The first bite of my Cuban was amazing. The pork was marinated to perfection with so much flavor! The jicama slaw was a nice side as it was light and refreshing and also crunchy. The lime seltzer was not too sweet and also refreshing as well. Anytime I am back in Florida I will be sure to make a trip down to Bodega!

I’ve been to this place a couple of times. Their food is great and the location is awesome as well. They are also very friendly and knowledgeable. It seems as though they are also always busy. Sometimes the wait is long but in the end it’s worth it. I’ve had their seitan tomato dish with the jicama slaw and i can’t stop thinking about it. It’s so good. As a vegetarian it’s nice to have a Cuban place that serves an option or 2. Especially when those options are extremely delicious. I heard the seitan sandwich is also great. Their plantains remind me of central America. It’s also nice to have some local craft beer in there and other soft drink options. I would go if i were you, whether i liked Cuban food or not this place is worth it

Great little find. Split the Lechon sandwich with hubby and it was plenty. Sides of rice & beans & jicama slaw were delish! Love the vibe. Glad we saw the line & noted its significance!

I know nothing about Cuban food or sandwiches. I’m a California transplant in the area for work. I’ve always heard about Cuban sandwiches and made it a quest of mine to have one. I went to Bodega’s because it’s the highest rated Cuban restaurant in St Pete. The reviewers don’t lie. This place is bomb!!! I got my beloved Cuban along with a lime fresca. Both were amazing. Like a little kid, a smile crept upon my face as I took my first sip of the drink while waiting for my sandwich. Once it was ready, I took it to my apartment so that I could devour it in peace, and boy did I devour. I took my first bite, and that same smile spread on my face again, except it was bigger this time. I haven’t felt such joy while eating a sandwich. It truly is every bit amazing and delicious. I can’t wait to explore their menu!

I usually get the Frita burger when I visit bodega. It’s so good I have never felt the need to try anything else. My friends often wander through the menu with their salads and Cuban sandwiches and are always satisfied.
Their coffee is to die for and their juice bar is legit too. This is definitely something to check out while visiting downtown St Pete

Delicious food cheap prices. Casual outdoor seating. Cuban food lots of flavor. We had the lecho plato which is tender pork simmered in a mojo sauce (onions garlic and other spices) served with fried plantains and beens and rice. sooo good.

Flavors were delicious together. Got the chicken and tempeh. Had it bookmarked and while good, probably wouldn’t return.

What’s up with the employees working here? Food was very good but after the bad service myself and others received, I probably wouldn’t go back. I’ll just talk about what I ate/​drank. Cuban sandwich, very good. I don’t know about it being called the best Cuban in the Tampa area but it’s definitely a contender. I got a mango smoothie to wash down the Cuban. $ 6 is kinda steep but it was tasty for sure. Too bad this one lady there put me in a bad mood. Otherwise, it would have been a much better experience. 4.5 for the food/value…1.5 for service. So I’ll average it out and give 3 stars.

One sandwich that I really like is a Cuban. I have tried every Cuban in town so I can honestly say the Cuban I had today was the Best. First time here and I am sure to return. The staff was super friendly and made us feel very welcome. The food was fast and we loved sitting out front on the open sidewalk. Make sure you get there for lunch early, we got there at 11:30 and by 12:00 to 12:30 they were busy.
I give this 5 stars excellent all around. Don’t go to downtown St. Pete and miss this excellent lunch spot.

First time trying bodega and I was not disappointed. Reading other reviews and looking at the menu I was a little skeptical of the hype. Their menu is kind of limited only offering about 10 food items which differs greatly to most Latin American/​Cuban eateries. In addition the price point is a bit higher with a Cuban sandwich costing about $ 7 with no fries or sides.
But nonetheless I decided to still go and check it out. I first tried their cafecito since it was a cold day and needed a good pick-​me-​up. It is basically a café con leche, but assuming with a bit more milk. It hit the spot as I waiting for my lunch. I decided on the frita which I didn’t realize was a pork and beef burger topped with perfection (avocado, papitas, and spicy mayo). It was one of the most flavorful burgers I have ever ate; very juicy and you could tell was a well thought out burger. Before I knew it I ended up eating the whole thing and wished I had more.
Though the glutton in me wishes they offered fries on their menu, but they seem like an establishment that caters to a health conscious crowd since there is a juice and coffee bar next door. Also they offer a few vegetarian options like a tempeh sandwich. Which I have to say looks pretty good.
Bottomline I will be trying this place again to try a few more menu items. I feel the plates probably give you more of a bang for your buck if you want to try more things on the menu since it comes with maduros (plantains), beans, and rice.

I’ve been meaning to check this place out for some time, but I’m rarely ever in the St. Pete area. So when my family and I finally got a chance to grab some food here, I had some high expectations based on reviews, and we were all incredibly impressed! It’s not much in terms of looks, where you might even miss the little stand with an unassuming, but pleasant exterior. Seating is open air, whether you go behind the kitchen or sit by the road, so you’ll probably only be sitting down to eat if the weather is decent.
We ordered different sandwiches to get a full sampling of the variety, and none of them disappointed. The Lechon was by far the favorite, with savory 4-​hour roasted pork cooked with garlic and onions. The Cuban came in a close second, with the Pollo Asado (coconut, mango, avocado — that flavor profile!) close behind. Even though I just ranked them, all of the sandwiches were incredible in their own way. They were packed with meat and their respective toppings, pressed between two soft and chewy pieces of Cuban bread, but the best part was that none of the sandwiches were super salty! This is especially a problem to me when it comes to Cubans, so I was ecstatic to finally find a place where I could enjoy my sandwich without feeling like I had to down a bottle of water afterwards. The portions are big and will fill you up, and price point is great for what you get. Service was friendly, with the woman taking our order politely explaining everything, but it does take some time for you to get your food. This is expected, though, when you realize they’re making everything fresh and hot off the press when you open your brown paper bag to grab your piping hot sandwich! Checking in on Unilocal also gave us the nice treat of a free cafécito, Cuban-​style espresso sweetened with sugar as it’s brewed. Definitely quality coffee here, and sweetened to the point where no bitterness remains. I’m a fan, Bodega, and I will be back!

Wow!
I live in Tampa and will make any excuse possible to come grab food from this place. There is not a bad item on the menu. From the Lechon to the traditional Cuban. The rice, beans, and plantains are a must as well.
Really have nothing else to say other than this is some of the tastiest food in St Pete.

Meh. I rated this place so so highly before and you can check out my review. I boasted. I raved.
But inconsistent service and food caused me to drop a star. We ordered a side of beans that took thirty minutes when they weren’t busy, and even though my boyfriend politely reminded them twice, they essentially ignored his plea until we didn’t even want the damn beans anymore. Two people were working the front and no one took responsibility, they just shrugged it off and continued to ignore our simple request. I imagine the beans are pre cooked and this should have been instantaneous, but perhaps they soak the beans fresh.
Then, sadly, they didn’t shake their dressing and they served us a ramekin of oil instead of the yummy dressing on our salad. Straight orange oil, flavorless and super gross.
Then my tempeh sandwich has been differently spicy and avocado loaded each time. First time heaven, second time blander and without enough avo. I travelled to St Pete on weekend to eat here and now… Meh, not worth it if I can’t
trust the consistency.

Solid Cuban food! I got a Mojo pork Plato that came with black beans and white rice and plantains. I prefer yellow rice with my Cuban, but that’s ok. ;) The pork was lean and flavorful and I appreciated the chili pepper half and parsley sprig on top. I did add some Cholula, but that’s because everything must be spicy with me! I also had to get a café con leche, which was delish.
So atmosphere-​wise, Bodega is cool because you order out front and then there is covered seating in the back. Service is friendly and there are beers on tap. Next door is a pretty dank looking juice bar. Yaya!

Easily some of the best food in all of St. Pete. First there’s a glorious juice and smoothie bar– kale, banana, pineapple, honey, coconut… Pretty much anything you want and always made by a friendly face!
Next, the food… Always delicious, fresh and made to order. Fairly priced especially for the amount you receive plus — most everything on the menu is less than $ 10.
Bodega is a MUST for anyone in St. Pete.

Easily my favorite food so when hanging in St Pete, whether I’m hitting the local breweries or going to a game. The Pollo Asado and definitely the Cuban are must haves, but I have never been disappointed. To the newcomer, these sandwiches will take a few extra minutes to make, so grab a beer or two from their tap selection and chill while they work their magic.
The price is so right for what you get. We’re talking approx. $ 8 for the sandwich of your choice and all of the seating is outside of this tiny kitchen on patio tables or a few seats at the bar looking into the establishment. Either way, you are able to enjoy the outdoors and passers by as you eat. After having some local crafted beers there is no better way to cap off your day than at the Bodega!

5 starts because this little place is DELICIOUS! We’ve been here about a dozen times now and it’s never been less than a 5 star experience. The Cuban is really yummy but the lechon is my favorite. With roast pork, garlic mojo, and onions — it’s simple and amazing. The salads look really fresh and large portioned, as well. Though they offer a few beers on tap, I recently opted for a natural hibiscus soda. I would mark that as ‘interesting’ yet I kept drinking it not really coming to the decision whether I liked it or not.
One bit of advice is: There is a lot of seating in the back and expect a large crowd with little parking if its a Rays home game. Get there early.