1. Bar Louie

   Editor's pick

   International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B202, Tampa, 33607

   This IP hot spot is more bar than restaurant. It offers $1 burgers on Tuesday nights. Also, there are tater tots. Napoleon Dynamite would approve. The '80s soundtrack is a guilty pleasure, especially delicious when taken concurrently with a couple of the 40 beers on tap. The vibe is all funky ar …

2. Bilmar Station

   International Plaza District : 8501 Buccaneer Sq, Tampa, 33615

   Bilmar Station offers what's expected out of a sports bar and goes beyond with a comfortable atmosphere and full bar.

3. Blue Martini

   International Plaza District : Bay Street at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 33607

   Blue Martini calls its fare heavy appetizers, but there's not a chicken wing or onion ring in sight. Instead, the short menu features contemporary Asian-Mediterranean fusion: sesame-seared tuna, sliced beef tenderloin, hummus, calamari salad. And don't miss the killer 6-inch-tall chocolate cake. …

4. Boizao Steakhouse

   Editor's pick

   International Plaza District : 4606 W Boy Scout Boulevard, Tampa, 33607

   Boizao (pronounced "boy-zoun") opened a couple years ago along Boy Scout Boulevard to capture some of the Tampa International Airport/Westshore business crowd. It's a vast, slick space (they may serve 1,000 diners a day) with a festive, all-you-can-eat party vibe. The waft of rotisseri …

5. Brio

   International Plaza District : International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 33607

   This casual, white-tablecloth restaurant serves Northern Italian cuisine with wood-grilled and oven-roasted steaks, chops and seafood. It also has a bar menu that includes a "shrimpitini" shrimp cocktail, beef carpaccio and mini burgers, all for $2.95. There's indoor seating for 190 gu …

6. Brio Tuscan Grille

   International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B207, Tampa, 33607

   Known as the Cheesecake Factory of Italian fare, Brio Tuscan Grille is a 460-seat restaurant, including outdoor patio space. The look is marble floors, chandeliers and white columns. The menu is steak, seafood and pasta cooked in wood-fired ovens and a wood-burning grill. The average check is $1 …

7. Cafe Japon

   International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B224, Tampa, 33607

   Located in International Plaza's Bay Street restaurant row, it offers a range of teriyaki, tempura veggies and noodle dishes that will appeal to a wide audience. Casual, friendly and independently owned, it doesn't have the corporate slickness of many Bay Street offerings.

8. Capital Grille

   Editor's pick

   International Plaza District : Bay Street at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd. , Tampa, 33607

   When you need a $40 steak to make your Neiman Marcus purchases seem a mere pittance, this is the place to go. It's a national dry-aged beef chain with a 400-plus label wine list. Capital Grille offers top-notch service and a steak menu that's more inventive than many (see: the dry-aged sirloin c …

9. Champps Restaurant and Bar

   International Plaza District : Bay Street at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd. , Tampa, 33607

   Cozy with just a little modern flair, Champp's offers an extensive menu of whiskeys, after-dinner cocktails and martinis. No boxes of pre-made gunk: Appetizers include chicken satay and chicken wings. Brick walls, framed sports and pop-art prints, oak tables and metal-top bar all combine in a ba …

10. Charley's Steakhouse

    Editor's pick

    International Plaza District : 4444 W Cypress St, Tampa, 33607

    The great American steakhouse wars are going hot and heavy — Morton's, Sullivan's Steakhouse, Don Shula's, Fleming's (and its more middlebrow parent, Outback), The Palm, and Ruth's Chris. Charley's is a teeny chain among giants, beloved for its fat, grilled steaks and sturdy California cab …

11. Checkers

    International Plaza District : 4300 W Cypress St # 600, Tampa, 33607

    ** Text below provided by this business**With two drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window at our more than 800 locations, Checkers is ideally positioned for today's on-the-go guest. Known for our full-flavored, hand seasoned burgers, thick shakes and famous seasoned fries, Checkers provides the gr …

12. Cheesecake Factory

    International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B201, Tampa, 33607

    The chain has lots of devotees - maybe because the portion sizes verge on ridiculous. How are you supposed to order one of the 50 varieties of cheesecake once you've plowed through a salad as big as your head? Their finger-food appetizers are much better than they have to be.

13. Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant

    International Plaza District : 4110 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, 33607

    The restaurant serves 40 of it's name brand wines with its eclectic menu that includes "life balance'' healthy menu, a gluten free menu, burgers, homemade desserts and more; there's a tasting room, retail wine store and wine club.

14. Earl of Sandwich

    International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B213, Tampa, 33607

    Some 245 years after the fourth Earl of Sandwich got credit for slapping meat between slices of bread, Robert Earl of Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe dreamed up this chain. It serves 20 hot sandwiches - heavy on the roast beef and turkey - a few salads and wraps. Wish the bread were better.  …

15. Essex Restaurant

    International Plaza District : 4010 W Boy Scout Blvd. # 185, Tampa, 33607

16. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

    Editor's pick

    International Plaza District : 4322 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, 33607

    Outback cooked up a higher class venue here with first-rate trimmings. Sharp staff, smart wines, a broad menu and expansive hospitality, updated beyond showoff beef-offs. Fine steak in prime comfort starts with onion soup.

17. Gallery Eclectic Bistro

    International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B206, Tampa, 33607

18. ItaliAsia at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Airport

    International Plaza District : 4500 W Cypress St., Tampa, 33607

    The concept, honed at a hotel in Chicago, is half Italian, half Asian, no fusion, something for everyone. That means chicken wonton soup cheek to jowl with Tuscan white bean puree. Nothing wrong with that. Bustling around a spacious, airy dining room, servers could use a bit more polish and trai …

19. Kona Grill

    International Plaza District : 4134 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, 33607

    It's mostly Asian food for people who are scared of Asian food. It's chopsticks-optional, training-wheels sushi with none of the menacing stuff (uni fans, tough luck). It's exotic accents rather than anything full-throttle foreign. And if all else fails, it's meat loaf and pizza, too. Who will l …

20. Lee Roy Selmon's Restaurant

    International Plaza District : 4302 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, 33607

    This restaurant that bears the name of the late Hall of Famer (and beloved USF figure) is part of the Outback family of restaurants and serves Southern cooking: Mama's Meatloaf, rib-grabbin' barbecue ribs, po' boy sandwiches and "two-handed" burgers.

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