| Thursday, February 18, 2026
|
| Greetings! Tampa Bay's food-scape shows no signs of slowing down as a range of new options crop up in this short month. A pan-Asian restaurant debuted in Seminole Heights, Whataburger made a triumphant return to the area in Largo and an iconic Tampa spot announced it's making way for something new.
|
| [Courtesy of Whataburger]
|
| February is the gateway to spring, and since this will be my first spring in Florida, I'm looking forward to consistently warmer temperatures and crape myrtle and tickseed blooms. The few deep violet beautyberry clusters still hanging on spindly branches outside my office window will soon give way to pale lavender-pink flowers. I've been told you can make jams and jellies from the berries, but it's much too tart for raw consumption.
Like the upcoming spring, there is an element of newness in the air as several new restaurant concepts opened in Tampa Bay recently and one South Tampa favorite announced it will become an entirely new spot.
Whataburger made its return to Tampa Bay after over a 15-year hiatus. When I was a child growing up in Houston, Texas, the original Whataburgers were my mother's go-to fast-food burger. She ordered them with extra onions and cheese (highly recommend!). Later, as a teenager and then young adult in Austin, Whataburger was always open late to either further fuel or cap my night's festivities. I even lived directly behind a Whataburger for a year, the fatty smells engulfing the small apartment complex during peak hours. The spot has been off my radar for years, but I will be heading to Largo to nostalgically reconnect with some classic Texas burgers.
Over in South Tampa, a longtime popular spot will shut down in a couple of months. Haven will be open through this summer season, then a new seafood concept will take over the space by fall 2027. Food and dining critic Helen Freund gives us the details as this South Tampa stalwart looks to write its final chapter in the coming months.
Another new Tampa entry: J’s Asian Kitchen. Seminole Heights has no shortage of restaurant choices, and if it's ramen, pho or udon I'm craving, I can walk to this new pan-Asian spot.
|
| Here's what else is going on in food and dining.
|
