Great Spanish restaurant. Good salad ! Deviled crabs are good also! Would definitely recommend! read more

Amazing find -- found only because our first lunch choice in the same plaza was closed (despite on-line hours posted otherwise). Overall, this was definitely an excellent discovery even though it's been here awhile. Customer service friendly, courteous and patient, delicious food and great prices! Menus available on-line as well as on table upon entry and satisfies varieties of taste palates. Orders placed at counter for dining-in or take-out. If dining in, food is delivered to your table. Seating is spacious. Also noticed there appears to be another room on inside perhaps for private or larger parties. Parking is plentiful with ramp close to entrance. Ordered a bowl of Caldo Gallego (Spanish bean) soup -- it was delicious. Also ordered the lunch special Pescado a La Rusa which came with black beans and yellow rice (I requested sides of chopped onions & vinegar) - no up charge. The order came with cuban bread and olive butter. Lunch special is a very generous portion Spanish-style whitefish filet, yellow rice complemented by small cups of seasoned black beans (plus onions & vinegar as requested). Leftover portions of bread, fish, black beans and yellow rice placed in take-home two containers and enjoyed for breakfast. My guests each ordered the cuban sandwich (A La Pancha) hot pressed. Both orders were cut in half (thankfully) as each sandwich was large and also quite satisfying. One sandwich was completely devoured, the second guest needed a take-home container for the second half. Bottomline: La Septima is a Brandon gem. The menu, flavorful foods, customer service and comfortable setting, location and costs are very competitive. Other than water, beverage options include Coke products, coffee plus sweet/unsweet tea or Spirits. La Septima is located at 702 W Lumsden Rd in the Via Viva Plaza on the northwest corner of Lumsden Rd and Kings Ave intersection. Special offers also include catering packages for large and small events, parties and various festivities or special occasions. Desserts also available. Hours are Monday - Saturday from 11:00am - 8:00pm; (813) 685-0502 read more

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I have been a patron of this retreat for years and can not believe I have not written a review until now. This is my go to place for lunch .... I have eaten inside of the restraint but I mainly order take out. My go to meal is the lechon asado with yellow rice, black beans, onions and the Cuban bread and olive butter. There is only one time during all my years ordering here where the pork was dry and salty . Usually the pork is moist and bursting with citrus flavours and the yellow rice and beans and very well seasoned. Inside the restaurant is nicely decorated and very cozy. The staff are always very courteous and friendly. They have amazingly priced lunch special for under $10 and a rewards program which is easy to sign up for. read more

La Septima Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

One of those take for granted gems that's far too underrated. Amazing daily specials and one of the best cold Cubans(perfect for the next day while working out doors and a nice change of pace from hot and pressed which I get the night before with the two Cuban special!) order here multiple times a week and feel good about eating(even if when I over eat) been here for ever for good reason and the staff is always friendly and very welcoming. Thank you for always killing it with specials and the soups/brean and olive butter a true local gem read more

Delicious food & friendly service. Absolutely love the Fried Whitefish, Yellow Rice, Black Beans with the marinated onions and the olive butter...yum I have had their Cubans which are good and bean soup which is delish!! Can't wait to go back, next time I would like to try the Cuban Fusion Wrap!! Just wish they had table service and better ambiance but will definitely be back for the delicious grub! read more

La Septima Cafe - Fried White Fish, delicious! - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

Had my eye on this for a while and was worth it. Felt very authentic, good prices, this mojo sauce is everything, food was fresh and cooked well. Bing plantains critic and they were brought to us hot and fried right. Well be back!! Drunkin Noodle: Red Sangria was average but my partner in crime loved the rim covered in cinnamon, nice touch because she licked the glass..ha! read more

Good service. Good food. Plenty of parking. Vibe seemed fun enough. Looking forward to trying their lunch specials. read more

La Septima Cafe - July 2024 - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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This was my first visit in 2+ years, since I don't go to Brandon very often. Oh my! I'd forgotten what wonderful food and service. What was the bar area is now where orders for eating at the facility or take out. We sampled a variety of items: the deviled crab are better than any I've had in Ybor. (They taste like what I used to get on my way home from school many years ago.) The spanish bean and caldo gallego soups were flavorful and again reminded me of the soups of my youth in Tampa. The jaibo enchilado ( mom called her entree crab schilow) La Septima serves the tomato sauce & crab over spaghetti; mom served over rice. The crab and tomato sauce taste like mom's. The sangrias were delightful. Service was very customer oriented. We ate in the restaurant and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. My resolution for 2025 is to return here again more often. read more

I haven't ever tried this quaint lil restaurant before although I'm a huge Cuban food lover. I had time today and stopped in for lunch. The ambience was quiet with nice Latino music, not too loud and a nice touch. A popular lunch spot, plenty of customers dining in and carrying out. I enjoyed the picadilla and yellow rice and the only thing I can say is they use tomato sauce instead of traditional Cuban seasonings. It was different but tasty. The Cuban bread is a yummy side treat! Enjoyed my visit n it's nice to have them in Brandon. read more

La Septima Cafe - Picadilla & yellow rice w/ black beans and Cuban bread. - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

I was happier when they had table service. Even though the food is the same, having to go to the front to place an order takes away from the experience. Go back to having a waitress. Anita Cl. read more

The Taste of Ybor is now in South Hillsborough! To my surprise I was patronizing another shop in the Va Viva plaza and walked over to La Séptima Café! It was a nice refreshing surprise actually because there aren't a lot of cultural cafes in the area let alone a Cuban cultural one brought from Ybor City in Tampa. They have a nice menu from drinks and appetizers to full entres and dessert. On this visit I tried the Pressed Cuban Wrap and yuca fries with a tall glass of sangria! What a delicious lunch! The place isn't fancy but it does have the reminders of the Ybor flavor and feel. I'll definitely be back sometime to try other items on the menu. read more

La Septima Cafe - Pictured: Cuban wrap, Yuca Fries, red sangria, rum and Coke. - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

La Septima Cafe is a solid go-to in Brandon for Spanish food in a (now) more casual, laid back setting. The pandemic has made an impact on the restaurant industry despite the best efforts of the Governor to keep things open and moving. It's quite evident here at La Septima Cafe. This once bustling, waiter service restaurant is a low-key counter service spot now. The food however, is still fantastic. My wife and I had been here once before during the pandemic. We got to-go food. We were craving Spanish food and didn't want to go to Ybor. We wanted something laid back and casual. The dining room was mostly empty. You walk-in and order at the counter. The young man behind the counter was friendly and explained the new system to us. We placed our order with him and took our number to our table. My wife ordered the Lechon Asado with yellow rice and beans and I ordered the Picadillo Con Papas Fritas with yellow rice and platanos maduros. I also had a bottled beer and my wife had a red sangria. We took a seat and were pretty surprised by the new setting. My wife says this place used to be packed in the evenings. This Saturday night, while we enjoyed the quiet dining experience, was empty. Our food was out pretty quick. The food is served on plastic plates and in styrofoam containers. Pre-packaged plasticware is provided. Simple. Things may have changed in appearance but the food was fantastic. My wife's lechon asado was plentiful and tasty. It came with additional mojo sauce. It was zesty, high quality meat, tender, juicy and just spot on. My wife highly enjoyed it and I was a bit envious. We both had the yellow rice as a side and it was flavorful as well. Rice can be hit or miss but this rice was a hit with me. Topped with the black beans, it was perfect. My Picadillo con Papas Fritas was excellent as well. It had bits of crunchy potatoes on top. A flavorful, rich ground beef in a tomato sauce with capers and olives. Excellent. I also had a side of platanos maduros that came out piping hot and fresh. They hit the spot. La Septima Cafe has changed but don't let that stop you from trying their delicious food. It was nice to enjoy a quiet, simple dinner with high quality, tasty food. Give them a try! read more

La Septima Cafe - Picadullo con papas frita - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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My husband and I went back since I had been missing their Caldo soup. We had the soup and the chicken quesadilla and it was very good. We have been back and will go back again. read more

A complete disappointment! There is no comparison to Ybor Cuban food! We ordered Palomilla un-breaded which was dry and overcooked then here comes the ropa vieja which is a Cuban staple when I took the first bite I should have asked for a refund but not one to send food back I ate what I could and boxed up the rest to try and doctor up when I got home because it was way to sweet it was like eating barbecue ropa vieja which is a hard pass for me! While management was kind and gave us a dessert for having to wait a longtime to get our food! Sadly we will not be returning as we have tasted far superior Cuban food! read more

The food was great. We got the family serving of white fish La Rusa which never fails. Maybe I'm 'old school' but I still like to walk into a restaurant, be seated at a clean table & waited on by a server. Which is exactly what La Septima used to be. Since the covid hoax, they've gone to all plastic/styrofoam serving pieces & if you dine in, you seat yourself, get your own plastic & drinks. I'm sure it's cheaper for the owners this way but that it's not my memory of La Septima & that's disappointing. read more

Amazing First Visit!! I was just walking my dog with my boyfriend around the plaza and we stumbled upon this authentic Cuban restaurant. Steve was great and had my food ready in 15min. Best Cuban sandwiches we've had in a long time. We will definitely be back!! read more

What a difference six years makes. The last time we visited La Septima, six years ago today, we had a good meal. And the salad dressing was so good we took some home. Last night, it was a completely different experience. No more waiters, you have to order at the register just like you would at McDonald's, then sit down and wait at a table for them to bring you your food. While that is a big change from how they used to be, it's not completely unheard of. Okay, it's pretty common, to be fair. But the food was priced as much, or more than, other competing Latin restaurants in the area, and was served on disposable dinnerware. True, the knives and forks were metal, but the plates and bowls are plastic and styrofoam. The spoons were weird. They're very deep and almost impossible to get all the food out of. So eating the cheesecake for dessert was far more challenging than it should've been. I mean, did you have to go to a funhouse supply store to find those? The food was okay, but not worth the price. Not nearly. A couple of days ago, we went to the famous Spanish restaurant in Ybor City, and the prices were relatively similar (yeah, maybe a little higher at the fancy place), but what does that extra get you? Real plates, real table cloths, great food, waiters in tuxedos providing real table service. My wife said this was the new Latin Panera, but even Panera has real plates. The service was mixed. The cashier was really accommodating and has a great personality, and the staff, once you got their attention, went out of their way to take care of you, but there is no dedicated waiter to check on you, or top off your drink, or bring you to go boxes. For these prices, you'd really expect that. The food was pretty forgettable. My wife's steak was cold, and she only ate about half of it and that was because she was starving. My picadillo was really sweet. It almost tasted like Cuban manwiches. I took a couple of bites and really couldn't go on with it. The bread and butter was, well, it had a bit of a rancid taste to it, so I didn't ear more than a couple of bites. This place is a sad shell of itself and a shame. We won't be back, not with so many other amazing options in the area. read more

First time customer. Got take out. Called ahead. Order was ready when I arrived. Discount for paying cash Tried the 7th Ave Salad. Heard it was a knock off of Columbia's 1905. It was tasty and full of meat. The salad was hearty enough that I ate two meals off of it. Served with a side of Cuban bread. $13ish read more

La Septima Cafe - 7th Avenue Salad - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

La Septima has been here in Brandon forever and I'm not sure why this was my first time in there. I was looking for a good cuban. Went on a Thursday afternoon around lunch time, it wasn't overly busy, it was clean and quiet. Order at the counter and seat yourself, they'll give you a number and bring your food to your table. It wasn't the best meal I've had but it wasn't bad by any means, and I will be back. Good Plantains & Spanish Bean Soup, too! Cuban Sandwich, Plantains, two spanish bean soups and two drinks was around $30. read more

La Septima Cafe - Cuban & Plantains - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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We stopped by for lunch on a weekday and ordered the roast pork, came with black beans and rice, Cuban bread. Ordering was done at the counter, a wsitress brought it out to us. The Cuban bread was not served warm, the other items were ok but not great. The restaurant was mostly filled with hungry workmen. I probably won't be back. I had gone there some years back, and it had been much better. read more

Awesome fried fish, rice and beans onions and sauce This is always a go to restaurant for any occasion . Love the service as well . read more

Over the years La Septima has morphed from a once crowded spot North of SR 60 to it's current locale. The loss of waiter service ( you now order at the counter and take a seat ) and redesign of the interior has, for me, lost whatever modest charm the restaurant and it's welcoming bar area used to have. It feels very cafeteria-like. That said, the food is generally good though complaints about both price and "cuban authenticity" seem common. Try their Seventh Ave Salad with creamy herb dressing and some Picadillo and you'll enjoy. Taste is familiar and certainly available at a few other latin-themed places. The styrofoam cups and serving ware are unfortunate and planet-unfriendly. I am sure market conditions and staffing have had an impact but i hope they restore the once more cozy and inviting setting. read more

Gotta make the drive excellent salads and sandwiches. Yummy Chocolate cake is amazing read more

The food was absolutely delicious! We catered for our company safety meeting and there was no food left afterwards. The service and the communication from La Septima was perfect! They made the ordering process super easy and convenient for us. They also delivered the food to our facility. We will definitely be ordering from them again! :) read more

Maybe this is what they call authentic Tampa food, but it is distinctively not Latin flavor. The food was served quickly. It is a nice place to bring older folks who want a decent meal and a quiet time. read more

Great Cuban sandwich, cool little joint with authentic and delicious food! Dine I or takeout, always good!

The best Latino restaurant in all of Brandon Florida. Homemade flan, homemade, deviled crabs, and mini devil crab bites, the Cuban sandwich is fresh and delicious. The fish sandwich is so remarkable, amazingly delicious on Cuban bread. The only complaint I have is they are far from my home lol!!! read more

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So I decided to check out this spot up the street from my wanted some authentic Spanish food. I didn't have to hit Ybor. Everything was cooked very well I'm a rice and beans guy and that was def it presented well as well even on a Togo Order i may sit any have lunch in there soon. I liked the set up a bunch of old pictures when the restaurant was down in Ybor quiet and intimate , they had a bartender so that was nice to see and know I can have a good drink with some really good food one reason I didn't give them 5 stars they didn't have any butter on the bread could of been a mistake, idk lol read more

La Septima Cafe - Yellow rice black beans and chicken - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Looking at the menu online, I thought this was a fancier restaurant than it actual was. It turned out to be casual dining with some outdoor seating available. Devil Crab $6 - This was no Michelle Faedo's On the Go Food Truck devil crab, which in retrospect is a hard act to follow. It was just ok, the flavors weren't there for me. Conch Fritters $5 - I never had these before and probably won't again since they just tasted like ordinary fried dough. Walk Around La Septima $16 - A sampling of house favorites: Ropa Vieja, Picadillo and Lechon Asado served with black beans and yellow rice. A good dish to share since it's plenty big and you can try a variety of meats. The menu does say there's an extra charge of $3 for shared entrée, though. Mojito $3 during happy hour Monday-Saturday 3pm-7pm. It was pretty good. Red Velvet Cake $5 - The cake and icing were good. read more

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Great food, great value.,great service. Great deviled crab. This place is hidden in a strip mall but has great food.

Why 3 stars? Because it was decent Comida de Cubano. (I don't speak spanish, but I try real hard.) --- --- --- I was disappointed that they did not have my favorite Cuban dish - the Churrasco Steak. Our server recommended the Steak Pepe instead. Steak Pepe was nothing like the Churrasco steak...but WHAT is, really? Nothing is the answer. It's marinated in a burgundy wine sauce, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Some bites left me pleased, and others just left me wishing for an alternative. I'm still undecided, but I had no problem inhaling the whole thing in a few minutes. You can never go wrong with a side of yellow rice and plantains. That's my standard side dish combination at any Cuban restaurant, and it has never let me down to date. I want to experiment with other choices, but it's not an easy task when the comparison is perfection. My Cuban friend informed me that La Septima is translated to "The Seventh." They seem to pride themselves on having an association with Ybor, so that makes sense. I wanted to see if they ever had a location in Ybor, but it doesn't appear so from the info on the website. If you are in the mood for Cuban cuisine while you're in Brandon, this is the place to go. If you are in Tampa, I'd hit up the monopoly of places in the Columbus/Dale Mabry/Hillsborough area. read more

La Septima Cafe - Steak Pepe - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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My wife and I visited La Septima Café for lunch yesterday and had a good experience. We shared an order of Croquetas De Jaiba (Devil Crab) and I had the Ropa Vieja lunch special. The croquetas were crispy on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside with a good portion of shredded crabmeat. I enjoyed adding a little hot sauce to the dish. The Ropa Vieja was delicious. The meat was tender and marinated in a flavorful tomato forward sauce. The side of pickled diced onions was a nice touch. read more

La Septima Cafe - Ropa Vieja - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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#168 Craving Spanish/Cuban food we tried LaSeptima. We are always passing it so we thought we'd give it a try. Seated immediately, our server Christine, got our drinks and took our orders. I ordered the combo plate, cleverly called "walk around LaSeptima". It had Ropa Vieja, Mojo pork and piccadillo along with enough rice and beans to feed a third world country. Wife got the piccadillo. I didn't care for the piccadillo because it was full of green olives, not my thing. The best on the plate was the Ropa and the rice was very flavorful. LaSeptima will do if we want to stay close to home but to get the real deal we'll still go down to West Tampa. read more

This was usually a go to restaurant for my co-workers and myself for lunch plus my job orders catering from here and familiar with the menu. I ordered take out for my family for lunch. Ordered Walk Around which includes 3 different types of meat and a small of The 7th Ave salad. I called back to add a cuban sandwich I got Cathy on the phone and in return felt a bad vibe when I told her I forgot something but ok whatever I'm not bothered. When I checked my order I received this tiny container used for side orders for my salad and was charged $10. When I call to verify my order CATHY speaks w/ me tells me salad are weighed. I've dined in before and no way the same portion fits in such a small container. CATHY tells me you dont want it bring it back. Fine. I decided to review the Walk Around and omg the portion especially the meat not worth $18 and then just throw some peas on top for presentation sad to say this is cuban food. Needless to say we returned everything and CATHY as the manager did not show care or bother with it or even apologize. I WILL NEVER RETURN POOR SERVICES FOR FOOD THAT IS NOT REALLY SPANISH FOOD. read more

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Wow it's been a few years since we have visited this place. It has really declined in excellence. My husband ordered the Piccadillo for lunch. It was such a small serving compared to what they used to serve. We also ordered the Cuban which was the skinniest sandwich we had ever seen - nothing like their former days. He was also served stale cold Cuban bread to accompany his Piccadillo. The bathroom was littered with toilet paper at 11:30 in the morning. The handicap bathroom had no paper towels dry my hands. This place used to be the gem of Brandon. It's basically a walk-in/carry out restaurant now. We miss the old LaSeptima. read more

Was taken to lunch here to experience some Cuban food. Cuban probably one of my experienced dining and really enjoyed the food. Service was top notch, efficient and friendly. I enjoyed a deviled Crab...think loads of crab in the shape of a mini football deep fried. Some squirts of hot sauce made this a treat. For the entree I chose the Ropa Vieja (translates to old clothes) don't let the translation scare you it's full of flavor and delicious. Large portion at a great price. Looking forward to future visits to the area to sample other offerings! read more

Septima TO-GO is awesome! Just did take out lunch for our office at Curry Law Group. Everything was delicious! Support our local businesses to help them survive during this shutdown! read more

I absolutely love this place and the people are fantastic! I made an online order and intended to pick it up at a certain time, but was a few minutes early. They scrambled to get my order, and when I realized I ordered something by mistake, they threw in what I thought I ordered for free. Was not expected, butextremely appreciated. If you have a chance, go and often! read more

Family owned for 25 years. Excellent Cuban food. Attentive wait staff. Very clean dining room and restrooms. Generous portions Reasonably priced. I had a Cuban Sandwich, soup, and Devil Crab. All were excellent. We will be back the next time I am in Brandon. This should be in the running for best Cuban Sandwich in Tampa. read more

This restaurant is such a disappointment!! Both myself and my dinner guest had upset stomachs after eating here and to add to that the whole time we sat there waiting for our food we were being watched by 5 waitresses standing around just having small talk and staring at the customers it felt extremely awkward and it's impolite especially when there were only 6 people in the place... It's dark & gloomy in the restaurant and it's in desperate need off a makeover ,smelly carpets,uncomfortable chairs etc.etc. Brandon needs a new Cuban style restaurant . ASAP read more