A short trip back to my old neighborhood, Valrico, Fl and we had to stop in here for lunch. We could have made a day of it, though. We love this place! Large portions, great service, all you favorite Cuban dishes and prices are excellent! I got the half Cuban sandwich, pressed, with a bowl of black bean soup. Nothing better! They have a good selection of desserts as well. Get here early for lunch, though. This is not a secret! read more

I hadn't been to this cafe since before covid. I went today and it is horrible! Now you have to order and pay before you sit down. No waitresses. Just deliverers of your food. The food was horrible. My daughter ordered black beans and yellow rice and looked like it was prepared into a mold and dumped in the container. It was not hot and the bread was cold and stale. She ordered coffee and it was old and the cream curdled. I ordered a cuban and the meat tasted spoiled and the bread was stale also around the edges. Those two things with two drinks was just under $20.00! I should have known when the place was empty except for two table that something was bad. It used to have waiting time when I went there. And this was during lunch hour! Never again! If I could give a zero rating I would. read more

It was my last day in town and I wanted some good Cuban food before I headed back home. I immediately thought of La Septima. I had frequented this little hidden gem so many times in the past that I had to do it again. This visit was no disappointment. The service was quick, the food was as awesome as I remembered. I ordered the Casino which was a marinated pork cuban served with mojo and home made potato chips. The sandwich was filling but not over the top. The mojo was a nice touch to the sandwich & I loved the home made chips, you don't find these often and I was glad that they served them here. I'm glad that after all these years, La Septima's still got it! I'll definitely be back on my next trip! read more

La Septima is a nice surprise in a rather quiet strip mall. The restaurant is smaller and seems to be always busy! The decor gives a comfortable home like feel with the rich walls and lots of photographs and an easy set up. They have a full bar with a few high top tables if you choose to eat there rather than wait for a sit down table. The menu is not huge, but their dishes are tailored to a T. They know they do them well! The night we went, they had a couple pretty appetizing specials. Be sure to ask! Our meal was fantastic. I ordered a glass of their sangria. Ahhhmazing! They coat the rim of the class with a cinnamon sugar and the sangria itself was rich and fruity. I ordered a deviled crab that came out big and spicy. Recently, I had deviled crab at Linda's (in Lakeland) and La Septima's blew theirs out the water for freshness, the large chunks of crab meat, and overall taste. The bread served before the meal was warm and fresh and goes great for sopping up the remainder of their signature Seventh Avenue salad dressing. I ordered the Cuban - the pulled roasted pork made this sandwich. It was a big portion and the pressed buttery bread was melt in your mouth good. Also, ordered was The Casino. This is a MUST try! The mojo sauce is so good I could just drink it out the bowl! The Casino comes with home made chips that had a great flavor. Service was a little questionable this visit. Although we waited for about 35 minutes to be seated, our server took about 5 minutes to come take our drink order... then forgot my sangria until 20 minutes and two reminders later... paying took about 15 minutes to come pick up the card... overall making the meal rather lengthy, but we didn't have a rushed schedule so we let it slide. read more

Just a short review, because this was a quick visit -- but La Septima is very much recommended. Would eagerly return. Three of us visited the week of March 16, 2015, while at a weeklong workshop in Seffner, FL (near Tampa). We generally ate dinner at the workshop location or nearby. But we decided to venture a bit farther afield one evening. La Septima's ocation is at the end of a strip center, but that allows them to have a bit of outdoor seating to the side of the restaurant. Also makes parking simple and the address easy to find, if you are from out-of-town, as we were. It was a pleasant night when we visited, so we sat outside and enjoyed it. Bottom line: La Septima Café was a great find. From the moment we arrived, we felt like family. Don't know if it is owned or operated by a family, but the host(ess), the woman who appeared to be managing that evening, and our server all treated us like we were regulars. Our server was wonderful. She recommended dishes from the menu because we were too mentally wiped-out to think. Nothing was disappointing. Wish we remembered more, had making notes of staff names, etc. This review is very unlike others of mine. But La Septima treated us so well and the food, was so good, we couldn't NOT post a review. read more

My favorite Cuban restaurant everything is so authentic and flavorful I wish I still lived in Valrico I'd eat there everyday

I have to say that I've been to La Septima many, many times. I have tried most of the food on their menu as well as some of their specials. Generally speaking I find that they do many dishes fantastically and then there are a few dishes that are just a little meh. They moved from their long time location on Parsons the corner spot in a strip mall on Kings. The new spot has some great outdoor seating and is a bit more updated than the original. That being said, I wish they would add a few booths inside so it wasn't table only seating. The new location is open and bright and is a nice little lunch/dinner spot. Food wise I have to admit I love their breaded palomilla steak. It is one of the best in tampa. Their spanish bean soup is a classic and they always have fresh cuban bread with their signature olive butter. Their yellow rice is great and their pork is delicious. If you are looking for classic Tampa/Cuban food at a reasonable price and in a comfortable atmosphere this is the place for you. PS. Jose is a regular server there and he is quite delightful! read more

This place is fabulous, went for the first time and I will be back. It's not easy to find nestled in a plaza off Lumsden and King in Brandon. I ordered the special "Filet La Septima, it was a steak dish which is pounded flat and breaded grilled and served with an awesome compound butter sauce, served with over the top roasted garlic green beans and a decadent yellow rice. I started with a mixed green salad with house made bleu cheese dressing. The menu has a wide assortment of dishes for everyone. For dessert I had the flan, a creamy creation served with a delectable sugary caramel sauce. read more

Food: delicious. I've never been disappointed. Portions: generous. Price: solid, as much as you'd pay at Chile's or Friday's or Applebee's or some other lesser place, but so much better. Service: usually great. Although, at least once I can recall when it was a bit slow. Anytime a friend is in town it's where I bring them. read more

Love La Septima for Cuban food - we've been fans ever since they were in their old location. I've tried a variety of things from their menu, all of which have been executed perfectly. Every time my father is in town, it is a requirement that we go to La Septima. Pros: They give Cuban bread and Green Olive Butter as an appetizer. They have good Café Con Leche. Their pressed Cubans are great! Their pallimillo steak with grilled onions is delicious! Cons: They will not seat your party unless EVERYONE is there. This policy makes sense in certain situations however when you have a party of 4 and there are 3 of them there, you have to seat them at a 4 top anyways so what does it matter if one chair is empty until that person arrives??? read more

Cold coffee.. Made in a coffee maker? Food had no flavor. I was very disappointed. read more

This is our favorite place in Brandon to go sit down and have some Ybor style Cuban food. We especially love that they moved from that dilapidated original location! My favorite dish here is the Ropa Viaja! They also serve one of the best sangria around! Service is usually really good. read more

La Septima Cafe - Best sangria! - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

Love this place. The crab croquets are very meaty and full of flavor. The fish dish is fantastic....Lightly breaded, yellow rice and beans with plantains. Yum. read more

La Septima Cafe - Grilled fish, yellow rice, black beans! Fantastic! - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

When I travel from Phoenix back home to Tampa, I make it a point to visit La Septima. It's not like going home unless I get a pressed cuban and a flan for desert. A great family owned restaurant that you should take the time to visit! read more

I love love love Cuban food. I have eaten Cuban food all across the state of Florida and La Septima is easily my favorite. When I have out-of-state visitors, they always ask to go here. RJ and the staff always provide great service. They have a secret yellow rice family recipe and the portions are generous. The butter with diced olives is my favorite, but my son loves these Cuban sandwiches. Check it out! read more

La Septima Cafe - A tray of La Septima's famous Cuban sandwiches - authentic! - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

I had dinner here with my family. I had been to the old location about 10 times. I miss the old location already. Even the food seems different. I don't know what to say..... I will go a couple more times before throwing in the towel. Suggestions - Offer the chicken and yellow rice with chicken off the bone. Leave the devil'd crab alone, it is excellent! Dale S. read more

If you are looking for the real deal this is it! My husband and I who are both of Cuban descent found this gem in Brandon, Fl on a recommendation from a friend. It is a warm, inviting place and we were seated quickly even though it looked like a full house. I was delighted to see a diverse menu and we started with the conch fritters. They were the best I had ever eaten! It was hard to choose an entree because everything sounded so good. I chose the Lechon Asado ( Cuban Pork) while my husband chose the palomillo steak. The pork was tender and balanced with the perfect fusion of sour lemon, garlic, oregano and lemon juice. It reminded me of my grand moms Cuban pork that was marinated over 3 days! My husbands palomillo steak was a good size perfectly breaded and seasoned, topped with grilled onions. The sides were generous and were delicious. We ordered the black beans and rice, platanos Maduros and yuca that were pure perfection! I usually try to stay away from the bread basket but could not resist the authentic Cuban bread! Halfway through this wonderful culinary experience we were approached by a gentleman who we found out to be the owner asking if everything was alright! Wow, not many places you find this nowadays. Needless to say we will be back over and over and spread the word on this gem of a restaurant. read more

We moved to FL not too long ago from NYC and I have been dying for some REAL Cuban food. Distraught at the places to eat down here, I was SOOO happy to stumble on La Septima Cafe. This is now my favorite restaurant in Brandon!! Great prices and delicious food. I ordered the Arroz Con Pollo lunch special with yellow rice and a side of black beans and sweet plantanos. It hit the spot! We also ordered the steak pepe. It was just okay, but that's because I'm not a big fried steak person. And the Yucca side dish was so good. The Croqueta De Jaiba (Devil Crab) had a nice portion of crab in it, well worth the $. This is definitely going to be a regular spot for us and I'm looking forward to trying other things on the menu next time. Update: Don't order the Arroz Con Pollo late at night. It is dry and likely to have sat in the heater for quite some time to be kept warm. Throw some of their delicious pickled onion on it and it becomes very good again. read more

Terrible! This is not real cuban or Spanish food. What kind of place is Cuban/Spanish/Italian. Um, what kind of mess is this? Chicken was dry. Peas were mushy and from a can. Garlic bread was burnt to a crisp. Maduros weren't sweet. They were dry and greasy. The crab pasta was a heart burn. Grosss! Don't waste your $50+. This was a to go order and a super disappointment. La Terrasita is the best! No one will ever compare. read more

Having grown up in the Tampa area, I have fond memories of traveling from south Tampa to Ybor City along Seventh Avenue. We would often stop there to eat or pick-up food for a trip to Busch Gardens or Orlando. My favorite as a kid was a Cuban sandwich, Deviled Crab roll and a Pepsi. At some point my parents made me broaden my horizons and I tried Lechon Asado (roast pork) and black beans and rice w/plantains. This quickly became my new favorite, and is to this day. I moved to Brandon as an adult, and I was delighted when La Septima Café, Brandon's First Authentic Spanish Restaurant opened. This is one of my favorites, when only Spanish/Cuban food will do. "Septima" is Spanish for "seventh"- as in Seventh Avenue, the street that has for years been the heart of Ybor City. Family antiques are displayed in the café. La Septima Cafe is reminiscent of the old days in Ybor City, the history, the food, the family feeling that I remember. The food is prepared in the Spanish tradition with family recipes. As my parents once told me, "Try the roasted pork, you'll like it". read more

Can't go to Tampa area with out stopping here one of my favorite Cuban restaurants. Love the Walk around La Septiam, which give you a great taste of there best dishes. read more

What happened to this place? It's been a while since I've been here and was very disappointed. The service and food sucked! The wait staff is so busy gossiping and complaining about working multiple jobs, I'm not sure they even knew there were customers. Husband had the palomino steak which arrived cold, plain, and with white onions that looked as though they had been sitting since the early am. I won't waste my time or money here again. read more

Great Cuban food!! I love the ropa veija! And their sangria is amazing too. Oh and the salad dressing! I could go on and on! There is a reason they are one of the preferred vendors at the event venue where I work. Amazing food! -www.emileesjourney.com read more

We used to love going here prepandemic, but it's really gone down Hill since. I thought we would splurge for date night and go to a night restaurant only to find out it's counter service and clean up after yourself. Beyond that- They supply plastic wear which I definitely understand BUT I couldn't cut my steak with a plastic knife! I had to pick it up and eat it with my fingers. And you also have to pay extra if you pay with a card.. I was going to get dessert but then remembered I would get charged a second up charge for using my card. I don't think we will be back. read more

Every time I eat at La Septima, the restaurant ingrains itself as one of my all time favorites. From the Breaded Palomilla Steak, to the Ropa Vieja, to the Lechon Asado, it is refreshing to visit a restaurant time and time again and not have a particular favorite because everything is so darn good. La Septima purposely keeps the menu small so that expertise and care can be tasted in every dish. Even the side dishes are a treat, with tender black beans and a yellow rice that is light and fluffy. The Croqueta De Jaiba (Devil Crab) is made fresh daily with Blue Crab Claw meat and is as authentic as you can get East of 7th Avenue. Not sure what to order, I recommend the Walk Around La Septima, which is a sampling of house favorites: Ropa Vieja, Picadillo and Lechon Asado served with black beans and yellow rice or the Cuban Sandwich with a side of Spanish Bean soup. Treat yourself to an order of Plantos Maduros that are sweet and slightly caramelized and fall closer to a dessert than a side dish. The bar is efficient and welcoming, and though the drink menu is limited they do make a mean Margarita. However, there is little reason to look farther than a carafe of Sangria (either red or white) for two as a compliment to your dinner. There is no set desert menu as the restaurant prefers to switch things around regularly and have a fondness for cheesecake. Though the dinner service is great for date night, the dining room is definitely family friendly. The service has been known to be spotty, but on a busy weekend evening when a flamenco guitarist or keyboard soloist is serenading the crowd, it's easy to get whisked away in a Havana day dream of tantalizing tastes, lovely sounds and delicious smells. read more

I absolutely love La Septima! The food is delicious. Today I ordered take out, I got the rope vieja dinner with yuca and rice and beans. I also got a side salad with vinegarette dressing (so good) and a devil crab. Everything was perfect! The only downfall is the price depending on what you get can be pretty high from what they use to be. But besides that the food is top notch! I definitely recommend it to anybody who likes Cuban cuisine! read more

La Septima Cafe - Ropa vieja dinner with yuca and black beans and rice, also a devil crab! - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Ordered La Septima for the first time through mobile meals and was beyond disappointed. Food was delivered in shorter time than anticipated, that was not the problem. What showed up was! Food seemed to have been sitting under a heat lamp for some time or was reheated from the night before. Cuban bread was stale and they tried to rehab it by adding way too much butter. My sons kids meal was a drum stick thrown in a box of yellow rice. The breaded steak I got had sat in grease for some time, top was overcooked, bottom was wet and greasy. C'mon, La Septima! Really?!? Gave you one star because I had to, if able to give you a "goose egg" it would be what you deserve! read more

Greeter was gracious and quickly sat us at a tiny table. Server took a few minutes to get to is but considering there's an 8 top next to us her attention was definitely taken. Our server Jenna was superb, knowledgeable and great with recommendations. I had the fish and with had a beef plate. Both entrees shined, but the hero of the meal was the quesadilla!! It was sweet, salty, meaty and cheesy. The fried plantains and the black beans and rice where excellent additions to the main dishes. Hats off to the bartender for the handmade monitor and my wife raved about the red and white sangrias were excellent. Greatest mix of food and service, returning soon to try other recommendations!! read more

While visiting Tampa, we ordered a ropa vieja dinner for four from La Septima Cafe. The dinner was wonderful with abundant amounts of food. An enormous salad with tomatoes, onions, and olives came with a large container of dressing. A huge container of yellow rice along with 1 tub of black beans and 1 tub of the entree ropa vieja. There was bread and homemade butter. The food was delicious! if in Tampa again, we will certainly get their food again. read more

I really enjoy the Picadillo Con Papas Fritas it's a good price at $10.50, the meal comes with two sides: (your choice of) PEAS, YELLOW RICE, WHITE RICE, YUCA, PLATANO Devil crabs made fresh daily with Blue Crab Claw meat. $3.75 always a tasty treat, although it's not a Carmine's devil crab. Breaded Palomilla Steak. Topped with grilled onions. Served with two side items. $10.95 I've always left pleasently full with a to-go container. They have a wine list if that's your thing. HAPPY HOUR Monday-Saturday 3pm-7pm Drafts: $2.00 Bud Light, Michelob Ultra Well Drinks: $3.00 Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Whiskey House Wine and Sangria: $3.00 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel Here is the menu link: http://laseptimacafe.com/menu.shtm The staff can come off a bit stuffy. Overall I really enjoy the food, I've been many times. There is plenty of great parking. read more

The food is great, the Cuban sandwich is just wonderful. I love their garbanzo soup, yuca and black beans and rice too. The space is new for them from the old location on Kings, however, even after a couple of years here, the building is still dated. The carpets really need to be pulled and replaced. It is dark inside and seems like it could use a good cleaning. I hope you will try the restaurant in spite of the few things that need to be done, because the food really is good and economical. read more

Food was ok but not what I ordered. When I called to explain the mixup in the order not one time did the person who answered the phone offer to apologize for the mixup or inconvenience. She asked me what I ordered and what I received then said she would make her manager aware. Customer Service appears to be a thing of the past. read more

So so. Missing authentic Cuban was X factor in the flavor. Better options in the area. We won't be back. Try Liberio's for real flavor that tastes like Grandma made it. read more

La Septima Café is a nice restaurant at he corner of Lumsden and Kings in Brandon. I will mention the staff first. They were awesome. From the pleasant greeting from the hostess at the door to the friendly and good service of our waitress, I was very happy with the service. The food was good, not great. Portions were very generous, especially the rice,, holy smokes, who can eat that much rice? Flavor was good, but I felt all the meat tasted the same. Perhaps the seasonings. I was not blown away or at all disappointed with this restaurant. Will definitely try again! read more

Stopped by the N Parsons location only to find them closed on Saturday. After reading all the reviews we were a bit disappointed. Fortunately we saw the sign directing us to the new location on Lumsden. We had the reviled crab cake which was fresh and delicious. The half Casino and soup was an excellent and filling choice for lunch. The Casino had tender, juicy, melt in your mouth roast pork on fabulous crisp pressed bread. The Spanish bean soup was better than the black bean soup and I hope to try the Caldo Gallegos soup on our next visit. The decor is contemporary with a wall of family photos. Service was polite and attentive. I didn't even have to ask for a refill on my tea. If you are in the area don't miss this family operated gem. read more

La Septima Cafe - Spanish bean soup w chorizo - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Amazinggg food, sangrias that are to die for, and AMAZING service... Seriously cannot wait to go back. The food is worth the money because I'll be getting two full meals out of this dinner! read more

La Septima Cafe - Flank steak, black beans, yellow rice, plantains, and sangria! Delicious! - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

I had my first Cuban experience here in Florida. I recently moved from The islands to the US and have visited Cuba twice and had good authentic food there. The good at la septima cafe was of similar quality. I had the room vieja. It was well seasoned and tasty. The ambience was nice and rustic with Spanish music in the background. There was lots of pictures from Cuba all of which makes it seem like u are in Havana. The service was also good, quick and friendly. Overall I had a good experience read more

La Septima Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida

We ate dinner there. A family restaurant with very good food. The waitress was very friendly and helpful. It was our first time at this restaurant, so we asked her for advice. She advised us very good food. The food was tasty and we got it quick. Prices are very fairly. read more

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This is for the new location on Kings - Much nicer looking place than the old Parsons location. Service and food are on par with the original. read more

Wow, what a great hidden gem here! I love the atmosphere and service I received at La Septima. I had the ropa vieja with yellow rice and beans. Ropa vieja is kind of my go-to dish when it comes to Spanish cuisine. Let me tell you, this is the best, most juicy, tender, savory ropa vieja I have ever had. The yellow rice was also magnificent, very moist and flavorful. Even the sweet tea I ordered was fantastic. I was not a fan of their maduras - which I typically love. I thought they could have been a bit crispier on the edges and they were a tad on the dry side, but even with that hint of a setback, this place falls nothing short of 5 stars. Can't believe I've never been here before and I cannot wait to go back! read more

La Septima Cafe - Ropa Vieja with black beans and yellow rice. Lunch portion. - Cuban Near Me - Brandon, Florida