2.5 stars! I've bookmarked this place a while back because I love mom & pop sorta restaurant AND Greek food has a big place in my heart. Unfortunately none of us were blown away with our meal. Samaria cafe is located in Downtown Tampa, across from Dough nation and Urban Cantina. Street parking is available and also there's a private lot behind the restaurant which is FREE to park on the weekends. Seating is mostly indoors, there are couples of tables outside for those who enjoy people watching. The staff here are fantastic! So why 2.5 stars? First of all, there wasn't much Greek inspired dishes, I ordered the Gyro omelet which came with gyro meat and feta. Other than those ingredients, there was nothing to differentiate between the other omelettes. It was so generic, i was expecting more pizzazz. Same goes for the home fries, while they were crispy, there was no taste. Little rosemary or oregano would make those potatoes sing. Disclaimer: never get their croissant as side, it was the worst! They charged $1.25 extra and bought us sweet bread in the shape of a croissant. I had better ones from the Publix bakery. Overall, very disappointed with the food! I really wish they would infuse some Greek flavors into their menu. read more

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After searching for a decent breakfast spot downtown, we found the café up the street from our hotel. The host and server were very kind and pleasant. It's quiet, not crowded at all. Overall, we enjoyed our food, hubby said his Arnold Palmer was one of the best he's had in a while. Try them put, it was a pleasant surprise! read more

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Stopped by around 10:00am & had breakfast! Cute restaurant, and the food was delicious!! Eggs were cooked perfect & their home fries were out of this world!! Highly recommend! Everybody was very friendly!!! read more

For Saturday morning breakfast we decided to have breakfast at Samaria Cafe. For breakfast we ordered Mango Smoothie, Strawberry Smoothie, Country Benedict, Avocado Omelette and French Toast. First our smoothie's came and the smoothie's were good in taste and amazing. We didn't had to wait much for our food as service was quick. The food was good. We still believed food can be made more delicious but it was a good food experience. read more

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Compared to First Watch, Samaria Cafe breakfast is much better you get a lot for your price. Pancakes, eggs, home fries were cooked to perfection. The regular coffee is much better. Terry our waiter was amazing. I will definitely recommend Samaria Cafe over First Watch. read more

Slop on a plate. Horrible services and terrible food accent this cute little cafe. I would not recommend this place ever. When I told the waitress about the terrible food she acted like, "well what did you expect". I will say that the espresso was good. The owners did remove the price of the burnt breakfast but did not take the initiative to remove that deconstructed egg, fist full of spinach and ham that they call an omelette. Maybe they should have a quality control in the kitchen. Again, slop on a plate read more

Samaria Cafe - Omelette thrown together by a 2 year old. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Avocado toast was good .... Would've gave it a higher scores but the avocado wasn't real green ... hash was good as well read more

Samaria Cafe - Hash and Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Based on some of these previous reviews either they have improved much or we caught them on a good day! Picked them as they were in spitting distance of our hotel. When we got there, they didn't seem overly busy and we were seated shortly. Very much a downtown diner vibe. Booths and tables reminiscent of old school diners or cafeterias. Appeared clean and upkept. They were doing brisk take-out biz. The waitress handling the take-out orders seemed a bit overwhelmed and got into a slightly heated discussion with a Door Dash driver, but it was resolved amiably in short order. Our server was prompt and friendly. The food came out fairly quickly and looked good. I had a typical pancake, eggs, and bacon. Standard fare. Wife had bagels & lox. My food was good but nothing stood out. Wife said hers was pretty good. Lots of capers though. LOTS. Over all a decent stop for breakfast, but I can see it being less than ideal if you catch it on a busy day. But if you're downtown and hungry, check it out. read more

Samaria Cafe - Bagels & lox.. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Decided to stop on by before our flight out since it was open for breakfast and it had 4 stars on Yelp. Well, this is one of the three times Yelp has failed me on ratings (out of hundreds of times so not upset). First, they don't seem super concerned about COVID, let alone cleanliness. It just seemed kind of dirty. I'm not a big germ-a-phobe, but I also don't want to get a food borne illness. Second, our server was absolutely garbage. The other two servers on the patio area seemed to have it a little more together. Our server was unresponsive and didn't seem to care, except when the check came. She had a sweatshirt with something like Lazy Life on the back, should have known she was going to not be good. The food is decent for diner/greasy spoon food, nothing special. I went with my usual ham and eggs and my girlfriend went with an omelette. She asked for no cheese since she is lactose intolerant. When she got her omelette it had cheese. She started to eat it since cheese doesn't hurt her as bad as milk. About a 1/4 way into it, she stopped. She informed me it was super fluffy, so they likely used milk in making it. How it was responding to her stomach, they likely used whole milk, which wreaks havoc on her. Luckily she doesn't have some type of anaphylactic response to milk. Will I be back? Nope, this place barely got the 2 stars with its decent ham and eggs. Everything else was just so bad. Not impressed with this 4 star ranked place. Go to Daily Eats 2.6 miles away. Ate there when we arrived and their breakfast, service, and cleanliness were a 1,000x better! read more

Never made it past the front door...made a reservation 2 days ago and was told my 11am res couldn't be seated before then (we were 20 minutes early,and had been waiting patiently and hadn't been greeted for over 10), that was told by a "gentleman" couldn't be honored, but when asked why a woman with party of 3 (same as mine) was able to barge right in, as we and another party were waiting to even be acknowledged or greeted, and was sat with no questions asked, we were rudely told by said "gentleman" that "maybe what happened was their reservation was accepted, I'm not going to sit argue about it". Not worth spending a dollar at a place in any climate where the service before it horrible at the host/hostess station. Edit: Response to the restaurant's comments...the res was booked directly via your website's 3rd party system by my girlfriend, and is the same screen shown to staff when they finally acknowledged us, booked 2 days ago, and confirmed yesterday. The question still remains...how did was someone able to barge through the line, say she had a res, and was immediately sat? I could venture to guess as to why, but I'm trying not to go there. I understand completely, as I calmly stated to the waiter as we left, that it was a holiday and it was busy, and that many establishments are short staffed. But that's no excuse for talking down to people who choose to try and patronize your business, and sadly from the other reviews I see from today, this looks to be par for the course...dare I say another open position should come up? read more

Samaria Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This place was ok , the service was a little slow. Felt like one man was servicing 10 tables!!!! wow . The food was decent. Gave us a breakfast cafe vibe . But other than that is was good . Thank you read more

Samaria Cafe - Breakfast menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Amazing food and service. Had a crepe with ratatouille! Definitely coming back. Staff was also very friendly

Great place for breakfast. The service was fast & friendly. They checked on me just the right amount of times. The food was made to order - meaning I like my home fries crispy but with potato inside and I got just that! Not easy to do and was done perfectly for me. Kudos grill/fry chef. My waitress was awesome and made sure I had all I needed. I'm probably coming back tomorrow and definitely when I'm next in Tampa. This is a must try! read more

Samaria Cafe - Lightly toasted English muffin - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Got an egg sandwich to go. My eggs were cooked perfect! From NY, that is saying a lot. The staff was very friendly and service was excellent. Small diner like atmosphere. Perfect for a New Yorker! read more

There was a very long wait for food that is mediocre at best. I wanted to pay and leave but I had to wait for the server before I could. 40+ bucks for a shitty breakfast with slow service. read more

Honestly I wish I could give this place a great review but I can't. It took 30 mins to get water! Yes, water. Then the green juice I ordered isn't available but it took her 30 mins to let me know that. I am in awe at the level of customer service given. I wouldn't recommended this place to anyone who wants great service. The food took 45 minutes to come out. We ordered avocado toast and eggs. Never again. Save your money and time. Terrible. The manager was very nice, but it still did not change my experience. read more

Excellent food! Tried the crème brulee crepe and the eggs Benedict at our table. The poached eggs were delightful! The chai was disappointing-powder mix in tepid water so it didn't all dissolve but it did not spoil the great food. read more

Not great coffee, very expensive for low quality coffee. Hash brown was undercooked, everything was greasy. Expensive prices for low quality food and cooking. Service was good though. read more

Always a great meal when in downtown Tampa. Food is always served hot and fresh and the staff is very friendly and welcoming. A must when in the Tampa area. read more

Nice place. Would love to go back for lunch one day. They have actual Italian Sausage, and the fruit is very fresh. Extra emphasis on cleaning which is appreciated! Bacon was not the best, over cooked. Bagel and toast were fresh. Eggs, hash browns and potatoes were also very good. read more

I was kinda disappointed. I got the crepe and it was literally just yogurt in between the crepe itself. I got the ice coffee which was more milk than coffee. Wouldn't recommend what I got at all. Maybe other stuff in the menu is better. read more

Samaria Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The quality of the food here will never disappoint you it's so delicious! Every time I'm in Tampa it's a must that I make my way over to Samaria Cafe. The seafood Benedict stole heart real love at 1st site. The service is amazing the staff is very attentive and respectful. The icing on the cake is that owner a genuinely nice guy. This has been one of my favorite places to go for breakfast or lunch since 2019 and every time it hits the spot read more

Disappointed! I used to love this salad, but it was light on the lettuce and the Greek dressing was not the same. It used to be sweeter. I added some brown sugar, but it's still not the same. read more

Samaria Cafe - Greek salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Excellent brunch spot! Big portions and great prices! Highly recommend! Friendly service and fast!!! read more

Great food, but the service is very slow. Hour lunch for soup and salad. I'd go in off peak hours. read more

First things first, if you're looking for a fancy 5-star restaurant, keep looking. The ambience and decor is more like grandma's neighborhood diner. A few walls in need of a paint job, bathrooms down the hallway with all the storage, etc. If you can get past those details, you'll have a great time. We were immediately greeted by the loud, Greek manager and seated right away. I ordered the cappuccino and my friend the latte, and we were soon thereafter told that the coffee is all Italian: "really high end Italian coffee!" The cappuccino was delicious and the latte was pretty much average. The menu was massive, but we settled on breakfast which narrowed it to about a third of the menu. I got the western omelette with hash browns and wheat toast and my friend got the gyro omelette (did I forget to mention that this place is an odd fusion of cafe and Greek food?) and hash browns with no toast. Our food was good! Kind of straight up greasy diner food. Not the best omelette I've ever eaten but satisfying nonetheless. The wheat toast was surprisingly good! Our server was attentive and quick as well. Overall, I would come back! Our meal was good, if predictable, and the service was great. read more

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Saturday 11am. I was seated promptly by a very unfriendly hostess. She definitely wanted to be anywhere but at work. She's not someone I would want working the check in desk. I waited for more than 5 mins to be acknowledged. Right when I was getting up to leave, the same girl asked if I had been served. She sent someone right away and the waitress was very apologetic and super friendly. I had a omelette and home fries. Both were fine--nothing spectacular. The omelette was rubbery. The only cream provided for the coffee was "flavored" which I found out after I added it to my coffee. Although my waiter was very friendly--the service was poor. The food came out quickly and I didn't see her again until I was nearly finished. I waited quite some time for my check. I wouldn't return here. read more

Delicious food Service great Great experiences Price was reasonable Overall Ambiance was great read more

Good food and good service! We started out with one of their famous croissants. Kiddos had chocolate chip pancakes and hot chocolate. I had a spinach omelette and hubby had an Italian Sausage omelette. All very yummy. read more

Delicious and affordable Small business with quality food and portions. Cute Tampa diner read more

Samaria Cafe - Country Benedict with potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Doesn't look like much walking by but it is delicious! Definitely a place to come try out read more

Samaria Cafe - Brie Flellete - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Great breakfast/brunch place. Parking is on the street so might be a good idea to park in a lot close-by and walk here. It isn't too difficult to find as it is a decently sized building. The service is great! Attentive and friendly. We ordered waffles, Florentine Benedict, and French Toast, which were all decent. Though the Benedict was mildly on the saltier side, it was still tasty. The waffles were also soft and good; however I would have liked it if it were crispy. Then again this is down to personal preference so I am not deducting points for this. Overall this is a good breakfast place and I do recommend trying. read more

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This cafe was amazing. Damn fine coffee!!! But the best thing on the menu was the Country Benedict... this was the PERFECT MEAL for a southern girl like me - biscuit, sausage patty, poached egg, topped with sausage gravy with grits on the side. I didn't get a nice picture of it because it was so phenomenal!!!!!!!!! Gah. I don't want to have to drive to Tampa every time I want a good country breakfast, but this may have just changed my mind. read more

Samaria Cafe - Country Benedict... or what's left of it when I remembered I needed to get a picture. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

My family and I went to have breakfast at Samaria Cafe on Sunday. The service was fantastic, food was delicious, everything came out just perfect. Great place to have breakfast. Highly recommended. read more

Great food, friendly service! The coffee was also good. My go to breakfast when I'm in Tampa.

My family and I was visiting Tampa and unknowingly decided to stop by this restaurant due to another we wanted to try being close. There was no wait which was good. The menu is very diverse. There are a ton of selections and We were able to make our choices quickly. I feel like the kids menu was a little over priced. With an entree and drink for kids it's $8.50 which is more than the average kids meal and the size and small ( because of course it's a kids meal). We ordered the French toast and eggs with toast meal. They have a Turkey sausage option which is good for those who do not want pork or beef. I ordered the Spanish omelette with a side over sour cream. We didn't have to wait long to get our food. It came quick. They do not have a liquor license so no alcoholic beverages which was a bummer. The omelette was huge. Everyone liked their meal. We were glad to have stumbled across this place. read more

Samaria Cafe - Spanish Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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The service is quite questionable. We seated ourselves, as we were told to do if we want to sit outside. The waitress came & basically did not seem like she was having a good day. She took our drink orders.... And then we didnt see her for half an hour. I went inside to basically cancel the orders if they weren't made but they were actually sitting on the counter for some unknown length of time, evident by the melted ice & condensation on the cup. She then hands it to me & tells me she would be out soon to get our food order. So it is well past 30 minutes and we haven't even ordered. We paid for the drinks -- which were also not great -- and left. Would not come back. read more

Such a cute new American style food joint. Their cuban is one of the best I've had, and their outdoor seating is very nice. The servers are always polite and seat you quickly. read more

Samaria Cafe - Cuban Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Great service and wonderful mix of casual American and French delights! Would absolutely return again.

Ordered amazing sandwiches. Will definitely be coming back here again. So much food for a very good price. Friendly staff. read more

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