I'm not sure if I like the location or the venue more. Either way this a a must try place…read more There are plenty of different options for food, along with a rooftop bar/food for a great view. The atmosphere of this place is just fun and unique. There are always activities, events and fun to be had out on the riverside lawn or around. Be sure to check their calendar to see if anything interests you. After some food I usually ride around Tampa on a scooter or take a walk down riverwalk but there are endless options here.

Nice, casual dining spot by the water in downtown Tampa. It's a food court with about 10…read more restaurants and plenty of space for dining both indoor and outdoor. We went around 12pm on a Tuesday and it was perfect, not too busy inside and not too hot outside so we were able to enjoy the scenery. As for food, we got the 4 pack empanadas from Empamama with two Mother Clucker empanadas and two Fresh Prince ones. We paired the empanadas with the bang bang sauce and it definitely added to the flavor, especially the Mother Clucker. The mother Clucker was an 8/10 for me while the fresh prince was a 7/10. The restaurant also offers a margarita slushy and an apple cider slushy which we had samples of and that was good. We ended up getting lemonade and strawberry lemonade from a different restaurant though because we were just feeling that instead. Overall, I spent about $30 here ($22 for food and $8 for drinks). I really emphasize that this is a casual spot and I would come here for a quick mid-day snack rather than for an entire meal. I was definitely still hungry after but the food was enough to hold me over for a couple hours.

Otsuka Ramen is already one of my go-to spots when I'm craving something warm and comforting. The…read morevibe is cozy and laid-back; perfect for a quick bite solo or hanging with friends. I built my own bowl today with chicken broth and added beef, green onions, fish cakes, bean sprouts, and corn. It seriously looked like a rainbow and tasted just as good. I ended on a sweet note with the black sesame mochi dessert :) Service was friendly and quick for lunchtime and the portions were solid for the price. If you're into good ramen, this place is definitely worth checking out!

I've been to Otsuka Ramen a handful of times just because it was near the area. There are plenty of…read moreRamen places in the area and this is probably one of the first ones I went to. The Ramen is okay, but it just doesn't hit like before. The restaurant was a laid back vide with Japanese inspired themes and music in the background. Our server points us to our table and hands us menus to start. We always start out with an edamame appetizer and then go ahead and order the ramen. My partner got the spicy tonkatsu and I had wanted to do the "make your own ramen" option. I really wanted wagyu but didn't like the toppings it came with. So I just made my own, though it was very costly to add more toppings, so I just chose 2. Overall, the experience was okay. It's not the worse ramen place I've been to but I'll probably only swing my when it's out of convenience

Popped into WAGAMAMA, a popular WATER STREET restaurant for dinner and it did not disappoint…read more My server Veronica was on her A-game. I started the evening with their chili Margarita. It's a spicy one but adds a nice kick to the meal. Tonight I enjoyed the pork potstickers and for my entree, I had the steak Bulgogi. Love, love, love the dining experience tonight and can't wait to be back!

Yelp lemme do a lil half star…read more I mean idk dude. It's one of those places that's good. It is. Like I enjoyed it. But it's also a chain and like nothing really stands up and out. It's good. But like is that the extend of it. Yeah, prob. I don't want to undermine things. Menu is large. They have a happy hour situation. They have mad options. Thumbs up but my doors stayed intact and were not blown off. Cool location. Sat at the bar, felt comfy. Now what I will say. Had an interesting sugar baby's scenario playing out next to me. That's cool. Water street is good for that - I'll tell you that much. So maybe the key takeaway. Good location. Good food and does the job.

Really good ramen. I love ramen and this was my second time here. I've tried a few other places…read morearound the Tampa Bay area, and this one is definitely one of the best. I just confirmed for myself that it's a great place. I got the spicy tonkotsu ramen and the spice level was just right. I really liked it. My wife liked her chicken ramen, and my daughter enjoyed it too. She also said the mango sushi was great. The kids ramen was good, but I think they should make the portion a little smaller Definitely come try this place. I don't see how it's anything less than 5 stars.

This spot offers a mix of noodle dishes and tea with boba. I ordered a tea with boba, and it was…read morereally good. The boba was very fresh and chewy. I also liked that they let you adjust the sweetness level to your preference. The interior is a bit small, and most of the seating is communal, so it might be a little challenging for larger groups. The space itself was clean, though I did notice the restroom door wouldn't lock. Hopefully that gets fixed soon. Overall, the drink was excellent and I would definitely come back.

I tried this place out while in town to watch the Patriots beat the Bucs. The food was very good…read moreand I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. The waitress I had was very friendly and helpful. I had a reservation so I didn't have to wait to be seated on a Saturday night. The vibe was pretty cool. I tried the dumplings and the Yakitori Tasting. I ended up going back the next night and it was quiet but the food was still good. I'd go back again.

Recently visited Haiku for a friend's Birthday Dinner and had some items I loved and some that I…read moredid not care for. To start the crab cake was amazing. Didn't need all the micro greens for garnish on top but this could be overlooked because taste and flavor was amazing. The tuna tartare was super tasty as well and I would definitely order this again same comment for micro greens on this dish - didn't need this and found myself moving it off the dishes to actually enjoy the item. The two not so favorite dishes for me were the fried rice topped with fried chicken. While chicken was very tasty the rice was extremely basic. Could have used eggs or other ingredients to elevate this dish. Also the Volcano roll was extremely disappointing. Normally the volcano topping is cooked or (torched) and this topping was cold and very unappetizing. Would not recommend this roll. Overall this place is a hit or miss. Service for our large party wasn't bad and everything came out pretty quickly!

EXPERIENCE: My…read morefriends and I made a last minute decision to come and grab dinner here. The placed was decked out in Japanese culture. It is a small restaurant so the atmosphere is very bustling -- I liked it though. Definitely expect a wait of at least 25-30 minutes, but once you sit down and order, your food comes out really fast! FOOD: Mentaiko Fries 10/10 -- Delicious! Definitely my #1 recommendation here. Krab Special Salad 6/10 -- You taste more mayo than anything. Shiso Rangoon (n/a) -- No rating because I didn't try any. Just keep in mind that the rangoon is wrapped in shiso leaves and it's tempura styled. It's not in the pictures since we ordered it later on. My friend liked it though. Takoyaki (n/a) -- I never tried it but my friend who loves takoyaki said it tasted really good. Katsu Curry 8/10 -- The rice to katsu ratio is upsetting because the curry sauce is soo good. BBQ Eel on Rice (n/a) -- My friends entree. She liked it enough to say she would get it again the next time she comes. Kimchi Cream Udon (n/a) -- Two of my friends ordered this entree. One enjoyed it and the other one couldn't finish it because she got sick of eating it. Said it tasted too "fatty", needs more seasoning (?). However both felt queasy on the ride home.

Izakaya Tori is easily a 5-star spot for sushi in Tampa…read more Everything tasted incredibly fresh, high quality, and thoughtfully prepared. The sushi was beautifully presented, and every roll we tried was packed with flavor without feeling overdone. You can really tell they care about the ingredients and overall experience here. The atmosphere is also a huge part of what makes this place special...cozy, modern, and perfect for either a casual dinner or a night out. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the entire experience feel welcoming from start to finish. Definitely one of my favorite sushi spots in Tampa right now, and I'll absolutely be coming back.

A friend introduced me to Chanko…read more We went for lunch on a Friday around 11:30. It was very slow. We ordered at the kiosk and the food was ready in about 10 minutes. Our food was given to us in to go containers and I was thankful for this because it's about a week's worth of food! The portion was HUGE for me! This is delicious and I was so happy to be able to try it! I will definitely be back!

YESSSSSS SIRRRRR…read more Hear me loud and clear. Found this place just be driving. Cruising. One day rolled the dice and I'm glad I did. This place holds a special place in my heart. I'd come here alone on solo missions and this place makes it so easy to do so. Order at the counter with a kiosk. Pick up your food in a window and just enjoy. I've gotten almost everything on them menu and it just does not miss. The curry with pork belly is my favorite. Goes crazy. Big pot of curry. Give me a break. They are doing things special here. Brought the homies, everybody was happy. How could you not be, look at these photos. Psssh everybody else could learn a thing or two from Chanko. Celebrate birthdays, heartbreak and wins here. I will continue to do this. Chanko you are an anchor in my life.

Excellent everything. No issues and awesome service. Place was almost empty when I went in. It was…read morelike 3pm on a Tuesday though.

We read good things about this place so we decided to try it out and we were very impressed with…read morethe food and the service. It's located in a shopping plaza and very cute inside. The servers could not have been friendlier and answered the many questions we had about the menu. The menu is huge with many different options, but I had to try the Pho with ribeye and brisket. I was not disappointed at all as the broth was delicious and it was a huge serving (I upgraded to jumbo and it was worth it). My wife had chicken stir fry with Udon noodles and it was good. My daughter had drunken noodles and it was also very good. None of us could finish our meals and we took home boxes of food. We liked everything so much we even ordered fried rice to go. The service was absolutely fantastic and all the staff were also friendly and helpful. Portions were great and the prices were very fair. Overall one of the best new places we've tried in the last year and we will definitely be back.

Is it the best ramen ever? No, probably not. But it's VERY reasonably priced and really yummy. I…read moredo wish they had a bit more variety, it has the potential to be really great, but I enjoyed my miso ramen! The server was an absolutely adorable, bubbly, funny young woman who let me customize a bit. I hate bean sprouts-no problem, leave them off! I like spicy food-lets make it a bit spicier! Overall a great experience in a fun little restaurant and I really enjoyed it.

I stopped by for an early lunch and was the only person in the place. It's cute inside, with…read moreplenty of seating, and the server was prompt and friendly. I tried the Kyoto's Shiro Tonkotsu ramen: pork belly and shrimp tempura, egg, bamboo slices, bean sprouts, mushrooms, fish cake, scallions, seaweed, and ramen in a pork and chicken broth. Very flavorful and delicious with plenty of noodles. However, the fact that it came with only one thin slice of pork and one piece of shrimp was disappointing. To drink I had green tea (they have no artificial sweeteners, so bring your own) and water. Don't get the water - it was 'off'. All in all a decent experience.

Always a great food choice. Super friendly staff and the food is always on point. Gladly 5 stars.read more

I have ordered to-go food from here twice in the past year, but only the second time because I had…read moreforgotten how disappointed I was after the first order. This most recent time I ordered chicken pho and potstickers. The potsticker part of the order was cancelled almost immediately; it was surprising they would be out of those by 5 pm on a Thursday. The chicken pho had a tasty broth, but that was about the only thing going for it. The amount of chicken was probably less than 2 ounces. It was hilarious how scrap-like the chicken actually was. They also did not include sriracha, hoisin sauce, chopsticks, a spoon, or napkins in the bag. If you are looking for pho to go - go elsewhere.