Jul 27, 2021 - Food and Drink

Palmetto Beach's La Fiesta serves up some of Tampa Bay's best Mexican food

Photo: Ben Montgomery/Axios

This is going to sound nuts, but the best Mexican food I’ve had in 16 years of living here is served out of the back of a small grocery store called La Fiesta in Palmetto Beach.

  • Yes, Palmetto Beach — the little working-class neighborhood south of the IKEA on Adamo Drive and east of South 20th Street, in the shadow of downtown Tampa.

What to expect: The Guanajuato-style food is delightfully simple. Tacos come with charred corn tortillas, choice of meat, some cilantro, chopped white onion and a lime wedge. That’s it. And yet somehow they make you want to write your mama.

  • I’ve eaten around the menu and my favorite dishes are the chile Colorado de puerco (pork in red sauce with cactus) and the pollo en mole poblano (shredded chicken in a killer mole sauce).
  • But you can’t go wrong with the tacos.
avatar

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Tampa Bay.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more

More Tampa Bay stories

No stories could be found

Tampa Baypostcard

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Tampa Bay.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more