Tampa Port Restaurants

We have been to Port Canaveral many times, as my in-laws live close by, to watch the ships go out while we eat dinner at Grills. They will be taking us to Port of Tampa for our cruise next year and dropping us off.

Are there restaurants at the port like there are at Canaveral, where they can stand with our daughter to wave us goodbye? Or is there somewhere that they can stand and wave as we leave out of port?

short answer ... no ... well maybe ....

if you check out a map you get the idea there might be as the piers are at 'Channelside'. BUT I was just there last week and Channelside is hanging on by a thread (has been this way for years) The few places still open are NOT waterside.

They could try the Columbia Grill at the Tampa Bay History Center .... if they get a 'good' table they will have a view of the channel, but an obstructed one as they will be looking thru a bridge! Columbia Grill is a short walk from Channelside and about 1/2 mile from the terminal. VERY WALKABLE. And pretty good food. If something is happening at the Arena that night this place will be PACKED however.

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Or ... they can head to the south end of Davis Island ... there's a boat launch and dog park down there and the ship will pass close .... it will take the ship 15 minutes or so from away from the pier to get to this point.

Or .... they can go 'all the way' to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge .... there are parks on the approaches to the bridge and they can stop and watch the ship go under the bridge. It will take the ship about an hour to get here .....

Or .... they can go out to Fort Desoto and the main fishing pier .. here they can see the ship pass out of Tampa Bay to the ocean .... the ship passes about 1/2 mile away and will take 90 minutes or more to get here .....

Some on your roll call may know more.You may even meet on cruise.Sharing? May be?

The only restaurant that is within a block or two from Terminal 2 & 3 is Hooters, HOWEVER, by next year, everything around Channelside may be a pile of rubble as big plans for redevelopment of the area move forward.