Manila Eats

Manila Eats has become one of Tampa's most celebrated Filipino restaurants, founded by chef-owner Veronica Meneses who transformed her pandemic-era food truck into a thriving brick-and-mortar establishment at 1601 S 22nd Street with 48-seat capacity, weekend karaoke, and live band performances. Featured multiple times on CBS Great Day Live Tampa Bay and FOX 13 News, this family-owned restaurant showcases Meneses's decades of cooking expertise learned from her Pampanga relatives, including her influential Tiya Rosing who taught her that patience is the number one virtue in cooking. The menu emphasizes authentic, home-cooked Filipino cuisine prepared entirely from scratch with exceptional attention to quality-from their famous lechon belly roll roasted for hours with aromatic spices, to their signature palabok with special sauce made from ground pork, smoked fish, and tofu, to homemade ube ice cream that customers rave about.

Known for generous portions and stunning presentation, Manila Eats operates on an until sold out basis with daily menus posted each morning on Facebook, creating devoted fans who drive hours from across Florida and neighboring states. Meneses's warm hospitality, fluency in multiple Philippine dialects, and gift for storytelling make every visit special, while signature desserts like cassava cake with custard topping and leche flan with coffee flavor showcase traditional Filipino sweets.