South Tampa, Florida
Three months in Tampa, and finding a great breakfast spot had been my biggest culinary frustration. There’s no shortage of excellent coffee shops, but great breakfast — the kind that serves all week, not just weekends — had been elusive. I’d found diners and the occasional brunch-only restaurant, but the places that are open for breakfast every day are simply better at it. Practice makes perfect.
Wila’s Provisions, tucked in South Tampa near the University of Tampa, is the answer I’d been looking for.
The Space
The room is clean and modern with a coffee shop feel, but bigger and with a very long bar that runs along one side. That bar is my preferred seat at any restaurant, and here it works particularly well — you can watch the kitchen, chat with whoever’s working, and feel like you’re part of the action rather than just waiting for food.
The Drinks
On my first couple of visits I ordered their lattes, which were quite good on their own. But the discovery that changed everything was the Fig Street — an iced latte made with fig, lemon, and rosemary. It was so good I had two. Which, it turns out, was exactly the right number given what came next.
Three Entrees, Three Visits
I’ve made it to Wila’s three times now and tried a different entrée each visit.
Visit One: The Hanger Steak
Not your standard steak and eggs. Instead of a sirloin, they serve a marinated hanger steak — eight ounces, grilled, deeply flavored — with two eggs over easy, potato latkes (round, spiced potato cakes with onion), and a chimichurri cream sauce to go over the steak. Everything on that plate was working. Everything had flavor. This is the one I’d order most frequently.
Visit Two: Almond Croissant French Toast
You heard that right. They take an almond croissant — already a decadent thing, with almond paste and sliced almonds — soak it in egg, fry it up, and top it with almond cream diplomat. The result is a French toast so rich and sweet that maple syrup would be an insult. It doesn’t need a single drop. Fantastic, but too much sugar for regular rotation. A special occasion order.
Visit Three: Huevos Rancheros
Their take on this classic skips the soft tortillas entirely. Instead, two large tortilla chips — six or seven inches long — anchor the plate, bringing the theme without the sogginess. Scrambled eggs, pickled onions, a six-inch chorizo sausage, fingerling potatoes, and avocado. Fresh, flavorful, and a great example of a restaurant making a familiar dish its own.
Of the three, the hanger steak wins for regular visits. The French toast wins for the occasion.
The Crullers
They make their own doughnuts — cruller style, like the original Krispy Kreme except actually good. Three flavors: chocolate, glazed, and cinnamon sugar glazed. These happen to pair perfectly with a Fig Street iced latte, which is partly why I ended up having two lattes. No regrets on that math.
The Service
Group service style, which can feel loose, but the staff is genuinely friendly and remembered me after the first visit. On my third trip I had a long conversation with the general manager — a fellow tall person — about roller coasters and theme parks that simply weren’t designed for people our size. We had a lot of complaints between us. It was a good conversation.
The Verdict
Wila’s Provisions is the breakfast restaurant Tampa had been withholding from me for three months. It serves all week, it does the food well, the bar seats are excellent, and the Fig Street latte alone is reason enough to go back.
I’ll be back soon. Probably for the hanger steak.
The Menu
Wila’s Provisions — South Tampa, FL Cuisine: Brunch / American Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
