Columbia Café at Tampa International Airport

Excellent garbanzo bean soup 🍲 Fantastic Cuban sandwich. Delicious bread pudding. All of the food at Columbia is well prepared. Friendly efficient professional service. Relaxed pleasant atmosphere. Best Tampa Airport dining experience.

If it weren’t for the fact that I fly a lot, and I like the Columbia restaurant in Tampa, I definitely would not come here. It is always a crap shoot. If it weren’t consistent I’d go way more frequently. The service is horrible. Waitress can never be found, refills are non existent and on my last two visit I was surcharged for substitution items that they didn’t have, only later did they tell me that it was an additional price. How is it my fault you don’t have yellow rice or beans?!….very frustrating! Here is what I ate. Last time I had it in the airport it was exceptional! This time ( waitress Elizabet/ Chk 854 9/25) it was a baseball glove. I think next time if I have a chance to eat somewhere, I will go to another terminal. The airport fare here is just not good! And the attention to customer satisfaction is zero.

This place was amazing. The staff were all friendly and kind. The food was sooooo good. That Cuban bread toasted with butter super delicious. It came with the eggs bacon and potatoes. The potatoes were nicely seasoned and had a light Spanish flavor. I would definitely go back if I’m in the area.

Classic spot to stop in at Tampa International! Great food, drinks and service! Spot fills up fast but always worth it if you dine in! Steak sandwich was awesome!

Great food and a great surprise at the airport! I grabbed a quick meal for my daughter, and everything was fresh, flavourful, and not too heavy or oily. We’ll definitely be stopping by again on future travels! Staff were lovely, too!

Great Tampa tradition! If you cannot get to the main original restaurant, since 1905 try this airport venue. Truly one of the most unique venues at an airport, the Columbia replicates the decor of the main place. In a rush to my plane, I grabbed a real café con leche to go with personal service. I also found a package of sangria mix and zipped thru the accessible height selfcheckout. I missed the true Columbia experience with personalized Service and sit to enjoy but next time I'll come earlier Full bar with bar seating. They offer a mini gift shop with the cerámic bowls, small dishes, and great sangria pitcher with 1905 painted on it. Accessible venue and entry in this sit down place with host seating. Nearby are Accessible restrooms with grab bars and all hands free entry and hand wash

Service was bad, sign says the restaurant closes after last flight. I was on the 10pm flight out. The last flight (which was a delay) was at 12 midnight. Upon entering the restaurant to look for a host or server at 9:25pm thinking we had plenty of time the bartender yells “we close at 10pm, all bar guests must be out of the bar by 10pm”. Luckily we were able to put in a togo order. We ordered the black bean tapas, chicken empanadas and a Cuban. Our total was $46, I gave them $50 so they got a $4 tip. The cheese on the Cuban was so rock hard from being left out it was not edible. Being in the restaurant business I understand wanting to get out at closing but why have a company sign saying after last flight but close the restaurant hours before hand? If you are reading this still and you’re on a late flight do yourself a favor and eat before the airport or at PF Chang’s before going through security as they were the only place open. In my picture it cheese from a lunchable from the store versus the cheese from Columbia restaurant… what a joke!

Great light meal and dessert at this cute airport restaurant. Cuban sandwich and the 1905 salad were both good. Also tried the churros- wasn’t super impressed with theses- a bit on the greasy side. Loved the espresso cafe with milk!

This is a chain with a location in the airport. Food (3/5) - had the Salteado which sounded like a good unique mix of chicken rice and veggies. Found it a bit bland and the chicken was a bit on the tough side. Yellow rice was pretty average too. The Latte was good though. Service (4.25/5) - server was friendly and knowledgeable. Also attentive and checked in frequently. Food came fairly quickly. Atmosphere (4/5) - not bad for an airport. Inside and outside seating and the tables are spaced well and doubles so I could do some work while eating. Overall (3.75/5) - would try it again for a different item. Not a bad option if you are early or flight is delayed.

I'm a fan of the Columbia restaurants in Ybor and at the Tampa Bay History Center. It's nice to have local food options at the airport instead of the usual chains, so I was glad to see Columbia's airport cafe literally right next to my gate. Unfortunately I was a bit let down by this location. I got seated right away at a table out front, and decided to order a 1905 side salad (minus the ham) and an order of the picadillo empanadas. I didn't have to wait too long for my food, but after that, the server disappeared. And since my salad was sorely lacking in the dressing department (it just tasted like oil without any other seasonings), I was hoping to ask for a side of dressing... except she was nowhere to be found. I was about to get up and search for her, but the hostess noticed I'd been looking around for a while and asked if I needed anything. She's the one who brought me the dressing, and I never saw the server until it was time to get the bill. As for the taste of my food, the salad was just OK... it's a lot better at the Ybor location. I wonder if they just didn't toss it properly and let all of the seasoning in the dressing settle to the bottom. At least the empanadas are quite good. If anything, I'll return just for those. And honestly, I'd probably just opt for a to-go order so I don't have to wait forever for the check.

The Cuban sandwich was authentic, flavorful, and perfectly toasted--truly one of the best I've had! The plantain chips were crispy, fresh, and paired well with the sandwich. The staff were friendly, efficient, and made the quick airport stop feel warm and welcoming. For anyone passing through Tampa and craving a taste of Florida's Cuban influence, Columbia is a must-visit. Highly recommend.

Just an overall positive experience especially for an airport dining experience. Generous portions, good service and tasty food. The dining establishment was clean and welcoming. We were warmly greeted and quickly served. Would return when at the airport again.

Honestly you can't go wrong with a quick morning breakfast here. Everything is cooked to order, fresh and delicious. I especially enjoy the coffee and freshly squeezed OJ. When you got an early morning flight and if you have time, do yourself a favor and skip Starbucks to have breakfast here.

Spanish tortilla is nothing like a Spanish tortilla. Thing came out like a tire that's how rubbery it was. Fully cooked with no run, this is basically one egg purée with potatoes on it, flipped over. Such a waste. Comes with one dryyyy piece of bread and a little thing of smuckers jam. I'm at a restaurant, you don't even have your own spread for the bread? A little cheese and garlic? Come on. Wait staff was half asleep and never checked on me. I paid in my little app thing at their behest. Man next to me was overcharged by a lot and the staff tried to say it was just the added tip but he still did the math and was overcharged. Someone from the kitchen came out and apologized and he ran to his flight after. Ambience is more mall food court than anything nice... even for an airport. Get a granola bar from the new stand you will be happier

This is a nice restaurant to sit and wait for your flight. The service was attentive, but the food just wasn't great. We stopped here for a meal before our flight back to Los Angeles and decided to try the Cuban sandwich, a specialty, along with a salad. We also ordered a grilled cheese with French fries for my daughter. While I understand it's an airport restaurant, being a Colombian establishment, I expected a better Cuban sandwich. Everything tasted bland, and both the sandwich and my daughter's grilled cheese had stale bread. If you're just looking for drinks, this is a great spot to relax. However, I probably wouldn't return here for food.

Good food especially for an airport. That's the only reason for the second star. To say the service is terrible is an understatement. I come here often so this is not a one off experience. The morning staff is rude and do not want to help. The hours say 4am till the last flight but they NEVER open at 4 am. I've watched staff ignore their customers and talking to each other but doing nothing to feed the people waiting. Today when I came in at 4:20 they said take out coffee only and food starts at 4:30. I said fine I'll wait. They let me sit and order coffee but another customer came in at 4:28 (no exaggeration) and they told him and his family of 4 they were only open for coffee costing the restaurant 4 paying customers. By the time they would have been seated and ordered it would have been well after 4:30. This place gets away with the bad service because food options are limited and the food is decent but they truly act like they don't want to be here and you are irritating them. To be fair it's mostly the female servers that are rude. There are two older gentlemen that are great but the morning female crew clearly hate their jobs!

Absolutely the worst experience in dining I've had anywhere. It's the airport so get the low standard. Sat at the bar and couldn't get a drink after being reprimanded for trying to use the QR code splattered all over the restaurant. Ordered food which never came, simple glass of wine took 20 minutes and the staff was clearly way stressed out. I very rarely leave a zero tip but the folks earned it.

As a former "Tampan", I look forward to returning to the Bay Area and getting my Cuban food fix. Happy to have the Columbia at Delta's E Gate at TIA. I chose the Cuban sandwich w black beans and they were good and the atmosphere from their standalone restaurants are recreated here at the airport

I just read a review of a Yelpie ordering what I did , 1/2 Cuban sandwich n 1/2 salad, he was effusive why? I just had the same n was very disappointed. I was in the main Columbia restaurant n the gambas were piping hot not lukewarm like here, the bread was cold, the sandwich was not fresh like it was reheated, it had provolone thst tasted bitter. I have been in so many Cuban resto n I there was no provolone. I wanted to order Singapore noodles at Pfchang but my husband talked me out of it so now I'm all upset. Our bill came out $53 quite expensive for nothing.

Solid food for an airport. Amazing service. Great ambiance. I will definitely visit the real restaurant now.

If you don't get to experience the original Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, you can make a stop before you fly out of TPA. They have a smaller menu but include all of the must-try items, like the famous 1905 salad. Everything tasted like it was prepared well in advance, which I guess you could expect in an airport. At the end of the day, the food was alright. I'm glad I got to try it. Service was fast and friendly.

I finally got to try the famous Deviled Crab Croquettes, and they are AMAZING! No wonder this restaurant has been in business for so long. Even though I ate at the airport location, it still had the cafe vibe. The staff here were busy, but friendly! I definitely want to experience the restaurant in Ybor to try some additional food items and enjoy the entertainment!

Service was great! Server, Liz, very friendly and knowledgeable. Food was great and quick. Good portion for price. Price was very reasonable, especially for airport. Ambiance, cute & clean.

A group of us all arrived at the airport from Atlanta and wanted to eat here before going anywhere else. It was a late lunch time and no wait for our party of 4. They have tables inside with a long bar and some out in the concourse where you can see people walking by. We were at one of those and got great service even though we were far from the inside. The menu here is limited compared to their other restaurants, but it had their famous 1905 salad, which I of course, had to get. It does have meat in it, the standard is ham, but you can add shrimp or turkey to it as well. It is on iceberg lettuce, which is not my favorite, typically, but for some reason it worked here and the salad was amazing. The ratio of everything was spot on and the dressing unique and light. I did get a bit tired of the full portion though, which is decent sized and in hindsight, should have gone for the half and half, which is half of a salad and half of a sandwich. Next time...

For 6am in the airport, this place has amazing food and dining experience. French toast is to die for. Eggs were great. If you have some time to spare, please give this place a try.

Good food, great service! Niko was our server, he was amazing. I thought he was the owner based on how much care he took. The empanadas were good, a little bit of a bitter aftertaste. The steak palomilla was very very good.

I was amazed at how good the airport location was. The half and half soup and salad was large serving size. All tasted fresh. My husband got the Spanish Bean Soup which was also very flavorful!

Waiter was great & really serviced the Concourse table well. It was not jammed , and I hate to fly - so (2) sangria's hit the spot with some shrimp tapa's. I will definitely return for the next trip - in a week. Good food and drink in a relaxing unrushed atmosphere.

Best restaurant at TPA. Period. In the Delta Terminal, under the Sky Club. Must squirm through security if you want the 1905 Martini. If you want the full Columbia Restaurant experience go to Ybor or Sarasota (St. Armand's) locations. The cheese olives are ridiculous. Old school ambiance. Enjoy!

I had to get a Cuban before I left Tampa. I wasn't disappointed, the Cuban tasted like a traditional Cuban should with the right amount of pork to ham to turkey and the soft crunchy bread light on the mayo and mustard. The fries were good too. For the airport the price was good. If you in the airport I would definitely give them a try.

I bought a Cuban sandwich and a water through the self serve line but didn't see any condiments. I waved at one of the employees and she looked and ignored me. I went inside and saw condiments with bags, took some and saw the same server screaming bloody murder because I went inside. Another server saw/heard her , came to me and said ma'am you're not supposed to be in this area. While she was not rude at all, the other server/employee should be reprimanded and taught some manners. I am a frequent flyer and not that they need my business but will never even buy a bottled water there.Colombian Cafe, you can do better.

Staff is friendly and EFFICIENT! They get the job done and done right with a smile. This might be one the of the best bloods I've had is awhile. I got the half n half... which is basically a whole Sammie with a soup/salad, Prices are good food is great and gets the job done to catch the next flight!

Columbia Restaurant at Tampa International Airport is my go-to spot when departing Tampa. There are several locations around Tampa. The 1905 Salad is delicious! It's a chef salad served with flavorful dressing. Pro tip: Order extra dressing. It is served with bread and soft butter. At times, service is slow. That can be disadvantageous for an airport eatery. During my last visit, the waitress went out of her way to provide excellent service despite being very busy. As I travel with my tiny dog, I bring him with me to the restaurant. He has been welcome, which is appreciated. The bar is only okay. I appreciate a balanced mix drink - especially to kick off vacation. If you do too, know this is not the place you'll find that cocktail I'll be back for the salad.

Can't beat the Columbia while waiting for your flight. The food is always yummy and the service is always quick!

Dinner in an airport is always hit or miss in my opinion. I've flown from Tampa multiple times and always see a crowd inside of Columbia. Because I had 4 hours to kill I decided to give them a try. The 2 top tables are a bit tight but overall the inside is cute. I ordered the 1/2 Cuban sandwich and 1/2 salad. The sandwich was ok but the salad was great. Next time I'll just get the whole salad. The dressing is flavorful and the veggies are crisp. I also decided to order dessert. I got the churro trio, which was a plate of rolled churros with 3 different dipping sauces (chocolate, caramel and I don't know what the 3 rd sauce was). I'm not a huge chocolate fan but if you are you will love the rich, creamy chocolate sauce. My favorite was the caramel. The red sauce I don't know what it was and couldn't figure out the flavor. The churros themselves were delicious. Covered in cinnamon sugar, hot and had a little crisp on the outside. Columbia will be on my list to stop when leaving Tampa from on.

This is one of my favorite airport restaurants in the country. It is as yummy as the original location and service is always great. Get to the airport early so you can dine here before you depart.

Excellent service! Thank you, Senay and Tracy! ( please forgive me if misspelled) I just got to the airport and needed my morning jumpstart STAT. There was not a cordadito on the menu, but Senay asked, "What's in it? Maybe I can make it for you." I told her, she went to the kitchen, and brought back the best coradito I have tasted. That was going above the call of duty. What a great start for my trip. Thank you Senay and Tracy!

Could improve in the hospitality area. Just completely unaccommodating .12 open tables. Several on the outside but for some reason the hostess could not explain, she said the are all open (literally 12 tables) but "unavailable" but not reserved. Sat us in the back corner by the kitchen. Only reason this place stays in business with this level of hospitality is the location and it's the only place to eat at the Tampa airport near the gates. If you have delta access to lounge it's Accross the hall (30 sec walk) and don't patronize this place until the fix approach to customers. If they were a "real" resultant and had this level of hospitality, they would be out of business. Even someone nice who could simply explain why 12 open tables are unavailable. Instead of take it or leave what we got! They need the Danny Myers school of hospitality.

So we ate at this restaurant in the Tampa Bay airport. They have a lot to choose from on their menu. The ambience and seating is very nicely done. We chose the 50-50 sandwich and salad. It's half a Cuban sandwich and salad and this sandwich was amazingly delicious. Keep in mind that in this photo I posted there was another half of the sandwich. In all my years, this sandwich is in my top two, being a close tie for the number one spot. I can't tell you how delicious and enjoyable the sandwich was. It's nicely put together with seasonings, and meats, I wish I had one right now. L O L. Unfortunately, I can only speak on the Cuban sandwich. With this sandwich being one of their highlighted favorites, I would have to assume the rest of the menu is just as good. I only wish they had one on the West Coast. For it being inside the airport we were expecting to pay a lot, our bill for two sandwiches with a salad and two drinks was just about $51. But remember it's in the airport. And for me it was so worth it. What also made it enjoyable was our server, Debbie. She was very nice with a constant smile, and very attentive. I have to recommend this restaurant if you're in the Tampa Bay Florida airport. It is truly well worth it. However, you would have to try it to form your own opinion.

Good service and good food. We had the ropa viejo a with rice and plantains, mahi mahi sandwich with fries and Cuban sandwich with fries. We were able to sit down and eat within 30 minutes and make it to our flight on time. Good place to eat at the Tampa airport.

I was presently surprised yesterday as I stopped by the Columbia Café at Tampa International Airport. The service was great and very clean for a busy eatery. The morsels are as tasty as the main restaurant in the City. Columbia Café at Tampa International Airport is a great place to dine while on your travels!

The food was ok I had the Cuban sandwich the bread was really thick not the kind of Cuban sandwich bread I am used to. The service to be honest was very slow took a while to get our drinks and to get refills was constantly pestering the waiter for attention. The ambiance was nothing special the bar looks nice but it is very cramped feel and the tables are somewhat small if you sit at a two top. The sangria I had was really bad. Ended up getting a beer to wash the taste away. The main Columbia restaurant is much better than the airport one.

Nothing beats a travel day than grabbing a Cuban sandwich from the Columbia restaurant. If you are flying in or out of the Tampa airport and find yourself lucky enough to be at the E terminal... do yourself a favor and swing by the restaurant to eat. And if you don't have time to sit down, no problem, they have a walk up spot with sandwiches, salads and more. A+ experience every time.

I don't usually eat in the airport. But if I do I like to try something I would typical eat. Though busy I was seated immediately and served right away. The bartender was super sweet and personable. Legit the perfect job for her. She made amazing drinks and we working the heck out that bar, YOU HAD TO SEE HER GO! The energy of the establishment gave a bar vibes. Very lively. Good vibes. Warm and welcoming. Lets jump into the food. I thought the Gambas was okay. But very pricey for a tiny dish. The shrimp could've had flavor but it didn't, you would've thought with the olive oil, fresh garlic and red Chile that it was going to be a spicy garlic taste. The churros were different. They would be more like churro twisted sticks, super made up but it describes them to a T. But those are the perfect sweet treat.

Service was quick and friendly. Good was wonderful. Had Cubans, and the Mojo chicken on Cuban bread! Amazing! Atmosphere is fantastic. The waiter was attentive and helpful. The staff is happy to be to be there laughing with each other and enjoying their job. Friendly place.

Service was very good. Food was below average even for the airport. I've had many a Cuban breakfast sandwich. This was easily the worst. Omelette looked good at the next table. Maybe try that. The Bloody Mary is the first drink of my life I didn't finish. The real Columbia should be embarrassed.

We stopped here before while waiting for our flight. We'd visited the larger restaurant the day before so we figured it would be just as good. Smaller selection but that was fine. I ordered the mojito pitcher, which was definitely smaller than the night before but still the same price. I selected the Chicken Salteado, which is served on a very hot iron skillet. The dish is sautéd boneless pieces of chicken, onions, green peppers, fresh garlic, mushrooms, diced potatoes and chorizo splashed with a hearty red wine. Served with yellow rice.

I forgot to take of photo of my food. It was a busy day at the airport. The mojito was good and the food is always on par at Columbia. I did pick at two. Half of salad and half of Cuban sandwich. Actually it's want even half a sandwich. It was almost a whole sandwich. So o got my memory worth. I really like their croquet but they ran out. The food has me feeling nice and full for my flight. The price of course are airport prices! But you for your money worth.

WOW!!! I avoid eating at airports like the plague, but this place was seriously mind blowing. It was so good. I plan to seek out the non airport locations to have dinner again. Service!? CHECK. I was seated immediately and given food recommendations based on the flavor profile I was craving and provided. When you dine here, you won't feel like you're in an airport unless of course you sit on the facade terrace (good people watching there lol) otherwise dining inside transports you, to what I would assume to be how their other locations are decorated, just lovely. This was the break and food I needed after my long week of travel. BRAVO COLUMBIA. In my best Arnold voice... I will be back!!! Spanish Bean Soup & 1905 Salad was out of bounds delicious. The BREAD omg the bread. I can't even. It was heavenly. Cudos to Vicky & Michael who really made my experience perfect

Food was not good. From dry chicken to cold peppers and very unflavorful food all around. I would steer clear. Service was just as bad as the food. Our waitress stood around talking with her coworkers more so than she paid attention to us. The restaurant itself has a nice ambiance. Very authentic. All around not a good experience at all.

It's at the airport so they don't have to have good service and they know it. The food is fine.

What a treat walking into the Tampa airport and finding this little café. Just returning from Sarasota after missing Columbia there... bingo - in front of our gate. Perfect location for a lunch before the flight. The bean soup and half a Cuban excellent. Their infamous salad is to die for and the flan - worth returning and returning. The space was clean and not so loud - the ambiance was perfect for a light lunch. Maybe a craft beer - Pernicious IPA to settle your flight nerves. Served by charmingly attentive Kristina. We WILL be back.

10/10 recommend this place! I got the half and half with the Cuban and a sandwich and it was the perfect amount of food. I also get the key lime pie and it was very good! This is a great place to sit down and chill at the airport

Stopped for a quick bite before our flight. Everyone was so helpful and nice. The service was great and the food was very tasteful. We ordered the signature Cuban with dessert salads and a 1905 salad, the white chocolate bread pudding and to finish us off before our flight we ordered Tampas signature drink "The Spirit of Flight". I highly recommend this drink if you enjoy a sweet drink. It was delicious. So delicious that I had to google the recipe so I could make it again! Def recommend!

I have a ritual of having a greyhound with my breakfast when I fly, so I was a little disappointed when they told me they didn't have any grapefruit juice but I had a vodka and OJ instead. Anything to make me sleep during the flight The breakfast sandwich was phenomenal-toasted Cuban bread with ham, cheese, and eggs....potatoes on the side. On the menu it comes with Swiss cheese but I substituted cheddar. Highly recommended!!

Listen the food is normally so good I will almost always overlook dismissive bartenders and slowish service. Taking that into consideration breakfast was boring and tasteless and to get a smuckers grape jelly with my buttered toast was slightly disappointing and the tiniest cup of tea ever couldn't stay Hot if it tried. Maybe I should just stick to their normal day menu and skip breakfast.

The service.was amazing even though I ordered through there app, which is surprising. I like the waitress checkz to make sure the QR code works and that you are good and don't need anything. The food seemed like it took a while to come out and the potatoes were used warm, so the food was just ok. To pay 1.99 for a sprinkle of cheese seems unreasonable but I'm at the Airport. Tio: There is no alchohol till 7 am at the airport, so even with a bar they can't serve.