Columbia Restaurant

2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa FL 33605 columbiarestaurant.com (813) 248-4961

Cuisines and Dishes at Columbia Restaurant:

Spanish

Menu for Columbia Restaurant

Sopas

Spanish Bean Soup $3.95 - $4.95
the soup that made the columbia famous. the original recipe of casimiro hernandez, sr. garbanzo beans simmered with smoked ham, chorizo sausage and potatoes in a delicious broth of chicken and ham.
Cuban Black Bean Soup $3.95 - $4.95
frijoles negros prepared exactly like our grandmother, carmen hernandez did. served over a bed of white rice and tossed with diced raw spanish onions. 100% vegetarian.
Gazpacho Andaluz $3.95 - $4.95
spain's famous cold soup of puree of ripe tomatoes, green peppers, onions, cucumbers and garlic. topped tableside with finely diced vegetables and toasted cuban croutons.
Caldo Gallego
a favorite to enjoy when visiting the galicia region along the northwest coast of spain. great northern beans simmered in a rich stock with smoked ham, chorizo sausage, turnip greens and potatoes.

Ensalada

Lula Mae's Chopped Salad $9.95
a columbia original and favorite. named to honor the memory of our longtime staff member, lula mae tollaman, who graced the columbia nightly for 48 years. chopped salad of lettuce, tomato, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, celery, hard-boiled egg and dressed with a cabrales cheese garlic vinaigrette dressing.
Beefsteak Tomato Salad $7.95
this was the favorite of our father, cesar gonzmart. beefsteak tomatoes, tossed with julienne sweet onions, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and garlic.
Caesar Salad $7.95 - $11.95
crisp romaine lettuce tossed with romano cheese and croutons. smaller version served with entree $3.95. caesar salad with grilled chicken, caesar salad with shrimp "al ajillo".
The Original "1905" Salad $9.95 - $11.95
"1905" salad with turkey, "1905" salad with shrimp "al ajillo".

Bocadillos

Havana Club Sandwich $8.95
turkey, bacon, ham, swiss cheeses, tomato and mayonnaise on cuban bread. served with plantain chips
Mojo Chicken $8.95
char-grilled breast of chicken, melted swiss cheese, roasted peppers, lettuce, tomatoes and alioli sauce on cuban bread. served with plantain chips.
Mahi Mahi Sandwich $8.95
grilled, seasoned mahi mahi with lettuce, tomato and garlic alioli on cuban bread. served with garlic plantain chips.
Curt's Meatloaf $8.95
meatloaf topped with swiss cheese, yellow mustard, pickles and pressed between cuban bread, served with garlic plantain chips.
Half And Half Combo $9.95
a choice of two, one half of a cuban sandwich, one half order of columbia's "1905" salad or a cup of soup.

Tapas

Pincho Mixta $7.95
pinchos are the hottest trend in spanish tapas today, skewered and grilled seasoned pork, chicken, chorizo and onions.
Chorizo "Espanola" $7.95
sliced chorizo, and onions sauteed in spanish extra-virgin olive oil. ole!
Gambas "Barbacoa" $9.95
spanish explorers to the new world discovered this method of cooking from the arawak indians, skewered wild-caught large gulf of mexico shrimp, red onions, seasoned, char-grilled and brushed with chimichuri sauce. deliciosa!
Gambas "Al Ajillo" $8.95
spain's most popular tapas feature large shrimp from the pristine waters of louisiana, sauteed in extra-virgin spanish olive oil, fresh garlic and chili pepper.
Queso Fundido $7.95
tetilla cheese, mild and delicious and hailed from our motherland asturias, located in the north of spain, is baked in a rioja tomato sauce until melted. served with toasted cuban bread points.
Empanadas De Picadillo $7.95
our mother and grandmother, adela, always had our favorite empanada ready when we visited her. our empanada starts with her recipe for picadillo, spiced ground beef, garlic, tomato, onions, raisins and olives, wrapped in pastry turnovers and served with roasted corn and black bean salsa.
Cakes De Crangrejo $10.95
a cuban twist to an american favorite, our two large crab cakes are loaded with fresh handpicked blue crab meat and grilled, then drizzled with a passion fruit alioli sauce.
Scallops "Casimiro" $10.95
colossal fresh scallops baked in a clay casserole with lemon butter and topped with seasoned bread crumbs and white wine.
Shrimp Supreme $9.95
a columbia creation by the columbia's first chef and hall of fame member, chef francisco pijuan. marinated jumbo shrimp from the pristine waters of the gulf of mexico, wrapped in smoked bacon, dusted in seasoned flour and lightly fried.
Shrimp And Crabmeat Alcachofas $9.95
baked casserole of shrimp, crabmeat and artichoke hearts topped with grated romano cheese.
Calamares Fritos "A La Romana" $10.95
tender calamari dusted in seasoned flour and lightly fried. our recipe comes from our friend and our third great chef, miguel bejines of sevilla, spain.
Devil Crab Croquettes $9.95
a version of the original ybor city devil crab croquettes as sold on the streets by bicycle vendors in tampa's latin quarter. six minicroquettes with blue crab meat, cuban cracker crumbs, paprika, onions and garlic. our grandmother and great grandmother aurora gonzalez's recipe. served with columbia hot sauce.
Croquetas De Langosta $9.95
two large croquettes made with maine lobster meat, blended into a delicate roux, breaded with cuban bread crumbs, served with a lobster sauce.
Croquetas De Pollo $7.95
sunday dinner would always begin with our grandmother and great grandmother carmen hernandez's special recipe for chicken croquettes. six croquettes made with chicken and cuban cracker crumbs and fried. served with columbia hot sauce.
Mejillones Y Chorizo "Andres" $11.95
named for andres sanchez who produced and provided our family with the best chorizo, made right here in ybor city. fresh prince edward island mussels and sliced chorizo, sauteed and simmered with extra virgin olive oil, onions, celery, tomato, basil, spinach and garlic splashed with dried white wine and lemon. delicioso!
Champinones Ajillo $7.95
a trip to madrid is not complete without visiting the calle cuchilleros and el meson del champinones for this delicious tapas. mixed wild mushrooms sauteed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh minced garlic, chili pepper and splashed with gonzalez y byass amontillado sherry.
Albondigas $6.95
ybor city was founded by cubans, spaniards and italians. almost every meal, baptism, wedding reception or any gathering featured albondigas, spanish for meatballs. our family recipe is made with ground choice veal and beef blended with our secret columbia seasoning, simmered in a mild catalan tomato sauce.
Coca De Langosta $9.95
coca, the catalonian flatbread, our version is brushed with our 1905 sauce, topped with spanish chorizo, diced vine-ripe tomatoes, maine lobster meat and manchego cheese. baked until crisp, drizzled with piquillo pepper alioli.
Black Bean Cakes $5.95
a favorite tapa selection by vegetarians and lovers of black beans. served with guacamole and sour cream.
Almejas "Art Pepin" $9.95
art was our family friend, as well as the distributor for the "king of beers" in tampa and a caring philanthropist. the memory of art's love for life inspired this recipe, fresh pasta, clams, steamed in our 1905 dressing and dry vermouth. great when accompanied with spain's estrella galicia beer. art, this one's for you!
Stuffed Piquillo Peppers $7.95
sweet piquillo peppers from spain's basque region of navarra, filled with a wild mushroom, chorizo and serrano ham filling, baked in an almond pepper sauce and topped with manchego cheese.
The "Tapeo" Sampler $24.95 - $27.95
tapeo is the spanish tradition of sharing small plates of foods with family and friends. perfect for 3-6 people. choose one seafood tapas and two other tapas, choose two seafood tapas and one other tapas.

Platos Principales

Chicken And Yellow Rice "Ybor" $9.95
the traditional dish from tampa's ybor city, one quarter chicken baked with yellow rice, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, spices and virgin olive oil.
Pollo "Riojana" $12.95
boneless chicken breast breaded, grilled and topped with a rioja tomato sauce and melted spanish tetilla cheese. served with yellow rice.
Roast Pork "A la Cubana" $11.95
generous slices of roast pork with a delicious marinade. served like back home in cuba with black beans, white rice, yuca and platanos.
Boliche "Criollo" $10.95
slowly roasted eye of the round beef, stuffed with chorizo, in a flavorful gravy. served with black beans, white rice and ripe platanos. a lunch time favorite of rg.
Breaded Veal Milanesa $12.95
a lunch time favorite of all the tampa spanish restaurants that brought fame to tampa along with the columbia in the 1900's. tender veal cutlet, breaded and pan fried, topped with our catalana tomato sauce. garnished with peas and spanish red pimientos. served with yellow rice.
El Combo De Cuba $15.95
to sample the flavors of cuba, this cuban feast of roast pork, boliche, empanada de picadillo, yuca, platanos, black beans and yellow rice brings you closer to cuba.
Palomilla $13.95
"if you haven't been to cuba or miami lately, you probably haven't had a steak like this." marinated top sirloin cut very thin and quickly grilled, topped with mojo crudo (chopped onion, parsley and lime juice). served with platanos and french fries or rice.
Ropa Vieja $9.95
originally introduced to cuba by spanish sailors. the name means "old clothes" because the choice beef is shredded, sauteed and simmered with onions, green peppers and tomatoes. served with platanos and white rice.
Paella Espanola $18.95
spain's national dish, our luncheon version of shrimp, scallops, calamares, clams, mussels, chicken, pork, spanish onions, ripe tomatoes, green peppers, fresh garlic, all baked in a paella pan with spain's best valencia rice, "la bomba".
Picadillo "Criollo" $9.75
we could always count on enjoying our mother, adela hernandez gonzmart's delicious picadillo recipe when we were growing up at home or after wards when we would stop by to visit. a family favorite for generations, finely ground choice lean beef, braised with onions, green peppers, olives, raisins and capers. served with white rice and ripe platanos.
Salteado $12.95
(the columbia's traditional method of saute) inspired by the chinese who lived in cuba in the 19th century, a very hot iron skillet with extra virgin olive oil is used to saute onions, green peppers, fresh garlic, mushrooms, diced potatoes, chorizo, splashed with a hearty red wine. served with yellow rice. choice of: boneless chicken, steak tips or gulf of mexico shrimp.
Eggplant Riojana $12.95
sliced eggplant breaded with ground plantain crumbs, smothered in our rich rioja sauce of tomatoes, garlic, capers, olives and red wine. topped with melted galician tetilla cheese.
Snapper "Adelita" $15.95
king of gulf fish, snapper, grilled and topped with hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and onions. served with "good rice." outstanding!
Cannelloni De Langosta "7 Portes" $14.95
this recipe comes from one of our favorite restaurants in barcelona, "7 portes" founded in 1836. tender cannelloni pasta filled with maine lobster meat, shrimp, pan-seared scallops and sauteed shallots blended with a lobster sherry cream reduction, smothered with a lobster sherry mornay cheese sauce.
Shrimp Supreme $13.95
this columbia restaurant creation of wild-caught gulf of mexico jumbo shrimp is wrapped in wafer thin bacon, marinated and fried. served with yellow rice or potatoes.
Shrimp Criollo $13.95
jumbo wild-caught gulf of mexico shrimp sauteed with spanish extra virgin olive oil, onions, tomatoes, ripe plantains, potatoes and spicy spanish paprika, splashed with martini & rossi dry vermouth. served with white rice.
Mahi Mahi "Cayo Hueso" $12.95
boneless fillet of mahi mahi marinated in citrus juices and grilled. served with mojo marinated onions, yellow rice and platanos. a favorite of our long time friend, banker, marathon runner, boater and all around great person, lynn culbreath.
Mahi Mahi "Varadero" $12.95
grilled boneless fillet of mahi mahi crusted with ground crispy green plantain chips, topped with a citrus butter sauce. served with yellow rice.
Merluza "Russian Style" $13.95
created by francisco pijuan, columbia's famous chef and former chef to king alfonso xiii. premium atlantic merluza, spain's favorite fish. breaded with cuban bread crumbs and grilled. garnished with a russian sauce of lemon butter, parsley and hard boiled eggs. served with yellow rice. viva el rey!
Almejas Y Pasta "Pepin" $11.95
fresh pasta clams sauteed then steamed in our 1905 dressing, lemon juice and martini & rossi dry vermouth served over linguini. a favorite of friend and philanthropist, the late art pepin.
Mejillones Y Chorizo "Andres" $11.95
named for andres sanchez who produced and provided our family with the best chorizo, made right here in ybor city. fresh prince edward island mussels and sliced chorizo, sauteed and simmered with extra virgin olive oil, onions, celery, tomato, basil, spinach and garlic splashed with dried white wine and lemon. delicioso!
Grouper "El Greco" $17.95
i created this recipe after many visits with my college roommate and lifelong friend, jimmy "the greek" philopoulos and his family in canton, massachusetts. they are the multi generational owners of restaurants, including the legendary 57 restaurant in boston. boneless fillet of red grouper, grilled on a flat top with olive oil, smothered with seasoned onions, garlic and oregano. served with yellow rice. opa!
Grilled Grouper $17.50
simply delicious. red grouper seasoned and grilled. served with yellow rice.

Postres

Flan $4.95
we think our flan is the best we have ever tasted. one taste and we think you will agree. the recipe dates back to 1935 when the columbia opened tampa's first "conditioned air" dining room, the don quixote. our grandmother and great grandmother, carmen hernandez, helped the columbia gain national fame with her great recipes especially her flan, spanish caramel egg custard, prepared the old-fashioned way, using only the best natural ingredients.
Guava Turnover "Carmita" $6.95
carmen hernandez used to bake this dessert for our family on sundays at her home. one taste of the tropical sweet guava and melted sweet cream cheese baked in a soft crispy pastry, dusted with sugar granules, drizzled with vanilla bean sauce, and you will understand why it was our favorite dessert.
Brazo Gitano "Cien Anos" $6.95
100th anniversary version of the original recipe from casimiro hernandez, sr, founder of the columbia restaurant. spongecake soaked in syrup with spanish manzanilla sherry filled with spanish cream and strawberries, rolled and topped with meringue. served table side with strawberry sauce and flambeed.
White Chocolate Bread Pudding $7.95
our dad and grandfather's favorite dessert, simply put, this is the best bread pudding that we have tasted anywhere we have ever visited. our version is made with white chocolate, la segunda central bakery cuban bread, sunny florida dairy milk and florida eggs, topped with a rich don casimiro classic silver rum sauce.
Churros "Tres Amigos" $5.95
golden brown spanish pastry dusted with cinnamon sugar. served with three sauces of rich, warm chocolate, caramel and guava.
Crema Catalana $6.50
this is a favorite of the gonzmart family when visiting "los caracoles" restaurant in barcelona, spain. "natilla," catalan cream sprinkled with sugar, caramelized table side with a flaming torch.
Godiva Chocolate Cake $6.95
dark chocolate cake layered and topped with chocolate mousse and drizzled with caramel sauce. served with seasonal berries.
Key Lime Pie $6.95
the original key lime pie recipe was thought to have been created in key west, the birthplace of our grandmother and great grandmother, carmen piloto hernandez in the late 19th century. when the family moved to ybor city, they brought a prized key lime tree to plant at their home, beginning a tradition of enjoying fresh key lime pie at family gatherings. today our pies start with a secret graham cracker crust, and our filling is made from pasteurized eggs yolks, condensed milk and "nellie & joe's" key lime juice. that's it! no preservatives, no artificial ingredients and no gelatin, just the best tasting key lime pie anywhere! key lime pie is the "official pie of the state of florida."

Bebidas

Fresh Roasted Coffee $2.50
roasted in ybor city's naviera coffee mill.
Espresso Coffee $2.95
evelio herndandez's secret blend.
Cafe Con Leche $3.50
espresso cuban coffee with steamed milk.
Fresh Brewed Ice Tea $2.50
Hot Tea $2.50
Soft Drinks $2.50

Menu for Columbia Restaurant provided by Allmenus.com

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Reviews for Columbia Restaurant

Ratings and Reviews for Columbia Restaurant

May 04 2012

anna y. via Yelp

The food was OK, although a bit overpriced.... What I really liked was the restaurant itself; it is very pretty inside and worth checking out. I almost...read more
Apr 22 2012

Mme C. via Yelp

I think the price paid is worth the extra ambiance, entertainment, quality food and service at the Columbia. We had an excellent waitress whom answered all...read more
Apr 17 2012

R C P. via Yelp

Excellent restaurant, even if you don't eat from their extensive variety of seafood and meat selections. We attended with a large number of vegetarians and...read more
Feb 14 2009

MikeGa via Citysearch

All the food tasted the same, bland, tasteless, salty, and disgusting. Nice presentation, good waitress, really bad food. I hope...read more
Jan 31 2009

via Citysearch

Try their legendary salad - it is to die for!! The atmosphere is awesome, we have been many times and loved it every time. This pl...read more
May 12 2008

GreyBard via Citysearch

The Columbia has been around forever, and is still one of the better places to go for any size group. Can't speak to having child...read more

From Citysearch

The Scene
The state's oldest restaurant, owned by the Gonzmarts (the same Tampa family that has operated it since 1905), the Columbia anchors a whole block of Ybor City. Its gorgeous building exudes a dignified splendor, glistening with colorful, hand-painted Spanish tile and flounced stone fretwork. Locals and tourists alike flock here to enjoy a relaxed ambience, terrific food and flashy flamenco shows.

The Food
An impressive array of traditional Spanish and Cuban dishes. Start with sangria, Spanish red wine garnished with fruit, and move onto ''champinones al jerez,'' mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, garlic and sherry. Follow with red snapper Alicante, the mild white fish baked with onion, green pepper, garlic and wine, accompanied by yellow rice. For dessert, choose traditional Spanish flan, a smooth custard baked in a delectable caramel sauce. Finish with the local beverage of choice: coffe con leche, steamed milk and coffee made from slightly burned beans that give the drink its unique taste.

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