BENTO Downtown St. Petersburg — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

Bento St. Pete: Where Decisions Become an Art Form!

Oh, Bento St. Pete, how do I love thee? Let me count the toppings, sauces, and proteins! Seriously, this menu is like the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book of Asian cuisine, except instead of saving a magical kingdom, you're creating the perfect poke bowl or sushi roll combo—and yes, it might just be the most life-changing decision you'll make today. Forget adulting; I'm all in for poke-adventuring!

First off, trying to build a poke bowl here is like assembling IKEA furniture without the tiny wrench. You get to choose your base, protein, additions, toppings, AND sauces! By the time I was done, I felt like I’d just graduated with a degree in "Build-a-Bowl Engineering." My creation? A Frankenstein’s monster of edamame peas, spicy cucumbers, and tempura flakes drizzled with Yum Yum sauce. And let me tell you, it lived up to its name—YUM YUM indeed!

But wait, there's more! If you’re feeling fancy (or just indecisive like me), the sushi combo box offers a safe haven. I went with the Mt. Fuji roll, which was so majestic it almost required a Sherpa to get through it. Who knew that shrimp tempura and krab could create such a harmonious mountaintop experience in my mouth? 🌋

Oh, and can we talk about the Bento Bites? The garlic string beans could single-handedly ward off vampires for a week, and the pork dumplings were so delightful that I contemplated adopting them as my emotional support food.

Pro tip: If you really want to impress your Instagram followers, grab a boba tea and strike a pose with your Bento creation. I recommend the taro milk tea because it’s like sipping on purple happiness in a cup, with just a touch of mystery—because, honestly, what exactly is taro? Whatever it is, I'm a fan!

Final verdict? Bento St. Pete is the perfect spot for anyone who wants to feel like a culinary artist, without the mess of actually cooking. So, if you see me there, just know I’ll be in the corner, building my next poke masterpiece and living my best life—one roll at...

I originally found this place returning home from a road trip in Gainesville. My college roommates were from Jacksonville and talked non stop about it so I had to try it.

Between locations, they are very consistent. Although I remember them having more options in Gainesville, especially when it comes to boba, the food is delicious. The restaurants are always clean and have plenty of space. This location has parking in the garage but you do need to ask for a parking pass before you walk out of the restaurant or it is $5 to get out of the garage. There are also a few spaces on the street that are parallel.

When you first walk in, they have plenty of menus to look at (the menu is not on the wall.) The staff is also quick to greet and help and check you out. They offer plenty of sushi, build-a-poke bowls and various rice and noodle combinations. My favorite is to ask for a bento box. It typically comes with a protein, white or brown rice, ginger salad, lo mein and string beans. They have plently of protein options and do also offer tofu as a selection. One time I was there, they were out of it, but every other time I have gone, they have had all proteins. The sushi is good and usually is served as 4 or 8 pieces. I wouldn't personally recommend getting the boba. It is okay, but seems to be pre-made.

They have two nice single use bathrooms inside the restaurant towards the back of the restaurant.

They also allow dogs on the patio. Seating is first-come,...

Got a good deal through a delivery app, their bowls look good, so we ordered General Tso (breaded, fried) chicken with lo mein noodles and garlic gochujang tofu with udon noodles.

Portions were great, almost a little big for me. The gochujang sauce had a beautiful heat, the one that goes in crescendo until your whole mouth (and throat) have a nice lingering burn. Not too spicy--somewhat medium high heat--but may be too much for those who don't tolerate spicy foods. For those of us who find like every single Asian restaurant tones down (or turns off!) heat for Americans, this will be a nice dish. The tofu squares were perfectly cooked, big, slightly fried, absorbing quite a bit of the sauce, and many of them! Udin noodles were the good kind of chewy. Wish there were a bit more scallions or other veggies in addition or in lieu of the green beans and peppers, but still tasty. 5/5 to me.

The General Tso's bowl, however, was somewhat disappointing. It was sweet, no heat at all. Quite a bit of sauce though. Tasted like average Asian takeout. My husband thought it was very good though, sp because it wasn't so greasy like many Asian lo mein takeouts.

This is our 2nd or 3rd order with them and I think they are pretty consistent. Would...