Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood — Restaurant in Tampa

A Williamson Review: Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood – Tampa’s Hidden Gem of Flavor and Heart

If you're searching for seafood that sings with soul and tastes like it came straight from Grandma’s kitchen, look no further than Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood in Tampa. From the moment you walk in, the aroma wraps around you like a warm hug—rich spices, sizzling fish, and that unmistakable scent of food made with love.

The fish? Unreal. Whether it’s whiting, basa, or snow crab, every bite is tender, perfectly seasoned, and undeniably fresh. My wife nailed it when she said, “Everything I’ve tasted from there has that homemade taste. It never feels frozen or premade—everything is made from scratch.” And she’s right. You can taste the care in every dish.

The mac and cheese is creamy and comforting, the collard greens are soulful and savory, and the hush puppies are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Even the banana pudding and blue velvet cake feel like a celebration of Southern tradition.

What sets Ladies of the Sea apart isn’t just the food—it’s the vibe. The staff are warm, the portions are generous, and the atmosphere feels like a family reunion you didn’t know you needed. It’s the kind of place you tell your friends about, then bring them back with you the next weekend.

If you're in Tampa and craving seafood that’s seasoned with soul and served with heart, Ladies of the Sea is the spot. Five stars, no hesitation. Worth the wait. Value is tasted...

The food was OUTSTANDING which is a shame that my fiancée and I will NEVER come back because Kendra treated us like we were the biggest inconvenience for even stepping foot in the restaurant. The place was clean and quaint with living tributes to people who have passed on but Kendra rolled her eyes at us for even asking us what sides did we want. We started off by saying that we saw the restaurant on social media and was excited to try the food. We even asked about the "tip jar" with her still being so rude to us. She didn't even put the $7 dollars in there, it went on the side of the register near the PUREL sanitizer bottle. Then, when our food came out, she "scolded" the young lady cooking for giving us "one 2 many cornbreads". When I politely asked if my "Fisherman's platter" came with any bread, she looked at me like DUH.... Under the fish...like I was supposed to know.

Then when I asked for a CUP OF ICE, because the canned drinks weren't cold yet, she told me, THAT'S A DOLLAR. I did say, we did tip you, I think that you could spare a cup of ice.

We ate there but the entire time we were very upset at how she treated us for no reason at all. We took the rest of our food to go and didn't want to ask for a bag because she probably would have tried to charged us for...

Ordered 2 dinners. Turkey Wings: Mac & cheese, and potato salad. Baked Chicken: collard greens and yams. Both came with yellow rice. Pros - Very reasonably priced soul food dinners. They give you a lot on your plate and not stingy with filling it up! Really enjoyed the baked chicken. Very nice customer service! Cons - The wait time for dinners I believe was almost 45 minutes and I found out after I paid. The Turkey wings were under cooked and not stewed all the way down, you can always tell if it’s fully cooked by the tenderness of the skin and the chew of the meat. The potato salad didn’t taste homemade.

Side note: I’m glad I saw there were marshmallows on my yams inside my plate before I left the restaurant because after it melted on the way home, it didn’t look appetizing.

Overall tasty well seasoned meals, just need to work on wait time and making sure the food is cooked all the way.

I will be back again and give them another shot because they probably were just running so behind that the food didn’t completely finish, rushing orders. I feel this restaurant has great potential because the hardest part is seasoning and taste, and they...