Sami's Bakery — Restaurant in Tampa

If i could go lower than a star i would . I never leave reviews but i downloaded yelp just to leave one after my experience here . Even after previously reading some bad reviews on Samis Bakery i gave them the benefit of the doubt & ordered a gluten free birthday cake for my mother who has celiac disease. The next day, after driving 40 minutes to get there, the Baker says my cake isn't ready, to come back in 30 minutes. Meanwhile they close in 2 hours. So i go eat & come back more than an hour later to find my cake will be done in 10 more minutes. (Good thing i didn't return in 30) I stand & wait . Finally he comes out with a cake on a card board plate & says sorry we have no box. Not only was he expecting me to carry this cake home on my lap with no box, the cake he made me was completely different from my order. I even texted the guy in detail EXACTLY what i needed. His response when confronted was ill understand if you don't want the cake. I ordered a gluten free strawberry cake & he gave me a sample something completely different. He said its almond mixed with gluten free . He understood nothing about gluten whatsoever. After that remark i left. Gluten can be a very serious thing & if cross contaminated in someones food who is diagnosed, make them extremely sick. I wasted so much time coming here & can gladly say i will never return . I do not recommend anyone to make cake orders ESPECIALLY if you have a food allergy, do NOT rely on them to be gluten free. Take this review with seriousness and continue to the next gluten free bakery on the list . I do have a recommendation who saved my moms birthday extremely last minute . Petite Madelyns Bakery on Bloomingdale Ave. She went above & beyond for me after hearing the circumstances i went through . Even coming in the next day on her day off to give me my cake . She can cater to anyone...

Today I was on a mission to find the best pita bread, hummus, olive oil, olives and zaatar to try and re-create the wonderful flavors the wife and I had at Chef Yousef's restaurant The Olive Tree.  Success!!

My 1st stop was Sami's Bakery. I've noticed it several times when traveling past Busch Gardens. I stopped in and it is a small shop specializing in healthy bread options, many of which are made from millet. I was happy to cross 2 items off my list. Best pita bread and best hummus.

I ended up with a Roasted Red Pepper Hummus that was delicious and creamy. A regular Hummus that was off the charts good! Every time I taste it my eyes roll back in my head, best ever! The pita bread was also top shelf, very soft and pliable. I also got a couple guava pastries, one with cheese, that were better than the ones I get at the latino bakeries. Flaky, tasty, fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. There was a Spinach and Cheese Pie that I did not like, but that doesn't mean it was not good, I am unaccustomed to it and could not say. Lastly, I tried the Pistachio Baklava and the Walnut Baklava. Both were very sticky and very sweet. Having just had the same thing days earlier at Bekdash, I did not like this one as much. It was very good though, just too sweet for my "old man" tastes.

The hummus, the pita and the guava pastries ensure my return to the bakery. I also plan on adding millet bread to my diet for health reasons. The lady there was nice and helpful and there is a nice variety of healthy options like chips and cookies I must try. Plenty of parking in front and on the side, right near Busch Gardens. Highly recommend it. Come...

I’m always amazed at the variety of delicious food that Sami’s has just in the front of their business, not to mention the numerous products of theirs found in many local ethnic markets and some mainstream as well. On almost any day they’re open they carry fresh baklava, regular, pistachio and chocolate, spanikopita, dolmathes, cinnamon rolls (the best, and with no raisins) and various specialty baked goods as well as an entire line of gluten free baked products including bread. Everything shipped out or displayed is baked from scratch there daily. You can often find their products in many Greek, Egyptian, Palestinian, Jordanian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian and Turkish markets and restaurants. I consider myself blessed because I am within walking distance. Besides that I’m a kid at heart so every time I walk in either the chocolate baklava or the cinnamon rolls begin calling my name. I’m definitely an addict. The employees there are as nice as you’ll ever find anywhere. They’re very knowledgeable about their products but also blend into the background when you shop, so as to avoid trying to sell you anything. The choices are...