15 of the best food and drink deals in Tampa Bay

Inflation, expensive rents and a rising cost of living have many folks in Tampa Bay feeling a financial pinch. But there are still ways to eat and drink without breaking the bank. Here are some of the best deals around Tampa Bay.

Dive bars: Fed up with $17 cocktails? Get a drink at a dive bar and save. Our favorite spots include Steve’s Tavern on the Avenue (933 Central Ave., St. Petersburg), where well drinks are $3.75 and pitchers of Bud Light are $9. Similar spots to check out are the Emerald Bar (550 Central Ave., St. Petersburg), Mastry’s Bar (233 Central Ave., St. Petersburg), Shadrack’s (114 Eighth Ave., St. Pete Beach), Mahuffer’s (19201 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores), The Hub (719 N. Franklin St., Tampa) and Tiny Tap Tavern (2105 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa).

Ka’Tiki: Eating and drinking on the beach doesn’t have to be expensive, as this Sunset Beach staple proves with a $3 cheeseburger for dine-in customers all day, every day. It also serves $2.50 drafts and $10 pitchers of Bud Light and Shock Top from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday and has happy hour those days from 4-6 p.m. with $2 domestic can beers and $3 well liquor drinks. You can also build your own Bloody Mary for $2.50 on Bloody Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. And there’s live music daily. 8803 W. Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island. katikisunsetbeach.com.

The Joint: This unassuming sports bar and grill just off Tyrone Boulevard in St. Petersburg offers major value. Not only are there daily meal specials for as low as $8.97, but on certain days at certain times, select top-shelf liquor drinks (Don Julio, Ketel One, Crown Royal) are just $4. 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. 7630 34th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. facebook.com/thejointstpete.

Saigon Deli: People rave about the fresh and affordable Vietnamese food at this Carrollwood deli. With $6 summer rolls and banh mi and $13 pho, you can feast without breaking the bank. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Sunday, closed Thursday. 3858 W. Waters Ave., Tampa. 813-887-3888. facebook.com/saigondeli.

9 Bangkok Thai and Sushi: Sure, inflation has affected one of the longest-running lunch specials in St. Pete, but you’ll still fill up for less than $20. Choose from multiple curries including panang, green and red, rice or noodle dishes like pad Thai ($12.95-$16.95) or two rolls of sushi ($12.95). It all comes with the soup of the day and a spring roll. There is also a bento box that includes a Mexican roll, six pieces of sashimi (tuna, salmon, escolar), three pieces of sushi (tuna, salmon and whitefish) and seaweed salad for $16.95. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. daily. 571 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-894-5990. 9bangkok.info/index.html.

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Salt Rock Grill: This spot for fresh seafood and steaks with outstanding views of the Intracoastal Waterway might be a surprising addition to this list. But its Supper Club Menu is arguably the best deal in town. For $19, you have a choice of a smaller-portion entree (including a piece of fresh-caught fish from the Baystar restaurant group’s fleet of day boats) served with garlic mashed potatoes. Meals come with bread, choice of salad and a dessert. A shrimp cocktail appetizer is available for $6, and drinks are also on special, like $7 well martinis, $6 house mojitos and $5 domestic bottle beers. The menu is available from 4-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-5:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. 19325 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. 727-593-7625. saltrockgrill.com.

Paradise Grille: This snack bar with locations on Pass-a-Grille (900 Gulf Way, 727-954-8957) and St. Pete Beach (6850 Beach Plaza, 727-560-5399) has a robust lineup of live music and reasonably priced cocktails ($7.29-$7.99), beer and wine ($4-$6.49), breakfast ($7.50-$15), burgers ($12-$16) and seafood platters ($18.95-$23.95) — and priceless views. It’s open daily from sunrise to a half-hour past sunset. paradisegrille.com.

Orlando Latin Market: Find produce, spices, meat and canned goods at this friendly market, where you can also get hearty plates of prepared food for a great price: $6-$8.50 for mains, $3.75 sides. 3515 30th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-521-4545. facebook.com/orlandolatinmarket.

Lonni’s Sandwiches: It’s pretty incredible that this cafe on Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg can keep its prices reasonable, but it does. People rave about the famous Sunny Bird sandwich featuring turkey, cream cheese and French dressing on wild rice bread. It’s $10.89 for the whole sandwich, but you can get a half with a cup of soup or a side salad for just $9.99. Even if you add chips and a drink for $3.49, you’re still getting lunch for less than $20, which is rare these days. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 429 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-894-1944. lonnisdowntownstpete.com.

Santoro’s Pizzeria: Speaking of lunch, this Tampa joint serving “Jersey slice” has a daily special from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. that comes with a plain slice, a specialty slice and a drink for $7, and a happy hour deal daily from 4-8 p.m. of an 18-inch plain pizza with a mix-and-match bucket of five alcoholic drinks for $35. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. 1329 W. Cass St., Tampa. 813-687-7100. santorospizzeria.com.

Slyce: Getting a slice of pizza during a beach outing is a tradition, and this restaurant has locations on Indian Rocks Beach (311 Gulf Blvd.), Madeira Beach (662 150th Ave.) and St. Pete Beach (6340 Gulf Blvd.). Its weekday lunch special (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) is a slice of cheese with a house or Caesar salad for $8.99, or an individual cheese pizza for $7.99. (Toppings are additional.) There are also handheld specials (like meatball subs or Italian cold cut) served with chips for $9.99. And it has $12 pitchers of mimosas and Bloody Marys during Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. slycepizzabar.com.

West Tampa Sandwich Shop: Not only did this shop land on our list of the 25 most iconic restaurants in Tampa Bay, but President Barack Obama also visited it to try the original honey Cuban, which comes in three sizes ranging from $5.10-$7.15. Coffees are also inexpensive, with cafe con leche ranging from $2.90-$4.45 and espresso for $2. 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 3904 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa. 813-873-7104. westtampasandwichshoprestaurant.com.

Sue’s Farmer’s Market: Stop at this produce stand in Kenneth City and save on not only fruits and vegetables, but feta and other fancy cheeses. On a recent visit, prices here were significantly lower than at the supermarket. For example, yellow squash was $1.49 per pound, poblano peppers were 99 cents each, and crumbled blue cheese was $3.49. 5455 58th St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-521-4545. facebook.com.

El Toro Negro: Another Kenneth City staple, this Mexican restaurant has an all-you-can-eat buffet for $18 on weekdays and $21 on weekends. With three steam tables full of a wide variety of meats, beans, guacamole, tortillas, quesadillas, soups like chicken pozole and even fresh fruit, you won’t leave hungry. 5780 54th Ave. N., Kenneth City. 727-541-4901.

Two Buks Saloon: Happy hour ($3.99 wells, $3.25 pints of select beers) starts promptly at noon and runs till 7 p.m. at this Clearwater spot, where there’s always a game on multiple TVs — as well as darts, pool and golf consoles and entertainment including live music and karaoke. Food prices are reasonable, too, and often get reduced for happy hour. But even at full price, you can still get a burger for less than $10. Make it a party and get the box of burger sliders (think White Castle-style) for $24. Noon-1:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday, noon-3 a.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. 1915 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-442-0812. twobuks.com.