Restaurants serving up authentic Greek salads, bakeries churning out flaky baklava, conversations in Greek, and boats gently rocking in the harbor. If you were dropped in the middle of this Floridian town, you would certainly assume you’re in Greece — there are Greek flags dispersed throughout the palm trees, after all. This, however, is Tarpon Springs, the town in Florida’s Gulf Coast where 25% of the population has Greek heritage.
While Florida is better known for the Cuban sandwich and exotic fruits grown in the tropical climate, there’s a historical reason why Greek immigrants arrived here in this specific town. In the early 1900s, Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands arrived in Tarpon Springs to take advantage of the booming sponge industry (yes, the sea sponges used for bathing, cleaning, and exfoliating!). They brought with them not just diving expertise, but everything else from Greece: their food, language, music, and Orthodox traditions. More than a century later, their descendants have preserved that cultural identity, and it is represented through the town’s bakeries, restaurants, and festivals.
Naturally, Tarpon Springs is home to some of the best Greek food you’ll find outside of Greece itself. You might notice the smell of fresh bread, baklava, oregano, and grilled seafood wafting through the air. Eateries are housed in whitewashed buildings with blue accents, and tavernas line the waterfront; walking through Tarpon Springs can feel like a Mediterranean vacation without spending a crazy amount on airfare.
Where to eat in Tarpon Springs, Florida
Spots like Dimitri’s on the Water, Mykonos, The Limani, and The Greeks Taverna are some of the classics in the area, with many still family-owned. The hardest part is deciding which one to visit — most have close to a 5-star rating on Google Maps. These establishments serve authentic dishes made from traditional recipes passed down through generations — think Greek fries, spanokopita, flaming cheese with pita, Greek salads with tangy, briny feta, and moussaka. With the close proximity to the sea, you’ll find large portions of grilled fish, octopus, and fried calamari, all with a side of unmistakable Greek hospitality.
And then for something sweet, stop by Hellas, where there’s sure to be freshly baked baklava and galaktoboureko, a custard-filled phyllo dessert. Loukoumades, Greek doughnuts, are also a local favorite, especially during the town’s Epiphany celebration, when Tarpon Springs draws thousands of visitors for the annual cross dive and religious festival.
While many cities in the United States have Greek fast-casual spots serving up loaded gyros, Tarpon Springs offers a rare concentration of authentic, regional Greek cooking. Many of the chefs and shopkeepers speak the language fluently, import ingredients from Greece, and even operate small markets to share these products with the public.
