St. Pete has evolved into a foodie paradise. While we’re beyond excited about the new restaurants stoking the flames of flavor downtown and around St. Pete, we can’t help but feel a sense of pride about the restaurants that have called the Burg home for decades.
The Originals series is our journey to finding and exploring some of St. Pete’s longest running eating establishments. This elite group of establishments have set the standard for what is now the Burg’s food scene. From homemade milkshakes to southern comfort food, these restaurateurs have helped shape the Burg to the place we know and love today.
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*Photo via Yelp reviewer Phillip K.
Munch’s Restaurant and Sundries
Established in 1952 by Dean and Clariece Munch , Munch’s Breakfast and Lunch Restaurant has been serving up everything from burgers to southern cuisine for 62 years.
Aside from being a restaurant, Munch’s was a dry cleaner and post office. The restaurant also sold novelty items, candy, and toys in its sundries shop. In 1976, Clariece and her two sons, Gary and Larry, took complete control of Munch’s.
Munch’s is open seven days a week from 7am to 3pm. This old school restaurant makes everything in house. The breakfast menu offers southern classics like cheese grits, homemade maple brown sugar sausage, eggs, hashbrowns and biscuits. The lunch options include Shepherd’s pie, fried chicken, pot roast, barbeque ribs and more. Don’t forget about dessert, Munch’s offers two styles of apple pie and strawberry shortcake made using biscuits.
Their most famous items are the legendary Munchburger (half-pound burger on a five-inch bun) and the World Famous fried green tomatoes.
This gem even reached the national spotlight when it was featued on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Feeling lucky? Each day the restaurant offers a free meal to someone with a first name of their choice. Munch’s is located at 3920 6th Street South.
Biff Burgers
Biff-Burger was started in the mid-1950s as a chain called Biff-Burger Drive In by brothers Bruce and Earl Bane. They opened up their first store in Clearwater, this store was home to their corporate office for years. The company had franchises everywhere from Florida to Canada. Biff stood for Best In Fast Food and was known for its 100% beef burgers and the process that went into making a Biff burger.
*Photo via Stefanie F. on Yelp
By the late 70s, the National Biff-Burger System and Biff’s Chains went out of business. Out of hundreds of franchises only two stayed open, and only one location kept the name and architecture, the Biff-Burgers in Pinellas Park.
Although Biff has had several owners over the years, the restaurant has looked the same since the 50s. It provides the walk up counter and sit down service and reasonable prices that made people love Biff-Burger Drive In in the 60s and 70s.
Biff is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast options include: omelettes, burgers, skillets, sandwiches and quesadillas.Their afternoon menu has choices such as wings, burgers, pulled pork, and shrimp platters. Biff offers similar options for their dinner menu. Dessert options include: brownie sundaes, banana splits and malts/shakes.
Biff-Burger offers comfortable seating and a total of 24 color televisions for sports lovers. It’s the perfect place to grab a craft beer and enjoy a Tampa Bay Rays game. Give the historic Biff-Burger a visit today, 3939 49th Street North.
Article by Tamiracle Williams, iLovetheBurg Editorial Intern
Which restaurants/businesses should we feature next? Let us know in a comment!
Hungry for more St. Pete gems? Read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV for more classic foodie inspiration.
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