Cafe Creole (Closed)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

The vertical Cafe Creole sign still catches your eye as you walk through Ybor City, a reminder of one of Tampa's most memorable restaurants. Hanging from the old brick El Pasaje building, it looks as though the next plate of jambalaya or bowl of gumbo could be served at any moment. Even after all these years, the sign remains part of the neighborhood's character.

Café Creole closed in March of 2003 leaving behind its sign as a historic landmark. Many thanks to Andy Callahan for info.

Cafe Creole opened in the early 1980s inside the historic El Pasaje Hotel, a building that dates back to the late 1880s. At a time when much of Ybor City was still struggling to find its footing, the restaurant helped bring people back to the district. Its New Orleans-inspired atmosphere fit surprisingly well among the cigar factories and brick streets, giving visitors a taste of the French Quarter without leaving Florida.

The Finger at Cafe Creole
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

The menu featured Cajun and Creole favorites including crawfish, gumbo, oysters, and jambalaya, making it unlike anything else in the neighborhood. It quickly became a popular gathering place for both locals and visitors exploring Ybor City's historic streets. Whether you stopped in for dinner or simply admired the colorful sign outside, Cafe Creole became one of those places that people remembered long after they had gone home.

Cafe Creole (Closed)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

The old El Pasaje building had already lived several lives before the restaurant arrived. Built by Vicente Martinez Ybor during the city's cigar boom, it served as both a hotel and social club and welcomed famous visitors over the years, including Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. That rich history only added to the restaurant's charm and made it feel like it had always belonged there.

Although Cafe Creole eventually closed in 2003, its familiar blade sign was left in place. Today it continues to hang over 9th Avenue, quietly recalling the years when the aromas of Cajun cooking drifted out onto the sidewalk and helped make Ybor City one of Tampa's favorite places to spend an evening.

UPDATE: Cafe Creole closed in 2003, but the historic El Pasaje building remains standing, and the restaurant's vintage sign still overlooks the streets of Ybor City. 07-26