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Columbia Restaurant Fact Sheet
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Restaurant Concept: Spanish/Cuban Cuisine. Founded in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez Sr. Today, all 7 Columbia locations are owned and operated by 4th and 5th generation members of the Hernandez Gonzmart family. The flagship restaurant in Ybor City is the oldest restaurant in the state of Florida, and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world.
Internet Address: www.columbiarestaurant.com
Columbia Restaurant Gift Shop
Columbia specialty foods and items are available on our website and in our restaurant gift shops. You’ll find our world-famous "1905" Salad dressing, sangria, freshly brewed Cuban & American coffee, Columbia seasoning, 10-year-old balsamic vinegar from Rioja, Spain, salsa picante sauce and Spanish Olive Oil available for purchase to be enjoyed at home.
We also have a variety of gift baskets, our newly released history/cookbook, The Columbia Restaurant: Celebrating a Century of History, Culture, and Cuisine, and hand-made, hand-painted Spanish ceramics.
You can also purchase our gift cards online. Gift cards are good in all of our Columbia locations and Gift Shops.
In addition to the Columbia items, our website also has one of the largest selections of fine, handmade cigars for sale, including the Gonzmart family’s own brand, Gonzalez y Martinez.
Locations - (All in Florida) When Founded: Tampa’s Historic Ybor City (1905), On St. Armands Circle in Sarasota (1959), In St. Augustine’s Historic District (1983), The Pier in St. Petersburg (1988), Clearwater Beach’s Sand Key (1989), Central Florida’s Town of Celebration (1997) and the Columbia Café at the Tampa Bay History Center, Channelside(2009).
Additional Information: Reservations accepted, children’s menu available, casual dress, open daily for lunch and dinner, open 365-days-a-year, including all Holidays.
Takeout available on all lunch and dinner menu items.
Menu Favorites: Spanish Bean Soup, Columbia’s Original “1905 Salad”, Paella, Snapper “Alicante,” A variety of Tapas,” Pompano en Papillot, Roast Pork “A La Cubana,” The Original Cuban Sandwich, Arroz con Pollo, Filet Mignon “Columbia,” Café con Leche and Flan.
Wines:
Wine list available online at www.columbiarestaurant.com by clicking on “Featured Recipes and Wines.”
• Winner of Wine Spectator magazine’s Best of Award of Excellence, 2010 - 2004, for an outstanding collection of Spanish wines (over 1,056 wines, inventory exceeds 50,000 bottles). Also, Award of Excellence issued from 1993-2003.
Beverages: Sangria (prepared tableside), assorted beers and cocktails, soda and imported water.
Entertainment - (Ybor City Only): Flamenco/Spanish classical dance performances, Every night, except Sunday. ($6.00 per person cover charge). Live Jazz in the Cigar Bar – Dick Rivers Band, Thursday through Saturday nights, 8:00 p.m. until 12 midnight.
Entertainment - (Cafe, Channelside Tampa Only): Live music outside on the Patio along the Riverwalk every Friday & Saturday night from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Notable Honors:
• Named an All-American Icon by Nation’s Restaurant News, one of only fifty restaurants in the U.S. chosen for this honor in 2010.
• Earned the “Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) Award of Excellence” 2010 - 2005 -- One of the most prestigious awards in the fine dining industry. An anonymous, independent 75-point inspection of the property is conducted to review the quality of the food, wine, service, physical property and décor.
• Named to Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Hall of Fame in 2005 – the industry’s highest regional award as “One of the Top 25 Restaurants in Florida.” Named “One of Florida’s Top Restaurants” since 1967.
• Named one of Southern Living Magazine’s “Favorite Regional Tastes” for Spanish and Cuban cuisine in the April 2005 “Our Favorites” issue.
• Chosen “Our Favorite Romantic Restaurant" by Southern Living Magazine in 2004.
• Inducted into Nation’s Restaurant News magazine’s “Fine Dining Hall of Fame."
• Selected as “One of the 50 Best Hispanic Restaurants in the United States" by Hispanic magazine, stating; “Columbia deserves to be a permanent fixture on this list.”
Graphics: Images of the dining rooms, exterior mosaic tiled façade of Columbia Restaurant, the Flamenco dancers, cigars being hand-rolled, and of our food are available upon request.
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