Columbia Restaurant Menu

Our Family's Favorite Recipes

Sopas

Spanish Bean Soup

The soup that made the Columbia famous. The original recipe of Casimiro Hernandez, Sr.: Garbanzo beans simmered with smoked ham, chorizo sausage and potatoes in a delicious broth of chicken and ham.

Cup

Bowl

$10

Gluten free

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Frijoles Negros prepared exactly as our grandmother Carmen Hernandez did. Served over a bed of white rice and topped with diced raw Spanish onions. 100% vegan.

Cup

Bowl

$10

Gluten free

Vegan

Gazpacho Andalucia

Spain's famous cold soup of purée of ripe tomatoes, green peppers, onions, cucumbers and garlic. Topped tableside with finely diced vegetables and toasted Cuban croutons.

Cup

Bowl

$10

Vegetarian

Caldo Gallego "Giant Soup"

A favorite to enjoy when visiting the Galicia region along the northwest coast of Spain. Great northern beans simmered in a rich stock with smoked ham, chorizo sausage, turnip greens and potatoes.

Cup

Bowl

$10

Ensalada

Columbia's Original "1905" Salad®

The Columbia’s legendary salad tossed tableside. Crisp iceberg lettuce with julienne of baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Lea & Perrins ® Worcestershire sauce and our famous garlic dressing. The award-winning salad won honors from USA Today as “One of 10 Great Places to Make a Meal Out of a Salad.” The signature salad, named for the year the restaurant was founded in Tampa’s Latin district of Ybor City, was inspired by immigrants to the Cigar City: Romano cheese from the Sicilians and the famous garlic dressing used by Cubans to marinate fresh roast pork, plus Florida tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, julienne of baked ham and Swiss cheese.

Columbia's Original "1905" Salad™

$16

Side Salad with Entrée

$10

Columbia's Original "1905" Salad™ with T

$16

Columbia's Original "1905" Salad™ with S

$20

Gluten free

Chopped Tomato

A favorite of our father and grandfather, César Gonzmart. Fresh, ripe, Florida tomatoes tossed with julienned Spanish onions and our Original "1905" Dressing made with imported Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, oregano and white wine vinegar.

$12

Gluten free

Vegetarian

César Salad

Crisp romaine lettuce tossed with Classic Caesar dressing, Romano cheese and Cuban bread croutons.

César Salad

$15

Side Salad with Entrée

César Salad with Grilled Chicken

$20

César Salad with Shrimp "al Ajillo"

$20

Tapas

Tapas, pronounced (TAH-pahs), are popular throughout Spain in bars and restaurants. Tapas usually accompany a glass of sherry or other apertifs. Simply put, they are appetizers. Together they can form an entire meal, ranging from simple items such as olives or croquettes to more elaborate preparations such as mussels in a spicy sauce.

Black Bean Cakes

A favorite tapas selection of vegetarians and lovers of black beans. Our house-made black beans puréed and combined with fresh garlic, shallots, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, then breaded and fried. Served with guacamole and sour cream.

$10

Vegetarian

Champiñones Rellenos

Baked silver dollar mushrooms stuffed with baby spinach, artichoke hearts, fresh garlic and Romano cheese. Drizzled with Spanish extra-virgin olive oil and lemon.

$12

Vegetarian

Pincho Mixta

A trio of grilled skewers featuring fine cuts of marinated chicken, pork, Spanish chorizo and caramelized onions. A staple at bars and restaurants in Spain, perfect for sharing.

$10

Stuffed Piquillo Pepeprs

Sweet piquillo peppers from Spain with a mushroom, chorizo and ham filling, baked in an almond pepper sauce and topped with Manchego cheese.

$12

Empanadas de Picadillo

Our mother and grandmother, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, always had her empanadas ready when we visited. The empanadas start with her recipe for picadillo, made with spiced ground beef, garlic, tomato, onions, raisins and olives, wrapped in two pastry turnovers.

$12

Croquetas de Pollo

Sunday dinner always would begin with our grandmother and great-grandmother Carmen Hernandez' special recipe for chicken croquettes. Six fried croquettes made with chicken and Cuban cracker crumbs. Served with Columbia salsa picante.

$10

Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes

A simple croquette made from seasoned cooked blue crab meat, paprika and garlic, then breaded with Cuban bread crumbs and fried. These four shareable crab croquettes are always served with a side of Columbia salsa picante.

$15

Scallops "Casimiro"

Fresh sea scallops baked in a clay casserole with lemon butter and topped with seasoned bread crumbs and white wine.

$24

Shrimp "Al Ajillo"

Spain’s most popular tapa: Large shrimp sautéed in a sizzling pan of extra-virgin Spanish olive oil and fresh garlic. Prepared the way you might find served in Madrid at Casa Abuelo.

$16

Gluten free

Shrimp and Crabmeat Alcachofas

Baked casserole of shrimp, crabmeat and artichoke hearts topped with grated Romano cheese and served with Cuban crackers.

$15

Cakes de Cangrejo

A Cuban twist to an American favorite, our two large crab cakes are loaded with fresh hand-picked blue crabmeat and grilled. Drizzled with a passionfruit alioli sauce.

$20

Calamares Fritos "Romana"

Tender, wild caught North Atlantic calamares dusted in seasoned flour and lightly fried. The recipe is from our famed third chef, Miguel Bejines of Sevilla, Spain.

$18

Platos Principales

Entrées include hot Cuban bread and butter.

Red Snapper "Alicante"

This recipe was created in 1938 by second-generation Casimiro Hernandez, Jr. Boneless fillet of red snapper baked in a casserole with sweet Spanish onions, green peppers, a rich gravy, olive oil, garlic, white wine and topped with sliced roasted almonds. Served with shrimp supreme, fried eggplant and yellow rice.

$40

Red Snapper "Adelita"

Boneless fillet of Snapper, grilled and topped with hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and onions. Served with yellow rice.

$38

Salmon "Aurora"

Fresh Verlasso Patagonian salmon seasoned, grilled and topped with Argentinian chimichurri. Served with yellow rice and fresh vegetables.

$32

Merluza a la Rusa

A Columbia classic since 1935. Spain’s favorite fish, boneless fillet of Merluza, lightly breaded with seasoned Cuban breadcrumbs, grilled on the flat top. Garnished with lemon butter, chopped hard-boiled egg and parsley. Served with yellow rice and vegetables

$34

Mahi-Mahi "Cayo Hueso"

Boneless fillet of fresh mahi-mahi marinated in citrus juices and grilled. Served with mojo-marinated onions, yellow rice, yuca and platanos.

$30

Gluten free

Mahi-Mahi "Varadero"

Grilled boneless fillet of mahi-mahi crusted with ground crispy green plantain chips, topped with crab and citrus butter sauce. Served with yellow rice and vegetables.

$32

Grilled Red Snapper or Grouper

Your choice of boneless fresh grouper or red snapper – Seasoned, grilled and served with yellow rice and fresh vegetables. Simply delicious.

$42

Baked Stuffed Grouper

Baked boneless fillet of fresh grouper stuffed with crabmeat and finished with a tropical passionfruit butter sauce. Served with yellow rice and vegetables.

$42

Grouper "Jimmy"

A boneless fillet of fresh grouper, seasoned, grilled and topped with fresh blue crabmeat, drizzled with lemon butter sauce. Served with yellow rice and asparagus.

$42

Pompano en Papillot

Boneless fillet of pompano with seafood stuffing of shrimp, crabmeat, artichoke, butter and white wine, wrapped in parchment paper and baked. Served with yellow rice.

$35

Fideua de Mariscos

A typical Catalan dish of fresh seafood. Large prawns, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, garlic, white wine and chili pepper sautéed in a spicy tomato sauce. Tossed with pasta and topped with fresh lump blue crabmeat

$38

Cannelloni de Langosta

Two tender cannelloni pastas filled with Maine lobster meat, shrimp, pan-seared scallops and sautéed shallots blended with a lobster sherry cream reduction, smothered with a lobster sherry Mornay cheese sauce and pieces of lobster.

$38

Stuffed Shrimp "Jesse Gonzalez"

Jumbo-sized shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and baked with lemon butter. Served with yellow rice and fresh vegetables. Named for our friend, the King of Shrimp.

$32

Shrimp & Yellow Rice

Large shrimp baked with yellow rice, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil, splashed with white wine.

$28

Gluten free

Shrimp Supreme

1937 Columbia Restaurant creation of large shrimp wrapped in wafer-thin bacon, marinated and fried. Served with remoulade sauce.

$28

Paella "a la Valenciana"

Prepared in a traditional paella pan with La Bomba Spanish rice, extra-virgin olive oil. (Please allow extra time for preparation.) Made with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamres, chicken and pork, green peppers, Spanish onions, ripe tomatoes, garlic and splashed with white wine

$39

Paella Marinera

Prepared in a traditional paella pan with Spain’s Molino Roca Dinamita Rice, extra-virgin olive oil. (Please allow extra time for preparation.) 1/2 Maine lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops and calamares. A seafood lover's feast.

$48

Paella de Verduras

Prepared in a traditional paella pan with La Bomba Spanish rice, extra-virgin olive oil. (Please allow extra time for preparation.) Vegetarian paella made with a variety of beans, green beans, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic and vegetable saffron broth

$34

Vegetarian

New York Strip Sirloin "The Bambino"

Known for its intense full flavor, our 14 oz. USDA choice, wet-aged boneless strip steak is bold with beefy notes and fine marbling. Brushed with our Original "1905" dressing sauce. Back in the '20s and early '30s, the famed Babe Ruth frequented the Columbia to enjoy this great steak. Served with stuffed mushrooms and yellow rice.

$48

Ribeye "Sarapico"

Well-marbled, juicy, char-grilled, 20 oz. bone-in ribeye steak. Served with yellow rice and fresh vegetables. Named in honor of the Columbia Restaurant's second executive chef, Vincenzo "Sarapico" Perez.

$48

Gluten free

Filet Mignon

Grilled choice center-cut tenderloin. Served with fresh vegetables and yellow rice.

$46

Gluten free

Palomilla

If you haven't been to Cuba or Miami lately, you probably haven't had a steak like this. Marinated top sirloin cut very thin and quickly grilled, topped with mojo crudo (chopped onion, parsley and lime juice.) Served with plantanos and french fries or rice.

$26

Gluten free

Picadillo "Criollo"

We could always count on enjoying our mother and grandmother Adela Hernandez Gonzmart's delicious picadillo recipe at home. A family favorite for generations. Finely ground choice lean beef, braised with onions, green peppers, olives, raisins and capers. Served with white rice and ripe platanos.

$22

Salteado

Choice of boneless chicken, filet tips or shrimp. A sizzling-hot iron skillet with extra-virgin olive oil is used to sauté sliced Spanish onions, green peppers, fresh garlic, mushrooms, diced potatoes, chorizo and your choice of protein. Splashed with a hearty red wine and served with yellow rice.

$30

La Completa Cubana

To sample the flavors of Cuba, we offer this Cuban feast of roast pork a la Cubana, boliche criollo, Empanada de Picallo, platanos, yuca, black beans and yellow rice.

$30

Lechón Asado "1905"

Compart Family Farms pork shoulder marinated in a delicious garlic-citrus sauce, slowly roasted until tender and served with black beans, white rice, yuca and platanos.

$24

Boliche "Criollo"

Roasted eye round of beef stuffed with chorizo and roasted in flavorful gravy. Served with black beans, white rice and platanos. A family favorite!

$24

Ropa Vieja

Originally introduced to Cuba by Spanish sailors. The name means “old clothes” because the choice beef is shredded, sautéed and simmered with onions, green peppers and tomatoes. Served with platanos and white rice.

$22

Arroz con Pollo "Valenciana"

One half bone-in chicken with green peppers, Spanish onions, tomato, smoked ham, hearts of artichoke, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil baked in a casserole with Spain’s Molino Roca Dinamita rice. Splashed with white wine and topped with green peas and red pimentos. (Please allow extra time for preparation.)

$30

Gluten free

Pollo Manchego

Boneless chicken breast breaded with Cuban breadcrumbs and grated manchego cheese, topped with citrus sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Served with yellow rice.

$28

Eggplant Riojana

Sliced eggplant breaded with ground plaintain crumbs, smothered in our rich Rioja sauce of tomatoes, garlic, capers, olives and red wine topped with melted cheese.

$22

Vegetarian

Black Beans "1905"

A large bowl of black bean soup topped with chopped tomatoes, sweet onions and our World-Famous Original “1905” Dressing. A favorite pre-race meal for marathon runners and triathletes.

$18

Gluten free

Vegetarian

Postres

Flan

We think our flan is the best we have ever tasted. One taste and we think you will agree. The recipe dates to 1935 when the Columbia opened Tampa’s first “Conditioned Air” dining room, the Don Quixote. Our grandmother and great-grand-mother, Carmen Hernandez, helped the Columbia gain national fame with her great recipes, especially her flan. Spanish caramel egg custard, prepared the old-fashioned way, using only the best natural ingredients.

Gluten free

Crema Catalana

A favorite of the Gonzmart family when visiting the "Los Caracoles" restaurants in Barcelona, Spain. "Natilla," Catalan cream, is sprinkled with sugar and caramelized with a flaming torch.

$10

Churros "Tres Amigos"

Golden-brown Spanish pastry dusted with cinnamon sugar. Served with three sauces of rich, warm chocolate, caramel and guava.

$10

Key Lime Pie

The original Key lime pie recipe was thought to have been created in Key West, the birthplace of our grandmother and great-grandmother, Carmen Piloto Hernandez in the late 19th century. When the family moved to Ybor City, they brought a prized Key lime tree to plant at their home, beginning a tradition of enjoying fresh Key lime pie at family gatherings. Today our pies start with a graham cracker crust, and our filling is made from pasteurized egg yolks, condensed milk and “Nellie & Joe’s” Key lime juice. That’s it! Key lime pie is the “Official Pie of the State of Florida.”

$10

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Our father and grandfather’s favorite dessert. Simply put, this is the best bread pudding that we have tasted anywhere we have ever visited. Our version is made with white chocolate, La Segunda Central Bakery Cuban bread, Sunny Florida Dairy milk and Florida eggs. Topped with a rich Bacardi rum sauce. Enough to share.

$14

Coconut Ice Cream

Gustavo Hernandez was the third son of the Columbia founder, Casimiro Hernandez Sr. Gustavo branched out and founded the Tropical Ice Cream Co. in Ybor City in the early 1940s, producing freshly made tropical ice cream for the Columbia and other restaurants. The most famous and requested of all was the coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell. Today, we are proud to once again be making and serving this Columbia classic.

$10

Guava Turnover "Carmita"

Carmen Hernandez baked this dessert at her home for our family on Sundays. Tropical sweet guava and melted sweet cream cheese baked in a soft crispy pastry, dusted with sugar granules, drizzled with vanilla bean sauce. One taste and you will understand why it was our favorite dessert.

$10

Naviera Espresso Martini

Van Gogh Espresso vodka with Licor 43 and our favorite freshly pressed Naviera Coffee Mills espresso

$16

Café Adela

A lovely combination of Kahlua and amaretto blended with Cuban coffee, and a touch of whipped cream

$10

Café Cesar

The distinctive flavor of Anis del Mono blended with Cuban coffee and topped with whipped cream

Spanish Coffee

Café con leche with imported Torres Spanish brandy and Kahlua and topped with whipped cream

$10