Tampa’s weather practically demands eating outside, and the city’s Mexican spots take full advantage, from a tenth-floor rooftop over the bay to covered patios out on the wharf. These are the outdoor Mexican restaurants in Tampa where the patio is the whole reason to go, not a few tables wedged by the front door. Below are six picks across Rocky Point, Channelside, Hyde Park, Ybor, SoHo, and Westshore, each with a real outdoor space, verified hours, the neighborhood, and what to order once you have a margarita in hand.
| Restaurant | Neighborhood | The patio | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Cami | Rocky Point | 10th-floor rooftop, bay views | $$$ | Mon-Thu 11am-midnight, later Fri-Sat |
| JOTORO | Channelside | Covered wharf patios, skyline views | $$ | Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, later Fri-Sat |
| Bartaco | Hyde Park Village | Covered patio cooled by fans | $$ | Mon-Wed 11am-midnight, Thu-Sat to 1am |
| Barrio Tacos | Ybor City | Big, lively street patio | $$ | Mon-Thu 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat to 1am |
| Green Lemon | SoHo | Sidewalk tables on Howard Ave | $$ | Mon-Sun 11am-10pm, later Tue/Fri/Sat |
| Besito | Westshore | Garden patio with a fountain | $$$ | Sun-Thu 11:30am-9pm, Fri-Sat to 10pm |
Outdoor Mexican Restaurants in Tampa
Casa Cami
Casa Cami is the splashy one, a Mexican rooftop on the tenth floor of The Current Hotel out on Rocky Point, with a wraparound deck that looks straight across Old Tampa Bay. The kitchen runs modern Mexican, ceviche, tacos, wood-grilled plates, and the bar leans hard into mezcal and tequila. Time it for sunset, when the water goes orange and the whole deck fills up. It is the priciest pick here and the one to save for a night you want to make a thing of.
JOTORO
JOTORO sits on a corner of Sparkman Wharf, the open-air food-and-drink stretch along the Channelside waterfront, with two covered patios that catch the breeze off the channel and a clear line on the downtown skyline after dark. Chef Joe Isidori’s menu is wood-fired tacos and knife-and-fork burritos with an LA-meets-Asia streak, washed down with more than fifty tequilas. Grab a patio table, order the wood-fired tacos, and stay for the skyline lighting up.
Bartaco
Bartaco’s patio in Hyde Park Village is the easy-outdoor pick, fully covered and run with fans so a July dinner outside is actually doable. The food is coastal-Mexican street food, Baja fish tacos and rice bowls, with a beach-vacation soundtrack to match. It is the kind of patio you settle into for two hours over a frozen margarita without quite meaning to. Good for a group, since the covered run of tables seats a crowd.
Barrio Tacos
Barrio in Ybor pairs build-your-own tacos with one of the bigger, louder patios in the neighborhood, right on 7th Avenue where the street show is half the fun. The tequila and whiskey list runs deep, the place stays open late, and the patio gets going once the evening rolls in. Build a few tacos, order a margarita flight, and let Ybor do its thing around you.
Green Lemon
Green Lemon anchors the Howard Avenue strip in SoHo with a row of sidewalk tables right on the action, the spot for an outdoor lunch or an early dinner while the neighborhood streams past. The kitchen is known for street tacos, big bowls, and some of the better margaritas in town. It runs all day and stays casual, so it is an easy walk-in when you just want a patio seat and a quick, good meal outside.
Besito
Besito is the dressed-up option in Westshore, with a garden patio built around a fountain and string lights that make it feel a notch above its mall address. This is sit-down Mexican, tableside guacamole, tacos de camarones, cloth napkins, the place to book when you want to eat outside but a little nicer. Ask for a patio table when you reserve, especially on a weekend, since the garden seats fill before the dining room does.
Best for…
Best for a special night out
Casa Cami is the one to book when the night needs to feel like an occasion. The tenth-floor rooftop, the bay view, the sunset, it all adds up to more than just dinner. Besito’s garden patio in Westshore is the dressier runner-up, quieter and built around a fountain, better for actually hearing each other over the table.
Best for a group on the patio
Bartaco’s big covered patio in Hyde Park Village and Barrio’s lively Ybor patio are the two that handle a crowd. Both have room to spread out, both keep the margaritas coming, and both run loud enough that a table of eight blends right in.
Best for a casual lunch outside
Green Lemon on Howard is the easy midday pick, sidewalk tables and quick street tacos with no fuss. JOTORO works for a wharf lunch too, with the covered patios catching the breeze off the channel and a skyline view thrown in if you linger past sundown.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year for outdoor Mexican dining in Tampa?
October through April is peak patio season, when the humidity backs off and an outdoor table is pure pleasure. Summer still works, especially at night on covered or fan-cooled patios like Bartaco’s, or up on Casa Cami’s rooftop where the bay breeze helps. Most of these patios stay open year-round, so aim for an evening table in the hot months.
Which outdoor Mexican restaurant in Tampa has the best view?
Casa Cami wins on views, no contest. Its rooftop on the tenth floor of The Current Hotel looks straight out over Old Tampa Bay, and sunset from the deck is the move. JOTORO at Sparkman Wharf is the runner-up, with a downtown skyline view from its covered waterfront patios once it gets dark.
Do I need a reservation to sit on the patio?
For Casa Cami and Besito, yes, book ahead and ask for an outdoor table, since both fill their patios fast on weekends. JOTORO takes reservations too and is smart to book for a wharf-side seat. Bartaco, Barrio, and Green Lemon run mostly on walk-ins, though calling ahead for a Friday or Saturday patio table never hurts.
Which Tampa neighborhoods have the most outdoor Mexican options?
They are spread out. Hyde Park Village (Bartaco) and SoHo (Green Lemon) cover the central, walkable stretch, Ybor City (Barrio) brings the historic-strip patios, and the standout views sit on the edges, Rocky Point for Casa Cami and the Channelside wharf for JOTORO. Westshore (Besito) rounds it out with the dressed-up garden patio.
Are these patios covered or shaded for Tampa’s heat and rain?
Several are built for it. Bartaco’s patio is fully covered with fans, JOTORO’s wharf patios are covered, and Besito’s is a shaded garden. Casa Cami’s rooftop has covered sections and catches the bay breeze. Green Lemon and Barrio lean more open-air, so they are best on a clear evening, though Tampa’s afternoon storms usually blow through fast.
More outdoor dining in Tampa
- Where to find outdoor Asian in Tampa
- Outdoor Italian restaurants in Tampa
- Where to find outdoor seafood restaurants in Tampa
- Where to find outdoor steakhouses in Tampa
In the mood for tacos with the dog along? See our guide to dog-friendly Mexican restaurants in Tampa, or browse waterfront restaurants in Tampa and the rest of our guides on the Restaurants1 home page.
Looking past tacos? Browse every cuisine in our full outdoor restaurants in Tampa guide.
Last updated: May 2026