One of our favorite spots in town for authentic casual Italian just announced some huge news for pizza, pasta and cocktail lovers. Jay Luigi Italian restaurant, 516 S Howard Ave, is launching daily lunch and happy hour service beginning on Tuesday, April 22, doubling down on their light and tasty Italian fare.
Promising “Italia all day,” the debut of lunch service at the popular Italian spot is big news for anyone who enjoys some midday (or late afternoon) delicacies. Running Tuesday-Friday from 11 am – 3 pm, the new lunch menu includes upscale twists on casual favorites, as well as some excellent (and supremely affordable) $11 lunch combos. We’re already eyeing the Palino Pizza and Salad special.
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We got a sneak peek at the offerings, and this is far from the traditionally scaled-back lunch menus you’ll find at many restaurants. In fact, the Jay Luigi Italia All Day menu features nearly three dozen different dishes, from fancy appetizers and mega-sized sandwiches to fresh salads, housemade pastas, and an impressive variety of hand-tossed pizzas.
Plus, with tons of add-ons available for salads and pastas alike, along with multiple crust options for any of the specialty pizzas, the possible combinations are in the thousands. And that’s before you even decide which tasty spread to get with your house-baked sourdough. (We’re going for the house-made ricotta with honey.)
The team at Jay Luigi – people fortunate enough to have been trying these new specials for weeks now – have raved about the offerings. The prosciutto caprese sandwich has become one of the fast favorites for the staff: served on their naturally fermented sourdough with prosciutto, bufala mozzarella, tomato conserva, arugula, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic reduction. It even comes with your choice of fries, salad, or soup.
Tampa’s top happy hour
The arrival of lunch service, running to 3 pm, makes the perfect segue to happy hour at Jay Luigi. For food and drink alike, it’s an unbeatable Italian experience, with some of the best deals in the city. Happy hour is every Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm.
To kick things off with a drink, our go-to is the $8 limoncello spritz, but you can’t go wrong the $6 house wines or the $12 craft cocktails. The pistachio espresso martini is a delightfully Mediterranean treat unlike anything else in town.
Meanwhile, happy hour not only welcomes great deals on dining, but it also features some happy hour-only treats. The Brunetti Polpette, Meatball Sliders, and Smashed Truffle Fingerlings are exclusively available during happy hour, and they’re all $8 each.
If you’re really feeling peckish, or if you just have a crowd and want to share, happy hour is also the best time to go for a full meal. Whether it’s a late lunch or an early dinner, you’ll be full and satisfied for under $20.
Three different pizzas are on the menu, all for $12. The Daisy is our favorite, made with carbonara sauce, mozzarella, bacon, egg, grana padano, and fresh black pepper. Meanwhile, three different housemade pastas ($12 each) offer a true Italia All Day experience. The pomodoro is the most popular, but we’re partial to the cacio e pepe – you can’t beat a classic, and we love the added touch of panko bread crumbs.
Jay Luigi SOHO is located at 516 S Howard Ave in Tampa, and is open Tuesday-Sunday. “Italia All Day” lunch service is Tuesday-Friday from 11 am – 3 pm. Jay Luigi happy hour is Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm. Learn more and see the full menus here.
