Whenever someone asks me what Armature Works in Tampa is, I always respond “well, it’s a lot of things”. That’s the truth. It houses the Heights Public Market – which has become a Tampa favorite. I like to think of it as an upscale, trendy food court. There’s an array of foods stalls waiting to be explored. There are numerous communal Instagram worthy spots to sit and eat. Water and sparkling water is on tap at all times at self serve stations. Armature Works also offers event spaces and communal work spaces. It’s truly amazing to see such a cool multifunctional space smack dab in Tampa.
Last month I was invited out to have my own taste tour of the Heights Public Market. My tastebuds practically squealed with excitement for this opportunity. I had visited the market inside of Armature Works before. Ben took me there for my birthday back in February. During that visit I tried out Graze 1910 and Swami Juice with hopes of getting back there soon to check more spots off of my list.
August was go time.
When I arrived at Armature Works it was right around lunch time. The Heights Public Market was poppin’. A sandwich sounded ideal so I made my way over to Inside the Box. ITB has a variety of sandwiches and salads. The smoked turkey sandwich caught my eye, mostly because of the promised spicy cucumbers and Havarti cheese. I found a spot next to a group of people that welcomely let me sit next to them as I enjoyed my lunch. My smoked turkey sandwich was fantastic. The spicy cucumbers did not disappoint. They were the perfect addition of freshness and heat to my sandwich.
As I finished the last bite of my sandwich, I knew that something sweet needed to follow. I was no stranger to seeing posts of Astro Ice Cream Co. all over my Instagram newsfeed. I labeled it a must try and ventured to their brightly colored stall. After a quick rundown of the menu, I was ready. Regular waffle cone, cookie dough ice cream, extra cookie dough pieces and Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top. All accompanied by a plastic syringe flavor shot full of raw honey. It was a mouthful of an order, but WOW my sweet tooth was in absolute heaven.
Y’all it was safe to say I was full at this point. My normal weekday lunch is a homemade salad so this visit to Heights Public Market had me busting at the seams a tiny bit. I couldn’t bare anymore solid food even if I had wanted to. I decided that I would end my tasty tour of the Heights Public Market with an old liquid favorite – Swami Juice. Their cold pressed juice is amazing. The first time I visited Swami Juice, I tried their Almond Joy – a perfect combo of raw almonds, filtered water, dates, vanilla bean, and cinnamon. Knowing I just had my sweet tooth satisfied by Astro – I switched it up and tried Swami’s Sunscreen juice. The vibrant orange color drew me to it and the flavor kept me around. This juice contained carrot, orange, red apple, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon. All perfectly refreshing for the Florida heat.
I’d say it was an afternoon well spent for my tastebuds and I. Armature Works, I’m sure you’ll be seeing me again soon. I can’t wait to get back and check off even more Heights Public Market food stalls from my list.
The food featured in this post was provided to me for editorial review. A special thank you to Armature Works for having me out!
For the commenters:
Have you ever visited Armature Works in Tampa?
What’s your favorite food stall in the Heights Public Market? What do you order from there?