I need to stop by Pickford’s Sundries (2606 W Hillsborough Avenue, a half-block east of Habana) more often.
Pickford’s Sundries is a 1950s lunch counter that somehow travelled to the 2020s and somehow found a comfortable home on a typically dull stretch of Hillsborough Avenue, one of Tampa’s major “stroads”. Part “lunch counter” style restaurant, part quirky novelty gift shop, part local attraction, it’s a place I always check out whenever I’m passing through.
Pickford’s opened in 1949 and operated as a general store until the mid-2000s, and under normal circumstances, it would’ve simply vanished.
Instead, the Seminole Heights café Urban Bungalow (which used to be on Florida just south of Sligh), collaborated with Pickford’s original owners to give it an update.
The place kept its 1940s/50s furniture and vibe…
…and a lot of accoutrements from that era…
…but the menu’s been updated.
They still carry classics like the classic “eggs, bacon, fries, and toast” breakfast, the grilled cheese, steak sandwich, Chicago dog, and so on, but I’ve also see things like some interesting fried rices, as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
The “dry goods” are also definitely from this century:
I often check out this place for little gifts.
They have a killer selection of socks…
…and they have an excellent selection of prayer candles:
