Mei’s World Pizza and Salads

I think I ordered the wrong stuff on my first solo visit here. I enjoy eating weird food, but I ordered the congee soup, and it was gross. I don’t like sweet soup, and the texture of the bobo (or leeche seeds, whatever they were) was bad. This is more like a warm rice pudding than a true soup. I also ordered fried tofu with vegetables, and it was fine, but nothing special.
Upon leaving, I realized that the beef noodle soup is what everyone is raving about. I will give Mei’s world another try someday, and the next time I go, I will order the beef noodle soup instead.

Never had the pizzas here, but I suggest skipping them and going straight for the Taiwanese menu.
I’m sold on this place. I’m not even a soup person, but on my first visit I had the beef noodle soup and it is something I would go out of my way for. The broth is really rich, and the noodles (I’m pretty sure they’re homemade) soak up all of the delicious flavor.
The braised pork rice is also a really great dish. Mine came with sautéed eggplant as the side veggie, and that was the first thing that disappeared– it was awesome. Huge portions too– they filled my box up with enough rice to feed 4 people!
Service is always quick and extremely friendly. I’m glad I found this place, because I’ll definitely be back for more!

Mei’s is the mom and pop shop you’ve been looking for.
Located in a small plaza, this restaurant doesn’t look the most appealing while you’re driving on Bearss. But don’t be fooled, disguised as a primarily pizza shop, Mei’s has a wonderful assortment of Taiwanese food which definitely exceeded my expectations.
Mei’s is relatively close to where I live and from the USF campus. I’ve ate here before and my first visit I got the beef noodle soup which was delicious and very filling. This trip, I got the chicken leg rice which was cooked to perfection. The skin was crispy and had a a delicious barbecue sauce on it that had just a touch of spiciness. The leg was on a bed of hot, soft rice and served with a boiled tea egg and sautéed cabbage. I was extremely satisfied. My date got the braised pork rice which also comes with the same sides as my dish. He really enjoyed his food as well. Both dishes were $ 7.95 each.
One of the best features about Mei’s is that entrees come with free house soup and a drink! At really fair prices, you get good portions of food. I always leave the restaurant full and happy.
This restaurant is perfect for college students. It’s fairly priced and the delicious food reminds you of home. If you’re in the area, pop in to Mei’s!

I’ve only ever ordered their pizza but it was amazing! Order the general tso chicken pizza! You won’t be disappointed! The service is great here as well!

My Unilocal friends Coty and Paul asked me to join them one evening at Mei’s World Pizza and Salads along Bearss Avenue, near Bruce B Downs, in the USF area. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, as the name of this place seems to imply a pizza shop, and yet Coty told me that they serve very good Taiwanese food. Hmmmm, well, she has never failed me with her selection of restaurants, and so I was game to give this place a try.
Sure enough, this little restaurant on the north side of Bearss Avenue looks like a pizza /​sandwich shop from the outside, but inside, the place was packed with college students in the know, as well as folks looking for good Thai food.
The first thing you should know is that nothing on the regular Thai menu is priced over $ 10. That includes rice bowls, noodle bowls and platters, traditional Thai appetizers, and a great mix of entrées. Secondly, they DO serve pizza… and apparently you can have them put Thai or Chinese /​American food on top of your pizza. Finally, if you are so inclined, they do serve pig’s feet, chicken feet, chicken lips, chicken butt, and a whole lot of things that will never go into my mouth. Sorry, but I just can’t picture a chicken walking around on a pair of crutches because someone wanted to eat chicken feet! Nope, it’s not gonna happen.
Coty ordered a number of very tasty dishes for the three of us to share, and so we enjoyed Mei’s pan-​fried pork buns, pepper-​seasoned fried chicken (no feet, please!), hand-​cut Zha Jiang noodles in a black bean sauce, and a sliced, boneless pork chop served with a tea egg. The egg was awesome, so we ordered some more of them. Mei, is of course the owner, and she & Coty got in to a very fun discussion about Coty’s upcoming trip to Taiwan as well as her experiences with enjoying Taiwanese food in New York City.
I really enjoyed my meal, but was glad that I went there with people who were more experienced in ordering this cuisine. The wait staff at Mei’s was super-​friendly, and very helpful about making recommendations about the menu.
I liked this place a lot, and will gladly go back when I’m in the neighborhood.

This pizza was SO good. We ordered the teriyaki chicken pizza and the pulled pork BBQ pizza. It was crunchy and so yummy. But only 4 stars because the crust isn’t that good. Usually the crust is my favorite part, but the crusts on these pizzas taste kinda hard and bland. Still good pizza tho!

Had to stop by and eat, after reading all of the reviews. I had the General Tso’s Chicken, and my girlfriends had the Kung Pao Chicken. Both were pretty good… especially after I added some chili oil to mine. Rice had been sitting in a steamer for too long, and was a bit mushy… but still edible. Also got a Scallion Pancake… and it was very good! Service was about what I expected, especially once they got a little busier. Nobody hovered… and a little patience and understanding helps… but the two girls were friendly and very helpful, when they did get to you! I will go back!

I had such high hopes for this place. The food was a 4, and the prices are very reasonable. I didn’t expect the ambiance to be good, and so that part didn’t phase me. The problem was with the service. Our waitress seemed to struggle with complex orders, and by complex, I mean «We would like a sprite, diet coke, and orange soda». We asked a number of times for our rice to come, and every time she said ok and then nothing. Then we asked for the check and waited 10 min. Asked again for the check when we saw her socializing with customers, waited 10 more minutes. Got up out of our seat and stood there and asked if we could pay and she finally rang up the check. It wasn’t itemized at all, so I had to assume it was correct.
If you have an expectation of slow service and don’t mind repeating yourself a lot, then you will enjoy the meal. As for me, I would come back, but next time I won’t have any where to be next.

This is a gem of a place. When I spoke with the owner, she asked where I was from. Being cheeky, I told her San Francisco (yes, I know she wanted to know my parents’ countries of birth), and she suddenly became very interested in how I liked the food. She smiled so widely when I said that this is a place that could hold its own in California.
I came here for the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The noodles were fabulous. They were homemade and had the right amount of bite to them. The soup was so tasty. The cook came out and brought me some hot sauce to add, so I could add spiciness to the umami, salty and sour flavors. The beef just melted into my mouth.
I will definitely return.

I grew up from a part of China that eats noodles, and this place… this hole in the wall next to the crap checkers on bears… is LEGIT. When I want to eat good food I couldn’t give a flying f@$! About what the place looks like, I’m here to eat. I have lived in Tampa for over 20+ years and never have I tasted better noodles in a restaurant environment. Do yourself a favor and go eat noodles here!!!

This is truly a unique Taiwanese restaurant. Since I have not been to Taiwan yet (going next month), I cannot vouch for authenticity, other than my experience with Taiwanese restaurants in NYC. But, I get the feeling that Mei’s has a similar feeling to a Taiwanese diners that I would find in Taipei City.
If course, you can probably already tell by the listing name what easily makes Mei’s unique is that they are a Taiwanese pizza restaurant that also serves Chinese-​American style food as well. Like General Tso’s Chicken, but can also put it on a pizza for you.
While I have not yet tried the pizza, I can actually vouch that the Taiwanese food at Mei’s is the best that you will find in Tampa Bay.
The kitchen can easily get backed up because there are only two woks.
The dining room fills up very quickly with USF students and locals alike, expecting food similar to what they get in their hometowns. You will also see many customers bringing in their bubble tea from Kung Fu to drink with their meal for the full Taiwanese snack house/​café style atmosphere.
The hand cut noodles are highly addictive and worth the drive all the way from St Petersburg to me. I had the Zhazhang Mein*, hand cut noodles with black bean sauce. But, I hope to try many of the noodle soup dishes in the future.
My favorite dish is actually their Lu Rou Fan (sweet five spice ground pork on rice). Even when ordering the fried pork chop or chicken cutlet on rice, you will find a smothering of this magnificent Lu Rou Ran underneath. The tea eggs are cooked to perfection and the sweet Taiwanese pork sausage is brilliantly red and grilled.
For those that are not so adventurous, but still want a taste of something different, I recommend the Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets— often called Pop Chicken. Seasoned with the same sweet and five spice seasoning and crispy deep fried with basil leaves.
While I am more of a noodle and rice fiend, many customers come to Mei’s on Saturday morning for the infamous choose your own adventure dumpling making bar. You did pick the dumpling fillings and they will make them up for you fresh on the spot.
I did not make it yet for this event that I hear so much about, but I was extremely impressed with the super juicy and tender pre-​made Pan Fried Tiny Pork Buns. The buns were so juicy that you could even call them «soupy» on the inside…
The service was open and very informative. Everyone that we talked with was super nice, even other tables were striking up a conversation with us. Mei and our multiple waitresses were very excited about my upcoming trip to Taipei and made sure to give me as much advice as they could on where to eat.
*The Zhazhang Mein at Mei’s is Taiwanese style. Absolutely nothing like the Korean version that you may be familiar with called Jajang Myun. There was a customer complaining to the staff that it does not taste like the Korean version when we were there. It made her look like an idiot.

Mei’s is a hole in the wall that’s so delicious! We didn’t go the pizza route and instead went the authentic route and ordered their beef noodle soup, dumplings and scallion pancakes.
The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. The noodles are also handmade. Simple and tasty.

I’ve increased my rating to a full 5 stars because the service here is amazing. It’s a mom and pop shop, literally and I’m partially to mom and pop shops, especially Chinese ones since my family used to own Chinese restaurants. We love going to Mei’s! The owner is so nice! She always remembers us and is such the friendliest person. She feels like one of my aunties. Every time we pass by on Bearrs, Jason wants to stop here! Last night we went for dinner even though we already had already planned to cook at home!
There was a large table and we could tell that Mei was kind of swamped but it was okay because we were waiting for 2 other people. She kept telling us «sorry, it will be a little wait» since it’s a small restaurant. We kept telling her it was Okay! Since our friends were taking long to get there. She kept thanking us for being patience and for our friends being late!
While we were waiting, we browsed the menu that had a lot of pictures. We didn’t want to order without our friends there so it was definitely fine with us. She even offered us lap cheong (Chinese sausage) on the house since we were waiting! There were two soups offered that is complimentary with an entrée order. Fountain drinks are also complimentary with an entrée. Mei suddenly told us she was giving us a bowl of beef noodle soup (on the house also). We couldn’t believe it! I don’t think she does this for everyone so we were definitely humbled.
When our friends finally arrived, we ordered sliced beef shank, braised pork rice, general tso’s chicken pizza, and buffalo wings.
Beef Shank– my cousin ordered this. It’s a generous portion and is served cold, which is the traditional Chinese style. The slices are not too thin or thick and have a slight rim of fat which is delicious. I liked to dip this in the hot chili oil.
Braised pork rice– this was my first time ordering this dish. It was piping hot and tasted so homey. My cousin stole this dish away from me since she liked it too! Like all the dishes, it was a large portion and came with a boiled egg and some cabbage which compliments the meat. I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day!
General Tso’s Chicken pizza– just like I remember it! The crust is so buttery and the chicken is so good on pizza. It’s a weird combo but it definitely works!
Buffalo wings– giant, crispy chicken wings drenches in the buffalo sauce. This is true Chinese restaurant style chicken wings. Just darn tasty!
Overall, this is a local restaurant that is trying to fill a niche (traditional Taiwanese food) in an area that is lacking. I hope for the success of this restaurant as I love the food and atmosphere. We left a larger than usual tip that day because of the five star experience.
(Sidenote: my debit card was declined due to security feature from my bank but the owner was so nice, she was like «do you want to pay with cash or maybe pay next time». Luckily, we had other cards but I was shocked because of her niceness. I know this is probably not the experience everyone gets but it definitely shows the character of the owners.)

I came here last Sunday with a friend. Don’t come here if you’re looking for good service. The young girl brought us the menu and utensils and never asked us what we wanted to drink. I had to ask for water. We ordered the Beef Noodle Soup and the General Chicken Pizza. Both were really good. The broth for the soup wasn’t overly salty. The noodles appeared homemade but could be fresher. The pizza was really good! This concept is new to me. I would definitely come back to try other dishes.

Mei’s Pizza and Salad is definitely a diamond in the rough. Located on Bears and Livingston, you’ll find a run down looking restaurant next to Checkers. One would not think that a pizza polar would have authentic Taiwanese food. Yes! Taiwanese food! The menu is located on the wall entrance but they also have a special menu that only Taiwanese people would know of. Why? Because it’s made to order. I would probably have to google Taiwanese dishes to order such dish.
I ordered the Beef Noodle soup and it was simply scrumptious. The noodles were handmade in the kitchen so you’ll get to taste the freshness of the dough. The soup comes with a caramelized egg that is so appetizing. The egg gives the soup a salty sweet taste.
Along with the beef noodle soup, I also ordered their Braised Pork Rice dish. The dish comes with sautéed cabbage and caramelized egg. Very much like a homemade rice dish.
The scallion pancakes were also delightful. They were fried just right. The only thing I recommend would be to ask for some type of dipping sauce.
Overall, my experience at Mei’s Pizza and Salad was pleasant. I would definitely come back to try their pizza and salads.

Love their Taiwanese food here! We had pig feet noodle soup, cold cut beef a 3 cups chicken. Only Sat, Sun they will prepare hand made dumplings. So we missed that this time. 2 kinds of soups of the day were free and the customers can serve themselves. All dishes tasted delicious and they came out fast. Owner Mei said a lot of their customers are USF Chinese students. They like the ethnic Chinese dishes specially when they missing mom’s home cooking. The interior was clean and bright. The TV on the wall also serves Karaōke. Any group, club are welcomed to have a party there.

Mei World Pizza has pizza and something that you not imagine they have it — The Taiwanese cuisine. I was able to take picture of the whole Chinese menu for the patrons who look forward what they are cooking. They are very flexible and they can cook to your order — meaning not in the menu.
Mei World Pizza has another name in Chinese. The beautiful food World. Which mean the great food of the world. The specialty include noodle that is home made by hand from the kitchen. These noodles are not buying from grocery store. As a result, it creates the specialty of the restaurant with the fresh made noodle. Every Saturday weekend has fresh made dumpling. They are not frozen. They will made and cook at the spot. In winter, they cure their own meat and sell it on the February, March and April. During that time you find the cure meat food that is not in the menu.
The secret is out. Go enjoy the beautiful bowl of soup noodle or have them cook a special cuisine for you. I will be back to try their different food.

Totally hit the spot. I am now completely recovered from the calamatous noodle soup experience Anna Montana caused when she pranked me by sending me to some horrible faux ramen place on Kennedy.
Mei’s is homestyle Taiwanese soups, fried pork chop, dumplings, buns, congee, tofu dishes, stir fry string beans, and general tsos. And or pizza and wings. And when I say and or I mean they do a general tsos pizza! Word.
I had the pig feet soup. It was by far the best pig feet soup I’ve ever had. I’m not even a huge fan of pigs feet, they are pretty fleshy and fatty, but this was yummo.
So come in and relax. There is no ambience, just you Taiwanese Mom and good food.
Several vegetarian dishes as well. Good for you veggie peepsters.

They have the best Taiwanese food here in town. We had beef noodle soup, pig foot noodles, dumplings, and pan fried pork bun. All of them are delicious. Their dumplings and noodles are hand-​made and fresh. And people work here are so friendly and nice. I love this place and will come here again! Definitely recommend to have their dumplings and beef noodle soup!

This place is a diamond in the rough. The combo of pizza and Chinese may be off putting at first but they do everything right for a good price. The General Teo’s pizza was both savory and sweet with a hint of heat, the balance of flavors was spot on. Also, try any of their Chinese dishes and you will not be disappointed. The beef soup is one of my all time favorites. If you haven’t tried this place you should. Don’t let the shabby exterior fool you, this place is worth it.