Bayshore Breeze

Very pleasant customer service! And Cuban and fries were delicious. While waiting for our food to cook we had a joy looking around and then seeing the candy they sold we haven’t seen in years (but that’s just us). Very good though and close location to the beach which was nice.

Looks like your typical gas station, but it’s not. Inside, you will immediately fall in love with the pirate theme and small beach town vibes this place offers up. Towards the back of the store, there is a deli counter where you can order an AVAST array of deli subs ranging from a cheesesteaks to Cubans. But beware matey, the Cuban sandwich is a bit of an impostor. While its flavor is fine, it’s missing two ingredients to be authentic. One, Cuban bread. They use some sort of a French baguette, which is close but no cigar. Second, no salami. But I say, if yer stomach be cravin’ a Cuban, matey, this here sandwich will suffice! Don’t be a fool like me and forget to utilize your Unilocal check in offer though :(
Open 24/​7, but the Dunkin Donuts and grill closes ’round 11 PM most nights. You can still order deli subs.
CUBAN SANDWICH REPORT CARD:
Bread: French baguette
Ham: Boar’s head ham
Pork: Mojo pork
Salami: NO
Swiss: Yes
Mustard: Yes
Pickles: Yes
Pressed: Yes
Lettuce/​Tomato/​Mayo: Upon request
Rating: 2.5 /​5.0

Great little convenience store with a deli, it’s own walk in beer cooler, and a dunkin donuts. They make great sandwiches and has been ol’faithful on those late nights when I get the munchies but everything else is closed.

SImple and sweet, It’s a gas station/​convenience store, with a Dunkin Donuts. I stop there for the early cup of coffee when I have to attend a Dunedin committee meeting. As I watch my nutrition, I haven’t found anything appealing to eat. However, I won’t rule out trying the sammies out for the record. It’s about 1.1 miles from my house so the location is excellent. I’ll update as the opportunity arises. The reviews here have compelled me to do a test & eval! :)

Filled up on gas last weekend. The restaurant is under construction with a Dunkin Donuts coming soon sign. I panicked thinking the Cubans and sweet potato fries were gone. I found out that they will continue offer lunch/​dinner (those great Cuban sandwiches) as they have been, but breakfast will be via DD. So now the selection gets better. :)

Beaming with her hospitable Greek charisma, Labrine Voutsinas encourages a guest to try the steaming hot, homemade meatballs.
«We marinate them in marinara sauce, top them with cheese and put them in our meatball sub,» said Labrine, who is from Greece. «They are one of our most popular requests.»
Moments later, Spiro Voutsanis suggests that same guest sample the Souvlaki pita, which features chunks of slow-​cooked and seasoned pork doused in jalapeño ranch sauce with tomatoes and onions.
«Do you like baklava?» asked Spiro, who married Labrine in 1986. «We make it right here. Some of the best baklava you will ever taste.»
Seemingly on cue, a generous slice of the Greek delicacy arrives, and when the guest finishes it in minutes, it appears he agrees with Voutsinas’ claim.
The Voutsinas’ operate a grill on the causeway in Dunedin, but like the food on the menu, this is no ordinary dining establishment. The Bayshore Breeze Market & Grill (
) is located inside a Mobil gas station on the corner of Alt. 19 and Bayshore Blvd. The station and the market and grill opened last December after the Voutsinas’ closed in September and completed an extensive renovation of the property that debuted as a Mobil gas station in the mid-​1960s.
Designed with a Key West theme, the building is not the typical convenience store with bamboo sinks in the bathrooms and stained marbleized concrete floors adorned with artistic murals depicting nautical scenes and pirate artifacts. The market does offer typical convenience store fare like frozen foods, candy and snacks, drinks and miscellaneous groceries, but there are unique touches throughout like the chilled wine display and the stand that sells organic and natural potato chips. The «Beer Cave» has everything from six packs to kegs, all refrigerated.
Spiro bought the station in 1983. He acquired his first Mobil station on Island Estates at the age of 19 and operated it from 1976 until he purchased his current location, which allowed him to get into the towing business. At the time, the Caladesi Mobil station, as the location is still officially called, included a three-​bay garage and a 200-​square-​foot convenience store.
Cooking and the restaurant business are in Voutsinas’ blood. His father, the late James Voutsinas, owned a diner in Chicago, where Spiro worked as a short order cook.
«For years, my dad thought it would be a good idea if we renovated the property and added a small restaurant, but it wasn’t the right time because I was focused on the auto-​related businesses,» said Voutsinas, who also still operates a towing business and an auto repair and body shop in the area. «He would be very proud of the way this place looks now, and the food that we prepare and serve.»
The Voutsinas’ were spurred to refurbish their property out of necessity. Fuel provides slim profit margins for gas station owners, thus the reason most stations also have convenience stores and a growing number also co-​brand with fast food restaurants or donut shops, Spiro explained.
«Since all we had was a tiny, 200-​square-​foot convenience store in addition to the gas pumps and the garage, we didn’t have enough space to generate added revenue,» he said. «We saw this as an opportunity to renovate the property, build a larger convenience store and add the restaurant my father envisioned.»
Food at the Bayshore Breeze Grill is made-​to-​order and the restaurant will open a drive-​thru soon. The menu is composed of items that Spiro and Labrine enjoy. The Chicago Beef Sandwich ($ 6.95), which features slow-​cooked and marinated beef dipped in homemade au jus with Giardiniera peppers, reflects Spiro’s Chicago heritage, as does the Chicago Beef and Sausage Combo ($ 7.95) and the Vienna Chicago Style Hot Dog ($ 3.35). The Gyro ($ 5.95), Souvlaki Pita ($ 5.95), Pork Kabob ($ 3.95) and Greek Salad ($ 5.95) identify the couple’s Greek roots.
Bayshore Breeze’s menu also has traditional favorites like an angus burger, Philly cheese steak, grilled chicken breast sandwich and a fish sandwich, all of which range from $ 4.95 to $ 6.95. The deli includes ham, turkey, roast beef, corned beef, pastrami, Cuban pork and a Cuban sandwich.
The grill also has a breakfast menu, highlighted by the biggest seller — the egg and cheese sandwich on a brioche bun with a choice of ham, sausage or bacon for $ 2.95. Bayshore Breeze also prepares homemade cinnamon rolls, which quickly disappear from the glass display case.
«We also accommodate special requests,» Labrine said. «One of our customers from New York City asked us to make a BLT sub. As long as we have the ingredients, we will make specially requested food not on the menu.»

This hidden gem is inside a fairly nice Mobil gas station on the corner of Bayshore drive. My friend told me they have good sandwiches there, and at first I was a bit reluctant, however, was quickly proven wrong. The first sandwich I got was the cuban. It was more than a mouthful, cooked up when I ordered it, and was friggin delicious. The next sandwich I ended up getting was the parmesan meatball. My stomach was happy and so was I. The food is priced right to go, or you can sit inside and eat as well. I also tried their fries and they were just as good. So, if you’re on the run, in that area, and need a quick bite to eat, do not miss this sandwich shop. Staff was friendly and courteous. Also, if you spend more than ten dollars at the sandwich shop, you get «Bayshore Breeze Bucs». Good for almost anything in the store/​gas station.

Stopped by for a late sandwich for supper, and got there after they had closed the kitchen and the cook was leaving. Christina, who was still manning the counter, was most kind and quickly offered up Bayshore Breeze’s Cuban sandwich as a good alternative. After eating this great Cuban, I think the Food Gods worked out my good fortune.
Bayshore Breeze Market & Grill is located inside a very nice gas station/​market right on the corner of corner of Alt. 19 and Curlew/​Causeway Blvd. This intersection is directly at the entrance to the causeway to Honeymoon/​Caladesi Island State Parks, and couldn’t be more convenient to grab your food/​drinks for a nice day at the beach. There are about a half dozen tables available for dining-​in, and the entire area is very clean and neat.
While they have a nice supply of prepared Cubans for serving customers quickly, I ordered mine with a twist, and Christina gladly obliged my custom order in spite of the late hour. You can’t ask for better service than that.
Bayshore Breeze’s Cubans are not for the faint of heart. This is no wimpy sandwich. Just picking it up lets you know this thing is absolutely packed with meat, which by the way is filled with hand-​pulled roast pork that the owner marinates for 24 hours in mojo, then is slow-​roasted for another 7 – 8 hours before serving. None of that generic/​store-​bought sliced pork here at all, and the result elevates this Cuban far above most of it’s competitors. Add in thinly-​sliced ham and cheese, then tasty cuban bread hot-​pressed to a perfect crust, and you’ve got Cuban heaven.
And if you need any more to convince to check Bayshore Breeze out, go to their website and you’ll find a list of online specials. They have multiple coupons which you can print out and present for breakfast/​lunch/​dinner/​chicken pita/​side order/​frozen yogurt, and get one at half-​price for every one you order. Even better, the daily specials page (accessible from the coupon page) lists a variety of different weekday «buy one, get one free» sandwich specials available from 3pm to closing. I’m definitely headed back to try out some other menu items.
My scores on the «How good can food at a convenience store be?» scale:
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Value: 5