Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico Offers Its Full Menu In New ‘El Patio’ 

David & Cindy Cruz of Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico invite you to check out the beautiful new bar — and enjoy their delicious Puerto Rican cuisine — at the new outdoor “El Patio.” (Photos by Charmaine George)

 The owners of Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico on Wesley Chapel Blvd., next to the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza in Wesley Chapel, obviously aren’t afraid of working hard. 

The husband-and-wife team of David and Cindy Cruz also have owned DC Accounting for more than 20 years and opened their Rice-n- Beans Express location on S.R. 54 in Lutz a little more than a year ago. 

Churrasco Steak

But, when they purchased the former Cody’s Roadhouse (and Remington’s Steakhouse before Cody’s), there was a nice-sized patio in front of the main building that basically went unused for the first few years after the couple moved Rice-n-Beans from its successful original location in a gas station building on S.R. 54 in Lutz. 

But, that all changed in November, when Cindy and David finally opened their completely redesigned “El Patio” in the formerly unused patio space. And, even though they weren’t sure at first if they wanted it to have its own menu, El Patio is now serving the main Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico’s full menu, as well as a variety of craft cocktails, beer and wine in El Patio’s beautiful, full-liquor bar (with its own open hours). 

Of course, the main restaurant also is a beautiful place to have authentic Puerto Rican and Latin cuisine and some premium cocktails. It’s just nice to have your choice of settings. 

What About The Food? 

Pretty much from the day it moved to Wesley Chapel from Lutz — where it was much more of a hidden gem that only a few Wesley Chapel residents even knew about — Rice-n-Beans has been voted by our readers as either the #1 or at least one of the Favorite Latin (not Mexican) Restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. 

Beef Empanadas

I’m no Puerto Rican cuisine connoisseur but I do enjoy many of the dishes I’ve sampled at Rice-n-Beans. Among my favorite appetizers are the crispy-outside beef empanadas (right), which we also enjoyed as part of the Antojitos Puertorriqueños platter, which also includes a chicken empanada, as well as a sorullito de maiz con queso (a corn & cheese fritter) and an alcapurria de carne, which is a popular Puerto Rican street food item that looks like a sausage but is actually a crispy fritter made from a blend of root vegetables, stuffed with savory seasoned beef and served with a ketchup-and-mayo-based dipping sauce. The restaurant also has empanadas stuffed with shrimp, octopus or pizza. 

Tostones Rellenos de Carne

One of the special items we’ve enjoyed were the tostones rellenos de carne (left) — fried green plantain slices topped with tender steak, onions and red peppers in a tomato-based salsa Criolla (CrĂ©ole sauce). The tostones rellenos are usually served either plain or topped with shrimp or octopus, but marketing manager Damaris Gutierrez had the kitchen make it with steak for me. Loved it! 

Another special the day we visited was the mofongo relleno de langosta, which combines the Puerto Rican staple dish of twice-fried, garlic-infused mashed green plantains with a full-sized lobster tail and six large shrimp which, of course, I had to take Charmaine’s word about because of my shellfish allergy. She said that both the lobster and shrimp in garlic butter sauce sitting atop the mofongo bowl were delicious on their own, “but they taste even better when you mix in the mashed plantains.” 

Mofongo Relleno de Langosta

The mofongo was definitely eye-catching and popular, as several other tables during our visit either ordered the langosta or the same dish with chicken, steak, shrimp, octopus or “mariscos” (mixed seafood). 

My favorite entrées at Rice-n-Beans include the chicharrons de pollo (bone-in crispy fried chicken), the carne frita (deep fried pork chunks), chuleta Kan-Kan (a Puerto Rican-style pork chop, marinated in garlic rub and fried), the pechuga de pollo (pan-seared chicken breast topped with sautéed onions and garlic or the salsa Criolla mentioned before), and the super-tender churrasco steak (above), which is pan-seared and served with a fresh green vibrant house coriander and cilantro chimichurri sauce (sorry that we forgot to photograph the chimichurri). The churrasco is served with sweet plantains and a side of rice (your choice of white or yellow) and I also got a side of red beans, which also were excellent. 

For you seafood lovers, Rice-n-Beans also offers a filete en salsa (fish filet in salsa Criolla or sautĂ©ed in garlic and capers), a chillo frito entero (whole pan-fried red snapper) and mariscada personal — a seafood lover’s delight with shrimp, octopus and lobster served over saffron-infused yellow rice and accompanied by red beans and (you guessed it) crispy tostones. 

The Jibarito Sandwich with Fries

We also wanted to sample a traditional Puerto Rican sandwich on our most recent visit, so Damaris recommended the jibarito (left photo) — which is a sandwich made with twice-fried plantains instead of bread and stuffed with steak (bistec), roasted pork (pernil) or the pollo (grilled chicken) we chose. The jibarito is topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and a zesty garlic mayo (and served with crispy fries) and Charmaine and I were both surprised at the sandwich’s unique flavor. Savory plantains certainly are a recurring theme at Rice-n-Beans, but if you think you’re not a fan of them, you definitely should try one of the dishes described in this story. 

If you still have room for dessert, Charmaine and I both heartily recommend the flancocho (below right), which is a layer of chocolate cake topped with a thick layer of Puerto Rican-style flan, which is denser and more cake-like than Cuban or Colombian flan. The dessert is topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and drizzled with chocolate. You might want to add a café con leché and/or an after-dinner cocktail. 

Flancocho Dessert

Other desserts include vanilla, chocolate and even cheese flan, plus tres leches (sponge cake soaked in three milks and topped with whipped cream) and ponque de novia (a shareable, tender cake infused with almond and topped with buttercream frosting). If you bring the kids, they can choose from chicken strips, fried pork chunks, grilled cheese or empanadas. 

Rice-n-Beans also is the place for great entertainment on the weekends, both in the main restaurant and now, also out on El Patio. There’s DJ music, salsa dancing nights and even live performances. For the February schedule, check the Rice-n-Beans website (RicenBeans.com) or visit the restaurant. 

Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico (27405 Wesley Chapel Blvd.) is open Sat., 11 a.m.-midnight; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sun.; and for dinner only on Tues.-Fri., beginning at 4 p.m. It closes Tues.- Thur. at 9 p.m. & at 11 p.m. on Fri. El Patio is open Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-close & noon-6 p.m. on Sun. For more information, visit RicenBeans.com or call (813) 803-7974. 

For Rice N Beans Express (24726 S.R. 54, Lutz), call (813) 428-5077, or visit ”Rice n Beans Express” on Facebook. 

Sunglass KRATE Has Merged With 369 EyeWear At The KRATE At The Grove! 

The combined 369 EyeWear/Sunglass KRATE shop at the KRATE at The Grove container park offers a huge selection of eyeglass and sunglass frames, including (below right) these unique “makeup glasses” that allow you to flip the one lens to either side when putting on makeup. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

After seven years in Florida and four months of being retired, William Toledo decided to create a new business: 369 EyeWear/Stack & Save. 

Licensed optician Jim Lambrou is still on-site to provide custom eyeglass fittings at the revamped shop, which has a variety of options to save you money on your prescription & non-prescription eyewear. 

Toledo has now partnered with James Lambrou, the owner of Sunglass KRATE in the KRATE at The Grove container park in Wesley Chapel and the result is that 369 EyeWear and Sunglass KRATE are now combined in the same former shipping container where Lambrou has had his shop for almost a year. 

Combined, Lambrou, a licensed optician, and Toledo have more than 70 years of experience in the eyeglass industry. Each has contributed different visions to create a new, different and innovative concept. 

They say the intention is to unite two market trends in one place: Fashion and affordable prices for everyone. Knowing that people need more than one pair of glasses (or sunglasses) in today’s fast-paced world, 369 EyeWear, which offers a huge selection of eyeglass frames, from the most fashionable to the most affordable, has made owning multiple pairs of glasses a lot less expensive for everyone — without sacrificing the great looks you want. 

“We now offer ‘stacks’ of 3, 6, 9 or even up to 12 pairs of glasses, with or without prescription lenses, at the price of what you normally would pay for a single pair of glasses,” Jim says. “For example, our famous stack of three pairs can include a clear pair with anti-glare lenses for night-tine driving, another with Blue Shield treatment (perfect for use with electronic monitors) for the office and a pair of prescription sunglasses — all for just $99!” 

The store also now offers a “Celebrity Stack,” where you pay for 12 pairs of glasses, get three pairs now and a new pair every month to complement your ever-changing look on social media for one low price. 

As an introductory offer, 369 EyeWear/Sunglass KRATE is offering its customers two free lens upgrades — such as bifocal, tinted or polycarbonate material lenses — on every pair of glasses. 

With pretty much everything going up in price these days, smarter shopping is required and the 369 “stacks” can help everyone save money on their eyeglasses. 

Plus, unlike online stores, Lambrou is still on-site to custom-fit your glasses, and to make adjustments as you need them. Try getting that kind of service online! 

And, 369 EyeWear has its own factory, so your prescription glasses will be done right and on-time the first time every time! 

So, the next time you’re at the KRATEs, visit 369 EyeWear/Sunglass KRATE at 5827 Grand Oro Ln., #105, for the best deals, best service and best selection! For more information, call (813) 994-6700 or stop in the store and please tell Jim I sent you! — GN 

Phase 1A Of County’s New Branchton Park Opens On Morris Bridge Rd. 

Congratulations to the Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department, which has now opened Phase 1A of a new $6.7-million multi-phase expansion of Branchton Park at 15508 Morris Bridge Rd., less than a half-mile south of Cross Creek Blvd. 

On a frosty cold Jan.23, Hillsborough’s director of Parks & Recreation Rick Valdez, District 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan, park project manager Jason McKenzie, New Tampa resident and Dist. 4 Comm. Christine Miller’s legislative aide Rico Smith were among those who cut the ribbon on the new 43-acre park. 

Valdez said the new park includes a splash pad (which wasn’t yet open, but it was too cold to try that day anyway), a large playground area (with a blue turf facsimile of the Hillsborough River running through it), plus several changing rooms, restrooms and a “Cop Cabin” where Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office (HCS) deputies can have a desk, a lounge (with a working fireplace) and a place to keep an eye on what’s happening in the park. 

Also under construction in Phase 1B are six pickleball courts, large- and small-breed dog parks and an additional restroom. Phase 1B is expected to open by no later than March of this year. 

Phase 2, which is funded and includes renovations to the original 19-acre Branchton Park, also is expected to include a zipline (in partnership between the county and a private contractor, who has not yet been selected) and an event center. Valdez said Phase 2 will take about two years to build. 

“I am thrilled to be here this morning as the commissioner who championed this project for over a decade,” Comm. Hagan said prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony. “How this occurred is that, for six years, I lived around the corner, off Cross Creek Blvd. And every day, I would drive on Morris Bridge Rd., because before we widened Bruce B. Downs (Blvd.), the traffic was terrible. 

“So, I’d go down Morris Bridge, and I’d always look over here and see this beautiful area and I would never see more than two or three people on the basketball courts or in the little picnic area. And I just remember thinking that we could really do something special and make a destination here. Well, many years later, we’ve created it [and we] worked closely with the New Tampa community to get the amenities the residents wanted to see here.” 

Hagan added, “This park will serve 45,000+ people within a ten-minute drive of this area.” 

For more info, visit HCFL.gov. 

Sindbad Is Now Open In Former Bang-Bang! Bowls Location In The Pebble Creek Collection

Although we told you it was getting ready to open last issue, the second Sindbad Tampa restaurant — which features smoothies, juices, crepes, desserts, cakes, ice cream and more — is now open in the former location of Bang-Bang! Bowls in the Pebble Creek Collection (19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite C-2). 

The original Sindbad location is at 10933 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace, and while the shop has a Middle Eastern-sounding name (Sindbad the Sailor is a fictional character from Baghdad), owners Laith Mahdawe and his wife Raghad Alkalide (who are Middle Eastern; top left photo), say their daughter-in-law, who is Mexican, was the inspiration for Sindbad’s many Mexican and Latin juices and other menu items. 

Although the new Sindbad was only open for two weeks at our press time and didn’t yet have all of its menu available, photographer Charmaine George and I definitely were impressed with the store’s incredible array of fresh fruits and veggies (photo below) that Laith and Raghad use to make fresh smoothies and juice drinks. We did also sample a few beverages, including a banana-strawberry smoothie (so fresh!) and a pure watermelon breeze juice served in a half of a small watermelon (Charmaine loved it). Sindbad also features juice drinks specifically created to help with everything from kidney stones to memory loss to indigestion (bottom left photo). 

We also enjoyed two dessert items — a slice of chocolate cheesecake with a scoop of fresh Hershey’s strawberry ice cream, and an unexpectedly delicious croissant ice cream sandwich filled with caramel ice cream. Both of the desserts were served with whipped cream and a couple of fresh strawberries. Both Hershey’s ice cream flavors we sampled (there are about a dozen flavors, and soon to also be served with Sindbad waffles), were creamy and tasty. 

For more info, visit “Sinbad Tampa” on Facebook or call (813) 443-9692 and please tell Laith and Raghad I sent you! — GN 

Enter Our FREE, Online-Only Academy Awards & ‘Big Game’ Contests! 

With pro football’s “Big Game” being played on Sunday, February 16, and the televised “Oscars” broadcast two weeks later — on Sunday, March 2 â€” we decided to have both our annual FREE “Big Game Squares” contest and our occasional FREE “Oscars” contests be online-only this year, to give everyone an equal chance to enter and win.

To be given a square in our “Big Game Squares” contest, sponsored by Gas N Grills on Livingston Ave., CLICK HERE. Our Grand Prize, for having the winning square representing the final score between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, is a $200 gift card to the restaurant of your choice, anywhere in the Tampa Bay area! The owner of the square representing the score at halftime will win a $100 dining gift card and having the winning squares at the end of the first or third quarters of the “Big Game” will win you a $50 dining gift card. So, CLICK HERE to enter now. 

And, with the Oscar winners being announced on March 2, CLICK HERE to enter our 2025 “Oscars Contest,” sponsored by B&B Theatres at The Grove. You will be asked to predict the winners of each major category for a chance to win the Grand Prize of dinner for two, plus top-level movie tickets, popcorn & beverages to a movie at B&B Theatres. There also will be five runners-up who each will receive two free top-level movie tickets at B&B Theatres.

There is no purchase necessary to enter either of these contests, but you will have to provide your real first & last name, the community you live in, your daytime telephone number & your valid email address to enter either contest. For more info, including the official rules of both FREE contests, email us at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com. Good luck!

In years past, we’ve run either a “Big Game Squares” or an Academy Awards contest — or both — in our New Tampa and Wesley Chapel print editions. 

Both contests, especially the Squares, take up a lot of space in our print issues and often would only allow readers in one of our distribution areas to enter that contest by reading our print editions, which always ended up with a lot more entries from that one area, and sometimes, other readers would end up getting shut out of that contest altogether — and that seemed unfair to me. 

So, rather than give one group of print edition readers an unfair advantage over the other, I decided that this year, we would offer both of these popular contests online only. 

Of course, since the next Wesley Chapel issue won’t hit mailboxes until after the Big Game, only those of you who receive our New Tampa edition are finding out about both contests in print, even though both of them will be posted on our Facebook page no later than Friday, January 31, and we will limit our Squares contest to the first 100 entrants (we allowed 200, or two full “grids,” last year), so it may be too late to enter by the time this issue reaches your mailbox. 

Now of course, I know that not everyone has a computer or smart phone to enter online, but surely everyone knows someone who does who could enter for you. To that end, online-only seemed to be the best way to give readers in both distribution areas the same opportunity to enter. 

So, here’s how the two contests will work: 

‘Big Game Squares’ 

This has become our second most popular contest, behind our annual Dining Survey & Contest, as even non-football fans usually watch the Big Game — even though some only watch for the commercials and/or halftime shows. 

Non-football fans who would never place a bet (legal or otherwise) love the Squares contest because it’s entirely about luck — you either have a square that wins one of our gift card prizes or you don’t. And, since the winning squares are determined by the score at the end of each quarter and can sometimes change at the last possible moment, having a square may be the only thing that keeps non-football-fans watching the Big Game until the very end. 

So, CLICK HERE and provide us with your REAL (you’d be surprised how many fake entries we receive in our contests) first AND last name, the community you live in, email address and daytime phone number. 

If you give us all of the proper information, you will receive an email from me that says, “Congratulations, you will be assigned a square in this year’s ‘Big Game’ Contest! Once all of our 100 squares have been filled, we will email you again with the score digit for each team that will allow you to WIN!” 

For those who don’t know how these Squares contests work, the squares are assigned in the order they are received, but the numbers representing the last digit of the score for each team aren’t randomly assigned until all 100 squares are filled. 

Your second email will say, “Your square is KC 7, Phi 6.” That means if the score is 7-6 Chiefs (or 27-26, etc.) at the end of any quarter, you’d win the prize for that quarter — anywhere from a $50 to a $200 gift card to the restaurant of your choice anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. It’s fun and absolutely free — no purchase is ever required to enter any of our contests. 

‘Academy Awards Contest’ 

We’ve only been able to even have this contest a few times in the past because of the timing of when the nominees are announced to when the annual Academy Awards are held. 

As devastating as the uncontrolled wild fires in California have been, the fires caused both the announcement of this year’s nominees and the televised red carpet gala itself to be delayed — so much so that we actually have time to have this FREE contest this year as well. 

Here’s how it works: Once again, provide us with your REAL first AND last name, the community you live in, email address and daytime phone number. In addition, we ask each entrant in this contest to please pick the winner in each of the following major Oscars categories: 1. Best Picture, 2. Best Actress, 3. Best Actor, 4. Best Supporting Actress, 5. Best Supporting Actor, 6. Best Director & 7. Best Animated Feature. 

If only one entrant picks the winners in the most categories, they will win a prize package to the B&B Theatres at The Grove, with movie tickets, popcorn, dinner & drinks, valued at $200. 

If more than one entry has the same number of correct picks, the winner will be drawn at random from all tied entries. Each of the other tied entries will receive two B&B movie passes. CLICK HERE to enter.