If you’ve recently driven by the Five Guys Burger & Fries located across the parking lot from Fresh Monkee, and next to the Max’s Pet Market & Salon (photo) at 6431 E. County Line Rd. in New Tampa, you’re already aware that this location — which is hidden from view from both Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. — has closed (its last day was Mar. 15).
One of the other store owners in the same plaza told me that they had heard that this location was Five Guys corporate-owned and that, “The company apparently looked at the store’s numbers and decided that it was time to just shut it down.”
The same store owner also said that, “They literally came here on [Mar. 16] and took out most of the equipment, tore down the sign, packed it all onto a truck and drove away.”
We also have now been told by multiple sources that a Middle Eastern shawarma shop is expected to move into the now-empty Five Guys, although no one yet knows exactly when the new eatery is planning to open or its name.
In the meantime, please note that Five Guys not only still has more than 1,900 locations in operation around the world, it actually is expanding those numbers.
For New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents who still need their Five Guys burger, fries, shakes and unlimited peanuts “fix,” the franchised locations at 25599 Sierra Center Blvd., across S.R. 56 from the Tampa Premium Outlets, and at 28894 Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54, in Wesley Chapel, are both still very much open and hoping to see you soon.
We’ll keep you posted about the restaurant planned for the now-vacated Five Guys space.
For ordering and more information about Five Guys Burgers & Fries, visit FiveGuys.com. — GN
I remember being so pumped when Florida Avenue Brewing Company first opened its second location (the original is still in Seminole Heights) in the former location of Sports + Field on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel near the end of 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic was winding down. The on-site brewery (more on that below) wouldn’t be operational for almost another year, but it was exciting to me that Florida Ave. was a big, non-chain real restaurant with an elevated, better-than-sports-bar menu that included items that became instant favorites of mine — such as Chinese sticky ribs and Korean-style bibimbap bowls, to name just two.
But, the restaurant was just really finding its way at that time and has since been through, “I believe, five executive chefs since then,” says general manager Monroe Brown (left in top photo), who was a server and mostly bartender at the location when it first opened. “But, we’re really happy with the most recent version of the menu and our current executive chef — Baxter McManamy.” (right in the same photo)
I’ll have to second that, even though both of those early favorite dishes of mine are no longer offered. And, despite having been with Florida Ave. for about a year now, Baxter isn’t taking credit for most of the new menu items, although he will say that he’s tweaked some of the recipes and given his sous chefs an opportunity to present new ideas to make the menu better, too.
All I can tell you is that the new formula is working. Jannah and I honestly avoided Florida Ave. the last couple of years because it seemed like it was turning into just another sports pub, but….
Check It Out Now!
If you check out the food pictures on this page, I think it’s pretty clear that Baxter, Monroe, the Derby family — Anthony, Amanda and their mom, Toni — and Florida Ave. are definitely back on the right track food-wise.
In the top photo on this page, Monroe is holding a super-tasty new Rice & Bean Bowl, with adobo rice, “Rollin’ Derby” black beans, avocado and pickled red onions with “bistro steak,” Baxter says. “It’s a little tougher than filet mignon, but has a flavor similar to NY strip.”
Speaking of Baxter, he’s holding a tasty double-patty Florida Ave. Smash Burger, with sautéed onions, bacon, American cheese and roasted jalapeño aioli on a brioche bun and a side of loaded hand-cut fries. Every burger on the menu also is made to pair with one of Florida Ave.’s beers, including the burger I mentioned, which the menu says should be paired with a Flipa American IPA, but that’s really up to you.
If you’re looking for something a little more unique, perhaps try my favorite new menu item that photographer Charmaine George and I sampled on our most recent visit — the Gulf Coast mahi Fish ‘N’ Chips (left). I’ve never seen any restaurant use mahi for fish & chips, but it was beer-battered (“We beer-batter a lot of our dishes,” Baxter said. “Why wouldn’t we?”), super-crisp and snow-white inside. Oh, and it was frickin’ delicious, too. It didn’t even need the house-made tartar sauce served with it.
Speaking of fresh, before we move on, Monroe and Baxter invited me into Florida Ave.’s super-clean kitchen and showed me that while there are two huge, walk-in refrigerators in there, the freezer is about the size of one of the little ones you’d find in your neighbor’s garage.
“We just really don’t freeze anything here,” Baxter said. “We make most everything fresh.”
Another one of my new favorite options is the General Tso’s cauliflower (right). It’s served crispy outside, tender inside and the General Tso’s sauce is sweet and a little spicy. I probably will order the spicy aioli on the side next time, just to keep the cauliflower at its peak crispness.
Another new favorite of mine is the new French onion dip handheld (below left). It features shaved ribeye, mozzarella and provolone, with a zesty horseradish cream on a toasted Amoroso roll. But, the big difference is the French onion broth that really gives this particular French dip a flavor all its own.
That same delicious onion flavor is encased in Florida Ave.’s tasty crock of French onion soup (above right), which properly covers the broth and toasted bread with a combo of melted mozzarella and provolone cheese, which almost mimics the more traditional taste of French gruyere.
Another recent addition is the Seasonal Grazing Board (left). For March, this selection of artisanal bites included Irish-style sausage, pretzel bites, kalamata olives, two kinds of cheese, red onions and a chunky tomato chutney. The seasonal board is made to pair with a four-beer flight. If you’re a beer drinker (I’m really not), this is a great way to start your meal, especially with a group of friends. Of the four brews shown with the grazing board, my favorite was the Dead Parrot light lager, but Charmaine preferred the Luminescence Hazy IPA.
And, although I’m not a big salmon eater and can’t eat shrimp, Charmaine raved about both the BLT salad (below right) — with chopped romaine hearts, candied bacon, blue cheese crumbles, heirloom cherry tomatoes, chives, ranch dressing and balsamic glaze — which she had topped with blackened salmon that she said was flaky and delicately spiced; and the grilled Coastal Lime Shrimp tacos (top left). She loved the tequila lime aioli slaw and the fresh pico de gallo on top of the tacos, too.
Even though we didn’t have room for dessert, we both still made room because the two house-made Florida Ave. desserts we sampled were both just so good!
Charmaine’s favorite was the warm coconut cake (below left), which swims in a pool of delicious rum sauce and is topped with grilled pineapple and whipped cream. Decadent.
But, my new favorite dessert is the Basque (Spanish-style) cheesecake (below right). The menu calls it “irresistible” and that’s pretty spot-on. The tender crust has a delicious char, but the cheesecake itself is as creamy as a true NY-style, but not as dense, and as light and airy as an Italian-style ricotta-based cheesecake, but with a better texture and flavor. It didn’t need the fresh berry coulis, but the end result was spectacular!
But, What If We Want To Drink?
I’m so glad you asked. Jannah and I always sit in the comfy high-top bar chairs at Florida Ave., which has a big advantage over most other breweries in that it has a full, premium liquor bar, not just beer and wine. So, even though neither of us are partial to the interesting selection of Craft Cocktails on the menu (she would get the “That’s My Jam,” with Tito’s vodka and a tropical syrup flavor, but would substitute club soda for the Regatta ginger beer it comes with), she has had excellent Cosmos at the bar and my Jameson on the rocks is always perfect. However, you Old Fashioned lovers will probably flip for the variety of “Cask Crafted” Old Fashioneds.
Florida Ave. also recently added a “Taproom Brunch” every Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., with items like warm French toast bites, avocado toast, a breakfast flatbread (with sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, borracha salsa and shredded mozzarella, topped with micro cilantro) and more. The brunch menu also includes bottomless mimosas and “bromosas” (OJ with your choice of Florida Ave.’s Dead Parrot, Luminescence Hazy IPA or You’re My Boy Blue). There’s even a mimosa flight served with four different kinds of juice.
For lunch every weekday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Florida Ave. offers a “Pint & Plate” lunch, with your choice of soup or salad, paired with one of five different main courses (a flatbread, smash burger, tacos, a chicken Caesar wrap or a chicken parm or Milanese Brew Pub Sub) and one free draft beer, or soft drinks or coffee, for just $15.
For “Hoppy Hour” (Mon.-Fri., 3 p.m.-6 p.m. and all night on Wed., from 3 p.m.-close), Florida Ave. offers its year-round draft beers for $5.25, specialty rotating draft beers from $6.25, sparkling, white or red house wines for just $6 and well & specialty cocktails for $7. There’s also a variety of Hoppy Hour “bites” for $5 (for cheese curds, loaded fries, crispy cauliflower & more), for $7 (for flatbreads or chicken wings) or for $9 (for tacos or Nashville chicken sliders).
And, of course, Florida Ave. also has a great fenced-in open area out back, with its own bar and table service, as well as arcade games inside for the kids, plus private indoor areas for catered meetings and events.
Now, let me see…what I am forgetting?
Of course…BEER! Not only is the Wesley Chapel Florida Ave. one of the largest independent breweries in Florida, which provides cans of its now-famous brews, ciders and seltzers to other bars, it offers a huge variety of its rotating, house-brewed beverages to its happy customers.
But, don’t take my word for it. Florida Ave. has more than 1,200 5-star reviews on Google, including Sabine M., who wrote, “This has to be one of the best breweries in the area. Every beer is delicious….They have amazing lunch deals…really cool space. A great place to meet up with friends.”
And, every Saturday, you can even bring your group on a tour of the brewery for just $12 per person, which includes a beer and a souvenir pint glass. You must be 21 for the tours, all sales are final and they should be booked in advance.
As Monroe says, “If it’s been a while, come give us another try!.”
Florida Ave. Brewing Co. is located at 2029 Arrowgrass Dr. For more info, call or send a message to (813) 452-6333, visit FloridaAveBrewing.com or see the ad below for a FREE “Fourcaster” Appetizer Sampler!
The signage (photo) is now up outside of the Wesley Chapel/Lutz area’s first of two Cava restaurants — in the former Mod Pizza location at 2227 Sun Vista Dr., next to Clarkson Eyecare (on the south side of S.R. 56).
The fast-expanding Mediterranean-style bowl and pita sandwich chain, now with more than 460 locations, also is planning to open in the Whole Foods-anchored plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., but that location may not open for a year or so.
Growth in and around Wesley Chapel can feel a little scary/unwanted at times, as new roads, new rooftops and new developments seem to continue to pop up in the local landscape almost overnight.
But, alongside that rapid change comes something exciting — a glimpse of what our community might look like in the future.
One of the latest ideas quietly floating around in development plans could bring something many local residents already enjoy — a new brewery. If the concept comes to life, it would mark what would effectively become the third brewery serving Wesley Chapel and the nearby surrounding area.
Local craft beer fans already know the two that helped put our area on the map: Florida Avenue Brewing Co. on S.R. 56 and Double Branch Artisanal Ales at The Grove.
Now, plans emerging from the massive Two Rivers development — located just east of Morris Bridge Rd. in Zephyrhills, but looking very much like an extension of Wesley Chapel — hint that another brewery could eventually join the local lineup.
The potential site of the new brewery is inside the Two Rivers community, specifically in the Two Rivers West section (see map).
According to conceptual plans (see rendering above), the brewery would be located roughly a quarter of a mile behind a proposed Publix on S.R. 56, and just off the roundabout that leads residents to an upcoming resort-style private club known as “The Landing.”
But, the brewery itself might only be part of the story. The concept appears within a planned village-style retail district called Hawthorn Village (labeled “SITE” on the map), which is being developed by Two Rivers developer the Eisenhower Property Group.
Leasing materials from Colliers describe the village center as a 42,000-square-foot hub for specialty restaurants and boutique retail.
At the heart of the project would be an outdoor event lawn designed to host community gatherings, holiday celebrations and al fresco dining. The hypothetical brewery concept even suggests it could share space with a coffee shop and restaurant on the same property, creating more of a social hub than just another place to grab a pint.
In many ways, that’s the bigger story.
Village-style centers like this are becoming a defining feature of many modern master-planned communities. Instead of long commercial strips, these smaller walkable hubs are designed to bring neighbors together for food, entertainment, and local events.
Two Rivers itself is being planned with 13 distinct villages and a long list of lifestyle amenities, including the aforementioned The Landing private social club, a Pasco K-8 school, the Peak Surf Park, a proposed golf course on the Hillsborough side of Two Rivers, plus miles of scenic nature trails, kids’ play areas and resort-style pools.
If Hawthorn Village does eventually land a brewery, it would certainly be a welcome addition for many residents.
But, more important is that it signals the continued evolution of our area — from a quiet suburban crossroads into a place building its own identity, gathering spaces and community traditions. While many long-time local residents aren’t happy about this transformation, it is happening.
And, if that new identity happens to include a few good local beers along the way, many neighbors probably won’t complain.
The first time I ever had New York New York (aka NY NY) Pizza, my friend Suzi had just finished her set at an Open Mic night at The Improv in Ybor City in 2007 and all of the comics went to NY NY’s take-out window on 7th Ave. for a slice.
As a native New Yawka who had moved to Wesley Chapel 14 years earlier, I was impressed enough with the crust, sauce, cheese and overall flavor of that first slice that when I was told, in 2012, that NY NY was opening a location in Wesley Chapel, I was excited to meet the owner, Freddy Mamudi, and tell him how much I enjoyed that first slice (with pepperoni and Italian sausage) and just how much I was looking forward to his 2013 opening on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.
NY NY has been in my top two or three favorite pizza places in Wesley Chapel (or New Tampa) ever since, at one point just behind the former La Prima Pizza (which originally opened as the second location of Pizza Suprema) in the Target shopping center, and neck-and-neck with Amici Pizza on Wesley Chapel Blvd.
When La Prima closed in 2019, NY NY became #1 in my book, especially once I sampled NY NY’s “Grandma’s pizza” (left), which most NY-style pizza places now serve but which wasn’t even a thing yet when I left the Big Apple in 1993.
In my opinion, NY NY’s crisp, thin crust is the closest to true NYC pizza locally and the sauce and mozzarella cheese are spot-on. But, the garlicky sauce and fresh basil on NY NY’s Grandma’s pizza has made it competition for my favorite, along with the restaurant’s pepperoni and sausage pizza.
These days, the Wesley Chapel location is one of nine that Freddy at least co-owns. He keeps his hand in every location because he insists that all of his partners — like his cousin Disi Musa (at right in the top photo, with Freddy) — have worked at another of his locations for years before giving them the opportunity to partner in their own locations. Disi worked for Freddy since 2008 in Ybor and was a partner in the Carrollwood location since 2014.
“It’s all about quality control,” Freddy told me on my most recent visit with photographer Charmaine George. “If everyone puts their own spin on our recipes, it’s no longer the NY NY pizza our customers have come to expect.”
When you visit NY NY Pizza for the first time, instead of a pie, I suggest trying four or five different slices — since most or all of these are available every day in the display case next to the cash register. Get one Grandma’s; one regular cheese; one pepperoni, sausage or meat lovers slice; one of whatever your favorite specialty slice may be and one square Sicilian slice (definitely the most authentic crust and flavor of any Sicilian that I’ve sampled in the Tampa Bay area; more on this below). I’ve never been a big fan of “white” pizza or veggie pizza, but if these or other “Gourmet” slices are your go-tos, definitely give them a try here, too.
Speaking of Sicilian, as I was preparing to write this story, I happened to be in downtown Tampa and decided to check out Tampa’s most storied (and busiest) pizza place — Eddie & Sam’s NY Pizza on E. Twiggs St. Although I honestly thought Eddie & Sam’s (which I hadn’t visited in years) was good, neither its Grandma’s nor its Sicilian slices could touch NY NY. I’m fine if you disagree, but I say try both places for yourself and tell me which you really like better.
Other Stuff, Too
Although it’s hard for me to venture away from NY NY’s pizza, I do enjoy a lot of the place’s other menu items.
The chef’s salad, with rolled ham, turkey and cheese and lots of fresh veggies, is good, as is the big portion of lasagna. I told Freddy and Disi that I’d prefer to see a little thicker sauce on the lasagna, but the amount and flavor of the ground beef and ricotta cheese stuffing were both spot-on. I also enjoyed the penne alla vodka, to which I added grilled chicken. Both the lasagna and the penne were served with tasty toasted garlic bread on my most recent visit, because the usual yummy garlic knots on the menu weren’t made yet that day (Charmaine and I were there fairly early).
We also were genuinely impressed with both NY NY’s baked crispy and zesty mild Buffalo wings (which also are available in hot, hot garlic, teriyaki, garlic parmesan, sweet chili, BBQ & hot BBQ, lemon pepper and mango habanero). The wings are available as extras in NY NY’s “Family Meal” deals (see below and the ad below for details). And, even the extra-crispy French fries are really excellent.
But, while I’ve never had a calzone or stromboli at NY NY (I really don’t love those anywhere), I have enjoyed NY NY’s properly oven-baked meatball and chicken parmigiana subs. What I didn’t expect, to be honest, was how much I’d appreciate NY NY’s Philly cheesesteak, although I definitely won’t claim that it’s authentic Philly-style — and that’s what I like about it! I’ve had both Pat’s and Gino’‘s and a couple of others in Philadelphia and I prefer NY NY’s oven-crisp sub rolls to the traditional, soft Amoroso rolls in Philly and you can give me the real mozzarella over that city’s usual cheese sauce every time. NY NY’s grilled onions and peppers were properly sautéed to tender and the overall flavor was outstanding.
Meal Deals & Specials
In the previously mentioned ad below, you’ll find a number of “meal deals” and specials that will please your wallet nearly as much as they please your appetite. The Family Meal Deal includes one extra-large one-topping pizza, 10 wings and six garlic knots for just $39.99, or upgrade it to two XL pizzas for just $59.99.
The Pasta Special includes two baked pastas and six garlic knots for just $25.99, while the Pizza Special is one medium one-topping pizza and one hot appetizer for $19.99. There also is a Sandwich Special (2 hot or cold subs, with fries, for $25.99) and Every Day Slice Specials with a drink ($8 for two cheese slices, $10 for pepperoni and $12 for two Gourmet slices).
And, if you mention the Neighborhood News when you call or pick up, you’ll save 10%.
Try NY NY for great pizza and great people!
NY NY Pizza (3757 BBD Blvd.) is open Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., & 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. For more info, call (813) 528-8771 or visit NYNYPizzeria.com. Online ordering and delivery are available.
