As I was doing my New Tampa “rounds” in May, I couldn’t help but notice that a new restaurant is getting ready to open at 14915 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in the Oak Ramble Plaza (next to Papa John’’s Pizza).
Slap Burger is a family-run burger shop founded in Paterson, NJ, in 2023, that, according to SlapBurgersNJ.com, is “dedicated to serving juicy smash burgers, hot chicken sandwiches, loaded platters, creamy milkshakes and refreshing lemonades.
“Founded by two brothers with a shared vision, Slap Burger was built on the idea of creating something lasting, exciting and full of flavor. That vision quickly became a reality with the opening of our first location in Paterson, followed a year later by our second location in Clifton, NJ, designed to offer more space and seating for our growing customer base.
“With two thriving locations already serving our community in New Jersey, and four additional branches set to open in New York (with the Oak Ramble location the young chain’s first of its ‘bold expansion plan’ outside of those two states), Slap Burger is growing into a destination where bold flavors meet great times.”
The place inside looks a lot like a Five Guys store to me, but, whether or not the burgers are as good or better than Five Guys remains to be seen.
Based on what the contractor told me, the new Slap Burger should open within a couple of weeks after the time this issue reached your mailbox. — GN
You long-time readers know how much I love finding — and telling you about — new restaurants that open (or will open) in our area, especially when they’re hidden Mom-&-Pop gems that I think deserve to build a following.
Although I liked Mpanitas, the Venezuelan empanada & arepa spot previously located in the building behind the Mobil gas station at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd., the new Pasta Flame restaurant that has been open in Mpanitas’ old spot for only a few weeks definitely has my attention.
The halal pasta place, which looks from the outside like it could be a chain (but is just the first link of a possible future chain), owned by my new friend Saif (pronounced “Safe”), offers truly delicious-looking burgers and other sandwiches, but the stars of this show are Chef Muhammad (who previously cooked at Marriott and Hilton hotels) and his excellent al denté pastas, like the creamy tomato rosé pasta shown here (right), which has fresh tomatoes, onions and yellow peppers. I added grilled chicken to it and made it a combo with fresh, warm sliced ciabatta bread.
I definitely need to try the truffle chicken Alfredo pasta next time. It’s actually made tableside (left photo) in a wheel of parmesan cheese, like a cacio e pepe at a fancy Italian place, with chicken, sautéed mushrooms and rich truffle cream sauce. The place itself isn’t fancy, but the food is delicious, so please visit Pasta Flame ASAP!
For more info, visit PastaFlame.com or call (813) 599-3310 & tell Saif I sent you! — GN
Checking Out The Changes Since Mast Capital’s $92-Million Investment To Return The Resort To Its Former Glory
Gary & Jannah Nager started off a short staycation at the all-new Saddlebrook Resort with a glass of champagne in their recently redecorated two-room suite overlooking one of the completely revamped Saddlebrook golf courses. (Photos by Charmaine George & GN)
Pyramid Global corporate chef James Messinger (left) and Saddlebrook GM Jeff Mayers at GOAT.
The last time Jannah and I stayed at Saddlebrook Resort was the night we got engaged back in 2015. Our room was big, but dated and musty. The restaurants we both loved — especially Dempsey’s Steak House — were either gone or no longer worth the money. We didn’t tell anyone at the resort, but we did tell each other that this would probably be the last time we would visit Saddlebrook unless we had a very good reason to do so.
A little more than a decade later, the resort’s new ownership group — Mast Capital — has largely completed its $92-million revamping of Saddlebrook, and has finally given us that very good reason to return.
The delicious grilled grouper at GOAT Kitchen & Bar.
Although Jannah and I had already visited (and I reported about it in these pages more than once) the new RARE 1981 steak house multiple times, there was so much other new “stuff” to do that we decided to take a short “staycation” in one of Saddlebrook’s recently revamped rooms to check out the upgrades to the legendary Superpool and Palmhaus pool bar & restaurant, and watch a Tampa Bay Lightning game at the new GOAT (aka “Greatest Of All Time”) Kitchen & Bar, which definitely has an upscale sports bar feel but with better food than any of the chain restaurants in Wesley Chapel.
Lorena the bartender making specialty drinks at the Palmhaus pool bar.
The only things we didn’t get to enjoy were the resort’s now-27 holes of true championship golf — since neither of us still plays at all; I was terrible when I did play — or the new eight beautiful, new pickleball courts or the European-style Esthetics813 “The Spa at Saddlebrook.”
The good news is that everything we did do was so impressive that we surely will be back!
In the meantime, you can check out everything we enjoyed during our return trip and all of the tasting and indulging we shared.
The bottom line is that the new Saddlebrook Resort is now well worth your time and money. If you haven’t been there recently, you honestly haven’t been there at all!
All of the carpeting & furnishings in every guest room at Saddlebrook have been updated. The Superpool now has a large number of cabanas & umbrellas.
Gary & Jannah Return To Saddlebrook — & Love Everything About It!
After experiencing the RARE 1981 steak house media preview and the separate Saddlebrook Media Day, both back in Nov. 2025 (both of which I reported about extensively in our Dec. 23 issue, so you won’t see RARE photos in this feature), and the much more recent media preview of the new GOAT Kitchen & Bar, Jannah and I decided to reserve one of the resort’s fully redesigned hotel suites because we wanted to experience as much of the all-new Saddlebrook as possible for this story about everything new.
GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Kitchen & Bar! (Top to bottom & l.-r.) The GOAT Kitchen & Bar is all-new and features great elevated sports bar fare like fish & chips, double smash burger, Hall of Fame short rib nachos and a decadent bananas Foster cheesecake.
I then interviewed Saddlebrook general manager Jeff Mayers to make sure I wasn’t missing anything that the resort’s new owner Mast Capital had redone as part of its $92 million makeover. Bottom line? Although you can’t really do all there is to do at Saddlebrook in one day or even an entire weekend, you can get a pretty good taste of what was once a worn out “old lady “of a resort returned to her “Grand Dame” former glory.
Fully Renovated Hotel Rooms!
On these pages, I hope you’ll get enough of a feel for all there is for couples and families to savor at the all-new Saddlebrook to want to stay there yourselves, or at least have a great meal. Want more good news? If you do visit just to dine at RARE 1981, GOAT or the also-new Palmhaus pool bar, ask your server to validate your valet parking ticket (there is no more self-parking at the resort) and Mayers says your $30 valet charge will be waived!
“We have had much higher engagement and better response from both our members and the local community regarding all of the improvements,” Mayers says. “RARE 1981, in particular, has seen tremendous turnout for member events and from local residents, although GOAT and Palmhaus also have gotten great reviews.” He also told me that the number of memberships has increased significantly since the improvements have been open.
On a recent Friday afternoon, Jannah and I checked in to our completely overhauled two-bedroom, two-bath suite (one of 451 rooms at the resort) — which is bigger than some of my previous apartments. It not only had all-new carpeting and furnishings, but also new fixtures in the bathrooms, and the kitchen was full-sized, with a new freezer and ice maker, plus a full oven and four-burner cooktop, as well as a full coffeemaker (although there is also the BREW lobby café for artisanal coffee drinks and on-the-go bites). Unlike when we last stayed at the resort, everything smelled as clean and fresh as it looked. The bed was super-comfy and there were also bedside connections for electronic devices.
27 Holes Of Championship Golf!
Our patio looked out onto the 9th hole of the newly revamped 9-hole Oak golf course, one of three 9-hole Rees Jones-designed layouts (left photo) that have replaced the two 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed original courses. The former driving range, located just inside Saddlebrook’s front gate, is gone and has been replaced by a much better driving range and putting green using some of the former golf course space.
I was told by a guy at the golf and racquet sports pro shop that both the Oak and Pine courses are completely redone and together are now about a 7,000-yard, par-72 track. The Cypress, the third nine-hole course, is still having its renovations finalized. And yes, you can still play golf (as well as tennis and pickleball) at Saddlebrook without having a membership (see info below), whether you stay over at the resort or not.
27 Holes Of Championship Golf!
You also don’t have to be a member to play on Saddlebrook’s fabled 41 tennis courts that include every championship surface (even Wimbledon-style grass) or its eight gorgeous, new pickleball courts. You might, however, get to see some current and future tennis or golf pros training at the Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Happy Hopman Tennis Academy and Saddlebrook Preparatory School, all of which train at the resort, which also is the home of both the Professional Tennis and Professional Pickleball Registries. There’s also an amazing fitness center that resort guests can use as part of their $28 per night (per room, not per person) resort fee. And of course, there’s also the renowned Saddlebrook Superpool, now made even better by the addition of the Palmhaus Pool Bar, which also features live entertainment on the weekends. Don’t want to deal with kids running around? The resort also has an adults-only pool.
Palmhaus Pool Bar!
(Top-bottom & l.-r.) The Palmhaus Pool Bar also features delicious food, like the ahi tuna poké bowl, a poolside burger, grilled mahi-mahi tacos and a variety of frozen drinks.
“The Superpool now offers DJ music on the weekends,” Mayers says, “and there are sound system enhancements being added out there.”
He adds that there already are new sound systems installed inside GOAT and RARE that have outdoor patio broadcast capabilities, “even for sporting events.”
You also don’t have to be a member or even a resort guest to indulge yourself at the Spa at Saddlebrook, also known as Esthetics813, operated by Kyymara Rose Wickiser, an Aveda Spa alum and long-time aesthetician in the Wesley Chapel area.
Kyymara says, “Esthetics813 is a premier holistic wellness and spa program. We are proud to be among only two resorts in Florida offering a fully curated, comprehensive wellness program that goes far beyond traditional spa services.” She adds that the Spa’s philosophy is “Bare-Faced Naked, which has nothing to do with the absence of makeup. It is the courageous, beautiful act of being fully comfortable and confident in who you are.”
Spa services include customized facials, therapeutic massages, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, yoga, stretch and aqua classes, guided meditation and more.
Memberships & Club
Saddlebrook offers a variety of memberships, from social to racquet sports to golf, and each membership type comes with its own set of privileges.
Mayers says that although there have been ongoing discussions about converting or replacing the building that formerly housed Dempsey’s Steak House as a private club for Saddlebrook members, “nothing has been finalized yet. But, we will provide updates as those plans solidify.”
In other words, if you last visited Saddlebrook before all of these improvements came online, you owe it to yourself to visit again. Don’t expect anything to be “cheap,” but I believe it is now well worth the money you’ll spend.
For reservations and more info about Saddlebrook Resort (5700 Saddlebrook Way), call (813) 973-1111 or visit Saddlebrook.com. To book services at Esthetics813, visit Esthetics813TheSpaatSaddlebrook.com or call (813) 474-4486. Or, see the ad below. — GN
Now open (since Mar. 21) in Wesley Chapel, the new Beef N’ Buns restaurant, located in the space previously occupied by Balanced Foods (at 1211 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., next to the Target store) is a non-chain specializing in halal smash burgers and fresh-battered chicken sandwiches, wings, fries and desserts.
Photographer Charmaine George and I sampled a few items at the new Beef N’ Buns, which is the restaurant’s second location (the original is in Orlando), with the third location in Plantation, FL, also having just opened.
And, oh yeah, we enjoyed everything we tried. The smash burgers are available as singles, doubles and even triples (we ordered the B&B Smash double; left photo), with caramelized onions, American cheese and old-fashioned pickles on a brioche bun. Other burgers include the Karachi Fire (with “cashew fire” sauce), the Gaucho Burger (with cilantro lime aioli and a sunnyside-up egg) and many more.
We also liked the extra-crispy O.G. Chicken Sandwich (top photo; we ordered the garlic aioli on the side). There are also Mango Habanero, Nashville Hot and Buffalo Ranch chicken sandwiches. We paired our sandwiches with crispy sweet potato fries, but there also are Cajun and truffle fries and even onion rings. I’ll be back to try the Steak N’ Cheese and Birria Bomb sandwiches, and the Cookie Caramel Sundae for dessert. For more info about Beef N’ Buns, call (813) 345-8116. Or, search “beef.n.buns” on Instagram. — GN, photos by Charmaine George
It was only a few years ago when TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant at The Grove was mine and Jannah’s favorite place to eat in Wesley Chapel. And, even though we always enjoyed the dueling piano shows, most of the time, we just wanted our fresh grouper or wahoo or a great steak that we couldn’t get at the local chains.
But, over the last couple of years, many of our favorite items either fell off the menu or the recipes for them were changed, so even though we kept trying for a while, we eventually pretty much stopped going altogether.
But now, original owner Jamie Hess is back partnering with Jason James, there’s a new chef and the place itself has become TrebleMakers Sports Bar & Dueling Pianos, with additional TVs, pool tables, dart boards and Golden Tee Golf, plus some type of entertainment every night of the week and a whole new menu and vibe.
The best thing, however — at least for Jannah and me — is that the restaurant’s new menu has a whole slew of new items and the few we sampled on our first visit were all excellent and will definitely bring us back for more — especially with all the other new “stuff” to enjoy.
Our meal started with a unique bruschetta (left photo), which added a base of creamy goat cheese spread to the usual crispy crostinis, house-made bruschetta and aged balsamic drizzle. I’m not usually a big goat cheese guy, but this was yum!
For our main course, Jannah opted for the Chicken Pesto Bowl (below right), which had a creamy parmesan risotto base, grilled chicken, house-made pesto and garlic lemon butter broccoli and fresh tomatoes, also topped with a balsamic glaze. She loved the risotto and we both appreciated that the broccoli was tender, but not mushy.
I chose one of my old TrebleMakers favorites — the (half) Rack of Lamb, which was four tender grilled chops (I don’t eat lamb rare or even medium rare, as I do steak; my lamb was properly medium for me), with a honey bourbon gastrique (a caramelized sugar & vinegar reduction), crispy fried buttermilk onion rings (Jannah loved those!) and a side of that same delish broccoli.
Other appetizers on the menu include “Boom-Boom” Shrimp, Spinach Artichoke Dip, a Pub Pretzel, Fried Brussels Sprouts and wings (bone-in or boneless).
There also are three salads on the menu, including a Treble Wedge, Chicken Caesar and Mandarin Chicken.
For sandwiches, there are four different Smash Burgers, plus a Blackened Salmon BLT, French Dip, Philly Cheesesteak and The Jolene (fried chicken breast with pimento cheese and bourbon bacon onion jam). Other Bowls include a Steak Chimichurri, Mediterranean and a panko fried Chicken Katsu.
And yes, you can still get Entrée Favorites an 8-oz. filet mignon, orange basil glazed salmon, honey bourbon glazed chicken and fish & chips.
Feel like a lighter bite for lunch? Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the lunch menu includes smaller portions of many of your TrebleMakers favorites, all just $10-$12, although it costs $2 more to add fries to any of the items. There’s a Chopped Cheeseburger Hoagie, a Shrimp Rice Bowl, Chicken Bacon Caesar Tacos, Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese and more!
If you like to day drink with your lunch, draft beers are either $4 or $5, with $6 glasses of house wine and well drinks, $7 for all Tito’s cocktails and $8 red or white sangria glasses.
Happy Hours are Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. & Sat.-Sun, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., with the same draft beer prices, plus bottles or cans of beer just $4-$6 and $6 seltzers. All Happy Hour “Bar Bites” menu items are just $10 and include Buffalo Dip & Chips, Loaded Treble Fries, Arancini Risotto Balls w/Marinara, 5 Bone-In or Boneless Wings & more!
More Than Just The Food!
But, TrebleMakers is now also a great place to have fun every day! Check out this different-each-day entertainment:
