Have You Voted For Your Wesley Chapel Favorites Yet? You Could Win $200 In FREE Dining!

You still have a chance to win FREE dining in this year’s Reader Dining Survey & Contest, but as you’re reading this, there’s only a little more than six weeks left to vote for your favorite eateries in Wesley Chapel & New Tampa! Click HERE to enter!

Here are this year’s categories again! 

1) Your Five Favorite (overall) Restaurants in Wesley Chapel (WC) 

2) Your Favorite American Restaurant in Wesley Chapel 

3) Your Favorite Pizza Place in WC 

Those same three categories also appear on the New Tampa ballot. 

Both entry forms, however, also include lists of places that ask you to pick your Favorite in New Tampa (NT) AND Wesley Chapel, often (but not always) because there aren’t enough in a certain category in just one of our distribution areas. Here are those other categories: 

1) You Favorite Mexican Place in NT/ WC 

2) Your Favorite Latin (but not Mexican) Restaurant in NT/WC 

3) Your Favorite Chinese Place in NT/WC 

4) Your Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT & WC 

5) Your Favorite Thai or Korean Restaurant in NT/WC 

6) Your Favorite Italian Food in NT/WC 

7) Your Favorite Greek or Mediterranean Restaurant in NT/WC 

8) Your Favorite Indian Place in NT/WC 

9) Your Favorite Breakfast Place in NT/WC 

9) Your Favorite Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt or Gelato Place in NT/WC 

10) Your Favorite Bakery in NT/WC 

11) Your Favorite Coffee Shop in NT/WC 

We’re providing the lists of places, although we’ve left out the large national and regional chains (with more than 50-60 total locations), because you have to write (or type) the names of your favorites in the spaces provided and we’re pretty sure you know those if they’re your favorite in a category — and yes, you can still include them (we just wish you would focus on local). 

Fill out as many categories as you like, but please don’t put the same name in every category, because those votes won’t be counted and if a restaurant is on our Wesley Chapel list, your vote won’t count if you write the name of that restaurant in any New Tampa-only spaces and vice-versa. 

You can submit both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel ballots without being DQed — and, as always, there is still no purchase of any kind necessary to enter or win a great FREE prize! Click HERE for Wesley Chapel and click HERE for New Tampa.

This year’s Grand Prize is now $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. There also are prizes of $100 and $50, all chosen at random from among all correctly-filled-out entries received by email or on our NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net website (Note-no U.S. Mail entries will be accepted for this year’s contest!) by Friday, October 18. 

Good luck! — GN 

Another Chance To Win FREE Dining In Our 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest!

So, it seems that the change in format has thrown some of our usual voters for a loop, but here’s the bottom line: There’s only about two months left for you to submit your votes for your Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel — and to win up to $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice!

If you click HERE, you’ll find lists of every local and small chain restaurant in a number of categories in both Wesley Chapel and New Tampa). We’re asking you to name your favorites in each category. You can skip as many categories as you like, but we’re grouping the lists of restaurants by type. Here are those categories:

1) Your Five Favorite (overall) Restaurants in Wesley Chapel (WC)

2) Your Favorite American Restaurant in Wesley Chapel

3) Your Favorite Pizza Place in WC

These same categories also appear on the New Tampa ballot. Both entry forms also include lists of places that ask you to pick your Favorite places in New Tampa (NT) AND Wesley Chapel (WC). Here are those other categories:

1) You Favorite Mexican Place in NT/ WC

2) Your Favorite Latin (but not Mexican) Restaurant in NT/WC

3) Your Favorite Chinese Place in NT/WC

4) Your Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT & WC

5) Your Favorite Thai or Korean Restaurant in NT/WC

6) Your Favorite Italian Food in NT/WC

7) Your Favorite Greek or Mediterranean Restaurant in NT/WC

8) Your Favorite Indian Place in NT/WC

9) Your Favorite Breakfast Place in NT/WC

9) Your Favorite Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt or Gelato Place in NT/WC

10) Your Favorite Bakery in NT/WC

11) Your Favorite Coffee Shop in NT/WC

We’re providing the lists of places — although we’ve left out the large national and regional chains (with more than 50-60 total locations), because you still have to type in the names of your favorites in the spaces provided and we’re pretty sure you know those chains if they’re your favorite in a category — and yes, you can still include them (we just wish you would focus more on local).

Fill out as many categories as you like, but please don’t put the same name in every category, because those votes won’t be counted. And, if a restaurant is on our Wesley Chapel list, your vote won’t count if you write the name of that restaurant in any New Tampa-only spaces and vice-versa. You can submit both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel ballots without being DQed. 

We have upped the prizes for this year — the Grand Prize is now $200, plus prizes of $100 and $50, chosen at random from among all correctly-filled-out entries received by email or on our NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net website (Note-no U.S. Mail entries will be accepted for this year’s contest!) by Friday, October 18. 

Good luck! — GN

Updates On Steak N Shake, The Alley, 3 Natives & Bosphorous

Although some folks online will try to convince you that it’s going to be a different restaurant, I can say with full confidence that the building directly west (southwest?) of The Palms Car Wash will indeed be a Steak ‘n Shake. 

Owner Todd Webb and general manager Jason Good were hoping to have the new restaurant open at 5542 Post Oak Blvd. (off Wesley Chapel Blvd.) by the time this issue reached your mailbox, but Todd says he is now hoping to open sometime around the first or second week of September. 

“It’s definitely been tough,” he says. “But we are confident we will get this place done and open, hopefully soon!”

Todd, who also owns the adjacent Palms Car Wash (5550 Post Oak Blvd.), says that in addition to Grand Opening specials at Steak ‘n Shake, he plans to do cross-promotions between the two businesses.

(L.-r.) General manager Jason Good and owner Todd Webb’s sons Wyatt and J.R. can’t wait until the Wesley Chapel Steak ‘n Shake opens on Post Oak Blvd. 

“We do full detailing at The Palms Car Wash,” he says, “so while your car is being detailed, you can go next door and enjoy a Steak & Shake burger, those famous fries and a milk shake. And, we will have promotions like buy a car wash membership, get a coupon for Steak ‘n Shake.”

He says he and Jason also plan to do kids specials on Thursdays afternoons at Steak ‘n Shake.

“On Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., we’ll have a balloon artist and face painter. We’ll also do a Facebook Live from Steak ‘n Shake every week, with drawings for about 10 prizes, like a $30 gift certificate for The Palms for a free Car Wash Club, free value meals at the restaurant and more.”

Todd, who has owned more than 30 different businesses, says he is as excited about Steak ‘n Shake as he has ever been about any previous business. 

“I just want to get it open,” he says. 

For more information about The Palms Car Wash, go get your car washed or visit ThePalmsCarWash.com. Until the Wesley Chapel location actually opens, visit the Steak ‘n Shake at 17509 N. Palms Village Pl. in New Tampa or SteaknShake.com.

New Food & Beverages At The Mall

If you’ve been hoping for some new food and beverage options to open in our area, the Shops at Wiregrass is getting ready to welcome two new places to replace two that closed.

The first is The Alley Tea • Café • Life (photo right) at 28211 Paseo Dr., Suite 180, in the former location of PhoLicious. But, where PhoLicious was more of a fast casual restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine, The Alley is strictly a place for a variety of boba (bubble) tea drinks (although some locations of the 17-store West Coast-based chain do list desserts on their menu, too). The Alley is expected to open on or around Aug. 15. 

Speaking of beverages, the former location of Clean Juice (and a previous juice/smoothie place) at 28216 Paseo Dr., Suite 170, in the mall is getting ready to reopen as 3 Natives Açai & Juicery, which is a Florida-based chain with more than 30 current locations. What appears to be promising about 3 Natives is that in addition to the usual pressed juices and açai bowls, the online menu also includes nice-looking wrap and pressed sandwiches, as well as salads (photo below). 

According to 3Natives.com: “We source the finest and freshest ingredients possible for all of our menu items…Whether you’re on a lunch break, looking for a quick snack, or just in the mood for sweet and healthy — we’ve got you. Our diverse, fresh and extremely delicious menu items are made to order and hand-crafted to satisfy.” 

3 Natives also is expected to open later this month but also is looking for members to join the team.

There’s a sign out in front of the place with a QR code to scan if you’re interested.

But of course, the new restaurant many people are excited about is Bosphorous, the Turkish cuisine eatery with six existing locations (including one  expected to open soon at 714 S. Howard Ave. in Tampa). Unfortunately, according to a spokesperson for the mall, Bosphorous isn’t likely to open much before the end of this year.

We also hope to have an announcement about the replacement for Irish 31 soon.— GN

Bubba’s 33 — Wesley Chapel’s Scratch Kitchen Celebrates Four Years! 

The new BBQ chicken pizza (above), the bacon cheeseburger (below left), the Super Stromboli (Below) and the Signature ribeye steak (below, Middle) at Bubba’s 33, located off S.R. 56 near I-75. 

Unlike most other local restaurants, Bubba’s 33’s menu has changed very little since it first opened on the south side of S.R. 56 (just east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel four years ago. 

“That’s an indication that our customers enjoy our food,” says managing partner (since July 2021) Joe Vergona. “And we take a lot of pride in it. Almost everything we make is from scratch.” 

Vergona says that although Bubba’s 33’s fries and pickles aren’t made from scratch, “pretty much all of our sauces are. We even make our own spice mixes.” 

Bubba’s 33, the sports bar chain created in 2013 by Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor, today has 45 locations in 15 U.S. states, with Texas having 19 of those. The Wesley Chapel Bubba’s 33 was the chain’s first link in Florida. 


Try the California chicken entrée. 

Jannah and I have been Bubba’s 33 fans since the beginning, and many members of our family have their own favorites. I love both the grilled and the espresso-marinated Signature, Texas Roadhouse-quality ribeye steaks; Jannah’s favorites are the classic cheeseburger with crispy bacon (and the tasty sweet potato fries) and the California chicken (grilled chicken breast topped with avocado, pico de gallo, jack cheese and scratch-made honey lime sauce); Jannah’s daughter Lauren is partial to the creamy chipotle pasta (with shrimp and grilled chicken, roasted peppers, onions and mushrooms tossed in spicy chipotle cream sauce and topped with cilantro and parmesan); and our granddaughter Rosie is crazy for the chicken & bacon mac n’ cheese. I’m also a fan of the fried chicken dinner (although I get the scratch-made cream gravy on the side) and I recently also enjoyed the Super Stromboli (homemade pizza dough stuffed with pepperoni, Genoa salami, sweet Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, provolone and pizza sauce). 

Meanwhile, photographer Charmaine George sings the praises of the shotgun shrimp appetizer (“It’s just spicy enough and delicious,” she says), the new BBQ chicken pizza (with pepper jack cheese added to the usual Bubba’s 33 blend of cheeses, plus red onions, banana peppers and scratch-made honey chipotle BBQ sauce) and especially, the “Big Ol’”onion rings. 

“We think our onion rings are the best in Wesley Chapel,” Vergona says, and it’s hard to argue with him. “The crunchiness and the flavor of the batter are definitely different,” Charmaine adds. 

And, while Bubba’s 33’s hand-made pizzas can’t be called “New York style” (which is, of course, my favorite), they are super-tasty, have a crispy crust and are made with outstanding ingredients. My favorites are the meaty-meaty and the Dickie V (with Italian sausage, cherry peppers, fresh basil, grated parmesan and a zesty garlic buttered crust). 

The desserts can’t be called anything but decadent. Both the chocolate chip cookie sundae and Oreo® brownie are served with vanilla ice cream and the Bubba’s cheesecake is NY-style and offered with your choice of strawberry glaze, fudge, caramel and pecan toppings. 

About The Place 

Bubba’s 33 features high-definition TVs all around, and has an excellent drink menu with a full premium-liquor bar and imported, domestic and craft beer options at great prices, so it’s the perfect place for watching football and hockey games and we also appreciate the nonstop rock videos. 

The delicious “Big Ol’” onion rings at Bubba’s 33.

Specials include Monday Madness, when any burger on the menu is just $10.99. Mondays also are “Ditch the Digital” nights, where you get a free dessert or appetizer for keeping your phone in a sealed pizza box and playing board games throughout your meal. 

“We have lots of regulars coming in for Ditch the Digital,” Vergona says. “It’s fun!” 

Speaking of free appetizers, you also can get one (up to $8.99) with the purchase of any entrée with the ad on pg. 45 of this issue. See the ad for details and restrictions. 

Tuesday is Pizza Night, when any 12” (small) pizza is just $12.99. Tuesday also is free Music Bingo night (7 p.m.-9 p.m.). On most Wednesdays, Magic Mike (a magician, not a male dancer) performs and one kid 12 & under eats free with each paid adult meal. 

Vergona says a four-year anniversary celebration is in the works for later this month. Call or visit Bubba’s 33 for details. 

Bubba’s 33 (26340 Silver Maple Pkwy.) is open every day, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. For more info, call (813) 522-5090, visit Bubbas33.com.

2023 Neighborhood News Dining Survey & Contest (Wesley Chapel)

Whether or not you’ve ever entered one of our previous Reader Dining Survey & Contests, I hope you’ll consider entering at least once this year.

Yes, while we still have at least three (there could be more) free dining prizes, from $35 to $100 — to the restaurant of your choice, no less — we’re making it easier than ever before for you to enter.

Instead of a full page or more of different dining categories, all we’re asking you for is to answer one or two questions in every issue between now and Thursday, November 16, and you’ll receive one entry into those random prize drawings for each Survey question you answer.

This issue, we’ll start with one question that asks you for FIVE (5) answers — “Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in Wesley Chapel or near the Tampa Premium Outlets (aka Lutz).” 

For your entry to be valid, you must name five different restaurants. If you only name one or two restaurants or fill in the name of the same restaurant in all five spaces, you’ll only have one or two votes counted and your entry will not be eligible for any of our prizes.

Then, in each of the next five issues, we’ll ask you to name only one or two of your  favorites — for example, your Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop or Pizza Place — and we’ll give you one additional entry into our random prize drawings for each valid entry you submit. We feel as though this should stimulate more people to enter the contests, because the task won’t be as daunting as having to completely (or nearly completely) fill out an entire page of favorites.

As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules:

1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or by filling the form out online by clicking HERE. 

2. You can drop your filled-out entry form in the mail (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or even email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us.

3. Please check the address and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as only votes for restaurants in zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel) and zip code 33559 (Lutz, within 1-2 miles of the S.R. 56 exit off I-75) will be counted as “Wesley Chapel” votes. When we ask you next issue for your “Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) in New Tampa,” only restaurants located in zip code 33647, or in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (in zip code 33613) and in or near the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. (zip code 33559) will be counted as “New Tampa” votes.

4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your name, full mailing address (including your zip code), the community you live in (Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, Seven Oaks, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck!