GrillSmith Is Reader’s Choice In Wesley Chapel

Stonewood & GrillSmith Take Top Honors In Our 2016 Dining Survey

900° Woodfired Pizza, Hungry Greek & Burger 21 Also Grab Crowns; Three Wesley Chapel Residents Take Home This Year’s Free Dining Prizes!

There’s no doubt that New Tampa and Wesley Chapel both have a lot of restaurants, even though both areas continue to be dominated by national, regional and even local chains.

In our 2016 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the top three restaurants — according to more than 500 readers who submitted surveys — in both of our distribution areas were all part of small local or regional chains and in New Tampa, seven of the top ten also are links in (albeit small) chains. The interesting thing to me was that the larger national and regional chains, which could only receive Write-In votes on our Dining Survey again this year, got fewer votes and points than ever before.

In fact, this is the first time ever that Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse all failed to make the top 25 in Wesley Chapel, even though they’ve all always been among the most crowded restaurants in town. And likewise, neither Olive Garden nor Red Lobster got nearly as many write-in votes as they had in our previous contests.

It should be noted that Cheddars Scratch Kitchen, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse all opened too late in the process (our voting was from September til November) to receive many votes at all.

Stonewood Grill & Tavern made it back to the top spot as our readers “Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa.” Last year’s winner, Burger 21, dropped to #3 with our readers and last year’s #5 — Ciccio Cali — moved up three spots to #2. In fact, for the third straight year, the same ten restaurants in New Tampa received the most points from our readers as last year, although once again, the orders of those ten restaurants has changed.

Meanwhile, in Wesley Chapel, GrillSmith and The Hungry Greek took home the top two spots for the second year in a row, while Pizza Mania (#4), La Prima Pizza (#5), Dempsey’s Steak House (#9) and Wolf’s Den (#10) all moved into (or back into) our readers’ top-10. I will tell you more about many of these restaurants next issue, when I show you my 2016 Dining Favorites.

Congratulations go out to this year’s Dining Survey contest winners — all of whom happen to live in Wesley Chapel. The winners were selected by a random number generator from among the more than 500 properly-filled out entries. The 2016 winners are Roberto Davila of  Lexington Oaks , who will receive a $200 gift card to the restaurant of his choice in the Tampa Bay area; Angela Haraf of Quail Woods, who wins a  $100 gift card to the restaurant of her choice; and Melissa Spear of Meadow Pointe, who snags a $50 gift card to any restaurant she chooses.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out an entry form. Look for my restaurant favorites in our next issue and for some of these listings to appear on future episodes of WCNT-tv.

Your Favorite Restaurants In Wesley Chapel (WC)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. GrillSmith

2. The Hungry Greek

3. Vallarta’s WC

4. PizzaMania

5. La Prima Pizza

6. PrimeBar

7. Burger Monger

8. Bonsai Sushi

9. Dempsey’s Steak House

10. Wolf’s Den

11. Pinchers Crab Shack

12. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse

13. PDQ

14. 900 Woodfired Pizza

15. CineBistro

16. Asian Buffet

17. Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & catering

18. Amici Pizza

19. Buttermilk Provisions

20. Best NY Pizza

21. Capital Tacos

22. Hibachi Express

23. NY NY Pizza

24. Latin Twist Café

25. (tie) Don Pan International Bakery

365 Caffe Italiano

John C. Cotey
Assistant Editor
The New Tampa & Wesley Chapel
Neighborhood News
P.813.910.2575
F. 813.910.2483

www.ntneighborhoodnews.com

Dining Survey: New Tampa Favorites

In our 2016 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the top three restaurants — according to more than 500 readers who submitted surveys — in both of our distribution areas were all part of small local or regional chains and in New Tampa, seven of the top ten also are links in (albeit small) chains. The interesting thing to me was that the larger national and regional chains, which could only receive Write-In votes on our Dining Survey again this year, got fewer votes and points than ever before.

Stonewood Grill & Tavern made it back to the top spot as our readers “Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa.” Last year’s winner, Burger 21, dropped to #3 with our readers and last year’s #5 — Ciccio Cali — moved up three spots to #2. In fact, for the third straight year, the same ten restaurants in New Tampa received the most points from our readers as last year, although once again, the orders of those ten restaurants has changed.

We will be posting winners in individual categories all week, so make sure you check back! For now, here are your overall favorites in New Tampa.

1. Stonewood Grill & Tavern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
7. Mr. Dunderbak’s
8. Oakley’s Grille
9. Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi
10. Vallarta’s TP
11. Café Ole
12. Cappy’s Pizza
13. Thai Ruby
14. Little Greek
15. Las Palmas
16. Mulligan’s Irish Pub
17. Sukhothai
18. Full Circle Pizza
19. Sushi Café
20. Woodfired Pizza (Bearss)
21. Lanna Thai
22. Taste of NY Pizza
23. Casa Ramos
24. Peabody’s Billiards & Games
25. Saffron Indian Cuisine
*-Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill was 24th, but has since closed

26-50 in alphabetical order
Cantina
Capri Pizza
Chick-fil-A
China City
China Wok
Cross Creek Deli
Fong’s Sushi
Fushia Asian Bistro
Ginza Edndless Hibachi & Sushi
Glory Days Grill
Hawkeye’s NYS Pizza
Ho King
Hoosier’s Grille (Heritage Isles CC)
Hunter’s Green Country Club
Minerva Indian Restaurant
Orchid Thai
Petra Mediterranean Express
Pita’s Republic
PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub
Ruby Tuesday
Season’s Fresh Café
Sushi Avenue
Tabla Indian Cuisine
Tarek’s Café
Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club
Top Thai

 

Nibbles and Bytes

Joe Whiskey’s Thriving In Former Skinny’s Location

If you’re a smoker, but you happen to prefer to drink alcohol to beer or wine, you might want to check out the new Joe Whiskey’s Sports Bar, located at 27429 C.R. 54, in the Pinebrook at The Grove shopping plaza, in the same plaza as Best NY Pizza, right next to Cody’s Original Roadhouse.

Yes, like Skinny’s Sports Bar, which previously was in the same location, Joe Whiskey’s is still a smoker-friendly sports bar with pool tables, some electronic video games, karaoke and live entertainment. The difference is that Skinny’s only served beer and wine, while Joe Whiskey’s has a full, premium alcohol bar with very fair prices.

For info, call 973-8336 or stop in noon-2 a.m. and tell them that the Neighborhood News sent you!

Nibbles and Bytes

O’Brien’s Adds Thursday As Second Karaoke Night

Regular readers of these pages know that I really like the food, the drink prices and the staff at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill in the Wesley Chapel Village Market.

About the only thing I didn’t like about O’Brien’s was the fact that management reduced the number of karaoke nights from two to one by keeping it on Wed. nights but doing away with it on Thur. nights.

Well, thanks to popular demand, karaoke with my buddy Gary Carmichael of Heart & Soul Karaoke is back at O’Brien’s on Thur. nights, too, usually starting no later than 8 p.m.

For more info, call 973-9988 or visit ObriensWesleyChapel.com.

Florida Hospital Center Ice Presents Holiday Skating at Tampa Premium Outlets

If you’ve ever wondered what ice skating is like and always wanted to try, now’s your chance.

Starting Saturday, December 17, Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI), in partnership with Tampa Premium Outlets at the corner of I-75 and S.R. 56, will offer public skating sessions during the holidays on a new, 20’ by 40’ synthetic ice surface, located in Lagoon Court at TPO.

Multiple  sessions will be held on Dec. 17 and 18 and Dec. 21-23, between noon-3 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.

There is, however, a possibility that the public skating sessions may be extended during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Check the TPO website for updates.

All skating sessions are 30 minutes in length.

Skate rental is $6, a pair of socks is $2, and a skating walker is $1.

“We are excited to offer ice skating on a new synthetic surface at Tampa Premium Outlets during the holidays,” said Gordie Zimmermann, managing partner at FHCI, in a press release. “With our opening next month, we look forward to seeing many people from the Tampa Bay area who will be shopping at the outlets and skating at our facility on a real ice surface. This is an opportunity to get a head start on getting a feel of what skating is like.”