Just before we went to press with our March 18 Wesley Chapel issue, we received the following statement from the management at Rock & Brews:
There has been a lot of confusion regarding the future of Rock & Brews on S.R. 56 and the likelihood of Portillo’s replacing it in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets.
To clarify the situation, Rock & Brews President of Operations Kris Maronpot recently provided us with this accurate information.
What’s Happening?
The Rock & Brews on S.R. 56 will be closing on Monday, March 24, 2025.
Rock & Brews encourages their rock star fans to dine with them by or before their final day of service on Sunday, March 23.
“It has been a great honor and experience to serve the Wesley Chapel and Tampa community,” Maronpot says. “We are thankful for everyone’s continued support. We look forward to serving those who rock in the future at our other Florida locations — Orlando, Oviedo, and Kissimmee — soon.”
If you’re looking for a great new place for boba tea that also offers a variety of different-each-day, fun activities, look no further than the new University Boba Tea House, located at 2828 E. Bearss Ave., in the Palms Connection plaza, just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.
Although the place wasn’t quite open at our press time — so I can’t show you any pictures of the food or beverages on these pages, University Boba Tea House co-owners (and emergency room physicians) Dr. Michael LoGuidice (aka “Dr. Mike”) and Dr. Steve Tersheshee told us that by the time this issue reaches your mailbox (on or before Tuesday, March 4), the new location will definitely be open.
If the name sounds familiar to you, Dr. Steve’s International Boba Tea House (which changed names to “University” when he partnered with Dr. Mike) was open for 15 years off E. Fowler Ave., in a plaza next to University Mall. The new location will make the place more accessible to New Tampa residents, but will have many of the same features as the previous location — especially a huge variety of different and unique boba tea flavors, with both bursting (or popping) and jelly-style bobas.
When I say unique, I mean it! While you can get boba tea flavors like mango, peach, strawberry, etc., almost anywhere, University Boba Tea House also boasts flavors like “Tiramisu” (taro, mocha & cappuccino), “Pikachu” (mango, peach, pineapple & banana), “Purple Rain” (lavender, blueberry, almond and taro) and more than three dozen more.
Also available are 16 varieties of Latte Tea (iced, fresh-brewed black tea with non-dairy creamer and sweetener), from favorites like Chai Tea Latte to Lavender and Lychee Latte. There’s also fresh-brewed loose leaf black, Thai and jasmine green tea.
Dr. Mike also promises to have a variety of fresh muffins — including cinnamon crunch, double chocolate and more — and other pastries, plus ramen noodles. There’s also a conversation-starting “Pucker Powder Candy Art” vending machine (right photo) which dispenses tubes of powdered candy in a variety of flavors that are supposedly lower in sugar than many other candy items.
But, the place also features a USF student art gallery and a nice-sized stage for live bands, Open Mic and Karaoke nights. In fact, it is open noon-midnight seven days a week and there are different events scheduled for every night of the week except Sunday. All of these weekly events are shown in the ad at the bottom of this page.
“We’ve got something for everyone,” Dr. Mike says, “from an internet café for students to relaxed, private booths and fun events for older adults.”
For more info, call (813) 304-0021, visit UniversityBobaTeaHouse.com, find it on social media or see the ad below — and please tell them I sent you! — GN
Paris Baguette, the upscale, French-inspired, Korean-owned bakery chain, will open tomorrow – Saturday, March 8 – at 6 a.m., at 17515 Preserve Walk Ln. (off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., next to Coldstone Creamery) in the Highwoods Preserve area of New Tampa.
If you love authentic French pastries, both sweet and savory, this is the place for you!
Paris Baguette is elegant but casual & all of the items we sampled were delicately baked & delicious. And, we haven’t even sampled the gorgeous cakes yet! Also serving top-quality Lavazza Italian coffee & coffee drinks, plus a large variety of hot & iced teas, too!
For the full story about Paris Baguette, see the March 18 Wesley Chapel & April 1 New Tampa editions of Neighborhood News! Or visit ParisBaguette.com.
Although not everyone is happy about yet another chicken-driven restaurant opening in Wesley Chapel — with Raising Cane’s,Dave’s Hot Chicken, Chicken Guy! and Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken all opening in our area within a few months of each other — Chick-fil-A may be the one chicken restaurant that most locals still embrace.
Chick-fil-A — which is currently the third most popular fast food restaurant by sales, behind McDonald’s and Starbucks (in that order) — has now gone vertical (photo) on the east side of Curley Rd. (north of Curley’s intersection with Overpass Rd.; see map) across from the Epperson community, within the Watergrass Master Planned Unit Development. Most of the building’s shell is now in place.
This new sign announcing Chick-fil-A’s latest Wesley Chapel-area location gained quite a bit of attention on social media, as Patricia Elizabeth, who has previously described herself on Facebook as the marketing director for “Chick-fil-A Wesley Chapel,” was quick to step into the conversation and give everyone the link to the store’s new Facebook page (created on Jan. 31) and explained that it would be, “Owned and operated locally by the same owner as Chick-fil-A Wesley Chapel” — the one on S.R. 54 just east of Bruce B. Downs Blvd., on S.R. 56, not the location in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets, as some may have been thinking.
The new Chick-fil-A will be located five miles away, on a 1.9-acre lot appraised at more than $1.28 million.
According to Patricia, despite being located in Watergrass, the new store is being called “Chick-fil-A Epperson Ranch FL,” because it was named by corporate. However, she assures everyone that, “We are happy to be a part of both neighborhoods!” She also announced that this Chick-fil-A should be open by the end of May. — JP
Managing partner Abby Fletcher says that Bubba’s 33’s menu hasn’t changed much since the Texas Roadhouse-owned sports grill first opened on the south side of S.R. 56 back in early 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
“The fact that we’ve only made minor tweaks to the menu since the restaurant first started (in Fayetteville, NC, back in 2013) means that we’re doing just fine,” Abby says. “We now have about 50 locations and everyone seems to love that our food is almost all made from scratch, unlike most sports bars.”
It’s hard for me to believe that the Wesley Chapel Bubba’s 33 has been open for five full years, but considering that we hosted our “car karaoke” and “parking lot karaoke” events outside of the restaurant during the pandemic — and the fact it is still here and still attracting new customers — is clear indication that the Wesley Chapel Bubba’s 33 is doing just fine, thank you!
And, just because the menu hasn’t changed too much over the years, that doesn’t mean that Bubba’s 33 doesn’t keep adding new items. It just means that most of the original menu also is still around and making local diners happy.
So, What Is New?
Bubba’s 33 is famous for its wings, unique, crisp-crust pizzas, burgers and other sports bar fare, but if you haven’t tried the grilled or espresso-rubbed signature ribeye steaks, they’ve been made even better by adding one of the three new “Bubba Style” toppings — with either bacon and bleu cheese sauce, or with queso, peppers and onions, or with sautéed mushrooms and onions, as shown in the top photo on this page. I’m not really a big mushroom fan myself, but the mushroom and onion sauté adds a great, buttery flavor, as well as additional tenderness, to an already tender ribeye. My first time trying the grilled ribeye with this topping definitely left me wanting more. The menu also shows the already-tasty Southern Fried Chicken dinner with the queso “Bubba Style” topping, which looks pretty great, too.
As for what else is new, Bubba’s 33 already has had layered cheese fries as an appetizer on its menu, which have not only melted cheese and bacon, but also queso and green onions. But now, when you get a side of French fries or tater tots, you can get them topped with cheddar and Jack cheeses and bacon (as shown in the photo, left).
The only other new menu additions are the three new Bubba’s “Mocktails” (below right) — which can not be ordered with alcohol (I know because we asked, lol). Left to right in the photo are the Sparkling Berry Bliss, the “coconutty” Tropical Breeze and the Strawberry Cucumber Fizz. Even though “Dry January” may have ended, if you’re trying to continue to at least reduce your alcohol intake, give one or all three of these a try.
Another item that isn’t actually new to the menu but which we tried for the first time is the cheesy spinach dip shown above right on this page. As someone who finds most spinach (or spinach and artichoke) dips too heavy, this Bubba’s 33 spinach dip is a creamy welcome change — especially because it’s served with freshly baked (and grilled) garlic focaccia bread. Charmaine and Jannah both preferred it with the house-made tortilla chips and fresh salsa — Jannah called the salsa “legit” — but the focaccia is excellent, too.
Other favorites of ours include the Bubba’s Bacon Cheeseburger (left), one of ten burgers on the menu (which also includes a black bean & quinoa veggie burger), and the Meaty Meaty Pizza (below left), which features bacon, homemade Italian sausage, pepperoni and scratch-made tomato sauce. I told Abby that I enjoy Bubba’s pizzas even though they are not truly New York-style, because the sauce, cheese and always-crispy crust are still mighty tasty.
One dish I can’t sample but has become Charmaine’s new favorite at Bubba’s is the creamy chipotle pasta, which combines corkscrew-shaped pasta, grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp, roasted peppers, onions and mushrooms, all tossed in a semi-spicy chipotle cream sauce and topped with cilantro and parmesan cheese. It’s also served with garlic focaccia bread.
And, Jannah and I still enjoy the Bubba’s lasagna, the Chicken & Bacon Mac & Cheese, the California Chicken (grilled chicken breast topped with avocado, pico de gallo, Jack cheese and scratch-made honey lime sauce, which we order on the side, over garden rice), the Southern Fried Chicken and Fish & Chips (Atlantic cod golden-fried in Sam Adams Boston Lager batter).
Popular appetizers at Bubba’s 33 include the “Big O’Rings,” the Crispy Fried Pickles, Crooked Fried Cheese, Bubba’s Nachos and Chorizo Queso Dip. There’s also a Combo Appetizer featuring boneless wings with your choice of sauce, the crooked fried cheese and fried pickles served with a trio of sauces.
And of course, Bubba’s offers nine different sauces for its traditional (bone-in) and boneless wings, from hot or mild Buffalo-style to “Kickin’ Teriyaki,” Garlic Parmesan and Cajun spice rub, plus unique options like Habañero Heat, the hot- &-sweet “Shotgun” and Raspberry Chipotle.
For dessert, the chocolate chip cookie and Oreo® brownie (bottom picture) sundaes are both great, as is the Bubba’s cheesecake, especially the “Turtle” style (topped with fudge and caramel). The cheesecake also is offered “plain,” with strawberries and whipped cream, but why bother? (Just kidding!)
The Bubba’s 33 Kids’ Menu ($5.99-$7.99) includes everything from a mini-pizza to a Kids’ Mac & Cheese or Grilled Cheese and many more.
Entertainment, Specials & More
Like most sports bars, Bubba’s 33 has lots of TVs all around the place, but it also usually shows rock and other music videos on some of the screens. And, pretty much every day has either a different food or entertainment special — or both.
For example, there are Burger Mondays, which features all burgers on the menu for just $10.99. Mondays also are “Ditch the Digital” days where you earn a free dessert or appetizer for your next visit if you put your electronics in a pizza box and don’t open the box for the entire meal.
On Tuesdays, any 12” pizza on the menu is just $12.99. The always-fun “Music Bingo” game also is played in the bar area on Tues., between 7 p.m.-9 p.m., with prizes awarded for each round.
Wednesday is “Kids Day,” when up to two kids eat for just $0.99 with each adult entrée purchased. Abby says there also usually is a “craft” for kids every Wed. and “Magic Mike” (not the one you’re imagining) performs magic for kids and twists balloon animals some Wednesdays. And, Thursday is Trivia Night, starting at 7 p.m.
Bubba’s 33 also has a “Fan Club” rewards program which includes news and special offers an can earn you FREE food. The restaurant also supports the late Jim Valvano’s “V Foundation” with $1 donated for each “Dickie V” pizza (named for sportscaster and Tampa Bay local Dick Vitale, a close friend of the former North Carolina State coach) sold. Valvano lost his battle with cancer in 1993. Bubba’s 33 also donates $1 for every Patriot Burger sold to Homes For Our Troops, which has provided multiple homes for veterans in Wesley Chapel.
Abby says if you want your food delivered, it’s “always better to order it direct at Bubbas33.com, which has a flat $5.50 delivery charge and no added fees or higher menu prices.”
Bubba’s 33 (26340 Silver Maple Pkwy.) is open every day for lunch and dinner. For more info, call (813) 522-5090, visit Bubbas33.com or see the ad below for this month’s FREE appetizer (with entrée purchase) coupon special.
