Tampa Palms Staple Stretches Streak To 10 Years In A Row! Noble Crust Regains #1 Spot In Wesley Chapel!
The thing that’s perhaps most amazing to me about Stonewood Grill & Tavern’s 10-year run as the #1 Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa is more than just the delicious food, the always-happening bar or even the amazing people who work there (photo) — although all of that is true.
As the person who tabulates our readers’ votes every year for the Dining Survey & Contest, the thing that always stuns me is that not only has Stonewood always received the most first-place votes, it also regularly receives the most 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th-place votes, too. And, no matter which other excellent local restaurants finish 2nd and 3rd each year, whether you count total votes or use my point system to score the results, Stonewood has still come out ahead by a wide margin.
In other words, our readers have loved the place since it opened and, every year, people who never participated in our annual Reader Survey before, as well as many of the newcomers to our area, hear about Stonewood’s quality from their friends, try it for themselves and agree that it’s the best or at least one of the best restaurants in our area.
And yes, that starts with both the food and the people. Executive Chef Danny Manzur (far left in photo) and operating partner Dennis Diaz (far right) bring not only years of experience to the Tampa Palms Stonewood, but also a shared understanding of how to manage people.
For example, when I told Dennis that Stonewood had won again this year and that we needed to take pictures of at least him and his top management, he turned it into a previously unplanned pre-holiday breakfast party for his entire appreciative staff. He had them come in hours before the restaurant opened for the day and Chef Danny, kitchen manager Gary Zimmerman (2nd from right) and their kitchen staff got the grills fired up early to create three of the new dishes on the menu for our photo shoot.
“We appreciate that the Neighborhood News readers continue to rank us #1,” Diaz told the staff before we took the photo above. “I know it’s because every one of you is just as committed to being the best as we are. And, I thank all of you for that!”
2025 Dining Survey & Contest — Your #1-#10 Favorite Restaurants In New Tampa!
1. Stonewood Grill & Tavern
17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Shoppes at The Pointe, Tampa Palms
(813) 978-0388 • StonewoodGrill.com
What else can you say about the restaurant that has been our readers; favorite for ten years in a row and close to 20 times in its 20+ year history?
Stonewood is an elegant, upscale restaurant with a happening bar crowd and some of the best steaks and fresh seafood in our area.
The top photo is of the new grouper Giovanni, which is a limited time special that is served with a tomato cream sauce and butternut squash ravioli. Yum!
To the right is the delicious new baked brie with a raspberry glaze, fresh fruit and nuts served with crispy toasted bread. And of course, Stonewood serves some of the best prime rib (above, right) among its #1-rated steaks..
And, although Stonewood is a mini-chain, now with seven locations, we are fortunate that the chain’s executive chef Danny Manzur, who creates many of Stonewood’s seasonal dishes, is based at the Tampa Palms location. Congrats!
2. Via Italia
8644 Hunters Village Rd., The Village at Hunter’s Lake
(813) 475-4857 • EatViaItalia.com
Our readers have placed Via Italia in their top-3 in New Tampa every year since it opened, so clearly the restaurant being sold by original owner Roberto Maganuco to Sanjay Patel in early 2024 hasn’t affected what our readers think of New Tampa’s largest selection of fresh pasta dishes, like the spaghetti con zucchine e gamberetti (shrimp) shown above.
Via Italia also serves outstanding woodfired pizzas, salami and cheese platters, appetizers like four different kinds of bruschetta, two different capreses, polpetta della nonna (grandma’s meatballs), chicken wings and the suppli’ al telefono (Arborio rice croquettes with premium shredded mozzarella, hand-milled pomodoro sauce and cut basil) shown here.
3. Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse
17641 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., North Palms Village
(813) 680-5800 • KobeSteakhouse.com
Our readers were happy to see Kobe reopen in its new New Tampa location in Sept. 2023, as it was ranked #10 in our 2024 Reader Survey and shot up seven places to #3 for 2025. Serving some of the highest quality Japanese hibachi fare in our area, Kobe finished ahead of Liang’s Bistro (see below) overall with our readers for the first time, but somehow only finished 4th for “Favorite Asian Restaurant.” Go figure.
4. Fat Rabbit Pub
16029 Tampa Palms Blvd. W., City Plaza at Tampa Palms
(813) 252-3004 • FatRabbitPub.com
After coming in at #5 Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa each of the last two years, Fat Rabbit moved up to #4 this year and also finished second for both Favorite Burger and Favorite Chicken in NT & WC and as the #1 Favorite Bar in NT & WC.
Our readers definitely seem to love Fat Rabbit’s food — like the Buffalo chicken sandwich shown here — and craft cocktails. Many readers rave about its wings, sliders and loaded fries and tater tots, too.
There also is now a popular second location on Main St. in downtown Sarasota.
5. Cali at Tampa Palms
17004 Palm Pointe Dr., Shoppes at The Pointe
(813) 975-1222 • EatCali.com
Moving up three spots with our readers this year, Cali continues to be a consistent performer in our annual Reader Survey, thanks to its high-quality fare, like the Hot & Crunchy bowl shown here (with seared ahi tuna). Cali also features hand-tossed pizzas, small plates like garlic & lime edamame and turmeric hummus, plus “chill” salads and more.
6. Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
17515 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
(813) 978-1225 • LiangsBistroTampa.com
Moving down a couple of spots with our readers this year, (perhaps due to a brief closure shortly before our voting began for health department violations), Liang’s is still the go-to Chinese and Asian fusion restaurant in New Tampa, for its outstanding appetizers like egg rolls, NY-style BBQ spareribs and the Thai coconut shrimp shown here, as well as wok-fired classics in a variety of styles — from Korean BBQ to Mongolian to Sichuan & Thai. Although we didn’t have a “Chinese” category this year, Liang’s ran away with the 2025 “Favorite Asian Restaurant” title.
7. Mr. Dunderbak’s Biergarten und Brauhaus
14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Oak Ramble Plaza
(813) 977-4104 • DunderbaksBeer.wordpress.com
Mr. Dunderbak’s has only missed being in our readers’ Top-10 Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa only a couple of times since moving from University Mall to the Oak Ramble Plaza more than 20 years ago. Its limited menu of deli sandwiches and a few German favorites, like the Jägerschnitzel shown here, continues to attract plenty of votes and its unquestionably huge beer selection and cool vibe keeps Mr. D’s high on the “Favorite Bar” list, too, despite not having full liquor.
8. The Grill at Morris Bridge
10920 Cross Creek Blvd., Cross Creek Commons
(813) 388-5353 • TheGrillatMorrisBridge.com
I find it hard to believe that The Grill, which peaked at #2 Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa three years ago, has fallen as far as #8 this year. Owner Frank Gouveia and chef Mike Touranjoe continue to offer some of our area’s best steaks, fresh fish and other unique American & Italian specialties — like the pork Milanese shown here — and our readers from New England also always mention their love for its authentic “South Shore bar pizza.” The Grill also has New Tampa’s largest wine list, a happening bar scene and great craft cocktails.
9. Box of Cubans
17512 Doña Michelle Dr.
(813) 632-9021 • BoxofCubans.com
It came as no surprise to yours truly that Box of Cubans was this year’s highest-rated newcomer in New Tampa. So many people have told me how much they love the authentic Cuban sandwiches and dishes like the tasty red bean chicken bowl shown here. It’s also a great place for huge Cuban breakfast sandwiches and specialties, plus some of the best café con leché in our area. If you’re one of the few locals who haven’t yet tried it, definitely go check it out & please tell them I sent you!
10. Acropolis Greek Taverna
14947 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Oak Ramble Plaza
(813) 971-1787 • AcropolisTaverna.com
After barely making the Top-25 Favorites in New Tampa list in last year’s Reader Survey (it was 23rd), Acropolis jumped 13 spots to return to its usual spot among the Top-10 Favorites in New Tampa with our readers for 2025. I guess it took a year or so for the new ownership — which has beautifully redesigned and opened up the restaurant’s interior and improved on many of the traditional Acropolis favorites (like the always-yummy Athenian fish shown here) — to recapture some of the restaurant’s former customers and attract new ones.
2025 Dining Survey & Contest – New Tampa Top-25
1. Stonewood Grill & Tavern (photo)
2. Via Italia Wood Fired Pizza & Bar
3. Kobé Japanese Steakhouse
4. Fat Rabbit Pub
5. Cali Tampa Palms
6. Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
7. Mr. Dunderbak’s Bier Garten
8. The Grill at Morris Bridge
9. Box of Cubans
10. Acropolis Greek Taverna
11. Minerva Indian Restaurant
12. Ha Long Bay
13. Michi Ramen
14. Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
15. Sushi Café
16. Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
17. Don Julio’s Mexican Restaurant
18. Cantina Mexican Restaurant
19. Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
20. Las Palmas Latin Grille
21. Cappy’s Pizza
22. Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi
23. The Little Greek
24. Bayscape Bistro
25. Thai Ruby
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