Tell Us Your Favorite Bar In New Tampa or Wesley Chapel!

Enter Our 2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest!

We are giving you another chance to win a FREE dining prize of $100, $60 or $35! One entry per person, per question. Please name your Favorite Bar in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel! Mail your entry to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest” at 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel 33544. Or, enter by clicking HERE or email the entry form to Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. Even if you already answered any previous questions, you can still enter again by clicking HERE!

We’re just looking for your favorite place to enjoy a few cocktails, beer or wine, whether your favorite Bar or Tavern also serves food or not. 

Each time you answer a different Dining Survey question, you’ll receive an additional chance to win one of our FREE dining prizes — to the restaurant of your choice located anywhere in the Tampa Bay area! You all love free dining, right? 

Note — Please don’t forget that we include restaurants (and bars) located in Lutz (either on Wesley Chapel Blvd., S.R. 56 or S.R. 54, within two miles of I-75) as Wesley Chapel eateries; and those located in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. and the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD Blvd. (both are located in zip code 33613) as acceptable places to vote for in New Tampa. 

Please also be sure to completely fill out the entry forms, whether from our print publications, on our website or by email, because we have had a few people — out of more than 1,200 total entries so far — try to enter with just their first name only, and two others who took the time to send us an entry without naming any restaurants. 

Despite those issues, it definitely appears (as we expected) that more of you like this year’s format — with individual questions for you to answer in each issue — than in the recent past, when we asked you to answer a full page of questions across multiple issues all at once. 

Remember, whether you enter by mail, email or on our website, there is never any purchase necessary to enter and win, but we do need your first AND last name, the community you live in, your daytime telephone number and a valid email address to be eligible to win any of our FREE dining prizes — and please enter all of your Survey entries by no later than November 1 to be eligible to win prizes! All winners will be announced in our December issues! 

If you haven’t yet answered ALL of this year’s previous Survey questions, they are all available again by clicking on their titles below.

 Five Favorite Restaurants in Wesley Chapel

Five Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa

Favorite Pizza Place

Favorite Sushi Place

Favorite Latin (NOT Mexican) Restaurant

Favorite Burger Place

Favorite Asian Restaurant

Wesley Chapel’s Favorite Bars!

Based on the results of our 2019 Reader Survey:

There’s no doubt that Bahama Breeze Island Grille is popular, but considering the selection of bars and restaurants now located in Wesley Chapel, it was a bit of a surprise to see the popular Darden Restaurants brand take home both our readers’ Favorite Bar in WC and Favorite Restaurant.

It probably shouldn’t be so surprising, however, considering that the Bahama Breeze bar has more seats — inside and out — than any other in or near Wesley Chapel. In addition, it’s one of our area’s few live music venues and, Melissa says, “with so many other restaurants and businesses having opened around us, there’s a lot more nearby parking than there was when this location opened.”

And of course, for those seeking sweet tropical specialty drinks, few local hangouts offer the variety that Bahama Breeze does, from a full line of mojitos to cocktail flights to the famous Bahamarita, or half-priced appetizers during Happy Hour and other bar specials. 

And, Melissa says, all Bahama Breeze locations will again be celebrating National Margarita Day with $2.22 margaritas all day. Might I suggest a ride-share service to go that day? Bahama Breeze is located at 25830 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz. For more information, call (813) 949-0779 or visit BahamaBreeze.com. — GN

2. Brass Tap, for my money, is truly Wesley Chapel’s premier bar hangout and has only grown in popularity since the nearby Primebar closed in the Shops at Wiregrass. With the cheapest premium full-liquor bar prices at the mall and karaoke, live music and trivia, the Brass Tap is hard to beat.

3. BJ’s Brewhouse would finish higher on my own list of Wesley Chapel favorites if it just had a few additional seats at its always-packed bar. BJ’s has one of the more-rounded food menus in Wesley Chapel, and reasonable enough prices, it just could use a more bar-friendly configuration, in one editor’s opinion. 

4. The Basement has long been one of Wesley Chapel’s best-kept secrets, especially since it’s technically located in Lutz. But, its great beer and hard seltzer/wine-based cocktail selection, karaoke and DJ dance music and occasional comedy nights always bring out a lively, fun crowd —  and the drink prices are great.

5. Noble Crust truly offers one of the great bar scenes in Wesley Chapel, with ultra-premium liquor but still fair prices and usually enough seats to accommodate those who don’t want to sit at a table. Noble Crust was the only place this year other than Bahama Breeze to make the top-5 as both a restaurant & bar.   

New Tampa’s Favorite Bars!

Based on the results of our 2019 Reader Survey:

Owners John Kuemmel and Shawn Diehl have done exactly what they wanted to do when they decided nearly three years ago to fulfill a 25-year dream they shared of opening their own bar. In the heart of Tampa Palms, they have spun an inventive menu, ice cold beer, premium liquor and a unique atmosphere into our readers’ favorite bar in New Tampa to enjoy a night out.

 What’s not to like (other than the ridiculously hard questions on Tuesday Trivia Nights)?

A bar that has outstanding food — and The Fat Rabbit finished just behind Acropolis as our readers’ sixth favorite restaurant in New Tampa, too — is never a bad thing.

The chicken wings are arguably the best around — make sure you check out the Buffalo Garlic Ranch — and there’s even a Real McCoy burger named after former Tampa Bay Buc and Tampa Palms resident Gerald McCoy and a fresh Catch of the Week. And, the crispy tater tots are truly divine.

The Fat Rabbit now even brews a Transplant IPA and Concrete & Gold Pilsner in-house, with more tanks on the way.

And, the decor gives the Fat Rabbit an elegant look with a comfortable neighborhood feel that keeps you coming back for more. — JCC

2. Stonewood Grill & Tavern has been among New Tampa’s favorite places to drink since the moment it opened, and since our readers obviously also love the food (see previous page), too, there’s no doubt that Stonewood is here to stay.

3. Mr. Dunderbak’s  has never had a full-alcohol bar, but its huge variety of beers from around the world, unique German-inspired menu, gifts and even chocolates keep it one of our readers’ favorite bars year after year, which often makes it hard to find a seat at that bar. 

4. Chili’s Grill & Bar in New Tampa continues to receive lots of votes in our Reader Survey every year. Even though it’s a chain, there’s no easy access to it from BBD and the restaurants next door to it keep going out of business, it keeps on rolling. ‘Nuff said.

5. Peabody’s in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms is another long-time favorite bar that also has great food (especially pizza & wings). Plus, it’s New Tampa’s adult play place, with tons of TVs, pool tables, darts and a younger-skewing crowd.