Five Guys On County Line Rd. Has Closed

If you’ve recently driven by the Five Guys Burger & Fries located across the parking lot from Fresh Monkee, and next to the Max’s Pet Market & Salon (photo) at 6431 E. County Line Rd. in New Tampa, you’re already aware that this location — which is hidden from view from both Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. — has closed (its last day was Mar. 15). 

One of the other store owners in the same plaza told me that they had heard that this location was Five Guys corporate-owned and that, “The company apparently looked at the store’s numbers and decided that it was time to just shut it down.” 

The same store owner also said that, “They literally came here on [Mar. 16] and took out most of the equipment, tore down the sign, packed it all onto a truck and drove away.” 

We also have now been told by multiple sources that a Middle Eastern shawarma shop is expected to move into the now-empty Five Guys, although no one yet knows exactly when the new eatery is planning to open or its name. 

In the meantime, please note that Five Guys not only still has more than 1,900 locations in operation around the world, it actually is expanding those numbers. 

For New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents who still need their Five Guys burger, fries, shakes and unlimited peanuts “fix,” the franchised locations at 25599 Sierra Center Blvd., across S.R. 56 from the Tampa Premium Outlets, and at 28894 Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54, in Wesley Chapel, are both still very much open and hoping to see you soon. 

We’ll keep you posted about the restaurant planned for the now-vacated Five Guys space. 

For ordering and more information about Five Guys Burgers & Fries, visit FiveGuys.com. — GN 

NT/WC’s Favorite Pizza & Burger Places

Cynthia Andujar shows off a delicious 900 Degree Woodfired pepperoni pizza.

When it comes to pizza in our area, we have a lot of great options from which to choose, but it’s hard to argue with the readers’ selection of 900Âș Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass as their favorite in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel for both 2019 and 2020.

There’s also no doubt that 900Âș Woodfired owner Steve Falabella (2nd from left in photo) is one of the most beloved restaurant owners in Wesley Chapel. But, the fact that his place serves both authentic wood-fired Neapolitan style, as well as legit New York-style pizza continues to keep 900Âș Woodfired Pizza among our readers’ favorites (and ours!).

We’re partial to 900Âș Woodfired’s square, thin-crust Sicilian-style and unique Grandma’s pizza, as well as many of its tasty pasta dishes.  

2 — Pizza Mania is the pizza place that has been open the longest in Wesley Chapel, and it’s always been a top favorite of our readers at its location in the Shoppes of New Tampa at Wesley Chapel for its NY/New Jersey-style pizza and Italian fare.

3 — Amici’s Pizza won this category in 2018 and finished second last year, and it continues to be a top-three favorite of our readers — and for good reason. It features true NY-style pizza and the best linguine & clams in The Chap.  

4 — Via Italia was one of the best places to open in New Tampa in 2020 and while it’s more of a sit-down, authentic Italian “ristorante,” it does serve wood-fired Neapolitan, Roman, “Campione del Mondo” and other unique styles of pizza.

5 — NY NY Pizza repeats its finish as our readers’ fifth favorite pizza place in our distribution areas, another choice that’s hard to argue. We love it for its garlicky Grandma’s pizza, but try this mainly takeout place by the slice or by the pie.

The Next 10, in order of votes: Mellow Mushroom, Cappy’s, Marco’s, Best NY Pizza, Fratelli’s, Noble Crust, Little Italy’s, Capri, Pomodoro, MOD Pizza.

FAVORITE BURGER: BURGER 21

The Outlaw Burger and a Wild Blueberry shake.

A burger is often just a burger, and when cooked right, that can be enough.

But, at Burger 21 on BBD Blvd. in New Tampa, which opened its first location in 2010 with 21 menu items, a burger is rarely just a burger. It is, as the restaurant says, reinvented, which helps explain why it is this year’s readers’ choice for the best burger in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.

Burger 21 offers a variety of different burgers, all served on brioche buns, ranging from beef to chicken to veggie and there’s even a seafood burger, featuring a  spicy Thai shrimp patty.

 The regular beef burgers come in double-stacked (the “OMG”), blackened or even BBQ-style. 

You can even get your burger on a gluten-free bun, and the fries (including the sweet potato version) are a tasty side. The menu has salads for non-carnivores, and don’t leave without having one of Burger 21’s creamy, hand-spun shakes. — JCC

2 — Five Guys is the delicious bridge between fast-food and restaurant hamburgers and has been a fan favorite everywhere it’s opened, including locations in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. And of course, the unique fries are addictive, too.

3 — Burger Monger received a recent makeover, so maybe that was part of the reason why it had its best-ever finish in our Reader Survey this year. Of course, its tasty burgers, hot dogs, shakes and new salads probably had something to do with it, too. 

4 — Red Robin is another burger-oriented eatery which had its best finish in our Reader Survey this year. Red Robin features a large selection of “gourmet burgers and brews” and the bottomless fries are always a welcome treat (except for dieters).

5 — Culver’s is a cooked-to-order, fast-casual place that started in the Midwest but has continued to grow here in Florida with its delicious burgers and other sandwiches. The ultra-creamy frozen custard is really hard to resist, too.

The Next 6, in order of votes: Ford’s Garage, Glory Days, Bubba’s 33, Fat Rabbit, BJs Brewhouse, Mulligans.