2024 Eating Survey & Contest

In the meantime, Wesley Chapel is the place chain eateries proceed to dominate the panorama, in addition to our voting (regardless of my greatest efforts to get our readers to vote for non-chains). 

However, whereas Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard & Restaurant did mistakenly seem on the ballots for the primary subject of the voting, it was so dominant within the voting after it got here off the ballots that it might nonetheless have been #1 “Favourite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel” with out that one-issue benefit. Anybody who has been to the place on a Tuesday or Wednesday night time, when it’s nonetheless on a wait all through its dinner hours, can perceive how Cooper’s Hawk took house this yr’s high prize in WC in its first yr of eligibility. 

Azteca D’Oro and Grillsmith repeated as our readers’ #2 and #3 Favorites in WC, whereas final yr’s first-place finisher, Noble Crust, dropped to #4 this yr. New to this yr’s top-10 had been Vallarta’s at #5 (up from #12), Mac’s Customized Meats & Deli at #7, Florida Ave. Brewing Co. at #8 (up from #16) and Chuck Lager at #9. Dropping out of this yr’s top-10 had been Zukku-San (down from #5 to #11), Bubba’s 33 (down from #10 to #19), Bonefish, BJ’s Brewhouse and Bahama Breeze (down from #8 to #17). The final 4 of those are all chains that weren’t on the ballots. — GN

1. Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard & Restaurant 

28963 S.R. 56, Wiregrass Ranch 

(813) 755-4445 • CHWinery.com 

If everybody in Wesley Chapel is so sick of chain eating places, then how and why did Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard & Restaurant dominate the voting on this yr’s Reader Eating Survey & Contest? 

The reply to that rhetorical query is that every one of you’re bored with mediocre chains and though Cooper’s Hawk isn’t Fleming’s, Charley’s or Ruth’s Chris, it’s positively a step up from a lot of the different chains within the “Chap.” It boasts a strong menu of superb steaks, good seafood, fairly first rate pasta and a pleasant number of starters, lunch and brunch menu objects. 

While you add to that the novelty of attending to style an ever-changing array of palate-pleasing wines in Cooper’s Hawk’s wine bar (though I want there have been seats in it, or at the least allowed), it’s simple to grasp why locals are preventing for tables there each night time. We’ll see how lengthy the social gathering lasts, however to this point, so good. 

2. Azteca D’Oro Mexican Restaurant 

2000 Piazza Ave., #170, The Outlets at Wiregrass 

(813) 527-6033 • AztecaDOro.com 

It’s clear that final yr’s top-vote-getting newcomer didn’t undergo a sophomore jinx with our readers this yr, as Azteca D’Oro repeated as your #2 general Favourite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel and once more received Favourite Mexican Restaurant in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, albeit by a a lot smaller margin than final yr. 

With tasty menu objects like rooster taquitos (high), plus an enormous selection (above pic from DoorDash) of genuine Mexican favorites like fajitas, molcajete, burritos, tacos and quesadillas, plus stunning indoor & out of doors bar areas with nice Completely satisfied Hour specials, Azteca D’Oro additionally incorporates a non-public room that’s the excellent place to host your vacation social gathering with its energetic music and festive ambiance. 

3. Grillsmith 

2000 Piazza Ave., #100, Outlets at Wiregrass 

(813) 907-1900 • Grillsmith.com 

Grillsmith is at all times amongst our readers’ favorites yearly and repeated final yr’s #3 “Favourite in Wesley Chapel” end once more this yr. This five-unit mini-chain continues to serve high quality recent fish (photograph), plus assortments of flatbreads, salads, steaks, burgers, rooster and pasta choices that hold our readers coming again for extra. It additionally is a well-liked weekend brunch spot with every little thing from bananas Foster French toast to rooster & waffles Benedict. 

4. Noble Crust 

28330 Paseo Dr., Outlets at Wiregrass 

(813) 703-2602 • Noble-Crust.com 

Although it was bumped all the way down to #4 Favourite this yr by our readers after a two-year run within the high spot, Noble Crust’s “Deep South Italian” fare continues to garner plenty of consideration, in addition to votes (regardless that it fell in need of making this yr’s “Favourite Pizza” listing). With uncommon entrées like bronzed salmon (photograph), rooster fried rooster parm, bucatini & meatballs & Cajun shrimp risotto, Noble Crust additionally claims to characteristic the “Finest Brunch in Wesley Chapel.” 

5. Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant 

5335 Wesley Chapel Village Market 

(813) 907-5161 • VallartasMexican.com 

Everytime you see individuals in an area on-line group ask for suggestions for an excellent Mexican restaurant, roughly half the individuals extremely advocate Vallarta’s, whereas the opposite half say “it’s gross.” 

Those that find it irresistible level to the restaurant’s enormous menu with even larger parts (just like the burrito proven right here) at the perfect costs of any true Mexican restaurant in Wesley Chapel. We guess these people helped Vallarta’s bounce from #12 “Favourite WC Restaurant” with our readers final yr to #5 Fave in 2024. 

6. The Residing Room 

2001 Piazza Ave., #100, Outlets at Wiregrass 

(813) 934-7911 • TLR.Restaurant.com 

Though numerous on-line group members complain vehemently about its 20% service cost, our readers nonetheless stored The Residing Room in the identical #6 “Favourite in Wesley Chapel” spot it occupied final yr. 

That implies that numerous our readers care extra about dishes just like the Bobby Boucher pasta proven right here, sautéed pink grouper, “You Guess…Churrasco” and adobo braised pork osso bucco than they do about having to pay the service payment. The Residing Room is also one other native brunch favourite. 

7. Mac’s Customized Meats & Deli 

26316 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Grand Oaks Plaza, Lutz 

(813)428-6573 

It looks like there’s at the least one restaurant that appears to return out of nowhere to crack the top-10 with our readers yearly. 

This yr’s shock is Mac’s Customized Meats & Deli. Though we additionally take pleasure in Mac’s high quality sandwiches (photograph), it’s nonetheless actually extra of a meat market than a restaurant, however whether or not it made this yr’s listing due to ballot-stuffing or as a result of sufficient individuals actually find it irresistible this a lot possible received’t be recognized till subsequent yr’s Reader Survey. 

8. Florida Avenue Brewing Co. 

2029 Arrowgrass Dr. (at S.R. 56), Wesley Chapel 

(813) 452-6333 • FloridaAveBrewing.com 

Leaping up eight locations from #16 final yr is Florida Avenue Brewing Co., which has modified its meals menu so typically it’s exhausting to maintain up with all the brand new objects to go along with its crowd-pleasing number of house-brewed beers, exhausting ciders and seltzers. After all, you’ll be able to’t go fallacious with Florida Ave.’s wings (photograph), cheesesteak egg rolls, smash burgers and chimichurri-style Argentine flatbread. Additionally ask concerning the Categorical Lunch menu and about changing into a Brew Perks member. 

9. Chuck Lager America’s Tavern 

2001 Piazza Ave., #175, Outlets at Wiregrass 

(813) 820-4500 • ChuckLager.com 

One other mini-chain making a giant bounce with our readers this yr is Chuck Lager America’s Tavern, which narrowly missed the top-25 final yr to leap as much as #9 this time — giving The Outlets at Wiregrass 5 of this yr’s top-10 Favorites in Wesley Chapel! 

Now with three places and one other coming quickly to Ft. Myers, Chuck Lager continues to serve tasty big pretzels, flatbreads, sliders (all in photograph), in addition to every little thing from Chuck’s citrus salmon to NY strip steak and Italian specialties like rooster parmesan and Fabio’s meatball sub. 

10. Ford’s Storage 

25526 Sierra Heart Blvd. (at S.R. 56), Lutz 

(813) 540-3673 • FordsGarageUSA.com 

In the meantime, Ford’s Storage, positioned throughout from the Tampa Premium Retailers, dropped one spot from #9 final yr to #10 this yr, however nonetheless garnered loads of consideration from our readers for its fashionable sports activities bar-style fare, just like the Big Funnel Tower of Jumbo Piston Onion Rings, Well-known Firestone Shrimp, BBQ pork ribs, rooster mac & cheese, smoked brisket burnt ends soften and particularly, its Burgers of Fame (photograph). 

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