The homeowners of Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico on Wesley Chapel Blvd., subsequent to the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza in Wesley Chapel, clearly aren’t afraid of working onerous.
The husband-and-wife staff of David and Cindy Cruz even have owned DC Accounting for greater than 20 years and opened their Rice-n- Beans Specific location on S.R. 54 in Lutz a bit greater than a 12 months in the past.
However, once they bought the previous Cody’s Roadhouse (and Remington’s Steakhouse earlier than Cody’s), there was a nice-sized patio in entrance of the primary constructing that principally went unused for the primary few years after the couple moved Rice-n-Beans from its profitable unique location in a gasoline station constructing on S.R. 54 in Lutz.
However, that every one modified in November, when Cindy and David lastly opened their utterly redesigned “El Patio” within the previously unused patio house. And, despite the fact that they weren’t positive at first in the event that they needed it to have its personal menu, El Patio is now serving the primary Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico’s full menu, in addition to a wide range of craft cocktails, beer and wine in El Patio’s lovely, full-liquor bar (with its personal open hours).
After all, the primary restaurant is also an attractive place to have genuine Puerto Rican and Latin delicacies and a few premium cocktails. It’s simply good to have your alternative of settings.
What About The Meals?
Just about from the day it moved to Wesley Chapel from Lutz — the place it was way more of a hidden gem that only some Wesley Chapel residents even knew about — Rice-n-Beans has been voted by our readers as both the #1 or not less than one of many Favourite Latin (not Mexican) Eating places in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.
I’m no Puerto Rican delicacies connoisseur however I do take pleasure in most of the dishes I’ve sampled at Rice-n-Beans. Amongst my favourite appetizers are the crispy-outside beef empanadas (proper), which we additionally loved as a part of the Antojitos Puertorriqueños platter, which additionally features a rooster empanada, in addition to a sorullito de maiz con queso (a corn & cheese fritter) and an alcapurria de carne, which is a well-liked Puerto Rican avenue meals merchandise that appears like a sausage however is definitely a crispy fritter comprised of a mix of root greens, full of savory seasoned beef and served with a ketchup-and-mayo-based dipping sauce. The restaurant additionally has empanadas full of shrimp, octopus or pizza.
One of many particular objects we’ve loved have been the tostones rellenos de carne (left) — fried inexperienced plantain slices topped with tender steak, onions and purple peppers in a tomato-based salsa Criolla (Créole sauce). The tostones rellenos are normally served both plain or topped with shrimp or octopus, however advertising and marketing supervisor Damaris Gutierrez had the kitchen make it with steak for me. Beloved it!
One other particular the day we visited was the mofongo relleno de langosta, which mixes the Puerto Rican staple dish of twice-fried, garlic-infused mashed inexperienced plantains with a full-sized lobster tail and 6 giant shrimp which, after all, I needed to take Charmaine’s phrase about due to my shellfish allergy. She mentioned that each the lobster and shrimp in garlic butter sauce sitting atop the mofongo bowl have been scrumptious on their very own, “however they style even higher while you combine within the mashed plantains.”
The mofongo was undoubtedly eye-catching and common, as a number of different tables throughout our go to both ordered the langosta or the identical dish with rooster, steak, shrimp, octopus or “mariscos” (combined seafood).
My favourite entrées at Rice-n-Beans embrace the chicharrons de pollo (bone-in crispy fried rooster), the carne frita (deep fried pork chunks), chuleta Kan-Kan (a Puerto Rican-style pork chop, marinated in garlic rub and fried), the pechuga de pollo (pan-seared rooster breast topped with sautéed onions and garlic or the salsa Criolla talked about earlier than), and the super-tender churrasco steak (above), which is pan-seared and served with a contemporary inexperienced vibrant home coriander and cilantro chimichurri sauce (sorry that we forgot to {photograph} the chimichurri). The churrasco is served with candy plantains and a aspect of rice (your alternative of white or yellow) and I additionally received a aspect of purple beans, which additionally have been wonderful.
For you seafood lovers, Rice-n-Beans additionally gives a filete en salsa (fish filet in salsa Criolla or sautéed in garlic and capers), a chillo frito entero (entire pan-fried purple snapper) and mariscada private — a seafood lover’s delight with shrimp, octopus and lobster served over saffron-infused yellow rice and accompanied by purple beans and (you guessed it) crispy tostones.
We additionally needed to pattern a conventional Puerto Rican sandwich on our most up-to-date go to, so Damaris advisable the jibarito (left picture) — which is a sandwich made with twice-fried plantains as a substitute of bread and full of steak (bistec), roasted pork (pernil) or the pollo (grilled rooster) we selected. The jibarito is topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and a zesty garlic mayo (and served with crispy fries) and Charmaine and I have been each shocked on the sandwich’s distinctive taste. Savory plantains actually are a recurring theme at Rice-n-Beans, however should you assume you’re not a fan of them, you undoubtedly ought to strive one of many dishes described on this story.
For those who nonetheless have room for dessert, Charmaine and I each heartily suggest the flancocho (under proper), which is a layer of chocolate cake topped with a thick layer of Puerto Rican-style flan, which is denser and extra cake-like than Cuban or Colombian flan. The dessert is topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and drizzled with chocolate. You may wish to add a café con leché and/or an after-dinner cocktail.
Different desserts embrace vanilla, chocolate and even cheese flan, plus tres leches (sponge cake soaked in three milks and topped with whipped cream) and ponque de novia (a shareable, tender cake infused with almond and topped with buttercream frosting). For those who convey the children, they will select from rooster strips, fried pork chunks, grilled cheese or empanadas.
Rice-n-Beans is also the place for nice leisure on the weekends, each in the primary restaurant and now, additionally out on El Patio. There’s DJ music, salsa dancing nights and even stay performances. For the February schedule, verify the Rice-n-Beans web site (RicenBeans.com) or go to the restaurant.
Rice-n-Beans Puerto Rico (27405 Wesley Chapel Blvd.) is open Sat., 11 a.m.-midnight; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Solar.; and for dinner solely on Tues.-Fri., starting at 4 p.m. It closes Tues.- Thur. at 9 p.m. & at 11 p.m. on Fri. El Patio is open Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-close & noon-6 p.m. on Solar. For extra data, go to RicenBeans.com or name (813) 803-7974.
For Rice N Beans Specific (24726 S.R. 54, Lutz), name (813) 428-5077, or go to ”Rice n Beans Specific” on Fb.
