Local Tampa staple! Goody Goody Burger….

I took a small sabbatical from blogging but kept up with my foodie fun on my Instagram page (in case you aren’t a follower yet, it’s TampaFoodMom) the past few months.

I am ventured to several new places, enjoyed my old favorites and frequented several local mom & pop restaurants. My #1 local pick is the prime rib at Jessie’s Steak and Seafood in Brandon.

Local Brandon staple since the 80s!
Amazingly delicious and fairly priced prime rib! They even have a 10oz version on the Early Bird menu (before 6pm)!
Most dinners come with warm crusty bread, choice of soup or salad and a side (I always get the loses potato!)!
My youngest sons fried shrimp (his go to choice).
My oldest sons fish and chips from the lunch menu.
The steak skewers off the lunch menu.
Cesar salad and bread loaves (you need to ask for them as your server won’t automatically serve them to your table otherwise).

Another Tampa staple that’s been around longer than I have is Goody Goody Burger in Hyde Park. My sister and brother-in-law came to visit for Thanksgiving week and I took them to Goody Goody Burger to enjoy a wholesome lunch the day after Thanksgiving. They are centrally located amongst several shops and a “town square” to sit and relax after you eat. It’s always a nice treat to fill your tummy and then walk around and burn a few calories off. And trust me, Goody Goody has several popular dessert options to help load you up on calories if your burger didn’t already do so, like the infamous Butterscotch Pie. Don’t dare leave without trying a slice! My sister loved her chocolate cream pie.

The Goody Goody burger and a side of crispy onion rings.
My sisters BLT that she loved!
The infamous butterscotch pie. You must order a slice even if you are too full, take it home!

A few of my new favorites I’ve enjoyed trying the past few months were Bubbakoos Burritos in Plant City, Tiki Docks in Riverview and Gran Agave in Riverview. Yes, I love Mexican Food!

Bubbakoos Burritos sign isn’t misleading.

Bubbakoos Burritos is a new locally owned franchise on the scene. The first Tampa area location opened in Riverview in November and a few weeks later the Plant City location opened. My son joined me for lunch at the Plant City location the day they opened and I’m very proud to say we were one of the 10 people in line to be able to try this unique new Mexican food option. We both enjoyed our lunch choices, mine was the tacos and he had two different quesadillas… plain cheese and a shrimp filled one!

My three ground beef tacos with fresh toppings such as pico de galo, sour cream and onions. Served with chips and salsa.
Mine and my sons lunches.
Shrimp quesadilla served with pico and sour cream.

I met another food blogger at Gran Agave after telling him I always order Boba in the same plaza at a different restaurant but I’ve never stopped in to enjoy the Mexican food there. He raved about it so we made plans to meet up and he recommended a few menu items to me that I normally wouldn’t have chosen, if you haven’t noticed I am a huge taco fan. My blogging buddy recommended the chorizo / queso dip with chips. I’m usually a happy camper with just salsa to go with my chips but I went with his recommendation. It did not disappoint. For my entree, I left my comfort zone and ordered the combination fajitas, steak & chicken. I did not regret my choice, it was one of the best fajitas I’ve had in years. I look forward to my next visit at Gran Agave for another platter full of those mouthwatering, well marinated, tender combination of steak and chicken!

The luscious chorizo / queso dip with chips and salsa from Gran Agave.
The well marinated, tender combination of steak and chicken!
The toppings for the fajitas and Mexican rice and refried beans, all of which come with your fajita entrée.

Tiki Docks, located on the Alafia River in Riverview, is another new restaurant in the Tampa area. They’ve have an original location in St. Pete but this one was more conveniently located for my lunch date with my friend. I ordered a virgin piña colada partly because it looked refreshing (I don’t drink alcohol) and partly because the tiki glass was too adorable to pass up. It was a rainy day and I needed a little extra sunshine! I was there earlier than my friend, so I not only browsed the menu but I paid attention to what the other diners around me had ordered. The coconut battered chicken tenders with pineapple honey mustard dipping sauce called to me, and I couldn’t ignore it! With a side of pineapple slaw – absolutely delicious!My friend had one of their signature chicken wing platters and it came with a potato twister. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was drooling over her potato twister and will definitely be making sure I get one the next time I visit Tiki Docks!!

My virgin pina colada!
My coconut battered chicken tenders with my friends potato twister in the background!

I hope I gave you some new restaurant choices to try! I went to a few other places which were equally as perfect for my palate, but I choose to highlight only a few. If you try any of them please reach out to me via DM on my Instagram or leave me a comment here … I’d love to hear if you agreed with my opinions!!

Bon Appetit!

Rachel

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