Write Around Tampa

Zio’s NY Bagels and Deli

19651 Bruce B Downs Blvd

Lutz

I’ve been wanting to come here since the fall of 2024. As a bagel/sandwich lunch spot it’s pretty phenomenal. Let’s see how it stacks up for a writer.

Quality and pricing of food and drink:
I got the Taylor pork roll, egg and cheese on an everything bagel, hash browns, and a bottle of tea plus tip for just over $12. Great for the writer’s budget. And it was all delicious, the bagel toasty soft and seasoned, big portion (I wrapped up half to take home) and the hash brown was greasy in that delicious, lick my fingers way. Yum.

Are there enough outlets?
No outlets. Come fully charged.

How’s the wifi?
Password protected and guarded. Had to ask, and it was practically whispered to me. Nicely, though. She didn’t have a problem giving it to me.

Will my muse come out?
I’m not sure on this one. We’ll see if mine is yet to show up. There’s not a lot of seating, but I did get a seat, and as I’ve been here there’s always been a table available.

How long can I park it?
Their hours are 6-3 M-F, 7-3 Sat, & 7-2 Sun. I imagine they’re quite busy during peak times and close to impossible to find a seat (I’m here at 11:00 on a Tuesday; def not peak time). More of a lunch vibe, come to eat, come with friends, but leave the laptop home. It seems rude to park it in such a busy spot where seats are limited.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 laptops (this rating is strictly based on a place to sit and write; I highly recommend them as a place to get a good bagel sandwich)

Rachel Remick’s fiction and non-fiction stories have appeared in various magazines, among them Rosebud, Bluestem, Minerva Rising, and ellipsis . . . literature and art. A frequent contributor to women’s magazine Sasee, her writing has also been published in several volumes of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. She lives in Tampa, Florida.