What's For Dinner? New Restaurants Announce Openings In Tampa

TAMPA, FL — As more people move to Tampa, the demand for eateries increases and national chains are revving up to meet the demand.

To that end, Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, a new restaurant at Midtown Tampa, will host a grand opening on June 20 starting at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting. Doors will open at 11 a.m. and the first 100 guests will have a chance to win free Walk-On’s for a year, along with bounce-back cards for a complimentary beverage and other prizes.

This will be Walk-On's seventh Florida franchise. The first opened in July 2019 at 25372 Sierra Center Blvd., across from Tampa Premium Outlets on State Road 54 in Lutz.

Walk-On's was founded by real-life walk-ons Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, a couple of unsigned athletes who played on the Louisiana State University basketball team.

The friends parlayed their disappointment in not making the pros into a new venture, opening their first restaurant in Baton Rouge featuring made-from-scratch Louisiana cuisine. Since then, they've expanded into six other states.

The restaurant features Cajun favorites as well as dishes with a Cajun twist including duck and andouille gumbo ($6.49 for a cup and $11.49 for a bowl), blackened redfish tacos with spicy slaw, avocado and spicy mayo ($14.49), Voodoo Shrimp and Grits ($19.99), Mardi Gras blackened mahi with crawfish mushroom cream sauce, corn grits and onion rings ($22.99), hand-battered fried alligator tail ($15.99) and Catfish Atchafalaya with a choice of blackened or fried fillets, crawfish étouffée, fried crawfish tails, rice with sides of red beans, sweet corn grits and hush puppies ($21.99).

Desserts include authentic beignets ($5.99) and Krispy Kreme bread pudding ($8.99).

The new eatery also will offer 48 beers on draft and 84 TVs throughout the restaurant, including 31 directly above the bar.

The 9,171-square-foot restaurant seats 343 people indoors and outdoors, with a bar window serving walk-up customers from anywhere in Midtown.

Minneapolis-based Crisp & Green announced its expansion into Florida with its first restaurant opening in Venice and a second opening June 18 in Naples.

Three other openings are planned in the coming months including a restaurant in Tampa.

In all, the fast-casual restaurant concept plans 30 locations statewide during the next two years.

Crisp & Green’s plant-based menu features grain bowls, salads and smoothies (prices vary depending on the choices and number of additions). The fast-growing chain is operated by Minnesota-based Steele Brands, established by CEO Steele Smiley in 2016.

“Floridians are seeking high-quality food with great flavor that is healthy and they can grab on the run,” Smiley said in a news release. “We are grateful to be able to meet customer demand with fresh menu items and become the fast and healthy option in Central and Southwest Florida this summer. We are ready to expand aggressively across the entire state of Florida during the next two years.”

With restaurants already open in Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas, the chain has nearly 200 stores built or in development across 19 states.

Promoting a culture of “Living Crisp,” Crisp & Green is known for offering complimentary workouts, typically held on the restaurant’s patio or in its parking lot through partnerships with local fitness studios and certified trainers.

What do you get when you combine Japanese sushi with Brazilian cuisine?

In this case, you get Tampa's newest eatery, Sushi Go, which opened its doors June 11 at 1208 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 115.

At Sushi Go, diners will be treated to a fusion of Japanese and Brazilian dishes, created by the 1.5 million Japanese residents who immigrated to Brazil in the early 20th century.

Menu items include:

Uramaki salmon, eight rolls with rice, seaweed, grilled salmon, cream cheese, tare sauce and sesame seeds ($12).

Thai Nigri, two pieces with rice, a salmon slice on top, Thai sweet chili, cream cheese, sesame seeds and green onions ($5).

Sealed sashimi, six slices of salmon sealed with the torch and tare sauce ($12).

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