Brandon is located in the Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area in western Florida. Brandon features small town appeal, less than 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Tampa and less than one hour's drive from beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. If you are looking for a new dining experience, check out one of the new restaurants that have opened in the Brandon area.
Grab a bite to eat and a cocktail while you play pool or challenge your friends to Wii sports at The Rack. The Rack opened in January 2010 and serves up a varied menu for both lunch and dinner. The Rack offers a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and specialties such as the Bank Shot (blackened chicken breast with vegetables and pasta) or Masse (blackened tenderloin tips, sausage, apples and pasta). Check out The Rack's unlimited menu, available Monday through Thursday from 9 to 11 p.m. As of October 2010, for $20, you get unlimited sushi, small appetizers, wine, liquor and draft beer. The unlimited menu is payable with cash only. The restaurant runs various specials, including all-you-can-eat crab legs on Mondays, drink specials during football games and ladies' night on Wednesdays. The Rack is open daily.
Take a 17 minute, 12 mile drive west of Brandon to Seasons 52 in Tampa, Fla. The restaurant opened in February 2010 and offers lunch, dinner and a bar menu. Diners feeling adventurous can reserve the Chef's Table, a five-course dining experience. The menu changes seasonally, giving diners all of the freshest ingredients available. Some of Seasons 52 dinner specialties include ripe plum tomato flatbread, caramelized sea scallops and cedar plank Atlantic salmon. Diners with dietary restrictions can request one of the restaurant's alternative menus, which include low-sodium, gluten-free, garlic-fee, vegetarian and vegan dishes. Seasons 52 is open daily.
Ryuu Japanese Steakhouse is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, in the Westfield Shopping Mall in Brandon's town square. According to The St. Petersburg Times, the steakhouse will feature modern decor and a combination of contemporary and traditional Japanese menu items. Adventurous diners should reserve a table for teppanyaki table-side cooking, which provides entertainment while dining. There will also be private booths for diners interested in intimate dining.
The Brass Tap opened in fall of 2010 inside of the Westfield Shopping Center in Brandon Town Center. In October, the Brass Tap featured “Taptoberfest” and served a variety of food and beer specials. Food is served during special events, but the menu is primarily limited to a wide variety of beer, wine and cigars. The bar features 40 types of craft beer on tap and approximately 300 different kinds of local, domestic and imported bottled beers. This self-proclaimed “beer bar” also serves up live entertainment on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
