Tampa Bay Has 3 Ruby Tuesday Locations Still Remaining

Author Daniel Morabito

April 18th 11:00 AM

What was your favorite restaurant chain of the 2000s? Is it still around or has it bit the dust? One of the best chains of the 2000s was Ruby Tuesday and lucky for us here in Florida, we are the state with the most Ruby Tuesday restaurants still remaining.

There was a certain charm to the classic food chains like TGI Fridays, Applebees, Denny’s, and Ruby Tuesdays. Sure, you can go grab a box of frozen TGI Fridays potato skins from Walmart, but something about the day-old grease at the restaurant made them that much better.

Like the Rainforest Cafe, Ruby Tuesday has been closing its doors across the country. Just a few years ago Ruby Tuesday had over 800 restaurants open. Now, they have less than 230 still remaining.

2020 wasn’t an easy year for most people, including Ruby Tuesday. The Tyrone Square location was located inside the mall and permanently closed up shop. It was one of 147 locations that closed that year along with being one of 11 in Florida.

Where Can You Find Ruby Tuesday Locations In Tampa Bay?

One of the things that made Ruby Tuesday so great was the salad bar. Filled with mini corn cobs, crunchy carrot chips, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits, the salad bar was overflowing with options. The inside was dimly lit with large leather booths that resembled the decor from Shenaniginz in the movie ‘Waiting…’.

Their macaroni and cheese might have just been generic noodles with excess amounts of liquid cheese, but was some of the best around before Noodle’s & Co. The burgers? They were always juicy with fries that had the perfect amount of crunch.

In Tampa Bay, we’re lucky enough to still be graced by this top tier restaurant chain. The location at 8512 Ridge Road in New Port Richey has over 2.8k reviews on Google with a 4.1 star average rating.

Another Ruby Tuesday is located at 5802 20th St E in Ellenton just south of the Skyway Bridge. I stopped by this location yesterday and the parking lot was surprisingly packed.

The Ellenton location has a 3.9 average rating on Google with over 2k reviews. Some customers were waiting for curbside pickup and others were inside dining.

The Riverview location still has its classic signage out front reminiscent of the pre-2000s days. This spot has a 4.0 average rating on Google with over 2.5k reviews and is located at 10509 Gibsonton Drive.

For more information on Ruby Tuesday locations remaining in the United States, click here.

Originally from the Midwest and moved down to Tampa Bay after college. When Daniel is not working on Beasley Content, you can find him fishing or skateboarding. Daniel enjoys writing about local restaurants across the Tampa Bay area, Florida lottery stories, and concert reviews/photos.

9 Tampa Restaurants We Wish We Could Bring Back

Have you ever sat there thinking about your favorite restaurant? What if it closed down? There are so many good restaurants around the Tampa area, but sometimes nothing hits like your favorite spot. We asked you on social media to help us with Tampa restaurants that closed down we wish we could bring back from the dead. You sent us hundreds of comments and we found the same names pop up over and over of fan favorite Tampa restaurants that closed down over the years.

We were thinking and wondering what made some of the closed down restaurants so special? For some places it was the food (obviously), some was just the environment and service.

When we look back, we remember the past as easier times and remind us of younger versions of ourselves. Maybe, a random Wednesday dinner with a friend or a family member that has now passed away. For some of us, it could be memories of our childhood and for others it might be memories of watching your kids grow up.

There is no shortage of restaurants in the Tampa Bay area with something new popping up every week. Just in the first 4 months of 2023, there were 20 different restaurants that opened. Only 3 months are left in the year and there are many more with opening dates coming in the next few weeks. Here, we told you 3 new restaurants coming this Fall that you need to try. From the Yard House with over 100 beers on tap to The Beacon located in the JW Marriott downtown Tampa there are so many different options to choose from. But, the question is will they be as good as our favorites of the past?

Before putting together the list of Tampa restaurants that closed down, we shared a moment of silence for everyone that lost their favorite ones along the way. We know that if we lost our favorite pizza place, we would feel incomplete. It isn’t easy losing something you love, but that’s why we’re here to look back on the long-lost favorites of Tampa Bay.

Miami Subs
Miami Subs was one of the most popular comments you all posted on our socials. I love crushing sandos as much as the next guy so if anyone knows of a place like Miami Subs, I’ll need that spot. Miami Subs brought that BSE (Big Sandwich Energy) to Tampa Bay. You can catch the old menu right here.

Homemade Cold Cut Italian Sub Sandwich with Salami Lettuce and Tomato
Ponderosa's Steakhouse
The Ponderosa Steakhouse in Largo closed up shop in February 1999 after 23 years in business. It was replaced by a new restaurants and a few fast food chains. Century 21 Mills First real estate agent James Schaller Sr said, “In the case of the Ponderosa, the restaurant was unable to compete with newer steakhouses that offer a higher grade of meat for a little more money”.
Bennigan's Grill & Tavern
Bennigan’s was one of Tampa’s favorite place to get traditional American cuisine. Regulars always came back for their favorite waiters and the fan favorite bar.
Colonnade
The Colonnade Restaurant was one of Tampa’s oldest restaurants dating back to World War II. It was known for its authentic seafood and was located on Bayshore Boulevard. It was family owned and operated for generations and when it came time to close it’s doors, was sold to a developer for a new project.
Sweet Tomatoes
Sweet Tomatoes was a fan favorite for it’s buffet style dining. They had all types of food to choose from and unfortunately had to close up shop after shutting down during COVID-19 shutdowns.
Spaghetti Warehouse
Spaghetti Warehouse was a vintage style Italian restaurant known for it’s wide variety of custom spaghetti dishes. The inside had a vintage trolley car to eat at and white/red checkered table clothes to add to the vintage style brick throughout the restaurant0. This is a restaurant chain so if you’re looking to fill that void, you can still find them located in Texas!
Morrison’s Cafeterias
Morrison’s Cafeteria started out in Alabama where they eventually opened up shops across the United States. It was another buffet style restaurant that was favored by so many Tampa locals.
Don Pablo's
Don Pablo’s was one of Tampa’s best places to get Tex-Mex style food. There were several locations throughout Florida. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, checkout the menu here.

Homemade American Soft Shell Beef Tacos with Lettuce Tomato Cheese
Hops
This is a big “if you know, you know”. Hops had the best sweet croissant rolls and root beer in frozen mugs… Take us back!!