I need a few "cheap eats" recommendations.

The first one I need is on the way from the Tampa airport to Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point.

The second is for dinner near Pier 60.

The third is for a pizza joint to deliver to the hotel.

Thanks!!

It's a straight shot from the airport to the hotel. Some restaurants closer to the hotel are Landry's Seafood and Crabby Bills which is in the Radisson Hotel (you will see the sign from Rocky Point). Crabby Bills being the cheaper of the two.

Pier 60: consider Frenchy's. There is one right across and down the street a little from Pier 60 and then a few more right in the Clearwater Beach area. http://www.frenchysonline.com/

Pizza: I'm not sure what is super close to the hotel but the usual chains, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's would deliver I'm sure.

Good luck!

Frenchy's is a Clearwater tradition and worth visiting. Remember that, in Florida, no shoes/who cares? No shirt/ what's a shirt? The last time we were there a young lady patron was wearing short cut-offs, no shoes, toe rings, and a leather bra. Of course, I can't promise that your Frenchy's experience will be as interesting

I will be with a group of 10-12 year olds. Will Frenchy's be okay?

Also, how is Bahama Breeze? Right near our hotel.

My favorite Frenchy's is the Rockaway location, and yes it's fine for the girls. It's just a bit north of the pier and there's a good sized parking lot adjacent to it. http://www.frenchysonline.com/rock_index.html

Bahama Breeze, right next door to your hotel is perfect...not terribly cheap, but neither is it expensive. Very casual. There is virtually nothing between the airport and the start of Courtney Campbell, where your hotel is located.

It doesn't fit your list of requests, but if you want delicious, healthy fast food, find your nearest EVOS.

www.evos.com

Don't miss the spicy thai chicken wrap and the air fries -- incredible!

I like the EVOS in the very hip "SoHo" area (Howard Street).

Enjoy!

Thanks OO. It looks like there is a Panera Bread just south of the airport so I think we'll stop there for lunch.

We will do Pier 60 and Frenchy's on Thursday night.

Then on Friday we can have lunch at Bahama Breeze before heading out to play miniature golf. For dinner we're just doing a pool/pizza party.

Thanks!!

Gekko,

Evos looks good! Never heard of it. Thanks.

I really want to stay away from fast food and evos looks like a nice "healty" option.

Another Pier 60 area question....other than Frenchy's, what would you recommend. They seem to have mostly fish. I'm not sure what I have for allegies. Maybe I'll take half the group there and another coach can take the rest of the girls somewhere else.

Rizzo: You can be happy as a non-fish person at Frenchy's. My dad never eats fish and eats there often. There is an Outback Steakhouse near the pier too - just down the block from that Frenchy's. There is also a pizza place called Post Corner Pizza. For really casual, there is a McDonald's too but then again, not necessarily the healthy choice you are looking for.

I think Bahama Breeze is a good choice during the day. On Fri nights (maybe Sat nights too), it becomes packed with a happy hour/singles pick up scene.

You arrive Thursday and were planning to go to the pier that day, so I guess you'll eat out there? Frenchy's. You get in at 3, right...4 o'clock your time and between getting everyone's luggage and picking up and loading the 2 vans, allow for another 30-45 min (at the very least!) after deplaning to get going toward the hotel.

It might be best to skip Panera unless no one has eaten since breakfast, check in, then asap, head out to the pier for an early dinner. You don't want to tangle with rush hour, which can begin as early as 4:30, certainly by 5, and lasts past 6:30.

Panera is good though...the one I'm most familiar with is on Kennedy and not a difficult trek from your hotel, or from the airport if that's what you decide you want to do, but considering your arrival time and that you'll need to check in before leaving for the beach, I think it'd tie you up too long to stop there and eat.

Because of Tampa Bay, there are basically only 3 routes commuters have to get from Tampa to their homes at the beaches/suburbs to the west, and your highway, Courtney Campbell, is one of them. Further, the road from the airport itself in your direction is a mini-mob scene in rush hour!!

That leaves Fri and Saturday nights for getting dinners. One of those will be pizza, leaving just one night where you're looking for someplace to eat. As coldwar said, Bahama Breeze is a mob scene Friday nights, for sure! Avoid it then. When it first opened, we even had trouble finding a parking place in their mammoth lot, let alone a table. We stopped trying after that. It was an afternoon or week night eatery for us. Saturdays would be better, especially if you eat early.

Oops..scratch the thought of your tummies being an hour ahead of Tampa time. LOL I'm not quite sure where my mind was--out in the Atlantic somewhere, I guess!

We got a different flight than I originally planned on. We land in Tampa at 11:15...and we are in the same time zone so no problems there. Check in at the hotel isn't until 3 so I wanted to kill some time by getting lunch. There is a Panera on West Shore Blvd.

I figure we can probably check in a little early (1:30). Then leave for Pier 60 at 3:30. Hope to miss the traffic.

I'm thinking about Bahama Breeze as a lunch stop instead of dinner...on Friday.

The only dinner I still need is for Saturday. We will be up near the SunDome.

Thanks!

That's great rizzo. Now Panera makes perfect sense. We are talking about the same Panera. It's the corner of Kennedy and Westshore.

Yes, I hope they'll let you check in early or take your bags and hold them for you. The girls (and you) will want to get out to the beach before sunset. The sand and water are, IMHO, the prettiest of the stretch from SPB to CWB. Have a ball and good luck! Let us know how you do.