4 Rivers Smokehouse Expands New Business Hours

Sundays are a strange day in the business world. When you think about businesses open, there are very few. You wake up, ready to tackle the day, only to realize half the city is still in bed. It’s almost as if every business owner agreed that Sunday will be everyone's day off. However, every now and then, a brave hero emerges from the haze of closed signs, daring to keep the grills fired up and the doors wide open. Enter 4 Rivers Smokehouse, because, let’s face it, barbecue is too good to take a day off.

4 Rivers Smokehouse, a family-owned business, is renowned for its 30-day aged smoked Angus brisket, BBQ platters, and homestyle sides. Founded by John Rivers in Winter Park in 2009, the chain has since grown to include locations throughout Florida, including in Tampa, Lakeland, South Florida, Jacksonville, and Gainesville.

According to a company press release, the decision to expand hours was made to "support the local community, protect jobs, and ensure the stability and prosperity of their dedicated team members." So beginning on September 22, many of their locations will be set to open on Sundays for the first time. This move will allow guests to enjoy the restaurant’s signature smoked meats and BBQ dishes seven days a week.

While most 4 Rivers locations will open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, a few of their locations have delayed their change of business hours. So locations like South Tampa, Coral Springs, and Orange Park will begin Sunday service one week later, on September 29. The SoDo location in Orlando will remain closed on Sundays. In addition to the new Sunday hours, all 4 Rivers locations will extend their closing time to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, starting September 27.

Who's excited for the new days and hours of business?

Source: Creative Loafing

Calling all foodies! Disney Springs is hosting the food event of the summer. Picture the EPCOT food and wine festival but all FLORIDA themed! Flavors of Florida is happening now until August 11. Here's your chance to try some of the freshest flavor combos the Sunshine State has to offer.

We were recently hosted by Disney to come out and try as many Flavors of Florida items as we could. And it was so hard to narrow down our top 5 favorite menu items. There are over 70 offerings on the Flavors of Florida menu spread throughout all of Disney Springs. We'll definitely be back before it's over to try the meals we couldn't get to this weekend. There's even a scavenger hunt/checklist for you to keep track of all the stuff you tried on the Disney Experience app!

There's more to Flavors of Florida than food tasting. You can even see cooking presentations led by renowned chefs like Maneet Chauhan and more! Registration is available on the Disney Springs Instagram page!

Now, before I get into my top 5 favorite Flavors of Florida menu items, let me highlight some of the things I WISH I tried, and some I skipped. With it being a Florida-themed event, you can definitely expect to see some Cuban sandwiches. And because we already have the best Cuban's in Tampa, I tried to stay away from those (but had to try the most unique one).

I wish I had time to try the Pork Belly Burnt End Tacos at City Works Eatery & Pour House. Made with smoked pork belly burnt ends, orange blossom honey BBQ sauce, key-lime coleslaw, aji amarillo sauce, and green onions.

And of course, no Disney Springs trip is complete without a trip to Gideon's Bakehouse. I don't care how long the line is, it's always a MUST for me. They have 2 items on the Flavors of Florida menu. Unfortunately the Key Lime Pie Cake Bars (the one item I really wanted to try) was already sold out. The second item didn't stand out to me, even though I LOVE their nitro cold brews. Gideon's is also offering a Orange Mocha Nitro Cold Brew.

Head to Everglaze Donuts for this sweet treat. You won't be able to find this at the Tampa location! The strawberry shortcake donut is HUGE glazed donut filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, then dusted with powdered sugar. We also tried their Italian-style strawberry soda, which was very refreshing and kind of similar to the strawberry refresher from Starbucks.

Before or after you stop at Gideon's for something sweet, head next door to Morimoto Asia for this delicious salad perfect for lunch or dinner! It's made with green tea-infused soba noodles, radish, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, and ponzu sauce.  

I told you I had to try ONE Cuban-inspired sandwich while I was there. I decided to go with the version that you'd never see in Tampa. A Cuban-style hot dog. And it was SO GOOD! Head to B.B. Wolf's Sausage Co. to get your hands on this perfect mid-day snack. Made with a quarter pound all-beef hot dog, mojo pork, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard on a house-made roll.  

I'm so glad I made a reservation at Summer House on the Lake because that place is always packed! And their Flavors of Florida dishes are probably my most favorite from our trip. We got the Key West Shrimp made with Tostones chile verde, Florida citrus salsa, and black beans. While their cookies may not be as good as Gideon's (just my preference), everything on the menu looked incredible and so fresh!  

Also found at Summer House on the Lake. There are a few different key lime pie-flavored drinks on the Flavors of Florida menu, but this one was definitely the one to get! Made with Titos, KeKe key lime pie cream liqueur, vanilla, and lime, with a graham cracker crust rim. It's wasn't too sweet or too tart, and definitely not as heavy as some of the other key lime pie-inspired cocktails we saw. (And they get bonus points for hidden Mickey ears).