
Restaurant offerings at Newberry’s Tioga Town Center expanded this month with the openings of Volcanic Sushi + Sake and West End Tavern.
Volcanic’s Tioga location (13005 SW 1st Rd., Ste. 137) in the former home of Rock N Roll Sushi is the newest of its four, with other Alachua County storefronts in Haile Village Center and Hunter’s Crossing. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and also offers catering.
The Asian restaurant, with a mission to promote “Kazien,” a Japanese concept of continuous movement and improvement, offers a menu of various noodle and rice dishes, soups and salads, beer, wine, sake, desserts, and, of course, sushi.
According to a press release and its website, Nestor Espartero is the Asian owner and CEO with three Iron Chef of Greater Gainesville titles.
He intends for his business to become the most dominant Asian restaurant in the world through the quality of its food and service for its customers and employees.
“Standing on the core values of professionalism, integrity, and quality, we only use fresh and healthy ingredients that impart a unique and unmatched flavor to our dishes,” Espartero said.
A short walk around the corner from Volcanic Sushi + Sake is the new locally owned and operated West End Tavern restaurant and bar (140 SW 128th St., Ste. B).
Offering an outdoor, shaded and pet-friendly patio with fans, TV screens and heaters at the former World of Beer location, West End Tavern is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Their menu offers a variety of “tavern fare” including a variety of flatbreads, burgers, wings, soups, salads and bowls, aiming to cater to all preferences while nodding to old favorites. House specialties include pork rinds, sliders and fish and chips, topped off by desserts like Crème Brûlée cheesecake.
The tavern’s beer offerings include IPAs, Hefeweizens, Flemish Sours and classic ales in addition to seltzers, ciders, wines and non-alcoholic beverages.
An exclusive brunch and beverage menu featuring chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy and Mama’s scramble is offered on weekends.
“This has been a really big dream of mine,” said West End Tavern owner and former Tioga resident Tate Marbles. “We’re thrilled to create a local destination for craft beverages, craft food, and awesome entertainment in the heart of Tioga. It’s been such a fulfilling and rewarding experience so far, we’re excited to see what the future has in store.”
According to a press release, Marbles brings over 20 years of restaurant industry experience to the newly renovated tavern, which will also host live music, sports entertainment and games such as weekly trivia at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tioga posted on Facebook that many of the former World of Beer staff stayed to work at West End Tavern.
“We’re ecstatic to welcome locally-owned West End Tavern to Tioga Town Center,” said Tioga’s senior community manager Corin Ferrell. “It’s even more rewarding to support yet another local business as the newest addition to our flourishing Tioga Town Center community.”