Plant City Florida Local Guide

An informal local guide to the best of Plant City, Florida. If you are visiting the Strawberry Festival from March 4- 14, 2010 this is the map for you. Venture off the festival grounds and explore a bit of genuine Plant City culture or just get a decent sandwich or salad. These are an unsolicited sampling of local tastes and color for visitors to our town. Have fun, please be friendly, and don’t drive the wrong way up Baker Street.

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Parksdale Farm Market
Yes, the hype is true. Presidents and presidential hopefuls stop by here each election. Parksdale Market is one of the few recession proof businesses of Plant City. They offer delicious strawberry shortcakes, strawberry ‘boats’, milkshakes, and strawberry cookies. The ‘Old Florida Tourism’ décor is part of the draw, but even locals come regularly to shop. As an added perk, I think they have the tastiest strawberries this year..though you will pay top dollar. (For the best priced flats, get seconds one of the two stands at the intersection of Branch Forbes and I-4.)

Ruby Williams
Plant City’s most famous folk artist runs a vegetable stand here in Bealsville, a historic community founded by freedmen in the late 1860s. Follow the colorful signs to Ms. William’s vegetable stand. Ruby Williams’ work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum in Washington, D.C. and she is a Florida Folk Heritage Award winner. She has a shed filled with paintings for sale, look around for the ‘gems’. My favorites are the ones with a bit of attitude.

The Johnson’s Corner…Fred’s Market and Grandpa Johnson’s BarbequeLocal favorites of Plant City include two restaurants operated by the Johnson Family (original owners of Buddy Freddy’s). Fred’s Market is the buffet of southern cooking specialties, Grandpa Johnson’s is the chopped Barbeque. They are both located at the corner of the Farmer’s Market. (That’s Farmer’s Market with a big ‘M’ where truckloads of fruits and vegetables are packed and shipped out of Plant City.) The breakfast buffet at Freds is a classic Plant City venue. 1401 West Doc. Martin Blvd. 813-752-7763

Historic Downtown Plant City
Downtown Plant City is fun to explore as an antique center and there are several hot spots for the inquisitive. The Whistle Stop Café is located on the railroad tracks (though the train doesn’t stop there…it doesn’t even stop at the Historic Depot up the street.) An artist’s coop and gallery is on Reynold’s next to the Corner Store and across from Rigatoni’s a new Italian Restaurant. Farmer’s frequent Snellgrove’s where the Briggs Mural used to be (it was torn down a couple years ago for the parking lot.) You might find someone who can tell identify the people are in the new mural celebrating Plant City on Collins.

Corner StoreYes, vegetarians, you too can find tasty grub in Plant City. (Have patience…Plant City was named after railroad magnate, Henry Plant. We love our strawberries, but this is an old cowtown.) The Corner Store has local grown foods, vegetarian salads, dinners, meat sandwiches and they serve wine. Saturdays you might find music in the evening, especially if there is something going on at the artist coop next door. If you love the vegetable paintings, that is the work of artist Jesse Demolli, a Plant City transplant. See his website here www.demolliart.com. 121 East Reynolds Street 813-754-0900

The Plant City Theatre DistrictIt’s not Broadway, but for a town of churches and antique shops, it is pretty cultural. This section of Plant City is home to the Plant City Children’s Theatre, Plant City Entertainment and the monthly Florida Opry at the Corner Stone. The 1914 High School hosts the History Museum, Pioneer Day events and spring performances of the Plant City Children’s Theatre. Just up the street is the Red Rose Hotel and Ballroom a popular venue for live doo wop and weekend entertainment.

Strawberry Hut
Looks like a burger and shake stand and it offers the best Cuban Sandwiches in town. Order yours all the way, pressed. It’s a bargain and it’s delicious. Of course, it is not a secret and you will find yourself eating with a variety of locals from utility crews to festival board members. 1505 North Wheeler 813-752-3779

Chancy’s Catfish and Barbeque Shack
Now if a delicious fried fish dinner is what you’re looking for, you need to go to Chancy’s. It’s a classic Florida catfish shack in the palmettos (conveniently located just off I-4). They serve catfish, grouper, shrimp, alligator, frog legs, fried green tomatoes and anything Florida. The pies are particularly tasty. They aren’t open Sundays or Mondays, prepare to wait a little bit to be seated and bring cash, they do not accept credit or debit cards here. 2509 North Park Rd. 813-754-3433